This two parter is one that I think has divided fans over the years. “Sein Und Zeit” feels like an average MOTW with a more personal touch, deciding to kill off Mulder’s mother through suicide. It’s one I have always felt was just good or fair.

The second part “Closure”, I find much more interesting and I wish the Two parter had this same tone, focusing completely Samantha’s disappearance. I have this episode in my top 25 despite it being so divisive. The background was interesting and while I think the Walk-In spirits made for a hokey explanation for Samantha’s disappearance, it worked for me. To this do I get teary eyed at the end of “Closure”. I understand, however, why not everyone doesn’t find this satisfying. I still don’t, even if I don’t mind it.

I don’t think this retconned anything originally presented to us. I think it just explains what happened after she was returned. She escapes as a young teenager and then before being taken again by the Smoking Man, she is taken by these good spirits to protect her from a worse fate. A cop-out explanation, but an emotionally resonate one.

At this point in the series, the Main conspiracy was over and what happened with Mulder in the opening of season 7 was “somewhat” concluded, the main storyline they needed to wrap up was Samantha’s disappearance.

What do you all think of this two-parter?