Alone (The X-Files)

"Alone"
The X-Files episode
Doggett and Harrison are temporarily blinded and trapped underground.
Episode no.	Season 8 Episode 19
Directed by	Frank Spotnitz
Written by	Frank Spotnitz
Production code	8ABX19
Original air date	May 6, 2001
Guest stars
Mitch Pileggi as Walter Skinner Jay Caputo as Salamander Man Zach Grenier as Herman Stites Jolie Jenkins as Leyla Harrison Lisa Kaseman as Pathology Assistant Tony Ketcham as Gary Sacks James Otis as Arlen Sacks
Episode chronology
← Previous "Vienen" Next → "Essence"
List of season 8 episodes List of The X-Files episodes

"Alone" is the nineteenth episode of the eight season and the 180th episode overall of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States and Canada on May 6, 2001 on the Fox Network, and subsequently aired in the United Kingdom. It was written and directed by executive producer Frank Spotnitz.

"Alone" is the last Monster-of-the-Week episode to feature an appearance by David Duchovny as Fox Mulder.

Plot

In Ellicott, New York, Arlen Sacks is killed by an unknown creature that sprays venom on its victims, while his son Gary goes missing. In the meantime, at the FBI headquarters, Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) packs up her belongings at the X-Files office. Among her various keepsakes she finds a medallion commemorating the Apollo 11 space flight. Scully gives John Doggett (Robert Patrick) the medallion, explaining that it symbolizes teamwork. Scully than leaves the office and Special Agent Leyla Harrison arrives, telling Doggett that she is his new partner. They are to investigate a murder in upstate New York.

Doggett and Harrison make their way to the crime scene, where they search for clues. Doggett finds some sort of slime which is sent to an FBI lab for analysis. Harrison then explains to him that she processed Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully's travel expenses during their time on the X-Files, and as a result she knows everything about the X-Files.

Doggett follows a wooded trail away from the crime scene to an upscale mansion, making his way inside. Unknown to him, the strange creature is clinging to a wall, observing what he's doing. Sensing something is wrong, Doggett pulls out his gun and instructs Harrison to stand by the door while he flushes the creature out. When Harrison goes outside, she hears a noise directly above her and opens fire. Doggett rushes onto the front lawn, where he falls through a trap door.

From an autopsy, Scully discovers that Arlen was blinded by a kind of reptile venom. Doggett and Harrison, having fallen into catacombs below the mansion grounds, encounter the creature separately and their eyes are sprayed with its venom, partially blinding them. The two agents find Gary Sacks, in need of medical attention, nearby.

Mulder searches the area around the mansion for clues and encounters the owner, Herman Stites - who identifies himself as a biologist. He leaves the area while Stites notices Doggett about to escape the catacombs and knocks him back in. Mulder waits in his car in Stites' driveway until dark, telling Scully that he found the Apollo medallion near Stites' estate and is convinced Doggett is somewhere nearby. He spots the creature and chases it to the mansion where it climbs up to a second floor. Mulder bangs on the front door until Stites opens it. Mulder warns Stites that the monster is in his house. Stites lures Mulder into the catacombs where Harrison and Doggett are kept. Mulder goes in, not realizing that Stites has locked the door, and finds Doggett. He begs the still-blinded Doggett to open fire at him on his command. The blinded Doggett hesitates but fires when Mulder tells him to, and shoots the creature as it was leaping at Mulder. The creature then turns into Stites.

Later, Scully and Mulder meet Doggett (who has now fully recovered) at the hospital. He tells them that Harrison will make a full recovery as well, but that she is transferring herself off of the X-Files. Mulder attempts to give Doggett the Apollo medallion, but Doggett insists that it be given to Harrison instead. Mulder and Scully then present it to Harrison together, who accepts it in awe.

Production

The episode was written by executive producer Frank Spotnitz, and marked his directorial debut. He said it was hard to achieve perfection when shooting. While positive, saying that he had more creative control when directing and writing. Originally Spotnitz had no plans to direct the episode but was encouraged to do so by David Duchovny. He ended up choosing to direct it because it would be the last Monster-of-the-Week (stand alone) episode to feature Fox Mulder (Duchovny). "Alone" was nine minutes over time; various plotlines were cut during final editing.

Gillian Anderson's character Dana Scully was written off as a member of The X-Files office, since the next season would mark the creation of the so-called "new" X-Files. Spotnitz called the episode the last of the "old" X-Files stand-alone episodes. As it was the last stand-alone episode to feature Duchovny, he did not care as much as "usual" about creating a "mystery" for the episode.

Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) appeared only because Spotnitz did not want to miss the opportunity to direct an episode of The X-Files without him. So Spotnitz wrote him in, but edited out most of his most "prominent" scenes in this episode because of time constraints. Other scenes he wrote, but cut out was scene time between Anderson and Duchovny.

As with many other episodes, Duchovny did not want his character to have all the answers. Giving the reason that it looked too easy for him. Duchovny and Spotnitz had a long discussion on how to remove the scene or tweak it.

The character Leyla Harrison (Jolie Jenkins) was created and named in memory of a writer of The X-Files internet fan fiction of the same name, who died of cancer on February 10, 2001. Spotnitz said Harrison brought out the "Clint [Eastwood]" of Robert Patrick's character John Doggett. Jenkins' performance was called "near perfection" by Spotnitz during the audio commentary for this episode.

Reception

The episode earned a Nielsen household rating of 7.5, with a 11 share. It was viewed by 7.6 million households and gathered a total of 12.7 million viewers in the United States. "Alone" made its premiere in the United States and Canada on Sunday, May 6, 2001 at the Fox Network, and subsequently made its first appearance on Canadian television the same time and day on the Global Television Network. In the United Kingdom, the episode gathered 480,000 viewers and was the sixth most watched episode that week, behind Star Trek: Voyager and The Simpsons. On June 14, 2001 the episode premiered in the United Kingdom and Ireland on Thursday.

External links

• "Alone" on The X-Files Wiki, an external wiki
• "Alone" at the Internet Movie Database
• "Alone" at TV.com