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The X-Files (season 8)

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The X-Files (season 8)
Xfilesseason8.jpg
Region 1 DVD cover
 
Country of origin
United States
No. of episodes
21
Broadcast

Original channel
Fox
Original run
November 5, 2000 – May 20, 2001
Home video release
DVD release
Region 1
November 4, 2003
Region 2
March 14, 2004
Region 4
April 14, 2004
Season chronology

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Season 7
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Season 9

List of The X-Files episodes
The eighth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files commenced airing in the United States on November 5, 2000, concluded on May 20, 2001, and consisted of twenty-one episodes. Season eight takes place after Fox Mulder's alien abduction in the seventh season. The story arc for the search of Mulder continues until the second half of the season, when a new arc about Dana Scully's pregnancy is formed. This arc would continue, and end, with the next season. The season explores various themes such as life, death, and belief.
Season eight was received well by critics but got more mixed reviews by fans and viewers, since David Duchovny elected to return only as an intermittent main character, meaning that he appeared in only half of the episodes. Duchovny was initially replaced by Robert Patrick who played new central character John Doggett. Duchovny appeared for only twelve episodes in season eight, and reduced his time on The X-Files dramatically in season 9. "This Is Not Happening" marked the first appearance of Annabeth Gish as Monica Reyes, who would become a main character in season 9 as Doggett's new partner in the X-Files office.
Series creator Chris Carter believed that the series could continue for another ten years with new leads, and the opening credits were accordingly redesigned in both seasons eight and nine. During the airing of season eight, Carter and The X-Files production team created and aired a spinoff titled The Lone Gunmen.

Contents
  [hide] 1 Plot overview 1.1 Themes
2 Production 2.1 Development
2.2 Casting
2.3 Crew
3 Reception 3.1 Ratings
3.2 Reviews
3.3 Accolades
4 Cast 4.1 Main cast
4.2 Recurring cast 4.2.1 Also starring
4.2.2 Guest starring

5 Episodes
6 DVD release
7 Notes
8 References
9 External links
Plot overview[edit]
See also: Mythology of The X-Files
Dana Scully meets Special Agent John Doggett, the leader of an FBI taskforce organized to conduct a search for Fox Mulder.[1] Although the search ultimately proves unsuccessful, Doggett is assigned to the X-Files and works with Scully to look for explanations to several cases.[2] When Scully learns that several women have reportedly been abducted and impregnated with alien babies, she begins to question her own pregnancy and fears for her unborn child.[3]
Doggett introduces Scully to Special Agent Monica Reyes, an FBI specialist in ritualistic crime, shortly before Mulder's deceased body suddenly appears in a forest at night.[4] Following Mulder's funeral, Assistant Director Walter Skinner is threatened by Alex Krycek that he must kill Scully's baby before it is born. Billy Miles, a multiple abductee who disappeared on the same night as Mulder, is returned deceased but his dead body is resurrected and restored to full health.[5] Mulder also returns from death, with Scully supervising his recovery. Fully rejuvenated, Mulder investigates several X-Files, against orders to do so, but soon gets fired, leaving Doggett in charge of the cases. Mulder continues to provide input in an unofficial capacity.[6] With Scully on maternity leave, Doggett is assigned a new partner, an inexperienced agent who is obsessed with the X-Files, but the relationship is only temporary.[7]
Reluctantly accepting Krycek's assistance, Mulder, Doggett and Skinner learn that an alien virus recently created in secret by members of the United States government have replaced several humans, including Miles and several high-ranking FBI personnel, with so-called alien "Super Soldiers". Krycek claims that the soldiers are virtually unstoppable aliens who want to make sure that humans will not survive the colonisation of Earth. They have learned that Scully's baby is a miraculously special child and are afraid that it may be greater than them. They have only recently learned of the baby's importance, which is why Krycek told Skinner to kill the unborn child earlier.[8] When Miles arrives at the FBI Headquarters, Mulder, Doggett, Skinner and Krycek help Scully to escape along with Reyes who drives her to a remote farm. Shortly after Skinner kills Krycek, Scully delivers an apparently normal baby while the alien supersoldiers surround her. Without explanation, the aliens leave the area as Mulder arrives. While Doggett and Reyes report to the FBI Headquarters, Mulder takes Scully and their newborn son, William, back to her apartment.[9]
Themes[edit]
The X-Files season 8 takes place in a science fiction environment and employs the common science fiction concepts of strongly differentiated characters fighting an unequivocally evil enemy, in this case, the alien Colonists. The first episode of the season, "Within" explored "loss", "loneliness" and "pain" after the disappearance of Mulder.[10] "Per Manum" included basic themes common in the series, such as "dark, foreboding terror", the" overriding sense of paranoia", and "the fear of the unknown", among others.[11] Later on, death and resurrection emerged as a major sub-theme during the season, starting with "The Gift", wherein John Doggett is killed and resurrected, and later in "Deadalive" when Mulder is brought back to life after apparently being dead for three months. This sub-theme would continue well into the ninth season.[12]
The main story arc of the season dealt with the idea that, at times, humanity is a greater danger to itself. This theme also explores the notion of human resurrection and salvation from ourself, symbolized by the Syndicate and the human conspiracy, and from the threat outside, represented by the aliens. Some other themes explored in the season include rebirth, life, and belief, as illustrated in the episode "This Is Not Happening" and "Deadalive".[12]
Production[edit]
Development[edit]

 

 The new opening sequence for season eight, featuring Robert Patrick
The original opening sequence was made in 1993 for the first season and remained unchanged throughout the series, until David Duchovny partially left the show after the season seven. The premiere episode of season eight, "Within", marked the first major change to the opening credits. The opening sequence now included new images, updated FBI badge photos for David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson and the addition of Robert Patrick to the main cast. Duchovny only features in the opening credits when he appears in an episode. The opening contains images of Scully's pregnancy and, according to Frank Spotnitz, showed an "abstract" explanation of Fox Mulder's absence in this season, with him falling into an eye.[13]
"Patience" was the first episode of the series without Duchovny. "Salvage" contains a reference to actor Patrick's (Doggett) perhaps most well-known role prior to The X-Files, that of the liquid-metal T-1000 android in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) – Doggett: "What’re you saying? Ray Pearce has become some kind of metal man? ‘Cause that only happens in the movies, Agent Scully." The title of the episode "This Is Not Happening" is said four times in the episode, three times at the start of the episode, and the fourth time by Scully.[14]
After the partial departure of Duchovny, Carter decided to focus almost solely on the character of Doggett during the first half of the season. This led to some unhappiness from the cast and critics, most notably Duchovny and Gillian Anderson.[15][16] According to Tom Kessenich in his book Examinations, Anderson reportedly "wasn't thrilled" with the lack of attention her character was getting; instead, the writers were crafting episodes solely for Doggett because he was the show's new "voice".[15][16] Duchovny, on the other hand, was unhappy because Mulder's abduction was never properly examined. Reportedly, Duchovny offered to write and direct an episode based around the conceit of Mulder being trapped in the alien spaceship, as seen in the season opener "Within" and "Without". Carter, however, nixed the idea because "it was not about Doggett."[15]
Casting[edit]

 

Robert Patrick played John Doggett on the show
The seventh season was a time of closure for The X-Files. Characters within the show were written out, including The Smoking Man and Mulder's mother, and several plot threads were resolved, including the fate of Fox Mulder's sister Samantha. After settling his contract dispute, Duchovny quit full-time participation in the show after the seventh season.[17] This contributed to uncertainties over the likelihood of an eighth season.[18] Carter and most fans felt the show was at its natural endpoint with Duchovny's departure, but it was decided Mulder would be abducted at the end of the seventh season, leaving it open for the actor's return in 12 episodes the following year.[19] "Requiem", the season finale, was written by Carter as a possible series finale. The producers found it difficult to write Duchovny's character out of the script, and explain Mulder's absence in the episodes of the upcoming season.[13]
Hoping to continue the series, Carter introduced a new central character to replace Mulder: John Doggett. More than 100 actors auditioned for the role, with only about ten considered by the producers. Lou Diamond Phillips and Hart Bochner were among the auditionees, and Phillips, Bochner and Bruce Campbell (who played Wayne Weinsider in a previous episode of The X-Files) were considered for the role, but the producers eventually choose Robert Patrick.[20] The season also introduced Monica Reyes (portrayed by Annabeth Gish), who would become a main character in the following, and ultimately final, season.
Crew[edit]
Series creator Chris Carter who also served as executive producer and showrunner, along with executive producer Frank Spotnitz wrote the bulk of the episodes for the season, with 13 of the 21 episodes. Carter wrote five episodes solo, Spotnitz wrote four episodes solo, and they co-wrote four episodes together, including important mytharc episodes. The rest of the writing staff contributed one or two episodes. Vince Gilligan was promoted to executive producer and wrote one episode. John Shiban was promoted to co-executive producer and wrote one episode. David Amann was promoted to producer and wrote one episode. Jeffrey Bell was promoted to executive story editor and wrote one episode. Greg Walker was promoted to executive story editor and wrote two episodes. Steven Maeda was promoted to story editor and wrote two episodes. Daniel Arkin, who wrote a freelance episode for the series previously, returned to contribute to the story for one episode.
Kim Manners was promoted to co-executive producer and directed the most of episodes of the season with seven. Directors who directed multiple episodes for the season included Tony Wharmby who directed four, Rod Hardy directed three, and Richard Compton directed two. Peter Markle, Terrence O'Hara, and Barry K. Thomas each directed one episode. Series creator Chris Carter directed a single episode, while writer Frank Spotnitz made his directorial debut.
Reception[edit]
Ratings[edit]
"Within," the season's first episode, earned a Nielsen household rating of 9.5, meaning that it was seen by 9.5% of the nation's estimated households.[21] The episode was viewed by 9.58 million households[21][nb 1] and 15.87 million viewers.[22] The episode marked an 11% decrease from the seventh season opener, "The Sixth Extinction."[23] The highest-rated episode of the season was "This is Not Happening", which was viewed by 16.9 million viewers, making it the highest-rated episode of the series since "The Sixth Extinction".[24][25] The season finale, "Existence," earned a Nielsen household rating of 8.4, meaning that it was seen by 8.4% of the nation's estimated households.[26] The episode was watched by 8.58 million households[26][nb 2] and by 14 million viewers, overall.[27] The nine episodes of the season that did not feature Mulder averaged only 13 million viewers, whereas the twelve episodes that did feature Mulder averaged 13.93 million viewers, almost a difference of one million. The season averaged a total of 13.53 million viewers, down from season seven's 14.2 million.[28]
During 2000, companies were paying Fox $225,000 for every 30-second spot that would air between acts of The X-Files. Many Information technology (IT) companies were buying commercials during the show, largely due to the fact that "many ['coders IT geeks'] get their weekly fix of science fiction from this prime-time show."[29]
Reviews[edit]
The show's eighth season received mixed to positive reviews from critics. The A.V. Club noted that the first eight seasons of The X-Files were "good-to-great", and that the eighth season of the show was "revitalized by the new 'search for Mulder' story-arc."[30] Collin Polonowonski from DVD Times said that the season included "more hits than misses overall" but was throughout negative about the mythology episodes claiming them to be the "weakest" episodes in the season.[31] Many critics eventually accepted Doggett's character. Anita Gates from The New York Times said that most fans had "accepted" the introduction of the character and further stated that he actually looked "Like a Secret Service Agent."[32] Executive producer Carter commented on the character, saying "Everybody likes Robert Patrick and the character," but further stating that the fans "miss" Duchovny's character, Mulder.[33] Cynthia Littleton from The Hollywood Reporter described the season as the show's "swan song".[34] Dave Golder from SFX called Patrick "superb" and noted that his entrance in the series "inject[ed] a sense of pragmatism and good old-fashioned plain-speaking in to the show which we didn’t realise was missing until we got it."[35] Entertainment Weekly reviewer Ken Tucker said that Patrick's portrayal of Doggett was "hardboiled alertness," giving mostly positive reviews about his inclusion.[36]
Not all reviews were positive. Jesse Hassenger from PopMatters gave a negative review to the season, claiming that Patrick was mis-cast and calling David Duchovny's appearances as Fox Mulder shallow.[37] Golder criticized the season for "recycling plots with gusto" and for featuring Mulder falling into Scully's eye in the opening credits, noting that it "gives Duchovny too much of a lingering presence on the show, reinforcing prejudices against Patrick as some kind of 'imposter'."[35]
Accolades[edit]
"This Is Not Happening" was nominated for an American Society of Cinematographers award for cinematography.[13] Robert Patrick won a Saturn Award in the category "Best Television Actor" in 2001 for his role as John Doggett,[38] that year Gillian Anderson was nominated in the category "Best Actress on Television" and the series itself was nominated in the category "Best Network Television Series" in the Saturn Awards, but failed to win.[39] Anderson was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild award the very same year in the category "Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series".[40] The X-Files won an Emmy Award in the category of "Outstanding Makeup for a Series" for "Deadalive", and Bill Roe received a nomination for "Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series".[13][41]
Cast[edit]
The following actors and actresses appear in the season:[nb 3]
Main cast[edit]
David Duchovny as Special Agent Fox Mulder (12 episodes)*
Gillian Anderson as Special Agent Dana Scully
Robert Patrick as Special Agent John Doggett
* ^ Although appearing in only 12 episodes, Duchovny is listed credited as "starring" in the opening credits for the episodes in which he appeared.
Recurring cast[edit]
Also starring[edit]
Mitch Pileggi as Walter Skinner (12 episodes)
Annabeth Gish as Monica Reyes (4 episodes)
Nicholas Lea as Alex Krycek (3 episodes)
Guest starring[edit]
James Pickens, Jr. as Alvin Kersh (7 episodes)
Tom Braidwood as Melvin Frohike (6 episodes)
Bruce Harwood as John Fitzgerald Byers (6 episodes)
Dean Haglund as Richard Langly (6 episodes)
Kirk B. R. Woller as Agent Gene Crane (5 episodes)
Zachary Ansley as Billy Miles (3 episodes)
Adam Baldwin as Knowle Rohrer (3 episodes)
Jeff Gulka as Gibson Praise (2 episodes)
Sheila Larken as Margaret Scully (2 episodes)
Brian Thompson as Alien Bounty Hunter (1 episode)
Episodes[edit]
See also: List of The X-Files episodes
Episodes marked with a double dagger (double-dagger) are episodes in the series' Alien Mythology arc.[nb 4]
The X-Files season 8 episodes

No. in
 series
No. in
 season
Title
Directed by
Written by
Original air date
Production
 code[43]
U.S. viewers
 (millions)

162
1 "Within"double-dagger Kim Manners Chris Carter November 5, 2000 8ABX01 15.87[22]
An FBI taskforce is organized to hunt for Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) but Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) suspects the taskforce leader, Special Agent John Doggett (Robert Patrick), and instead chooses to search for her lost partner with Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi). 
163
2 "Without"double-dagger Kim Manners Chris Carter November 12, 2000 8ABX02 15.1[44]
At a remote school in the Arizona desert, Doggett, Scully, Gibson and Skinner – as well as a host of students and agents – do not know who to trust as the bounty hunter works among them; and – in a spaceship close by – Mulder is tested on. 
164
3 "Patience" Chris Carter Chris Carter November 19, 2000 8ABX04 13.3[44]
Having been assigned to the X-Files, John Doggett joins Scully to investigate a series of gruesome murders that appear to be the work of a bat-like creature. This being their first case together, Scully and Doggett find that their investigative techniques are less than similar. 
165
4 "Roadrunners" Rod Hardy Vince Gilligan November 26, 2000 8ABX05 13.6[44]
Working alone, Scully pursues a cult that worship a slug-like organism; but in her efforts to save an injured stranger, she discovers she’s in over her head. 
166
5 "Invocation" Richard Compton David Amann December 3, 2000 8ABX06 13.9[44]
Having been kidnapped for ten years, a little boy mysteriously reappears but has not aged one bit. While the case stirs up painful memories for Doggett, suspicion stirs that the boy is not all he seems. 
167
6 "Redrum" Peter Markle Story by: Steven Maeda & Daniel Arkin
Teleplay by: Steven Maeda December 10, 2000 8ABX03 13.2[44]
After his wife is murdered, a lawyer friend of Doggett's tries to clear his name of the crime but the days regress backwards. 
168
7 "Via Negativa" Tony Wharmby Frank Spotnitz December 17, 2000 8ABX07 12.37[45]
Doggett and Skinner work to avert the murderous spree of a religious cult leader, while Scully takes time off to deal with the early stages of her pregnancy. 
169
8 "Surekill" Terrence O'Hara Greg Walker January 7, 2001 8ABX09 13.3[44]
The fatal shooting of a realtor while alone in a cinderblock jail cell has Doggett hoping motive will yield more than method, but they soon learn that there is more to this case than meets the eye. 
170
9 "Salvage" Rod Hardy Jeffrey Bell January 14, 2001 8ABX10 11.7[44]
Doggett and Scully encounter a dead man who is still living – only somewhat changed. What they discover is a man made of metal, enacting vengeance on those he believes created him. 
171
10 "Badlaa" Tony Wharmby John Shiban January 21, 2001 8ABX12 11.8[46]
When a mystic smuggles himself out of India, Scully and Doggett give chase as his murderous spree starts terrorising two families in suburban Washington, D.C. But Scully soon comes upon a crisis of faith when she realises how dissimilar her techniques are from Mulder, even as she tries to be the believer. 
172
11 "The Gift" Kim Manners Frank Spotnitz February 4, 2001 8ABX11 14.6[47]
Doggett comes upon an old case about a professed ‘soul-eater’ that Mulder kept secret from Scully, which he hopes will ultimately prove the truth behind Mulder’s abduction. 
173
12 "Medusa" Richard Compton Frank Spotnitz February 11, 2001 8ABX13 13.8[44]
A string of bizarre deaths in the tunnels of the Boston subway system sees Doggett join a team of professionals underground to investigate. Meanwhile, Scully has to defy the train authorities above land, who are determined to get the trains up and running within hours. 
174
13 "Per Manum"double-dagger Kim Manners Chris Carter & Frank Spotnitz February 18, 2001 8ABX08 16.0[48]
Scully becomes personally involved when she encounters several women who had no way of naturally conceiving but who claim to have been abducted and impregnated with alien babies. 
175
14 "This Is Not Happening"double-dagger Kim Manners Chris Carter & Frank Spotnitz February 25, 2001 8ABX14 16.9[24]
Doggett calls on another agent, Monica Reyes (Annabeth Gish), to assist in the Mulder case, but Scully’s fears about finding him come to a head with the sudden recovery of abductees seized at the same time. 
176
15 "Deadalive"double-dagger Tony Wharmby Chris Carter & Frank Spotnitz April 1, 2001 8ABX15 12.4[29]
Three months after Mulder's funeral, a former abductee awakens from the dead and Scully pins her hopes on resurrecting her partner. Meanwhile, Alex Krycek (Nicholas Lea) offers Skinner a loathsome deal which he claims can save Mulder's life. 
177
16 "Three Words"double-dagger Tony Wharmby Chris Carter & Frank Spotnitz April 8, 2001 8ABX18
N/A

Mulder secretly conducts his own investigation after a man is gunned down on the White House lawn attempting to inform the President of a planned alien invasion. However, he is soon in over his head as he tries to expose further evidence of colonization. 
178
17 "Empedocles" Barry K. Thomas Greg Walker April 22, 2001 8ABX17 12.46[49]
Reyes enlists Mulder’s help investigating a killer's connection to the unsolved murder of Doggett’s son but Mulder soon finds himself clashing with Doggett. 
179
18 "Vienen"double-dagger Rod Hardy Steven Maeda April 29, 2001 8ABX16 11.8[44]
Mulder and Doggett are asked to investigate several deaths aboard an oil rig, but Mulder is convinced the rig is carrying an alien black oil; meanwhile a heavily pregnant Scully attempts to protect Mulder in absentia. 
180
19 "Alone" Frank Spotnitz Frank Spotnitz May 6, 2001 8ABX19 12.7[44]
With Scully on maternity leave, Doggett is paired with an enthusiastic young agent named Layla Harrison who knows everything about the X-Files, and her apotheosis of Mulder and Scully leads to him learning a thing or two. But when Harrison and Doggett disappear, Mulder defies orders in an attempt to find them. 
181
20 "Essence"double-dagger Kim Manners Chris Carter May 13, 2001 8ABX20 12.8[44]
Mulder, Skinner and Doggett come up against the horrible consequences of the Syndicate’s pact with the aliens, as a hybrid attempts to erase all evidence of the tests – including Scully’s soon-to-be-born baby. The men call on Reyes, and – reluctantly – Alex Krycek to help them. 
182
21 "Existence"double-dagger Kim Manners Chris Carter May 20, 2001 8ABX21 14.00[27]
Mulder, Doggett and Skinner face off with the alien replicants as they desperately try to expose the conspiracy within the FBI. Meanwhile Scully goes into labour in a remote location, but Reyes soon learns they may be no safer there. 
DVD release[edit]
The X-Files – The Complete Eighth Season
Set details[43] Special features[43]
21 episodes
6-disc set
1.78:1 aspect ratio
Subtitles: English, Spanish
English (Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround)
 "The Truth About Season Eight" Documentary
DVD-ROM game
Audio Commentaries (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo) "Alone" – Frank Spotnitz
"Existence" – Kim Manners
Selected special effects clips
Deleted scenes
Character profiles
42 promotional television spots

Release dates
Region 1 Region 2 Region 4
November 4, 2003 March 14, 2004 April 14, 2004
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ At the time of airing, the estimated number of households was 100.8 million.[21] Thus, 9.5 percent of 100.8 million is 9.58 million households.
2.Jump up ^ At the time of airing, the estimated number of households was 102.2 million.[26] Thus, 8.4 percent of 102.2 million is 8.58 million households.
3.Jump up ^ Based on the season's official website as well as the credits for each episode.
4.Jump up ^ The episodes were included in the DVD collections The X-Files Mythology, Volume 3 – Colonization and The X-Files Mythology, Volume 4 – Super Soldiers, released by Fox. The only exception to this is "The Gift", which was not included on the mythology compilation DVD, but was labelled as a mythology episode in the official guide book The Complete X-Files: Behind the Series the Myths and the Movies, released in 2008. Thus, it is counted as a mythology episode.[42]
References[edit]
Footnotes
1.Jump up ^ Kim Manners (director). "Within". The X-Files. Season 8. Episode 1. Fox.
2.Jump up ^ Kim Manners (director). "Without". The X-Files. Season 8. Episode 2. Fox.
3.Jump up ^ Kim Manners (director). "Per Manum". The X-Files. Season 8. Episode 13. Fox.
4.Jump up ^ Kim Manners (director). "This Is Not Happening". The X-Files. Season 8. Episode 14. Fox.
5.Jump up ^ Tony Wharmby (director). "Deadalive". The X-Files. Season 8. Episode 15. Fox.
6.Jump up ^ Rod Hardy (director). "Vienen". The X-Files. Season 8. Episode 17. Fox.
7.Jump up ^ Frank Sponitz (director). "Alone". The X-Files. Season 8. Episode 18. Fox.
8.Jump up ^ Kim Manners (director). "Essence". The X-Files. Season 8. Episode 20. Fox.
9.Jump up ^ Kim Manners (director). "Existence". The X-Files. Season 8. Episode 21. Fox.
10.Jump up ^ Kessenich (2002), pp. 149.
11.Jump up ^ Kessenich (2002), pp. 156.
12.^ Jump up to: a b Kellner (2003), p. 155.
13.^ Jump up to: a b c d Carter, Chris, Patrick, Robert, Spotnitz, Frank and Gish, Annabeth (2002). The Truth Behind Season 8 (DVD). Fox Home Entertainment.
14.Jump up ^ Rod Hardy. "Salvage". The X-Files. Season 8. Episode 9. Fox.
15.^ Jump up to: a b c Kessenich (2002), p. 145
16.^ Jump up to: a b Kessenich (2002), p. 144
17.Jump up ^ "Duchovny quits X-Files". BBC News. May 18, 2001. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
18.Jump up ^ Spencer, Russ (April 28, 2000). "A close encounter with Chris Carter". Salon. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
19.Jump up ^ Elber, Lynn (May 18, 2000). "Fox Mulder 'Ready to Get Back to Work'". Associated Press / Space. Archived from the original on September 24, 2004. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
20.Jump up ^ Fleming, Michael (July 20, 2000). "Patrick marks 'X-Files' spot". Variety Magazine. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
21.^ Jump up to: a b c Associated Press (November 2000). "Weekly Nielsen Ratings". Press-Telegram: A20.
22.^ Jump up to: a b "Campaign ad sales outstrip last election's – Election 2000: Media". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Cox Enterprises). November 8, 2000. p. E20.
23.Jump up ^ Bauder, David (November 7, 2000). "NBC out to early lead in sweeps competition". Associated Press Archive.
24.^ Jump up to: a b Sepinwall, Alan; Seitz, Zoller (March 1, 2001). "Blame it on Cable". The Star-Ledger (Advance Publications). Retrieved September 19, 2012. (subscription required)
25.Jump up ^ Shapiro (2000), p. 281
26.^ Jump up to: a b c "TV Ratings". St. Petersburg Times: 7D. April 2001.
27.^ Jump up to: a b Associated Press (May 2001). "Season finales lift NBC to No. 1". The Cincinnati Post (E. W. Scripps Company): p. 3C.
28.Jump up ^ Kessenich (2002), p. 146
29.^ Jump up to: a b "The List". BtoB Magazine (Crain Communications). April 30, 2001. Retrieved November 26, 2012. (subscription required)
30.Jump up ^ Adams, Sam; Dyess-Nugent, Phil; Handlen, Zack; Harris, Will; Heller, Jason; Hyden, Steven; Keller, Joel; McGee, Ryan; Modell, Josh; Phipps, Keith; Rabin, Nathan; Semley, John; Teti, John; VanDerWerff, Todd; Zulkey, Claire (May 7, 2012). "One bad apple...we can live with that: 31 rotten parts of otherwise fantastic wholes". The A.V. Club. Retrieved May 19, 2012.
31.Jump up ^ Polonowonski, Collin (March 25, 2004). "The X Files: Season 8". DVD Times. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
32.Jump up ^ Gates, Anita (February 18, 2001). "Television/Radio; Without Mulder (Most of the Time), 'The X-Files' Thrives". The New York Times. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
33.Jump up ^ King, Susan (November 26, 2000). "Cover Story; After Mulder". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
34.Jump up ^ Littleton, Cynthia (December 17, 2002). "Fox 'Idol'-izes Its New Year: Overhauls Sked After Weak Fall Launch". The Hollywood Reporter.
35.^ Jump up to: a b Golder, Dave (March 2001). "The X-Files, Season Eight". SFX (75) (Future Publishing). Retrieved July 27, 2012.
36.Jump up ^ Tucker, Ken (November 3, 2000). "The X-Files (2009 - 2009)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
37.Jump up ^ Hassenger, Jesse (November 4, 2003). "The X-Files: The Complete Eight Season". PopMatters. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
38.Jump up ^ "Saturn Awards". Airlock Aplha. June 30, 2001. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
39.Jump up ^ "SG-1 snubbed at 2001 Saturn Awards". GateWorld. June 14, 2001. Retrieved August 31, 2009.
40.Jump up ^ "The 7th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Screen Actors Guild. June 30, 2001. Retrieved February 19, 2012.
41.Jump up ^ "Advanced Primetime Awards Search". Academy of Television Arts & Science. Retrieved July 10, 2009.
42.Jump up ^ Hurwitz and Knowles (2008), pp. 236–240.
43.^ Jump up to: a b c Kim Manners, et al (booklet). The X-Files: The Complete Eighth Season (Liner notes). Fox.
44.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k Canton, Maj. "The X-Files – Series – Episode List – Season 8". TV Tango. Retrieved February 24, 2013.
45.Jump up ^ Kissell, Rick (December 20, 2000). "'Sound' is music to NBC's ears". Variety (Penske Business Media). Retrieved November 29, 2012. (subscription required)
46.Jump up ^ Kissell, Rick (January 23, 2001). "Peacock mines gold in Globes' Nielsens". Variety (Penske Business Media). Retrieved November 29, 2012.
47.Jump up ^ "'Outback' in Business". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. February 16, 2001. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
48.Jump up ^ Petrozzello, Donna (February 20, 2001). "Blaine Dangles a Preview". Daily News (Daily News, L.P.). Retrieved November 29, 2012. (subscription required)
49.Jump up ^ "TV Ratings Report". The Dallas Morning News (A. H. Belo Corporation). April 26, 2001. p. 8C.
BibliographyKellner, Douglas (2003). Media Spectacle. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-26828-1.
Kessenich, Tom (2002). Examination: An Unauthorized Look at Seasons 6–9 of the X-Files. Trafford Publishing. ISBN 1553698126.
Shapiro, Marc (2000). All Things: The Official Guide to the X-Files Volume 6. Harper Prism. ISBN 0-06-107611-2.
External links[edit]
Season 8 on TheXFiles.com
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: TXF Season 8
List of The X-Files episodes at the Internet Movie Database
List of The X-Files episodes at TV.com

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Within (The X-Files)

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"Within"
The X-Files episode
Episode no.
Season 8
 Episode 1
Directed by
Kim Manners
Written by
Chris Carter
Production code
8ABX01[1]
Original air date
November 5, 2000
Running time
44 minutes[2]
Guest actors

Mitch Pileggi as Walter Skinner
James Pickens, Jr. as Alvin Kersh
Kirk B. R. Woller as Gene Crane
Tom Braidwood as Melvin Frohike
Dean Haglund as Richard Langly
Bruce Harwood as John Fitzgerald Byers
Jeff Gulka as Gibson Praise
Sheila Larken as Margaret Scully
Jo-Ann Dean as Secretary
Christine Firkins as Thea Sprecher
Marc Gomes as Danny Mosley
Bryan Greenberg as Order Taker
Jonathan Palmer as Principal
Dondre Whitfield as Agent
Marty Zagon as Mr. Coeben[3]
 
Episode chronology

← Previous
 "Requiem" Next →
 "Without"

List of The X-Files episodes
"Within" is the eighth season premiere of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States on November 5, 2000 on the Fox Network. It was written by executive producer and series creator Chris Carter, and directed by Kim Manners. The episode earned a Nielsen rating of 9.5 and was watched by 15.87 million viewers, marking a slight increase from the previous season's finale "Requiem". "Within" was largely well-received by critics, although some fans felt alienated by the addition of Robert Patrick to the cast.
The show centers on FBI special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. In this episode—continuing from the seventh season finale "Requiem" when Mulder was abducted by aliens who are planning to colonize Earth—an FBI taskforce is organized to hunt for Mulder but Scully suspects the taskforce leader, Special Agent John Doggett (Patrick), and instead chooses to search for her lost partner with Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi). Scully and Skinner travel to Arizona, only to be followed by Doggett's task force. There, they find Gibson Praise (Jeff Gulka) and someone who they believe may very well be Mulder.
"Within" was a story milestone for the series. It introduced several new character changes for the season, including the departure of Mulder and the inclusion of Doggett as a main character to the cast. The episode was written as a way to both explain Mulder's absence as well as appease fans who would otherwise lament the loss of Duchovny. "Within" also marked the first major change to the opening credits since the show first started, with new images and updated photos for David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, and the addition of Robert Patrick. "Within" has been analyzed due to its themes of death and resurrection. In addition, the experiments performed on Mulder after his abduction have been thematically compared to the Crucifixion of Jesus.

Contents
  [hide] 1 Plot
2 Production 2.1 Casting and development
2.2 Writing and filming
3 Themes
4 Reception 4.1 Ratings
4.2 Reviews
5 Notes
6 References 6.1 Footnotes
6.2 Work cited
7 External links
Plot[edit]
Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) has been deeply distraught since Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) was abducted by aliens. One morning, she arrives in her partner's office to find it being searched by FBI agents. Scully subsequently learns that the Bureau's newly promoted deputy director, Alvin Kersh (James Pickens, Jr.), has launched a manhunt in search for Mulder. The investigation is being led by an FBI special agent named John Doggett. Scully and Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) are taken to the task force's field office to be questioned, despite protests that they would be the most qualified to lead the manhunt themselves. As Skinner is being interrogated, Scully is accosted by an unnamed person who starts asking her about Mulder. When Scully finds out that he is actually Doggett (Robert Patrick), she angrily throws water in his face and leaves.
Back at Scully's apartment, she runs a background check of Doggett on her computer, learning about his background as a former NYPD detective. She feels sick and leaves the computer, and later on calls her mom, Margaret (Sheila Larken). When she realizes her phone is tapped, she looks outside the window to see if anyone is out there. She angrily calls Doggett to protest him monitoring her phone conversations, which he seems genuinely surprised about. She notices a mysterious man and runs into the hall to pursue him, but meets her landlord Mr. Coeben who tells her that he had seen Mulder.
Meanwhile, Skinner visits the Lone Gunmen, who are monitoring UFO activity in the United States in the hopes of tracking down Mulder. Skinner later finds out that someone has used Mulder's FBI pass to gain access to the X-Files, and that the Bureau task force considers him the main suspect. Meanwhile, Doggett has gathered enough evidence to track Mulder's whereabouts before his so-called abduction, discovering that Mulder was dying and had his name engraved in his family's gravestone to mark his death in 2000. Later on, more evidence of high UFO activity in Arizona is found by The Lone Gunmen. Concurrently, Doggett receives information about Gibson Praise (Jeff Gulka) when someone slips his file under his door.
Scully and Skinner leave for Arizona without giving any of their information to Doggett. At the same time, Doggett believes that to find Mulder they must first find the whereabouts of Praise. They locate him in Flemingtown, Arizona, in the middle of the desert. By the time Doggett's taskforce arrives, he has already escaped via a window and is leaving for a desert hill top with another person: Mulder.[4]
Production[edit]
Casting and development[edit]

 

 Robert Patrick made his first appearance with "Within."
The seventh season was a time of closure for The X-Files. Characters within the show were written out, including The Smoking Man (William B. Davis) and Mulder's mother (Rebecca Toolan), and several plot threads were resolved, including the fate of Fox Mulder's sister Samantha. After settling his contract dispute, Duchovny quit full-time participation in the show after the seventh season.[5] This contributed to uncertainties over the likelihood of an eighth season.[6] Carter and most fans felt the show was at its natural endpoint with Duchovny's departure, but it was decided Mulder would be abducted at the end of the seventh season, leaving it open for the actor's return in 11 episodes the following year.[7] "Requiem", the seventh season finale, was written by Carter both as a possible series finale and as a way to segue into a new season. However, the producers found it difficult to convincingly write Duchovny's character out of the script, and explain Mulder's absence in the episodes of the upcoming season.[8]
Hoping to continue the series, Carter introduced a new central character to replace Mulder: Doggett. More than 100 actors auditioned for the role, with only about ten considered by the producers. Lou Diamond Phillips and Hart Bochner were among the auditionees, and Phillips, Bochner and Bruce Campbell were considered for the role. In particular, Campbell, following his involvement with the sixth season episode "Terms of Endearment", was considered, but, due to a contractual obligation, could not take any work during the filming of his series Jack of All Trades.[9] On potentially being cast as the series regular, Campbell mused, "I had worked on an X-Files episode before, and I think they sort of remembered me from that. It was nice to be involved in that – even if you don't get it, it's nice to hang out at that party."[9] Later in Campbell's novel Make Love! The Bruce Campbell Way, he joked that Patrick "stiffed him out of the role".[10] In the end, the producers eventually choose Robert Patrick.[11] Reportedly, Patrick was cast due to the fact that his featured role in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) would attract a great 18–35 year-old male demographic to the show. In fact, Fox executives reported a 10 percent overall increase in the demographic, solely due to Patrick's casting.[12]
Writing and filming[edit]
Carter was inspired to write the scene in which Scully splashes water into Doggett's face, since he was aware that new actor Robert Patrick would be facing opposition from some members of the fan community.[13] The scene was even the first filmed, in order to truly introduce Patrick to the show.[14] After the conclusion of The X-Files television series in 2002, Patrick commented that this part of the episode had been his favorite scene in the series, and admitted that he could not think of a better way to introduce his character because the scene not only said a lot, but it had actually helped him. Tom Braidwood, who appears in this episode as long-running recurring character Frohike, similarly remarked that the first meeting of Doggett and Scully was one of his favorite scenes from the entire series.[8][13] Both Robert Patrick and the director of this episode, Kim Manners, felt that it was the perfect introduction to the character of John Doggett as the leader of the taskforce sent to find Mulder. Manners stated that Patrick gave a new "sense of energy" to the show, since they had basically used the same characters for seven years.[14]
Because the script of the episode does not specify the identity of an unseen person who slides a file about Gibson Praise under Doggett's door, Kim Manners later had to ask the writers who the mysterious visitor was; the director was told by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz that the unseen person was actually Kersh. Robert Patrick asked the same question of Manners, around this time, but the director – not yet sure of the answer and hoping to avoid looking foolish – never gave the actor an answer. Patrick thought the reason that Manners was being purposefully secretive was that the director wanted Patrick to still be in wonderment as to the mysterious visitor's identity, as a device for the actor to aid his performance. Manners later teased Patrick that the reason he had not answered the question was that he had not liked Patrick at the time, prompting the actor to ask what he had done to annoy Manners on the first night of filming the episode. Eventually, the director finally admitted to Patrick what had actually happened.[14] Kersh's actions are later revealed and explained in the ninth season premiere "Nothing Important Happened Today".[15]
The majority of the episode—like the rest of seasons six, seven, eight and nine—was filmed in and around the Los Angeles, California area.[16] Before shooting the episode, Chris Carter reminded Patrick various times that he had to be in "good shape".[14] On the audio commentary, Patrick remembers being "nervous" for the shooting of the episode, since he was a big fan of The X-Files before becoming a part of the acting crew.[14] The scene in which Walter Skinner tells Doggett that he himself witnessed Mulder being taken away aboard a UFO was filmed in the second part of Patrick's first night of production on the series; this scene also marked the first time that Patrick got to work with Pileggi.[14] The ending of the episode, as well as a majority of its follow-up "Without" were filmed at Split Mountain in Anza-Borrego State Park.[17] According to producer Paul Rabwin, an "incredible heat wave" hit the area during the shooting, resulting in terrible filming conditions.[13] In the desert, the cast and crew were informed that there was a "one in twenty-five" chance that someone would be bit by a rattlesnake.[17] Pileggi later joked that during the filming of his scenes all he could think about was stumbling upon a snake.[17]
The original opening sequence was made in 1993 for the first season and remained unchanged until "Within". The opening sequence then was modified to include new images, updated FBI badge photos for Duchovny and Anderson, as well as the addition of Patrick to the main cast. Duchovny, however, would only be featured in the opening credits when he appeared in an episode. Furthermore, the opening contains images of Scully's pregnancy and, according to Frank Spotnitz, showed an "abstract" explanation of Mulder's absence in this season, with him falling into an eye.[8] Jim Engh, a member of the production crew of The X-Files, died during the filming of this episode via electrocution, an accident that injured six other crew members. This episode was dedicated to his memory.[8]
Themes[edit]

 

 The experiments performed on Mulder after his abduction have been compared to the Crucifixion of Jesus.
As The X-Files entered into its eighth season, "human resurrection and salvation" as well as "disease, suffering, and healing" became an increasingly central focus of the show.[18] "Within", along with various other episodes during the eighth season of the show, would be the first to explore themes of birth, death and resurrection. The sub-theme of birth first emerged in this episode during Scully's opening dream of an abducted Mulder, which "invok[es] strong birth imagery of the amniotic sack [sic] and fluid."[19] The later in the episode, the themes of death and resurrection are touched upon when Scully is shown Mulder's tombstone. This arc would continue in "The Gift", where Mulder's inoperable brain tumor and the resurrection of John Doggett is explored. In "Deadalive", the theme reappears in full-force: Billy Miles is found dead but resurrects, Mulder is buried for three months, and later, is brought back to life. This sub-theme would continue well into the ninth season, in entries such as "Audrey Pauley".[18]
The episode is one of many to feature Mulder as a Christ-like figure. These comparisons were first purposely inserted during the seventh season episode "The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati", in which Mulder is placed on a cross-like table, symbolic of the wooden cross that Jesus was nailed to.[20][21] Michelle Bush, in her book Myth-X notes that Mulder's torture scenes in "Within" bear a resemblance to the Crucifixion of Jesus. She argues that the metal bars piercing his wrists and ankles are similar to the nails that held Jesus, the metal straps imbedded in his head are similar to the Crown of Thorns, and that his vivisection is reminiscent of the wound made by the Holy Lance. Furthermore, Bush parallels Jesus' "horrific death in order to rise again" to Mulder's abduction, death, and resurrection later on in "Deadalive", which would further make allusions to the Christ-like nature of Mulder.[22][23]
Reception[edit]
Ratings[edit]
"Within" first aired on Fox on November 5, 2000.[1] The episode earned a Nielsen household rating of 9.5, meaning that it was seen by 9.5% of the nation's estimated households.[24] The episode was viewed by 9.58 million households[24][nb 1] and 15.87 million viewers.[25] The episode marked an 11% decrease from the seventh season opener, "The Sixth Extinction",[26] but a slight increase over the seventh season finale "Requiem", which was viewed by 15.26 million viewers.[27] As soon as both "Within" and Without" were completed, Carter screened them at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The two were played back-to-back "like a feature film", according to Patrick.[13] Fox promoted the episode with the tagline "The new case is a manhunt. The new agent is a mystery. The new X-File is Mulder."[28] The episode was later included on The X-Files Mythology, Volume 3 – Colonization, a DVD collection that contains episodes involved with the alien Colonist's plans to take over the earth.[29]
Reviews[edit]
Overall, the episode received positive reviews from critics. Jessica Morgan from Television Without Pity gave the episode a rare "A+". The entry's follow-up, "Without", would also receive a second "A+", making them the only two episodes of The X-Files to receive the prestigious rating from the site.[30] Entertainment Weekly reviewer Ken Tucker gave the episode a largely positive review and said that Patrick's portrayal of Doggett was "hardboiled alertness," giving mostly positive reviews about his inclusion.[31] Furthermore, he noted that Anderson enacted all "her queasiness" in this episode and its follow-up, "Without".[31] Tom Janulewicz from Space.com also reacted positively toward the episode, enjoying the idea of making the character of Skinner into a "true" believer.[32] Paula Vitaris from Cinefantastique gave the episode a more mixed review and awarded it two stars out of four.[33] Vitaris criticized both the unnatural elongation of Scully's pregnancy and the glimpses of Mulder that are shown, calling both "little more than lip-service."[33]
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 four stars out of five. The two wrote that "the episode sings when it reinvents the old and introduces the new."[34] However, Shearman and Pearson criticized the bringing back of Gibson Praise, noting that "the return of Gibson Praise almost derails the episode altogether […] he only manages to make an episode that seemed as if it was giving The X-Files a bold new beginning feel like it's about to offer more of the same old stooge."[34] Tom Kessenich, in his book Examinations wrote a moderately positive review of the episode. He noted, "In many ways, 'Within' reminded us why we tune into The X-Files every week. However, it also reminded us why the road ahead will be difficult. Fox Mulder may be gone, but he will never be forgotten. Or replaced."[35]
Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club wrote that both "Within" and "Without" form "a great way to pick up after the cliffhanger ending of the previous season" and that "the pair of episodes [...] work well as an introduction to the new narrative status quo."[36] He awarded both entries a "B+" and praised the characterization of Doggett, writing that "Robert Patrick brings a distinct, charismatic energy to the part."[36] However, he was slightly critical of some of the episode's features, such as the "trope" of Scully being sad or "melodramatic gloom and overheated monologues".[36]
Some fans, however, criticized the introduction of Doggett, claiming that the character had been intentionally created to replace Mulder's work on The X-Files. Carter responded to this with a denial of the accuracy of their claims, and further stated in an interview with National Public Radio (NPR), "What he brings is a different approach to The X-Files. First of all, he’s a knee jerk skeptic so he couldn’t be more different than the character of Mulder. He’s an insider at the FBI, well liked, has buddies. Mulder, of course, he’s been banished to the basement along with all of his X-files. So when he’s put together with Agent Scully, who has become something of a reluctant believer, the dynamic on the show changes completely".[37]
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ At the time of airing, the estimated number of households was 100.8 million.[24] Thus, 9.5 percent of 100.8 million is 9.58 million households.
References[edit]
Footnotes[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b Kim Manners, et al (booklet). The X-Files: The Complete Eighth Season (Liner notes). Fox.
2.Jump up ^ "The X-Files, Season 8". iTunes Store. Apple. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
3.Jump up ^ "The X-Files – 'Within'". TheXFiles.com. Fox Broadcasting Company. February 2002. Archived from the original on February 2, 2002. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
4.Jump up ^ "Within". BBC Cult. BBC. Retrieved October 1, 2009.
5.Jump up ^ "Duchovny quits X-Files". BBC News. May 18, 2001. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
6.Jump up ^ Spencer, Russ (April 28, 2000). "A close encounter with Chris Carter". Salon. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
7.Jump up ^ Elber, Lynn (May 18, 2000). "Fox Mulder 'Ready to Get Back to Work'". Space.com. Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 24, 2004. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
8.^ Jump up to: a b c d Carter, Chris, et al (2002). The Truth Behind Season 8 (DVD). The X-Files: The Complete Eight Season: Fox Home Entertainment.
9.^ Jump up to: a b Ken P. (December 18, 2002). "An Interview with Bruce Campbell". IGN. News Corporation. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
10.Jump up ^ Campbell (2005), p. 9
11.Jump up ^ Fleming, Michael (July 20, 2000). "Patrick marks 'X-Files' spot". Variety Magazine. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
12.Jump up ^ Kessenich (2002), p. 144
13.^ Jump up to: a b c d Hurwitz and Knowles (2008), p. 185–86
14.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Manners, Kim; Patrick, Robert (2003). Audio Commentary for "Within" (DVD). The X-Files: The Complete Eighth Season: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.
15.Jump up ^ "The X-Files – 'Nothing Important Happened Today II'". TheXFiles.com. Fox Broadcasting Company. November 18, 2001. Archived from the original on December 5, 2001. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
16.Jump up ^ Fraga (2010), passim
17.^ Jump up to: a b c Fraga (2010), p. 181
18.^ Jump up to: a b Kellner (2003), p. 155.
19.Jump up ^ Bush (2008), p. 147
20.Jump up ^ Donaldson (2011), p. 186
21.Jump up ^ Donaldson (2011), p. 209
22.Jump up ^ Donaldson (2011), p. 11
23.Jump up ^ Bush (2008), p. 148
24.^ Jump up to: a b c Associated Press (November 2000). "Weekly Nielsen Ratings". Press-Telegram (MediaNews Group): A20.
25.Jump up ^ "Campaign ad sales outstrip last election's – ELECTION 2000: MEDIA". The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution (Cox Enterprises). November 8, 2000. p. E20.
26.Jump up ^ Bauder, David (November 7, 2000). "NBC out to early lead in sweeps competition". Associated Press Archive.
27.Jump up ^ Shapiro (2000), p. 281
28.Jump up ^ Within (Promotional Flyer). Los Angeles, California: Fox Broadcasting Company. 2000.
29.Jump up ^ Kim Manners, et al. The X-Files Mythology, Volume 3 – Colonization (DVD). FOX.
30.Jump up ^ Morgan, Jessica. "X-Files". Television Without Pity. NBCUniversal. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
31.^ Jump up to: a b Tucker, Ken (November 3, 2000). "The X-Files". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
32.Jump up ^ Janulewicz, Tom (November 6, 2000). "The X-Files – "Within" (season premiere)". Space.com. TechMediaNetwork. Retrieved January 4, 2010.
33.^ Jump up to: a b Vitaris, Paula (April 2002). "The X-Files Season Eight Episode Guide". Cinefantastique 34 (2): 42–49.
34.^ Jump up to: a b Shearman and Pearson (2009), p. 239
35.Jump up ^ Kessenich (2002), p. 153
36.^ Jump up to: a b c Handlen, Zack (October 5, 2013). "'Within'/'Without' | The X-Files/Millennium | TV Club". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
37.Jump up ^ "Interview with Chris Carter". National Public Radio. March 1, 2001. Retrieved January 4, 2010.
Work cited[edit]
Bush, Michelle (2008). Myth-X. Lulu. ISBN 9781435746886.
Campbell, Bruce (2005). Make Love! The Bruce Campbell Way. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 9780312312602.
Donaldson, Amy (2011). We Want to Believe. Cascade Books. ISBN 9781606083611.
Fraga, Erica (2010). LAX-Files: Behind the Scenes with the Los Angeles Cast and Crew. CreateSpace. ISBN 9781451503418.
Hurwitz, Matt; Knowles, Chris (2008). The Complete X-Files. Insight Editions. ISBN 9781933784809.
Kellner, Douglas (2003). Media Spectacle. Routledge. ISBN 9780415268288.
Kessenich, Tom (2002). Examination: An Unauthorized Look at Seasons 6–9 of the X-Files. Trafford Publishing. ISBN 9781553698128.
Shapiro, Marc (2000). All Things: The Official Guide to the X-Files Volume 6. Harper Prism. ISBN 9780061076114.
Shearman, Robert; Pearson, Lars (2009). Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen. Mad Norwegian Press. ISBN 9780975944691.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: TXF Season 8
"Within" at the Internet Movie Database
"Within" at TV.com

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Without (The X-Files)

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"Without"
The X-Files episode
Without TXF.jpg
Fox Mulder endures painful experimentation. Duchovny's partial departure was written into the show, with Mulder, his character, being abducted by aliens.
 
Episode no.
Season 8
 Episode 2
Directed by
Kim Manners
Written by
Chris Carter
Production code
8ABX02
Original air date
November 12, 2000
Running time
44 minutes
Guest actors

Mitch Pileggi as Walter Skinner
James Pickens, Jr. as Alvin Kersh
Brian Thompson as Alien Bounty Hunter
Kirk B. R. Woller as Gene Crane
Jeff Gulka as Gibson Praise
Jo-Ann Dean as Secretary
Christine Firkins as Thea Sprecher
Marc Gomes as Danny Mosley
Sal Landi as Landau
Arlene Malinowski as Teacher
Jonathan Palmer as Principal[1]
 
Episode chronology

← Previous
 "Within" Next →
 "Patience"

List of The X-Files episodes
"Without" is the second episode of the eighth season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States and Canada on November 12, 2000 on Fox and subsequently aired in the United Kingdom on February 18, 2001. It was written by executive producer Chris Carter and directed by Kim Manners. The episode helps to explore the series' overarching mythology and continues from the seventh season finale, "Requiem", and season eight premiere, "Within", in which Fox Mulder was abducted by aliens who are planning to colonize Earth. The episode earned a Nielsen rating of 9.0 in the United States and was seen by 15.1 million viewers. As with the previous episode, "Within," it was generally well received by critics, although some detractors criticized various plot points.
The show centers on FBI special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. In the episode, John Doggett (Robert Patrick) continues his search for Mulder, and attempts to uncover an alien bounty hunter within their ranks. After the task force is called off, Scully is surprised to learn that Doggett, the leader of the team, has been assigned to the X-Files.
"Without" heavily featured elements of Mulder's abduction by aliens, and as such, new sets were designed to create the alien ship Mulder was imprisoned in. The production crew of The X-Files designed the set in a decidedly "low-tech" and "interesting" manner. In addition, unusual filming techniques were used, such as special lenses and motion control, in order to achieve the desired footage.

Contents
  [hide] 1 Plot 1.1 Background
1.2 Events
2 Production
3 Reception
4 Notes
5 References 5.1 Footnotes
5.2 Bibliography
6 External links
Plot[edit]
Background[edit]
Main article: Mythology of The X-Files
FBI special agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) is currently missing, having been abducted by aliens in the seventh season finale, "Requiem." His partner Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) has been working with Agent John Doggett (Robert Patrick) in order to locate him. After consulting with The Lone Gunmen, a trio of conspiracy theorists made up of John Byers (Bruce Harwood), Melvin Frohike (Tom Braidwood) and Richard Langly (Dean Haglund), Scully finds evidence that Mulder may be in Arizona. Doggett receives news that Gibson Praise (Jeff Gulka), a boy with potentially extraterrestrial DNA, may be in hiding in Arizona as well. The two, along with Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) and a task force of FBI agents arrive and, after searching, find Mulder and Praise on the corner of a mountain.[2]
Events[edit]
As the episode begins, Mulder and Gibson Praise are cornered at the edge of a mountain by pursuing agent John Doggett. Suddenly, Mulder walks off the edge of the cliff and appears to fall to his death; however, when the FBI agents are sent down to retrieve his body, they find that it has disappeared. Dana Scully realizes that what appeared to be her partner was actually an Alien Bounty Hunter sent to retrieve Praise. The Bounty Hunter, who has returned to the school, continues his search for Praise. Meanwhile, Scully follows a girl (Christine Firkins) she had previously observed to be Praise's friend throughout the desert until she is able to locate him. After Doggett explains the events on the clifftop to Alvin Kersh, Walter Skinner tells him that Kersh is setting him up to fail. Shortly afterwards, the Bounty Hunter (now disguised as agent Scully) attacks Agent Landau. Skinner and the real Scully eventually manage to drive the alien away.
After Skinner and Scully find and retrieve Praise, Skinner takes him to the nearest hospital, where his friend Thea visits him, closing the door behind her. In search for Mulder in the desert, Scully sees a bright light in the sky which she thinks is a spaceship, but is later revealed to be a helicopter. The helicopter lands and Doggett insists Scully travel with him to the hospital; she reluctantly accepts. At the hospital, two other FBI agents assure the two agents that nothing has happened to Praise; however, they soon discover that he has vanished. Scully leaves to search for Praise, while Doggett stays in an attempt to catch the intruder. He checks the ceiling space, where he finds Skinner badly injured. Meanwhile, Scully finds Praise, along with Skinner, who claims to be protecting the boy. Skinner, who is actually the Alien Bounty Hunter, attempts to kill her but Scully grabs her gun and shoots him in the neck, killing the Bounty Hunter. After Doggett reports the case to Kersh, he is assigned to the X-File division with Scully. The episode ends showing Mulder still held in captivity.[3][4]
Production[edit]
Fox Mulder's abduction was devised by Chris Carter towards the end of seventh season as a way of allowing the actor to leave the series. Duchovny fulfilled his contractual obligations after the seventh season and felt that there was not much else to do with the character following the previous seven years.[5]

 

 A concept sketch of an alien surgical chair, as seen in Mulder's abduction.
Production designer Cory Kaplan explains how she was attracted to the idea of using primitive materials when she states, "We all see super-tech now, but the idea of low-tech was much more interesting to me, much more visual. So you take elements of rock and steel and chisel them interesting shapes." She also describes the creation of the set by stating, "I found the backdrop from Alien, and Bill Roe lit it very dimly and put it behind. And it was just this rotating platform with this humongous dental piece that could rotate around as well and pull his face apart." According to Makeup Supervisor Cheri Montasanto-Medcalf, Matthew Mungle helped in the creation of the alien torture machine by making the cheeks and putting the hooks in. The makeup supervisor adds that the hooks would actually stretch out and that David Duchovny "sat pretty good through all that."[5]
Unusual filming techniques were also used. Visual Effects Supervisor John Wash recalls, "We devised a laser effect where a device is going into his mouth and some other weird lens effects that were going over the scene to give it an alien, other-world-like quality." On the subject of using not only a challengingly minuscule method of filming but also additional sound effects, supervising producer Paul Rabwin recounts, "I had to set up a very, very highly magnified lens to try to get this little device coming right at us. It was very, very scary. We ended up putting some really cool sound effects in there, little servos and motors."[5]
The sequence in which multiple Alien Bounty Hunters appear involved the use of motion control, a method in which a motion-control camera on a computerized module is repeatedly run through the same motion while elements are continually added. The shot, according to John Wash, was one of the few times in the series in which the production crew was able to use motion control and therefore presented a slight challenge. In the filming of the sequence, both a blank plate, for just the set, and lighting elements, that were in the set, were shot before the production crew filmed five different passes, each one with the Alien Bounty Hunter in a different position. The production crew were finally able to clone the Bounty Hunter by blending all the passes together.[5]
Reception[edit]
"Without" premiered on American television on November 12, 2000 on Fox.[6] The earned a Nielsen household rating of 9.0, meaning that it was seen by 9.0% of the nation's estimated households, and was viewed by 9.07 million households,[7][nb 1] and 15.1 million viewers.[8] Fox promoted the episode with the tagline "Once in a great while a story takes a turn that you never expect... Tonight this is one of them."[9] The episode was later included on The X-Files Mythology, Volume 3 – Colonization, a DVD collection that contains episodes involved with the alien Colonist's plans to take over the earth.[10]
The episode was met with relatively positive reviews from critics. 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 five stars out of five. The two praised the episode's plot, citing the abduction and search for Mulder as components to the arcs "brilliance".[11] Shearman and Pearson noted that the final scene, featuring Mulder surrounded by the alien bounty hunter was created with "beauty, emotion, and horror which in collision make The X-Files one of the best shows on TV."[11]
Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club wrote that both "Without" and "Within" form "a great way to pick up after the cliffhanger ending of the previous season" and that "the pair of episodes [...] work well as an introduction to the new narrative status quo."[12] He warded both entries a "B+" but noted, however, that "Without" nearly came across as "strained or stalling", but "manages to get by with the general freakiness of the alien bounty hunter".[12] Jessica Morgan from Television Without Pity gave the episode a rare "A+". The previous episode, "Within", also received an "A+" grade, making them the only two episodes of The X-Files to receive this rating from the site.[3]
Ken Tucker from Entertainment Weekly was positive towards both this episode and the season premiere, "Within," awarding the episodes an "A-".[13] George Avalos and Michael Liedtke from the Contra Costa Times praised the episode and noted that the Scully/Dogget dynamic and the hunt for Fox Mulder worked towards the show's strengths.[14] Tom Janulewicz from Space.com positively commented on Scully's conversion from skeptic to believer, writing, "Regardless of whether it's aliens, flukemen, or pizza delivering vampires, The X-Files is all about phenomena that don't stand in the face of 'rational' explanations. It took her a long time, but like Mulder before her, Scully eventually came to accept that there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in her philosophy."[4]
Not all reviews were positive. Paula Vitaris from Cinefantastique gave the episode a more mixed review and awarded it two stars out of four.[15] Vitaris criticized both Scully becoming the believer as well as the "sky turning out to be a helicopter gimmick", which she notes "has gotten way too old."[15] Tom Kessenich, in his book Examinations wrote a relatively negative review of the episode. He noted, "All ['Without'] did was remind me why the show is a hollow shell of what it once was as long as Fox Mulder is strapped to an alien table and why The Doggett and Pony Show holds absolutely no appeal to me whatsoever."[16]
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ At the time of airing, the estimated number of households was 100.8 million.[7] Thus, 9 percent of 100.8 million is 9.07 million households.
References[edit]
Footnotes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "The X-Files - "Without"". TheXFiles.com. Fox Broadcasting Company. February 2002. Archived from the original on February 2, 2002. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
2.Jump up ^ "Within". BBC Cult. BBC. Retrieved October 1, 2009.
3.^ Jump up to: a b "Without (2)". Television Without Pity. NBCUniversal. Retrieved December 24, 2011.
4.^ Jump up to: a b Janulewicz, Tom. "The X-Files - 'Without'". Space.com. TechMediaNetwork. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
5.^ Jump up to: a b c d Carter, Chris, Patrick, Robert, Spotnitz, Frank and Gish, Annabeth (2001). The Truth Behind Season 8 (DVD). The X-Files: The Complete Eighth Season: Fox Home Entertainment.
6.Jump up ^ Kim Manners, et al (booklet). The X-Files: The Complete Eighth Season (Liner notes). Fox.
7.^ Jump up to: a b "Weekly Nielsen Ratings". The Stuart News (Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers): P10. November 2000.
8.Jump up ^ Canton, Maj. "The X-Files – Series – Episode List – Season 8". TV Tango. Retrieved February 24, 2013.
9.Jump up ^ Without (Promotional Flyer). Los Angeles, California: Fox Broadcasting Company. 2000.
10.Jump up ^ Kim Manners, et al. The X-Files Mythology, Volume 3 – Colonization (DVD). FOX.
11.^ Jump up to: a b Shearman and Pearson, p. 230
12.^ Jump up to: a b Handlen, Zack (October 5, 2013). "'Within'/'Without' | The X-Files/Millennium | TV Club". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
13.Jump up ^ Tucker, Ken (3 November 2000). "The X-Files". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
14.Jump up ^ Avalos, George; Michael Liedtke (November 16, 2000). "New `X-Files' Dynamic a Success So Far". Contra Costa Times (MediaNews Group). Retrieved December 24, 2011.
15.^ Jump up to: a b Vitaris, Paula (April 2002). "The X-Files Season Eight Episode Guide". Cinefantastique 34 (2): 42–49.
16.Jump up ^ Kessenich, p. 153
Bibliography[edit]
Hurwitz, Matt; Knowles, Chris (2008). The Complete X-Files. Insight Editions. ISBN 1933784806.
Kessenich, Tom (2002). Examination: An Unauthorized Look at Seasons 6–9 of the X-Files. Trafford Publishing. ISBN 1553698126.
Shearman, Robert; Pearson, Lars (2009). Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen. Mad Norwegian Press. ISBN 097594469X.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: TXF Season 8
"Without" at the Internet Movie Database
"Without" at TV.com

[hide]
­v·
 ­t·
 ­e
 
The X-Files episodes

 
­Seasons: 1·
 ­2·
 ­3·
 ­4·
 ­5·
 ­6·
 ­7·
 ­8·
 ­9
 
 
Season 8
­"Within"·
 ­"Without"·
 ­"Patience"·
 ­"Roadrunners"·
 ­"Invocation"·
 ­"Redrum"·
 ­"Via Negativa"·
 ­"Surekill"·
 ­"Salvage"·
 ­"Badlaa"·
 ­"The Gift"·
 ­"Medusa"·
 ­"Per Manum"·
 ­"This Is Not Happening"·
 ­"Deadalive"·
 ­"Three Words"·
 ­"Empedocles"·
 ­"Vienen"·
 ­"Alone"·
 ­"Essence"·
 ­"Existence"
 

 

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2000 television episodes


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Patience (The X-Files)

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"Patience"
The X-Files episode
A half-man, half-bat creature looks at the camera.
The man bat. The creature and episode were roundly criticized, with one reviewer calling the antagonist "a dull monster in fake-looking make-up".
 
Episode no.
Season 8
 Episode 3
Directed by
Chris Carter
Written by
Chris Carter
Production code
8ABX04
Original air date
November 19, 2000
Running time
44 minutes
Guest actors

Eve Brenner as Mrs. McKesson
Gary Bullock as Tall George
Jay Caputo as Bat Creature
Gene Dynarski as Ernie Stefaniuk
Bradford English as Yale Abbott
Dan Leegant as Myron Stefaniuk
Annie O'Donnell as Tahoma
Bryan Rasmussen as Sheriff's Deputy
Brent Sexton as Gravedigger[1]
 
Episode chronology

← Previous
 "Without" Next →
 "Roadrunners"

List of The X-Files episodes
"Patience" is the third episode of the eighth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on November 19, 2000. The episode was written and directed by series creator Chris Carter. "Patience" is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, unconnected to the series' wider mythology. The episode received a Nielsen rating of 8.2 and was viewed by 13.3 million viewers. Overall, it received largely negative reviews from critics.
The series centers on FBI special agents Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and her new partner John Doggett (Robert Patrick)—following the alien abduction of her former partner, Fox Mulder (David Duchovny)—who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. In this episode, John Doggett, after having been assigned to the X-Files, joins Scully to investigate a series of gruesome murders that appear to be the work of a bat-like creature. This being their first case together, Scully and Doggett find that their investigative techniques are less than similar.
Carter was inspired to write "Patience" to emulate the "back-to-basics stand alones […] of the earlier seasons". The episode was the first The X-Files entry to neither feature actor David Duchovny nor feature his name in the opening credits. Furthermore, the episode was crafted to be the first to test Doggett's skepticism of paranormal activity.

Contents
  [hide] 1 Plot
2 Production
3 Broadcast and reception
4 Notes
5 References
6 External links
Plot[edit]
An undertaker and his wife are brutally murdered by some sort of flying creature. Later, Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and John Doggett (Robert Patrick), who has been assigned to the X-Files, begin talking about the case. Scully explains about the death of the undertaker and his wife and notes that the cause of death being blood loss from human bite marks on their bodies.
Scully and Doggett arrive at the crime scene in Idaho and meet Detective Yale Abbott. He says they are less sure that the bites were made by a human and draws their attention to the strange footprint, believing that wild animals fed on the bodies after the fact. Scully points out that there is only one footprint, which looks ominously human, and that if it were left by an animal there would be more footprints leading to the bodies. Scully and Doggett check out the house and find prints leading upstairs and into the attic. Inside, Scully and Doggett find the missing fingers of the undertaker. They look like they have been regurgitated by something and the claw marks in the attic suggest something was hanging from the rafters. Meanwhile, elderly Mrs. McKesson is killed in her attic while looking at a photo album.
At the morgue, Scully explains that she studied the bite wounds and discovered that they are similar, but intrinsically different, than human bites; the saliva on the regurgitated fingers has anti-coagulants in it, which only bats have in their saliva. Doggett finds the evidence interesting, due to the newspaper article he brought Scully: in 1956, a series of deaths was reported that ended when a group of hunters killed a man-bat creature and brought it to the county morgue in part of Montana. The coroner said the creature was neither bat nor man. Then the coroner was killed a few days later and soon after a few more people were killed or disappeared.
Scully and Doggett join the investigation at McKesson’s home. Scully suggests a connection between the burned body of Ariel McKesson who disappeared in 1956 and her mother, the latest victim. Scully believes that the burned body should be exhumed to potentially learn the connection with the other deaths. Later, the gravediggers already have the coffin excavated when Detective Abbott shows up at the town cemetery. They tell him that they did not have to dig because somebody already dug the coffin up and scratched the lid up. While they drive off with the body, Abbott inspects a dead tree. The creature is within and it eviscerates Abbott.
The police are upset about Abbott’s death and blame Scully while Doggett reminds them that only the thing that killed Abbott and the others is to blame. Scully explains Ariel McKesson died of heart failure and then was burned to cover something up. She realizes that all the victims were people who came in contact with the body of Ariel McKesson: Abbott investigated the crime, her mother identified the body, the undertaker prepared the body, and Myron Stefaniuk pulled the body from the river. All but Myron Stefaniuk are now dead. Doggett and Scully find Myron and ask him about Ernie Stefaniuk, one of the hunters from 1956, who she reveals disappeared along time ago. The two eventually track down Ernie Stefaniuk, who tells them that he hid on an island in the middle of the town's lake with his wife, Ariel, for 44 years. Ernie says that the bat creature kills anyone with Ernie’s scent on them, so he had burned his wife’s body to try and cover up the scent. He informs them that it hunts only at night and Myron is in danger. Doggett goes back to find Myron only to be attacked and badly torn up by the creature at the river.
Ernie says Scully is now marked and the creature will go after her too. When his ground radar goes off, Scully goes outside. Ernie stays inside and is butchered by the bat creature. Scully returns to see it ravaging Ernie; she manages to shoot it before being knocked down. Doggett appears and shoots the creature several more times, saving Scully. The creature disappears into the night while Scully helps the injured Doggett.[2]
Production[edit]

 

 Live Egyptian Fruit Bats were used in the episode.
"Patience" was written and directed by series creator Chris Carter. The episode, inspired by the "back-to-basics stand alones […] of the earlier seasons", was the first episode of The X-Files to neither feature actor David Duchovny nor feature his name in the opening credits.[3][4] After settling his contract dispute with Fox, Duchovny quit full-time participation in the show after the seventh season.[5] In order to explain Mulder's absence, Duchovny's character was abducted by aliens in the seventh season finale, "Requiem", and as such, did not appear in "Patience".[6]
The episode's main villain, the human-bat hybrid, was inspired by the 1970s comic book villain, Man-Bat, one of the arch-nemeses of Batman.[3] During the filming of the episode, live bats were used; the type of bat used in "Patience" was the Egyptian Fruit Bat.[7] Furthermore, the episode was the first to test Doggett's skepticism of paranormal activity. As Robert Patrick explained, "['Patience'] is where it starts to toy with my willingness to believe in the paranormal and strange happenings. You've got a guy that's a bat, which is sort of out of the norm."[3]
Broadcast and reception[edit]
"Patience" first aired on Fox on November 19, 2000.[8] The episode earned a Nielsen household rating of 8.2, meaning that it was seen by 8.2% of the nation's estimated households.[9] The episode was viewed by 8.27 million households,[9][nb 1] and 13.3 million viewers.[10] The episode ranked as the 42nd most-watched episode for the week ending November 19.[9] The episode subsequently aired in the United Kingdom on the BBC Two on July 28, 2002.[8] Fox promoted the episode with the tagline "More deadly than a man. More ruthless than a bat. A hungry predator waits in the darkness for its next prey... Scully and Doggett."[11]
Critical reception to the episode was largely negative. Television Without Pity writer Jessica Morgan rated the episode a D and criticized the episode's references to Mulder's absence, most notably the scene wherein Scully put Mulder's nameplate away, asking, sardonically, "Is that supposed to be symbolic, I wonder?"[12] 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 two-and-a-half stars out of five. The two noted that, despite the fact that "a lot of [the episode] works […] because the scenes between Doggett and Scully are so good", the positive aspects of the episode were not "put to better use in a more exciting episode; this particular case hardly stretched anyone's deductive prowess." Shearman and Pearson later wrote that if the episode had been "a Mulder and Scully adventure, this would have been bottom of the barrel stuff."[13]
Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club awarded the episode a "C+" and criticized both its monster, and its guest cast. Concerning the former, he wrote that it was "just ridiculous" and that its design was "bland and generic".[14] Concerning the latter, he wrote that the cast was filled with "actors hamming it up".[14] VanDerWerff did note that the episode was better "than its reputation" suggested, but that it still was "undone by some very strange story choices and a dumb monster".[14] Paula Vitaris from Cinefantastique gave the episode a negative review and awarded it one-and-a-half stars out of four.[15] Vitaris bluntly wrote, "if you're looking for a suspenseful, bite-your-nails, monster-of-the-week X-Files episode… this isn't it." Furthermore, she criticized the villain, calling it "a dull monster in fake-looking make-up".[15]
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ At the time of airing, the estimated number of households was 100.8 million.[9] Thus, 8.2 percent of 100.8 million is 8.27 million households.
References[edit]
Footnotes
1.Jump up ^ "The X-Files - "Patience"". TheXFiles.com. Fox Broadcasting Company. February 2002. Archived from the original on 2 February 2002. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
2.Jump up ^ "Patience". BBC Cult. BBC. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
3.^ Jump up to: a b c Hurwitz and Knowles, p. 186
4.Jump up ^ Chris Carter (director and writer) (November 22, 2001). "Patience". The X-Files. Season 8. Episode 3. Fox.
5.Jump up ^ "Duchovny quits X-Files". BBC News. 18 May 2001. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
6.Jump up ^ Elber, Lynn (18 May 2000). "Fox Mulder 'Ready to Get Back to Work'". Space.com. TechMediaNetwork. Archived from the original on 24 September 2004. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
7.Jump up ^ "The X-Files - "Patience" - Research". TheXFiles.com. Fox Broadcasting Company. February 2002. Archived from the original on 2 February 2002. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
8.^ Jump up to: a b Kim Manners, et al (booklet). The X-Files: The Complete Eighth Season (Liner notes). Fox.
9.^ Jump up to: a b c d Associated Press (22 November 2000). "Television Ratings". Press-Telegram (MediaNews Group).
10.Jump up ^ Canton, Maj. "The X-Files – Series – Episode List – Season 8". TV Tango. Retrieved February 24, 2013.
11.Jump up ^ Patience (Promotional Flyer). Los Angeles, California: Fox Broadcasting Company. 2000.
12.Jump up ^ Morgan, Jessica (19 November 2000). "Patience". Television Without Pity. NBCUniversal. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
13.Jump up ^ Shearman and Pearson, p. 231
14.^ Jump up to: a b c VanDerWerff, Todd (October 12, 2013). "'Patience'/'Roadrunners' | The X-Files/Millennium". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
15.^ Jump up to: a b Vitaris, Paula (April 2002). "The X-Files Season Eight Episode Guide". Cinefantastique 34 (2): 42–49.
BibliographyHurwitz, Matt; Knowles, Chris (2008). The Complete X-Files. Insight Editions. ISBN 1933784806.
Shearman, Robert; Pearson, Lars (2009). Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen. Mad Norwegian Press. ISBN 097594469X.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: TXF Season 8
"Patience" at the Internet Movie Database
"Patience" at TV.com

[hide]
­v·
 ­t·
 ­e
 
The X-Files episodes

 
­Seasons: 1·
 ­2·
 ­3·
 ­4·
 ­5·
 ­6·
 ­7·
 ­8·
 ­9
 
 
Season 8
­"Within"·
 ­"Without"·
 ­"Patience"·
 ­"Roadrunners"·
 ­"Invocation"·
 ­"Redrum"·
 ­"Via Negativa"·
 ­"Surekill"·
 ­"Salvage"·
 ­"Badlaa"·
 ­"The Gift"·
 ­"Medusa"·
 ­"Per Manum"·
 ­"This Is Not Happening"·
 ­"Deadalive"·
 ­"Three Words"·
 ­"Empedocles"·
 ­"Vienen"·
 ­"Alone"·
 ­"Essence"·
 ­"Existence"
 

 

Categories: 2000 television episodes
The X-Files (season 8) episodes



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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
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Roadrunners (The X-Files)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
Jump to: navigation, search

"Roadrunners"
The X-Files episode
Roadunnersxfiles.jpg
The parasitic creature, believed by a cult to be the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The creature was created via animatronics.
 
Episode no.
Season 8
 Episode 4
Directed by
Rod Hardy
Written by
Vince Gilligan
Production code
8ABX05
Original air date
November 26, 2000
Running time
44 minutes
Guest actors

Bryan Dilbeck as Disabled Man
David Barry Gray as Hank Gulatarski
Todd Jeffries as Agent Brian Mayfield
Conor O'Farrell as Sheriff Ciolino
William O'Leary as Gas Station Man
Lawrence Pressman as Mr. Milsap
Rusy Schwimmer as Female Bus Driver[1]
 
Episode chronology

← Previous
 "Patience" Next →
 "Invocation"

List of The X-Files episodes
"Roadrunners" is the fourth episode of the eighth season and the 165th episode overall of the science fiction television series The X-Files. "Roadrunners" is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, unconnected to the series' wider mythology. The episode first aired in the United States on November 26, 2000 on Fox and on March 1, 2001 on Sky1 in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was written by Vince Gilligan and directed by Rod Hardy. The episode earned a Nielsen household rating of 8.3 and was watched by 13.6 million households. The episode received mixed to positive reviews from television critics.
The series centers on FBI special agents Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and her new partner John Doggett (Robert Patrick)—following the alien abduction of her former partner, Fox Mulder (David Duchovny)—who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. In this episode, Scully, working alone, pursues a cult that worship a slug-like organism and believe it to be the Second Coming of Jesus Christ; but in her efforts to save an injured stranger, she discovers she is in over her head.
The episode was written by Gilligan to be intentionally "creepy". Furthermore, Gilligan wanted to show the audience that John Doggett was a good person and an ally of Scully's. The parasitic creature that was used in the episode was designed to look like a banana slug and was created via animatronics. Several of the scenes were so gruesome that producer Paul Rabwin later noted that some of the cameramen "start[ed] to lose it" during filming.

Contents
  [hide] 1 Plot
2 Production 2.1 Writing
2.2 Directing
3 Reception
4 Notes
5 References 5.1 Footnotes
5.2 Work cited
6 External links
Plot[edit]
In the Utah desert, a hitchhiker catches a ride from a passing bus, which soon stops without explanation. The hitchhiker watches a man with crutches leave the bus, joined by the other passengers. Following them, he sees them stone the man to death. They later surround the hitchhiker as he futilely tries to escape.
FBI special agent Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) goes to investigate the murder. The victim, a twenty-two-year-old backpacker, now shows signs of body decay usually associated with old age. Later, at a pay-phone, she asks her partner, John Doggett (Robert Patrick), to check the X-Files for cases mentioning glycoproteins. While discussing the case with Doggett, the bus passes her, and she follows it to a gas station in the middle of the desert. A man with an injured hand learns that she is a medical doctor and fills her car with gasoline laced with water. Scully returns to the gas station and is told that rain got into the gas canisters.
The attendant tells Scully that Mr. Milsap is the only person with a working phone, but she discovers that the line is dead. Mr. Milsap offers Scully a room at the local boarding house, but Scully tries the rest of the town only to be ignored by everyone; they are all too engrossed in Bible study groups. Disturbed by the turn of events, she keeps her gun close at hand. The next morning, Mr. Milsap tells Scully that there is a man who needs help downstairs. She goes with him and finds the hitchhiker from the teaser having a seizure. She advises them to take him to the hospital, but they pretend that they do not have any cars. While examining the man, Scully discovers a strange circular wound on his back. Meanwhile, Doggett calls the local sheriff and learns that Scully has not arrived yet, and so he sets out to find her.
The sick man begins to recover and Scully talks to him while the townspeople are gone. He does not seem to know who he is or how he arrived. She inspects his wound again and finds a lump moving along the man's spine; digging into the open wound, she pulls out a piece of a large worm. Scully talks with the hitchhiker, whose name is revealed to be Hank, about the creature and thinks she cannot get it out without killing him. Scully goes to find a car but, moments after leaving, Hank immediately tells the townspeople what she is up to and that "another swap" is needed. Concurrently, Doggett arrives in Utah and informs the Sheriff about a series X-Files involving similar back wound and death by stoning.
Scully is eventually captured by the townspeople and the worm is inserted into her body. Eventually, Doggett finds Scully, cuts the worm out of her, and shoots the creature dead. Later, Scully is packing her things in the hospital when Doggett comes in to inform her about the trial of the cult members; they are offering little defense except that they claim that they are being persecuted for their religious beliefs. Scully muses that they thought the worm was the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. She apologizes to Doggett for going out on the mission alone and promises to never do it again.[2]
Production[edit]
Writing[edit]

 

 "Roadrunners," written by Vince Gilligan, was described as "uncharacteristically brutal."
"Roadrunners" was written by Vince Gilligan and was inspired by the 1955 thriller film Bad Day at Black Rock.[3] The script, called "uncharacteristically brutal" for Gilligan—who had been noted for his comedic episodes like "Bad Blood"[4] and "X-Cops"[5]—was written with the expressed intent to make, according to Gilligan, "a really all-out scary, creepy, get under-your-skin—literally and figuratively—X-File."[6] Furthermore, the episode was written to show the audience of The X-Files that John Doggett was on the side of the heroes.[7] Gilligan explained, "I wanted this gangbusters episode, one that showed Doggett was a good guy; someone to be counted on."[7] Many fans were unhappy with Doggett's condescension towards Scully during her apology.[8] Robert Patrick, the actor who portrayed Doggett, however, had a different interpretation: "The whole essence of the scene was, 'Look, I'm here for you. I've got your back. We're partners now.' And you give that the weight of a marine saying to someone, 'I'll jump on a grenade for you, so you can trust me.' The idea was to really assure the fans that the show was continuing on."[8]
Several of the characters in the episode were named after real-life individuals. The character of Hank was named after the brother of Vince Gilligan's girlfriend, Holly. Mr. Milsap was named for famed singer-songwriter Ronnie Milsap. Finally, Sheriff Ciolino was named after Gilligan's mortgage broker.[3]
Directing[edit]
The episode was directed by Rod Hardy, making it first credit for the series.[9][10] Hardy was offered the role after an unknown individual working at The X-Files saw his TBS remake of the film High Noon.[11] The parasitic creature that was used in the episode was created via animatronics[6] and was designed to look like a banana slug.[3] During the scene where the creature is inserted into Scully's back, the production crew created a false fiberglass back for Gillian Anderson.[6] To create the illusion that the creature was crawling up the body, the fiberglass was pressed against.[6] Anderson later described the scene as "fun to shoot."[7] However, she did notice that the scene "was exhausting, though, struggling on that bed for so long. Not hogtied, but tied down, my arms to the headboard and my legs to the footboard.[7] Paul Rabwin later noted that he had several cameramen "start to lose it" during the scene.[6][7]
Reception[edit]
"Roadrunners" first aired in the United States on Fox on November 26, 2000.[10] The episode earned a Nielsen household rating of 8.3, meaning that it was seen by 8.3% of the nation's estimated households.[12] The episode was viewed by 8.37 million households,[12][nb 1] and 13.6 million viewers.[13] The episode ranked as the 38th most-watched episode for the week ending November 26.[12] In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the episode made its first appearance on television on March 1, 2001 on Sky1.[14] "Roadrunners" was the seventh most watched program that week and received 0.67 million viewers.[15] Fox promoted the episode with the tagline "A desolate town. A bizarre cult. A horrifying ritual. And Scully may be the next victim."[16]
Critical reception to "Roadrunners" was mixed to positive. Den of Geek writer Juliette Harrisson named the episode the "finest stand-alone episode" of the show's eighth season.[17] Harrisson praised the character development in "Roadrunners" and noted that the episode "effectively brings [Scully and Doggett] together as partners."[17] 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 four stars out of five.[18] The two note that, "for the first half-hour, this works as a slow burn horror story ... It's the transition of Gillian Anderson's performance from wry exasperation to outright paranoia ... which makes this so effective."[18] Shearman and Pearson did, however, slightly criticize the cutting of John Doggett's role to a minimum.[18] Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club awarded the episode a "A–" and wrote that it "is an episode that’s dedicated to helping us move past the Mulder era."[19] He praised the creepiness of Gilligan's script, as well as the characterization of Scully, writing that even though she is in a situation that is over her head, she is still smart in her attempts to escape; he also praised Anderson's acting. However, VanDerWerff was more critical of the final scene, noting that it made Doggett come across as "kind of an asshole".[19]
Not all reviews were positive. George Avalos and Michael Liedtke of the Knight Ridder Tribune wrote that the episode's slug "continued the series' fine tradition of monsters that made us queasy as we squirmed in our seats".[20] Despite enjoying the gore and the reality of Scully's isolation, the two were critical of the cult's motivations, writing that "we were given absolutely no clue as to why the Utah cult members believed the slug represented the Second Coming of Jesus Christ."[20] The two ultimately concluded that "Roadrunners" fell "well short of a classic."[20] Sarah Stegall highly criticized the episode, calling it "a bad mix of The Fly and The Kindred, with plenty of X-Files classic paranoia but none of the finesse we've seen before."[21] Paula Vitaris from Cinefantastique gave the episode a scathing review and awarded it no stars out of four.[22] She heavily derided the plot, sarcastically referring to Doggett as a "man's man" and the parasite a "phallic-shaped giant slug".[22] Furthermore, she criticized Scully's actions to go off on an assignment without telling her partner.[22] Dave Golder from SFX criticized the episode and called it a retread of the first season episode "Ice".[23]
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ At the time of airing, the estimated number of households was 100.8 million.[12] Thus, 8.3 percent of 100.8 million is 8.37 million households.
References[edit]
Footnotes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "The X-Files - "Roadrunners"". TheXFiles.com. Fox Broadcasting Company. February 2002. Archived from the original on 17 December 2001. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
2.Jump up ^ "Roadrunners". BBC Cult. BBC. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
3.^ Jump up to: a b c "The X-Files - "Roadrunners" - Research". TheXFiles.com. Fox Broadcasting Company. February 2002. Archived from the original on 27 July 2003. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
4.Jump up ^ Hurwitz and Knowles, p. 238
5.Jump up ^ Hurwitz and Knowles, p. 239
6.^ Jump up to: a b c d e Carter, Chris, et al. (2000). The Truth Behind Season 8 (DVD). The X-Files: The Complete Eighth Season: Fox Home Entertainment.
7.^ Jump up to: a b c d e Hurwitz and Knowles, p. 187
8.^ Jump up to: a b Hurwitz and Knowles, p. 189
9.Jump up ^ Hardy, 4:30–4:35
10.^ Jump up to: a b Kim Manners, et al (booklet). The X-Files: The Complete Eighth Season (Liner notes). Fox.
11.Jump up ^ Hardy, 9:40–9:55
12.^ Jump up to: a b c d Associated Press (November 2000). "Prime-time Nielsen ratings". Associated Press Archives.
13.Jump up ^ Canton, Maj. "The X-Files – Series – Episode List – Season 8". TV Tango. Retrieved February 24, 2013.
14.Jump up ^ "The X-Files: Roadrunners". Digital Spy. Nat Mags. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
15.Jump up ^ "BARB's multichannel top 10 programmes". barb.co.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2012. Note: Information is in the section titled "w/e Feb. 26-Mar 4, 2001", listed under Sky 1
16.Jump up ^ Roadrunners (Promotional Flyer). Los Angeles, California: Fox Broadcasting Company. 2000.
17.^ Jump up to: a b Harrisson, Juliette (6 September 2011). "A Look Back Over The X-Files' Finest Stand-Alone Episodes". Den of Geek. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
18.^ Jump up to: a b c Shearman and Pearson, p. 232
19.^ Jump up to: a b VanDerWerff, Todd (October 12, 2013). "'Patience'/'Roadrunners' | The X-Files/Millennium". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
20.^ Jump up to: a b c Avalos, George; Liedtke, Michael (1 December 2000). "X-Cursions: A Sluggish Return to Monstrous Mayhem". Knight Ridder. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
21.Jump up ^ Stegall, Sarah (2001). "The Reluctant Hitchhiker". The Munchkyn Zone. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
22.^ Jump up to: a b c Vitaris, Paula (April 2002). "The X-Files Season Eight Episode Guide". Cinefantastique 34 (2): 42–49.
23.Jump up ^ Golder, Dave (March 2001). "The X-Files, Season Eight". SFX (75) (Future Publishing). Retrieved 27 July 2012.
Work cited[edit]
Hardy, Rod (2005), "Vienen": Commentary (DVD), The X-Files Mythology, Volume 4 – Super Soldiers: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Hurwitz, Matt; Knowles, Chris (2008). The Complete X-Files. Insight Editions. ISBN 1-933784-80-6.
Shearman, Robert; Pearson, Lars (2009). Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen. Mad Norwegian Press. ISBN 0-9759446-9-X.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Roadrunners (The X-Files)
"Roadrunners" at the Internet Movie Database
"Roadrunners" at TV.com

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The X-Files episodes

 
­Seasons: 1·
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Season 8
­"Within"·
 ­"Without"·
 ­"Patience"·
 ­"Roadrunners"·
 ­"Invocation"·
 ­"Redrum"·
 ­"Via Negativa"·
 ­"Surekill"·
 ­"Salvage"·
 ­"Badlaa"·
 ­"The Gift"·
 ­"Medusa"·
 ­"Per Manum"·
 ­"This Is Not Happening"·
 ­"Deadalive"·
 ­"Three Words"·
 ­"Empedocles"·
 ­"Vienen"·
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2000 television episodes
Screenplays by Vince Gilligan



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Invocation (The X-Files)

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"Invocation"
The X-Files episode
A man and a boy are sitting at a table. The man is staring at the child, while the child is coloring.
Doggett talks to Billy. The arrival of Billy would cause Doggett to associate the case with that of his murdered son's, Luke.
 
Episode no.
Season 8
 Episode 5
Directed by
Richard Compton
Written by
David Amann
Production code
8ABX06
Original air date
December 3, 2000
Running time
44 minutes
Guest actors

Erich Anderson as Doug Underwood
Maggie Baird as Sharon Pearl
Barry Cullison as Sheriff Sanchez
Rodney Eastman as Ronald Purnell
Jake Fritz as Luke Doggett
Kim Greist as Lisa Underwood
Colton James as Josh Underwood
Kyle Pepi & Ryan Pepi as Billy Underwood
Leslie Sachs as Lisa Underwood's friend
Sheila Shaw as Marcia Purnell
Steve Stapenhorst as Principal
Jim Cody Williams as Cal Jeppy[1]
 
Episode chronology

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List of The X-Files episodes
"Invocation" is the fifth episode of the eighth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on December 3, 2000. The episode was written by David Amman and directed by Richard Compton. "Invocation" is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, unconnected to the series' wider mythology. The episode received a Nielsen rating of 8.2 and was viewed by 13.9 million viewers. Overall, the episode received mixed reviews from critics.
The series centers on FBI special agents Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and her new partner John Doggett (Robert Patrick)—following the alien abduction of her former partner, Fox Mulder (David Duchovny)—who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. In this episode, a little boy mysteriously reappears after having been kidnapped for ten years. However, he has not aged one bit after his disappearance. While the case stirs up painful memories for Doggett, suspicion stirs that the boy is not all he seems.
"Invocation" would introduce both the character of Luke Doggett, the deceased son of John Doggett, as well as a story arc involving his father trying to solve his murder. A majority of the episode was filmed in Pasadena, California. Many of the extras from the episode auditioned via General Casting, a casting agency.

Contents
  [hide] 1 Plot
2 Production
3 Reception
4 Notes
5 References
6 External links
Plot[edit]
In 1990, Billy Underwood goes missing at a school fair in Dexter, Oklahoma. Ten years later, Billy's mother, Lisa Underwood arrives at the local elementary school after receiving a phone call from the principal. Billy has mysteriously re-appeared at the school, but doesn't seem to have aged in the decade he was missing.
Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and John Doggett (Robert Patrick) arrive at the police station to see Billy. Doggett interviews the boy, who seems to be mute. In attempt to get Billy to speak, Doggett keeps his backpack from him. This infuriates Lisa and leads Scully to question Doggett’s expertise in child abduction cases. Scully suggests that Billy is an alien abductee, but Doggett believes Ronald Purnell, a local delinquent, may have been involved in the boy's disappearance. Doggett questions Purnell, who expresses confusion when the agent suggests that he should meet Billy. As Doggett sits in his car, he pulls out a photo of his deceased son, Luke.
When Billy is returned home, his brother and father are uneasy about his presence; Lisa is blind to these problems. While Lisa and her husband argue about Billy, he goes into his brother’s room with a knife. The next morning, Lisa finds a bloody knife in his brother's bed, although the boy is unscathed. Billy stands in the room staring at Josh. Forensic analysis shows the blood to be Billy's, although there are no injuries on him. The knife bears a symbol that Billy drew while being interrogated by Doggett, which was also drawn by a psychic investigator ten years earlier. Meanwhile, Cal Jeppy shows up at Purnell's trailer and hassles him. Purnell goes into the woods and digs up a skull. Later, Jeppy blackmails Purnell into silence over something related to Billy.
Scully and Doggett bring the psychic, Sharon Pearl, to meet Billy. After touching Billy, Pearl says that she feels powerful forces acting through him, and that she senses emanations from Doggett as well. She then goes into a seizure, the mysterious symbol forming on her forehead. Scully and Doggett later notice Purnell drive up to the Underwood home. Purnell panics when he sees Billy in his car, but after a short pursuit, Purnell is arrested. The agents fail to find Billy in the vehicle. Elsewhere, Josh Underwood is abducted at a gas station while looking at a horse trailer. The symbol appears on the trailer.
After interrogation by Doggett, Purnell confesses to snatching Billy in 1990 on behalf of someone else. Doggett recognizes Purnell was also a victim, and with enough prodding, gets a name: Cal Jeppy. The police and the two FBI agents go to Jeppy’s home and find Josh in a compartment under the floor of his horse trailer. Doggett chases Jeppy into the woods, catches him, and discovers the skull of Billy that Purnell dug up earlier. As the Underwoods stand over the shallow grave of their long dead son, Scully and Doggett discuss the case. Scully believes it was justice from beyond the grave and that the important thing is that it saved Josh Underwood.[2]
Production[edit]

 

 Many of the episode's scenes were filmed in Pasadena, California.
"Invocation" was written by producer David Amann, and marked his fifth script contribution to the series. "Invocation" was the first of two episode of The X-Files to be directed by Richard Compton; he would later go on to direct the eighth season episode "Medusa".[3] Although the episode was the fifth aired in the season, it was actually the sixth one filmed, as evidenced by its production number.[1][4] A majority of the episode was filmed in Pasadena, California. Many of the extras from the episode auditioned via General Casting, a casting agency.[5] The song that Ronald Purnell sang to Billy to keep him quiet and that was featured as a backmasked message on Scully's tape-recorder is a traditional African American lullaby from the southern United States called "All the Pretty Horses".[6]
In the episode, Doggett is told by a psychic that his very own son was kidnapped and murdered; thus, "Invocation" would mark the first appearance of Luke Doggett, the son of John.[7] Luke's story would develop into an arc featuring Doggett trying to find out the truth about this son's murder. Robert Patrick noted "['Invocation' started] a very important arc, because you start to see the vulnerability of the Doggett character, what drives him. That's where we first realize something's happened to him. There's a tragedy that's involved with him."[8]
Reception[edit]
"Invocation" first aired on Fox on December 3, 2000.[4] The episode earned a Nielsen household rating of 8.2, meaning that it was seen by 8.2% of the nation's estimated households.[9] The episode was viewed by 8.27 million households,[9][nb 1] and 13.9 million viewers.[10] The episode ranked as the 41st most-watched episode for the week ending December 3.[9] The episode aired in the United Kingdom and Ireland on Sky1 on March 8, 2000 and received 0.64 million viewers, making it the eighth most watched episode that week.[11] Fox promoted the episode with the tagline "How can a child disappear for ten years... and not age a single day? Tonight, a family's miracle may be a gift from hell."[12]
Television Without Pity writer Jessica Morgan rated the episode a B–, and, despite the moderate praise, finished her review with the statement, "I miss Mulder."[13] Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club awarded the episode a "B–", writing that it is "an okay entry that’s kept from being completely forgettable by some memorable shots […] and some decent Scully/Dogett banter."[14] Handlen held a mixed feeling toward's Doggett's backstory, noting that its introduction "does push the character in ways that undermine some of his strongest traits".[14]
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 two-and-a-half stars out of five. The two praised Amman's ability to "elicit real-world reactions out of fantastical situations".[15] However, Shearman and Pearson took issue with the way Doggett's backstory was extrapolated. They noted that Doggett had been portrayed, up to the point in the series, as a "solid and reliable" character. However, "Invocation" sees him "[break] protocol and [behave] like a bully" because of a case reminiscent of that of his deceased son's, a situation that, the two reason, is too similar to Mulder's own search for the truth about his sister, Samantha.[15] Paula Vitaris from Cinefantastique gave the episode a mixed review and awarded it two stars out of four.[16] Vitaris bluntly wrote, "'Invocation' is a masterpiece, but only if you grade it on a 'Roadrunners' bell-curve."[16] She elaborated, calling it "a run-of-the-mill stand-alone, a combination of 'Revelations' and 'The Calusari'"[16]
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ At the time of airing, the estimated number of households was 100.8 million.[9] Thus, 8.2 percent of 100.8 million is 8.27 million households.
References[edit]
Footnotes
1.^ Jump up to: a b "The X-Files - "Invocation"". TheXFiles.com. Fox Broadcasting Company. 12 December 2001. Archived from the original on 17 December 2001. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
2.Jump up ^ "Invocation". BBC Cult. BBC. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
3.Jump up ^ Hurwitz and Knowles, pp. 236–240
4.^ Jump up to: a b Kim Manners, et al (booklet). The X-Files: The Complete Eighth Season (Liner notes). Fox.
5.Jump up ^ Fraga, p. 186
6.Jump up ^ "The X-Files - "Invocation" - Research". TheXFiles.com. Fox Broadcasting Company. 3 December 2000. Archived from the original on 29 December 2001. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
7.Jump up ^ Richard Compton (Director). "Invocation". The X-Files. Season 8. Episode 5. Fox.
8.Jump up ^ Hurwitz and Knowles, p. 189
9.^ Jump up to: a b c d Associated Press (5 December 2000). "Television Ratings". Associated Press Archive.
10.Jump up ^ Canton, Maj. "The X-Files – Series – Episode List – Season 8". TV Tango. Retrieved February 24, 2013.
11.Jump up ^ "BARB's multichannel top 10 programmes". barb.co.uk. Retrieved 4 January 2011. Note: Information is in the section titled "w/e March 5–11, 20000", listed under Sky 1
12.Jump up ^ Invocation (Promotional Flyer). Los Angeles, California: Fox Broadcasting Company. 2000.
13.Jump up ^ Morgan, Jessica (3 December 2000). "Invocation". Television Without Pity. NBCUniversal. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
14.^ Jump up to: a b Handlen, Zack (October 19, 2013). "'Invocation'/'Redrum' | The X-Files/Millennium | TV Club". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved October 19, 2013.
15.^ Jump up to: a b Shearman and Pearson, p. 232–233
16.^ Jump up to: a b c Vitaris, Paula (April 2002). "The X-Files Season Eight Episode Guide". Cinefantastique 34 (2): 42–49.
BibliographyFraga, Erica (2010). LAX-Files: Behind the Scenes with the Los Angeles Cast and Crew. CreateSpace. ISBN 9781451503418.
Hurwitz, Matt; Knowles, Chris (2008). The Complete X-Files. Insight Editions. ISBN 1933784806.
Shearman, Robert; Pearson, Lars (2009). Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen. Mad Norwegian Press. ISBN 097594469X.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: TXF Season 8
"Invocation" at the Internet Movie Database
"Invocation" at TV.com

[hide]
­v·
 ­t·
 ­e
 
The X-Files episodes

 
­Seasons: 1·
 ­2·
 ­3·
 ­4·
 ­5·
 ­6·
 ­7·
 ­8·
 ­9
 
 
Season 8
­"Within"·
 ­"Without"·
 ­"Patience"·
 ­"Roadrunners"·
 ­"Invocation"·
 ­"Redrum"·
 ­"Via Negativa"·
 ­"Surekill"·
 ­"Salvage"·
 ­"Badlaa"·
 ­"The Gift"·
 ­"Medusa"·
 ­"Per Manum"·
 ­"This Is Not Happening"·
 ­"Deadalive"·
 ­"Three Words"·
 ­"Empedocles"·
 ­"Vienen"·
 ­"Alone"·
 ­"Essence"·
 ­"Existence"
 

 

Categories: 2000 television episodes
The X-Files (season 8) episodes



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Redrum (The X-Files)

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This is a good article. Click here for more information.

"Redrum"
The X-Files episode
The silhouette of a spider crawling on its web.
Martin Wells wakes up in prison to find a spider crawling on its web. Steve Maeda, the episode's writer, used the spider to symbolize Martin Wells' confusion at being trapped in his situation.
 
Episode no.
Season 8
 Episode 6
Directed by
Peter Markle
Teleplay by
Steven Maeda
Story by
Steven Maeda
Daniel Arkin
Production code
8ABX03
Original air date
December 10, 2000
Running time
44 minutes
Guest actors

Derick Alexander as Bailiff
Brien Blakely as Reporter
Lee Duncan as Al Cawdry
Kayla Henry as Haley Wells
Roger Hewlett as Tall Guard
James Howell as Homicide Detective
Anne-Marie Johnson as Vicky Wells
J. Patrick McCormack as Brent Tufeld
Cynthia Martells as District Attorney Carter
Joe Morton as Martin Wells
Luis Rodgriguez as Gangbanger
Joanna Sanchez as Trina Galvez
Jack Shearer as Benjamin Kinberg
Shane Sinutko as Lead Officer
Guy Torry as Shorty
Danny Trejo as Cesar Ocumpo
Bellamy Young as Janet Wilson[1]
 
Episode chronology

← Previous
 "Invocation" Next →
 "Via Negativa"

List of The X-Files episodes
"Redrum" is the sixth episode of the eighth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on December 10, 2000. The story for the episode was developed by Steven Maeda and Daniel Arkin, the teleplay was written by Maeda, and the episode was directed by Peter Markle. "Redrum" is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, unconnected to the series' wider mythology. The episode received a Nielsen rating of 8.1 and was viewed by 13.2 million households. Overall, the episode received moderately positive reviews from critics.
The series centers on FBI special agents Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and her new partner John Doggett (Robert Patrick)—following the alien abduction of her former partner, Fox Mulder (David Duchovny)—who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. In this episode, a lawyer friend of Doggett's named Martin Wells tries to clear his name of the crime after his wife is murdered. Unfortunately for him, his perception of time regresses backwards, day by day. This leads to confusion, but ultimately an answer as to who killed Wells' wife.
"Redrum", described as a "Twilight Zone-type thriller" by critics, heavily featured the actor Joe Morton, who had previously played a role in the 1991 sci-fi film Terminator 2: Judgment Day alongside series co-star Robert Patrick. The title of the episode was purposely picked by episode writer Steven Maeda to be "murder" spelled backwards. The episode's main character, Martin Wells, was named after famed 19th century author H.G. Wells.

Contents
  [hide] 1 Plot
2 Production
3 Reception
4 Notes
5 References
6 External links
Plot[edit]
Martin Wells, a renowned Baltimore prosecutor, wakes up in a prison cell and notices a stitched up wound on his right cheek. A guard enters and takes him for his transfer. Wells' long-time friend, John Doggett (Robert Patrick), and his partner, Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), await him and warn of reporters outside. As he exits the building, a man Wells recognizes draws a pistol and shoots him. Wells stares at Scully’s watch as he dies. The hands stop and then begin to turn backwards.
Upon waking up again, Wells is surprised to find no bullet wounds on his body. Scully and Doggett arrive to interrogate Wells, but he is confused about what is going on. A furious Doggett claims that he has been accused of murdering his wife, Vicky, and initially believes that Wells is faking his confusion in order to build an insanity defense. However, Doggett shows signs of doubt when he notices Wells' genuine anguish over Vicky's death. Wells is brought into court and he recognizes his father-in-law, Al Cawdry, as the man who shot him. When Wells' next court date is announced to be Thursday, he realizes that he has somehow travelled back to the day before his shooting. When the judge decides to transfer Wells to a different cell, he makes a scene in the court and accuses Cawdry of planning to kill him during the transfer.
In his second meeting of the day with Scully and Doggett, Wells explains that he cannot remember the last few days. Scully suggests that maybe he did do it. Wells begins having flashes of the murder but they are unclear. Waiting in his cell, he kills a spider. Later, a nanny cam from his house reveals that the only person to arrive between the police’s arrival and the last time his wife is on camera is Martin Wells. Eventually, Wells meets his lawyers and tells them about the nanny cam. However, it turns out that it is Wednesday: Wells is somehow “living the week backwards”.
While going to meet Doggett and Scully, Wells gets shoved into a dominos game and while picking them up gets slashed on his right cheek from a man with the spider web tattoo on his hand. Wells tells Doggett and Scully that he is moving backwards in time and cannot recall the past few days. Doggett is skeptical, but Scully hears him out. Wells says there must be a reason for it and Scully suggests that the answer may already be within him. Studying the evidence of the case, Wells has a flash of the murder that reveals the knife in a hand with a spider web tattoo.
Martin next awakes in Doggett's home. Wells tells Doggett the description of the killer but the man isn’t in lock-up yet because that won’t happen until Wednesday. Doggett and Wells arrive at the apartment and retrieve the nanny cam, but discover that someone disabled the cam and used its remote control, a device no one knew about except Mr. and Mrs. Wells and their nanny, Trina Galvez. At Trina Galvez’s home, Wells and Doggett discover the killer, a man named Cesar Ocumpo, who threatened to kill Galvez's family is she refused him entrance. At the station house, Doggett informs Wells that Ocumpo only wants to talk to him. Ocumpo reveals that his brother, Hector, was sentenced to time in prison for a false conviction. Wells bargains with Cesar Ocumpo, saying that if Cesar confesses to Vicky’s murder, he will take a look at his brother’s case. Cesar tells him that Hector hung himself in a jail cell a few weeks ago. Doggett calls Martin Wells out into the hall and the police arrest Martin because they have a case against him. Evidence against Ocumpo isn’t strong enough yet.
Martin wakes up, having moved back to the day before. He rushes home to try and save his wife, asking Doggett for him. Martin admits to evidence suppression and that Hector Ocumpo’s brother is out for revenge. Wells and his wife hide. Suddenly, they hear someone else at the door. Ocumpo appears and accosts Wells. Vicky Wells comes out of hiding but is thrown through the coffee table. As Ocumpo prepares to slit her throat, he is shot dead by timely arriving Doggett. Wells eventually goes to prison for his evidence suppression, a punishment he feels he deserves.[1]
Production[edit]

 

 Wells' assassination scene was filmed at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles
"Redrum", described as a "Twilight Zone-type thriller" in The Complete X-Files, was developed by Steven Maeda and Daniel Arkin, while the teleplay was written solely by Maeda.[2][3] Maeda purposely picked the title to be the backwards spelling of "murder"; notably, the same plot device was used by novelist—and one-time X-Files writer—Stephen King in his book The Shining.[3][4] Furthermore, Maeda used the spider and its web to symbolize Martin Wells' confusion at being trapped in his situation.[3] Wells was played by noted actor Joe Morton who had previously played a role in the 1991 sci-fi film Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Robert Patrick later noted that "Joe Morton is a fantastic actor. We never worked together in [Terminator 2], but we're in that movie together. And Joe was The Brother from Another Planet."[2]
The scene of Martin Wells' assassination was filmed at the "legendary" Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. This location, which has been the shooting location for over 200 productions, including Forrest Gump and Pretty Woman, is perhaps more infamous as the site of Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy's assassination by Sirhan Sirhan in 1968. Several of the names in the episode were allusions to historical figures or acquaintances of the writer. Most notably, Martin Wells is named after famed 19th century author H.G. Wells, noted for his contributions to science fiction with The Time Machine in 1896 and The War of the Worlds in 1898. Furthermore, the character of Janet Wilson, the lawyer of Wells, was named after Maeda's wife.[3]
Reception[edit]
"Redrum" first aired on Fox on December 10, 2000.[5] The episode earned a Nielsen household rating of 8.1, meaning that it was seen by 8.1% of the nation's estimated households.[6] The episode was viewed by 8.16 million households,[6][nb 1] and 13.2 million viewers.[7] The episode ranked as the 40th most-watched episode for the week ending December 10.[6] The episode subsequently aired in the United Kingdom on the BBC Two on April 14, 2002.[5] Fox promoted the episode with the tagline "How do you stop a murder that's already happened?"[8]
Critical reception to the episode was moderately positive, although several reviewers criticized the episode's monologues. Television Without Pity writer Jessica Morgan rated the episode a "B+".[9] Morgan criticized the episode's narrative, sardonically noting that Martin Wells was a "man who may get a second chance. At life. At truth. At pretentious, overlong monologues."[10] Juliette Harrisson of Den of Geek wrote positively of the episode, calling it "an excellent backwards episode, in which the audience is left satisfied that the horrific event that sparked it off has been prevented, but the guest protagonist has to pay a high price for the happy outcome."[11] However, she was slightly critical that the episode "barely features the regular characters at all".[11] Paula Vitaris from Cinefantastique gave the episode a moderately positive review and awarded it three stars out of four.[12] She called the episode "a double mystery: on one hand Martin's investigation of his wife's murder; and on the other, an investigation into the workings of his own soul."[12] Vitaris, too, was critical of the ending monologue, noting that "the voiceover ruins the mood of the final shot."[12]
Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club awarded the episode a "B+", writing that it was an "example of an episode that starts off strong, only to fumble when it comes to the follow through".[13] He was particularly praiseworthy towards Morton's performance, noting that his presence "more than makes up for" the lack of Doggett and Scully.[13] He concluded that the episode is "a smart that the script makes Wells in some way culpable for what happened, and tries to establish him as a merciless hard-ass" but that the "reveal is never really satisfying."[13] Robert Shearman and Lars Pearson, in their book Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen, gave the episode a moderately positive review and rated it three-and-a-half stars out of five. The two noted that the episode was "constructed with great skill by Steven Maeda and Daniel Arkin."[14] Despite this, Shearman and Pearson noted that "with the series in flux, this is an especially unhelpful time to attempt an episode which so abandons the house style; The X-Files urgently needs to assert what it is, not what it isn't."[14]
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ At the time of airing, the estimated number of households was 100.8 million.[6] Thus, 8.1 percent of 100.8 million is 8.16 million households.
References[edit]
Footnotes
1.^ Jump up to: a b "The X-Files – "Redrum"". TheXFiles.com. Fox Broadcasting Company. 10 December 2000. Archived from the original on 23 February 2002. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
2.^ Jump up to: a b Hurwitz and Knowles, p. 189
3.^ Jump up to: a b c d "The X-Files – "Redrum" – Research". TheXFiles.com. Fox Broadcasting Company. 10 December 2000. Archived from the original on 29 December 2001. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
4.Jump up ^ Miles, Pearson, and Dickson p. 28
5.^ Jump up to: a b Kim Manners, et al (booklet). The X-Files: The Complete Eighth Season (Liner notes). Fox.
6.^ Jump up to: a b c d Associated Press (12 December 2000). "Prime-Time Nielsen Ratings". Associated Press Archives.
7.Jump up ^ Canton, Maj. "The X-Files – Series – Episode List – Season 8". TV Tango. Retrieved February 24, 2013.
8.Jump up ^ Redrum (Promotional Flyer). Los Angeles, California: Fox Broadcasting Company. 2000.
9.Jump up ^ Morgan, Jessica (10 December 2000). "Redrum". Television Without Pity. NBCUniversal. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
10.Jump up ^ Morgan, Jessica (10 December 2000). "The X-Files". Television Without Pity. NBCUniversal. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
11.^ Jump up to: a b Harrison, Juliette (6 September 2011). "A look back over The X-Files’ finest stand-alone episodes". Den of Geek. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
12.^ Jump up to: a b c Vitaris, Paula (April 2002). "The X-Files Season Eight Episode Guide". Cinefantastique 34 (2): 42–49.
13.^ Jump up to: a b c Handlen, Zack (October 19, 2013). "'Invocation'/'Redrum' | The X-Files/Millennium | TV Club". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved October 19, 2013.
14.^ Jump up to: a b Shearman and Pearson, p. 233–234
BibliographyHurwitz, Matt; Knowles, Chris (2008). The Complete X-Files. Insight Editions. ISBN 1933784806.
Miles, Lawrence; Lars Pearson; Christia Dickson (2003). Dusted. Mad Norwegian Press. ISBN 0972595902.
Shearman, Robert; Pearson, Lars (2009). Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen. Mad Norwegian Press. ISBN 097594469X.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: TXF Season 8
"Redrum" at the Internet Movie Database
"Redrum" at TV.com

[hide]
­v·
 ­t·
 ­e
 
The X-Files episodes

 
­Seasons: 1·
 ­2·
 ­3·
 ­4·
 ­5·
 ­6·
 ­7·
 ­8·
 ­9
 
 
Season 8
­"Within"·
 ­"Without"·
 ­"Patience"·
 ­"Roadrunners"·
 ­"Invocation"·
 ­"Redrum"·
 ­"Via Negativa"·
 ­"Surekill"·
 ­"Salvage"·
 ­"Badlaa"·
 ­"The Gift"·
 ­"Medusa"·
 ­"Per Manum"·
 ­"This Is Not Happening"·
 ­"Deadalive"·
 ­"Three Words"·
 ­"Empedocles"·
 ­"Vienen"·
 ­"Alone"·
 ­"Essence"·
 ­"Existence"
 

 

Categories: 2000 television episodes
The X-Files (season 8) episodes



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Via Negativa (The X-Files)

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"Via Negativa"
The X-Files episode
Via Negativa TXF.jpg
Doggett tries to kill Scully in a dream. The "eerie" atmosphere was praised by critics, with one referring to it as a "superb X-Files episode."
 
Episode no.
Season 8
 Episode 7
Directed by
Tony Wharmby
Written by
Frank Spotnitz
Production code
8ABX07
Original air date
December 17, 2000
Running time
44 minutes
Guest actors

Mitch Pileggi as Walter Skinner
James Pickens, Jr. as Alvin Kersh
Tom Braidwood as Melvin Frohike
Dean Haglund as Richard Langly
Bruce Harwood as John Fitzgerald Byers
Wayne Alexander as G. Arnold
Kirk B. R. Woller as Gene Crane
Arlene Pileggi as Skinner's Assistant
Keith Szarabajka as Anthony Tipet
Grant Heslov as Dr. Andre Bormanis
Christopher Jacobs as ER Doctor
Wayne A. King as Homeless Man
Lawrence LeJohn as Angus Stedman
Kevin McClatchy as James Leeds
Mary Ostrow as McCaslin[1]
 
Episode chronology

← Previous
 "Redrum" Next →
 "Surekill"

List of The X-Files episodes
"Via Negativa" is the seventh episode of the eighth season and the 168th episode overall of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States and Canada on December 17, 2000 on Fox and subsequently aired in the United Kingdom. It was written by executive producer Frank Spotnitz and directed by Tony Wharmby. It is a Monster-of-the-Week episode, unconnected to the series' wider mythology.
The series centers on FBI special agents Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and her new partner John Doggett (Robert Patrick)—following the alien abduction of her former partner, Fox Mulder (David Duchovny)—who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. In this episode, Scully takes time off to deal with the early stages of her pregnancy, and Doggett and Walter Skinner attempt to avert the mysterious murder spree of a religious cult leader who kills his victims in their sleep. Eventually, the cult leader's essence of evil possesses Doggett, who is urged to murder Scully while he sleeps.
Spotnitz was inspired to write the episode after being intrigued by the mental image of a tube of toothpaste that, when opened, oozed blood. Because Gillian Anderson was not available for the majority of filming, the recurring characters of Walter Skinner and The Lone Gunmen were brought in. The episode's title, "Via Negativa"—which means "Negative Way" in Latin—is a theology that attempts to describe God by characterizing what God is not. The episode earned a Nielsen household rating of 7.3 and was viewed by 12.37 million viewers. The episode was generally well received by television critics, with many positively commenting on the "eerie" atmosphere of the dream sequences; one critic referred to it as a "superb X-Files episode."

Contents
  [hide] 1 Plot
2 Production
3 Reception
4 Notes
5 References
6 External links
Plot[edit]
Two FBI agents, Angus Stedman (Lawrence LeJohn) and James Leeds (Kevin McClatchy), are observing a house when Leeds falls asleep. When he awakes, he discovers that the front door of the house is open. The two agents investigate and stumble upon a room filled with dead bodies. Suddenly, a man wielding an axe and possessing a third eye murders both agents with a blow to the head.
The following day, Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) calls John Doggett (Robert Patrick) to inform him about the case and says she will not be joining him, due to personal matters. Doggett visits the crime scene, where he meets up with his boss, Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi). Skinner tells him about the cult and how the victims died. Leeds' body is found in his car, but his partner, Stedman, is missing, along with cult leader Anthony Tipet (Keith Szarabajka): the man with the third eye. The FBI later finds Stedman at his locked-up condo with a fatal blow to the head. Meanwhile, Tipet is searching for a pharmacist and stumbles into a phone booth to call an unnamed person. When a tramp asks him for change, Tipet attacks the tramp, trapping him in the pavement and axing his forehead.
At the FBI, Skinner briefs Alvin Kersh (James Pickens, Jr.), G. Arnold (Wayne Alexander) and other agents about the case. He tells them that Tipet used a hallucinogen Tabernanthe iboga to bring himself closer to God using a combination of Christian and Eastern religious practices called the via negativa, meaning the "negative way" in Latin. Tracing Tipet's earlier call leads Doggett and Skinner to Andre Bormanis (Grant Heslov), a drug dealer. Bormanis is arrested, and put in a cell at the local police department. At the jail, Doggett has a vision of him holding Scully's severed head in his hands. After waking, Doggett realizes his vision was a bad dream. Meanwhile, in his cell, Bormanis has fallen asleep, and is dreaming of being attacked by rats. Doggett and the other officers find Bormanis' gnawed up-body.
Doggett returns to the X-Files office, where, to his surprise, he meets The Lone Gunmen. They tell him about the history of the third eye. While coming to the same conclusion, they are convinced that Tipet is projecting himself into peoples dreams and killing them there. Returning to the warehouse where they found Bormanis, Skinner and Doggett meet Tipet, who is trying to take his own life by pushing his head through a table saw. They rush him to the hospital, where Doggett by surprise finds Scully's name on the register. With Tipet in a coma, Kersh decides to pull the plug on the case, saying they've found the main suspect. But Doggett and Skinner are not satisfied, saying there are no explanations for the various murders and events surrounding the case.
The next day, Doggett wakes up and discovers that he now has a third eye in the middle of his forehead. Suddenly, it vanishes. At the FBI building, he talks to Skinner, hoping for reassurance. He expresses his fear that, despite Tipet being in a coma, Tipet may still be able to enter into his dreams. Skinner, however, dismisses his concerns and sends him home. While leaving, Doggett has a hallucination of Tipet, ordering him to kill Scully. Suddenly, Doggett finds himself in front of Scully. Rather than kill his partner, he turns the axe upon himself. Doggett is immediately awakened from his dark reverie and finds himself in his bedroom, with Scully standing over his bed. He begins to thank her for saving his life, but she informs him that Tipet died due to his coma.[2]
Production[edit]
Frank Spotnitz, the writer of the episode, was inspired to write the episode after a rafting trip. During the trip, Spotnitz met a "friend of a friend," who constantly mentioned an "image that freaked him out."[3] The man explained that the image was a tube of toothpaste that, when opened, would have "blood come out."[3] The mental image intrigued Spotnitz, who later postulated, "How could you create a story where blood comes out of a tube of toothpaste?"[3] Due to the strangeness of the idea, Spotnitz was unable to think of any real-world scenarios having likeness to the image, so he began to look into "dreams and nightmares."[3] He eventually came up with the idea of a cult trying to reach a higher plane of existence, but instead stumbling into a "lower place, a darker plane."[3] Spotnitz later explained: "What if the higher plane is a darker plane, what if we think we're reaching up but we're reaching down."[3] Complimentarily, the episode's title, "Via Negativa," means "Negative Way" in Latin.[4] This type of theology, more commonly referred to as apophatic theology, attempts to describe God by expanding upon what God is not.[5]


That was the one where Doggett's mind was possessed by the leader of a religious group that was invading people's psyches [...]. He started to get into my head. That was a great experience as an actor. It was challenging and a lot of fun. So far as specific character moments, I think he gained Scully's trust and respect. He came through in the sense that he found Mulder.
“
”
Robert Patrick, talking about his character in this episode.[6]
Gillian Anderson's character Dana Scully would not be available, since the writing staff had decided before the episode was written that she would spend most of her time in the hospital. As the writing staff had a hard time coming up with a story, Spotnitz saw this as an opportunity to further evolve Doggett, the new character introduced at the beginning of the eighth season. In order to fill Anderson's void, two recurring groups of characters were brought in: Walter Skinner and The Lone Gunmen.[3][7] Spotnitz noted that, "we were eager to get Skinner out from behind the desk, and we were always looking for opportunities to get him out of that office and get him into the field."[7] Mitch Pileggi, who portrayed Walter Skinner, was pleased with the final product. He later complimented the work of Robert Patrick, who played Doggett, saying, "It was a big hole when Mulder was gone, but I though that Robert came in and did a wonderful job. He brought a really good energy to the set, and it was a lot of fun getting to know and work with him."[7] In addition, Spotnitz was also eager to use The Lone Gunmen in the episode, since this the episode would mark their first scene together with Doggett.[3] Robert Patrick called the episode his "favorite episode," because the writers saw a chance to really create a "vulnerable" moment for the his character, John Doggett.[3]
The character of Andre Bormanis was named after one of Spotnitz's childhood friends, who went on to become one of the science consultants for both Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.[5] In preparing the character's death scene the director, Tony Wharmby spent a whole day shooting inserts of rats. In total, the film crew used 500 rats. Initially, Wharmby had an issue getting the rats in the middle of the room being shot. In order to fix this, animal trainers continuously released more rats until the middle part of the room was finally covered. The crew later spent many hours "painting out rat droppings in that shot."[3]
Reception[edit]
"Via Negativa" premiered on December 17, 2000 on American television on Fox.[8][9] The episode earned a Nielsen household rating of 7.3, meaning that it was seen by 7.3% of the nation's estimated households.[10] The episode was watched by 7.36 million households[10][nb 1] and 12.37 million viewers.[11] Fox promoted the episode with the tagline "They say if you die in a dream... you will never wake up."[12]
"Via Negativa" received largely positive reviews from critics. A review by John Keegan from Critical Myth gave the episode 9 out of 10, saying it was "not perfect, but pretty close".[13] Keegan noted that some fans criticised the character of Doggett, because he mistakenly refers to Walter Skinner's rank as "Agent" and not "Assistant Director".[13] George Avaros and Michael Liedtke from the Contra Costa Times were overall positive towards the episode, saying it had all the features which created a "superb X-Files episode".[14] They further stated that it had an "eerie, almost surreal quality sprinkled with pithy dialogue, comic relief and cryptic insights into key characters that left us wondering what sort of trouble might be around the bend".[14] Avaros and Liedtke also reacted positively to the numerous references to Fox Mulder.[14] Finally, the episode was compared to the work of David Lynch in his series, Twin Peaks.[14] 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 five stars out of five and called it "one of the best standalone X-Files in years."[15] Paula Vitaris from Cinefantastique gave the episode a moderately positive review and awarded it two-and-a-half stars out of four.[16] She noted that, "'Via Negativa' is short on plot but makes up for it by being long on atmosphere and mood, conjuring up a number of disgusting, eerie images".[16]
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ At the time of airing, the estimated number of households was 100.8 million.[10] Thus, 7.3 percent of 100.8 million is 7.36 million households.
References[edit]
Footnotes
1.Jump up ^ "The X-Files - "Via Negativa"". TheXFiles.com. Fox Broadcasting Company. February 2002. Archived from the original on 2 February 2002. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
2.Jump up ^ "Via Negativa". BBC Cult. BBC. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
3.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j Spotnitz, Frank, Rabwin, Paul and Patrick, Robert (2002). The Truth Behind Season 8: "Via Negativa" (DVD). The X-Files: The Complete Eighth Season: Fox Home Entertainment.
4.Jump up ^ Bowker, John. "Via negativa". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
5.^ Jump up to: a b "The X-Files - "Via Negativa" - Research". TheXFiles.com. Fox Broadcasting Company. February 2002. Archived from the original on 2 February 2002. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
6.Jump up ^ Spelling, Ian. (February 2002) "Doggett's Pursuit". The X-Files Magazine. Retrieved on 1 October 2009.
7.^ Jump up to: a b c Hurwitz and Knowles, p. 189
8.Jump up ^ Hurwitz and Knowles, p. 239
9.Jump up ^ Kim Manners, et al (booklet). The X-Files: The Complete Eighth Season (Liner notes). Fox.
10.^ Jump up to: a b c "TV Ratings". Press-Telegram (MediaNews Group): A20. December 2000.
11.Jump up ^ Kissell, Rick (20 December 2000). "'Sound' is music to NBC's ears". Variety (Penske Business Media). Retrieved 29 November 2012. (subscription required)
12.Jump up ^ Via Negativa (Promotional Flyer). Los Angeles, California: Fox Broadcasting Company. 2000.
13.^ Jump up to: a b Keegan, John. "Via Negativa". Critical Myth. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
14.^ Jump up to: a b c d George Avaros and Michael Liedtke (21 December 2001). "X-Cursions: 'Viva Negativa' a positive return to form.". Contra Costa Times (MediaNews Group). Retrieved 17 October 2009.
15.Jump up ^ Shearman and Pearson, p. 234–235
16.^ Jump up to: a b Vitaris, Paula (April 2002). "The X-Files Season Eight Episode Guide". Cinefantastique 34 (2): 42–49.
BibliographyHurwitz, Matt; Knowles, Chris (2008). The Complete X-Files. Insight Editions. ISBN 1-933784-80-6.
Shearman, Robert; Pearson, Lars (2009). Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen. Mad Norwegian Press. ISBN 0-9759446-9-X.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: TXF "Via Negativa"
"Via Negativa" at the Internet Movie Database
"Via Negativa" at TV.com

[hide]
­v·
 ­t·
 ­e
 
The X-Files episodes

 
­Seasons: 1·
 ­2·
 ­3·
 ­4·
 ­5·
 ­6·
 ­7·
 ­8·
 ­9
 
 
Season 8
­"Within"·
 ­"Without"·
 ­"Patience"·
 ­"Roadrunners"·
 ­"Invocation"·
 ­"Redrum"·
 ­"Via Negativa"·
 ­"Surekill"·
 ­"Salvage"·
 ­"Badlaa"·
 ­"The Gift"·
 ­"Medusa"·
 ­"Per Manum"·
 ­"This Is Not Happening"·
 ­"Deadalive"·
 ­"Three Words"·
 ­"Empedocles"·
 ­"Vienen"·
 ­"Alone"·
 ­"Essence"·
 ­"Existence"
 

 

Categories: The X-Files (season 8) episodes
2000 television episodes



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Surekill

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
Jump to: navigation, search

For the highway nicknamed Surekill Expressway, see Schuylkill Expressway.

"Surekill"
The X-Files episode
Episode no.
Season 8
 Episode 8
Directed by
Terrence O'Hara
Written by
Greg Walker
Production code
8ABX09
Original air date
January 7, 2001
Running time
44 minutes
Guest actors

Greg Boniface as Second Gangbanger
Michael Bowen as Dwight Cooper
James Franco as Second Officer
Noel Guglielmi as First Gangbanger
Tom Jourden as Carlton Chase
Patrick Kilpatrick as Randall Cooper
Joe Sabatina as Al Triguero
Ty Upshaw as First Officer
Kelly Waymire as Tammi Peyton[1]
 
Episode chronology

← Previous
 "Via Negativa" Next →
 "Salvage"

List of The X-Files episodes
"Surekill" is the eighth episode of the eighth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on January 7, 2001. The episode was written by Greg Walker and directed by Terrence O'Hara. "Surekill" is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, unconnected to the series' wider mythology. The episode received a Nielsen rating of 8.0 and was viewed by 13.3 million viewers. Overall, the episode received largely negative reviews from critics.
The series centers on FBI special agents Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and her new partner John Doggett (Robert Patrick)—following the alien abduction of her former partner, Fox Mulder (David Duchovny)—who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. In this episode, the fatal shooting of a realtor, while alone in a cinderblock jail cell, has Doggett struggling to find out who committed the murder and how the crime was committed. Scully and Doggett, however, soon learn that there is more to this case than meets the eye.
Due to the presence of his "biker buddy" Michael Bowen, series co-star Robert Patrick was noticeably more energized than usual to film the episode, according to Gillian Anderson. In addition, scenes at "AAA-1 Surekill Exterminators", the business run by Randall and Dwight, were filmed at an actual business front located on Palmetto Street in Los Angeles.

Contents
  [hide] 1 Plot
2 Production
3 Reception
4 Notes
5 References
6 External links
Plot[edit]
Carlton Chase runs from an unknown assailant, makes a brief phone call, and then runs to a police station. After a skirmish with the guards, he is placed in a large room with cinder blocks for walls and a solid steel door. He screams at the officer that he still is not safe. Suddenly, and mysteriously, he is shot from inside the room. Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and John Doggett (Robert Patrick) are informed that Chase was killed with a an armor-piercing round, which appears to have entered the room through the air vent in the ceiling. Upon further investigation, the agents discover that the assassin shot through the roof, ceiling, duct work, and into the victim.
Tammi Peyton enters AAA-1 Surekill Exterminators and plays her message machine that contains the victim's phone call from the previous night. She attempts to get into her right desk drawer, when Dwight walks in, and begins harassing her about a message on the machine. She mentions the murder to Dwight, and he responds by asking her to try and get Randall on the phone. Dwight then confronts Randall in the alley; Dwight tells him that he doesn't mind what he does, as long as he asks first. Later, Scully and Doggett investigate the Chase residence and find a bullet casing on the floor. Doggett notes that it would be difficult to miss a target in a confined space, but Scully notes it would have if the gunman was shooting from outside. Eventually, Scully proposes that the killer can perceive wave lengths of light not visible with an ordinary human eye, allowing him to virtually see through walls.
Scully and Doggett arrive at Surekill and inquire as to the company's client, Carlton Chase. Doggett asks if Dwight did time and he responds that he did. Doggett asks why Chase would have called Surekill just before his death. After the agents leave, Dwight confronts Tammi about the message, and she lies. Meanwhile, Randall watches Tammi through a wall. Tammi returns to Surekill early the next morning and rushes in to get the deposit book showing she has taken from the Surekill account out of her desk, but is caught by Dwight and Randall. Dwight is interrupted by the FBI, who have a search warrant. Doggett opens the box Tammi was trying to dispose of, which contains nothing, much to her surprise. Dwight claims he runs a clean business, but Scully pulls out several folders containing invoices for Chase.
Doggett interrogates Dwight, and Scully interrogates Randall. Randall repeats Dwight's words as he reads his lips through a wall. Randall replies that he and Dwight are just exterminators. Later, Tammi returns home and meets up with Randall and the two go to the bus station. It becomes clear that they intend to run away together, but that Tammi must go get her stash of money. Meanwhile, Doggett find phone records that show that Tammi and Chase had back and forth phone calls, late at night. Doggett and Scully search Tammi's apartment, and Doggett redials Tammi's phone, getting the bus station.
Tammi returns from the bank and gets back in her car. Dwight surprises her from the back seat and puts a gun to her head, and tells her to drive. Dwight comes to the conclusion that Randall killed Chase because he and Tammi were together. Dwight hands Randall a gun and tells him to shoot Tammi. Tammi tries to talk Randall out of it but Randall shoots through the wall next to her and kills Dwight. Randall is eventually arrested, but Tammi successfully manages to run away.[1]
Production[edit]

 

 Robert Patrick was notably energized to work on "Surekill".
"Surekill" was written by executive story editor Greg Walker, and marked his second script contribution to the series, after season seven's "Brand X". "Surekill" was the first and only episode of The X-Files to be directed by Terrence O'Hara.[2] Although the episode was the eighth aired in the season, it was actually the ninth one filmed, as evidenced by its production number: 8ABX09.[1][3] Scenes at "AAA-1 Surekill Exterminators", the business ran by Randall and Dwight, were filmed at an actual business front located on Palmetto Street in Los Angeles.[4]
"Surekill" guest starred Michael Bowen, a "biker buddy" of series co-star Robert Patrick.[5] Because of this, Patrick was noticeably more energetic on the set of the episode. Co-star Gillian Anderson recounted, "Robert was like an Energizer Bunny. He was just wound and wouldn't unwind until the day was done, no matter how long the day went. So that picked up the energy of the series, in a sense."[5] The episode also guest-starred a pre-fame James Franco.[1] Franco would later go on to gain recognition for a role in the short-lived cult hit television program Freaks and Geeks.[6]
Reception[edit]
"Surekill" first aired on Fox on January 7, 2000.[3] The episode earned a Nielsen household rating of 8.0, meaning that it was seen by 8.0% of the nation's estimated households.[7] The episode was viewed by 8.18 million households,[7][nb 1] and 13.3 million viewers.[8] The episode ranked as the 36th most-watched episode for the week ending December 3.[7] The episode subsequently aired in the United Kingdom on the BBC Two on April 28, 2002.[3] Fox promoted the episode with the tagline "Ever feel like someone's watching you?"[9]
The episode received largely negative reviews from critics. Television Without Pity writer Jessica Morgan rated the episode a B–,[10] called the premise "bor-ring [sic]",[11] and noted that the episode's antagonist "don't do a whole hell of a lot".[10] 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 one star out of five. The two derided the episode for being overly "dull", noting "you watch with open mouth amazement that writer Greg Walker can spin this premise out for forty-five minutes."[12] John Keegan from Critical Myth gave the episode 3 out of 10 and called the episode "pathetic".[13] He wrote, "This episode was perhaps the perfect example of what went wrong so often during the past few years on this series. […] There was nothing so striking about this case, on the surface, that would have made it an X-File. Nor did it involve federal or interstate crime, nor did it personally impact on one of the agents involved. In other words, this had no business being an episode of The X-Files."[13] Paula Vitaris from Cinefantastique gave the episode a negative review and awarded it one-and-a-half stars out of four.[14] Vitaris noted that the episode "takes itself far too seriously", which resulted in "lifeless guest characters".[14]
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ At the time of airing, the estimated number of households was 102.2 million.[7] Thus, 8.0 percent of 100.8 million is 8.18 million households.
References[edit]
Footnotes
1.^ Jump up to: a b c d "The X-Files – "Surekill"". TheXFiles.com. Fox Broadcasting Company. 7 January 2001. Archived from the original on 18 December 2001. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
2.Jump up ^ Hurwitz and Knowles, pp. 236–240
3.^ Jump up to: a b c Kim Manners, et al (booklet). The X-Files: The Complete Eighth Season (Liner notes). Fox.
4.Jump up ^ Fraga, p. 197
5.^ Jump up to: a b Hurwitz and Knowles, p. 189
6.Jump up ^ Guider, Elizabeth (14 October 2010). "IFC picks up two Judd Apatow series". The Hollywood Reporter (Lynne Segall).
7.^ Jump up to: a b c d Associated Press (9 January 2001). "Prime-Time Nielsen Ratings". Associated Press Archive.
8.Jump up ^ Canton, Maj. "The X-Files – Series – Episode List – Season 8". TV Tango. Retrieved February 24, 2013.
9.Jump up ^ Surekill (Promotional Flyer). Los Angeles, California: Fox Broadcasting Company. 2001.
10.^ Jump up to: a b Morgan, Jessica (7 January 2001). "Surekill". Television Without Pity. NBCUniversal. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
11.Jump up ^ Morgan, Jessica (7 January 2001). "X-Files TV Show – X-Files Recaps, X-Files Reviews, X-Files Episodes". Television Without Pity. NBCUniversal. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
12.Jump up ^ Shearman and Pearson, p. 235
13.^ Jump up to: a b Keegan, John. "Surekill". Critical Myth. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
14.^ Jump up to: a b Vitaris, Paula (April 2002). "The X-Files Season Eight Episode Guide". Cinefantastique 34 (2): 42–49.
BibliographyFraga, Erica (2010). LAX-Files: Behind the Scenes with the Los Angeles Cast and Crew. CreateSpace. ISBN 9781451503418.
Hurwitz, Matt; Knowles, Chris (2008). The Complete X-Files. Insight Editions. ISBN 1933784806.
Shearman, Robert; Pearson, Lars (2009). Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen. Mad Norwegian Press. ISBN 097594469X.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: TXF Season 8
"Surekill" at the Internet Movie Database
"Surekill" at TV.com

[hide]
­v·
 ­t·
 ­e
 
The X-Files episodes

 
­Seasons: 1·
 ­2·
 ­3·
 ­4·
 ­5·
 ­6·
 ­7·
 ­8·
 ­9
 
 
Season 8
­"Within"·
 ­"Without"·
 ­"Patience"·
 ­"Roadrunners"·
 ­"Invocation"·
 ­"Redrum"·
 ­"Via Negativa"·
 ­"Surekill"·
 ­"Salvage"·
 ­"Badlaa"·
 ­"The Gift"·
 ­"Medusa"·
 ­"Per Manum"·
 ­"This Is Not Happening"·
 ­"Deadalive"·
 ­"Three Words"·
 ­"Empedocles"·
 ­"Vienen"·
 ­"Alone"·
 ­"Essence"·
 ­"Existence"
 
 
This is a good article. Click here for more information.
 

Categories: 2000 television episodes
The X-Files (season 8) episodes



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Salvage (The X-Files)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
Jump to: navigation, search

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"Salvage"
The X-Files episode
A man stops a car with his body in the middle of the night.
Ray Pearce stops a car with this body. In order to create this effect, shots of actor Jack Forbes had to be shot on a green screen and intercut with shots of a crashing car.
 
Episode no.
Season 8
 Episode 9
Directed by
Rod Hardy
Written by
Jeffrey Bell
Production code
8ABX10
Original air date
January 14, 2001
Running time
44 minutes
Guest actors

Tamara Clatterbuck as Larina Jackson
Dan Desmond as Harry Odell
Jack Forbes as Ray Pearce
Arye Gross as Dr. Pugovel
Scott MacDonald as Curtis Delario
Kenneth Meseroll as Owen Harris
Reece Morgan as Owen Harris' Son
Jennifer Parsons as Nora Pearce
Colleen Quinn as Mrs. Harris
Randy Walker as SWAT Officer
Wade Andrew Williams as Raymond Aloysius Pearce[1]
 
Episode chronology

← Previous
 "Surekill" Next →
 "Badlaa"

List of The X-Files episodes
"Salvage" is the ninth episode of the eighth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on January 14, 2001. The episode was written by Jeffrey Bell and directed by Rod Hardy. "Salvage" is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, unconnected to the series' wider mythology. The episode received a Nielsen rating of 7.1 and was viewed by 11.7 million viewers. Overall, the episode received largely negative reviews from critics.
The series centers on FBI special agents Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and her new partner John Doggett (Robert Patrick)—following the alien abduction of her former partner, Fox Mulder (David Duchovny)—who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. In this episode, Doggett and Scully encounter a dead man who is still living—only somewhat changed. What they discover is a man made of metal, enacting vengeance on those he believes created him.
"Salvage" was loosely based on Tetsuo: The Iron Man, a 1989 Japanese cyberpunk film by cult-film director Shinya Tsukamoto. Written by Jeffrey Bell before Robert Patrick was cast as agent Doggett, the film coincidentally echoes the plot of the 1991 film Terminator 2: Judgment Day, which Patrick starred in. Indeed, the episode contains an explicit reference to Patrick's role, written in homage. The episode contained several elaborate special effects sequences, most notably in the teaser, wherein a man stops a car with his body.

Contents
  [hide] 1 Plot
2 Production 2.1 Writing
2.2 Effects
3 Reception
4 Notes
5 References
6 External links
Plot[edit]
Nora Pearce and Curtis Delario argue about the death of her husband, Ray. Nora believes Ray died from Gulf War syndrome. After attempting to comfort her, Delario starts to drive home and crashes into a man in the middle of the road. His car is totaled, but the man is unharmed as the car breaks around his body. Curtis, grievously injured, looks up at the man and says, “Ray?” The man’s arm slams through the windshield as Curtis screams.
Agents Scully and Doggett investigate the crash. Scully suggests a man stopped the car but Doggett points out how it would have required a dense block of steel to stop the car. Nora Pearce appears and asks what happened to Curtis Delario. Soon afterwards, Scully finds Delario’s body left in a garbage can nearby; his face has gaping holes in it. Autopsying the remains, Scully concludes that the five holes in the man’s face were made by human fingers, as someone reached into Delario’s head and pulled him out of the wrecked vehicle. Doggett finds a fresh fingerprint with the blood of Ray. Agent Doggett goes to see Nora Pearce and finds Harry Odell, who employed Ray Pearce at his salvage yard. Doggett asks about Ray, but Nora insists she saw Ray die; both do not believe Ray could be involved in Curtis’s death.
Later, Ray Pearce eats at a halfway house as volunteer Larina Jackson bothers him. She tries to reach out to help him but he is completely uninterested in talking with her. Meanwhile, at the salvage yard, Odell is shredding documents when Ray appears. Harry feigns friendliness while he gets the shotgun out of his desk drawer. He blasts Ray through a sliding glass door. Ray’s detached arm begins to rebuild itself with metal. Harry is transfixed by this sight as Ray kills him. The next morning, Doggett checks out the new murder scene and finds an interesting shredded document. Doggett goes to Chamber Technologies and learns about "smart metals"—metals that rebuild their original forms but are still a metallurgist’s pipe dream at the moment. On the phone, Doggett mentions the "smart metals" and Scully tells Doggett about how Ray Pearce’s medical records show his whole cellular structure was changing due to exposure to an unknown substance. Meanwhile, Larina sees Ray’s obituary in the paper and is watching the television news story about the murder at the salvage yard. She decides to call Ray’s widow.
Doggett and Scully discuss Ray Pearce with Doggett. Scully wonders: if Pearce has become a "metal man," how can he be stopped? Pearce arrives at Chamber Technologies. Dr. Pugovel, one of the scientists working there, lures him into a containment chamber and then Doggett, Scully, and SWAT team members surround it. He eventually tears his way out of the back of the chamber. Nora waits for Ray in the halfway house. Ray explains that he didn’t come home because he isn’t himself anymore. Ray turns angrily to her and says, "They have to pay for this. They all have to pay."
Doggett, searching in the salvage yard, finds a Chamber Technologies drum, inside of which is a metal corpse. When Scully and Doggett confront Pugovel about it, he admits it was Dr. Clifton, a doctor who mysteriously disappeared. He requests that he be put in the barrel in order to not ruin the company or slow the research. Doggett and Scully realize that Ray was exposed to the barrel, and thus was transformed into a metal human. At the same time, Doggett notices Nora Pearce at the lab, looking through files for the person responsible. Later, the halfway house is raided by the FBI to find Pearce. Larina finds Ray and he puts one hand over her mouth to muffle, but he kills her by accident.
When Nora arrives home, Ray shows up demanding the name of the person responsible. She tells him that the man responsible is Owen Harris. Ray finds Harris, along with his family, and nearly kills him. However, he realizes that Harris was an accountant who accidentally sent the barrel to the salvage yard. Seeing that he was ultimately innocent, Ray spares him and goes off to die. Scully believes that this act represented the last of Ray’s humanity.[2]
Production[edit]

 

 The episode was loosely inspired by the movie Tetsuo: The Iron Man, created by cult-film director Shinya Tsukamoto
Writing[edit]
"Salvage" was written by X-Files staff writer Jeffrey Bell and was loosely based on Tetsuo: The Iron Man, a 1989 Japanese cyberpunk film by cult-film director Shinya Tsukamoto.[3] The idea to write an episode about a man whose body is made completely out of "dense metal alloys" was developed by Bell before actor Robert Patrick was cast in the show.[3] Robert Patrick had previously played the role of a liquid-metal T-1000 android assassin the in 1991 film Terminator 2: Judgment Day. In fact, Patrick had been cast as Agent Doggett by the executives in a hope that his role in the movie would appeal to the 18–34 male demographic, upon which advertising prices are based. Fox had anticipated a 10 percent increase in viewership with the addition of Patrick.[4] Indeed, the episode contains an explicit reference to Patrick's role, written in homage: after hearing Scully's theory, Doggett replies, "What’re you saying? Ray Pearce has become some kind of metal man? ‘Cause that only happens in the movies, Agent Scully."[3]
With the filming and airing of "Salvage", Robert Patrick began to feel "comfortable in his new role".[5] He later recalled that "we started seeing our [ratings] numbers. Our numbers were good, and everyone was happy."[5] Several of the characters and locations were named or based after real individuals and places. The three scientists: Chamber, Clifton, and Puvogal, were named after friends of Bell's, who were engineers. Much of the action was based in Muncie, Indiana. Bell picked this location because it was the hometown of his grandparents.[3]
Effects[edit]
In the episode, Ray Pearce, the metal man, was required to stop a car by himself. In order to create this effect, Jack Forbes, the actor who played the metal man, was filmed against a green screen. To create the illusion of being hit by a car, the lighting was dropped and a gust of wind from fans occurred at the moment of the supposed impact. The scene was shot at different speeds and a matte was cut and various effects, like shattering glass and smoke, were overlaid onto the top of the cut footage. A separate scene, featuring a car hitting a green post was then filmed. The two separate images were then composited together. Producer Paul Rabwin later described the scene as "effective".[6]
Reception[edit]
"Salvage" first aired on Fox on January 14, 2001.[7] The episode earned a Nielsen household rating of 7.1, meaning that it was seen by 7.1% of the nation's estimated households.[8] The episode was viewed by 7.26 million households,[8][nb 1] and 11.7 million viewers.[9] It ranked as the 54th most-watched episode for the week ending January 14.[8] Subsequently, it debuted in the United Kingdom on the BBC Two on May 5, 2002.[7]
Critical reception to the episode was largely negative. Television Without Pity writer Jessica Morgan rated the episode a F and criticized the episode's plot and, most notably, its ending.[10] 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 one star out of five. The two noted that the episode diluted the characters of Doggett and Scully in a "mechanical plot", writing "'Salvage' would never have made a great episode, but if it had only bothered to give a little more depth to Doggett and Scully, it might still have been an entertaining one."[11] John Keegan from Critical Myth gave the episode a largely negative review and awarded it a 4 out of 10. He wrote negatively of the ending, stating "I hate that ending. We watch the whole damned episode, and then the ending just sort of happens off screen, leaving the audience without a payoff."[12] Paula Vitaris from Cinefantastique gave the episode a negative review and awarded it one-and-a-half stars out of four.[13] Vitaris referred to the episode as an "assembly line monster-of-the-week episode" and criticized it for failing to make the audience truly empathetic to Ray Pearce's plight.[13] However, Vitaris did praise the make-up in the episode, noting that "that makeup is [Wade Andrew] William's performance […] he is an astonishing sight."[13]
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ At the time of airing, the estimated number of households was 102.2 million.[8] Thus, 7.1 percent of 102.2 million is 7.26 million households.
References[edit]
Footnotes
1.Jump up ^ "The X-Files - "Salvage"". TheXFiles.com. Fox Broadcasting Company. February 2002. Archived from the original on 2 February 2002. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
2.Jump up ^ "Salvage". BBC Cult. BBC. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
3.^ Jump up to: a b c d "The X-Files - "Salvage" - Research". TheXFiles.com. Fox Broadcasting Company. February 2002. Archived from the original on 18 December 2001. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
4.Jump up ^ Kessenich, p. 144
5.^ Jump up to: a b Hurwitz and Knowles, p. 189
6.Jump up ^ Paul Rabwin (2001). Special Effects with Paul Rabwin: Metalman Crash (DVD). The X-Files: The Complete Eighth Season: Fox Home Entertainment.
7.^ Jump up to: a b Kim Manners, et al (booklet). The X-Files: The Complete Eighth Season (Liner notes). Fox.
8.^ Jump up to: a b c d Associated Press (17 January 2001). "Prime-time Nielsen ratings". Associated Press Archives.
9.Jump up ^ Canton, Maj. "The X-Files – Series – Episode List – Season 8". TV Tango. Retrieved February 24, 2013.
10.Jump up ^ Morgan, Jessica (14 January 2001). "Salvage". Television Without Pity. NBCUniversal. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
11.Jump up ^ Shearman and Pearson, p. 236
12.Jump up ^ Keegan, John. "Salvage". Critical Myth. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
13.^ Jump up to: a b c Vitaris, Paula (April 2002). "The X-Files Season Eight Episode Guide". Cinefantastique 34 (2): 42–49.
BibliographyHurwitz, Matt; Knowles, Chris (2008). The Complete X-Files. Insight Editions. ISBN 1933784806.
Kessenich, Tom (2002). Examination: An Unauthorized Look at Seasons 6–9 of the X-Files. Trafford Publishing. ISBN 1553698126.
Shearman, Robert; Pearson, Lars (2009). Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen. Mad Norwegian Press. ISBN 097594469X.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: TXF Season 8
"Salvage" at the Internet Movie Database
"Salvage" at TV.com

[hide]
­v·
 ­t·
 ­e
 
The X-Files episodes

 
­Seasons: 1·
 ­2·
 ­3·
 ­4·
 ­5·
 ­6·
 ­7·
 ­8·
 ­9
 
 
Season 8
­"Within"·
 ­"Without"·
 ­"Patience"·
 ­"Roadrunners"·
 ­"Invocation"·
 ­"Redrum"·
 ­"Via Negativa"·
 ­"Surekill"·
 ­"Salvage"·
 ­"Badlaa"·
 ­"The Gift"·
 ­"Medusa"·
 ­"Per Manum"·
 ­"This Is Not Happening"·
 ­"Deadalive"·
 ­"Three Words"·
 ­"Empedocles"·
 ­"Vienen"·
 ­"Alone"·
 ­"Essence"·
 ­"Existence"
 

 

Categories: 2001 television episodes
The X-Files (season 8) episodes



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Badlaa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
Jump to: navigation, search

This is a good article. Click here for more information.

"Badlaa"
The X-Files episode
A man who is missing his legs rests on a wheeled cart.
The Indian beggar, the episode's main antagonist. The character was played by noted stuntman Deep Roy.
 
Episode no.
Season 8
 Episode 10
Directed by
Tony Wharmby
Written by
John Shiban
Production code
8ABX12
Original air date
January 21, 2001
Running time
44 minutes
Guest actors

Tony Adelman as Trevor's Father
Jane Daly as Mrs. Holt
Ruth de Sosa as Quinton's Mother
Bill Dow as Charles Burks
Jacob Franchek as Red-Headed Kid
Andy Hubbell as Quinton's Father
Christopher Huston as Mr. Burrard
Kiran Rao as Customs Agent
Calvin Remsberg as Hugh Potocki
Deep Roy as Beggar Man
Mimi Savage as Teacher
Maura Soden as Trevor's Mother
Winston Story as Bellboy
Jordan Blake Warkol as Quinton
Michael Welch as Trevor[1]
 
Episode chronology

← Previous
 "Salvage" Next →
 "The Gift"

List of The X-Files episodes
"Badlaa" is the tenth episode of the eighth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on January 21, 2001. The episode was written by John Shiban and directed by Tony Wharmby. "Badlaa" is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, unconnected to the series' wider mythology. The episode received a Nielsen rating of 7.3 and was viewed by 11.8 million viewers. Overall, the episode received mostly negative reviews from critics.
The series centers on FBI special agents Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and her new partner John Doggett (Robert Patrick)—following the alien abduction of her former partner, Fox Mulder (David Duchovny)—who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. When a mystic smuggles himself out of India, Scully and Doggett give chase as his murderous spree starts terrorising two families in suburban Washington, D.C. But Scully soon comes upon a crisis of faith when she realises how dissimilar her techniques are from Mulder, even as she tries to be the believer.
"Badlaa" was inspired by stories of Indian fakirs as well as the idea of someone asking for money actually being "a bad guy." Gurdeep Roy, a noted stuntman better known as Deep Roy, was chosen to play the part of the antagonistic beggar. The episode's title means "retort" or "revenge" in Hindi.

Contents
  [hide] 1 Plot
2 Production
3 Reception
4 Notes
5 References
6 External links
Plot[edit]
At the Sahar International Airport in Mumbai, India, an obese American businessman dismissively makes his way past a paraplegic beggar. Later, while using the airport's toilet, the businessman is pulled out of the stall violently by the beggar that he passed earlier. Later, the man checks into a Washington, D.C. hotel and sits down on his bed. Soon, blood streams out of his bodily orifices.
Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) arrives late to the crime scene and John Doggett (Robert Patrick) tells her that the man's blood all drained abruptly in the hotel. A child’s bloody print is found, but Scully doesn’t believe that a child did this. Meanwhile the beggar, somehow disguised as an ordinary looking Caucasian man, applies for a janitorial job at a Cheverly, Maryland elementary school. In the morgue, Scully describes the massive stomach damage done to the body which leads Doggett to the idea of drugs being forcibly cut out of him. However, the man showed no sign of drugs in the blood tests and Scully tells Doggett that his time of death was 24 to 36 hours prior, long before he left India. Due to a discrepancy in weight, she begins to believe that there was a passenger in the corpse.
Quinton, a student at the school mentioned before, calls his father after he sees the legless beggar man in his room at night. His father tells him that it was his imagination, goes back downstairs, but then screams. Quinton rushes down to find his father dead and his eyes turned red with blood. Doggett and Scully investigate this latest death after the police told them about the strange man the boy saw. While discussing the lack of any damage to the body except the broken blood vessels in the eyes, Scully comes to the conclusion that the man is still inside the latest victim. She rushes to the morgue and finds the boy’s father with a distended belly. She cuts into him and then sees a hand emerge from the scalpel incision. After being temporarily knocked over, she follows a bloody trail, opens a door at the end of the trail, and finds no one there. Unbeknownst to her, however, the beggar is watching her, unnoticed.
At the school, the principal tells the legless man’s janitor guise that she was very worried when he did not show up that morning. Trevor, a bully who had earlier tormented Quinton, sees partially through the beggar's forms for a moment. Trevor later shows up at Quinton’s home to say he is sorry and says he thinks he knows who killed his father.
Scully and Doggett consult Chuck Burks, an old friend of Fox Mulder's (David Duchovny), who tells the two that Siddhi mystics could do the things Scully described; the mystics have powers of the mind and can alter people’s perceptions of reality. Scully theorizes that a mystic is acting out of revenge since an American plant inadvertently released a gas cloud that killed 118 people in Vishi, outside of Mumbai. One of the victims was the 11 year old son of a holy man of the beggar caste.
Trevor runs home after hearing the squeaking wheels and goes outside after encountering his mother. She follows him outside to find him face-down in the middle of a pool. She dives down to get him but his form turns into the legless man. At the scene of the crime, the real Trevor tells Scully that it was the "little man" who killed his mother. Later, Quinton and Trevor, after realizing that the janitor is actually the beggar, hunt the legless man in the school. Eventually, the beggar takes the form of Trevor. At that moment, Scully enters the school and opens fire, wounding the beggar and reverting him back to his true form. Two weeks later in Sahar International Airport, the beggar, unharmed, watches another obese American man pass by.[2]
Production[edit]

 

 The episode was inspired by stories of Indian fakirs.
"Badlaa" was written by John Shiban and inspired by stories of Indian fakirs. In fact, the episode's title means "to retort" or "to revenge" in Urdu.[3] Further inspiration came "from a little bit of desperation" according to Shiban. He later recalled that he was walking through the Vancouver airport and suddenly had the thought, "What if someone who came up to me and asked me for money was actually a bad guy."[4] Shiban later noted that his early drafts of the episode featured the antagonist with a different power. He explained, "My original idea was a beggar with no legs who can actually shrink himself and climb inside your ear, and Chris Carter–and this is why he's Chris Carter–said 'No, no, no! I know what's even better.'"[5] Shiban later said that "... one thing about this episode that I'm sort of proud is that people often have told me that it is the most disgusting thought that they ever had, that this little man would actually enter your body and travel around inside you."[4]
The scenes featuring the Indian airport were filmed at a cruise line terminal in Long Beach, California. Ilt Jones, the location manager for the series, felt that the "dated feel" of the terminal added to the scene. He noted, "if you look at newsreel footage of India, they always have old English cars from the sixties, the cruise line terminal in Long Beach was perfect."[4]
Casting director Rick Millikan was tasked with finding a suitable actor to play the part of the beggar. Millikan's only instructions were to look for "a small all-Indian man with no legs."[4] Eventually, Gurdeep Roy, better known as Deep Roy was chosen to play the part. Deep Roy was a noted stunt man who had notably worked with R2-D2 in The Empire Strikes Back. Deep Roy, however, was not an amputee and so a cart with a false bottom was created. Anytime there was a scene where the beggar had to move, blue screen technology was used to add the background in during post-production. The cart featured a distinct "squeak" that Paul Rabwin described as "creepy".[4] He noted, "There was a squeak that had to let us know that it was him. It had to scare us [...] Finally we came up with what we thought was just the right squeak and John [Shiban] said 'Okay, that's the one.'"[4]
Producer Paul Rabwin was displeased with the final episode, noting, "'Badlaa' was the one episode I did not like the most [...] I think if I had done it different, I would have had John Shiban change the method of transportation. I don't think it ever worked on any level for me. It was just weird and creepy, but I think the whole idea was distasteful to me." He later bluntly concluded that "it's the only episode that I kind of wish we hadn't done."[6]
Reception[edit]
"Badlaa" first aired on Fox on 21 January 2001.[7] The episode earned a Nielsen household rating of 7.3, meaning that it was seen by 7.3% of the nation's estimated households.[8] The episode was viewed by 7.46 million households[8][nb 1] and 11.8 million viewers.[9] The episode ranked as the 50th most-watched episode for the week ending January 21.[8] The episode subsequently debuted in the United Kingdom on the BBC Two on May 12, 2002.[7] Fox promoted the episode with the tagline "Imagine a man who can squeeze into a shoebox... a suitcase... or a victim."[10]
Critical reception to the episode was mostly negative. Television Without Pity writer Jessica Morgan rated the episode a C and criticized the episode's plot holes, such as how the beggar escaped back to India after being shot by Scully.[11] 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 two stars out of five. The two noted that the episode was "best" when "it's at its most tasteless", citing the beggar "crawling up the bottom of an obese man" as "pretty tasteless". Shearman and Pearson, however, noted that it suffered from the fact that "it doesn't have the courage of its convictions".[12] Tom Kessenich, in his book Examinations, was extremely critical of the episode. Referring to it as the series' "nadir", he ridiculed the plot and sarcastically labeled the main villain "Butt Munch".[13] John Keegan from Critical Myth gave the episode a mixed review and awarded it a 5 out of 10, a rating he called "dead average". He wrote "I loved the sudden and unexpected realizations about Mulder, but hated the entire case beyond that."[14] Paula Vitaris from Cinefantastique gave the episode a negative review and awarded it one star out of four.[15] Vitaris, sardonically referring to the episode as "The X(enophobic)-Files", noted that while "the butt-crawler is new, the plot is pure "X-Files generic Monster-of-the-Week."[15] Matt Hurwitz and Chris Knowles noted in their book The Complete X-Files that the episode soon became known as the "'Butt Genie' episode" among fans.[5]
Despite the negativity, several reviews wrote positively of the episode's antagonistic beggar. Both TV Guide and UGO Networks listed him amongst the greatest monster-of-the-week characters in The X-Files.[16][17] The UGO review, in particular, noted that the character was "One of the series' more blatant allegories [...], as a legless Indian Mystic [...] literally climbs into his victims to travel where he will. [...] Scully and Doggett investigate the bloody goings-on [...] and a gut-wrenching climax, though not entirely successful, still opens up some thorny issues over how we view weakness, deformity, race, and 'otherness.'[16]
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ At the time of airing, the estimated number of households was 102.2 million.[8] Thus, 7.3 percent of 102.2 million is 7.46 million households.
References[edit]
Footnotes
1.Jump up ^ "The X-Files - "Badlaa"". TheXFiles.com. Fox Broadcasting Company. February 2002. Archived from the original on 2 February 2002. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
2.Jump up ^ "Badlaa". BBC Cult. BBC. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
3.Jump up ^ "English to Urdu Dictionary - Revenge". Hamari Web. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
4.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Carter, Chris, et al. (2000). The Truth Behind Season 8 (DVD). The X-Files: The Complete Eighth Season: Fox Home Entertainment.
5.^ Jump up to: a b Hurwitz and Knowles, p. 189
6.Jump up ^ Fraga, p. 173
7.^ Jump up to: a b The X-Files: The Complete Eighth Season (Media notes). Fox. 2000–2001.
8.^ Jump up to: a b c d Associated Press (23 January 2001). "Prime-time Nielsen ratings". Associated Press Archives.
9.Jump up ^ Kissell, Rick (23 January 2001). "Peacock mines gold in Globes' Nielsens". Variety (Penske Business Media). Retrieved 29 November 2012.
10.Jump up ^ Badlaa (Promotional Flyer). Los Angeles, California: Fox Broadcasting Company. 2001.
11.Jump up ^ Morgan, Jessica (21 January 2001). "Badlaa". Television Without Pity. NBCUniversal. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
12.Jump up ^ Shearman and Pearson, p. 237
13.Jump up ^ Kessenich, p. 146
14.Jump up ^ Keegan, John. "Badlaa". Critical Myth. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
15.^ Jump up to: a b Vitaris, Paula (April 2002). "The X-Files Season Eight Episode Guide". Cinefantastique 34 (2): 42–49.
16.^ Jump up to: a b "The Beggar - Top X-Files Monsters". UGO Networks. IGN Entertainment. 21 July 2008. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
17.Jump up ^ "X Files Scariest Monsters Pictures, Milagro Photos - Photo Gallery: The Scariest X-Files Monsters". TV Guide. United Video Satellite Group. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
BibliographyFraga, Erica (2010). LAX-Files: Behind the Scenes with the Los Angeles Cast and Crew. CreateSpace. ISBN 9781451503418.
Hurwitz, Matt; Knowles, Chris (2008). The Complete X-Files. Insight Editions. ISBN 1933784806.
Kessenich, Tom (2002). Examination: An Unauthorized Look at Seasons 6–9 of the X-Files. Trafford Publishing. ISBN 1553698126.
Shearman, Robert; Pearson, Lars (2009). Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen. Mad Norwegian Press. ISBN 097594469X.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: TXF Season 8
"Badlaa" at the Internet Movie Database
"Badlaa" at TV.com

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The X-Files episodes

 
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Categories: 2001 television episodes
The X-Files (season 8) episodes



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