Samantha Mulder

[ethsnafu]

The Ed Truelove aspect of the case is the most baffling part of it from my perspective Joe. Three children have disappeared over the years, Amber-Lyn, Samantha Mulder and the young buy who's name escapes me. In two of those cases the mothers channel Ed Truelove yet none of them appear to have any connection to him or his crimes at all which begs the question: why is he even in the plot? What purpose does he serve? What is connection, if any, to the missing children? And on and on and on...

There has to be an article out there that critiques the Samantha Mulder Arc. I'll keep looking, see what I can find.

Eth

[Guest WaveCrest]

I remember before DVD overtook VHS, collecting the latest X Files two or three parter on VHS, so when the latest one from the seventh season was released, compiling "Sein und Zeit" and "Closure", I was looking forward to it as I had done before with the previous releases. I liked it but was also underwhelmed by it. In hindsight I think it stands up well compared to the previous mytharc episodes.

[Orodromeus]

Quite a lot of stuff here. First, I'd like once more to unashamedly point to my own analysis of the mythology: Sein & Zein/Closure. I doubt it this is what WaveCrest referred to, but I hope it will be of help.

First, the definition of "Walk-ins" in these episodes is different than the conventional "spirits overtaking bodies" one. Departing from that denomination, these episodes talk of these beings beyond their "body snatching" activities. These beings that we call Walk-ins would also try to prevent worldly suffering. They do not actively prevent suffering to take place, but instead "abduct" the one that is in great pain or would come to great suffering. They're not taking over vacant bodies as Walk-ins are known to do, instead they pull bodies and/or spirits into their own plane of existence. I'm not used to sound as New Agey.

The Ed Truelove aspect of the case is the most baffling part of it from my perspective Joe. Three children have disappeared over the years, Amber-Lyn, Samantha Mulder and the young buy who's name escapes me. In two of those cases the mothers channel Ed Truelove yet none of them appear to have any connection to him or his crimes at all which begs the question: why is he even in the plot? What purpose does he serve? What is connection, if any, to the missing children? And on and on and on...

- Amber Lynn would have been taken by Truelove/Santa Claus, serial killer. Her abduction and murder was pre-empted by her being taken by the Walk-ins.

- Samantha's different, and her mother didn't channel Truelove; Sam was suffering at the hands of the Syndicate. She was taken so as to stop her suffering.

- Harold Pillar's son I don't recall why he died or was taken, but Truelove was uninvolved I think.

1) Why did the mothers experience the phenomena of automatic writing prior to their child's disappearance?

Because this automatic writing eventually led to the capture of Truelove, who was, depending on the case, the perpetrator of murder or the would-be perpetrator (since he was prevented killing by the Walk-ins "abducting" the targeted child).

2) If Amber Lynn and Kathy Tencate's son have both been replaced by walk ins to prevent them from leading their unhappy lives then why was neither child depicted as having lead anything other than a happy one.

They were never replaced. They lived happy lives until the Walk-ins intervened, not to take over their bodies, but to remove their bodies from our plane of existence; if they hadn't, then these children would have suffered at the hands of Truelove/Santa Claus.

3) Why the references to Santa Claus in those cases that seem not to have

any link to Santa's North Pole Village?

Where? Santa Claus is only referred to when the would-be perpetrator would be Ed Truelove.

4) Why did Skinner send Scully cross country to find Mulder and get the report? Could he not just phone or fax?

Uh...if I recall correctly Mulder had just learned his mother had died so I guess Skinner knew he wanted some womanly company? OK, you got me here. Gratuitous M&S scene.

5) Why is a ghostly apparition of Samantha enough to provide the closure Mulder so desperately seeks. With an absence of her corpse, the revelation that she was taken to a hospital which she later vanished from and some undefined link to a series of child murders I struggle to understand how the belief that she is dead answers any of the questions these new events would have no doubt posed.

Here's my biggie: Mulder learns that is sister was discovered in a distressed state after enduring years of painful experimentation at the hands of The Syndicate. She vanishes from her bed in what could be a) a case of Walk-In phenomena behaving decidedly unlike Walk-In phenomena b) she was simply abducted again or c) she was abducted and murdered by Ed Truelove. How on earth does Mulder consider these possibilities to afford him closure with regards to his sister? Surely it poses more questions than it answers.

Because, ghostly apparition it may have been, Mulder recognized this was the true Samantha and learned of her true fate. Previous encounters with what proved to be clones (Colony, Redux) would leave doubts in him because they took place in the material realm; here, the spiritual connection is enough for Mulder to recognize this as what truly happened. Simply put, Mulder just knew Lies can be conveyed in exchange of words; but when two spirits communicate, like what happened at the end of Closure, only the truth shows.

I guess the problem comes from you restraining your view of the episode by how you would have expected a Walk-in to behave, based on the regular definition of Walk-ins in the lore (or by the fact that Carter & Spotnitz used that term misleadingly for a concept/being of their own making).

Hope this helped. I had trouble accepting this resolution at first; I presently find it very suitable, poetic and adapted to the atmosphere of season 7 being a season of closure of the series in general.

[Guest Laurent.]

Hey Oro! I was reading the thread (which I missed in my last visits) and was ready to post a link to your website! Glad you took the time to clarify things yourself! Thanks!

[ethsnafu]

Thank you so much for taking the time to clarify a few points. There is a argument that states that episodes of television should be designed to be understood on the first viewing. I'm not sure I necessarily agree with that but I'm guessing the reason that these episodes left me a little addled is that they do need a certain amount of post-episode contemplation, maybe a little time spend on message boards condensing your thoughts and a few re-watches to boot. With Millennium that was never a problem for me as I was so heavily involved in the show as a viewer and I suppose that's why you guys understood things much better than I evidently did.

A great read and I'm certainly much clearer about things but I would assert that it was a mistake to define an entity for the purpose of the plot and then name it after a recognised bit of paranormal lore despite there being notable distinctions between the two. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck it isn't always a duck I guess.

Thanks chaps, your help is much appreciated.

Eth

[Guest WaveCrest]

I think it's more rewarding sometimes when you're left with questions after watching an episode of a TV show with a few layers in the story. You may get frustrated and confused, but it's very satisfying knowing you've watched a show that creates a lot of discussion.

[HighPlainsDrifter]

After re-watching the two part episode I have come to the conclusion that the walk ins take the body to their plane of existence. Samantha is seen as a spirit but lives in a physical state in a spiritual world. The Walk-ins work in the spiritual world to make things happen for GOD, save the children. So is there a possiblity of a Fox & Samantha reunion? Only GOD knows. I am confused in regards to Ed Truelove I tend to think he has been watching Amber Lynn and Harrold's son but the children where taken before Truelove could of done harm to them since he is a child killer. To me the writings where from the aparitions like Mulders mom was channeling Fox to write down the name of the Air Force Base but who was channeling Mrs. LaPierre? I am sure it wasn't Truelove. Well thats my take

[ethsnafu]

It's the Amber Lynn bit that I struggled with the most Joe. I think Oro states that the reason her mother channelled Truelove (or the Walk-Ins or whoever she was channelling) in order to lead people to the bodies of the children and the perpetrator of the crime but as I recall it it is stated that Amber Lyn is not one of those bodies discovered at Truelove's North Pole Village and that despite owning up to several murders he refuses to accept to that he killed her or the young boy who's mother also left a 'santa-signed-note' before her son was taken (or whatever) by the Walk-Ins.

If Amber Lyn was not killed by Truelove and neither was the boy the explanation you offer makes sense to me. He would have killed them if the Walk-Ins had not, somehow, intervened. I think that's he bit of logic that has been eluding me from the off.

Again, thanks for helping me reach some clarity folks.

Eth

[Orodromeus]

Thanks Laurent!

The Walk-ins work in the spiritual world to make things happen for GOD, save the children. So is there a possiblity of a Fox & Samantha reunion?

I'd argue that there's no mention of God or God's will here. The Walk-ins (as defined here, mind you) appear to be self-determined sentient souls that act out of compassion and independently of the will of humans, or aliens for that matter. We never actually see them. It's even possible that the Walk-ins are nothing else but the souls of the dead (see below).

To me the writings where from the aparitions like Mulders mom was channeling Fox to write down the name of the Air Force Base but who was channeling Mrs. LaPierre? I am sure it wasn't Truelove. Well thats my take

Truelove was alive and doesn't strike me as the spiritual type who would try projecting to others, so it wasn't him. I think the messages mimicking Truelove were channeled to the mothers by the Walk-ins, to point investigators to the would-be killer. And evidently, not only the Walk-ins (that we never see by the way!) cause the automatic writing, but also dead people such as Mulder's mom.

Interestingly enough, a similar thing seems to happen in the series finale, The Truth, where dead X channels a message to Mulder (the address to Marita Covarrubias). That makes me think that the resolution of the mythology, meaning the fate of the Earth and the colonization by aliens, will involve to some extent the spiritual world as an unpredictable third party that might change the course of things. At least, that's one mytharc-geek's opinion...

He would have killed them if the Walk-Ins had not, somehow, intervened. I think that's he bit of logic that has been eluding me from the off.

Yes that's they key to understanding the episodes!

[HighPlainsDrifter]

There is a part in the Closure that mentions the walk-ins doing God's work by saving the children. Amber Lynn and Harolds son where both seen by Mulder before the scene he had with Samantha. Both where taken by the walk-ins before they where killed. I like the explanation of the channeling is done by the walk-ins. Does this mean that Mulders mom is a walk in or a aparation?