Journey to the Truth: Triangle - S6 E03
DIE WAHRHEIT IST IRGENDWO DA DRAUƁEN
When a ship suddenly appears on satellite images in the Bermuda Triangle, Mulder and the Lone Gunmen believe it is the Queen Anne, a luxury liner from 1939. Mulder goes to investigate, but the Gunmen lose track of him in a storm.
Chris Carter's inspiration for this episode began with filming The Red and the Black. He shot so many takes on that episode that the crew awarded him a mock trophy. He decided he wanted to film Triangle with the least amount of film possible, using Alfred Hitchcock's filming style in Rope (1948) as a guide. The result is a real-time linear narrative with no apparent cuts, hiding seams with dissolves and wipes where necessary. Triangle is comprised of 34 cuts. (It doesn't say how much film was used to generate it, however.)
Obviously, the filming style impacted every aspect of the episode. Each scene was choreographed and filmed using a steadicam, then aired in letterbox format to be able to 'get more action' into each frame. Anyone who gets shot is not on screen when it happens -- there's no way to apply the wound.
The split-screen shot of Scully was inspired by Semisonic's video for the song "Closing Time." It required uber-precise timing in editing to sync both versions of her. And those elevator scenes? The elevator was the only part that stayed still, while the external set was hurriedly swapped before the doors opened again. This episode is one of GA's faves, partly because it felt a lot like live theater. You can see her slip and catch herself at one point, knowing a restart isn't as simple as usual.
CC didn't stop there. By deciding on a WWII theme, including Nazi soldiers, he gave several actors a crash course in German. The script is accurate for this era, and many of the crew speak fluent German, including Mitch Pileggi. The pronunciation by some of the other American actors leaves something to be desired, however. William B. Davis said, "Maybe we shouldn't try to do two clever things at once." He had spent two weeks trying to learn his lines phonetically with a cassette.
Much of the filming was done on board the RMS Queen Anne, built in the 1930s and based in Long Beach Harbor as a tourist attraction. They wrapped the ship in scaffolding to block exterior lights and ran a sprinkler system to create the rain. Wardrobe raided Fox Studios' Titanic (1997) for many costumes.
CC also wanted this episode to pay homage to the Wizard of Oz, released in 1939. The boat that Mulder has wrecked is the Lady Garland. The band is Elmira Gulch and the Lollipop Guild. Elmira Gulch is the Kansas name for the Wicked Witch, and the Lollipop Guild are part of Dorothy's welcoming committee in Oz. Captain Yip Harburg is named after the movie's lyricist. That German tagline translates to "The Truth is Somewhere Out There." (Apologies for my fail on the character. I write on my phone.) And the final scene is an echo of Dorothy's final scene in the film.
MSR: Yes! But no. But yes! CC again gives shippers the illusion of what they want without sacrificing his stance against an onscreen relationship. (Breathe. Accept what we have.) First, I just want to say, 'Way to Go, Skinner!' Because he got there first, and it wasn't even a possible delusion. But he doesn't beat Mulder by much.
Finally, Mulder and 'a version of Scully' get their first kiss. Theoretically, anyway. In typical CC fashion, it is too dark to see much. (The site says it's 1 of 4. I'm not sure if that's including movie #2 and/or the revival episodes.) It also says this is the first and ONLY time Mulder says "I love you" to Scully. If she knew that, she might change her response. Still, I love the way he keeps tapping her waist, the way she turns back and leans in with 'Yes?', and his gazing focus before his confession.
I want to love this episode. There are parts of this episode that I do love. I appreciate what CC was trying to do creatively, but many of the ship scenes are far too dark to do them justice. That said, I love the music. I love the sets and costumes... that I can see. (GA looks amazing!) I love the Gunmen and their old VW microbus. (The Germans make nice cars!) I love the sequence in the Hoover building. I can see that one! 'Get the Info' has actually been ranked on WatchMojo's 2025 list of Top 20 Single Shot Takes at #8.
The best part? Scully refers to Spender as a weasel. Twice. (Okay, maybe not best, but it sure is satisfying.)
Fanfic: There are so, so many out there. I read a lot, but there are so many more. Feel free to send me recs for any that you love.
"The Invention of the Kiss" by Spooky66
"I and Love and You" by starwalker42
"those three words" by admiralty
"The Only Truth" by peacenik0
I saw a note on a fic that I can't seem to find again that said that Diana was supposed to be the singer in the episode. I didn't see it anywhere else, but I like the idea. Mulder choosing Scully in a Diana episode is really all I want from S6. And all she wants. Regardless, my Legos have arrived, and there's no Diana in sight. (Talk about your long game.) Thank you for reading!
@fridaysat9 @admiralty-xfd @peacenik0
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