The X-Files Underneath (1993– ) Online

In Underneath, John Shiban takes a couple of old X-Files episodes and puts them together to make a new one, with enough originality to make it an interesting episode. The two episodes from which Underneath draws some of its ideas are 'Tooms' and 'Chimera'. 'Tooms', because like Mulder was upset about Eugene Tooms release and was determined to see him go back to jail, we see Doggett determined to return Robert Fassl to jail. In 'Chimera', we saw where this lady couldn't face her 'evil' side, so it physically manifested itself in another being. A similar thing happens here in Underneath, with Robert Fassl unable to admit sin to himself, and thus manifests an entity that houses his 'evil' side. The remarkable similarity to 'Chimera' is what hinders Underneath for me. Plus, it was done less than two seasons ago, so the viewers are more likely to see the similarities.

I found it interesting that when Doggett goes to investigate this case in New York, it's Scully that goes with him, and not Reyes, his partner. Though Reyes does show up later to help.

Fassl tells the district attorney that he wants to go back to jail, but then he proceeds to cover up the murder of the district attorney. All I can think is that his 'evil' side convinces him to cover up the murder, otherwise it doesn't make much sense.

Attorneys. Ugh. Here, Fassl is about to spill the beans about the bearded man and his attorney pulls him away and gets him to leave. This episode perpetuates the notion that attorneys will do anything to defend their clients, even at the expense of discovering the truth.

Doggett is so desperate to return Robert Fassl to jail that he is even willing to play along with Reyes' crazy idea about Fassl manifesting a separate entity. He doesn't do that too often.

As well as writing this episode, John Shiban also directs it. Nothing about his direction really jumps out except for the scene when Fassl is released from prison and sees the bearded man across the street standing still with everyone passing around him in fast-forward. It's a cool-looking scene though I don't know exactly what it signifies.

If it weren't for this episode being so similar to season seven's 'Chimera', I would rate it higher. As it is, Underneath is still an entertaining episode to watch while pondering what evil may lie in each of us "underneath" the surface.

A lot of season 9 episodes have a character hospitalized. I mean how many One Breath ripoffs can you make? Anyway, Underneath was a nice change of pace because we get to see Doggett's old self in his NYPD days. A man he put away years ago, "The Screwdriver Killer", has been exonerated from his crimes but Doggett is still convinced the man is guilty. It's good to see Doggett taking charge of a seemingly normal case so passionately - very Mulder-esque. Sadly the case itself is average: a man cannot face his fears so his fears manifest into a separate entity. We've seen it before, but it's undoubtedly an X-File and actually feels like one (unlike many season 9 episodes) which is a plus.

Overall this is a passable episode and little more than that. It has the benefit of being a monster-of-the-week not at all related to the mytharc, which has gotten embarrassing at this point, but there are better MOTWs in season 9 alone so Underneath will likely be forgotten. Skippable, but certainly watchable.

All in All, I thought John Shiban's 'Underneath' was a lot like the 'Chimera' episode by David Amann, only not as good. Chimera just made more sense and was more believable explanation why the suspect had another dark side to her because deep down, the motif made more sense why she would commit her killings. . Whereas this man didn't have a reason to kill his victims, nor did he even remotely want to. There were however a few good ideas within the story, for instance to bring back an old case from Doggetts NYPD days, a case he dealt with personally. These are the X-Files episodes i'd typically enjoy, especially in season 9 where it seems anything to get away from the super soldier crap is good but this one, I just couldn't find myself locking on tight with.

I liked the teaser for this episode, as it had Robert Patrick in his role as a New York City Police Department beat cop thirteen years prior to the present day. He and his partner Duke Tomasick (Arthur Nascarella) arrest an apparent murderer in a home with three dead bodies, but after the cut away, Doggett learns that the killer, Robert Fassl (Earl W. Brown) is being released from prison, having been cleared on the basis of DNA evidence. That just sends Doggett through the roof.

You know, it's interesting. When I was a kid watching TV back in the Fifties, you heard the name 'Sing Sing' quite often in TV shows and the movies. It's a maximum security prison located in Ossining, New York, and I always thought the name was simply a play on the name of the city in which it's located. But I just learned by looking it up, that the name 'Sing Sing' was derived from a Native American tribe known as 'Sinck Sinck', from whom the land was purchased in 1865. Always learning something new watching the X-Files, so now you know that bit of trivia too.

The thing that fascinated me about the character of Robert Fassl was his uncanny resemblance to actor Lon Chaney, Jr., both in appearance and the general size and shape of his body. This would have been a good role for Chaney too, because he often portrayed these kind of down and out characters. Fassl's alter-ego was undeniably cast as a Charles Manson type figure, and I never considered that they were one and the same person until the resolution of the story wound up going there. The only trouble I have with it though, is the idea that when he 'turns into' the 'Bearded Man' (Alan Davidson), others can see the transformation as well. I'm still considering how that would work, but not going to lose any sleep over it.

Another thing that bothered me a bit was when Fassl told Assistant D.A. Kaylor (Robert Curtis Brown) he wanted to go back to prison, hinting at the idea that he was indeed responsible for the prior murders. I can understand the D.A. trying to remain 'outside' the case so to speak, but come on, here's the killer saying he had culpability, and the lawyer's not buying it. That was a tough way to find out the guy was serious.

This season 9 episode has a special place in my heart. It contains about 3 minutes of Reyes dialogue which is the very dialogue that made me first decide that I couldn't stand this character. If not for that I would actually probably enjoy the episode. It deals with a sort of Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde serial killer who spends his normal life being a pent up devout Catholic unable to confront his sins and because of this apparently according to Reyes he has not only developed an alternate personality (believable) but since Catholics believe in transubstantiation, that must mean that the guy's DNA actually changes when he takes on that personality too! That's the only thing that makes sense! OK I'll just sum it up with some ad libbed and actual lines from the transcript.

Reyes and Scully are interrogating Bob about the killer in the picture. They notice that Bob appears to recognize the man and is in fact afraid of him. Because of this Scully asks some of the most obviously leading questions I've ever heard.

SCULLY: This man. Is it that he won't leave you alone, Bob? Is it that you just want him to go away? Tell us about him. Tell us so we can help make him go away

Leading the witness much? (I know that is just in a court room, just enjoy the sarcasm and get on with your life.)

Anyway so Dogget is understandably perplexed but what the crud is going on in this interrogation and asks, "What the hell was that?" Reyes replies, "I don't know about you but that was me changing my theory." OK are you ready for this? This is the WORST WRITTEN X-FILES THEORY PRESENTATION EVER!

DOGGETT: What, no more ghosts? REYES: Nope. Just Fassl. What if a man of profound faith, a devout Catholic, was incapable of contrition? SCULLY: As in he couldn't admit his own sins? REYES: Or even that he had a sinful side to him, as we all do. What if he were so frightened by it that he couldn't even admit it to himself. Might not someone like that manifest a second personality? DOGGETT: But it wouldn't explain the DNA evidence. REYES: It would if he physically became that other personality. DOGGETT: So what, we've moved on from Casper the Friendly Ghost to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? REYES: There is a precedent in the Catholic Canon itself. Transubstantiation. The manipulation of matter and energy. SCULLY: You mean water into wine? REYES: Or the Communion wafer into the body of Christ.

OK so stepping back for a second, yes it is true. Reyes has truly just gone through the following thought process: 1) Man is catholic, 2) Man is scared of other man with similar DNA, 3) Man must have problems with contrition, 4) Man must have second personality that is a serial killer, 5) Man is still Catholic, 6) Catholics believe in sacrament turning into the body of Christ, 7) Man must be turning into the body of Christ and killing people with it.

And then the clincher:

DOGGETT: Well Monica, I've slept through my share of Sunday Schools, but I never heard the story about the guy becoming another guy. REYES: It's the one explanation that makes sense. It explains what happened thirteen years ago, and it explains what's happening now.

WHAT THE CRAP ARE YOU SMOKING REYES! The only thing that somewhat redeems this episode is the following segment later as Doggett and Reyes are in the car staking out Bob's house:

DOGGETT: I'll sleep once we make sure this guy, Fassl, never kills again. Fassl or this... Charlie Manson sidekick. REYES: They're one and the same person. DOGGETT: Monica, I don't want to hear... REYES: But I just need to hear another theory that makes sense. DOGGETT: That theory doesn't make any sense. How the hell to you does that make sense?

EXACTLY! How the crap does a person who makes up crazy theories like this get a job as a detective let alone as an FBI agent? Ugh! Watching this just makes me want to grab Reyes by the ears and scream in her face that she is absolutely INSANE! If it wasn't for this I would have enjoyed the episode at the level of probably a 7 or 8 but this just weighs it down like everything else Reyes touches. 5 out of 10.

This episode by far is one of my favorite season 8/9 Doggett episodes. It creeped me out when I saw it first run, it creeped me out right now when I watched it again.

It is similar to "Chimera", that had never occurred to me. But the explanation for Chimera is not the same as it is here. It is similar, but ultimately Chimera was about deception, deceiving oneself, and pretense: in Chimera there was Skully on a different assignment looking for a blonde haired prostitute who ended up being something totally different. While Mulder was confronting a woman who was pretending to be a wife and mother, and she was also something else entirely.

But with Robert Fassl, this is not pretense, it is a "miracle". And the focus is on Dogget, upon seeing it happen right in front of him, absolutely refuses to believe what he has just seen.

Which is odd, because a few episodes previous, in "Providence", he has as close to what can be described as a spiritual encounter as one could have, he hears something in his comatose state that brings him out of it. But he still refuses to believe in it. "If you can accept that, God love you, but that's not the way I'm wired at all".

Most of season 9 reflects on Faith: Skully's faith, Dogget's lack of it, Mulder's belief and will to believe, spilling out on the rest of the players in this basement of the Hoover building. All the way up to Alvin Kersch.

The reason I liked Dogget was, despite his lack of faith, he knew how the X-Files worked, and he was able to do his job despite not believing in anything. Because he had a streak of goodness. There were lines he would not cross, compared to his former partner "Duke" (played by the great character actor Arthur Nascarella).

The thing I want to know is, that wonderful underground location, was that a set or was it a real location?