I really want to know

David Duchovny sighting! (Okay, not really, just a Duchovny connection.)

But first, a word of explanation. While I do love Fox Mulder, David himself was not one of my most favorite people for quite some time. Why, you are probably not asking? Well, he really doesn't act so much as play himself (or Fox), and he was a big baby about not wanting to stay with the X-files and instead expand his range whilst forgetting that the X-philes are what gave him the opportunity to, you know, have any chance to expand in the first place. I do not cotton to those who are too good for their beginnings, you know? And he often comes across as just dreadfully pretentious in interviews, which is also tedious, for many of the same reasons (I am more cerebral than my intellectually inferior fan base, la la la). However, David redeemed himself in my eyes when I went to see the premiere of the fabulous, fantastic, unfairly fast forgotten film he wrote, directed, and starred in, House of D, which was, in a word, beautiful (netflix it, will you? if for no other reason than it stars Erykah Badu and Robin Williams). And he was charming at the premiere at the Philadelphia Film Festival, witty and laid back and generous with his time and endearing and he turned my opinion around. So I am back to being a fan.

In fact, it is my Mulder/Scully love, in part, that started me watching Bones on Fox. Briefly, strangely emotionless but brilliant forensic scientist Dr. Temprance Brennen (aka Bones) solves crimes old and new with the help of wacky crew of scientists and fiercely protective but platonic (thus far) loyal friend, FBI agent Seeley Booth. Once again, the woman is the skeptic with the cold, hard science, while the guy is devoutly Catholic, sometimes superstitious, and always a student of psychology. Bones is prone to bouts of uncertainty about why people behave the way they do while Booth has a penchant for suits and the (far too) occasional motorcycle jacket. I have followed this show for a number of reasons: one, its X-files parallels; two, Angel withdrawal syndrome (Booth is played by David Boreanaz, and I miss Angel dearly); three, a curiosity about how long audiences will tolerate Bones' (Emily Deschanel) insanely deadpan yet strangely compelling delivery; and, four, the Moonlighting factor: will they or won't they and will it or won't it ruin the show??

My watching was unexpectedly rewarded last week when Duchovny showed up to direct an episode. Sadly, his directorial focus was not a repetition of the beauty of House of D. Instead, he relied on jerky, repeating images shot from odd camera angles with strange "rock" music and not one but two burning bodies on scarecrow-like crosses. He also included a gratuitous slam on academics: one of the characters in Bones' lab was in his dissertation defense and was asked how the committee could be expected to view him as a professional when he looked "like you look," aka in mussy hair, t-shirt, shorts, etc. This is a slam because regular viewers of the show know that this kid is brilliant and the other brilliant-ess, Bones, doesn't care about looks, but only performance. In other words, those who can't, worry about looking professional. Yes, we know Mr. two degrees from Ivies, life in academia is sorely misguided.

And finally, random Buffy/Heroes connection: I just watched an episode of Buffy this morning, right when she begins to date Riley (and the show takes a tumble for a season or so) and who should appear as Riley's right hand comrade-in-arms? None other than Nikki Sanders' husband whose name is escaping me now...dang it...black man who has escaped from prison? Anywho, you know who I mean. All the best shows mine the same casts, it appears (Heroes so far has tapped, in addition to Buffy, the Gilmore Girls, Mysterious Ways (sadly short-lived Pax dramedy), Alias, and Felicity. Love that!)