Alone (The X-Files)
Encyclopedia
"Alone" is the 180th episode and the nineteenth episode of the eight season
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" became the last Monster-of-the-Week episode to feature an appearance by David Duchovny
as Fox Mulder
.
, 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.
, and marked his directoral 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 durnig 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.
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.
The X-Files (season 8)
The eighth season of The X-Files commenced airing in the United States on November 5, 2000, concluded on May 20, 2001, and consisted of twenty-one episodes. The X-Files is an American serial science fiction-horror-thriller television series. Season eight took place after Fox Mulder's alien...
of the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
. The episode first aired in the United States and Canada on May 6, 2001 on the Fox Network
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
, and subsequently aired in the United Kingdom. It was written and directed by executive producer Frank Spotnitz
Frank Spotnitz
Frank Spotnitz is an award-winning American television writer and producer, best known for his work on The X-Files television series.-Biography:...
.
"Alone" became the last Monster-of-the-Week episode to feature an appearance by David Duchovny
David Duchovny
David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer and director. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
as Fox Mulder
Fox Mulder
FBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
.
Plot overview
In Ellicott, New YorkEllicott, New York
Ellicott is a town in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 9,280 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Joseph Ellicott, an agent of the Holland Land Company....
, 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
X-file
On the television series The X-Files, an X-File is a fictional case that has been deemed unsolvable by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The files constitute an unassigned project outside the Bureau mainstream that is more or less concerned with unexplained phenomena. -First X-Files:The very...
, Dana Scully
Dana Scully
FBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
(Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
) packs up her belongings at the X-Files office. Among her various keepsakes she finds a medallion commemorating the Apollo 11
Apollo 11
In early 1969, Bill Anders accepted a job with the National Space Council effective in August 1969 and announced his retirement as an astronaut. At that point Ken Mattingly was moved from the support crew into parallel training with Anders as backup Command Module Pilot in case Apollo 11 was...
space flight. Scully gives John Doggett
John Doggett
FBI Special agent John Jay Doggett is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction show about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of alien existence...
(Robert Patrick
Robert Patrick
Robert Hammond Patrick, Jr. is an American actor, known for his leading and supporting roles in a number of films and television shows....
) 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
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
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
Fox Mulder
FBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
(David Duchovny
David Duchovny
David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer and director. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
) 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 co-executive producer Frank SpotnitzFrank Spotnitz
Frank Spotnitz is an award-winning American television writer and producer, best known for his work on The X-Files television series.-Biography:...
, and marked his directoral 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
David Duchovny
David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer and director. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
. He ended up choosing to direct it because it would be the last Monster-of-the-Week (stand alone) episode to feature Fox Mulder
Fox Mulder
FBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
(Duchovny). "Alone" was nine minutes over time; various plotlines were cut durnig final editing.
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
's character Dana Scully
Dana Scully
FBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
was written off as a member of The X-Files office
X-file
On the television series The X-Files, an X-File is a fictional case that has been deemed unsolvable by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The files constitute an unassigned project outside the Bureau mainstream that is more or less concerned with unexplained phenomena. -First X-Files:The very...
, since the next season
The X-Files (season 9)
The ninth season of The X-Files commenced airing in the United States on November 11, 2001, concluded on May 19, 2002, and consists of twenty episodes. The X-Files is an American serial science fiction-horror-thriller television series. Season nine took place after Fox Mulder's leave after the...
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
Walter Skinner
FBI Assistant Director Walter Sergei Skinner is a fictional character in the American FOX television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence...
(Mitch Pileggi
Mitch Pileggi
Mitchell Craig "Mitch" Pileggi is an American actor. Pileggi is known for playing FBI assistant director Walter Skinner on the long-running popular series The X-Files. He also had a recurring role on Stargate Atlantis as Col. Steven Caldwell...
) appeared only because Spotnitz did not want to miss the opportunity to direct an episode of The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
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
Jolie Jenkins
Jolie Jenkins is an American actress who has had acting roles in movies and television. She played FBI Agent Leyla Harrison in The X-Files, Diana in Shasta McNasty and the character "Deirdre" in Desperate Housewives...
) was created and named in memory of a writer of The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
internet fan fiction
Fan fiction
Fan fiction is a broadly-defined term for fan labor regarding stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creator...
of the same name, who died of cancer on February 10, 2001. Spotnitz said Harrison brought out the "Clint [Eastwood]" of Robert Patrick
Robert Patrick
Robert Hammond Patrick, Jr. is an American actor, known for his leading and supporting roles in a number of films and television shows....
's character John Doggett
John Doggett
FBI Special agent John Jay Doggett is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction show about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of alien existence...
. Jenkins' performance was called "near perfection" by Spotnitz during the audio commentary
Audio commentary
On disc-based video formats, an audio commentary is an additional audio track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with video...
for this episode.
Reception
The episode earned a Nielsen household ratingNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. "Alone" made its premiere in the United States and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on Sunday, May 6, 2001 at the Fox Network
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
, and subsequently made its first appearance on Canadian television the same time and day on the Global Television Network
Global Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
. In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the episode gathered 480,000 viewers and was the sixth most watched episode that week, behind Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
and The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
. On June 14, 2001 the episode premiered in the United Kingdom and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
on Thursday.