files zero sum episode fourth season american science fiction television series files premiered fox network april directed kim_manners written frank_spotnitz zero sum included appearances episode helped explore overarching mythology fictional history x-files zero sum earned nielsen household rating watched million people initial broadcast episode received mixed positive responses critics centers fbi special agents fox_mulder david_duchovny dana_scully gillian_anderson work cases linked paranormal called files episode case mulder asked investigate covered agents boss walter_skinner mitch_pileggi sinister bargain smoking man davis decision center episode skinner following season episode avatar gillian_anderson took week shoot film mighty duchovny carry additional workload writing staff decided focus episode supporting cast members zero sum final appearance series addition episode saw return virus carrying bees season opener later return feature film plot postal routing center vienna virginia woman killed bees bathroom taking cigarette break assistant director walter_skinner mitch_pileggi working smoking man william davis covers death file case agent fox_mulder david_duchovny computer cleaning evidence scene burning woman body replacing police blood sample case posing mulder leaves police station skinner chased believes mulder skinner tells case involvement leaves shortly skinner arrives home met mulder tells case fact going great lengths cover mulder reveals detective thomas killed skinner mulder tells skinner scully undergoing tests cancer later night skinner meets smoking man accompanied thomas murderer skinner angry thomas killed wants end arrangement smoking man refuses allow mulder calls skinner telling woman body burned blood evidence mulder tells skinner trying match bullet killed thomas gun issued federal agent local officer skinner searches realizes gun missing murder skinner realizing set calls smoking man confirms thomas killed skinner gun going police skinner end murder smoking man refuses provide details covering skinner returns routing center tears hole bathroom wall finds large dead bees visits look bees told mulder visited months ago similar subject skinner finds mulder file matter copying contact information mulder tells skinner bank near police station took picture detective shows skinner picture obscured mulder identify skinner calls evidence provide time killed bees day mulder skinner look body infected smallpox transmitted bees skinner visits worker postal worker died tells pressured happened men demanded damaged package photo lab mulder photo reveals skinner identity smoking man meets syndicate responsible bees soon afterward bees attacks school columbia south_carolina teachers dies result skinner heads hospital met demands know knows matter tells believes bees carrier sort experiment skinner returns home confronted mulder suspects skinner working time skinner able convince mulder forced lock open murderer convinced skinner evidence mulder turns gun serial number filed skinner blamed murder night skinner confronts smoking man apartment angry scully smoking man convinces scully die kills skinner leaves killing firing warning shots shortly calls smoking man tells tell mulder wants hear unknown man shown listening phone production writer frank_spotnitz described episode fortunate accident late fourth season gillian_anderson left week film film mighty producers knowing write episode dana_scully decided fair david_duchovny carry workload normal episode considering absence story devised involvement light resulted decision write second year row episode focused assistant director walter_skinner mitch_pileggi having written previous episode avatar joined wrote episode weekend gordon written episode production writers felt perfect time bring skinner deal smoking man cure scully cancer episode frank_spotnitz said skinner deal hard thing skinner middle tell mulder bargain smoking man order save scully life struck bargain debt kind writing staff felt zero sum logical place bring bees season premiere feeling important paranormal happen skinner episode considering previous season live bees filming showed poorly footage visual effects technician spent days digitally enhancing footage improve virus carrying bees later form central plot point series feature film adaptation director kim_manners noted episode good got chance work wrote great script know sink teeth great job fabulous second episode series feature scully second season episode guest actor portraying syndicate assassin makes appearance series episode previously appeared avatar broadcast reception zero sum premiered fox network april broadcast united_kingdom bbc february episode earned nielsen household rating share meaning roughly percent television equipped households percent households watching television tuned episode total million viewers watched episode original airing episode received mixed positive responses critics zack_handlen writing rated episode calling utterly bad ass handlen felt episode effectively series usual narrative structure making lead character fox_mulder nearly antagonist smoking man handlen felt zero sum gave significant insight character walter_skinner paula_vitaris writing cinefantastique rated zero sum half stars noting pacing tone vitaris felt duchovny good performances despite unintentionally comic times noted episode scully feels pretty robert_shearman lars_pearson book wanting believe critical guide lone gunmen rated episode stars noting looks comfortable year showcase avatar shearman pearson felt episode attempts tie wider storylines appearance particular noting success lies shock value seeing deliberately familiar story fractured view character
Zero Sum (The X-Files)