"Alone"

"You re-gifted."
Originally Aired 5/6/01

As Season 8 nears its finale, "Alone" holds the distinction of being the final standalone episode starring David Duchovny. That is until this year, when FOX re-launched The X-Files as a 6-episode "event" series. Even if that fact is now erased, "Alone" is also known for being the first episode directed by long-time series writer, Frank Spotnitz. He's also contributed a few other spooky scripts this season, including "The Gift" and "Via Negativa", but this marks his first attempt at a comedic episode. While I think he did a great job in some aspects, it didn't provide enough humor or enough scares to call it a "classic."

I've only watched this episode once before, back in 2008, and I recall having a strong dislike for it's attempts at being funny. However, 8 years later, that "light-hearted" tone would be the reason why I enjoyed it. What seemed "nerdy" before, now feels endearing. Much of the comedic moments come from Doggett's new partner, Leyla Harrison, who isn't really an FBI agent; she's an accountant. It reminded me a little of the Dirty Harry sequel, The Enforcer, when grizzled detective Callahan is paired with a young cop. I felt that this "gimmick" could have continued longer with Doggett getting a new partner every week in the same way that Spinal Tap goes through drummers. My other idea was that Season 9 should have been Doggett going solo on his X-Files investigations, with Scully aiding him and performing autopsies, much like Mulder in the early portion of Season One. As I was typing this, I dreamt up another scenario for Season 9 where Doggett is actually partnered with Agent Emma Hollis from X-Files' sister series, Millennium. Hollis would be able to bring similar expertise to the cases as Reyes, yet she'd already have a built in character that they could expand on. That concludes my fan-fic portion of this review; moving on.

"Alone" doesn't offer many "classic" X-Files scares, but there is a bit of an atmosphere that is unique to this episode. I liked the use of music and camera angles when Doggett is investigating a creepy old house and the grounds surrounding it. They even added a reference to last season with a book titled The Sixth Extinction, which fits well with all of the dialogue referencing past X-Files investigations. Doggett's repeated descent down a well was fun, too. The poor guy has spent all season being vomited up by a creature, sent on a mission into a humid subway tunnel, held hostage by Absalom, and now he's knocked down a well. He's now The X-Files' personal pin cushion.

However, the ending felt a little abrupt, when Mulder came to Doggett's rescue. The bad guy just lets Mulder into the tunnel where he's been keeping Doggett and his partner, with Mulder just strolling in, while the door appears to lock behind him. D'oh! You'd think Mulder would be smarter than that since he was the one who deduced the creepy homeowner was hiding something in the first place. The wacky ending aside, I still enjoyed this episode of The X-Files, and it feels like the writer Frank Spotnitz is as much of a fan of the series as its viewers. Leyla Harrison's references to past cases is what I find myself doing while watching many episodes of not just The X-Files, but other movies and television shows. It definitely is not the worst episode of the season as I had previously believed and I'm glad I was able to view it with this new perspective. Only two episodes remain in Season 8, the two-part finale, "Essence" and "Existence", which I'm sad is coming to an end.