Chinga

The boat Bonsaint points out to Scully is named "Working Girl," the title of the first movie David Duchovny appeared in.

Seven: as the number of times someone says that Scully is 'on vacation' (5 by Scully, 1 by Mulder, 1 by Bonsaint).

BTW, Scully is gorgeous when on vacation.

We see from the very first scene that Melissa is terrified about what will happen if Polly doesn't get her way. Throughout the episode people who keep Polly from what she wants end up dead, and Melissa is helpless to stop it. Finally, Melissa is unable to placate Polly, and she's in danger. Seeing her banging herself in the head with a hammer is truly horrifying.

It's also a very powerful character moment for Scully when she acts on a belief that a supernatural force is at work. It shows how far she's come, and how open to extreme possibilities she's become, in her time on the X-Files.

I find this moment (two scenes in fact) very creepy, when the tension finally rises irrevocably in Melissa's house: first, with the doll opening its eyes while Polly is sleeping and the Hokey Pokey can't stop; second, when Polly is awaken, wants popcorn, Buddy is dead and Melissa is completely frightened while doing popcorn.

I find the choice of popcorn clever: it warms, warms, and then explodes, like the situation here. We reach indeed the peak moment of the episode just after.

Scully suggests to Chief Bonsaint that they need to consider extreme possibilities, showing that she can't help but think of Mulder, even when they're not together. Not only is she taking Mulder's part in suggesting theories, she's experiencing the same reaction Mulder gets time and again, when Bonsaint responds by asking Scully, "aren't you on vacation?" It's an adorable scene which highlights that Mulder and Scully work best as a team, considering all possibilities.

Liars, liars?

They are very mind connected in this moment: each one lies to the other. Mulder about his improbable construction workers, and Scully pretending to have been up and out the morning whereas she was in her bubble bath when he called.

What a delightful playful MSR moment!

BTW, why Mulder didn't admit he was dribbling?

This moment has to be connected to their finale scene in the basement: Scully pretending that she hasn't solved the case, Mulder that he has accomplished a lot!

There are lots of priceless funny moments in this episode, but I love this one. I find the idea that there is nothing in Mulder's refrigerator but a far-from-fresh container of orange juice hilarious. That he opened the fridge expecting to find something to consume, that he decided to go ahead and try the juice, and that it was so revolting he had to spit it back out are wonderful comedic touches. I think the scene emphasizes just how empty Mulder's life is without Scully, but in a sweet and funny way.

Hard to choose one single moment of humour in this episode... Do I prefer all the straight physical comic Mulder scenes? His fun exchanges with Scully by phone? Scully's running gag about her vacation? Her mix of detachment and interest in the case? The whole Jack Bonsaint's character, his lines/accent/expressions, subtly comic?

I love them all!!!

So, I choose the first funny moment of the episode, the first phonecall from Mulder to Scully. I love the physical running gags of Mulder being bored, here he's rocking on a chair, and his silly lines. I find the one about the statistics of decapitation in convertible very funny. Moreover, he was very ahead of his time warning Scully about driving and talking (on a cellphone) at the same time!! It's very kind of him to be worried about Scully's safety on the road.

Mulder has been hinting at marriage to Scully for a while now (see Small Potatoes: "Should we be picking out china patterns or what?"). He's getting bolder, and he outright proposes here! I know it's meant as a joke, but I bet if she had said yes he would have dropped everything to apply for a marriage license. That's my headcanon anyway.

I'm not sure it works exactly like that for real (it has to be tested), but the idea is so surprising coming from Scully: putting the evil doll in the microwave!

How Scully had the idea? Couldn't she just shoot in its face, or scratch it?

I like also that Bonsaint watches Scully in complete awe.

Hopefully, Scully was there to act quickly even though she was in vacation! Would have Bonsaint managed the case if Scully weren't there?

Scully is referring to the witch trials that occurred in New England in the 1600s.

A coastal town+Stephen King+Maine=the most thrilling american cliché for me!

Can I say again that Scully is gorgeous in her Maine T-shirt and with her sunglasses?

"So, it was unrequited." I like this quote for a couple of reasons. First, the most recent guest appearance by Larry Musser before Chinga (he was in four episodes total) was in Unrequited. I don't know if use of that word here was coincidental or an intentional call back, but I like it. Second, it's a good red herring. The townspeople are blaming Melissa for deaths because of the victims' unrequited affections for her, when she's not responsible at all.

The villain being an evil talking doll, I can't help choosing its favorite lines: "Let's have fun", "I want to play". Simple, but effective.

For real, dolls are usually very creepy, especially when they talk!

Mulder in his underwear, talking to Scully, while dribbling a basketball. Enough said.

I love all the Mulder moments in this episode. I love watching Mulder being bored without Scully.

Is this moment his best time without her? Watching a silly video sounding like a porn?

On his desk there's a book titled "Alien probe"... Well, Mulder, don't you know how to live it up!

She's on vacation. She's rented a convertible, she's bought the t-shirt, she's ready to relax and get out of her head for a weekend. Except she can't resist an opportunity to help solve a mystery. I really like this image of Scully--someone who knows the value of getting away but whose curiosity and dedication won't let her ignore a chance to lend a hand.

For Scully's POV, I'm sure that her best vacation moment in Maine is her bubble bath time at the motel. Mmmhh, so relaxing... even if it's a bit spoiled by Mulder's phonecall.

She visits regularly motels when on the field with Mulder, but I'm sure that she has never enough time to take a bubble bath.

Carpe diem, Scully!

Comparing to Mulder, her book is titled "Affirmation for Women Who Do Too Much". Scully knows how to treat herself.

Moreover, doesn't she look gorgeous under the bubbles?

The repeated phone calls between Mulder and Scully are very reminiscent of War of the Coprophages. There, Mulder stumbled across a mystery while away from home and called Scully for advice, which prompted her to investigate and offer theories. Here it's Scully's turn.

The acting by David and Gillian in these scenes is fantastic. The telephone banter in both episodes is so engaging that you'd never know they aren't really talking to each other.

Mulder and orange juice bottles: a thread.

He can do dirty things with them... or almost.... In Arcadia, he just had the thought and stopped in time.

In this two scenes in this two episodes, David Duchovny shows us that he's a very good physical comic actor.

I love all of the phone calls between Mulder and Scully. The banter is delightful, and frankly Mulder is at his most adorable when he's flirting and showing off and just trying to spend time with Scully even if it's long distance. The calls are a wonderful way to have both of them on the case but in separate locations.

I also really like Jack Bonsaint. He's so affable, and there's more to him than meets the eye. He knows Scully has skills that will help solve the case and he's smart enough to rely on her (and spend quite a bit of time with her).

I love this episode for all the humour in it.

As in War of The Coprophages, M&S are separated but yet remain connected by phone. There's no Bambi, but a Jack for Scully. I love the interactions between these two. They have lovely moments together, and are very sync when they burst into Melissa's door. I like their dynamics: Bonsaint the skeptic -or is he just pretending to be one?- yet aware of strange things, and Scully forced to dive in Mulder's role. I like how the both of them are nonchalant -recall that Scully is on vacation-, not in a rush to investigate.

Meantime, in Washington DC, it's a Mulder's festival of boredom, leading to some iconic pictures or lines (the pencil in the ceiling, the 'Marry me', the basketball, the orange juice, etc...).

I like also the Chucky and Jules Verne (french proud) references, and that we have some insight in the 'I Want to Believe' poster.

The actors are amazing: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Larry Musser.

The actress playing Melissa is also very good, but I don't feel much for her character (see below).

This isn't a criticism of the episode, because it's supposed to be unsettling, but I dislike Polly's escalating demands. The child actress plays the role very well, and the episode does a good job of making us wonder why she behaves that way. But it's almost too irritating for me to enjoy. I also think the daycare owner was more of a caricature than a character.

The scene with Polly's father pulling the doll out of a fish trap and thinking it would be a good present for his daughter is either ridiculous or appalling, I can't decide. Maybe both.

And...I never want to hear the Hokey Pokey again!

I like very much this episode that I find very comic and enjoyable.

So, one thing that I could dislike it's that this King's episode is not enough horrific or thrilling. I find the first attacks of the doll very cartoonish. Especially the first in the supermarket: the make-ups of the eyes are quite grotesque. It makes me laugh. It's just in the end that I'm a bit frightened, and where I feel tension (see my powerful scene). Moreover, I don't feel very concerned by Melissa's troubles, I'm not sure why...

I don't know what to think of the girl Polly. Is she a bit evil herself? Is she under the influence of the doll? I find her very authoritarian and fussy. Maybe it's just because she's autistic, that she has 'a toy in the attic' as said by Bonsaint (is it true? and since when?). There's a lack of insight here, so I find the girl creepy...

And I can't explain why her father was killed on his boat. His death seems not to be as logical as the others...