salvage files salvage ninth episode eighth season american science fiction television series files premiered fox network january episode written directed salvage monster week story unconnected series wider mythology episode received nielsen rating viewed million viewers overall episode received largely negative reviews critics series centers fbi special agents dana_scully gillian_anderson new partner following alien abduction partner fox_mulder david_duchovny work cases linked paranormal called files episode scully encounter dead man living somewhat changed discover man metal vengeance believes created salvage loosely based iron man japanese film cult film director written cast agent film coincidentally echoes plot film judgment day patrick starred episode contains explicit reference patrick role written homage episode contained elaborate special effects sequences notably teaser man stops car body plot indiana argue death husband ray believes ray died gulf war syndrome attempting comfort starts drive home crashes man middle road car totaled man unharmed car breaks body curtis injured looks man says ray man arm curtis screams investigate crash scully suggests man stopped car points required dense block steel stop car appears asks happened curtis soon scully finds body left garbage nearby face holes remains scully concludes holes man face human fingers reached head pulled wrecked vehicle finds fresh blood ray agent goes finds employed salvage yard asks ray insists saw ray die believe ray involved curtis death later eats halfway house volunteer tries reach help completely talking salvage yard documents ray appears harry gets shotgun desk ray sliding glass door detached arm begins rebuild metal harry sight ray kills morning checks new murder scene finds interesting document goes learns smart metals metals rebuild original forms pipe dream moment phone mentions smart metals scully tells medical records cellular structure changing exposure unknown substance sees ray obituary paper watching television news story murder salvage yard decides widow scully discusses scully wonders metal man stopped arrives scientists working chamber team members surround eventually tears way chamber waits ray halfway house ray explains didn come home isn anymore ray turns angrily says got pay got pay searching salvage yard finds drum inside metal corpse scully confront admits doctor mysteriously disappeared requests barrel order ruin company slow research scully realize ray exposed barrel transformed metal human time notices lab looking files person responsible later halfway house raided fbi find finds ray puts hand mouth kills accident arrives home ray shows demanding person responsible tells man responsible ray finds harris family nearly kills realizes harris accidentally sent barrel salvage yard seeing ultimately innocent ray goes die scully believes act represented humanity production writing salvage written x-files staff writer loosely based iron man japanese film cult film director idea write episode man body completely dense metal developed bell actor cast previously played role liquid metal android assassin film judgment day fact patrick cast agent executives hope role movie appeal male demographic advertising prices based fox anticipated percent increase viewership addition patrick episode contains explicit reference patrick role written homage hearing scully theory replies saying kind metal man cause happens movies agent scully filming airing salvage began feel comfortable new role later recalled started seeing ratings numbers numbers good happy characters locations named based real individuals places scientists named friends bell engineers action based indiana bell picked location hometown grandparents effects episode metal man required stop car order create effect actor played metal man filmed green screen create illusion hit car lighting dropped gust wind fans occurred moment supposed impact scene shot different speeds cut effects like shattering glass smoke cut footage separate scene featuring car hitting green post filmed separate images producer later described scene effective reception salvage aired fox january episode earned nielsen household rating meaning seen nation estimated households episode viewed million households million viewers ranked 54th watched episode week ending january subsequently debuted united_kingdom bbc critical reception episode largely negative television pity writer rated episode criticized episode plot notably ending robert_shearman lars_pearson book wanting believe critical guide lone gunmen rated episode star noted episode characters mechanical plot writing salvage great episode bothered little depth entertaining paula_vitaris cinefantastique gave episode negative review awarded half stars vitaris referred episode assembly line monster week episode criticized failing audience truly plight vitaris praise episode noting makeup wade performance astonishing sight reviews negative todd_vanderwerff awarded episode applauded way guest star allowed episode felt emphasis scully rendered scenes boring ultimately vanderwerff noted problem halves story scully investigation ray plight largely unconnected
Salvage (The X-Files)