The Jersey Devil

Throughout the episode Mulder and Scully are seen walking through a room full of people on the way to and from their office. It shows them as part of a system or team (even shows Mulder requisitioning a car) rather than isolated and working on their own agenda.

Or, maybe, this horrible jacket Mulder is wearing.

Along the episode, these 3 scenes match perfectly well. And we can appreciate the evolution of Mulder's interest.

Scully tells her friend she's not cut out for motherhood. She explains that she doesn't have time for a life. She clearly thinks she has to choose between a family and a career. When she goes on a date, giving "having a life" a try, her date confirms that "having kids changes everything." By the end, Scully has made her choice. She turns down another date, instead choosing to continue the investigation with Mulder, saying she has no interest in further dates at this time.

For me, it's the combination of these two scenes: the encounter with the wild woman, and its death. Mulder is always deeply affected by dead young women.

Mulder's little embarrassed smile when Scully teases him about his investigative method using the porn magazine. He cares what she thinks.

You have to watch carefully this scene to see the little smile Scully does when Mulder says "She's a MD". So proud !

The drop and roll as they're running after the beast woman. I can't help but think it slowed them down rather than speeding up the chase!

I imagine that a few days ago, M&S had a special FBI team training, where they learned how to do a perfect sync forward roll. It's a shame they lost the practice...

Scully had clearly talked to her friend about Mulder, describing him as cute. She tries to say he's a jerk, because he ditched her (of course he did), but she can't. She says he's just focused on his work. I like seeing a glimpse of Scully's personal life and how her new partner impacts it.

Scully making puns.

When Mulder offers his hotel room to the homeless man, the man asks if it has HBO.

A sweet family in its car, singing a song. An american classic song ? I don't know !

"Keep that up Mulder and I'll hurt you like that beast woman." I love the teasing co-worker tone throughout this episode, and this sums it up nicely.

"Maybe we're just beasts with big brains". It's a quote I can use anytime in my life, especially at work among scholars. I like also the "b" alliteration, foreshadowing the forthcoming "bee".

BTW, what Mulder is looking at ?

The scene in the coffee shop with Scully, where he describes his thoughts on the case.

Once again, 2 moments matching. First, shabby Mulder saying "It probably felt threatened, ... somehow" (listen carefully to hear the somehow and his tone). He's not convinced ! And later, totally excited and relieved that he wasn't a threat. Cherry on the pie, the abs.

Scully realizes on her date that she is bored with this perfectly normal man with a perfectly normal life. She would rather be working the case with Mulder, even if it means putting her personal life on hold.

Scully realizing what she wants most: a cute not-really-jerk obsessed-with-his-work partner. Look at her ecstatic face !

Scully's thoughts on whether she's cut out for motherhood link to her conversation on the bench with Mulder in Home. She's fully committed to her partnership with Mulder at this point, but now she's questioning whether she wants a family as well. Maybe she's also thinking she'd like a family with Mulder.

I can't help to link TJD to Mulder squatching in season 11 TLAFS. He wants to remember how it was to encounter a wild human woman, and have a chance to feel again a Thrill he never felt again, even with Scully (she's not so wild).

I like seeing Mulder and Scully's partnership solidify. There are lots of scenes that show what they respect about each other. I love the scene where Scully doctors Mulder. And I love seeing scruffy Mulder.

I like the whole episode. The thematic, the plot, the MSR, lines, action, Mulder ditching Scully and wandering among the homeless, Scully trying to have a life but realizing that it's more interesting to be with Mulder...

The drawing of the beast man/woman just seems silly to me. The fact that Mulder uses it as a form of identification is laughable.

Just that: Scully's look for her date. Really, she'd dress like this ? Ok, it the 90s, but... I can't believe it !