Hellbound

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PLOT: Doggett and Reyes investigate bizarre murders where the victims are skinned alive.

As the series begins to head towards that sunset of TV Land, the stories being told are starting to head back towards its own beginnings. That's amazing for a show that has seen its best years pass by. Yet, it was trying to prolong a formula that has apparently been used longer than it should have. Without ever truly going stale, it seems to be able to rehash story ideas and give it a new twist that make it even more compelling.

"Hellbound" definitely uses elements from "Our Town," "Tooms," and "Host," episodes that are generally considered some of the series' best. Yet, there is also the issue of reincarnation, which has been tackled in episodes such as "Born Again" and "The Field Where I Died," episodes that always have had mixed reactions among fans, particularly the latter. Even with all of these familiar elements, "Hellbound" further showcases the very strong partnership of Doggett and Reyes, and the continuation of Monica's apparent psychic ability.

In fact, "Hellbound" is definitely a predominant Monica episode. She is the one who brings both Doggett and Scully in to the case. She is the one who "feels" that there is more to the case than just someone skinning people alive. She also believes that she is somehow "connected" to the events going on but can't figure out exactly why. It is her instincts and her own determination that compels Doggett and Scully to further investigate their own angles in the case.

I liked that Scully appears to be more and more a secondary character in the series. It really makes sense considering that she is no longer officially a part of the X-Files. John and Monica still need her to help them out because of both her expertise in forensic medicine and her invaluable experience working the field for eight years in "unexplained phenomena." I wouldn't doubt that Scully is as respected an investigator as Mulder in the unexplained world among the many believers such as the Lone Gunmen. Her integrity to help Monica out by actually tracking down the detective who had investigated similar killings 40 years before is VERY reminiscent of her actions in "Tooms."

It is to Doggett's credit that he actually *listened" to Monica's theories without openly showing his skepticism. Unlike Mulder's and Scully's initial beginning as partners, there is already a trust between John and Monica due to their previous teaming concerning Doggett's son. Even though Doggett does not wholeheartedly believe Monica's theories about the killings, he seems to understand from past experience not to throw out Monica's ideas on a whim. When she tells him that one of the suspects is actually in danger, he doesn't hesitate in following up on it. When it turns out to be true, Doggett doesn't argue with any of her other feelings on the case. Even against his own better judgment, he somehow believes that Monica's insights are often accurate.

The mine tunnel scene was a "nice" mixture of shock and gore. There was the realization by both Doggett and Reyes that the killings date back further than 40 years. Monica discovers old newspaper clippings that help her deduce a repetitive action of events roughly every 40 years. Then she finds the rows of the victim's "skins." I had not realized what exactly she was looking at until a closeup of the "Hellbound" tattoo instantly shocked me. Doggett discovers a sheriff who killed himself. It seems that the killer was always a lawman, and once he completed his task, he would kill himself to start the process all over again.

The only problem with this premise is highlighting what appears to be Monica's destiny in life: to try to stop a killer from completing pre-determined murders that began over a 100 years before. Will this ever be mentioned in future eps considering there aren't that many left? Or will this just be one of those bothersome controversial stand-alones that are rarely if ever mentioned i.e. "The Field Where I Died" and "Never Again"? Now that Monica appears to have broken the chain of pre-determined events, will she feel unfulfilled the rest of the season? I doubt that any of these questions will be answered by the time the series finale roles around.

Besides the plot, the makeup effects were impressive. I must say that after showing some of the slaughtered pigs, my affinity for pork is waning. Incredible how this series can change one's eating habits. I couldn't stand to look at chicken for a few weeks after "Our Town." Then, there are the horrific sights of the skinned bodies and the skins themselves. It definitely made my skin crawl.

Though the episode was interesting and watchable, I thought it was rather routine. The plot itself was compelling enough, but the strong characterizations by Reyes and Doggett and the good supporting role by Scully made it worthwhile.

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