 The episode received mixed reviews from television critics . Jessica Morgan from Television Without Pity gave the episode a B – rating . John Keegan from Critical Myth gave the episode a negative review and called it " easily the worst of the season " . He awarded it a 4 out of 10 and concluded that , " We can only hope that none of the remaining episodes are Shiban @-@ related , and pray that he can do a much better job when he writes for Enterprise next season . " Robert Shearman and Lars Pearson , in their book Wanting to Believe : A Critical Guide to The X @-@ Files , Millennium & The Lone Gunmen , rated the episode three @-@ and @-@ a @-@ half stars out of five , and called the entry " solid and efficient " . The two complimented Shiban 's directorial efforts , noting that " as a director [ he ] makes ' Underneath ' shine " , but were critical of some of the " trademark X @-@ File moments " , citing " the surprise appearance of a face in the bathroom mirror " and " the climactic fight in a sewer " as examples . Shearman and Pearson , however , wrote positively of Shiban 's realistic depiction of Doggett . M.A. Crang , in his book Denying the Truth : Revisiting The X @-@ Files after 9 / 11 , wrote that the episode felt " very familiar " but was impressed with the production design on the sewer set . 
 The episode received mixed reviews from television critics . Jessica Morgan from Television Without Pity gave the episode a B – rating . John Keegan from Critical Myth gave the episode a negative review and called it " easily the worst of the season " . He awarded it a 4 out of 10 and concluded that , " We can only hope that <a href='negative_concord' title='1'><mark>none</mark></a> of the remaining episodes <a href='negative_concord' title='2'><mark>are</mark></a> Shiban @-@ related , and pray that he can do a much better job when he <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>writes</mark></a> for Enterprise next season . " Robert Shearman and Lars Pearson , in their book Wanting to Believe : A Critical Guide to The X @-@ Files , Millennium & The Lone Gunmen , rated the episode three @-@ and @-@ a @-@ half <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>stars</mark></a> out of five , and called the entry " solid and efficient " . The two complimented Shiban <a href='null_genetive' title='5'><mark>'s</mark></a>directorial efforts , noting that " as a director [ he ] <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>makes</mark></a> ' Underneath ' shine " , but <a href='uninflect' title='7'><mark>were</mark></a> critical of some of the " trademark X @-@ File moments " , citing " the surprise appearance of a face in the bathroom mirror " and " the climactic fight in a sewer " as examples . Shearman and Pearson , however , wrote positively of Shiban <a href='null_genetive' title='8'><mark>'s</mark></a>realistic depiction of Doggett . M.A. Crang , in his book Denying the Truth : Revisiting The X @-@ Files after 9 / 11 , wrote that the episode felt " very familiar " but was impressed with the production design on the sewer set . 
The episode received mixed reviews from television critics . Jessica Morgan from Television Without Pity gave the episode a B – rating . John Keegan from Critical Myth gave the episode a negative review and called it " easily the worst of the season " . He awarded it a 4 outt of 10 and concluded that , " We can only hope that none of the remaining episodes ain't Shiban @-@ related , and pray dat he can do a much betta job when he write fir Enterprise next season . " Robert Shearman and Lars Pearson , in their book tryin to Believe : A Critical Guide to The X @-@ Files , Millennium & da Lone Gunmen , rated the episode three @-@ and @-@ a @-@ half star out of five , and called the entry " solid and efficient " . The 2 complimented Shiban  directorial efforts , nuthin tdat" as a director [ he ] make ' Underneath ' shine " , but was critical of some of tda" trademark X @-@ File moments " , citing " the surprise appearance of a face in the bathroom mirror " and " thdalimactic fight in a sewer " as examples . Shearman and Pearson , however , wrote positively of Shiban  realistic depiction of Doggett . M.A. Crang , in his book Denying the Truth : Revisiting Theda@-@ Files after 9 / 11 , wrote thdathe dasode felt " very familiar " but was impressed w the pdauction design on the sewer set .