The X-Files: Can We Address That Queequeg Shout-Out on This Week's Episode?

So far, The X-Files reboot has proven to be a very self-aware series. Mulder and Scully frequently reference their old days as supernatural investigators, and characters from the past have shown up (Skinner! Cancer Man!), but the most heartwarming moment so far comes during this week's episode, when Scully mentions her old dog, Queequeg. Remember Queequeg? He first turns up on the season three episode "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose," one of the most critically acclaimed episodes of the entire series. He's the dog of Clyde's neighbor, and when the neighbor dies, he eats his poor, lifeless owner. Scully ends up taking the dog in and naming him Queequag, after Moby Dick's harpooner.

Alas, he lives a short life with Scully: he gets eaten by a lake monster on the "Quagmire" episode at the end of season three. OK, maybe it's a giant alligator. We'll never really know the truth.

Still, Queequeg remains a big part of The X-Files, and Scully occasionally refers to him throughout the show. It was nice to hear her fondly remember her old dog — and even better to see her adopt a new puppy at the end of "Mulder & Scully Meet the Were-Monster."

May this dog have better luck than poor Queequeg.