christmas christmas carol sixth episode fifth season american science fiction television series files written frank_spotnitz directed episode explores series overarching mythology episode premiered united_states december fox network earning nielsen household rating watched million people initial broadcast received moderately positive reviews television critics complimenting gillian_anderson performance 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 scully christmas vacation family receives mysterious phone leads case involving little girl believes daughter dead sister christmas carol story concludes episode seven emily episode inspired british film starring young actress originally played emily terrified hospital setting episode sequel emily result producers recast role footage featuring including scene featured episode gillian_anderson younger sister chosen play scully flashback sequence plot dana_scully gillian_anderson mother visit brother bill pregnant wife christmas time scully answers phone person line sounds like dead sister tells needs help scully traces nearby home san_diego group investigating suicide woman lead detective tells scully impossible died telephone night dinner scully reveals mother abduction cancer unable bear children scully flashes child hid pet rabbit brother die scully receives telephone person cell phone home husband marshall meeting dark suited men inside house desire listen help scully figure going scully visits wanting look suicide despite fact police think simple suicide scully finds striking resemblance daughter emily sister age scully flashes funeral attended little girl holding hand scully insists performing autopsy thinking murdered scully finds needle foot causing believe suicide staged police search house find needle marshall claims emily treatment scully spots dark suited men watching nearby car scully receives dna data matching emily finds nearly identical causing believe emily daughter scully believes gave birth west coast gave adoption telling rest family scully flashes teenagers given cross mother christmas comes scully telling received large payments company visit tells emily clinical trials paid money pulling emily program arrested murder wife scully visits emily gives cross necklace marshall confesses soon found dead cell shortly visited dark suited men bill shows scully photo clearly pregnant shortly emily born thinks proves isn emily mother scully meets adoptive agency wanting adopt emily woman hesitant considering scully job fact emily special needs child scully flashes talking christmas time shortly joined fbi christmas morning scully receives results dna test fbi proving emily mother production writing second week october david_duchovny scheduled away vancouver promotional purposes movie playing god result producers delayed shooting episode post modern developed scully centric episode place queue episode scheduled air december frank_spotnitz decided craft christmas episode dana_scully situation similar film starring failing write episode paralleling story writers decided instead feature scully visited earlier versions resulting flashback sequences appearing episode decided taken emotional journey descendant filming young actress originally played emily terrified hospital setting episode sequel emily result producers recast role footage featuring including scene featured episode replaced previously appeared episode millennium shooting schedule producers unable use gillian_anderson necessary scenes christmas carol resulting anderson double instead footage editing room props specialist claimed biggest challenge producing episode finding christmas paper 1980s flashback sequences casting director difficulty finding actress play dana_scully self executive producer came idea gillian_anderson fourteen year old sister role gillian_anderson liking finalized episode believed able capture complex relationship emily stating felt end little low energy little melancholy hard find right attitude scully dealing child apparently find right flavor relationship disease going mixed aspect paranormal anderson admitted issue history child unable play kind attachment feel daughter going thing reception christmas carol premiered fox network december episode earned nielsen rating share meaning roughly percent television equipped households percent households watching television tuned episode viewed million viewers episode received moderately positive reviews television critics zack_handlen gave episode called generally terrific episode handlen wrote delighted scully centric episode especially doesn end looking pale hospital bed despite approval script slightly criticized series writing scully centric episodes based solely idea opposed gave episode wrote overall episode interesting uncommon depth look scully psychology writers rarely opportunity gillian_anderson run opportunity religious metaphor bit thick actually bit subtle norm making child sick works mythology lot ways like plot robert_shearman lars_pearson book wanting believe critical guide lone gunmen rated episode half stars wrote script sharp features natural dialogue character study shearman pearson praised anderson performance calling terrific noted acting hint years happens relationship anderson enjoy actor portray agent book complete files called episode showcase gillian_anderson startling acting paula_vitaris cinefantastique hand gave episode negative review awarded half stars described episode disbelief isn suspended hung neck dead heavily derided episode overnight dna tests helpful deliver results christmas fact scully fills adoption paper visited agent christmas eve
Christmas Carol (The X-Files)