"Never Again"

Originally Aired 2/2/97

It's such a sad day. This is the very last episode of the series for Morgan & Wong, my favorite X-Files writers, though at least they get to exit on a high note. In their four episodes for Season 4, they have given individual episodes to the Cigarette-Smoking Man, Mulder, and now Scully, after starting off with a horror movie-esque episode that still managed to provide depth to the characters. Controversial or not, I appreciate the extra layers they added to the characters while still working within the confines of standalone episodes.

It's been 4 years since I've been able to watch "Never Again", so I've been waiting til I could finally watch it within the context of the series, not just randomly viewing it once after buying the Complete Series set. "Never Again" works in the order it was aired and I think it could also work if it aired before "Leonard Betts", too. Scully's feelings in this episode aren't completely out of character or crafted just for the sake of drama. If its viewed before last week's episode, then Scully is finally feeling fatigued by all of their running around after space rocks and UFO's. She's already lost two family members and it's sinking in that she didn't choose the X-Files, it was chosen for her. Morgan & Wong also link it to past episodes because in "Beyond the Sea" we learned that Scully was a sort of rebellious teenager, while in "Lazarus" we found out that she has had questionable relationships in the past. While having this personal crisis, Mulder is feeling the opposite of his partner, as he says he's going on a spiritual journey...and I love when they finally reveal what he's doing. It brings back that quirky side of Mulder which has been absent all season.

Have Mercy!

There's more to this than Scully's "Girls Night Out" to get a tattoo and spend the night with a strange man. Morgan & Wong created a unique villain in the form of a "talking" tattoo while also departing from the typical X-Files formula. Its refreshing to see an episode like this; there's no case, the characters are "real", the gloves are off. Enough with metaphors. Most don't view this as a classic episode, seems as if many would like to skip it, but I think an episode like this is necessary. Also straying from typical X-Files formula is the ending. We aren't left hanging to wonder what happened to an alien that got away, instead it's Mulder's unfinished sentence.

Rob Bowman brings a unique touch to the episode as well. My favorite part is the sequence where Ed kills his neighbor and the camera moves in one continuous motion as it pulls back down the hallway and down the stairs, showing Ed bring her body down to dispose of it, then spins around the room. Again, more proof of how cinematic this series was. I'm sure "Never Again" won't make any "Best Of" lists, perhaps a list of underrated episodes is where you'll find it.

Don't worry, I'm not hearing voices...