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The X-Files (season 9)
Encyclopedia
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 events of the eight season
finale
, "Existence
". Mulder is in hiding during the whole season, with the exception of the series finale
, "The Truth
".
Season nine received mixed reviews by critics and garnered negative reaction from many long-time fans and viewers, partially because David Duchovny
did not make regular appearances on the show, after fulfilling his contract in the previous season. Duchovny appeared in only two episodes this season. Previous recurring character
s Monica Reyes
(Annabeth Gish
) and Walter Skinner
(Mitch Pileggi
) were billed as main characters for this season. This season follows Dana Scully
(Gillian Anderson
), John Doggett
(Robert Patrick
) and Reyes on their hunt to reveal a government conspiracy
who are creating "Super Soldiers".
Series creator Chris Carter
believed that the show could continue for another ten years with new leads, and the opening credits were accordingly redesigned again. During the airing of season eight, Carter and The X-Files production team created and aired a spinoff
titled The Lone Gunmen
. The show was unsuccessful and was cancelled before any story arcs were resolved. The episode "Jump the Shark" was created to give closure to the series.
(David Duchovny
) goes into hiding. Dana Scully
(Gillian Anderson
) is again re-assigned to the FBI Academy
and Monica Reyes
(Annabeth Gish
) becomes John Doggett
's (Robert Patrick
) new FBI partner at the X-Files office
. Doggett asks Scully for help on a case involving an EPA official, Carl Wormus (Nicholas Walker), who died after his car was forced off a bridge by a woman he picked up. Doggett and Walter Skinner
(Mitch Pileggi
) travel to a reclamation plant, to find any links between Wormus' work and death. After doing an illegal autopsy on Wormus, Alvin Kersh
(James Pickens, Jr.
) sends Brad Follmer
(Cary Elwes
) to locate Doggett. The investigation at the reclamation plant leads to an unknown woman, whose identity is later found to be Shannon McMahon (Lucy Lawless
), one of Doggett's former Marine associates. She reveals to Doggett that she is a "Super Soldier". This leads them to a clandestine laboratory where a secret experiment is taking place on board on a naval ship. They later find connections with the experiments on the ship to Scully's child, William.
Hopeful about reuniting with Mulder, a complete stranger offers his service to drive Mulder out of hiding. Scully takes the offer, but unknowingly gets herself and Mulder in even more danger. The "Shadow Man" (Terry O'Quinn
), a government agent
, follows Scully. It is then discovered that he is a "Super Soldier" bent on killing Scully and Mulder. As confirmed in this episode, a "Super Soldier"'s only weakness is magnetite
, which leads to the death of the "Shadow Man". Later on, Scully, Doggett and Reyes find evidence of a dangerous UFO cult which has found a second spacecraft similar to one Scully studied in Africa two years ago (as seen in "The Sixth Extinction
"). Misled by the FBI, the agents enlist the help of The Lone Gunmen
to protect Scully's son after they learn that the UFO cult apparently intend to kill the child. Doggett is run over by a car, leading him to be sent to the local hospital. As Follmer and the "Toothpick Man" (Alan Dale
) are trying to uncover the plans of the three agents, Scully and Reyes leaves Washington, D.C.
to find Scully's son.
Doggett finds a strange disfigured man in the X-Files office; believing he is Mulder, they test his DNA. The DNA test reveals him to have the same DNA pattern as Mulder. The disfigured man sticks a needle into William, which the other agents believe to be a virus of some kind, but is later revealed to be a cure for William's powers. The unnamed man is later unveiled to be Jeffrey Spender
(Chris Owens
), Mulder's half-brother. Mulder returns from hiding to only be discovered looking for classified information at an army base and, after allegedly killing an apparently indestructible "Super Soldier", he is placed on trial to defend the X-File
s and himself. But with the help of Kersh, Scully, Reyes, Doggett, Spender, Marita Covarrubias (Laurie Holden
) and Gibson Praise (Jeff Gulka), Mulder breaks out. Mulder and Scully travel to New Mexico
to find an old "wise man", who is later revealed to be the "Cigarette Smoking Man
" (William B. Davis
). The Smoking Man is later killed by commands from Knowle Rohrer (Adam Baldwin
). The series concludes with Skinner attempting to contact Kersh who has been forced to close down the X-Files. Doggett and Reyes are last seen driving off into the desert after aiding Mulder and Scully, who are now on the run from the FBI and are last seen together in a motel room facing an uncertain future.
members knew if creator Chris Carter
would return for another season. While encouraging for the other members of the crew to continue without him, he was not sure. But with the encouragement from Carter, several crew members started to develop new scripts for the ninth season. At the last second, Carter signed a contract with Fox for another year.
"Jump the Shark" served as the series finale of the cancelled X-Files spin-off series The Lone Gunmen. David Duchovny
returned to the show, and the opening credits, for the two-part series finale, "The Truth
". This is rare as most regulars who return to a show are usually billed as "Special Guest Stars." This also marks the most number of cast members (five) to be featured in the opening credits of the show.
The show's crew and actors had much to say about the finale, "The Truth". Chris Carter
said of the finale, "It's the end - you don't get another chance. So you'd better put everything you've ever wanted to put in into the episode. There were things to distract from what was going on. The band was breaking up." Actress Annabeth Gish
said, "It did feel like a big movie set. We were on location, there was an enormous budget, and everyone came back." William B. Davis
said, "It was great that they brought us all back in the finale, that they found a way to get us all in again." Actor Mitch Pileggi
said, "I can remember the last day on the set. We shot a scene with Gillian and myself, and that was it. And then I had to say goodbye to another family, another crew. I almost teared up, and Gillian was standing there looking at me saying 'Okay, go ahead, big guy; get through this.' It was tough." Robert Patrick
said, "It was pretty euphoric, and sad, and all those emotions you can imagine. A chapter's closing, and we're all moving on to something new and exciting. And yet we were all going to miss each other." Kim Manners
called the final scene "truly one of the most emotional experiences I've ever witnessed in my life." Former lead actor Duchovny said, "In some ways, psychically I didn't really leave. It was nice to be able to - I'm just really happy that I was able to come back and finish it."
" are changed, with the addition of Annabeth Gish
and, after 7 seasons as a recurring character, Mitch Pileggi
. As Pileggi was absent from the episode "Dæmonicus
", the opening titles were altered and only featured Gillian Anderson
, Robert Patrick
and Gish. This version was used for all the episodes in the season without Pileggi. Cary Elwes
was cast to portray the new recurring character, Brad Follmer
, an Assistant Director at the FBI. Chris Owens
again played Jeffrey Spender
, who had not made an appearance since the sixth season
episode "One Son
". Alan Dale
was also brought up to the show as a new "villain". Lucy Lawless
got the part of the "would be" recurring character Shannon McMahon, but she became pregnant after filming the season premiere, "Nothing Important Happened Today".
With the departure of Duchovny, the show garnered much criticism by fans and critics alike, saying the bond between Dana Scully
(Anderson) and Fox Mulder
(David Duchovny
) was what actually kept the show together for the first seven seasons of the show. Duchovny returned to The X-Files
with "William", serving as a director and co-writer of the episode - the episode even featured a small cameo of him at the end. Three episodes later, Duchovny returned as an actor for the series finale
, "The Truth
".
After officially announcing the cancellation of the show, Chris Carter
and his crew immediately started negotiations with Duchovny. Initially, they were unsure if Duchovny would appear in the finale, since he directed and co-wrote "William". Duchovny later on decided to return to the show in the finale. Frank Spotnitz
said, "My impression from talking to him was that he still cares about the show. He's still invested in it and certainly cares about [Mulder]. And I think he recognized that it was the best thing for the show and the audience [for him] to come back and give closure to nine years of the series."
, "The Truth
", aired, and the Fox Broadcasting Company confirmed that The X-Files was not being renewed for a tenth season. When talking about the beginning of the ninth season, Chris Carter
said, "We lost our audience on the first episode. It's like the audience had gone away, and I didn't know how to find them. I didn't want to work to get them back because I believed what we are doing deserved to have them back."
"The Truth" received the highest Nielsen household rating
and viewership numbers of the season. It earned a 7.5 rating, with a 12 share, being viewed by 7.913 million households and gathered around 16.800 viewers in total. The first episode of the season, "Nothing Important Happened Today
", gathered 6.5 rating with a 10 share, being viewed by 6.858 million households and gathered around 10.600 viewers in the United States
. "Underneath" was the least viewed episode of the season and gathered the lowest rating and share.
Sabadino Parker from PopMatters
, when commenting on the series finale, said, "It's also for the good, because The X-Files has long been but a pale reflection of the show it once was." Brian Linder from IGN
was more positive to the ninth season, saying that the series could still have aired if the writers created a new storyline for Robert Patrick
and Annabeth Gish
's character, which The X-Files crew did not do and continued what was seen by many critics as tiresome. Aaron Kinney from Salon magazine was more negative to the new season, even joking about the new female lead, calling her a "peppy new female presence." Entertainment Weekly
reviewer Ken Tucker said the show operated in what he called "quaint territory", speculating that Chris Carter
was the only one who seemed to understand the complex mytharc
. Elizabeth Weinbloom from The New York Times
concluded with, "shoddy writing notwithstanding, it was this halfhearted culmination of what was once a beautifully complicated friendship", between Mulder and Scully, ended remaining interest in what was a "waning phenomenon". Another review from The New York Times said of the show, "The most imaginative show on television has finally reached the limits of its imagination."
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United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on November 11, 2001, concluded on May 19, 2002, and consists of twenty episodes. 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...
is an American serial
Serial (radio and television)
Serials are series of television programs and radio programs that rely on a continuing plot that unfolds in a sequential episode by episode fashion. Serials typically follow main story arcs that span entire television seasons or even the full run of the series, which distinguishes them from...
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...
-horror-thriller television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
. Season nine took place after 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...
's leave
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...
after the events of the eight season
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
Season finale
A season finale is the final episode of a season of a television program...
, "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...
". Mulder is in hiding during the whole season, with the exception of the series finale
Series finale
A series finale refers to the last installment of a series with a narrative presented through mediums such as television, film and literature. In many Commonwealth countries, the term final episode is commonly used in regards to a television series...
, "The Truth
The Truth (The X-Files)
"The Truth" is the collective name for the 201st and 202nd, and final, episodes of the science fiction television series The X-Files. They first aired in the United States on May 19, 2002 on Fox in the United States and Canada. "The Truth" subsequently aired in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It...
".
Season nine received mixed reviews by critics and garnered negative reaction from many long-time fans and viewers, partially because 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:...
did not make regular appearances on the show, after fulfilling his contract in the previous season. Duchovny appeared in only two episodes this season. Previous recurring character
Recurring character
A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who appears from time to time during the series' run. Recurring characters often play major roles in an episode, sometimes being the main focus...
s 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...
(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...
) and 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...
(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...
) were billed as main characters for this season. This season follows 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...
(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...
), 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....
) and Reyes on their hunt to reveal a government conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
who are creating "Super Soldiers".
Series creator 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 :...
believed that the show could continue for another ten years with new leads, and the opening credits were accordingly redesigned again. During the airing of season eight, Carter and The X-Files production team created and aired a spinoff
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
titled The Lone Gunmen
The Lone Gunmen (TV series)
The Lone Gunmen is a television show created by Chris Carter and broadcast on FOX. It was a spin-off of Carter's popular long-running television series The X-Files and a part of The X-Files franchise, starring several of the show's characters. The Lone Gunmen was first broadcast in March 2001 and,...
. The show was unsuccessful and was cancelled before any story arcs were resolved. The episode "Jump the Shark" was created to give closure to the series.
Plot overview
After what happened during the season finale of season eight, Fox MulderFox 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...
(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:...
) goes into hiding. 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...
(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...
) is again re-assigned to the FBI Academy
FBI Academy
The FBI Academy, located in Quantico, Virginia, is the training site for new Special Agents of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was first opened for use in 1972 on 385 acres of woodland. It is a relatively small government academy, housing three dormitory buildings and...
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...
(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...
) becomes 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...
's (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....
) new FBI partner at the X-Files office
X-file
On the television series The X-Files, an X-File is a fictional case that has been deemed unsolvable by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The files constitute an unassigned project outside the Bureau mainstream that is more or less concerned with unexplained phenomena. -First X-Files:The very...
. Doggett asks Scully for help on a case involving an EPA official, Carl Wormus (Nicholas Walker), who died after his car was forced off a bridge by a woman he picked up. Doggett and 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...
(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...
) travel to a reclamation plant, to find any links between Wormus' work and death. After doing an illegal autopsy on Wormus, Alvin Kersh
Alvin Kersh
Alvin D. Kersh is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction series about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of extraterrestrial existence...
(James Pickens, Jr.
James Pickens, Jr.
James Pickens, Jr. is an American actor. He is best known for his starring role as Dr. Richard Webber on the ABC drama television series Grey's Anatomy, and for his supporting role as Deputy Director Alvin Kersh on later seasons of the Fox Network science fiction series The X-Files.- Early life...
) sends Brad Follmer
Brad Follmer
FBI Assistant Director Brad D. Follmer is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction series about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Follmer was introduced during the last season of the show, as an ex-lover to main...
(Cary Elwes
Cary Elwes
Ivan Simon Cary Elwes , known professionally as Cary Elwes, is an English actor. The son of Dominick Elwes and Tessa Georgina Kennedy, Elwes acted in off-Broadway plays during college and moved to the United States in the early 1980s. He is known for his role as Westley in the cult classic The...
) to locate Doggett. The investigation at the reclamation plant leads to an unknown woman, whose identity is later found to be Shannon McMahon (Lucy Lawless
Lucy Lawless
Lucy Lawless, MNZM is a New Zealander actress and singer best known for playing the title character of the internationally successful television series Xena: Warrior Princess....
), one of Doggett's former Marine associates. She reveals to Doggett that she is a "Super Soldier". This leads them to a clandestine laboratory where a secret experiment is taking place on board on a naval ship. They later find connections with the experiments on the ship to Scully's child, William.
| "The show has been Mulder's quest for the truth. It was that for seven years and for part of the eighth year. But I really think that with the introduction of John Doggett last year, [...] a baton was passed [...] literally he [Mulder] handed over the X-Files office to Doggett." |
| — Frank Spotnitz Frank Spotnitz Frank Spotnitz is an award-winning American television writer and producer, best known for his work on The X-Files television series.-Biography:... talking about the possibility of a "Mulder-less" season. |
Hopeful about reuniting with Mulder, a complete stranger offers his service to drive Mulder out of hiding. Scully takes the offer, but unknowingly gets herself and Mulder in even more danger. The "Shadow Man" (Terry O'Quinn
Terry O'Quinn
Terry O'Quinn is an American actor, most famous for playing John Locke on the TV series Lost. He made his debut in a 1980 television movie called F.D.R.: The Last Year. Since then, O'Quinn has had minor supporting roles in films and TV movies such as Young Guns, All the Right Moves, Silver Bullet,...
), a government agent
Syndicate
A syndicate is a self-organizing group of individuals, companies or entities formed to transact some specific business, or to promote a common interest or in the case of criminals, to engage in organized crime...
, follows Scully. It is then discovered that he is a "Super Soldier" bent on killing Scully and Mulder. As confirmed in this episode, a "Super Soldier"'s only weakness is magnetite
Magnetite
Magnetite is a ferrimagnetic mineral with chemical formula Fe3O4, one of several iron oxides and a member of the spinel group. The chemical IUPAC name is iron oxide and the common chemical name is ferrous-ferric oxide. The formula for magnetite may also be written as FeO·Fe2O3, which is one part...
, which leads to the death of the "Shadow Man". Later on, Scully, Doggett and Reyes find evidence of a dangerous UFO cult which has found a second spacecraft similar to one Scully studied in Africa two years ago (as seen in "The Sixth Extinction
The Sixth Extinction
"The Sixth Extinction" is the first episode of the seventh season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. In "The Sixth Extinction" Assistant Director Skinner tries to discover what is wrong with Mulder while Scully investigates the mysterious alien artifact on the African coastline.-...
"). Misled by the FBI, the agents enlist the help 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...
to protect Scully's son after they learn that the UFO cult apparently intend to kill the child. Doggett is run over by a car, leading him to be sent to the local hospital. As Follmer and the "Toothpick Man" (Alan Dale
Alan Dale
Alan Hugh Dale is a New Zealand actor. As a child, Dale developed a love of theatre and also became a rugby player. After retiring from the sport he took on a number of professions to support his family, before deciding to become a professional actor at the age of 27. With work limited in New...
) are trying to uncover the plans of the three agents, Scully and Reyes leaves Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to find Scully's son.
Doggett finds a strange disfigured man in the X-Files office; believing he is Mulder, they test his DNA. The DNA test reveals him to have the same DNA pattern as Mulder. The disfigured man sticks a needle into William, which the other agents believe to be a virus of some kind, but is later revealed to be a cure for William's powers. The unnamed man is later unveiled to be Jeffrey Spender
Jeffrey Spender
FBI 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...
(Chris Owens
Chris 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....
), Mulder's half-brother. Mulder returns from hiding to only be discovered looking for classified information at an army base and, after allegedly killing an apparently indestructible "Super Soldier", he is placed on trial to defend the X-File
X-file
On the television series The X-Files, an X-File is a fictional case that has been deemed unsolvable by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The files constitute an unassigned project outside the Bureau mainstream that is more or less concerned with unexplained phenomena. -First X-Files:The very...
s and himself. But with the help of Kersh, Scully, Reyes, Doggett, Spender, Marita Covarrubias (Laurie Holden
Laurie Holden
Heather Laurie Holden is an American-Canadian actress and human rights activist. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Marita Covarrubias in The X-Files, Adele Stanton on The Majestic, Cybil Bennett in Silent Hill, Amanda Dumfries in The Mist, Olivia Murray in The Shield, and Andrea in The...
) and Gibson Praise (Jeff Gulka), Mulder breaks out. Mulder and Scully travel to New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
to find an old "wise man", who is later revealed to be the "Cigarette Smoking Man
Cigarette Smoking Man
The 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...
" (William B. Davis
William B. Davis
William 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...
). The Smoking Man is later killed by commands from Knowle Rohrer (Adam Baldwin
Adam Baldwin
Adam Baldwin is an American actor, known for his roles as Animal Mother in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, Ricky Linderman in My Bodyguard, Knowle Rohrer in The X-Files, and Marcus Hamilton in Joss Whedon's Angel...
). The series concludes with Skinner attempting to contact Kersh who has been forced to close down the X-Files. Doggett and Reyes are last seen driving off into the desert after aiding Mulder and Scully, who are now on the run from the FBI and are last seen together in a motel room facing an uncertain future.
Development
Before greenlighting a ninth season, neither the Fox Network nor any of the Ten Thirteen ProductionsTen Thirteen Productions
Ten Thirteen Productions is a production company founded by Chris Carter in 1993, which produced four television series and two films . The company was named after Carter's birthday, October 13...
members knew if creator 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 :...
would return for another season. While encouraging for the other members of the crew to continue without him, he was not sure. But with the encouragement from Carter, several crew members started to develop new scripts for the ninth season. At the last second, Carter signed a contract with Fox for another year.
"Jump the Shark" served as the series finale of the cancelled X-Files spin-off series The Lone Gunmen. 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:...
returned to the show, and the opening credits, for the two-part series finale, "The Truth
The Truth (The X-Files)
"The Truth" is the collective name for the 201st and 202nd, and final, episodes of the science fiction television series The X-Files. They first aired in the United States on May 19, 2002 on Fox in the United States and Canada. "The Truth" subsequently aired in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It...
". This is rare as most regulars who return to a show are usually billed as "Special Guest Stars." This also marks the most number of cast members (five) to be featured in the opening credits of the show.
The show's crew and actors had much to say about the finale, "The Truth". 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 :...
said of the finale, "It's the end - you don't get another chance. So you'd better put everything you've ever wanted to put in into the episode. There were things to distract from what was going on. The band was breaking up." Actress 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...
said, "It did feel like a big movie set. We were on location, there was an enormous budget, and everyone came back." William B. Davis
William B. Davis
William 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...
said, "It was great that they brought us all back in the finale, that they found a way to get us all in again." Actor 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...
said, "I can remember the last day on the set. We shot a scene with Gillian and myself, and that was it. And then I had to say goodbye to another family, another crew. I almost teared up, and Gillian was standing there looking at me saying 'Okay, go ahead, big guy; get through this.' It was tough." 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....
said, "It was pretty euphoric, and sad, and all those emotions you can imagine. A chapter's closing, and we're all moving on to something new and exciting. And yet we were all going to miss each other." 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:...
called the final scene "truly one of the most emotional experiences I've ever witnessed in my life." Former lead actor Duchovny said, "In some ways, psychically I didn't really leave. It was nice to be able to - I'm just really happy that I was able to come back and finish it."
Casting
The style of the opening credits in "Nothing Important Happened TodayNothing Important Happened Today
"Nothing Important Happened Today" is the collective name for the 182nd and 183rd episodes of the science fiction television series The X-Files. Part 1 first aired on November 11 and Part 2 aired on November 18, 2001 on Fox in the United States and Canada. Both episodes subsequently aired in the...
" are changed, with the addition of 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...
and, after 7 seasons as a recurring character, 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...
. As Pileggi was absent from the episode "Dæmonicus
Dæmonicus
"Dæmonicus" is the 185th episode of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States and Canada on December 2, 2001 on Fox and subsequently aired in the United Kingdom. It was written and directed by executive producer Frank Spotnitz...
", the opening titles were altered and only featured 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...
, 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....
and Gish. This version was used for all the episodes in the season without Pileggi. Cary Elwes
Cary Elwes
Ivan Simon Cary Elwes , known professionally as Cary Elwes, is an English actor. The son of Dominick Elwes and Tessa Georgina Kennedy, Elwes acted in off-Broadway plays during college and moved to the United States in the early 1980s. He is known for his role as Westley in the cult classic The...
was cast to portray the new recurring character, Brad Follmer
Brad Follmer
FBI Assistant Director Brad D. Follmer is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction series about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Follmer was introduced during the last season of the show, as an ex-lover to main...
, an Assistant Director at the FBI. Chris Owens
Chris 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....
again played Jeffrey Spender
Jeffrey Spender
FBI 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...
, who had not made an appearance since the sixth season
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...
episode "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...
". Alan Dale
Alan Dale
Alan Hugh Dale is a New Zealand actor. As a child, Dale developed a love of theatre and also became a rugby player. After retiring from the sport he took on a number of professions to support his family, before deciding to become a professional actor at the age of 27. With work limited in New...
was also brought up to the show as a new "villain". Lucy Lawless
Lucy Lawless
Lucy Lawless, MNZM is a New Zealander actress and singer best known for playing the title character of the internationally successful television series Xena: Warrior Princess....
got the part of the "would be" recurring character Shannon McMahon, but she became pregnant after filming the season premiere, "Nothing Important Happened Today".
| "I have been busy for eight years and I just want to take some time off and figure out what I want to do next." |
| — 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:... talking about returning to The X-Files for another season. |
With the departure of Duchovny, the show garnered much criticism by fans and critics alike, saying the bond between 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...
(Anderson) and 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...
(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:...
) was what actually kept the show together for the first seven seasons of the show. Duchovny returned to 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...
with "William", serving as a director and co-writer of the episode - the episode even featured a small cameo of him at the end. Three episodes later, Duchovny returned as an actor for the series finale
Series finale
A series finale refers to the last installment of a series with a narrative presented through mediums such as television, film and literature. In many Commonwealth countries, the term final episode is commonly used in regards to a television series...
, "The Truth
The Truth (The X-Files)
"The Truth" is the collective name for the 201st and 202nd, and final, episodes of the science fiction television series The X-Files. They first aired in the United States on May 19, 2002 on Fox in the United States and Canada. "The Truth" subsequently aired in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It...
".
After officially announcing the cancellation of the show, 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 his crew immediately started negotiations with Duchovny. Initially, they were unsure if Duchovny would appear in the finale, since he directed and co-wrote "William". Duchovny later on decided to return to the show in the finale. Frank Spotnitz
Frank Spotnitz
Frank Spotnitz is an award-winning American television writer and producer, best known for his work on The X-Files television series.-Biography:...
said, "My impression from talking to him was that he still cares about the show. He's still invested in it and certainly cares about [Mulder]. And I think he recognized that it was the best thing for the show and the audience [for him] to come back and give closure to nine years of the series."
Reception
On May 19, 2002, the series finaleSeries finale
A series finale refers to the last installment of a series with a narrative presented through mediums such as television, film and literature. In many Commonwealth countries, the term final episode is commonly used in regards to a television series...
, "The Truth
The Truth (The X-Files)
"The Truth" is the collective name for the 201st and 202nd, and final, episodes of the science fiction television series The X-Files. They first aired in the United States on May 19, 2002 on Fox in the United States and Canada. "The Truth" subsequently aired in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It...
", aired, and the Fox Broadcasting Company confirmed that The X-Files was not being renewed for a tenth season. When talking about the beginning of the ninth season, 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 :...
said, "We lost our audience on the first episode. It's like the audience had gone away, and I didn't know how to find them. I didn't want to work to get them back because I believed what we are doing deserved to have them back."
"The Truth" received the highest Nielsen household rating
Nielsen 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...
and viewership numbers of the season. It earned a 7.5 rating, with a 12 share, being viewed by 7.913 million households and gathered around 16.800 viewers in total. The first episode of the season, "Nothing Important Happened Today
Nothing Important Happened Today
"Nothing Important Happened Today" is the collective name for the 182nd and 183rd episodes of the science fiction television series The X-Files. Part 1 first aired on November 11 and Part 2 aired on November 18, 2001 on Fox in the United States and Canada. Both episodes subsequently aired in the...
", gathered 6.5 rating with a 10 share, being viewed by 6.858 million households and gathered around 10.600 viewers in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. "Underneath" was the least viewed episode of the season and gathered the lowest rating and share.
Sabadino Parker from PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
, when commenting on the series finale, said, "It's also for the good, because The X-Files has long been but a pale reflection of the show it once was." Brian Linder from IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
was more positive to the ninth season, saying that the series could still have aired if the writers created a new storyline for 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....
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...
's character, which The X-Files crew did not do and continued what was seen by many critics as tiresome. Aaron Kinney from Salon magazine was more negative to the new season, even joking about the new female lead, calling her a "peppy new female presence." Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
reviewer Ken Tucker said the show operated in what he called "quaint territory", speculating that 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 :...
was the only one who seemed to understand the complex mytharc
Mythology of The X-Files
The mythology of The X-Files, sometimes referred to as its mytharc by the show's staff and fans, follows the quest of FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder , a believer in supernatural phenomena, and Dana Scully , his skeptical partner. Their boss, FBI Assistant Director Walter Skinner was also often...
. Elizabeth Weinbloom from The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
concluded with, "shoddy writing notwithstanding, it was this halfhearted culmination of what was once a beautifully complicated friendship", between Mulder and Scully, ended remaining interest in what was a "waning phenomenon". Another review from The New York Times said of the show, "The most imaginative show on television has finally reached the limits of its imagination."
Main cast
- 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... - Robert PatrickRobert PatrickRobert Hammond Patrick, Jr. is an American actor, known for his leading and supporting roles in a number of films and television shows....
as Special Agent John DoggettJohn DoggettFBI 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... - Annabeth GishAnnabeth GishAnnabeth 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...
as Special Agent Monica ReyesMonica ReyesSpecial 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... - 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 Assistant 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...
Recurring cast
- James Pickens, Jr.James Pickens, Jr.James Pickens, Jr. is an American actor. He is best known for his starring role as Dr. Richard Webber on the ABC drama television series Grey's Anatomy, and for his supporting role as Deputy Director Alvin Kersh on later seasons of the Fox Network science fiction series The X-Files.- Early life...
as Alvin KershAlvin KershAlvin D. Kersh is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction series about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of extraterrestrial existence...
(7 episodes) - Cary ElwesCary ElwesIvan Simon Cary Elwes , known professionally as Cary Elwes, is an English actor. The son of Dominick Elwes and Tessa Georgina Kennedy, Elwes acted in off-Broadway plays during college and moved to the United States in the early 1980s. He is known for his role as Westley in the cult classic The...
as FBI Asst. Director Brad FollmerBrad FollmerFBI Assistant Director Brad D. Follmer is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction series about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Follmer was introduced during the last season of the show, as an ex-lover to main...
(6 episodes) - 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 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...
(2 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...
(2 episodes) - Laurie HoldenLaurie HoldenHeather Laurie Holden is an American-Canadian actress and human rights activist. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Marita Covarrubias in The X-Files, Adele Stanton on The Majestic, Cybil Bennett in Silent Hill, Amanda Dumfries in The Mist, Olivia Murray in The Shield, and Andrea in The...
as Marita Covarrubias (1 episode)
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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