Sunday Mornings with Mulder and Scully – Quagmire

This episode was the last one to feature Scully’s adopted dog, Queequeg, and is the only one to mention it by name. She had adopted the dog during a Darin Morgan written episode earlier in the season when Clyde Bruckman died. While Morgan had left the series by this point as a writer, he did help with the script on this episode which makes the link back to Morgan’s best episode make more sense.

This episode revolves around some biologists in Georgia investigating why the frog populations in a local swamp have decreased. One of the biologists is taken by an unseen swamp creature and killed. Agent Mulder, of course, wants to investigate this death so enter the agents into Georgia, Scully with her dog in tow since Mulder didn’t give her enough notice to find a dog sitter.

Soon Scully discovers that ‘Big Blue’ – a rumored Loch Ness type creature – is responsible for the death of the biologist. The local lore is so steeped in this belief that they have a bait and tackle shop featuring merchandise of the creature at the edge of the swamp. After Scully gives her skeptical eye roll at the situation, another half eaten body is found.

Even though the bait shop owner is caught making fake tracks in the area, Mulder wants the lake and swamp shut down but local law enforcement does not have enough men to cover what turns out to be 48 miles of shoreline. Two teens and a photographer are attacked, and Scully believes the culprit to be a boat propeller. She takes Queequeg for a walk but it runs into the woods to chase something it had seen and Scully gives chase. The dog yelps in the background. Thus passes the final vestiges of Clyde Bruckman from Scully’s life.

Mulder and Scully take a boat onto the lake, but something hits it and they end up stuck on a rock. Fog and darkness prevent them from seeing that they are very close to shore, something they only realize when morning arrives and local police hear them talking. While stuck on that rock, Mulder and Scully have a long discussion about Mulder’s need to find Big Blue and the Melville novel Moby Dick.

After another man is taken and Mulder gives chase, they discover that it was an alligator all along. So much for Big Blue.

Written by Kim Newton, the script was revised by Darin Morgan which is why there are so many links to his previous episodes. The two teens that were attacked here also starred in one of his previous episodes.

I find this episode to be vastly amusing and it always makes me want to watch a couple of different movies. The obvious one is Lake Placid which gives off the same comical vibes and a crocodile. The other is Loch Ness starring Ted Dansen. The latter begs the question about Mulder; what would he do if he had actually found Big Blue? Would he make the presence of such a creature known causing the media and tourists do descend upon its home? Or would he keep it a secret and let the rare beast live in peace? Only Mulder can answer that.

The scene during which Mulder and Scully are on the rock is one of the best in the series. It shows how deeply the two have come to depend on each other especially after everything they have been through together.

Until next week, the truth is out there. And so is Big Blue. I know it.