Mulder and Scully Revisited IX (AKA Scully, Skinner, Doggett, Reyes...and Mulder!)

The ninth season wasn't very highly revered by critics and fans, but I still think the show did the best they could without the character of Mulder. This season had a few episodes that focused primarily on Doggett and Reyes, and I think they worked better than the ones that didn't. Trust No 1 teased us with Mulder's possible return at a train station, only for him to be yanked away without so much as a smile. A shadowy figure running through the dark was all we got. It could have been a series highlight, but it was clumsy in its execution and we all knew that Duchovny wasn't returning until the finale anyway. Said episode, The Truth, was a tad disappointing too, acting like a bit of a summary of the series, rather than an ending. I quite liked the addition of Cary Elwes in the role of A.D. Folmer, and Lucy Lawless' appearances in the first two episodes are great. I know her pregnancy stopped her from appearing in the rest of the season, but I think she would have been a great recurring character.

The latest X-Files revival has been and gone, and for the most part, I enjoyed it. I know not every X-Phile was happy with them, but I thought it was great to see Mulder and Scully again. Anyway, back to season nine...

**Warning: spoilers ahead**

4-D (9ABx05)
The idea that parallel worlds exist is not a new one, but I like the notion that two Doggetts can't be in this dimension. In another realm, Agent Doggett tracks a serial killer and unknowingly crosses over into our world, which rips away our Agent Doggett. Confused? It makes more sense when you watch it. I like how Reyes has to convince the hospitalised and otherworldly Doggett of her theory. The hows and whys of how the killer can travel through dimensions is never really addressed, but it doesn't matter. It just happens, and it's how Reyes and Doggett II deal with it that's important.

JOHN DOE (9ABx07)
One of my favourite episodes of the Doggett era. Waking up somewhere in Mexico, Doggett has now idea where he is, how he got there or who he is. Not an original idea, but the execution is excellent. The episode was also obviously influenced by Steven Soderbergh's 2000 film Traffic, with the Mexican scenes very harshly lit. When Doggett finally remembers who he is towards the end of the episode, he has to relive his son's death all over again. It's a truly heartbreaking scene with horrible timing, as he and Reyes are in the middle of a shoot-out. Robert Patrick's performance is flawless. This is everything that was good in the ninth season, and it was written by Vince Gilligan too! It acts as a great stepping stone to the Breaking Bad series.

AUDREY PAULEY (9ABx13)
After being hit by a drunk driver, Monica Reyes is hospitalised, and soon falls into a coma. She wakes up in a phantom hospital that is suspended in space with two other patients, and they assume that they have passed away. Meanwhile, Scully tells Doggett that the comatose Reyes is braindead, which he refuses to believe. This is easily the best Reyes-centric episode of the series and an engrossing watch to boot.  It also benefits greatly from Tracey Ellis' wonderful performance as the title character (you might remember her as Lucy Householder in the third season episode Oubliette). 

WILLIAM (9ABx17)
The arrival of a mysterious man, who may or may not be Mulder (and has no qualms about laying into Skinner), sets off a chain reaction that ultimately ends with Scully deciding to give up William for adoption. While it does turn out to be Jeffrey Spender, the episode confirms for the audience that the Cigarette Smoking Man is definitely the father of both Mulder and Spender. I like the whole "is he?/isn't he?" conceit of this outing too. Although Mulder only appears briefly on screen, the episode was directed by David Duchovny himself.

RELEASE (9ABx16)
I really enjoyed Robert Patrick's role as John Doggett throughout the last two seasons. I was disappointed to learn that his character wouldn't return to the tenth, but understandably, Patrick says he's not one to look back and revisit old characters. As the season was close to wrapping up, it seemed fitting the resolve the story of Doggett's son. Jared Poe's performance as the detached, but psychic, FBI Cadet Rudolph Hayes also makes this episode a memorable one. I also like seeing Elwes' shaking A.D. Folmer after taking revenge on the man who had extorted him for so long. Patrick's acting in this outing is excellent as well, although he didn't hit as high as he did in John Doe.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Improbable, Provenance, Sunshine Days and The Truth.

STINKERS: Jump The Shark, Underneath and Trust No 1.