files collective fifth season premiere science fiction television series files aired november fox united_states airing november episodes subsequently aired united_kingdom ireland episodes written series creator chris_carter directed helmed kim_manners second watched episode broadcast earning million viewers united_states episode received mixed negative reviews second received mixed positive reviews critics centers fbi special agents fox_mulder david_duchovny dana_scully gillian_anderson work cases linked paranormal called files episodes story continues fourth season finale follows scully helps mulder fake death effort discover members fbi trust agents individually search answer scully cancer continues immediately scully hospitalized mulder offered deal ally smoking man episode arc storyline milestone series marked episode fox_mulder loses belief extraterrestrial life revelation inside fbi tried discredit mulder scully work x-files writing episode carter wanted tie loose ends previous seasons despite episodes season aired second episodes produced unusual suspects explained origins plot background canada frozen extraterrestrial body discovered expedition team professor team leader sends ice core samples containing presumably alien dna fox_mulder mulder dana_scully gillian_anderson eventually meet employee claims mulder thinks knows aliens lie tells mulder sister abduction fabricated evidence alien biology merely scientific alien body discovered canada fake claims entire alien hoax government cover military industrial complex distraught claims mulder loses faith later fbi investigates mulder apparent suicide scully confirms unseen body identity distraught fox_mulder david_duchovny sits apartment receives phone tells listening mulder spotting small hole ceiling rushes upstairs bursts apartment kills government employee tells dana_scully gillian_anderson incident telling numerous calls fbi fbi looks situation finds body believe body mulder day scully identifies body mulder met assistant director walter_skinner mitch_pileggi tells section chief looking meets tells previous incidents leading mulder apparent suicide mulder broken mulder gone smoking man searches mulder apartment believing dead scully research phone records coming conclusion calling skinner mulder continues finding fake alien bodies inside heads tunnel pentagon finds elaborate filing system warehouse evidence warehouse smoking man seen leaving end pilot mulder ultimately tracks small metal believes contain scully cure scully fbi panel explains mulder victim elaborate conspiracy given fatal disease room present evidence nose collapses mulder brings found lone gunmen tell cure water hearing scully collapsing mulder arrives hospital scully treated able contact detained skinner fbi agents mulder brought senior agent demands information scully lied mulder death meeting mulder tells skinner traitor fbi gave scully cancer meantime smoking man meeting elder trying convince mulder join given good reason mulder later tells scully wants reveal conspiracy public leaving meets smoking man tells cure scully cancer chip included mulder took pentagon goes fbi panel denying knowledge murderer revealing son died morning claims work congressional lobbying firm known mulder sees scully doctor chip scully family skeptical particularly brother bill upset mulder scully decides ahead chip inserted neck smoking man contacts mulder arranging meeting nearby mulder meets sister samantha calls smoking man father samantha claims remember abduction reluctant stay tell mulder find day smoking man offers mulder truth fbi comes work mulder refuses mulder later meets evidence skinner information concerning death tells mulder help names skinner traitor fbi later mulder meets scully telling going deal smoking man meeting despite scully pleas refuses skinner traitor fbi mulder meets fbi panel quiet follows smoking man long barrel revolver equipped sight targeting laser mulder tells panel conspiracy scully questioned senior agent killed mulder instead names traitor fbi smoking man looking picture young mulder samantha shot quiet killed senior agent office makes appear like suicide hospital skinner meets mulder telling smoking man dead body found mulder admits named skinner reveals payroll mulder tells skinner scully cancer gone production chris_carter talking noted wanted tie lot loose ends past season play idea conspiracy hoax hide terrestrial temporal despite season premiere second episode produced season david_duchovny gillian_anderson needed filming files movie role quiet originally intended character gray haired man written new character actor unavailable role went real tagline changed lies lead truth director said crew filming impressed actor monologue detailing supposed military hoax received round applause finishing takes script speech particularly long comparing yellow pages different storylines mulder quest medical treatment scully religious faith smoking man cure dana_scully cancer normal writers add different storylines different episodes create different interpretations carter felt took idea spun interesting way episode started fox_mulder loss belief episode red black writers kept playing idea mulder loss faith fans viewers grow accept loss faith left smoking man victorious highly praised carter saying think best episodes frank_spotnitz said favorite episodes think story crystal purity clarity comes perfect point anderson said thought terrific episode especially scenes hearing room progression scully praying written shot edited fabulous reception ratings aired november fox united_states airing november earned nielsen rating share viewed million people highest rated episode season second highest watched episode terms viewers aired super bowl earned nielsen rating share viewed million people reason widely viewed previous episode created speculation mulder actually dead article wall_street_journal discussed fan theories mulder madness cartoon ran new_yorker weeks later surrounding mulder death reviews received mixed negative reviews critics todd_vanderwerff writing awarded episode rating wrote pretty good episode good episode vanderwerff noted idea mulder killed effective audience knew movie scheduled release summer finally called episode ending weaker paula_vitaris cinefantastique gave episode negative review awarded star heavily criticized story pacing noting episode plot plot plot plot unbelievable furthermore vitaris criticized plot holes episode including mulder easy entrance characters antics attack despite overall negative review vitaris mention truly scene confrontation scully skinner follows lab performing dna test robert_shearman lars_pearson book wanting believe critical guide lone gunmen rated episode star heavily criticized skinner traitor plot noting production team aren going reveal antagonist shock villain room reveal section chief character important framework series barring appearance season finale haven seen ninety episodes reviews negative book examination unauthorized look seasons files named tenth best episode time critique noted people don care think good job preparing second hour emotional context finale thanksgiving marathon containing fan selected episodes presented best mythology episode received mixed positive reviews critics zack_handlen awarded episode rating noted reservations episode story arc final entry good job investing basic ideals returning rough form status quo way exciting emotionally powerful satisfying despite forward momentum addition handlen praised david_duchovny performance stating fire episode praised second episode wrote standout hour question scully deathbed mulder meets sister lose position deal devil finale moments simply perfect good produced shearman pearson rated episode half stars noted likable little exciting predictable revealing funny comedy vitaris gave second episode slightly negative review awarded half stars criticized ending noting wrapped vitaris note makes duchovny hits right notes anger despair grief relief emotional thanksgiving marathon containing fan selected episodes presented best mythology episode
Redux (The X-Files)