This has got to be one of the poorest Morgan and Wong scripts I have ever seen. I guess when you win you win and when you lose you lose. I think they used up all their creative energy on "Home" and then just threw this crap together at last minute. First of all we will talk about script inconsistencies and unbelievability.<br /><br />Scully talking to Mulder at the beginning of the episode as he walks outside into the yard to search for the extra victims says something like "intelligence reported no hiding places in the vicinity of the yard". Then Mulder walks out about 20 feet and finds a wooden trap door in plain site. Nice thorough job intel. Next thing that really bugs me is how much Scully is against trying to get information from Melissa/Sidney/whatever just because Mulder believes her personalities are past lives. Scully, the fact remains that this is the person that knows where the weapons are and you need to find that out really bad so get over whether or not you agree with Mulder or not about the origin of the personality and do your job. Which brings us to Kristen Cloke. This is another of Morgan and Wong's favorite actors to use in their shows. She was in Millennium for a season and was one of the main characters on their Space Above and Beyond show as well. I didn't mind her that bad in Millennium although she could get annoying occasionally and she was actually quite likable on Space Above and Beyond, but she drives me crazy in this episode. Why? She is way too eccentric with her alternate personalities. Especially Sidney who is some kind of old guy with serious problems and for some reason always acts like he is holding a cigarette. Anyway I don't really like that character at all. I did watch the deleted scenes where she acts out a couple more personalities that were actually pretty humorous and its too bad they cut them out because they could have boosted the episodes quality. Back to writing. Its sure a pretty darn good thing that the civil war lady memorized her journal entry with the exact date. Seriously this sounds like one of those actors reading the journal entry that you hear in historical documentaries. Its also a really good thing the the library keeps a drawer of civil war era photos and that they just happened to have both Mulder's and Melissa's past personas there. Then there's the hypnosis scene. I don't think I've seen a more unbelievable scene acted by David Duchovny. Its really too bad because I don't think its his acting that's the problem but it seems that way because of the terrible writing. First of all no one that goes back like that is going to take the time to explain who all the modern counterparts are to the people they are describing and they aren't going to explain the philosophy of reincarnation just in case someone in the room doesn't get it. C'mon guys give the viewer's a little credit. Then there's the fact that Melissa is either Mulder's husband or wife or something in all the past lives but in the current one she is a brief nobody. Yep that makes lots of sense. OK I think one more thing then I will move on to the things I liked. I wish they would have used the Jonestown theme in an episode that was more about a Jonestown cult and not one that was focusing on reincarnation. Anyone who is familiar with the true story of Jonestown knows that the story is a lot darker and creepier than what it is portrayed as in this episode and they could have done a much better job with that theme.<br /><br />What did I like? I really like the music in this episode. Mark Snow did an amazing job with the score despite the cruddy story. It actually makes the viewing bearable. Then I also love the following dialog between Mulder and Scully:<br /><br />MULDER: Dana, if, um... early in the four years we've been working together... an event occurred that suggested or somebody told you that... we'd been friends together in other lifetimes... always... wouldn't it have changed some of the ways we looked at one another? SCULLY: Even if I knew for certain, I wouldn't change a day. (She heads for the door then looks back.) Well, maybe that Flukeman thing. I could've lived without that just fine. (She smirks and walks out. He smiles. Later, he and Melissa are listening to the tape of Melissa's regression.)<br /><br />Great moment between them. As I watch I find myself wanting to like this episode but just can't because of the poor writing and trying to force the explanation onto the viewer without letting them come to their own conclusion. I don't know if that made sense. Let me clear things up by saying 3/10.