files nineteenth episode fourth season american science fiction television series files written directed episode aired united_states april fox network episode monster week story stand plot unconnected series wider mythology earned nielsen rating watched million people initial broadcast episode received mixed positive reviews television critics centers fbi special agents fox_mulder david_duchovny dana_scully gillian_anderson work cases linked paranormal called files episode mulder scully investigate murder suspect presents incredible death old man able future investigating case duo discover increasingly bizarre series events leads mulder believe time travel involved gordon wrote episode inspired article time travel quantum physics idea scientist trying stop invention terrible inspired manhattan_project physicist complained atomic bombings japan plot cambridge massachusetts mit researchers embroiled argument walk city street approached old man warns run bus evening ignores man arrested campus security prophecy proven true jason tries fails save promptly run bus killed exact time fox_mulder david_duchovny dana_scully gillian_anderson investigate case learning jason taken custody bus driver told police pushed path vehicle jason tells authorities trying save security guard arrested old man found frozen death exposure chemical mulder interviews jason explains threatened public claim jason data research paper old man kills japanese researcher metallic stylus introducing unknown chemical body agents approach girlfriend colleague recognizes chemical compound rapid freezing agent jason engineering years claims compound invented injected chemical dead lisa help scully team medical personnel successfully body temperature rapidly increase bursts flames police receive tip old man living nearby hotel inside old man room agents discover faded color photograph jason lisa champagne glasses lab mulder realizes picture old man time traveller attempting alter future lisa elderly man confronts chemical explaining lisa responsible coming future scully successfully lisa jason confronts elderly self computer room lab old man erased jason files computer old man tells jason success research time travel possible world chaos jason old man wrapping arms younger self old man bursts flames fire later lisa sets work lab attempting reconstruct chemical compound development chris_carter finished work carter introduced gordon added x-files producers asked duo create script upcoming episode gordon got difficulties creating good plot initially worked involving prisoner gets free changing body man eventually discarded gordon felt similar episodes written eventually duo saw article time travel decided work following magazine reports classical physics allow temporal displacement happen quantum physics allow possibility gordon decided time travel files way best way guy turns added plot scientist trying stop developments occurring scientist character inspired story gordon heard manhattan_project physicist atomic bombings japan writer wondered past bomb found philosophical question jason motivation halt research life unknown discovering maybe people knew happen create new set need stopped script took week writing sessions daily hours contributions frank_spotnitz gordon reworking weekend shooting began vancouver including removal useless characters included stephen inspired scientist wheelchair david_duchovny declared scenes created production know audience understood happening gordon stated end think worked getting difficult experience hard gordon consider giving delivering script eventually swore work time travel reception originally aired fox network april episode earned nielsen rating share meaning roughly percent television equipped households percent households watching television tuned episode viewed million viewers zack_handlen rated episode handlen considered pieces favorite kind episode doesn work emotional detachment care scientists story finding old jason actions paula_vitaris cinefantastique gave stars considering episode effective moments complaining plot holes particularly compelling supporting characters feeling time travel takes away reality foundation robert_shearman lars_pearson book wanting believe critical guide lone gunmen rated episode half stars praising high concept told called episode solid despite flaws script fully exploring concept potential time travel
Synchrony (The X-Files)