files person shooter thirteenth episode seventh season science fiction television series files premiered fox network united_states february episode monster week story unconnected series wider mythology person shooter earned nielsen household rating watched million people initial broadcast episode received negative reviews critics centers fbi special agents fox_mulder david_duchovny dana_scully gillian_anderson work cases linked paranormal called files mulder believer paranormal skeptical scully assigned debunk work episode lone gunmen summon mulder scully headquarters video game design company new virtual reality game gunmen helped design taken bizarre female computer character power virtual person shooter written noted authors directed series creator chris_carter addition episode serves spiritual successor gibson earlier episode kill switch gibson motivated write episode success kill switch episode featured elaborate special effects sequences nearly episode budget plot episode opens men fitted futuristic combat gear automatic weapons entering virtual reality game control room game programmers monitoring players vital signs players makes second level violent game encounters female character leather outfit introduces stating game kills player pistol fox_mulder david_duchovny dana_scully gillian_anderson visit headquarters developers california meet lone gunmen work game look body player clearly displays gunshot wound claims way real gun brought highly secured building agents shown video game featuring female character killed player mulder takes character shows detective believes killer famous computer arrives building enters game kill character cuts head hands large medieval sword mulder receives woman similar picked woman named tells agents paid medical imaging facility california scan body mulder scully find lone gunmen trapped inside somebody trying kill mulder enters game sees follows real world admits scully female warrior created sort personal outlet environment contained personal separate project character found way program scully decides join mulder game fight begins duplicate making task killing difficult finally sits atop virtual tank aims agents admits way stop game entire program despite protests gives kill command effectively destroying game saving mulder scully mulder narration control room monitors active sees avatar scully face production background writing episode notable written fellow science fiction novelist long time friend person shooter second episode written authors success fifth season episode kill switch aired february subsequently frequent appearances encouraging gibson continue working television according executive producer frank_spotnitz writing process person shooter slow initially gibson presented acts idea series creator chris_carter order feel like file process writers returned subsequent acts gibson fans lone gunmen purposely wrote episode filming casting concepts episode difficult transfer script film later explained trouble come great ideas hard execute addition budgetary challenges faced production person shooter special effects needed episode episode nearly drastically went budget order spend production crew lent virtual game video game companies wishing simply copy existing designs production designer design team created pretty pictures differentiate crews design video game companies opening action filmed food distribution company los_angeles time company owner uncle x-files producer addition warehouse downtown los_angeles filled backdrop opening scene carter later noted hardest person shooter casting suitable actress casting director looked possible avenue including porn stars erotic thriller direct video actresses settling allen role initially quality bothered carter episode filmed carter recognized allen right addition needed episode including doubles mulder martial art fight scene experienced hired scenes required execute series fourteen needed ride fire gas powered machine guns action effects tank scene created completely cgi actual footage scene background computer generated tank women designed computer special effects shots smoke explosions layered vehicle life like appearance portrayed noted action sequences episode challenge explained pretty difficult set come don worry safe worry okay safety glasses broadcast reception person shooter aired united_states february episode earned nielsen rating share meaning roughly percent television equipped households percent households watching television tuned episode viewed million viewers episode aired united_kingdom ireland june received million viewers making watched episode week fox promoted episode tagline tonight mulder scully track video game killer killing real todd_vanderwerff awarded episode largely panned calling bad likened overall experience watching person shooter feeling slowly surely letting air tires moderately pleased performances duchovny anderson writing trying criticized lack emotion episode writing person shooter considerable remarkably little drama little reason care happens characters virtual real regulars guests man hands cut bloody stumps gets sense important going awarded episode stars wrote sic oddly doesn center series mythology arc instead stab tired virtual reality genre saving grace appearance hip conspiracy episode appeared called ridiculous files monsters derided plot calling scully mulder doom expressed disappointment episode written robert_shearman lars_pearson book wanting believe critical guide lone gunmen rated episode star regardless negative press person shooter gillian_anderson favorite episodes despite reliance big guns raging anderson explained enjoyed opportunity scully wearing heavy metal firing weapons person shooter received episode written kill switch episode later won emmy awards outstanding sound mixing drama series outstanding visual effects series received nomination outstanding sound editing series
First Person Shooter (The X-Files)