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The X-Files (season 6)
Encyclopedia
The sixth season of the science fiction
television series The X-Files
commenced airing on the Fox Broadcasting Network in the United States on November 8, 1998, concluding on the same channel on May 16, 1999, and contained 22 episodes. The series was developed by Chris Carter
, who also serves as executive producer. Season six regular cast members include Gillian Anderson
as Dana Scully
and David Duchovny
as Fox Mulder
. The sixth season focuses on the Syndicate
and their fight against Mulder and the FBI.
under a pseudonym. The opening footage is done in the style of a news report. "Dreamland" was the only two part episode of The X-Files
not directly related to the myth-arc of the show. The Marx Brothers mirror dance routine from the movie Duck Soup, is acted out by Fox Mulder (David Duchovny
) and Morris Fletcher (Michael McKean
). Morris Fletcher makes a cameo appearance later in the season in the episode "Three of a Kind". In "Dreamland II", the U-Haul
that Mulder is using to pack Morris's belongings has a picture on the side of it displaying Wapakoneta, Ohio
, the birthplace of Neil Armstrong
. The Air Force pilot in the cell adjacent to Mulder refers in fighter pilot jargon to his "RIO" or Radar Intercept Officer. In reality, RIO is a Navy acronym. The Air Force terminology is "WSO" or Weapons System Officer.
"How the Ghosts Stole Christmas" has the smallest cast of any episode of the series, with only David Duchovny
, Gillian Anderson
, Ed Asner
, and Lily Tomlin
. The film version of A Christmas Carol
that Mulder is watching is the 1951 version starring Alastair Sim
. The "glowing milk" scene in the episode "Terms of Endearment" is an homage to Alfred Hitchcock's Suspicion
. What the mother is supposed to have said while "in a trance" - "Zazas, zazas, nastanada zazas" - are what the occultist Aleister Crowley
used to open the 10th Aethyr, that of the Thelemic devil Choronzon
. The song that plays several times in the episode is "Only Happy When It Rains
" by Garbage
.
Some New York
scenes from the episode "Tithonus
" were filmed on sets from NYPD Blue
, whose sets were located just across from The X-Files
studios. The hospital billed as NYU Medical Center is actually Massachusetts General Hospital
. The name Alfred Fellig is a reference to famous photographer Arthur Fellig, better known as Weegee
. The character Tithonus
is named after a reluctant immortal from Greek mythology.
"One Son
" is the culmination of the work of the Syndicate
regarding the alien conspiracy that began in the first season episode, "The Erlenmeyer Flask
". This episode also marked the return of Marita Covarrubias, who had vanished since the fifth season episode "The Red and the Black
". The title of the episode, "The Unnatural
" is an offhand reference to the title of Bernard Malamud
's baseball novel The Natural
, which was later adapted in 1984 as a film starring Robert Redford
. Darren McGavin
, who played the first Arthur Dales in two previous episodes, filmed two scenes before illness forced him to step down from the project. M. Emmet Walsh
was called in, and the script rewritten, to accept the changes. McGavin’s scenes are included on the DVD. Instead of "The Truth Is Out There", the text that appears at the end of the opening credits is "In The Big Inning".
"Three of a Kind" is a sequel of sorts to "Unusual Suspects
", with the episode concluding the story of The Lone Gunmen
and Susanne Modeski, the woman who led to the creation of the trio. Also, in "Unusual Suspects", Mulder played a supporting role in the episode, but in "Three of a Kind", the concept reverses, with Scully helping out The Lone Gunmen instead. David Duchovny lent only his voice to this episode, with The Lone Gunmen electronically synthesizing Mulder's voice to convince Scully to travel to Las Vegas.
In "Arcadia
," the aliases of Mulder and Scully, Rob and Laura Petrie , are a direct play on the couple Rob and Laura Petrie from The Dick Van Dyke Show
. This reference is also seen in the Season Five episode "Bad Blood
," which tells the story of a case from the differing viewpoints of the two agents; reminiscent of an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show
called "The Night the Roof Fell In," where Rob and Laura give two differing accounts of a fight they had.
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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...
commenced airing on the Fox Broadcasting Network in the United States on November 8, 1998, concluding on the same channel on May 16, 1999, and contained 22 episodes. The series was developed by 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 :...
, who also serves as executive producer. Season six regular cast members include 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...
as 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...
and 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:...
as 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...
. The sixth season focuses on the Syndicate
Syndicate (The X-Files)
The Syndicate is a fictional "shadow government" group featured in The X-Files television show and feature film created by Chris Carter. They were also known as The Elders, The Consortium, and The Group...
and their fight against Mulder and the FBI.
Production
The episode "Drive" references a real life navy communication project; Project SanguineProject Sanguine
Project Sanguine was a project to research a system for communicating with submarines using extremely long radio waves.-References and external articles:* James R. Wait, Project Sanguine. Science, 1972....
under a pseudonym. The opening footage is done in the style of a news report. "Dreamland" was the only two part episode of 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...
not directly related to the myth-arc of the show. The Marx Brothers mirror dance routine from the movie Duck Soup, is acted out by Fox Mulder (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:...
) and Morris Fletcher (Michael McKean
Michael McKean
Michael John McKean is an American actor, comedian, writer, composer and musician, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Squiggy's friend, Leonard 'Lenny' Kosnowski, on the sitcom Laverne and Shirley; and for his work in the Christopher Guest ensemble films, particularly as David St...
). Morris Fletcher makes a cameo appearance later in the season in the episode "Three of a Kind". In "Dreamland II", the U-Haul
U-Haul
U-Haul International, Inc. is an American equipment rental company, based in Phoenix, Arizona, that has been in operation since 1945. The company was founded by Leonard Shoen U-Haul International, Inc. is an American equipment rental company, based in Phoenix, Arizona, that has been in operation...
that Mulder is using to pack Morris's belongings has a picture on the side of it displaying Wapakoneta, Ohio
Wapakoneta, Ohio
Wapakoneta is a city in and the county seat of Auglaize County, Ohio, United States with a population of 9,474 as of the 2000 U.S. census. It is the principal city of and is included in the Wapakoneta, Ohio Micropolitan S A, which is included in the Lima-Van Wert-Wapakoneta, Ohio CSA...
, the birthplace of Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong
Neil Alden Armstrong is an American former astronaut, test pilot, aerospace engineer, university professor, United States Naval Aviator, and the first person to set foot upon the Moon....
. The Air Force pilot in the cell adjacent to Mulder refers in fighter pilot jargon to his "RIO" or Radar Intercept Officer. In reality, RIO is a Navy acronym. The Air Force terminology is "WSO" or Weapons System Officer.
"How the Ghosts Stole Christmas" has the smallest cast of any episode of the series, with only 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:...
, 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...
, Ed Asner
Ed Asner
Edward Asner , commonly known as Ed Asner, is an American film, television, stage, and voice actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild, primarily known for his Emmy Award-winning role as Lou Grant on both The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off series, Lou Grant...
, and Lily Tomlin
Lily Tomlin
Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin is an American actress, comedienne, writer, and producer. Tomlin has been a major force in American comedy since the late 1960's when she began a career as a stand up comedian and became a featured performer on television's Laugh-in...
. The film version of A Christmas Carol
Scrooge (1951 film)
Scrooge, released as A Christmas Carol in the United States, is a 1951 film adaptation of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. It starred Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge and was directed by Brian Desmond Hurst, with a screenplay by Noel Langley.The film also features Kathleen Harrison in an...
that Mulder is watching is the 1951 version starring Alastair Sim
Alastair Sim
Alastair George Bell Sim, CBE was a Scottish character actor who appeared in a string of classic British films. He is best remembered in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1951 film Scrooge, and for his portrayal of Miss Fritton, the headmistress in two St. Trinian's films...
. The "glowing milk" scene in the episode "Terms of Endearment" is an homage to Alfred Hitchcock's Suspicion
Suspicion (film)
Suspicion is a romantic psychological thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and starring Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine as a married couple. It also stars Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Nigel Bruce, Dame May Whitty, Isabel Jeans, Heather Angel, and Leo G...
. What the mother is supposed to have said while "in a trance" - "Zazas, zazas, nastanada zazas" - are what the occultist Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley , born Edward Alexander Crowley, and also known as both Frater Perdurabo and The Great Beast, was an influential English occultist, astrologer, mystic and ceremonial magician, responsible for founding the religious philosophy of Thelema. He was also successful in various other...
used to open the 10th Aethyr, that of the Thelemic devil Choronzon
Choronzon
Choronzon is a demon or devil that originated in writing with the 16th century occultists Edward Kelley and John Dee within the latter's occult system of Enochian magic...
. The song that plays several times in the episode is "Only Happy When It Rains
Only Happy When It Rains
"Only Happy When It Rains" was a single written, recorded and produced by alternative rock group Garbage at their own recording studio, Smart Studios, in Madison, Wisconsin...
" by Garbage
Garbage (band)
Garbage are an alternative rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994. The group consists of Scottish singer Shirley Manson and American musicians Duke Erikson , Steve Marker and Butch Vig . All four members are involved in songwriting and production...
.
Some New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
scenes from the episode "Tithonus
Tithonus
In Greek mythology, Tithonus or Tithonos was the lover of Eos, Titan of the dawn. He was a Trojan by birth, the son of King Laomedon of Troy by a water nymph named Strymo . The mythology reflected by the fifth-century vase-painters of Athens envisaged Tithonus as a rhapsode, as the lyre in his...
" were filmed on sets from NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
, whose sets were located just across from 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...
studios. The hospital billed as NYU Medical Center is actually Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts...
. The name Alfred Fellig is a reference to famous photographer Arthur Fellig, better known as Weegee
Weegee
Weegee was the pseudonym of Arthur Fellig , a photographer and photojournalist, known for his stark black and white street photography....
. The character Tithonus
Tithonus
In Greek mythology, Tithonus or Tithonos was the lover of Eos, Titan of the dawn. He was a Trojan by birth, the son of King Laomedon of Troy by a water nymph named Strymo . The mythology reflected by the fifth-century vase-painters of Athens envisaged Tithonus as a rhapsode, as the lyre in his...
is named after a reluctant immortal from Greek mythology.
"One Son
One Son
"One Son" is the 129th episode of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States and Canada on February 14, 1999 on the Fox Network, and subsequently aired in the United Kingdom on Sky1...
" is the culmination of the work of the Syndicate
Syndicate (The X-Files)
The Syndicate is a fictional "shadow government" group featured in The X-Files television show and feature film created by Chris Carter. They were also known as The Elders, The Consortium, and The Group...
regarding the alien conspiracy that began in the first season episode, "The Erlenmeyer Flask
The Erlenmeyer Flask
"The Erlenmeyer Flask" is the 24th episode and the first season finale of the science fiction television series The X-Files. "The Erlenmeyer Flask" introduced several new plot elements which would continue in later seasons and featured the death of recurring character, "Deep Throat"...
". This episode also marked the return of Marita Covarrubias, who had vanished since the fifth season episode "The Red and the Black
The Red and the Black (The X-Files)
"The Red and the Black" is a 1998 episode of The X-Files television series. It was the fourteenth episode broadcast in the show's fifth season...
". The title of the episode, "The Unnatural
The Unnatural (The X-Files)
"The Unnatural" is the nineteenth episode of the sixth season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States and Canada on April 25, 1999 on the Fox Network, and subsequently aired in the United Kingdom on Sky1. It was written and directed by lead...
" is an offhand reference to the title of Bernard Malamud
Bernard Malamud
Bernard Malamud was an author of novels and short stories. Along with Saul Bellow and Philip Roth, he was one of the great American Jewish authors of the 20th century. His baseball novel, The Natural, was adapted into a 1984 film starring Robert Redford...
's baseball novel The Natural
The Natural
The Natural is a 1952 novel about baseball written by Bernard Malamud. The book follows Roy Hobbs, a baseball prodigy whose career is sidetracked when he is shot by a woman who seeks to kill arrogant athletes to "better the world"...
, which was later adapted in 1984 as a film starring Robert Redford
Robert Redford
Charles Robert Redford, Jr. , better known as Robert Redford, is an American actor, film director, producer, businessman, environmentalist, philanthropist, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival. He has received two Oscars: one in 1981 for directing Ordinary People, and one for Lifetime...
. Darren McGavin
Darren McGavin
Darren McGavin was an American actor best known for playing the title role in the television horror series Kolchak: The Night Stalker and his portrayal in the film A Christmas Story of the grumpy father given to bursts of profanity that he never realizes his son overhears...
, who played the first Arthur Dales in two previous episodes, filmed two scenes before illness forced him to step down from the project. M. Emmet Walsh
M. Emmet Walsh
Michael Emmet Walsh is an American actor who has appeared in over 100 film and television productions.-Life and career:Walsh was born in Ogdensburg, New York, the son of Agnes Kathrine and Harry Maurice Walsh, Sr., a customs agent...
was called in, and the script rewritten, to accept the changes. McGavin’s scenes are included on the DVD. Instead of "The Truth Is Out There", the text that appears at the end of the opening credits is "In The Big Inning".
"Three of a Kind" is a sequel of sorts to "Unusual Suspects
Unusual Suspects
"Unusual Suspects" is the third episode of the fifth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It was written by Vince Gilligan and directed by Kim Manners and aired in the United States on November 16, 1997 on the Fox network...
", with the episode concluding the story of 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...
and Susanne Modeski, the woman who led to the creation of the trio. Also, in "Unusual Suspects", Mulder played a supporting role in the episode, but in "Three of a Kind", the concept reverses, with Scully helping out The Lone Gunmen instead. David Duchovny lent only his voice to this episode, with The Lone Gunmen electronically synthesizing Mulder's voice to convince Scully to travel to Las Vegas.
In "Arcadia
Arcadia
Arcadia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the central and eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. It takes its name from the mythological character Arcas. In Greek mythology, it was the home of the god Pan...
," the aliases of Mulder and Scully, Rob and Laura Petrie , are a direct play on the couple Rob and Laura Petrie from The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Dick Van Dyke Show is an American television sitcom that initially aired on the Columbia Broadcasting System from October 3, 1961, until June 1, 1966. The show was created by Carl Reiner and starred Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore. It was produced by Reiner with Bill Persky and Sam Denoff....
. This reference is also seen in the Season Five episode "Bad Blood
Bad Blood (The X-Files)
"Bad Blood" is the twelfth episode of the fifth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. Written by Vince Gilligan and directed by Cliff Bole, it aired in the United States on February 22, 1998 on the Fox network...
," which tells the story of a case from the differing viewpoints of the two agents; reminiscent of an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Dick Van Dyke Show is an American television sitcom that initially aired on the Columbia Broadcasting System from October 3, 1961, until June 1, 1966. The show was created by Carl Reiner and starred Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore. It was produced by Reiner with Bill Persky and Sam Denoff....
called "The Night the Roof Fell In," where Rob and Laura give two differing accounts of a fight they had.
Main cast
- David DuchovnyDavid DuchovnyDavid 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:...
as Special Agent Fox MulderFox MulderFBI 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... - Gillian AndersonGillian AndersonGillian 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...
as Special Agent Dana ScullyDana ScullyFBI 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...
Also Starring
- William B. DavisWilliam B. DavisWilliam Bruce Davis is a Canadian actor, known for his role as The Smoking Man on The X-Files. He has also appeared in Stargate SG-1 as Damaris, a Prior of the Ori and as Mayor Tate on Smallville...
as Cigarette Smoking ManCigarette Smoking ManThe Smoking Man is a fictional character and the antagonist on the American science fiction television series The X-Files. He serves as the arch-nemesis of FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder. Although his name is revealed to purportedly be C.G.B...
(4 episodes) - Chris OwensChris Owens (actor)Christopher Bradley "Chris" Owens is a Canadian actor.Owens was born in Toronto, the son of Jeannette, a jazz singer, and Garry Owens, a jazz drummer....
as Jeffrey SpenderJeffrey SpenderFBI Special agent Jeffrey Frank Spender 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. Spender was in control of the X-Files office after Fox Mulder's and Dana Scully's...
(5 episodes) - Nicholas LeaNicholas LeaNicholas 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:...
as Alex KrycekAlex KrycekAlex 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...
(4 episodes) - and Mitch PileggiMitch PileggiMitchell 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...
as Deputy Director Walter SkinnerWalter SkinnerFBI 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...
(8 episodes)
Guest Starring
Episodes
Episodes marked with an asterisk (*) are part of the series' mytharc. Episodes with a double asterisk (**) are part of the series' Alien Mythology.|-
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