X-Files S10E04 Home Again Review

X-Files S10E04 Home Again Review

After last weeks excellent episode few had the expectation that Home Again would be just as good. Fox had already chosen to switch around this episode with the previous to make up for the first two. Don’t get me wrong. They were good episodes, but not brilliant. The same can be said for Home Again. It is essentially a ‘Monster-of-the-week’ episode that starts very familiar. In the midst of a dispute about relocating as group of homeless people a federal relocation representative is mysteriously murdered. His arms and head are severed by an impossibly strong man who, as viewers quickly realize, is not actually alive.

Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) are quickly asked to help in the investigation. Just as the peculiar circumstances become clear Scully is called away with news her mother suffered a serious heart attack. This moment is almost ruinous to the episode as not only is the team split up but when Mulder joins Dana at her mother’s hospital the investigation halts. Sadly viewers are torn between watching melodrama regarding Scully’s mother and gory scenes in which two art thief’s and a female school district representative are also torn limb from limb. Only slowly does Mulder pick up the scent of the murderer when he finds a band aid and contemplates a artist may be responsible.

The dénouement of the story comes suddenly and is sadly predictable. An artist is indeed responsible. He imagines his thoughts about creating a champion for the homeless led a clay sculpture come to life. He claims he cannot be held responsible but Scully and Mulder think otherwise. Scully’s mother dies of her condition, but not before inquiring about her son Charlie. To Scully Charlie reminds her of her own son she had to give away for adoption. In a somewhat melodramatic scene at the water’s edge does Scully finally open up about what she knows is her biggest mistake in life. Giving up her son William.

Conclusion

Home Again gave me mixed feelings. I couldn’t be much bothered about the drama involving the death of Scully’s mother. I didn’t think the show needed it. The mystery of this weeks episode also left me wanting, even if it was very gross and spooky. The finale was open ended. This happened a lot during the show original run, but combined with the impossibility of resurrecting a man from clay just by thinking it made this ridiculous. It is an episode that would have worked in 90’s, but not today.

With this episode I can clearly state which scenes I liked and which I didn’t. As such it feels bifurcated. The saving grace are the very strong visuals, which are inspired by the original show but are crystal clear and moody. One odd thing I have noticed is how much fun Mulder is having this season while Scully has more drama and had probably fewer scenes. I will remind Chris Carter that its the team that makes this work. Gillian Anderson has done some fantastic acting in this season, though I do question the practicality of her characters fashion sense. During the original run Scully was famous for her pant suits which slowly became skirt suits more often near the end. During this season the figure hugging pencil skirts and high heels almost had me mistaking this show for Covert Affairs. Not that I am complaining though.

This was my X-Files S10E04 Home Again Review. I hope you enjoyed reading it.