.gif)
Existence (The X-Files)
Encyclopedia
"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 Kim Manners
. The episode continues from the previous episode, "Essence", where they learn about a new type of alien
called a Super Soldier programmed to destroy any traces of alien involvement on Earth
.
"Existence" was a story milestone for the series. It introduced the story arc
which would continue throughout the ninth season
. The story starts with Billy Miles arriving at the FBI Headquarters. Fox Mulder
, John Doggett
, Walter Skinner
and Alex Krycek
help Dana Scully
escape with Special Agent Monica Reyes
who drives her to a remote town. Shortly after Skinner kills Krycek, Scully delivers an apparently normal baby with the alien Super Soldiers surrounding her. Without explanation, the aliens leave the area as Mulder arrives. While Doggett and Reyes report to the FBI Headquarters, Mulder takes Scully and her newborn baby back to her apartment.
(Gillian Anderson
) and Monica Reyes
arrive at the abandoned town where Special Agent
John Doggett
(Robert Patrick
) was born.
Alex Krycek
is seated in a chair in Assistant Director Walter Skinner
's office, where he is shown a videograph from the morgue. Skinner tells him that Billy Miles is somehow alive and still out to get Scully and her unborn child. Suddenly, Agent Gene Crane comes to Doggett and tells him that there is a person – Knowle Rohrer – who wants see him, about issues concerning Billy Miles and Scully. This leaves Fox Mulder
and Skinner to interrogate Krycek. Rohrer tells Doggett that Billy Miles is part of a Military Project.
Krycek gets up from his chair in Skinner's office and starts running out the doorway. Skinner chases after him, then turns around and sees Billy Miles behind him. Skinner just manages to escape with Krycek, but Billy Miles' hand breaks through the elevator, injuring Skinner. At the hospital, Mulder distrusts what Doggett has been told by Knowle Rohrer, so the two set out to find out how trustworthy Rohrer really is. Meanwhile, at Doggett's abandoned hometown where Reyes and Scully are hiding out, Reyes sees someone running off and follows whoever it is. A car pulls up and she meets a trooper who agrees to help with the birth. As Mulder and Doggett pull into the garage, they find Krycek with a passenger, who happens to be Rohrer. Mulder believes that Rohrer and Krycek are colluding together. Doggett covertly pursues Rohrer and learns that Rohrer has an accomplice: Agent Crane.
Mulder's own problems arise when his cell phone rings and Krycek disappears from his car. Mulder, after learning what Doggett has witnessed, believes that Crane gave Krycek access to the FBI. Suddenly, Krycek smashes through the car window with his prosthetic hand and destroys the cell phone. Krycek aims his gun at Mulder and tells him to get out. Krycek is about to pull the trigger when a bullet administered by Skinner pierces his arm. Krycek tries to pick his gun up again, but Skinner shoots his hand. Krycek pushes his gun over and tells Skinner to shoot Mulder. Instead, Skinner raises his gun and shoots Krycek in the head.
Shortly after Skinner kills Krycek, Scully delivers an apparently normal baby with Reyes and the alien Super Soldiers surrounding her. Without explanation, the aliens leave the area as Mulder arrives. While Doggett and Reyes report to the FBI Headquarters Doggett places an investigation into Kersh, after a late night meeting between him and Rohrer. Mulder takes Scully and her newborn baby back to her apartment. After marveling over the baby and discussing recent events, the two agents share a long, passionate kiss.
. The car scene with Gillian Anderson
and Annabeth Gish
was shot at Keynan Road, Malibu. Anderson and Gish sat in what is known as an insert car, while the crew sat in a pickup car in front of them. The birth scene was filmed at the old Paramount Movie Ranch. According to director Kim Manners
, the most difficult scene to shoot was in the elevator with Mitch Pileggi
and Nicholas Lea
.
Gish had never worked much with guns before joining The X-Files
cast, so the producers got a retired LAPD
officer to teach her more about firearms. She did some shooting practices before returning to the set. The FBI garage scenes were shot in Century City and took a total of four days to finish. "Existence" was written during filming, which led to Manners helping with the script
; the action scenes at the FBI headquarters was Manners' idea. Alex Krycek
was killed by a CGI bullet straight through the head, which again was Manners' idea. When John Doggett
was running from Knowle Rohrer and Gene Crane, they made a mistake as he was running through the staircase.
The last scene with Doggett and Reyes in Kersh's office is the birth of the "New X-Files" without David Duchovny
. From here on, Monica Reyes
becomes a main character on the show. During the birth of Scully's child, several allusions to the story of the birth of Jesus are made, including Mulder following a star to find Scully and The Lone Gunmen
bringing gifts for the baby (like the Three Wise Men). Scully's child was portrayed by Jerry Shiban, who is the son of John Shiban, a producer who worked on The X-Files
as well as The Lone Gunmen
. He was the first of seven babies to represent the character and the only one to play Baby William for a single episode.
of 8.4, with a 13 share. It was viewed by 8.332 million households and gathered a total of 13.573 million viewers in the United States
alone. This is reported to be because of the hype surrounding the episode. In the United Kingdom, "Existence" received 650,000 viewers, placing The X-Files number three in the top ten broadcasts for Sky1 that week behind Star Trek Voyager and The Simpsons
. Contra Costa Times
columnists George Avalos and Michael Liedtke had mixed feelings towards the episode saying the last scene was "beautifully written". On the negative side, they were very clear that it was not as exciting as previous episodes, such as its preface, "Essence" or The X-Files
feature film. CriticalMyth gave the episode 7 out of 10, the reviewer saying he was a "little disappointment" with the episode, when compared to previous episodes.
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...
of the 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...
television series 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...
. The episode first aired in the United States on May 20, 2001 on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
, and subsequently aired in the United Kingdom. It was written by executive producer Chris Carter
Chris Carter (screenwriter)
Christopher Carl Carter is an American screenwriter, film director and producer. He is the creator of The X-Files and Millennium.- Ten Thirteen Productions :...
, and directed by Kim Manners
Kim Manners
Kim Manners was an American television producer, director and child actor best known for his work on The X-Files and Supernatural.-Early life:...
. The episode continues from the previous episode, "Essence", where they learn about a new type of alien
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
called a Super Soldier programmed to destroy any traces of alien involvement on 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...
.
"Existence" was a story milestone for the series. It introduced the story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
which would continue throughout the ninth season
The X-Files (season 9)
The ninth season of The X-Files commenced airing in the United States on November 11, 2001, concluded on May 19, 2002, and consists of twenty episodes. The X-Files is an American serial science fiction-horror-thriller television series. Season nine took place after Fox Mulder's leave after the...
. The story starts with Billy Miles arriving at the FBI Headquarters. 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...
, 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...
, 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 Alex Krycek
Alex Krycek
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...
help 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...
escape with Special Agent Monica Reyes
Monica Reyes
Special Agent Monica Reyes 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...
who drives her to a remote town. Shortly after Skinner kills Krycek, Scully delivers an apparently normal baby with the alien Super Soldiers surrounding her. Without explanation, the aliens leave the area as Mulder arrives. While Doggett and Reyes report to the FBI Headquarters, Mulder takes Scully and her newborn baby back to her apartment.
Plot overview
The episode begins with a metal box brought in containing the remains of Billy Miles. The coroner examines it and notices a small piece of metal. After he leaves the room, the metal begins to spin, each time growing into what looks like the beginnings of a spine. Meanwhile, Dana ScullyDana 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...
(Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
) and Monica Reyes
Monica Reyes
Special Agent Monica Reyes 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...
arrive at the abandoned town where 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....
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...
(Robert Patrick
Robert Patrick
Robert Hammond Patrick, Jr. is an American actor, known for his leading and supporting roles in a number of films and television shows....
) was born.
Alex Krycek
Alex Krycek
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...
is seated in a chair in 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...
's office, where he is shown a videograph from the morgue. Skinner tells him that Billy Miles is somehow alive and still out to get Scully and her unborn child. Suddenly, Agent Gene Crane comes to Doggett and tells him that there is a person – Knowle Rohrer – who wants see him, about issues concerning Billy Miles and Scully. This leaves 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...
and Skinner to interrogate Krycek. Rohrer tells Doggett that Billy Miles is part of a Military Project.
Krycek gets up from his chair in Skinner's office and starts running out the doorway. Skinner chases after him, then turns around and sees Billy Miles behind him. Skinner just manages to escape with Krycek, but Billy Miles' hand breaks through the elevator, injuring Skinner. At the hospital, Mulder distrusts what Doggett has been told by Knowle Rohrer, so the two set out to find out how trustworthy Rohrer really is. Meanwhile, at Doggett's abandoned hometown where Reyes and Scully are hiding out, Reyes sees someone running off and follows whoever it is. A car pulls up and she meets a trooper who agrees to help with the birth. As Mulder and Doggett pull into the garage, they find Krycek with a passenger, who happens to be Rohrer. Mulder believes that Rohrer and Krycek are colluding together. Doggett covertly pursues Rohrer and learns that Rohrer has an accomplice: Agent Crane.
Mulder's own problems arise when his cell phone rings and Krycek disappears from his car. Mulder, after learning what Doggett has witnessed, believes that Crane gave Krycek access to the FBI. Suddenly, Krycek smashes through the car window with his prosthetic hand and destroys the cell phone. Krycek aims his gun at Mulder and tells him to get out. Krycek is about to pull the trigger when a bullet administered by Skinner pierces his arm. Krycek tries to pick his gun up again, but Skinner shoots his hand. Krycek pushes his gun over and tells Skinner to shoot Mulder. Instead, Skinner raises his gun and shoots Krycek in the head.
Shortly after Skinner kills Krycek, Scully delivers an apparently normal baby with Reyes and the alien Super Soldiers surrounding her. Without explanation, the aliens leave the area as Mulder arrives. While Doggett and Reyes report to the FBI Headquarters Doggett places an investigation into Kersh, after a late night meeting between him and Rohrer. Mulder takes Scully and her newborn baby back to her apartment. After marveling over the baby and discussing recent events, the two agents share a long, passionate kiss.
Production
The first scene with the vertebrae was entirely computer generatedComputer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
. The car scene with Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
and Annabeth Gish
Annabeth Gish
Annabeth Gish is an American actress known for starring roles in Shag, Mystic Pizza and Double Jeopardy. She is best known for her roles as Special Agent Monica Reyes on The X-Files, Elizabeth Bartlet Westin on The West Wing and as Eileen Caffee on the Showtime drama Brotherhood.-Personal...
was shot at Keynan Road, Malibu. Anderson and Gish sat in what is known as an insert car, while the crew sat in a pickup car in front of them. The birth scene was filmed at the old Paramount Movie Ranch. According to director Kim Manners
Kim Manners
Kim Manners was an American television producer, director and child actor best known for his work on The X-Files and Supernatural.-Early life:...
, the most difficult scene to shoot was in the elevator with Mitch Pileggi
Mitch Pileggi
Mitchell Craig "Mitch" Pileggi is an American actor. Pileggi is known for playing FBI assistant director Walter Skinner on the long-running popular series The X-Files. He also had a recurring role on Stargate Atlantis as Col. Steven Caldwell...
and 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:...
.
Gish had never worked much with guns before joining 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...
cast, so the producers got a retired LAPD
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
officer to teach her more about firearms. She did some shooting practices before returning to the set. The FBI garage scenes were shot in Century City and took a total of four days to finish. "Existence" was written during filming, which led to Manners helping with the script
Teleplay
A teleplay is a television play, a comedy or drama written or adapted for television. The term surfaced during the 1950s with wide usage to distinguish a television plays from stage plays for the theater and screenplays written for films...
; the action scenes at the FBI headquarters was Manners' idea. Alex Krycek
Alex Krycek
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...
was killed by a CGI bullet straight through the head, which again was Manners' idea. When 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...
was running from Knowle Rohrer and Gene Crane, they made a mistake as he was running through the staircase.
The last scene with Doggett and Reyes in Kersh's office is the birth of the "New X-Files" without 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:...
. From here on, Monica Reyes
Monica Reyes
Special Agent Monica Reyes 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...
becomes a main character on the show. During the birth of Scully's child, several allusions to the story of the birth of Jesus are made, including Mulder following a star to find Scully and The Lone Gunmen
The Lone Gunmen
The Lone Gunmen are a trio of fictional characters, Richard "Ringo" Langly, Melvin Frohike and John Fitzgerald Byers, who have recurring roles on the American television series The X-Files. They also starred in a short-lived spin-off, also called The Lone Gunmen. The name was derived from the lone...
bringing gifts for the baby (like the Three Wise Men). Scully's child was portrayed by Jerry Shiban, who is the son of John Shiban, a producer who worked on 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...
as well as The Lone Gunmen
The Lone Gunmen
The Lone Gunmen are a trio of fictional characters, Richard "Ringo" Langly, Melvin Frohike and John Fitzgerald Byers, who have recurring roles on the American television series The X-Files. They also starred in a short-lived spin-off, also called The Lone Gunmen. The name was derived from the lone...
. He was the first of seven babies to represent the character and the only one to play Baby William for a single episode.
Reception
The episode earned a Nielsen household ratingNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of 8.4, with a 13 share. It was viewed by 8.332 million households and gathered a total of 13.573 million viewers in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
alone. This is reported to be because of the hype surrounding the episode. In the United Kingdom, "Existence" received 650,000 viewers, placing The X-Files number three in the top ten broadcasts for Sky1 that week behind Star Trek Voyager and The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
. Contra Costa Times
Contra Costa Times
The Contra Costa Times is a daily newspaper based in Walnut Creek, California, U.S.. The paper serves Contra Costa and eastern Alameda counties, in the eastern part of the San Francisco Bay Area...
columnists George Avalos and Michael Liedtke had mixed feelings towards the episode saying the last scene was "beautifully written". On the negative side, they were very clear that it was not as exciting as previous episodes, such as its preface, "Essence" or The X-Files
The X-Files (film)
The X-Files is a 1998 American science fiction-thriller film written by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz, and directed by Rob Bowman. It is the first feature film based on The X-Files series created by Carter that revolves around a fictional FBI paranormal investigation unit called the X-Files...
feature film. CriticalMyth gave the episode 7 out of 10, the reviewer saying he was a "little disappointment" with the episode, when compared to previous episodes.