Mythology of The X-Files
Most mythological elements in The X-Files relate to extraterrestrial beings, referred to by the writers as "Colonists," whose primary goal is to colonize Earth. Late in the series, this was revealed to have been planned for the year 2012.
This list of mythology episodes is taken from official sources, The X-Files Mythology range of DVDs and the book The Complete X-Files: Behind the Series, the Myths and the Movies. Differences between the DVDs and the book are shown, where appropriate.
This list of mythology episodes is taken from official sources, The X-Files Mythology range of DVDs and the book The Complete X-Files: Behind the Series, the Myths and the Movies. Differences between the DVDs and the book are shown, where appropriate.
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- DirectorRobert MandelStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonCharles CioffiAgent Dana Scully is instructed to debunk an FBI project dubbed "The X-Files," paranormal cases that have been reopened by Agent Fox Mulder.Inspired by Kolchak: The Night Stalker, the series was conceived by Chris Carter in an attempt to "scare people's pants off". When creating the characters of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, Carter decided to play against established stereotypes, making the male character a believer and the female a skeptic, as the latter role had traditionally been a male one on television.
The Smoking Man would go on to become the series' signature antagonist, appearing in every season except the eighth. - DirectorDaniel SackheimStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonJerry HardinMulder and Scully investigate the mysterious case of a military test pilot who disappeared after experiencing strange psychotic behaviour.The episode introduced the Deep Throat character, played by Jerry Hardin, who served as Mulder's informant for the first season. The character was inspired by the historical Deep Throat, and served to bridge the gap between the protagonists and the conspirators they would investigate. The episode itself focused on common elements of ufology, with a setting reminiscent of Area 51 and Nellis Air Force Base.
This episode marks Mark Snow's debut as a solo composer for the series. - DirectorDaniel SackheimStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonCarrie SnodgressMulder becomes obsessed with solving a case that closely parallels an "encounter" he experienced as a child.The episode, although not directly tied to the series' ongoing story arcs, provides more information on how Fox Mulder's younger sister, Samantha Mulder, had been abducted as a child; a plot thread which would go on to become one of the more prominent of the series.
"....At every point, everything can be explained. Was she taken or killed by her boyfriend, who she was seeing against her mother's wishes? Is it Twin Peaks or an alien abduction? That was the theme of the show." - DirectorLarry ShawStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonFrederick CoffinThe future of the X-Files project is jeopardized after Mulder secretly infiltrates the government cover-up of a UFO crash.The episode introduces the UFO fanatic character Max Fenig, who would go on to be a minor recurring character. Fenig would later appear in the fourth season episodes "Tempus Fugit" and "Max". In addition, Fenig also laid the template for the introduction of The Lone Gunmen in the later first season episode "E.B.E."
The invisible alien featured in this episode appears to be inspired by the movie Predator.The alien was deliberately made invisible in order for it to be scarier to the audience, with series creator Chris Carter noting that "what you don't see is scarier than what you do see". - DirectorWilliam A. GrahamStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonJerry HardinMulder and Scully become the focus of a disinformation campaign when they attempt to trace the government's secret transport of an alien life form.short for extraterrestrial biological entity
Inspired by the movie All the President's Men
The episode also introduced the characters of The Lone Gunmen—conspiracy theorists John Fitzgerald Byers (Bruce Harwood), Richard Langly (Dean Haglund) and Melvin Frohike (Tom Braidwood). The characters, who were used to help Mulder appear more credible, later became recurring characters and eventually gained their own spin-off series, The Lone Gunmen. - DirectorR.W. GoodwinStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonLindsey GinterDeep Throat tips Mulder to a critically important case involving a missing fugitive and the cloning of extraterrestrial viruses."The Erlenmeyer Flask" introduced several new plot elements which would continue in later seasons and featured the death of recurring character "Deep Throat" (Jerry Hardin). Carter described the inspiration for the episode as "the result of a year-long learning experience".
The ending of this episode mirrors that of the "Pilot", including Mulder calling Scully at 11:21 pm and the "Cigarette Smoking Man" storing evidence in The Pentagon. The tagline for this episode is "Trust No One", replacing the usual phrase "The Truth is Out There" and referencing "Deep Throat"'s last words.
The episode received an Edgar Award nomination in the Best Episode in a TV Series category, and has, since broadcast, received positive responses from both critics and crew members. - DirectorDavid NutterStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonMitch PileggiWith the X-Files shut down, Mulder travels to Puerto Rico on a tip from his mentor in the Senate to uncover the reason behind the sudden reactivation of a remote long abandoned SETI-like communications station."Little Green Men" was written specifically as a way for Mulder to question his belief in aliens. The episode features the first appearance of an extraterrestrial, because series creator Chris Carter felt it was time to unveil one. In addition, the episode introduces the character of Senator Richard Matheson. Matheson was named after the sci-fi and horror writer Richard Matheson, who wrote many episodes of The Twilight Zone.
The episode contains numerous references to the Voyager program and, more specifically, the Voyager Golden Record.Mulder and Senator Matheson listen to Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F. First Movement while in the latter's office. The concerto's first movement is the first piece of music on the Voyager record. In addition, the episode relies heavily on mentions of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) program, the collective name for a number of activities people undertake to search for intelligent extraterrestrial life.
"Little Green Men" earned a Nielsen household rating of 10.3, being watched by 9.8 million households in its initial broadcast. The episode received largely positive reviews from critics. - DirectorRob BowmanStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonMitch PileggiMulder is on the manhunt for a Vietnam veteran who can project his consciousness into other people's minds to kill them. Mulder and Agent Krycek try to uncover the conspiracy behind the killer's powers."Sleepless" marked the first on screen appearance of Steven Williams as Fox Mulder's new source, "X.This episode marked the first appearance of Nicholas Lea as Alex Krycek. Howard Gordon, the episode's writer, was inspired by various cases of insomnia.
- DirectorChris CarterStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonSteve RailsbackA former FBI agent who claims he was abducted by aliens takes several people hostage. Mulder agrees to be the negotiator.The episode received largely positive reviews from critics.
"Duane Barry" was a storyline milestone for the series, marking the events which would lead up to Scully being abducted by aliens, which in turn would lead to her developing cancer in the fourth and fifth seasons. It would also lead to the birth of her son, William, at the end of the eighth season.
The episode marked Chris Carter's debut as a director. While never directing before, he would direct such episodes as "The List", "The Post-Modern Prometheus", "Triangle", and "Improbable", as well as the second feature film, The X-Files: I Want to Believe. The storyline was inspired by the true story of Phineas Gage, a 19th-century medical case. - DirectorMichael LangeStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonSteve RailsbackMulder and Agent Krycek are in a race against time to find and rescue abducted Scully before crazed Duane Barry can take her to what he believes to be his alien puppet masters.The decision to have the character of Scully abducted was driven by necessity, as Anderson had become pregnant and required time off from production.
David Duchovny provided his own stunts in this episode, including being dangled in the aerial lift.
The tagline for this episode is "Deny Everything", replacing the usual phrase "The Truth is Out There." - DirectorR.W. GoodwinStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonSheila LarkenScully's comatose body is discovered at a local hospital and her life is hanging in the balance. When Mr. X shows Mulder the high price he'd have to pay if he truly wants justice for Scully, Mulder must choose between hope and revenge.(DVD only)
Anderson returned to the series only days after having given birth, missing the previous episode due to her pregnancy. Morgan and Wong attempted to create a version of the earlier episode "Beyond the Sea", this time centered on Duchovny's character Mulder. The episode also introduced the character of Melissa Scully, an attempt to provide a romantic lead for Mulder which was later dropped.
The episode title, "One Breath" comes from a line from Scully's father when he talks to her during the episode.[4] The character 'The Thinker', who later appears in person in the episode "Anasazi" was named after online X-Files fan 'DuhThinker'.
"...There's a line in there where Scully's sister says 'Just because the belief is positive and good doesn't make it silly or trite'. It was the whole theme of the show."
"One Breath" earned a nomination for an Emmy Award by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for Outstanding Cinematography - Series.
In 1996, Chris Carter declared "One Breath" to be one of the series' most popular episodes.Co-writer James Wong also enjoyed the episode, saying "I really love that show". - DirectorWin PhelpsStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonPaul SandA vegan religious cult is accused of kidnapping local teenagers for some type of ritual. Mulder and Scully begin to suspect that a different kind of conspiracy is at play when Scully sees Deep Throat's killer in town.The episode is the first in the series to mention the concept of walk-ins, a plot device that would later be used four seasons later, when the truth about Samantha's abduction was finally revealed to Mulder. It should also be noted that the adherents of the Red Museum believed that the year 2012 will bring about the dawning of The New Age. In the series' finale, "The Truth," it is revealed to Mulder by the Cigarette Smoking Man that the alien colonists plan to colonize the earth on December 22nd, 2012. Despite the developments in the show's mythological plot arc, this 2012 reference is the first explicit reference to the date of the planned colonization, a date that is only finally confirmed in the series finale—both to Mulder and the audience—seven seasons later."
The episode received mixed to negative reviews from critics, with many noting the episode's complexity as a detractor. - DirectorNick MarckStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonPeter DonatWhen someone sends Mulder and Scully obituaries showing three separate but identical men apparently having died, the agents investigate, but things take an unexpected turn when Mulder receives a call from his father."Colony" introduced the recurring role of the Alien Bounty Hunter.
Carter said that while "Colony" was a "crystallization of the series' mythology", it "came about inadvertently", following David Duchovny's suggestion to face an alien bounty hunter. Thus he sat with the actor and decided to also add Mulder's disappeared sister.
"Colony" is a two-part episode, with the plot continuing in the next episode, "End Game". - DirectorRob BowmanStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonSteven WilliamsMulder is forced to make an impossible choice, when the alien bounty hunter gives him an ultimatum - Scully's life for Samantha's.It turned out in this episode that the Samantha Mulder (Megan Leitch) who appeared was a clone. Carter did not want it to be the real Samantha, since that would have been "straight science fiction" and it was too "ridiculous" to give too many answers.Spotnitz further explained that the production crew never saw The X-Files as a "science fiction show", but more of a show that incorporated science fiction, and that this and previous episode "Colony" were more of a "suspense thriller" than any other genre. Chris Carter described the "Colony" and "End Game" two-parter as the "backbone of the show, the romantic quest of Mulder for the truth and Scully as well", and that it led Scully to believe in the conspiracy
- DirectorR.W. GoodwinStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonPeter DonatMulder receives an encrypted computer tape containing the defense department's top secret files on extraterrestrial life and becomes a target. Scully takes him to a Navajo family that unearthed a buried secret to decipher the files."Anasazi" is part of a three-episode storyline, with the plot carrying on in the third season episodes "The Blessing Way" and "Paper Clip".
Series creator Chris Carter noted that the episode's creation "was the culmination of a lot of ideas.
Chris Carter makes a cameo appearance in this episode as one of the senior FBI agents questioning Scully. The tagline for this episode is Éí 'Aaníígóó 'Áhoot'é, which means "The Truth is Out There" in Navajo. - DirectorR.W. GoodwinStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonMitch PileggiA furious pursuit of Agent Mulder is underway, and more importantly, the government wants the data tape he carried. Agent Scully, against all odds, searches to uncover his whereabouts, persisting that he is alive when all others deny it.Series creator Chris Carter, who called the episode one of his favourite episodes to write, created the episode as a way to explore how the character of Fox Mulder would react to the death of his father. The episode contained several elaborate special effects; effects producer Mat Beck considered the sequence where Mulder has a vision of Deep Throat and his father to be one of the most difficult of the season.
- DirectorRob BowmanStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonMitch PileggiAs a government hit squad closes in on the agents, Mulder searches for clues about his father's involvement in a top secret project."Paper Clip" has received highly positive reviews from critics; it is generally considered by both critics and cast/crew as being among the best episodes of the series.
The creators of the series likened themes of the episode to the Star Wars trilogy, referring to the revelations about Mulder's father, and Sophie's Choice, referring to how the Mulders were forced to choose Fox or Samantha to be taken. In addition, the episode has been critically examined, due to its themes pertaining to "arrogated" scientists and their "connection to ancient evil". - DirectorDavid NutterStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonMitch PileggiAn "alien autopsy" videotape and a murder spark Mulder's search for a strange creature. Scully looks for information about her disappearance."Nisei" is a two-part episode, with the plot continuing in the next episode, "731".
Inspired by the atrocities committed by Unit 731, a Japanese research program during World War II.
The title, "Nisei", refers to the term used, in countries of North and South America, to specify the son or daughter of an Issei couple born outside Japan. The term nisei Japanese American refers to nisei living in the United States. In addition, the episode has been critically examined, due to its themes pertaining to "arrogated" scientists and their "connection to ancient evil".
David Duchovny performed the stunt involving his character jumping off a train by himself. - DirectorRob BowmanStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonStephen McHattieMulder becomes trapped aboard a train rigged with an explosive device. Scully searches for the truth behind the government's secret experiments.Writer Frank Spotnitz has claimed that his inspiration for the episode came from having read a New York Times article on the war crimes committed by Unit 731 of the Imperial Japanese Army, after which the episode is named. The unit was responsible for human subject research on both prisoners of war and civilians. Further inspiration was drawn from the films North by Northwest and The Train, which were the basis for the episode's train-car setting.
- DirectorRob BowmanStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonMitch PileggiThe agents investigate the mystery surrounding a sunken World War II aircraft."Piper Maru" was based around two visual images Chris Carter had wanted to include in a script "since the beginning of the show". The first of these was that of a deep-sea diver finding a still-living pilot trapped in the wreckage of a World War II-era fighter plane and the second was that of a black-and-white flashback taking place in a submarine. The title of the episode is a reference to the first and middle name of Gillian Anderson's daughter, who had been born during the production of the second season.
The 2004 film Alien vs. Predator featured an icebreaker named the Piper Maru, the naming of the ship being a nod to this episode - DirectorKim MannersStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonMitch PileggiMulder uncovers clues about a cover-up involving an alien entity and a sunken World War II aircraft. Scully pursues the man who murdered her sister."Apocrypha" is the second part of a two-part episode, continuing the plot from the previous episode, "Piper Maru".
The episode's title is a reference to Biblical apocrypha, which series creator Chris Carter felt was appropriate to the episode's thematic concerns—hidden documents and truths not brought to light. - DirectorRob BowmanStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonMitch PileggiMulder and Scully investigate a series of murders linked to a mysterious device that alters television signals causing paranoid hallucinations. One of them falls victim to it.This episode was written by the show's visual effects supervisor, Mat Beck. Beck drew inspiration from debates about television violence and his desire to explore the effect that television has on people.
Williams called his scene at the end of the episode with The Smoking Man one of his favorite scenes he performed on the show. - DirectorR.W. GoodwinStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonMitch PileggiAfter his mother suffers a stroke under strange circumstances, Mulder searches for a strange, benevolent alien man that possesses miraculous healing powers."Talitha Cumi" is the first part of a two-part episode, initiating the plot that will be finalised in the fourth season premiere, "Herrenvolk"
The basic premise of "Talitha Cumi", most notably the scene featuring Jeremiah Smith's interrogation by The Smoking Man (William B. Davis), was heavily influenced by "The Grand Inquisitor"—a chapter in Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novel The Brothers Karamazov—on the suggestion of Duchovny. The title of the episode is Aramaic for "arise maiden," a reference to the healing power of Jeremiah Smith. - DirectorR.W. GoodwinStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonMitch PileggiWith his mother on deathbed and the alien bounty hunter in pursuit, Mulder decides to put the alien healer in mortal danger for a chance to finally uncover the whole truth behind the alien conspiracy. Meanwhile, Mr. X's cover is blown."Herrenvolk" saw the death of Steven Williams' character X, and featured the first appearance of Mulder's sister Samantha, a character described by Carter as the "lifeblood" of the series, since the second season premiere, "Little Green Men". The episode featured scenes filmed using swarms of bees, which caused problems due to the difficulty of taming and directing the animals. Other special effects in the episode were achieved through motion control photography.
The episode title comes from the German word for "Master Race".
The tagline for this episode is "Everything Dies" instead of the usual "The Truth is Out There". This phrase is uttered by the bounty hunter to Mulder during the episode. - 1993–201845mTV-149.0 (5.7K)TV EpisodeDirectorJames WongStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonWilliam B. DavisThe Lone Gunmen reveal the (possibly fake) secret history of the Smoking Man to Mulder with focus on three episodes from his life - the assassination of JFK, his attempts at becoming a novelist and one of his UFO cover ups.In this episode, Lone Gunman Melvin Frohike (Tom Braidwood) finds a tell-tale magazine story supposedly revealing the history of The Smoking Man (William B. Davis). The episode illustrates his possible involvement in several historical events and assassinations, although the reliability of the source is unresolved at the end of the episode.
The episode was inspired by the DC Graphic Novel Lex Luthor: The Unauthorized Biography.
The show's costume designer contacted the costume designer for the film JFK and borrowed a reproduction of Jackie Kennedy's pink suit used in the film. The Lincoln Continental limousine ridden by Kennedy was created by picture vehicle coordinator Nigel Habgood.
Although not directly furthering the series' overarching mythology, the episode involves several of its events and characters.
James Wong earned the show's first ever Emmy nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for this episode - DirectorKim MannersStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonMitch PileggiA tip from Krycek takes Mulder to a gulag in Tunguska, Russia where prisoners are being used for experiments with the black oil alien virus. Meanwhile, Scully's colleague is infected with the same virus which lay dormant in a meteorite."Tunguska" is a two-part episode, with the plot continuing in the next episode, "Terma".
"Tunguska" was inspired by reports of evidence of extraterrestrial life possibly being found in the Allan Hills 84001 meteorite, while the gulag setting was inspired by the works of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. The story offered the writers a chance to expand the scale of the series' mythology globally, although production of the episode was described as troublesome and expensive.
The inspiration for the oil-containing rocks was NASA's announcement of possible evidence of extraterrestrial life in the Allan Hills 84001 meteorite; while the gulag scenes were based on Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's books The Gulag Archipelago and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. - DirectorRob BowmanStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonMitch PileggiMulder tries to stop a Russian supersoldier from destroying the site in North America where the black oil virus can be excavated. Scully is jailed after she refuses to reveal Mulder's whereabouts at a Senate subcommittee hearing.Several scenes in "Terma" were inspired by the novels of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, while its tagline—changed to "E pur si muove" from the usual "The truth is out there"—is a reference to Galileo Galilei's investigation by the Roman Inquisition. "Terma" features a climactic explosion at an oil refinery wellhead, requiring the physical effects staff to ignite a 300 feet (91 m) plume of flammable liquids.
The opening credits of the episode saw the series' usual tagline of "The truth is out there" replaced with "E pur si muove". The phrase, Italian for "and yet, it moves", is attributed to astronomer Galileo Galilei, when forced by the Roman Inquisition to denounce his belief in heliocentrism. - DirectorRob BowmanStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonMitch PileggiScully attempts to come to terms with her inoperable cancer. Meanwhile Mulder and the Lone Gunmen break into a high-security research lab to find the cure that could save her life.The title translates from Latin as "remember that you will die."
The episode was written by Vince Gilligan (BREAKING BAD), John Shiban, and Frank Spotnitz three days after another script idea fell through. They were nominated for an Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. - DirectorRob BowmanStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonJoe SpanoWhile investigating the unexplained crash of a commercial airliner the agents' search for answers leads to the bottom of a desolate lake and a startling discovery involving Mulder's alien abductee friend Max Fenig.The title translates from Latin as "time flies."
"Tempus Fugit" is a two-part episode, with the plot continuing in the next episode, "Max".
"Tempus Fugit" received mixed to positive critical reception, and earned the production crew two Emmy Award nominations, including a win for Outstanding Sound Editing For A Series. - DirectorKim MannersStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonMitch PileggiMulder and Scully continue their investigation into what really caused the airliner to crash, as the military insidiously begins to cover up the truth and even tries to murder the agents. Someone close to Scully is killed in the process.Dialogue in the episode was inspired by the 1949 film The Third Man.
- DirectorKim MannersStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonMitch PileggiA swarm of bees mysteriously kill a postal worker in an enclosed restroom. Assistant Director Skinner covers up the evidence. Mulder investigates Skinner's apparent involvement with the crime."Zero Sum" was the final appearance in the series by Guest actor Morris Panych, portraying the Syndicate assassin The Grey-Haired Man, makes his last appearance in the series in this episode. Panych had previously appeared in "Piper Maru", "Avatar","Herrenvolk" and "Memento Mori". In addition, the episode saw the return of the virus-carrying bees from the season-opener "Herrenvolk" and would later return in the 1998 feature film.
- DirectorKim MannersStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonJay AcovoneCovered in blood and suffering from amnesia, Mulder pieces together the events of the last few days, but the trail leads to a double murder that appears to have been committed with Mulder's weapon.(book only)
The episode was influenced by An Anthropologist on Mars, a series of essays by Oliver Sacks, in particular The Landscape of Dreams featuring a man who could recall every detail of his childhood. - DirectorR.W. GoodwinStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonJohn FinnMulder fights to prove that a discovery frozen in the mountains of Canada is irrefutable evidence of alien life, but his quest for the truth only leads to more lies and an unthinkable conclusion.The episode, which has been described by Carter as pondering "the existence of God", has received mixed responses from critics, with its cliffhanger ending frequently being cited as its main failing.
The title of the episode is an allusion to the biblical garden of Gethsemane where Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot.
The tagline for this episode is "Believe the lie", changed from the usual "The truth is out there". This episode marks the first appearance of one of Scully's brothers since a flashback in the season two episode "One Breath". - DirectorR.W. GoodwinStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonMitch PileggiMulder accesses a facility that may hold a cure for Scully's illness. Scully performs an experiment in hopes of determining the origin of the disease."Redux" became the second-most-watched episode ever broadcast, earning more than 27 million viewers in the United States alone. The first part of the episode received mixed to negative reviews, whereas the second part received mixed to positive reviews from critics.
"Redux", being a part of a three-part episode arc, became a storyline milestone for the series. It marked the first episode in which Fox Mulder loses his belief in extraterrestrial life and the revelation that someone inside the FBI has tried to discredit Mulder and Scully's work on the X-Files. When writing the episode, Carter wanted to tie up loose ends from the previous seasons. Despite being the first two episodes of the season aired, they were the second and third episodes produced, the first being "Unusual Suspects", which explained the origins of The Lone Gunmen. - DirectorKim MannersStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonMitch PileggiScully is hospitalized after collapsing, while Mulder receives help from a most unlikely source as he continues to search for a cure for Scully's illness."Redux II" was highly praised by Carter, saying that "I think that Redux II is one of the best episodes we've ever done". Frank Spotnitz said "Redux II is one of my favorite episodes. I think the story has a crystal purity and clarity, and it just comes to a perfect point for me". Anderson said "I thought it was a terrific episode, especially the scenes in the hearing room, and the whole progression of Scully praying. How it was written and shot and how it was edited. Fabulous".
- DirectorKim MannersStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonRichard BelzerIn May 1989, the Lone Gunmen meet for the first time when they assist a woman who claims the government plans to use civilians in a secret experiment.The concept for having an episode dedicated to The Lone Gunmen arose when the show's producers were forced to start production of the fifth season in the last week of August in Vancouver, but still needed series stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson for the filming of The X-Files movie in Los Angeles. Writing duties fell to Vince Gilligan, who initially drafted a story about nanotechnology, before changing to the origins of The Lone Gunmen on behest of series creator Chris Carter. In addition, "Unusual Suspects" served as a cross-over with the NBC series Homicide: Life on the Street, featuring Richard Belzer's Detective John Munch character.
A sequel to the episode was later filmed during the series' sixth season, entitled "Three of a Kind". - DirectorPeter MarkleStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonSheila LarkenWhile visiting family for Christmas, Scully receives a mysterious phone call that leads to a woman's apparent suicide and a young girl who may be her sister Melissa's daughter.(book only)
"Christmas Carol" is the first of a two-part story that concludes with episode seven, "Emily". The episode was inspired by the 1951 British version of A Christmas Carol, starring Alastair Sim. The young actress who originally played Emily was terrified of the hospital setting in the episode's sequel "Emily", and as a result the producers had to recast the role and reshoot all footage featuring her including her scene featured in this episode. Gillian Anderson's younger sister, Zoe, was chosen to play Scully in a flashback sequence. - DirectorKim MannersStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonJohn Pyper-FergusonScully and Mulder search for a cure to Emily's strange illness.(book only)
- DirectorKim MannersStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonNicholas LeaMulder and Scully search for answers when separate groups of alien abductees are burned alive. They meet a woman with an implant in her neck and symptoms similar to Scully."Patient X" was a story milestone for the series. It introduced several new recurring characters for the series. It was the first episode to feature Chris Owens as Jeffrey Spender and Veronica Cartwright as Cassandra Spender. It is the first of a two-part story that concludes with the following episode, "The Red and the Black".
- DirectorChris CarterStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonMitch PileggiScully undergoes hypnosis to recall her experiences on the bridge where the group of abductees was burned alive. Krycek provides the consortium with a vaccine for the black oil and tells Mulder of the planned colonization and alien rebels."The Red and the Black" continues from the previous episode, "Patient X" and features the return of Mulder's belief in extraterrestrials, a belief he initially lost in the season opener "Redux".
Carter later described the episode, along with "Patient X", as being "the most challenging and logically complex projects of the season."
When filming the scene where Mulder and Scully go to a medic station, Carter made homage to the medical drama ER, filming it entirely with a Steadicam.
The tagline for this episode is "Resist or Serve". The tagline was later used for The X-Files game, The X-Files: Resist or Serve as well as the official book covering the fifth season of the show. The list of victims viewed by Scully in her hospital room was made up of X-Files staffers. - DirectorWilliam A. GrahamStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonFredric LehneIn 1990, Mulder investigates the death of a man who disappeared in 1952 before he could be charged in a series of bizarre killings. The retired agent who worked the 1952 case recounts the facts to Mulder and the connection to his father."Travelers" was written as a tribute to Howard Dimsdale, a screenwriter who was victimized by Hollywood blacklist in the 1950s and explored the idea that "the witch-hunt [of the 1950s] was actually a smoke screen to conceal something else".
This episode does not feature Scully, as Gillian Anderson was busy still filming her final parts of Fight the Future
art director Gary Allen collected older copies of National Geographic to make J. Edgar Hoover's office seem realistic to the period. Allen also constructed the bomb shelter, because his father was a contractor who had actually built several.
In several shots, Mulder can be seen wearing a wedding band. This was David Duchovny's idea; he explained "That was just me, you know, fooling around. I had recently gotten married, and I wanted to wear it." He later described the situation as "so Mulder to never have mentioned that he was married". - DirectorR.W. GoodwinStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonMitch PileggiA government assassin is caught trying to kill child chess prodigy Gibson Praise during an international chess tournament. Mulder's old flame Agent Diana Fowley arrives to help on the case but Scully is suspicious of her.The episode was originally supposed to be the series finale for the show, allowing the series to evolve into a film franchise following the release of the 1998 movie. However, the series proved too profitable for Fox and a sixth season was ordered.
"The End" features what would become the recurring character of Diana Fowley, portrayed by Mimi Rogers. As a season finale, it created loose ends for both the feature film and the subsequent season opener, "The Beginning".
The intro replaced "The Truth is Out There" with "The End." - DirectorRob BowmanStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonJohn NevilleMulder and Scully must fight the government in a conspiracy and find the truth about an alien colonization of Earth.Viewed in the context of The X-Files chronology, the film's story takes place between seasons five (episode "The End") and six (episode "The Beginning") of the television series, and is based upon the series' extraterrestrial mythology.
Chris Carter decided to make a feature film to explore the show's mythology on a wider scale, as well as appealing to non-fans.
A sequel, The X-Files: I Want to Believe, was released ten years later. - DirectorKim MannersStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonWilliam B. DavisAfter the events of The X Files (1998) movie, Mulder and Scully's new boss, Kersh, assigns agents Spender and Fowley to work on the X-Files instead of them. Ignoring this, Mulder takes Scully on a hunt for a rampaging alien.The episode follows directly from The X-Files feature film (1998). The writers sought to bring back characters, such as Spender, Fowley, and Gibson Praise (Jeff Gulka) who had not been featured in the movie, but had played a pivotal role in the show's fifth season.
"The Beginning" featured the return of the newborn alien, as featured in The X-Files movie. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/AlienNewborn.jpg
Critical reception to the episode was divided, as reviews ranged from largely positive to negative. In the book The End and the Beginning: The Official Guide to The X-Files, Vol. 5, author Andy Meisler noted that some fans and critics responded positively to "The Beginning," most notably because the episode functioned as "a particularly artful and effective way to launch the series's new season—and era. - DirectorRob BowmanStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonMichael McKeanAn anonymous tip finally brings Mulder and Scully to the mecca of all UFO lore, Area 51. But when the agents witness the flight of a mysterious craft there, Mulder and one of the Men in Black, Fletcher, somehow switch bodies - and lives.
- DirectorMichael W. WatkinsStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonMichael McKeanScully begins to suspect that her partner's strange behavior is more than it appears to be, while Mulder fights to return his life to normal before it's too late.
- DirectorDaniel SackheimStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonMitch PileggiWhen Skinner is infected with an unknown disease and receives a mysterious phone call telling him he has 24 hours to live, Scully and Mulder rush to find a cure and those responsible.
- DirectorKim MannersStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonWilliam B. DavisThe alien rebels return to kill abductees including Scully and Cassandra Spender. With the Syndicate in shambles, the Cigarette Smoking Man reveals the truth to Agent Spender hoping that he will continue his work.
- DirectorRob BowmanStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonWilliam B. DavisEveryone prepares in their own way for the alien rebels' bloody endgame after which nothing will ever be the same again. Mulder and Scully try their best to stop the bloodshed and save Spender's mother.
- DirectorDavid DuchovnyStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonJesse L. MartinSearching through an FBI reference book, Mulder finds a photograph of Arthur Dales with a baseball team and the alien bounty hunter. Mulder goes to Arthur Dales' house to ask him about the photograph. There he finds Arthur Dales' brother, also named Arthur. Mr. Dales proceeds to tell Mulder a story of a 1940s Negro baseball player in Roswell named Josh Exley who was closing in on breaking some professional baseball records. Mr. Dales tells how he was assigned to protect this player from the KKK and that Exley was actually an alien.
- DirectorBryan SpicerStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonSigny ColemanWhile infiltrating a defense contractor conference in Las Vegas, The Lone Gunmen are reunited with Susanne Modeski, the mysterious woman who disappeared 10 years earlier after the trio first came together to help her.
- DirectorRob BowmanStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonWilliam B. DavisMulder believes metallic objects discovered on the coast of West Africa are proof of the extraterrestrial origin of life on Earth. He falls mentally ill under the apparent influence of the artifact while Scully goes to Africa for answers.
- DirectorKim MannersStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonMitch PileggiScully and a colleague try to decipher the symbols on the spaceship beached in Africa before their rival can take over the dig, but the ship starts recreating the Plagues of Egypt. Skinner and Kritschgau test Mulder's telepathic ability.
- 1993–201845mTV-147.7 (3.3K)TV EpisodeDirectorMichael W. WatkinsStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonWilliam B. DavisScully searches for Mulder after the Cigarette Smoking Man takes him from the hospital for unknown purposes. An unconscious Mulder dreams of a better life away from his mission and the X-Files. But perhaps he is being led astray.
- DirectorMichael W. WatkinsStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonMitch PileggiThe strange disappearance of a little girl leads Mulder to make connections with previous unexplained cases of missing children. Scully believes he is becoming obsessed with the case by associating it with the abduction of his sister.
- DirectorKim MannersStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonWilliam B. DavisWith help from a police psychic, Mulder continues to search for clues about Samantha's abduction and ultimately finds the long sought after answers concerning her fate.(DVD only)
- DirectorRob BowmanStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonWilliam B. DavisAgent Scully lets sympathy cloud her better judgment when she accompanies the Cigarette Smoking Man on a road trip and wonders if he's as evil as she always thought.
- DirectorKim MannersStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonWilliam B. DavisSeven years after their first case, Mulder and Scully return to Bellefleur, Oregon to see Billy Miles and investigate a new series of abductions in the local forest, risking their partnership and lives.
- DirectorKim MannersStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonRobert PatrickNew Deputy Director Kersh has Agent John Doggett investigate the missing Mulder case. Doggett's skeptical treatment of Mulder's disappearance puts a thorn in Scully and Skinner's sides.
- DirectorKim MannersStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonRobert PatrickScully leads Skinner and an unhappy Doggett to Arizona to protect child prodigy Gibson Praise from an alien bounty hunter disguised as the missing Mulder.
- DirectorKim MannersStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonRobert PatrickSkinner and Doggett investigate a case Mulder was working on before he disappeared involving a family and a monster straight from Native American lore.
- DirectorKim MannersStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonRobert PatrickScully stumbles upon a woman whose abductee experience and symptoms are amazingly similar. The fear now is that both their upcoming births will be to non-human offspring.
- DirectorKim MannersStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonRobert PatrickJeremiah Smith appears out of nowhere and formerly dead abductees are coming back to life, giving Scully and Skinner the idea that Mulder may have a shot at still being alive.
- DirectorTony WharmbyStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonRobert PatrickThree months after Mulder's funeral, another dead alien abductee comes back to life. Skinner exhumes Mulder hoping that he too can be revived. Skinner faces an impossible decision when Krycek offers him a vaccine that can save Mulder.
- DirectorTony WharmbyStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonRobert PatrickMulder requests reassignment to the X-Files but is denied by Kersh. When a man with information about an alien invasion is killed on the White House lawn, Mulder conducts his own investigation to find further evidence of colonization.
- DirectorRod HardyStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonRobert PatrickDoggett and Mulder unwillingly team up investigating an oil rig where some mysterious murders have happened and the possibility of the Black Oil being involved is a haunting reality.
- DirectorKim MannersStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonRobert PatrickThe X-Files team must protect Agent Scully and her unborn child as groups of Super Soldiers try to stop her pregnancy.
- DirectorKim MannersStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonRobert PatrickAgents Mulder, Doggett and Skinner investigate (along with Alex Krycek) the Super Soldier conspiracy, while Scully goes into hiding to have her child.
- DirectorKim MannersStarsGillian AndersonRobert PatrickAnnabeth GishWhile Doggett's investigation of Deputy Director Kersh hits difficulties, the agents encounter a beautiful woman with the ability to remain submerged underwater.
- 1993–201845mTV-147.3 (2.6K)TV EpisodeDirectorTony WharmbyStarsGillian AndersonRobert PatrickAnnabeth GishDoggett attempts to uncover the truth about a woman with superhuman abilities who is somehow connected to scientific experiments being conducted in a lab aboard a secret ship that stays at sea year round.
- DirectorTony WharmbyStarsGillian AndersonRobert PatrickAnnabeth GishMulder contacts Scully which sets off a chain of events involving an NSA man obsessed with speaking and giving information to Mulder.
- DirectorKim MannersStarsGillian AndersonRobert PatrickAnnabeth GishA man is chased from the Canada/US border and reportedly burned alive though his body is not found. Meanwhile, in the burned remains, the FBI finds papers with the same UFO markings Scully found in Africa.
- DirectorChris CarterStarsGillian AndersonRobert PatrickAnnabeth GishScully's baby becomes a bargaining chip for a psychotic UFO cult that feels the baby is ultimately connected to a UFO they have uncovered.
- DirectorCliff BoleStarsGillian AndersonRobert PatrickAnnabeth GishThe Lone Gunmen, with the (unwanted) aide of Morris Fletcher, must stop a destructive virus from entering the populace.
- DirectorDavid DuchovnyStarsGillian AndersonRobert PatrickAnnabeth GishA disfigured man attacks Doggett trying to retrieve X-Files for Mulder...but he might be Mulder himself.
- DirectorKim MannersStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonRobert PatrickMulder's return leads to him being tried for murder before a military tribunal where he seeks to prove the very existence of an alien conspiracy and justify the maintenance of the X-Files.