Unusual Suspicions
Mulder’s conspiracy involves the Government colluding with aliens to colonise the planet. ‘The Lone Gunmen’ seem interested only in the Government’s conspiring against the American people.
What is odd about this is that we tend to see ‘The Lone Gunmen’ as somewhat nuttier than Mulder. If Mulder was to stand in the street, there would be no overt reason to assume him to be a conspiracy nut. The same cannot be said for Frohicke, Byers and Langley. The Gunmen would stand out in any crowd.
Yet, there is far more reason for The Gunmen to hold to their convictions than there is for Mulder to hold his. There seems to be incontrovertible evidence that the United States Government has indeed carried out pernicious tests on the American people, giving The Gunmen just cause to be suspicious and paranoid.
Strangely, not only do the actions of the Government prove worthy of suspicion – the gas was where Susanne Modeski said it would be and Mulder handily demonstrates its effects – thus providing The Gunmen with their raison d’etre, the events of the episode support the claims that will be made by Michael Kritschgau eight years later in ‘Gethsemane’ and ‘Redux’.
Those who believe conspiracy theories are usually pretty sure of one thing – while they may not have the accurate explanation of events, they are sure that history didn’t unfold the way we are told it did. If John Lee Roche had been able to prove to Mulder in ‘Paper Hearts’ that he had indeed taken Samantha, it may well have made no difference to his life’s mission. ‘Closure’, in the Seventh Season didn’t!
Mind you, it must be noted that we have recently seen Mulder move beyond being driven just by his search for his sister. When Kritschgau tells him that Scott Ostelhoff's ID card will get him what he wants "most desperately of all", Mulder's unhesitating response is, "A cure for Scully's cancer."
It is a beautiful moment. It shows, despite that 'Bad Blood' will give us insight into how each perceives the other, just how much Mulder loves Scully.
It also helps to explain his soon to be evident conversion to scepticism. Mulder is a man driven, if he forsakes the alien conspiracy it's only to adopt The Gunmen's version - that the Government did it. Mulder is not a man to be satisfied with the status quo. Whether it be aliens or the Government, there are truths out there that need dragging into the light of day.
At heart, this is what conspiracy theory is all about. It should be obvious to all that we are lied to on an almost daily basis; that those in power seek their own ends at the expense of the people they are sworn to serve and protect. There is unlikely to be a single overarching conspiracy, no New World Order, without doubt no Illuminati, yet there are Governments that play foul by the people.
Life is confusing and most of us are buffeted along at the whims of those who get to make the decisions that change our lives. Life is a futile gesture, each day one step closer to the grave. For those who believe that the individual measures the extent of reality, there is the accompanying feeling of meaninglessness. Freedom becomes a matter of taking what I need in order to enjoy the moment. Without meaning, enjoyment becomes the goal. But if I am so reduced then so must everyone. If my purpose is to take from life then so must be the purpose of others - even Governments.
So is born the conspiracy theory, the belief that there are those able to take more than I could ever hope.
The logic is unsound. I am but one person, Governments, Syndicates and Illuminati are, in the sense we like to use it these days, communities: The Terrorist Community likes to murder innocent people. The Criminal Community steals from innocent victims. And on and on.
At the same time, we believe the individual is the measure of a man or woman, we fear the community that, because they are a community, prove themselves stronger than we. Thus, proving that our determination to be individual is a lie we tell ourselves.
If we truly believed the myth of the individual there would be no conspiracy theories.
Mulder, for all his eccentricities, is a role-model for the Twenty-First Century, capable of exerting the strength of his individuality in his pursuit of the community's truth.
What is odd about this is that we tend to see ‘The Lone Gunmen’ as somewhat nuttier than Mulder. If Mulder was to stand in the street, there would be no overt reason to assume him to be a conspiracy nut. The same cannot be said for Frohicke, Byers and Langley. The Gunmen would stand out in any crowd.
Yet, there is far more reason for The Gunmen to hold to their convictions than there is for Mulder to hold his. There seems to be incontrovertible evidence that the United States Government has indeed carried out pernicious tests on the American people, giving The Gunmen just cause to be suspicious and paranoid.
Strangely, not only do the actions of the Government prove worthy of suspicion – the gas was where Susanne Modeski said it would be and Mulder handily demonstrates its effects – thus providing The Gunmen with their raison d’etre, the events of the episode support the claims that will be made by Michael Kritschgau eight years later in ‘Gethsemane’ and ‘Redux’.
Those who believe conspiracy theories are usually pretty sure of one thing – while they may not have the accurate explanation of events, they are sure that history didn’t unfold the way we are told it did. If John Lee Roche had been able to prove to Mulder in ‘Paper Hearts’ that he had indeed taken Samantha, it may well have made no difference to his life’s mission. ‘Closure’, in the Seventh Season didn’t!
Mind you, it must be noted that we have recently seen Mulder move beyond being driven just by his search for his sister. When Kritschgau tells him that Scott Ostelhoff's ID card will get him what he wants "most desperately of all", Mulder's unhesitating response is, "A cure for Scully's cancer."
It is a beautiful moment. It shows, despite that 'Bad Blood' will give us insight into how each perceives the other, just how much Mulder loves Scully.
It also helps to explain his soon to be evident conversion to scepticism. Mulder is a man driven, if he forsakes the alien conspiracy it's only to adopt The Gunmen's version - that the Government did it. Mulder is not a man to be satisfied with the status quo. Whether it be aliens or the Government, there are truths out there that need dragging into the light of day.
At heart, this is what conspiracy theory is all about. It should be obvious to all that we are lied to on an almost daily basis; that those in power seek their own ends at the expense of the people they are sworn to serve and protect. There is unlikely to be a single overarching conspiracy, no New World Order, without doubt no Illuminati, yet there are Governments that play foul by the people.
Life is confusing and most of us are buffeted along at the whims of those who get to make the decisions that change our lives. Life is a futile gesture, each day one step closer to the grave. For those who believe that the individual measures the extent of reality, there is the accompanying feeling of meaninglessness. Freedom becomes a matter of taking what I need in order to enjoy the moment. Without meaning, enjoyment becomes the goal. But if I am so reduced then so must everyone. If my purpose is to take from life then so must be the purpose of others - even Governments.
So is born the conspiracy theory, the belief that there are those able to take more than I could ever hope.
The logic is unsound. I am but one person, Governments, Syndicates and Illuminati are, in the sense we like to use it these days, communities: The Terrorist Community likes to murder innocent people. The Criminal Community steals from innocent victims. And on and on.
At the same time, we believe the individual is the measure of a man or woman, we fear the community that, because they are a community, prove themselves stronger than we. Thus, proving that our determination to be individual is a lie we tell ourselves.
If we truly believed the myth of the individual there would be no conspiracy theories.
Mulder, for all his eccentricities, is a role-model for the Twenty-First Century, capable of exerting the strength of his individuality in his pursuit of the community's truth.
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