x-files season fourth season american science fiction television series files commenced airing fox network united_states october concluding channel contained episodes following filming airing season production began x-files feature film released following fifth season fourth season series focuses heavily fbi federal agents fox_mulder david_duchovny partner dana_scully gillian_anderson investigation alien conspiracy protected mysterious syndicate midway season scully diagnosed terminal cancer result previous abduction mulder begins lose faith idea debuting high viewing figures ranking twentieth watched television series television year united_states season success figures averaging million viewers episode time highest rated season files air season twelfth episode chosen fox lead program following super bowl viewed million viewers making highest rated episode series run critical reception television critics positive plot overview centers fbi special agents fox_mulder david_duchovny dana_scully gillian_anderson work cases linked paranormal called files syndicate suspect members passing information mulder scully organize trap find leak information safety mulder mother bait role informant discovered shot dead able pass informant use mulder special representative secretary general united_nations aid sought mulder attempts reach russia investigate source black oil contamination whilst mulder held successful test subject black oil escapes able return america having found working russians having diagnosed cancer scully unsure future fbi mulder convinced condition result earlier abduction ascension prepared deal syndicate find cure walter_skinner mitch_pileggi secretly makes deal instead pursued assassin responsible hoax alien corpse discovered mulder suicide assassin face provide body uses distraction offers infiltrate pentagon find cure scully cancer scully able uncover reveal syndicate connection fbi production writing season saw drastic changes series alien mythology premiere episode williams actor played mulder informant written said carter called personally said got good news got bad news good news gon bring episode week bad news gon bullet writers created new character function mulder informant carter felt interesting mulder contact woman noting wanted suspicion mulder involved romantically introduced killer bees play larger film carter described fourth season maybe intense difficult season season notable introduced story arc scully developing terminal cancer resolved beginning fifth season producers decided gillian_anderson character dana_scully cancer early season carter initially discussed giving scully mother cancer decided scully suffer instead carter felt interesting platform discuss things faith science health care certain element paranormal writing staff felt decision poor citing cheap thing frank_spotnitz felt given appearances cancer stricken previous episodes scully follow suit following cancellation fox television series space carter called series creators previously writers seasons x-files asked wanted rejoin series morgan told carter rejoin episodes use members cast space world finally carter accepted condition provided seasons episodes filming season finale notable entire set created emulated constructed inside warehouse previously cold storage required use lumber square feet set expensive elaborate built series history set required constant temperature order maintain real snow ice allowed actors breath visibly fog allowed cast place feels real aid acting outdoor scenes episode filmed vancouver weather conditions making shooting difficult require extra day work series movie place events fifth season movie actually filmed hiatus fourth fifth season shoots conducted filming fifth season crew series creator chris_carter served executive producer showrunner wrote episodes continued executive producer wrote episodes final season series promoted producer wrote seven episodes promoted producer wrote episodes x-files writers returned season absence series consulting producers wrote episodes morgan writing additional episode solo directed promoted story editor wrote episodes joined mid season executive producer wrote episode season series writing team wrote freelance episode executive producer frequent series director wrote episode series producers included producer producer consulting producer joined series season producing directors included kim_manners directed bulk episodes season manners directed episodes directed seven executive producer directed season premiere finale directed episodes series writer directed episode cast main cast david_duchovny special agent fox_mulder episodes gillian_anderson special agent dana_scully episodes appear zero sum recurring cast starring mitch_pileggi assistant director walter_skinner episodes episodes guest starring episodes episodes marked double dagger episodes mythology files alien story arc reception ratings fourth season x-files debuted october episode earned nielsen rating share meaning roughly percent television equipped households percent households watching television tuned episode episode viewed million people marked increase season finale viewed million viewers time highest rated episode x-files air episode series watched million viewers season continued ratings began drop slightly approximately million viewers episode season hit high twelfth episode chosen fox lead program following super bowl episode viewed million viewers making highest rated episode series run season hit low fifteenth sixteenth episodes respectively viewed million viewers season finale earned nielsen rating share viewed viewers marking percent drop viewers compared season premiere percent increase viewers compared previous season finale season ranked twelfth watched television series year average million viewers making time highest rated season files air reviews fourth season x-files received largely positive reviews television critics critics noted season good predecessors noted x-files fourth year creatively good fascinating frustrating wrote fox sunday block real usa today wrote fourth season series best year good x-files great zack_handlen gave overall positive review season wrote episodes contended mythology episodes especially season finale began ring familiarity repetition getting old episodic reviews diverse episodes praised robert_shearman lars_pearson book wanting believe critical guide lone gunmen rated episodes home cigarette smoking man paper hearts small potatoes stars awarded cigarette smoking man paper hearts small potatoes perfect scores named fourth best episode series writing definitive example mulder scully devotion wrote highly home paper hearts small potatoes ranking fifth eleventh sixteenth fourth best episodes x-files respectively episodes derided shearman pearson called latin american culture rubbish vitaris slight story collapses weight message created intense media speculation mulder actually dead article wall_street_journal discussed fan theories mulder madness cartoon ran new_yorker weeks later surrounding mulder death series creator chris_carter noted plot line revolved hoax actually huge revelations amazing thing people believe mulder actually kill belief system stolen listed episode number countdown best season noting core series entire mythology accolades fourth season earned series primetime emmy award nominations wins anderson won outstanding lead actress drama series nominated previous year episodes won outstanding art direction series outstanding sound editing series respectively notable nominations included consecutive nomination outstanding drama series duchovny nomination outstanding lead actor drama series nominated outstanding directing drama series cigarette smoking man carter nominated drama series nominations heather nominated outstanding editing series single camera production episodes respectively series outstanding sound mixing drama series nominated paper hearts series won second golden globe award best television series drama gillian_anderson david_duchovny won television series drama acting categories dvd release
The X-Files (season 4)