gift files gift eleventh episode eighth season american science fiction television series files premiered fox network united_states february episode written frank_spotnitz directed kim_manners gift elements monster week episode entry series mythology episode received nielsen rating viewed million viewers overall episode received largely mixed reviews television critics appreciated return focus fox_mulder david_duchovny absence felt plot revelations forced season centers fbi special agents dana_scully gillian_anderson new partner following alien abduction partner mulder work cases linked paranormal called files episode comes old case professed soul hopes ultimately prove truth mulder abduction series flashbacks revealed exposure alien artifact mulder slowly dying brain disease attempt heal tracked soul year events episode felt pity creature present shot killed local sheriff soul death finally allowed die process gift featured substantial appearance duchovny season opener elected return time main character following season seven finale episode written based folklore surrounding soul gillian_anderson appear episode save stock footage later revealed grateful time allowed spend time daughter episode analyzed themes death resurrection use medicine wheel motif compared contrasted fourth season episode plot background fbi special agent fox_mulder david_duchovny currently missing having abducted aliens seventh season finale requiem partner dana_scully gillian_anderson working agent order locate shortly mulder abducted scully learned suffering brain nearing demise false lead arizona desert early year assigned x-files division continued search mulder despite lack definite leads events man face hidden camera drives enters house ominous symbol drawn blood door inside creature looks somewhat human like approaches woman mysterious man shoots creature times returns car identity finally revealed agent fox_mulder agent investigates possible lead mulder disappearance pennsylvania apparently spring mulder visited small town searching cure terminal brain disease received exposure alien artifact informed local sheriff mulder investigating case involving told sister native american legend sort creature lives woods present learns suffering terminal failure leaving notices gunshot holes wall later mulder apartment finds gun mulder kept hidden sink stone circle located town cemetery later night citizens cabin woods demanding woman living sent creature attempts escape captured walter_skinner mitch_pileggi return ask sheriff murder unidentified believes murdered mulder skinner travel cemetery discover grave dug earlier find notices coffin sheriff arrives creature revealed soul creature human disease home symbol blood door creature opens jaws wide bites suggests skinner mulder shot protect man supposed grave deep underground creature appears remains marie person shaped mold soil goes woman guarded creature woods woman implies mulder feeling sorry creature trying creature save hears noise finds trap door leading tunnels underground finds takes hospital skinner checks reports healed spontaneously returns woman woods watches creature woman explains looks way takes sickness healing process decides creature away society uses shot killed sheriff promptly buried later awakens tunnels dark corner woman dead soul revealing eating death finally allowed die struggling write report skinner checks encourages submit report mulder earlier report damage scully reputation protests scully knowledge events skinner reminds months clear know truth happened production background writing gift featured substantial appearance season settling contract dispute quit time participation seventh season order explain mulder absence duchovny character abducted aliens seventh season finale requiem rounds contractual discussions duchovny agreed return total season episodes series creator chris_carter later argued mulder series affect characterization noting characters powerful absent centers mulder eighth ninth seasons episode written executive producer frank_spotnitz intended morality tale sure episode explicit purpose reason noted going depart literal reality know going supernatural writer ask don point reason story probably going good despite largely concerned monster week gift fits series overarching mythology book released considers episode overall myth arc included dvd release volume episode touches explores mulder brain disease plot device introduced season opener largely placed series fact series revelation fact mulder exposure black oil fourth season episodes forced brain operation smoking man seventh season episode sixth extinction brain developed disease slowly killing fact mulder week recovery brain surgery point criticism sixth extinction initially aired filming gift directed kim_manners marked directing credit season opening episode eighth entry aired season actually eleventh filmed evidenced production number duchovny limited availability mulder appearances limited flashbacks technique previously filming episode aired gift filmed episode majority episode like rest seasons seven filmed los_angeles california area scenes taking place soul residence filmed farms california horse establishment filming location near town filming location previously earlier season episode patience scenes taking place undertaker residence scene featuring lone gunmen talking actually filmed set spin series eponymous bulk episode filmed director manners snippet gunmen directed directed lone gunmen episodes gunmen centric sixth season entry kind episode written require gillian_anderson result finished episode features stock footage scully anderson required film new scenes anderson later revealed extremely grateful centric episodes provided time spend time daughter attending school canada anderson insisted understand situation accommodations interview explained determined respect work weeks weeks agreed important gift episode artist company worked files soul combination actor dummy featured mouth teeth themes x-files entered eighth season human resurrection salvation disease suffering healing increasingly central focus gift episodes eighth season explore themes death resurrection sub themes emerged season premiere scully shown mulder gift theme explored mortally wounded resurrected story mulder brain explored theme reappears force found dead mulder buried months later brought life sub theme continue ninth season entries episode makes heavy use medicine wheel discovers symbol unknown grave wheel native american symbol common folklore considered sacred size shape varies usually consists central stone concentric circles stones lines coming center middle stone stone usage controversy native american scholars agree represents synthesis including concepts renewal rebirth episode symbol similar identical x-files program symbol book want believe contrasted soul gift monster week character fourth season episode episode mulder scully investigate supposed death regeneration emergency medical technician named detect cancer severed body parts reasons condition cancer sickness people metaphor let sin evil regular course life detect consume illness motives derived self appetite argues soul polar opposite takes illness order help person contrast takes illness victim process order alive reception ratings gift premiered fox united_states february episode earned nielsen household rating meaning seen nation estimated households episode viewed million households million viewers overall episode ranked 35th watched episode week ending february episode subsequently debuted united_kingdom bbc furthermore duchovny episode season opener fox heavily promoted promo spots television clip announcer noted david_duchovny returns x-files episode episode heavily promoted occurred february sweeps time nielsen processes approximately million paper diaries households country collect viewing information november episode released eighth season dvd box set reviews critical reception episode largely mixed zack_handlen awarded episode called great monster story favorite seen season far argued episode effective isn monster normal personal pulled trick tries play true nature soul hard recognize real villain handlen wrote episode forces audience identify strongly good use anderson absence felt tale soul little rushed little sloppy episode spark spark absent drive missing feeling reason wants live television pity writer rated episode applauded return duchovny writing welcome magnificent book examinations wrote mixed review episode hand praised feel episode writing ways episode brought intensity magic power x-files missing mundane seasons manner felt x-files time felt plot involving mulder terminal brain disease step noting mulder kept personal scully wrote year ago mulder dying knew truth suddenly replaced lie times called entry season engaging episodes wrote positively intriguing possibilities set final season positive manner mulder able connect mystical way critical episode placement noting worked better fourth fifth episode season opposed eighth furthermore negatively wrote revelation mulder suffering terminal brain disease calling monumental story curve bother connect dots robert_shearman lars_pearson book wanting believe critical guide lone gunmen rated episode stars despite calling episode different wrote story involving mulder satisfying addition called finale problematic featured skinner suppressing truth thematic choice goes spirit series paula_vitaris cinefantastique gave episode negative review awarded half stars vitaris criticized role noting think raging believer changed bit derided fact duchovny given little amounts screen time furthermore critical remained end episode
The Gift (The X-Files)