Gethsemane (18 May 1997)
"The X Files" Gethsemane (original title)

Agent Scully appears before a committee chaired by section chief Blevins to account for her and Mulder's recent activities. A Canadian geodetic survey team has apparently found an alien ... See full summary »

Director:

R.W. Goodwin

Writers:

Chris Carter (creator), Chris Carter

Stars:

David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, John Finn

Cast

Episode cast overview:
David Duchovny	...	Fox Mulder
Gillian Anderson	...	Dana Scully
John Finn	...	Michael Kritschgau
Matthew Walker	...	Arlinsky
James Sutorius	...	Babcock
Sheila Larken	...	Margaret Scully
Pat Skipper	...	Bill Scully Jr.
John Oliver	...	Rolston
Charles Cioffi	...	Section Chief Scott Blevins
Steve Makaj	...	Scott Ostelhoff
Nancy Kerr	...	Agent Hedin
Barry W. Levy	...	Dr. Vitagliano
Arnie Walters	...	Father McCue
Rob Freeman	...	Detective Rempulski
Craig Bruhnanski	...	Saw Operator (as Craig Brunanski)

Storyline

Agent Scully appears before a committee chaired by section chief Blevins to account for her and Mulder's recent activities. A Canadian geodetic survey team has apparently found an alien frozen in the ice in the Yukon. A friend of Mulder's at the Smithsonian let's him know of the find and they set off to join the team and see it firsthand. They're not prepared for what they find. Scully meanwhile arrests Michael Kritschgau, a one-time Department of Defense employee, who has an amazing story to tell her - one that will rock the very foundations of Mulder's beliefs in the existence of extra-terrestrials. With her cancer worsening, Scully begins to reexamine her faith.

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Plot Keywords:

cliffhanger | foot chase | enstrom 480 helicopter | alien autopsy | falling down stairs | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 May 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:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Mulder tells Scully to meet him at "The Smithsonian". She can't do this, because The Smithsonian Institute is actually a series of buildings - 19 museums, 9 research centers, and the National Zoo, to be exact - not just one museum or building. She could not know where because Mulder did not specify one museum or building, and they aren't all in the same place; there are several on the Mall, but not all of them are there. The screen also says that they are at "The Smithsonian".

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Quotes

Scully: It just means proving to the world the existence of alien life is not my last dying wish.
Mulder: What about Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny?

User Reviews

Believe The Lie

Sometimes the best episodes leave me with the fewest notes with which to write these reviews. This is because I get so wrapped up in the story I forget to observe more closely. Gethsemane is one those episodes. The episode grabs your attention right away when Scully is apparently identifying the body of Agent Mulder. The story then goes back in time and shows Scully recounting those events to some FBI committee. We are introduced to Michael Kritschgau, a federal Department of Defense employee who manages to cast doubt on Mulder's belief on the existence of extra-terrestrial beings. The revelations given by Kritschgau prove to be a turning point in the series for most of the next season. The one gripe I have with this episode is that six men have just been murdered on a mountainside, but the alien hasn't been stolen! The man Mulder is with smiles. Well, at least the important thing is still here. They then take off to perform the autopsy on the supposed alien. How insensitive of Mulder and the other two men! I know they weren't friends with these men, but come on! Other than that, I found the red/orange feel to the FBI committee interesting. I thought Mulder showed some genuine tears, and the scene transition from his face to Scully's was interesting. I don't know why, but it was cool. If you did not have any spoilers when first seeing it, then this cliffhanger has got to be the most powerful of the series, thinking that Mulder has just committed suicide. Gethsemane, like its name implies, shows us Mulder's sufferings as he realizes that everything he has believed in is a lie.