 In other words, it was an X-File rather than one of the cosmology shows that explore the characters".However, Gordon felt that the episode allowed him to explore the possible results of Mulder's search for the truth, echoing this in the mindset of Daniel Trepkos and the interactions between the two characters.Gordon noted that "the natural endpoint of this quest for the truth is madness", comparing Mulder's treatment of Trepkos with the events of the novel "Heart of Darkness".