Milagro

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PLOT: Mulder's new neighbor is infatuated with Scully and may be involved with a series of murders where the victims' hearts are torn out and no evidence to be found.

When the "almost kiss" happened in the X-Files feature film, it was obvious that after five years, the writers could not avoid the inevitable between Mulder and Scully: they were two people in love. Yes, there were still X-File mysteries to be solved, but that did not detract from the true feelings between the two agents. So it is not really surprising that Season 6 has *so many* episodes that shows how the little hallway scene is just part of the perpetual tease between them. Their control over their emotions have become much more strained since then, and any outside distractions interfere with the dynamics of their relationship.

The "outside distraction" in this episode was a writer named Phillip Padgett (played by John Hawkes), who happened to be enamored of Dana Scully. We see that he lives a sparse, lonely existence but sees a type of kinship in Scully. He wants to offer his heart to her, but cannot put forth the actions. Padgett hopes that she will reciprocate. Unfortunately, his literary side made it magically lethal to some unfortunate victims.

Thus, "Milagro" was a *very* revealing character and emotional study of Dana Scully. Her sexuality, a side of her that is rarely displayed in the show, is uncomfortably cut open and dissected by this lovestruck writer. Reminiscent (maybe too much so!) of "Never Again," Scully is intrigued with the rather off-center, curious Padgett, who happens to be Mulder's next-door neighbor. The first word that comes to mind concerning Padgett is "odd." After that, "creepy" quickly follows with "scary" not far behind. Padgett is definitely a strange person compared to the "normalcy" of Mulder and Scully. Yet, he sees the longing for companionship and love in Scully that Mulder is so (damn) oblivious to. But Padgett mistakenly believes that he can fill the void that Scully subtly reveals to him.

And Padgett knows Scully so well! He not only observes her actions but gets inside her head to the point that he strips away her built-up facade that she masters so well. She is deeply disturbed that someone, particularly a stranger, would know her so intimately. Why would someone she doesn't even know take the time to gather such detailed information? It bothers Scully, but also stimulates her curiosity as well because a MAN notices her "feminine wiles," a deeply secret longing that Scully hides to both Mulder and even herself.

Up to this point, Mulder only has a slight interest in his neighbor, but when he finds out that Padgett is the secret admirer who sent Scully the Milagro pendant, he suddenly develops a *big* interest (Reverse Bambi Berenbaum anyone?). Though Mulder takes up the pretense of the murder investigation to purposely break into Padgett's mailbox, the little sizing-up incident in the elevator proved that he felt his dominance in Scully's life being challenged. Mulder was also disturbed by reading Padgett's story and the very amorous details of the fantasy Scully's tryst with "the stranger in the unfurnished fourth floor apartment."

One thing about Padgett's stalker-like observations of Scully is how he was able to fill in some of the blanks in her character: her appreciation of art, her obvious physical attributes from exercising or running, her desire to be noticed as a woman rather than just a professional and confirming that she was a woman in love. How do we know all this to be true? Just observe Scully's reaction in the church and after Padgett reveals that Scully is not available to him or albeit any other man in this lifetime.

The horror of the murders never goes away, but it is tempered with the revelation of Scully's heart and soul. Her skills as an investigator and doctor place a very large shadow on her obvious feminine beauty. She tells Padgett that "loneliness is a choice," but we all know that she longs so much to be with someone. It isn't too difficult to realize who that "someone" is. Even Padgett realizes this. As he witnesses a cursory touch between Mulder and Scully, he knows that she will never truly give her heart to anyone else.

So the horrific scene where Scully's heart is nearly ripped out is difficult to watch. For all her courage and training, she will die if not for Padgett's selfless act. Mulder is so absorbed in catching Padgett in the act that he ignores the danger involved towards Scully. We are not surprised that she survives, but it is still a shock to see her break down so openly to Mulder. Her intense hug is more of fright than relief.

Gillian nailed her scenes so well. Her patented unspoken communication stated volumes in this episode particularly during Scully's character dissection by Padgett. David also shined in his scenes of frustration with both Scully and Padgett and his sense of shock and relief at the end. John Hawkes did a superb job of showing a well-meaning Padgett with misguided motives.

The script was written by John Shiban and Frank Spotnitz with Chris Carter doing the teleplay. It was obvious that the opening teaser showing a very blocked Padgett trying to fill up a blank sheet of paper came very close to home to those three. Their loving portrayal of Scully was personified in Padgett, and the fact that they were brave enough to tackle the relationship issue head-on broke very much needed new ground. Kim Manner's direction made the episode reminiscent of many of the classic episodes of Season 4, and Mark Snow's music was as eerie and appropriate as ever. Overall, an absolutely great episode that is definitely worth repeat viewings.

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