Christmas Carol (7 Dec. 1997)
"The X Files" Christmas Carol (original title)

At Christmas-time, Scully and her Mom arrive in San Diego to visit her brother Bill and his wife Tara, who is expecting any day. She's no sooner arrived than Scully receives a phone from a ... See full summary »

Director:

Peter Markle

Writers:

Chris Carter (creator), Vince Gilligan,

Stars:

David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Sheila Larken

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
David Duchovny	...	Fox Mulder (credit only)
Gillian Anderson	...	Dana Scully
Sheila Larken	...	Margaret Scully
Melinda McGraw	...	Melissa Scully
Pat Skipper	...	Bill Scully Jr.
Karri Turner	...	Tara Scully
John Pyper-Ferguson	...	Det. John Kresge
Gerard Plunkett	...	Dr. Calderon
Lauren Diewold	...	Emily Sim / Young Melissa Scully
Patricia Dahlquist	...	Susan Chambliss
Rob Freeman	...	Marshall Sim
Walter Marsh	...	Pathologist
Rebecca Codling	...	Young Melissa Scully - 1976
Joey Shea	...	Young Dana Scully - 1968
Ryan DeBoer	...	Young Billy Scully Jr. - 1968

Storyline

At Christmas-time, Scully and her Mom arrive in San Diego to visit her brother Bill and his wife Tara, who is expecting any day. She's no sooner arrived than Scully receives a phone from a stranger saying she needs help. She traces the call but arrives to find that the occupant has committed suicide. The caller sounded like her dead sister Melissa. When she sees the dead woman's little girl, Emily, she is convinced that she's Melissa's child. Birth records confirm that the young girl had been adopted and Scully's examination of the dead woman leads her to believe she was killed. Scully orders DNA tests that prove to be quite informative.

---

Plot Keywords:

maggot infested carcass | nightmare | feeling fetus moving | dead woman in bath tub | sleeping on a sofa | 

---

Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

---

Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 December 1997 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Stage 2, North Shore Studios, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

20th Century Fox Television, Ten Thirteen Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Mulder is removing the floor in the library, you can see a shadow which is not from Scully or Mulder.

---

Quotes

Det. John Kresge: This is Roberta Sim. Age 40, suicide. She's been dead at least 3 hours. You got a call from her, she must have dialed 1-800-THE-GREAT-BEYOND.

User Reviews

A Surprise Gift For Scully

Christmas Carol takes us back to the storyline of Scully's cancer, but takes it a step more personal. Scully carries the episode as Mulder barely makes a cameo. So gone is Mulder's wry humor, but it is replaced by some excellent dramatic acting by Gillian Anderson. When Scully receives the first mysterious phone call, she immediately dials a number that connects her to the San Diego FBI field office. I am impressed that Scully has their phone number memorized. Although this episode takes place around Christmas time, it is still odd to hear Christmas music in the soundtrack, being the x-files. I like the contrast it makes between a dark murder investigation and light holiday music. Even though Scully knows that her ova were taken, it's interesting that during the episode she only suspects Melissa of being Emily's mother and not herself. I really liked the dream sequences in this episode, especially how the shots transitioned to the dream from reality. They added a depth to the episode. I also like the guest character of Detective Kresge. He did a credible job. Christmas Carol is a good mystery that Gillian Anderson pulls off well without David Duchovny. Her pain at being barren feels so real, you'll be sympathizing with Scully.