9x02 LHDP 66.6: The Rip-off - "Coming Home"

I'm going to preface this lecture with two notes:

1. I'm going to summarize each "66.6" rip-off but incorporate them all in one "Epic fail", because they are sort of interconnected. I'm going to do the same with regards to my take on WIN-E.
2. You'll have to forgive any errors/misconceptions during my analysis of The X-Files, because technically, I've never seen a full ep. Yes, I know that this is a serious infraction amongst all the X-Philes out there, but there are only so many hours in a day. I might be awesome, but even I need rest.

Ep. 106: Dos horitas tonas (Two silly hours)

Rip-off: The Da Vinci Code
Summary: American symbologist Dr. Robert Langdon and French cryptologist Sophie Neveu are brought to Paris' Louvre Museum, where the body of Sophie's grandfather is found, naked in the middle of a circle drawn with his own blood, with a pentagram etched into his chest and a cipher nearby. All of these are clues, which lead them on an adventure throughout Paris and London, where they are thrust into the middle of a battle between the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei.


LHdP spin: Mariano returns to the crime scene where the first victim was discovered and finds a man lying in the middle of a hexagram covered in blood, and it appears that the man is dead. Candles are lit throughout the room, lamb eyes are placed at each point of the hexagram, and Latin inscriptions are written all over the walls. When Mariano leans over to check on the man (the "cannibal"), the man opens his eyes and attacks Mariano. We later discover that Mariano has been "branded" with a Latin inscription on his back, which becomes important in helping the Pacos in their investigation.
Epic fail: Truthfully, I think this rip-off could have worked if it wasn't too convoluted. One of the successes of The Da Vinci Code was that the clues weren't too complicated to explain. Dr. Langdon and Sophie used their expertise to quickly decipher the clues, partly because time was of the essence in their case. In contrast, the Pacos seem to be running around like chickens with their heads cut off, probably because none of them are experts in symbology or cryptology (although admittedly, this stays true to the premise of the show). They spend most of the ep. scratching their heads trying to make heads and tails of these clues. When they finally do piece things together, it feels rushed, especially when it's contrasted with everything else that's going on in the show: DL, Reyes and Deker are deciphering the clues, Paco is taking the priest to see the cannibal, and Curtis is escorting the judge (the intended second victim) to the interrogation room. I get that it was edited that way to up the drama and intensity of the moment, but I felt like it was too rushed, too...messy.

Rip-off: Battlestar Galactica "flash" during the opening title
Summary: Following the billing in the credits, there was a "flash" of clips from future scenes in the episode.

LHdP spin: There was a "flash" of clips showing future scenes from this episode. However, unlike Battlestar Galactica, LHdP's flash occurred just prior to the opening credits.

Rip-off: Silence of the Lambs
Summary: FBI trainee Clarice Starling is tasked with interviewing the incarcerated Dr. Hannibal Lecter - a brilliant psychologist who is also a cannibalistic serial killer - in the hopes that he can help the Bureau catch a serial killer known as "Buffalo Bill". One of the most iconic images associated with the film is Dr. Lecter in a straight jacket with a mask covering his nose and mouth.





LHdP spin: The cannibal attacked Mariano by biting the back of his neck. While Mariano is being treated by Deker, he learns that had the cannibal bit him 3cm to the right, he would have bitten into Mariano's carotid artery. As a result of the attack, the cannibal is forced to wear a mouth guard for the remainder of the episode.

Rip-off: The Excorcist
Summary: A single mother begins to notice dramatic changes in her 12 year-old daughter's behavior, which she initially attributes to her recent divorce. These changes include the exhibition of supernatural powers, such as levitation and supernatural strength, as well as a demonic male voice. Several paranormal events occurs in the house, until it is believed that the girl is demonically possessed. Two priests are brought in to exorcise the demon from the girl.


LHdP spin: Paranormal activity exists throughout this episode. The cannibal seems to know Paco's name even though Paco's ID badge wasn't visible. Later, the cannibal's voice takes on a demonic male tone as he begins speaking in Latin about exalting sin and eradicating virtue. He also bashes his head several times against the two-way mirror in the interrogation room but seems unaffected by his injuries, and jumps from one side of the room to the other with ease even though he is handcuffed. Finally, the cannibal throws himself backwards across the room, impaling himself on a hook before dying. His message that he would "return to continue (his) work" only furthers the theory that the cannibal was demonically possessed.

Rip-off: The X-Files
Summary: Two FBI agents - Mulder and Scully - investigate unsolved mysteries that involve paranormal activity. Mulder believes in the existence of the paranormal, including aliens, while the more scientific Scully is a skeptic.







LHdP spin: As I mentioned above, there is paranormal activity throughout this episode. On another level, there is Paco's transition from a skeptic like Agent Scully to more of a believer like Agent Mulder. When Paco initially approaches the priest for help, he's asked whether he believes in God. Paco's silence implies that he doesn't - that he's a skeptic - and as such, the priest can't help him. Later Paco express his desire to "believe", which is analogous to the famous X-Files catchphrase "I want to believe". Word also has it that the cannibal bears a resemblance to The X-Files character Tooms.
Epic fail: Individually, none of these rip-offs seem like too much of a big deal, because the similarities are minor. However, when viewed together, as it's done in this episode, it gives off the feeling like the writers took the "throwing in everything but the kitchen sink" approach. It feels like they threw a bunch of sci-fi/horror/thriller films and shows into a hat, picked out a few, and wrote a storyline based on those selections. My biggest problem with these rip-offs is that, again, it doesn't stay true to the "DNA" of the show. LHdP is not a sci-fi, horror or thriller show, unless you count Blackman (or the fact that Lucas had a billion lives and Curtis could get shot multiple times and survive while one bullet took out Silvia). LHdP is a black dramedy. At least it was when it first started. It simply makes no sense to me as to why Alex Pina & Co. would suddenly decide to inject an entirely new genre into their show with a pre-existing niche. It creates a disconnect with the audience, who are left confused as to why they are suddenly watching an entirely different show than the one they knew.

Rip-off: Short Circuit
Summary: Johnny 5 (originally named "Number 5") is a US military prototype robot. A lightning storm creates a power surge, which strikes Johnny 5 while he's recharging, causing him to malfunction. Throughout the course of the film, Johnny 5 becomes more conscious and self-aware, and with the help of a young woman, he begins to understand the difference between life and death. He spends the film evading capture and destruction by the government while trying to prove that he is, in fact, "alive".



LHdP spin: WIN-E looks physically similar to Johnny 5. Additionally, WIN-E is conscious and self-aware, because he is an artificial intelligence robot. Finally, like Johnny 5, WIN-E a government robot.

Rip-off: WALL-E
Summary: A future Earth has become covered with trash and abandoned by humans. WALL-E is a trash collecting robot, who spends his days on Earth cleaning up the mess the humans left behind. WALL-E is sentient and has learned about love from watching old show tune movies. One day, he meets EVE, an advanced robot, whom he falls in love with. When EVE's ship later comes to reclaim her, WALL-E hitches a ride and spends the rest of the film trying to help EVE return humans to Earth.

LHdP spin: The most obvious similarity is in WIN-E's name, which is not much of a stretch from WALL-E, including the use of all caps. Additionally, WIN-E also bears a resemblance to WALL-E, albeit a larger version of him. Like WALL-E, WIN-E expresses a desire to learn, about privacy, fears, love and secrets. Granted, he's being controlled by Dani when he asks about these issues, but because WIN-E is sentient, he's still processing and learning from this information.
Epic fail: First of all, this rip-off could not be more obvious in appearance, the choice of name, or personality traits. But the main reason why this rip-off fails IMO is because WIN-E's presence is completely unnecessary and I don't understand the purpose of having him around. Is he there to give the newbies something to do? If so, then maybe Alex & Co. should have rethought the idea of bringing newbies into the show if they didn't have an idea of what to do with them. The only possible purpose I can see for WIN-E's role thus far doesn't actually occur until next week's episode when he helps Pove face some of his demons. Granted, WIN-E adds an element of humor into the show when he interacts with Pove, but as I've said before, Carlos Santos is talented enough to bring humor to any situation. He certainly doesn't need the help of an over-sized prop. At this point, I find it unnecessary to add an artificially intelligent character into a show that already has a large cast. Again, it just makes the show seem more disjointed and convoluted than necessary.

Feel free to add any other rip-offs you may have spotted, as well as your thoughts in agreement or dissent.

kalike

*The title for this lecture is based on the song "Coming Home" by John Legend