[via negativa 8x07]
© The X-Files

via negativa: lit. "by way of negation" the method, originating in neo-Platonism, of understanding God by listing predicates or attributes that are not God's based in the belief that because God is infinite, his positive attributes are unknowable

This season of The X-Files, or at least what I have seen of it so far, has been something of a surprise for me. I was fully prepared for the show to end after 7 seasons, in fact wanted it to; the passion seemed to have gone from the characterizations and the stories, and it seemed pretty apparent to me that the parties involved did not want to be there. I received the news of the show's renewal with more than a little apprehension - Mulder would be missing from half of the season, I was not happy with the pregnancy storyline and I wondered how many more good x-files the writers had left in them. I am still withholding judgment on the pregnancy and I do miss Mulder; but I have been impressed with the quality of the episodes this season and I can sense the re-invigoration (word?) of the show's creators.

Via Negativa was, for me, one of the best episodes so far this season. It was classic XF, but not only because of its creepy and dark atmosphere. The ambiguity inherent in the story (am I awake or not? are these my murderous impulses or not?) and the paranoia it fostered runs right to the heart of the show, imo. The show's basic motto is "Trust No One", and in Via Negativa, Doggett was left to wonder whether or not he could even trust his own perceptions of what was real, and to wonder whether he himself possessed the dark impulses that manifested themselves in his nightmares.

Robert Patrick has won me over. If I was told a few months ago that I would be so entranced by an episode that not only centered on the "new guy", but also contained very little Scully, I would have dismissed the idea, pretty much outright. But Patrick has managed to bring Doggett to life, making me care what happens to him. He has both a toughness about him, and a vulnerability. I think those 2 qualities, separately, made him very effective in Terminator 2 and The Sopranos. The combination of both toughness and vulnerability is what makes Doggett an appealing character. When he tells Skinner, "I'm not sure if I'm awake", you can almost smell the fear coming off of him and I was drawn right into the nightmare with him. The entire episode had a dreamlike quality to it, thanks to some great editing and direction, allowing us to share in Doggett's paranoia about what was real and what was a dream.

In this episode, Skinner summarizes the via negativa as "the path of darkness" that when taken leads you to a higher plane, allowing the spirit to travel freely without the body. Tipet believes that if we have "the courage to see into darkness, we see into God, free of the clay which confines us." This is not a faithful interpretation of the via negativa as it is used in Christian mysticism, though. I did a little online research and found this to be the most easily understood definition (for me): the method, originating in neo-Platonism, of understanding God by listing predicates or attributes that are not God's based in the belief that because God is infinite, his positive attributes are unknowable. Therefore contemplation of the negative aspects of God (what he is not), His incomprehensibility, His infinity, brings us closer to understanding Him (even though we can never really know Him - got it?). Tipet seems to have bastardized this - he believed that by contemplating, even embracing, the negative aspects of *ourselves*, our own darker impulses, we would be brought closer to understanding God. I think the reason he was killing was that he he did not succeed in getting closer to God; instead, he became immersed in his darker impulses, unable to escape them (remember, he had been in prison for bludgeoning someone to death). I think Doggett was able to resist the urge to kill because his own dark impulses were not as dominant and Tipet's. In the end, he took Scully's advice and trusted his instincts. The one thing I didn't understand, though, was why Doggett was affected the way he was - why was he propelled to kill in his nightmares, as opposed to being killed, like the others?

Random items:

~~ Being a fan of the Lone Gunmen, I was quite pleased to see them back and in what I thought was good form. I was very disappointed in their short appearance in "Within" and was worried about future LGM sightings.

~~ It was wonderful to have some Mulder mentions, and none of them using the past tense. I would however like to see evidence of someone trying to find him.

~~ The dream sequence at the end was very well done. I was really frightened. The whole thing reminded me a lot of the epileptic seizures I used to have as a child - the feeling that everything is very far away, the weird whispering voices. Scary stuff.

~~ Cool camera trick: In keeping with the theme of the third eye, the all-seeing eye, etc. - take a look at the scene where Doggett enters the elevator after taking Skinner to task for his "wacky" theory. After Doggett steps into the elevator and turns to face Skinner, the doors close, covering more and more of Doggett's face until all we see is one eye.

~~ As much as I'm enjoying watching Doggett, I'm missing Scully. Hopefully, with the second half of the season starting in a few weeks and Mulder's return, we'll see more of her soon. I'm curious as to what was causing the "acute abdominal pain." Perhaps the baby's alien antennae were poking into something sensitive? There is some speculation as to whether or not Doggett thinks Scully is pregnant. From what we were shown, I don't think he suspects. However, I read something interesting in the episode summary at the Official Site - when describing the scene where DreamDoggett is in Scully's apartment, they mention the blue light, voices and the sound of a baby crying. I listened closely on my second and third viewing and could not discern a baby's cry. However, if that's what was intended, I wonder if they are implying that somewhere in his subconscious mind Doggett is toying with the idea that Scully is pregnant

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©2002, Regina M. Dardis, All Rights Reserved