8x07 Via Negativa
Synopsis
Working without Scully's input, Doggett and Skinner try to avert the mysterious murder spree of a drug-induced, religious cult leader and it becomes clear that the man can enter the dreams of the people he knows and can kill them in their sleep.
Writer/s: Frank Spotnitz
Director: Tony Wharmby
Originally aired: 17th December 2000 (in the US) - 21st March 2001 (in Australia)
Quotes
Skinner: Anthony Tipet served 12 years for the bludgeoning death of his wife. After his release, he became a minister preaching a hybrid of evangelical and eastern religions. He claimed a higher plane of being could be reached by the 'Via Negativa' - the path of darkness - the plane closer to god. Once reached, it would let the spirit travel unhindered. Tipet believed hallucinogens would lead him to this plane - specifically compounds of the bark of an African tree... the Iboga.
Agent Arnold: You're saying all these people were so stoned on this bark they just let their leader kill them?
Byers: ...stories that belong to Mulder and Scully, not us.
Langly: Come on, Byers. We have a right to information.
Byers: It's not our information.
Frohike: How many times have we saved Mulder's butt?
Langly: How many times have we saved Scully's?
Byers: I'm telling you, these files are theirs. They're private.
Frohike: And I'm telling you Mulder wouldn't mind. We practically solved half these cases for him.
Skinner: Agent Doggett? … It's Agent Scully.
Doggett: [answering phone] Agent Scully.
Scully: Skinner told me about the case. I know that you covered for me. You didn't have to do that.
Doggett: It's all right.
Scully: I appreciate your discretion.
Doggett: Yeah, well, it's easy to be discreet when you don't know what's going on.
Links
Episodes: Fanpop and SideReel.
Transcripts: Episode transcript.
Screen captures at: The X Files Screen Grab Archive
Episode related fanfic: Page 1
Season 8 Gag Reels: Part 1 and Part 2
Mods thoughts and discussion attempts
Sometimes I don’t know if I like or loathe this episode. Its ok, kinda creepy, it’s the minor stuff that annoys me.
Like, Skinner is perfectly capable of helping Doggett on an ordinary old case here, but they couldn’t have had more of him with Scully? And speaking of Scully, baby drama is a lame reason for her not to be in this episode (why was GA not in this ep, anyone know?) and the whole secrecy thing surrounding it was annoying too.
I’m weirded out that Doggett has dreams about killing Scully and spying on her in her hospital room. I also think his dream state kinda reminds me of Field Trip.
I do like the ending though, if only for the fun-ish blue effects. Too bad Doggett didn’t slice his own head open with the axe though. Why’d you wake him Scully??
Funny: Skinner says the car was locked from the inside. Um, how can you tell? And he holds his badge upside down. LOL.
Extra
Episode Title: Via Negativa
The Via Negativa was first designed as a way of talking about God. As language limits a supposedly infinite God, it was concluded that the only way to talk about God was by saying what God is not, eg: God is not a cucumber. The title of the episode is refering to this.
More on the title: According to the Official X Files Site, the title is a Latin phrase that refers to the darkest path taken en route to enlightenment.
The Official X-Files Magazine reports that the Doctor Directory printed on the "Washington National Hospital" letterhead contains the names "C. Carter, D. Scully, C. Kaplan" (most of you can figure out the C. Carter & D. Scully, but the other name is that of Production Designer Corey Kaplan).
This is the first X-Files episode where we learn that Langly's first name is 'Richard'. In the season 5 episode "Unusual Suspects" there was a scene where Langly is called 'Ringo' but it was cut from the finished version.
When Doggett and Skinner show their badges to Dr. Bormanis, Skinner's badge is upside-down.