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The X-Files Season 7 Episode 15

En Ami

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AIRED: 3/19/00

After the miraculous recovery of a young boy who had cancer, Mulder and Scully investigate what has happened but Scully is shocked when The Smoking Man tells her that he cured the boy and offers to show Scully the cure for cancer if she travels with him. But hides her trip from Mulder.moreless

Fan Episode Reviews (12)

En Ami

10

By TrueTvWatcher, Sep 06, 2012

En Ami was a perfect and extremely entertaining episode of The X-Files. I really enjoyed watching because the story was well written, the acting was superb, and there was a ton of character and plot development. I liked how The CSM used Scully and how she believed him and let her curiosity lead the way. It was interesting to hear about the supposed cure and it's possible consequences. It was great watching Mulder look for Scully though her attempts to communicate were being intercepted. I liked how every thing played out and look forward to watching the next episode!!!!!!!!!moreless
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Scully and the Smoking Man go on a road trip.

8.4

By JaCkKbAuEr2424, May 17, 2011

I think this episode was interesting for what it was trying to do and typically disappointing in the way it hastily tries to tie everything up. It was good for the way it gave us yet another glimpse into the way the Smoking Man works and bad for the way it seemed to try to throw drama into an episode that didn't necessarily call for it.

Scully gets a visit from the Cigarette Smoking Man where he claims he wants to show her something, something that will prove he is a good guy and in doing so, will leave a legacy behind to be remembered by. The way he tells Scully that he doesn't want to be remembered for the horrible things people blame him for and instead for the good he's done. He takes her on a road trip of sorts, showing her the people he's cured, and soon announces that he needs her help in getting some research that will help cure all human diseases, including one that he picked up as a result of the surgery he had in the Season 7 two part premiere.

For the most part, the episode works, but as usual, I'm left frustrated at how little the show actually teaches us about the conspiracy. Scully gets left high and dry, Mulder is furious that Scully got screwed over and actually trusted the Smoking Man and the Lone Gunmen randomly show up for a humorous but pointless appearance. Same with Skinner. Let's hope the show can end the conspiracy plot better than it's been handling it lately.moreless
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Brilliant character development episode.

9.5

By Emmma, Dec 26, 2010

I was really glad when I saw CSM was in this one - and that William B Davis himself had actually wriiten it. I loved how we saw a softer side of the CSM, I really wasn't sure if he was being genuine about wanting to put things right, about his affection for Scully, which I believe is true. But he's such a complicated character that always keeps us guessing and that's why I am constantly fascinated by him. This episode also showed the character development for Mulder and Scully was well, showing how far they have come... CSM's talk with Scully in the car proves that, asking her how long it took for her to trust him completly, and how she would die for Mulder, but won't allow herself to love him. (Love that speech!) I also think that Scully's character has developed immensely within the last few episodes, such as her opening her mind to the paranormal as seen in the last episode "Theef"... admitting that maybe medicine and science can't answer everything. And in this episode, she allowed herself to be trusting towards Mulder's enemy, truly believing that the CSM wanted to put things right. An entertaining and well written episode that shows a different side to our favourite villan. P.S, creepy to think that CSM undressed Scully isn't it?moreless
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The beginning of the end.

8.0

By Uncle_SaltyJT, Dec 26, 2010

"En Ami" really begins what I see as a 6 episode arc to end season 7 (the others being "Chimera" "all things" "Hollywood A.D." "je Souhaite" and "Requiem"). It is a point in the show when we take stock of what we are left with after 6 and 1/2 years of mythology, paranormal exploration and major shifts in the characters. CSM is the first character to see at this point. For the first time, we see what his work has done to him. The project was destroyed, at least in part due to his own deliberate decisions. But more surprisingly, his fiendish plot to take the hybrid DNA from Mulder in "Amor Fati" has backfired and now the cause of his premature demise. CSM is a "dying man who wants to share his secrets with the world." This statement is partially true. CSM always believed he was saving the human race from extinction by negotiating with the colonists. He thought the majority of humans would survive as slave laborers and he and his syndicate elite would survive as genetic hybrids. In 1973, this appeared to him as the best option. Sometime between "The End" and "Two Fathers" he saw the rebel threat as a viable means to subvert his cohorts and develop a new plan. He indicated in "Amor Fati" that he recognized Mulder's potential to become a vehicle for the hybrid genes long ago. If true, this means his new plan was to use Mulder to save himself first of all, and, only if Mulder survived the brain surgery, to save mankind. Now, whether the second part of that plan is working or not, we are unaware. But the first part has failed. CSM will not survive the invasion nor will he ever even witness the invasion. So he is left with nothing. But he still has "access." This access might bring him full-circle and give him the opportunity he wants to save the human race from illness. There are also theories abound about his involvement in Scully's own biology and the chip in her own neck. This speculation more aptly follows "all things" and "Requiem" so I'll save it for then.

Overall, a good character piece to show the changes in the show's greatest villain.moreless
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Now this is clever

9.2

By Cristina_chavia, Apr 16, 2010

This is a very twisty manner of a plot, and you are never too sure where it's going. Initially it looks like another Scully faith episode, but this does not play out as she seems beyond sceptical. The implants bring it all back to the mythology.

It says a great deal for William B Davis's writing and performance that on more than one ocassion I really wanted to believe that the CSM had changed. This works especially well against Scully's frostiness, a natural response and dramaticlaly necessary. It is never too clear where CSM's loyalties lie, as is right and proper. He clearly knows about the bug Scully has been wearing, buying her a low cut dress so she can't wear it. He also seems to have a genuine affection for her, sweeping her hair back a la Mulder and trying to connect with her. It's an interesting interplay as Scully moves from mistrust to some level of acceptance, only to have her hopes dasked. Scully's shock at his betrayel plays nicely against Mulder's sense of disapointment in Scully. He cannot meet her eyes in the later scenes. This is intercut with what could be seen as soem form of redemption for CSM. He saves Scully and doesn't want the power. In short, he knows he's blown it with Scully, and for what?

I would have to wonder what was contained in the emails to Cobra, since his response to Scully was "you're just like you said...even more so last night at dinner". Was I the only one imagining emails signed "from your red-headed vixen"?moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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David Duchovny	Special Agent Fox Mulder
Gillian Anderson	Special Agent Dana Scully

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Timothy Landfield	Scientist/Cobra	Guest Star
Cory Parravano	Jason McPeck	Guest Star
Michael Canavan	Cameron McPeck	Guest Star
William B. Davis	Cigarette Smoking Man	Recurring Role
Mitch Pileggi	Assistant Director Walter Skinner	Recurring Role
Tom Braidwood	Frohike	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (2)
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- The title of this episode seems to either be meaningless or be spelled wrongly. En Ami is french for: in friend. Relating to this episode they either meant: Entre Amis = Among Friends or En Amitié = In Friendship. Which would both suit the context.
  
  Despite the oddity of the title in French, it creates a cross-language pun: While the title might be pronounced as the English word "enemy", the French version implies "friend".
  
  Correction: Actually, "En Ami" makes perfect sense in French, there is no direct translation, but it would mean something along the lines of "as a friend".
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- On the correspondence that Mulder receives, his email address is shown as 'fmulder@fbi.gov.net'. On the emails that Scully receives, her email is shown as 'dscully@fgi.gov'
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QUOTES (8)
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- (Mulder opens his door for the Lone Gunmen, in disguise. Frohike has a thick brown wig and a suit, Langly is wearing a strange little round hat, Byers is NOT wearing a suit!)
  Mulder: It's the masters of disguise.
  Langly: Can we laugh it up in your apartment?
  Frohike: We got heat on our tail.
  Byers: Did what you asked. We pulled up what we could on Scully.
  Langly: We started with her credit cards to see if she purchased any airline tickets.
  Frohike: And ended up hacking into some Defense Department node...
  Langly: Where they demanded we immediately identify ourselves or face prosecution for espionage or crimes against the government.
  Mulder: Well, what does this have to do with finding Scully?
  Byers: When we went into her computer we found a series of deleted transmissions.
  Frohike: E-mail that had been erased from her subdirectories but not her hard drive. A series of communications.
  Langly: From someone named Cobra.
  Mulder: Who the hell is Cobra? Scully would have told me about him.
  Langly: Well, it looks like she's gone to great lengths to keep this from you.
  Mulder: I don't believe that. She knows that I'd find her, no matter what.
  Byers: Mulder, we can't find her. There's nowhere to start looking.
  Mulder: I don't believe that either. Give me that. (Snatches laptop)
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- Scully: Mulder, I'm trusting you'll be able to make sense of what's on this tape. I had no other way of contacting you. Please try and understand that I weighed the risks. I couldn't divulge these plans without risking them and I promise you that I weighed everything. Our current location is northbound on the Upstate Expressway. We're driving my FBI fleet sedan, I promise I'll get these tapes to you as fast as I can.
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- Mulder: I know she can take care of herself. It's just not like her to lie to me.
  (Phone rings)
  Skinner: That's my private line. (Answers) Skinner.
  Scully: Sir?
  Skinner: Agent Scully, where are you? (Mulder perks up and holds his hand out for the phone. Skinner waves him off.)
  Scully: I'm on the road. I'm sorry to call you on this line.
  Skinner: It's all right. We've been worried about you.
  Scully: Everything's okay, I just wanted you to express that to Mulder.
  Skinner: He's standing right here. Why don't you do that yourself. (Moves to hand phone to Mulder, who holds out hand again, looking relieved.)
  Scully: No sir, that's all right. Can you tell him that I'll call him later? Just tell him that I'm fine. (Hangs up)
  Skinner: She said she's fine.
  Mulder: (Looking worried and perplexed.) She's in trouble.
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- (Cigarette Smoking Man talking to Scully)
  Cigarette Smoking Man: You're drawn to powerful men, but you fear their power. You keep your guard up, a wall around your heart. How else do you explain that fearless devotion...to a man obsessed and a life alone. You'd die for Mulder...but you won't allow yourself to love him.
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- Scully: You may be right... but for a moment, I saw something else in him. A longing for something more than power. Maybe for something he could never have.
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- Smoking Man: That which makes miracles, can also make great evil. There are those who would use this power for their own purposes. To choose who will live and who will die. Theoretically, I can be cured. Everything I've told you about wanting to make right? I'm a lonely man, Dana.
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- Smoking Man: You're not being honest with yourself. Think back. There was a time when you feared for your future, for your career when you were first partnered with this man. I told you, I've studied you for years... and if you would permit me, I'd like to make an observation. You're drawn to powerful men but you fear their power. You keep your guard up, a wall around your heart. How else do you explain that fearless devotion to a man obsessed, and, yet, a life alone? You'd die for Mulder but you won't allow yourself to love him.
  Scully: Wow. I'm learning a whole other side to you. You're not just a cold-blooded killer, you're a pop psychologist as well.
  Smoking Man: I've been a destroyer all my life. Before I die, I'd like to prove that I'm capable of something more.
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- Langly: Is this place secured?
  Skinner: Is it secured?!
  Frohike: Don't get testy, G-Man.
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NOTES (2)
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- This episode was written by William B. Davis, who plays the Cigarette Smoking Man in the series.
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- This is the last X-Files episode to be directed by Rob Bowman who has directed over thirty episodes since season 1, including the feature movie.
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ALLUSIONS (1)
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- Mulder: I just wanna know if it's Roma Downey or Della Reese.
  
  This is in reference to the inspirational tv show, Touched by an Angel. Mulder is saying he'd like to know which of the characters, Della Reese or Roma Downey (whose character worked for Della Reese's character) healed the young boy of cancer.
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