Now, this is a first. Invariably, two part X-Files episodes are conspiracy related. But unless there's something I'm not aware of yet, this one isn't.
Nipping out to meet an informant who has promised Mulder the inside scoop on Area 51, Mulder and Scully arrive in the Nevada desert only to once again be denied entry to anywhere near Area 51 by a bunch of men and cars in black. However, when what appears to be a UFO passes overhead, Mulder finds himself watching as Morris Fletcher gets back into the car with Scully and drives off, and no-one seems any the wiser.
Okay, so the body swapping thing has been done several hundred times before in Sci-Fi, but that doesn't really affect the story here, as Mulder tries to get to grips with inheriting someone else's family (he gets told off by his wife for watching the porn channel) while an imposter takes over his job in the FBI. What is unusual for the series is that the situation is almost entirely played for laughs, probably due to the episode being a collaboration between the main X-Files writers, Frank Spotnitz, Vince Gilligan and John Shiban, and Gilligan's sense of humour shows through. This does however lead to parts of the episode feeling as if they're written by different writers rather than all gelling together, which is a shame.
The other major problem with Dreamland I is that there is a lot left unexplained, even by X-Files standards. Has Mulder's informant deliberately switched bodies with Mulder? If so, why, and how did he manage it? Plus, what exactly is going on at Area 51?
In its favour, this is episode one of a two-parter, so hopefully some of this will be cleared up in part two. Also, the story is fascinating, showing a device that can make two things/creatures exist simultaneously in the same Space-Time continuum and continue living. But the undoubted highlight is Scully's shock at Mulder's apparent personality change. Now her partner wants to work 'by the book', is enjoying a steamy relationship with their boss Kersh's assistant, and even slaps her on the bottom!
Dreamland I is one of those all-too infrequent X-Files episodes that literally makes you laugh out loud. Miss it at your peril.
****
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