Home Again

In this X-Files episode from the new/limited-run 10th season, while Mulder and Scully investigate the "Trash-Man", some sort of entity that resides in trash part of the dumpster-trucks and tears people literally in half (we see the limbs), Scully's mother has a heart attack and is near death. This brings a lot of memories for Scully - when she was found and in a coma in season 2, and then later on gave up her baby for adoption (the mother mentions the child's name when she wakes up) - and it provides for Gillian Anderson the episode to do the most sorrowful acting in this season.

One may remember the mother character from past seasons (like the episode when Scully is found and is by her bedside, and to the show's credit they use the same actress). The main story with this trash-monster, who seems controlled, sort of, by the illustrations of a graffiti artist (?) is fine, though mostly as a sort of classic monster-of-the-week story. What makes it more interesting is what Scully brings to it, especially once she returns to the case to distract herself from what's happened to her mother. It's an episode with a strong story, but it's made potent by the emotional context and how much weight and gravity is there with the idea that... ideas themselves can create or destroy things (a scene with Scully and Mulder listening to this illustrator explaining this, and what Scully flashes to, highlights this best). I don't know if it's the "best" of the new episodes of the six, but it did bring the biggest wallop as far as the pathos.

"Home Again," the fourth episode of the tenth season of The X-Files, written and directed by Glen Morgan, is a poignant exploration of grief, familial ties, and the darker aspects of human nature. This episode serves as a vehicle for both Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) to confront their pasts while navigating a bizarre case involving a monstrous entity born from societal neglect.

The narrative opens with a shocking scene in Philadelphia, where a street artist named Daryl Landry (Daryl Shuttleworth) is brutally murdered by a creature known as the "Band-Aid Nose Man." This grotesque figure emerges from the refuse of urban life, embodying the discarded and forgotten elements of society. As Mulder and Scully investigate the murder, Scully receives devastating news: her mother, Margaret Scully (Sheila Larken), has suffered a heart attack and is in critical condition. This personal tragedy weighs heavily on Scully, affecting her focus on the case. Meanwhile, Mulder discovers that the Band-Aid Nose Man is somehow connected to Landry's art, leading them to explore themes of responsibility and the impact of societal indifference.

Visually, "Home Again" is striking, utilizing a blend of dark and vibrant imagery that reflects the episode's thematic contrasts. The grotesque design of the Band-Aid Nose Man is particularly memorable, serving as a chilling representation of how society often overlooks its most vulnerable members. Glen Morgan's direction effectively balances horror with emotional depth, ensuring that the audience remains engaged in both the investigation and Scully's personal turmoil.

The performances in this episode are exceptional. Gillian Anderson delivers a heartfelt portrayal of Scully as she grapples with her mother's illness and reflects on her own choices regarding her son, William. Her emotional range is on full display during poignant moments at her mother's bedside, where she expresses both love and regret. David Duchovny complements Anderson's performance with his portrayal of Mulder, who provides support while also dealing with the bizarre case at hand. The supporting cast, including Tim Armstrong as the street artist Trashman, adds depth to the narrative, illustrating the complexities of human relationships and societal neglect.

Thematically, "Home Again" tackles heavy issues such as grief, responsibility, and societal failure. The Band-Aid Nose Man serves as a metaphor for those who are marginalized and forgotten in society. The episode raises questions about how individuals cope with loss and whether they can find redemption through their actions. Scully's reflections on her family dynamics highlight the importance of connection and communication in times of crisis.

"Home Again" stands out as a powerful episode within The X-Files revival. It skillfully combines elements of horror with deep emotional resonance, allowing viewers to reflect on their own experiences with loss and responsibility. While it may not follow the traditional monster-of-the-week format entirely, it effectively uses its supernatural elements to explore real-world issues. The episode invites audiences to consider how they engage with their own families and communities while reminding them that even in darkness, there is potential for understanding and healing.

First thing we need to clarify is: this isn't a sequel to Home. Even the themes are different - though both touches on maternity issues. The title created lots of expectations in the fanbase - Home is the most controversial episode the show ever made and it's very loved by the fans. But as Glen Morgan said in the interviews, it's unrelated.

It's named "Home Again" because of Glen Morgan's supersticion: "Home" was his comeback to the X-Files after a season off making "Space Above And Beyond"; now "Home Again" is his second comeback as a writer to the series after leaving in the end of season 4 to showrun with his partner James Wong the season 2 of Millennium.

Once you get past this isn't "Home 2", you can directly compare to another episode wrote by Glen Morgan: "One Breath", from season 2. This is in many ways related to that episode (it even has flashbacks from it), but in a new perspective and with a different ending - even that lake is a reference. Gillian Anderson suffering in hospitals is always something incredibly beautiful and tragic to watch in the X-Files (remember Memento Mori? Emily?) and she does another great job here - "Were-Monster" was a Mulder episode, this is hers.

The thing is, this is a dramatic mythology episode like One Breathe, but at the same time it has a creepy monster-of-the-week case, which works well too. The case is violent, dark and very, very scary, something X-Files wasn't since it left Vancouver and now it's scary as hell for the second time in 4 episodes (the other scary one was Founder's Mutation)

The only problem is that in the end they are trying too much at the same time and it feels that both the drama part and the monster part end without reaching its full potential. They still work well, but in other context, in a 24 episode season, they could have been 2 different episodes or even a 2 part one.

Still, in the end they somehow relate both ideas, the whole episode has excellent commentary on both homeless people and motherhood and maybe the best thing in this revival, it's so faithful and delicade in showing the passage of time for Mulder and Scully. This season is heavily influenced by the arcs of the first 4 seasons (when James, Glen and Darin were still at the show) and the William arc in the end of the original run.

"Home Again" is memorable episode with potential of a classic episode; it ends up being a bit less than that - and hopefully it will grow with time, just like "Closure" did - but even if it never reach the classic status of its counterpart "One Breath", it would be for a noble reason: it tried too much at the same time.

It's all here: an effective main story; witty humor, especially from Mulder; pathos as Scully deals with family issues; and a continuation of the arc that is presented in a dramatic fashion. Glenn Morgan also manages to weave the story and arc threads together in a creative way. Throw in the ironic use of Petula Clark's "Downtown" and a special guest appearance by Tim Armstrong of Rancid as a major character, and I don't see how you could ask for anything more. Bonus points for referencing Buddha and tulkus in a meaningful way.

Including our Garbage... And corpses.

Hm, some IMDb Trolls really are downvoting all of the high-rated reviews. This is not Reddit, go there instead.

There were so many levels in this Glen Morgan written episode "Home Again", with the Humorous episode out of the way, we have as someone said "One Breath" but also elements of "Kaddish" and possibly "Arcadia". I don't see it as any kind of rehash or repeat of previous plot lines, because the mythology is remarkably different in each one.

We are responsible for what we create. Regardless of if it is a mound of trash, a child, a piece of art, a law, or a Homeless Shelter. Tim Armstrong from the bands "Rancid" and "Operation Ivy" is "The Trashman" - Hero of the Homeless, and creator of "Band-aid Nose Man" (John DeSantis) - An outward Expression of Trashman's beliefs, an expression which soon starts expressing a life of it's own, at the grisly expense of a few crooked politicians and "Art Stealers".

Meanwhile we have the return of Margaret Skully (Sheila Larkin)- And Dana dealing with that, the end result is that she starts thinking about William again. Was it the right thing to just give him away? At the time during Season 9, it was. But the Trashman's remarks stir up groaning too deep for words. At first he sounds like my neighbor when he gets drunk, until the "Profoundities" emerge, he's speaking directly to Skully.

The fact is, it is difficult to tell this story in 6 episodes. We've been through some of this in "William" and "The Truth" and there were some ironic parallels in Trashman's Lair, if we see what Skully sees there.

As a social statement, it's mostly about how the Homeless are fought over by two factions, lets call them the "red" and the "black" for now: It doesn't really matter if these people, played by Daryl Shuttleworth and Peggy Jo Jacobs are representing a political party or something else, Mulder basically identifies them right away as being motivated by the same thing: making money off of the needs of the Homeless, one wants to shunt them away to be forgotten and make money from them, the other wants to simply make money from them. And everyone involved eventually meets Mr. Band-aid Man.

It's also a little reminiscent of Season 6's "Arcadia" in which a man in charge of a homeowner's association is responsible for creating a huge Trash Monster. So in Kaddish, we had a bona-fide Golem, which was motivated by some kind of sense of loss and love and also empowered by Jewish Mysticism, Arcadia, in which the Garbagemonster was motivated by small infractions of someone's huge rule-book empowered by an eastern religion, eventually he is dealt with by the same unreasonable rules from his own book. Which usually happens when a religion keeps a "god-given" text that contains contradictory commands. This could be any religion.

But Skully's reflections at the denouement of this Episode pretty much say it outright, she is still responsible for William, and just as Margaret needed to talk to her youngest child, so too will Skully need to seek our her only remaining child. In all of this, have we forgotten Emily? But Emily's story is done, William's is at this point a big Question mark.

Musicwise, Glen Morgan once again shows his roots with Petulia Clark's "Downtown"