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Within (The X-Files)
Encyclopedia
"Within" is the 162nd episode and the season 8
premiere of the science fiction
television series The X-Files
. The episode first aired in the United States on November 5, 2000 on the Fox Network
, and subsequently aired in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was written by executive producer Chris Carter
, and directed by Kim Manners
. The episode continues from the seventh season finale
"Requiem", where Fox Mulder
was abducted by Aliens
who are planning to colonise Earth
.
"Within" was a story milestone for the series. It introduced several new character changes for the season, including the departure of Fox Mulder
(portrayed by David Duchovny
) and the inclusion of John Doggett
(portrayed by Robert Patrick
) to the main cast. Before its release, an incomplete version of the episode was leaked on the Internet. After its release, "Within" started the season with a rise in ratings since the last season finale. The episode earned a high Nielsen household and syndication rating, and was generally well received by fans and critics alike.
, who has been deeply distraught by the alien abduction of Fox Mulder
, arrives in her partner's office to find it being searched by FBI
. She subsequently learned that newly-promoted Deputy Director
Alvin Kersh
has launched a manhunt
in search for Mulder, and that the investigation is being led by a special agent
named John Doggett
. Scully and Walter Skinner
are taken to the task force
's field office to be questioned. As Skinner is being interrogated, Scully is accosted by an unnamed person who starts asking her about Mulder. When Scully finds out that he is actually Doggett, she angrily throws water in his face.
Back at Scully's apartment, she runs a background check of Doggett on her computer, learning of his background as a former NYPD
detective. She feels sick and leaves the computer, and later on calls her mom, Margaret. When she founds out her phone is tapped, she looks outside the window to see if anyone is out there. She notices a mysterious man and runs into the hall to pursue him, but meets her landlord Mr. Coeben who tells her that he had seen Mulder.
Meanwhile, Skinner visits the Lone Gunmen
, who are monitoring UFO
activity in the United States
in the hopes of tracking down Mulder. Skinner later finds out that someone has used Mulder's FBI pass to gain access to the X-File
s, and Skinner has become the main suspect. Doggett meanwhile has gathered enough evidence to track Mulder's whereabouts before his so-called abduction. He finds out that Mulder was dying and had his name engraved in his family's gravestone to mark his death in 2000. Later on, more evidence of high UFO activity in Arizona
is found by The Lone Gunmen. Concurrently, Doggett receives information about Gibson Praise (last seen in "The End
" and "The Beginning
") when someone slips a file under his door.
Scully and Skinner leave for Arizona without giving any of their information to Doggett. At the same time, Doggett believes that to find Mulder they must first find the whereabouts of Praise. The locate him in Flemingtown, Arizona
, in the middle of the desert. By the time Doggett's taskforce arrives, he has already escaped via a window and is leaving for a desert hill top with another person.
's departure as a main character after the seventh season, Carter and most fans felt that the show was at its natural endpoint. However, it was decided that Mulder would be abducted at the end of the seventh season, leaving things open for the actor's return in 11 episodes the following year. They eventually replaced Duchovny's Mulder with Robert Patrick
's John Doggett
. Jim Engh was a member of the production crew of The X-Files and died during the filming of this episode via electrocution. Six other crew members were injured, but there were no other deaths. This episode was dedicated to his memory.
Because the script of the episode does not specify the identity of an unseen person who (in that episode) slides a file about Gibson Praise under Doggett's door, Kim Manners later had to ask the writers who the mysterious visitor was; the director was told by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz that the unseen person was actually Kersh. Robert Patrick asked the same question of Manners, around this time, but the director – not yet sure of the answer and hoping to avoid looking like an idiot – never gave the actor an answer. Patrick thought the reason that Manners was being purposefully secretive was that the director wanted Patrick to still be in wonderment as to the mysterious visitor's identity, as a device for the actor to aid his performance. Manners later teased Patrick that the reason he had not answered the question was that he had not liked Patrick at the time, prompting the actor to ask what he had done to annoy Manners on the first night of filming the episode, before the director finally admitted to Patrick what had actually happened. It is later revealed to be Alvin Kersh
in "Nothing Important Happened Today
".
Both Robert Patrick and the director of this episoode, Kim Manners
, felt that it was the perfect introduction to the character of John Doggett as the leader of the taskforce sent to find the previous main character, Fox Mulder
. Manners further stated that Patrick gave a new "sense of energy" to the show, since they had basically used the same characters for seven years. Before shooting the episode, Chris Carter
reminded Patrick various times that he had to be in "good shape". On the audio commentary
, Patrick remembers being "nervous" for the shooting of the episode, since he was a big fan of The X-Files before becoming a part of the acting crew.
The scene in which Walter Skinner
tells Doggett that he himself witnessed Mulder being taken away aboard a UFO was filmed in the second part of Patrick's first night of production on the series; this scene also represented the first time that Patrick got to work with Mitch Pileggi
.
Carter was inspired to write the scene in which Dana Scully
splashes water into Doggett's face, since he was aware that new actor Robert Patrick would be facing opposition from some members of the fan community. After the conclusion of The X-Files
television
series in 2002, Patrick commented that this part of the episode had been his favorite scene in the series, and admitted that he couldn't think of a better way to introduce his character because the scene not only said a lot, but it had actually helped him. Tom Braidwood
, who appears in this episode as long-running recurring character Frohike, similarly remarked that the first meeting of Doggett and Scully was one of his favorite scenes from the entire series.
of 9.5, with a 13 share. It was viewed by 9.7 million households and gathered a total of 15.9 million viewers in the United States
alone.
Some fans criticised the introduction of John Doggett
, claiming that the character had been intentionally created to replace previous lead Fox Mulder
's work on The X-Files. Chris Carter
responded to this with a denial of the accuracy of their claims, and further stated in an interview with National Public Radio (NPR), "What he brings is a different approach to The X-Files. First of all, he’s a knee jerk skeptic so he couldn’t be more different than the character of Mulder. He’s an insider at the FBI, well liked, has buddies. Mulder, of course, he’s been banished to the basement along with all of his X-files. So when he’s put together with Agent Scully, who has become something of a reluctant believer, the dynamic on the show changes completely". Ken Tucker from Entertainment Weekly
was positive towards the episode, saying Gillian Anderson
enacted all "her queasiness" in this episode and its follower up, "Without
". Tom Janulewicz from Space
also reacted positive towards the episode, reacting positive towards the idea of making the character of Walter Skinner
into a "true" believer.
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...
premiere 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 November 5, 2000 on the Fox Network
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 and Ireland. 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 seventh season finale
The X-Files (season 7)
The seventh season of The X-Files commenced airing in the United States on November 7, 1999, concluded on May 21, 2000, and consists of twenty-two episodes. The X-Files is an American serial science fiction-horror-thriller television series. Season seven took place after the destruction of the...
"Requiem", where 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...
was abducted by Aliens
Colonist (The X-Files)
The Colonists are an extraterrestrial species in the science fiction television show, The X-Files, as well as the first X-Files feature film. The mystery revolving around their identity and purpose is revealed across the course of the series...
who are planning to colonise 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...
.
"Within" was a story milestone for the series. It introduced several new character changes for the season, including the departure of 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...
(portrayed by 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 the inclusion of 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...
(portrayed by 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....
) to the main cast. Before its release, an incomplete version of the episode was leaked on the Internet. After its release, "Within" started the season with a rise in ratings since the last season finale. The episode earned a high Nielsen household and syndication rating, and was generally well received by fans and critics alike.
Plot overview
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...
, who has been deeply distraught by the alien abduction of 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...
, arrives in her partner's office to find it being searched by FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
. She subsequently learned that newly-promoted Deputy Director
Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is a senior United States government position in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The office is second in command to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and takes over responsibilities as Director should his/her...
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...
has launched a manhunt
Manhunt (law enforcement)
In law enforcement, a manhunt is a search for a dangerous fugitive involving the use of all available police units and technology and sometimes help from the public....
in search for Mulder, and that the investigation is being led by a 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....
named 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...
. Scully 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...
are taken to the task force
Task force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
's field office to be questioned. As Skinner is being interrogated, Scully is accosted by an unnamed person who starts asking her about Mulder. When Scully finds out that he is actually Doggett, she angrily throws water in his face.
Back at Scully's apartment, she runs a background check of Doggett on her computer, learning of his background as a former NYPD
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
detective. She feels sick and leaves the computer, and later on calls her mom, Margaret. When she founds out her phone is tapped, she looks outside the window to see if anyone is out there. She notices a mysterious man and runs into the hall to pursue him, but meets her landlord Mr. Coeben who tells her that he had seen Mulder.
Meanwhile, Skinner visits the Lone Gunmen
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...
, who are monitoring UFO
Colonist (The X-Files)
The Colonists are an extraterrestrial species in the science fiction television show, The X-Files, as well as the first X-Files feature film. The mystery revolving around their identity and purpose is revealed across the course of the series...
activity in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the hopes of tracking down Mulder. Skinner later finds out that someone has used Mulder's FBI pass to gain access to the X-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 Skinner has become the main suspect. Doggett meanwhile has gathered enough evidence to track Mulder's whereabouts before his so-called abduction. He finds out that Mulder was dying and had his name engraved in his family's gravestone to mark his death in 2000. Later on, more evidence of high UFO activity in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
is found by The Lone Gunmen. Concurrently, Doggett receives information about Gibson Praise (last seen in "The End
The End (The X-Files)
"The End" is the 20th episode of the fifth season, and 117th overall of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States and Canada on May 17, 1998. "The End" subsequently aired in the United Kingdom, Ireland and was eventually released for broadcast...
" and "The Beginning
The Beginning (The X-Files)
"The Beginning" is the first episode of the sixth season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. "The Beginning", which was the first episode of the series to be filmed in Los Angeles, features an alien loose in the Phoenix, Arizona area....
") when someone slips a file under his door.
Scully and Skinner leave for Arizona without giving any of their information to Doggett. At the same time, Doggett believes that to find Mulder they must first find the whereabouts of Praise. The locate him in Flemingtown, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, in the middle of the desert. By the time Doggett's taskforce arrives, he has already escaped via a window and is leaving for a desert hill top with another person.
Development
This episode marked the first major change to the opening credits since the show first started, with new images and updated photos for David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, and the addition of Robert Patrick to the main cast. Following David DuchovnyDavid 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:...
's departure as a main character after the seventh season, Carter and most fans felt that the show was at its natural endpoint. However, it was decided that Mulder would be abducted at the end of the seventh season, leaving things open for the actor's return in 11 episodes the following year. They eventually replaced Duchovny's Mulder with 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....
's 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...
. Jim Engh was a member of the production crew of The X-Files and died during the filming of this episode via electrocution. Six other crew members were injured, but there were no other deaths. This episode was dedicated to his memory.
Because the script of the episode does not specify the identity of an unseen person who (in that episode) slides a file about Gibson Praise under Doggett's door, Kim Manners later had to ask the writers who the mysterious visitor was; the director was told by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz that the unseen person was actually Kersh. Robert Patrick asked the same question of Manners, around this time, but the director – not yet sure of the answer and hoping to avoid looking like an idiot – never gave the actor an answer. Patrick thought the reason that Manners was being purposefully secretive was that the director wanted Patrick to still be in wonderment as to the mysterious visitor's identity, as a device for the actor to aid his performance. Manners later teased Patrick that the reason he had not answered the question was that he had not liked Patrick at the time, prompting the actor to ask what he had done to annoy Manners on the first night of filming the episode, before the director finally admitted to Patrick what had actually happened. It is later revealed to be 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...
in "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...
".
Casting and filming
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:...
, felt that it was the perfect introduction to the character of John Doggett as the leader of the taskforce sent to find the previous main character, 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...
. Manners further stated that Patrick gave a new "sense of energy" to the show, since they had basically used the same characters for seven years. Before shooting the episode, 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 :...
reminded Patrick various times that he had to be in "good shape". On the audio commentary
Audio commentary
On disc-based video formats, an audio commentary is an additional audio track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with video...
, Patrick remembers being "nervous" for the shooting of the episode, since he was a big fan of The X-Files before becoming a part of the acting crew.
The scene in which 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...
tells Doggett that he himself witnessed Mulder being taken away aboard a UFO was filmed in the second part of Patrick's first night of production on the series; this scene also represented the first time that Patrick got to work 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...
.
Carter was inspired to write the scene in which 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...
splashes water into Doggett's face, since he was aware that new actor Robert Patrick would be facing opposition from some members of the fan community. After the conclusion 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...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series in 2002, Patrick commented that this part of the episode had been his favorite scene in the series, and admitted that he couldn't think of a better way to introduce his character because the scene not only said a lot, but it had actually helped him. Tom Braidwood
Tom Braidwood
For the Scottish teacher, see Thomas Braidwood. For the Canadian judge, see Braidwood Inquiry.Tom Braidwood is a Canadian actor and director known for the role of Melvin Frohike, one of the conspiracy theorists known as the Lone Gunmen on the American television series The X-Files...
, who appears in this episode as long-running recurring character Frohike, similarly remarked that the first meeting of Doggett and Scully was one of his favorite scenes from the entire series.
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 9.5, with a 13 share. It was viewed by 9.7 million households and gathered a total of 15.9 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.
Some fans criticised the introduction of 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...
, claiming that the character had been intentionally created to replace previous lead 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 work on The X-Files. 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 :...
responded to this with a denial of the accuracy of their claims, and further stated in an interview with National Public Radio (NPR), "What he brings is a different approach to The X-Files. First of all, he’s a knee jerk skeptic so he couldn’t be more different than the character of Mulder. He’s an insider at the FBI, well liked, has buddies. Mulder, of course, he’s been banished to the basement along with all of his X-files. So when he’s put together with Agent Scully, who has become something of a reluctant believer, the dynamic on the show changes completely". Ken Tucker from 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...
was positive towards the episode, saying 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...
enacted all "her queasiness" in this episode and its follower up, "Without
Without (The X-Files)
"Without" ' is the 163rd episode of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States and Canada on November 12, 2000 on Fox and subsequently aired in the United Kingdom. It was written by executive producer Chris Carter and directed by Kim Manners...
". Tom Janulewicz from Space
Space
Space is the boundless, three-dimensional extent in which objects and events occur and have relative position and direction. Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless four-dimensional continuum...
also reacted positive towards the episode, reacting positive towards the idea of making the character of 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...
into a "true" believer.