History Recap / TheXFilesS04E20SmallPotatoes

* NotSoDifferent: After living in his shoes for a while, Eddie gradually concludes that Mulder – an emotionally distant conspiracy theorist with geeky friends, a hotline to a sex operator, and no real social life – is also a "loser", only one by choice instead of circumstance. Eddie even calls Mulder up from prison at the end and encourages him to open up and live a little.

* RealityEnsues: Mulder very easily chases down and catches the somewhat out of shape Eddie, who [[DidntThinkThisThrough unwisely fancied his chances of escape]]. Funnily enough, he fares much better when masquerading as his elderly father, although it's implied that he immediately took on another form when he was out of sight.

->'''Scully:''' What are you suggesting?\\
'''Mulder:''' Well, um, if this musculature underlies the entire skin, then maybe it could be utilized to remold the skin's shape and texture. Which would go a long way to explaining why we're looking for a man who can appear to be his own father, or anyone else for that matter.

[[Recap/TheXFiles Index]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E01Herrenvolk 1]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E02Home 2]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E03Teliko 3]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E04Unruhe 4]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E05TheFieldWhereIDied 5]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E06Sanguinarium 6]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E07MusingsOfACigaretteSmokingMan 7]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E08Tunguska 8]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E09Terma 9]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E10PaperHearts 10]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E11ElMundoGira 11]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E12LeonardBetts 12]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E13NeverAgain 13]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E14MementoMori 14]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E15Kaddish 15]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E16Unrequited 16]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E17TempusFugit 17]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E18Max 18]] | '''19''' | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E20SmallPotatoes 20]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E21ZeroSum 21]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E22Elegy 22]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E23Demons 23]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E24Gethsemane 24]]]]-]]]

!!![[AC:Recaps]]: [[Recap/TheXFiles Index]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E01Herrenvolk 1]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E02Home 2]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E03Teliko 3]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E04Unruhe 4]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E05TheFieldWhereIDied 5]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E06Sanguinarium 6]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E07MusingsOfACigaretteSmokingMan 7]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E08Tunguska 8]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E09Terma 9]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E10PaperHearts 10]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E11ElMundoGira 11]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E12LeonardBetts 12]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E13NeverAgain 13]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E14MementoMori 14]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E15Kaddish 15]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E16Unrequited 16]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E17TempusFugit 17]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E18Max 18]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E19Synchrony 19]] | '''20''' | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E21ZeroSum 21]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E22Elegy 22]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E23Demons 23]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS04E24Gethsemane 24]]

!! Tropes present in this episode:

-->'''Skinner''': Which one of you wrote this?
-->'''"Mulder"''': I did, sir.
-->'''Skinner''': You spelled Federal Bureau of Investigation wrong.
-->'''"Mulder"''': ...It was a typo.
-->'''Skinner''': ''[[EpicFail Twice]]''.

* WhateverHappenedToTheMouse: How in the ''hell'' did Mulder break out of Eddie's janitor closet?

* RedHerring: The teaser suggests that the case will be connected to alien abductions and medical rapes and impregnations, as Amanda said the father of her child is not from this planet. However, it deals with babies having tails (she meant he's [[Film/StarWars Luke Skywalker]]).

** Invoked by Eddie when he gets Angie pregnant by pretending to be [[Film/StarWars Luke Skywalker]].

* ArousedByTheirVoice: Chantal misses Mulder's sexy voice. Considering that she's a phone sex operator, one must take it with a pinch of salt.

* NotSoDifferent: After living in his shoes for a while, Eddie gradually concludes that Mulder – an emotionally distant conspiracy theorist with geeky friends, a hotline to a sex operator, and no real social life – is also a "loser", only one by choice instead of circumstance. Eddie even calls Mulder up in prison at the end and encourages him to open up and live a little.

-->'''"Mulder"''': … It was a typo.

** Mulder's line "Birds do it, bees do it, even educated MDs do it" references the song "Let's Do It, Let's Fall In Love" by Music/ColePorter.

** Scully notices that "Mulder" is behaving a bit weird, but fails to connect this with the disappearance of their recent shape-shifting suspect (who was using his ability to essentially rape women by impersonating men they were attracted to).

* LighterAndSofter: At the heart of it, the MonsterOfTheWeek is an understated dork who was impregnating married women trying to conceive by taking on the forms of their husbands and, uh, [[InsaneTrollLogic claiming to help the process along]]. (He also knocked up a ''Star Wars''-obsessed ex by morphing into Luke Skywalker.) When he takes Mulder's form, HilarityEnsues.

-->'''"Mulder"''': … it was a typo.

* PlumbersCrack: We see Eddie's when he's under a sink, and it's what tips Mulder off that Eddie is the cause of the mysterious babies.

* SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay: Subverted: when admitting to Scully that there's no real point in sticking around anymore, "Mulder" explains that there's nothing here but "small potatoes". The last time Scully heard this phrase was when "Eddie Sr." said it, but the issue is is that Mulder was also present for that, so the significance of ''"Mulder"'' saying it is lost on her.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Mulder gets a short but poignant one from Eddie.
-->'''Eddie:''' I just think it's funny. I was born a loser, but you're one by choice.\\
'''Mulder:''' On what do you base that astute assessment?\\
'''Eddie:''' Experience. You should live a little. Treat yourself. God knows I would if I were you.

* ScrewThusImOuttaHere: The literal moment Mulder wants to ask Eddie some questions, Eddie bails.

** More subtle is when Mulder and Scully arrive at Eddie Sr.'s house. Specifically, when [[VisualGag the "H" on the "Van Blundht" sign on the house falls]] after ''Mulder'' walks past it.

* PlumbersCrack: We see Eddie's when he's under a sink.