Alex Krycek
Encyclopedia
Alex Krycek is a fictional character
in the long-running American science fiction
show, The X-Files
portrayed by Nicholas Lea
. Initially introduced in the second season as a partner for main character
Fox Mulder
in the absence of his previous partner, Dana Scully
, Krycek grew to become one of the show's secondary antagonist
s, appearing in every subsequent season. Krycek's machinations frequently pitted him against Mulder, with whom he shared a complicated relationship. He was variously seen as either a henchman or enemy of the show's main antagonist, The Smoking Man, changing his allegiance whenever it best suited him.
immigrants
, who makes his first appearance in the season two
episode "Sleepless
", where Krycek, a young FBI Special agent
is assigned as a temporary investigation partner to Fox Mulder
. Krycek proceeds to work with Mulder and attempts to gain his trust.
However, it later becomes evident that Krycek is actually an undercover agent working for The Smoking Man. Krycek plays an important part in several events that are harmful to Mulder and Dana Scully
: he assists in Scully's abduction, and murders Mulder's father, William "Bill" Mulder. Krycek also assaults Assistant Director Walter Skinner
and acquires a secret tape from him which reveals a US government coverup regarding alien visits to Earth
. After a botched attempt on Scully results in the death of her sister, The Cigarette Smoking Man attempts to kill Krycek with a car bomb, but Krycek escapes. Krycek is later found to have been selling the secrets from the encrypted MJ FILES. Under the influence of the Black Oil, Krycek returns the tape to the Smoking Man, in return for knowledge of the location of an alien ship. The Black Oil-controlled Krycek goes to the ship, which has been moved to an abandoned missile silo in North Dakota. The Black Oil extracts itself from Krycek, leaving him locked indefinitely in the silo with the ship.
Krycek is next found during an FBI raid, and taken into custody by Mulder and Scully. They learn that Krycek was recruited by an extremist militia group on a salvage hunt from the silo in North Dakota, and he informs the agents they must track the source of an extraterrestrial rock, brought to America by a foreign diplomat, to a gulag
in Russia
. The hunt leads Krycek and Mulder to Tunguska
, where they are held captive until Krycek maneuvers his own release. Mulder attempts his own escape, taking an unconscious Krycek with him. When he awakes, Krycek separates into the woods only to encounter a strange group of Russians - all of whom have missing left arms. The men amputate Krycek's arm as well, to keep him from being used in Black Oil experiments. Eventually, Krycek graduates into a more powerful role within this group. He uses any knowledge he has to gain leverage with the Syndicate. He even has had romantic ties to their secretary, Marita Covarrubias (who apparently was using Krycek for her own means in assisting Mulder). Due to this double-crossing, Krycek is temporarily held captive by the Well Manicured Man. Krycek later appears to Mulder as a friendly messenger to tell him that a war has begun, and that Mulder must "resist or serve".
Later in the series, Krycek can be seen switching sides as it suits him, occasionally helping Mulder, Cigarette Smoking Man and other people. He attempted to blackmail Skinner with infectious nanotechnology
, but ended up being thrown into a Tunisian prison by the Cigarette Smoking Man. In the season seven
finale, "Requiem", Krycek tries and fails to kill the now wheelchair-using Cigarette Smoking Man by pushing him down a flight of stairs. Later, when Mulder was abducted by aliens and returned in a death-like state, Krycek attempts to again blackmail Skinner, with the means to save Mulder's life. Skinner refuses, and Krycek has a violent confrontation with John Doggett
before escaping. In the season eight
finale, "Existence
", Krycek is shot between the eyes and killed by Skinner, during an unsuccessful attempt to kill Mulder. Krycek's ghost briefly showed up to help Mulder escape a military base in the series finale.
, who rejected it, but later made two guest appearances on the show. Krycek does not appear in the first season, but Nicholas Lea
did have a small part in the Monster-of-the-Week episode, "Gender Bender". In the episode, he played a club goer named "Michel". When Nicholas appeared as Krycek, the producers felt that they could kill him off if the portraying actor didn't do a good enough job. Krycek, who was initially created by writer Howard Gordon
to temporarily replace Scully as Mulder's partner for three episodes, eventually grew into a character that lasted seven seasons on the show.
would also appear as Krycek on the sketch show Saturday Night Live
, when David Duchovny
hosted an episode. Duchovny and Lea appeared in their roles as Mulder and Krycek, respectively in a sketch that spoofed The X-Files
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the long-running American science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
show, The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
portrayed by Nicholas Lea
Nicholas Lea
Nicholas Lea is a Canadian actor best known for his portrayal of Alex Krycek on The X-Files and on Kyle XY playing Tom Foss.-Biography:...
. Initially introduced in the second season as a partner for main character
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
Fox Mulder
Fox Mulder
FBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
in the absence of his previous partner, Dana Scully
Dana Scully
FBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
, Krycek grew to become one of the show's secondary antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
s, appearing in every subsequent season. Krycek's machinations frequently pitted him against Mulder, with whom he shared a complicated relationship. He was variously seen as either a henchman or enemy of the show's main antagonist, The Smoking Man, changing his allegiance whenever it best suited him.
Character arc
Krycek is a Russian-American, the son of two Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
immigrants
Eastern Bloc emigration and defection
Eastern Bloc emigration and defection was a point of controversy during the Cold War. After World War II, emigration restrictions were imposed by countries in the Eastern Bloc, which consisted of the Soviet Union and its satellite states in Eastern and Central Europe...
, who makes his first appearance in the season two
The X-Files (season 2)
The second season of the science fiction television series The X-Files commenced airing on Fox in the United States on September 16, 1994, concluded on the same channel on May 19, 1995, and contained 25 episodes.- Production :...
episode "Sleepless
Sleepless (The X-Files)
"Sleepless" is the 4th episode of the second season, and 28th overall of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States and Canada on October 7, 1994. "Sleepless" subsequently aired in the United Kingdom, Ireland and was eventually released for...
", where Krycek, a young FBI Special agent
Special agent
Special agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
is assigned as a temporary investigation partner to Fox Mulder
Fox Mulder
FBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
. Krycek proceeds to work with Mulder and attempts to gain his trust.
However, it later becomes evident that Krycek is actually an undercover agent working for The Smoking Man. Krycek plays an important part in several events that are harmful to Mulder and Dana Scully
Dana Scully
FBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
: he assists in Scully's abduction, and murders Mulder's father, William "Bill" Mulder. Krycek also assaults Assistant Director Walter Skinner
Walter Skinner
FBI Assistant Director Walter Sergei Skinner is a fictional character in the American FOX television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence...
and acquires a secret tape from him which reveals a US government coverup regarding alien visits to Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. After a botched attempt on Scully results in the death of her sister, The Cigarette Smoking Man attempts to kill Krycek with a car bomb, but Krycek escapes. Krycek is later found to have been selling the secrets from the encrypted MJ FILES. Under the influence of the Black Oil, Krycek returns the tape to the Smoking Man, in return for knowledge of the location of an alien ship. The Black Oil-controlled Krycek goes to the ship, which has been moved to an abandoned missile silo in North Dakota. The Black Oil extracts itself from Krycek, leaving him locked indefinitely in the silo with the ship.
Krycek is next found during an FBI raid, and taken into custody by Mulder and Scully. They learn that Krycek was recruited by an extremist militia group on a salvage hunt from the silo in North Dakota, and he informs the agents they must track the source of an extraterrestrial rock, brought to America by a foreign diplomat, to a gulag
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. The hunt leads Krycek and Mulder to Tunguska
Podkamennaya Tunguska River
The Podkamennaya Tunguska is a river in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia; it is an eastern tributary of the Yenisei and has a length of . The name of the river comes from the fact that it flows under pebble fields without open water...
, where they are held captive until Krycek maneuvers his own release. Mulder attempts his own escape, taking an unconscious Krycek with him. When he awakes, Krycek separates into the woods only to encounter a strange group of Russians - all of whom have missing left arms. The men amputate Krycek's arm as well, to keep him from being used in Black Oil experiments. Eventually, Krycek graduates into a more powerful role within this group. He uses any knowledge he has to gain leverage with the Syndicate. He even has had romantic ties to their secretary, Marita Covarrubias (who apparently was using Krycek for her own means in assisting Mulder). Due to this double-crossing, Krycek is temporarily held captive by the Well Manicured Man. Krycek later appears to Mulder as a friendly messenger to tell him that a war has begun, and that Mulder must "resist or serve".
Later in the series, Krycek can be seen switching sides as it suits him, occasionally helping Mulder, Cigarette Smoking Man and other people. He attempted to blackmail Skinner with infectious nanotechnology
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...
, but ended up being thrown into a Tunisian prison by the Cigarette Smoking Man. In the season seven
The X-Files (season 7)
The seventh season of The X-Files commenced airing in the United States on November 7, 1999, concluded on May 21, 2000, and consists of twenty-two episodes. The X-Files is an American serial science fiction-horror-thriller television series. Season seven took place after the destruction of the...
finale, "Requiem", Krycek tries and fails to kill the now wheelchair-using Cigarette Smoking Man by pushing him down a flight of stairs. Later, when Mulder was abducted by aliens and returned in a death-like state, Krycek attempts to again blackmail Skinner, with the means to save Mulder's life. Skinner refuses, and Krycek has a violent confrontation with John Doggett
John Doggett
FBI Special agent John Jay Doggett is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction show about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of alien existence...
before escaping. In the season eight
The X-Files (season 8)
The eighth season of The X-Files commenced airing in the United States on November 5, 2000, concluded on May 20, 2001, and consisted of twenty-one episodes. The X-Files is an American serial science fiction-horror-thriller television series. Season eight took place after Fox Mulder's alien...
finale, "Existence
Existence (The X-Files)
"Existence " is the 181st episode and the eighth season finale of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States on May 20, 2001 on Fox, and subsequently aired in the United Kingdom. It was written by executive producer Chris Carter, and directed by...
", Krycek is shot between the eyes and killed by Skinner, during an unsuccessful attempt to kill Mulder. Krycek's ghost briefly showed up to help Mulder escape a military base in the series finale.
Conceptual history
Originally, the role of Krycek was offered to Callum Keith RennieCallum Keith Rennie
Callum Keith Rennie is a British-born Canadian television and film actor. He started his career in Canadian film and television projects, where his portrayal of Stanley Raymond Kowalski in the TV series Due South was his first international success...
, who rejected it, but later made two guest appearances on the show. Krycek does not appear in the first season, but Nicholas Lea
Nicholas Lea
Nicholas Lea is a Canadian actor best known for his portrayal of Alex Krycek on The X-Files and on Kyle XY playing Tom Foss.-Biography:...
did have a small part in the Monster-of-the-Week episode, "Gender Bender". In the episode, he played a club goer named "Michel". When Nicholas appeared as Krycek, the producers felt that they could kill him off if the portraying actor didn't do a good enough job. Krycek, who was initially created by writer Howard Gordon
Howard Gordon
Howard Gordon is an American screenwriter and producer.-Life and career:Gordon was born in Queens, New York, New York. After graduating from Princeton in 1984, Gordon came to Los Angeles with fellow filmmaker Alex Gansa to pursue a career in writing for television. Both broke into the industry...
to temporarily replace Scully as Mulder's partner for three episodes, eventually grew into a character that lasted seven seasons on the show.
Reception
Nicholas LeaNicholas Lea
Nicholas Lea is a Canadian actor best known for his portrayal of Alex Krycek on The X-Files and on Kyle XY playing Tom Foss.-Biography:...
would also appear as Krycek on the sketch show Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, when David Duchovny
David Duchovny
David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer and director. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
hosted an episode. Duchovny and Lea appeared in their roles as Mulder and Krycek, respectively in a sketch that spoofed The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
.