files eighth season premiere science fiction television series files episode aired united_states november written executive producer series creator chris_carter directed kim_manners episode earned nielsen rating watched million viewers marking slight increase previous season finale requiem largely received critics fans felt alienated addition cast centers fbi special agents fox_mulder david_duchovny dana_scully gillian_anderson work cases linked paranormal called files episode continuing seventh season finale requiem mulder abducted aliens planning earth fbi organized hunt mulder scully suspects leader special agent patrick instead chooses search lost partner walter_skinner mitch_pileggi scully skinner travel arizona followed task force find believe mulder story milestone series introduced new character changes season including departure mulder inclusion main character cast episode written way explain mulder absence fans lament loss duchovny marked major change opening credits started new images updated photos david_duchovny gillian_anderson addition analyzed themes death resurrection addition experiments performed mulder abduction thematically compared plot dana_scully gillian_anderson deeply distraught fox_mulder david_duchovny abducted aliens morning arrives partner office find searched fbi agents scully subsequently learns bureau newly promoted deputy director launched search mulder investigation led fbi special agent named scully walter_skinner mitch_pileggi taken task force field office questioned despite protests qualified lead skinner interrogated scully unnamed person starts asking mulder scully finds actually angrily throws water face leaves scully apartment runs background check computer learning background detective feels sick leaves computer later calls mom margaret realizes phone tapped looks outside window angrily calls protest monitoring phone conversations genuinely surprised notices mysterious man runs hall pursue meets landlord tells seen mulder skinner visits lone gunmen monitoring ufo activity united_states hopes tracking mulder skinner later finds mulder fbi pass gain access x-files bureau task force considers main suspect gathered evidence track mulder whereabouts called abduction discovering mulder dying engraved family mark death later evidence high ufo activity arizona found concurrently receives information slips file door scully skinner leave arizona giving information time believes find mulder find whereabouts praise locate arizona middle desert time arrives escaped window leaving desert hill person mulder production casting development seventh season time closure x-files characters written including smoking man mulder mother plot threads resolved including fate fox_mulder sister samantha settling contract dispute duchovny quit time participation seventh season contributed likelihood eighth season carter fans felt natural duchovny departure decided mulder abducted end seventh season leaving open actor return episodes following year requiem seventh season finale written carter possible series finale way new season producers found difficult convincingly write duchovny character script explain mulder absence episodes upcoming season hoping continue series carter introduced new central character replace mulder actors auditioned role considered producers phillips considered role particular campbell following involvement sixth season episode terms considered contractual obligation work filming series jack trades potentially cast series regular campbell worked x-files episode think sort remembered nice involved don nice hang party later campbell novel love bruce campbell way joked patrick role end producers eventually chose reportedly patrick cast fact featured role judgment day attract great year old male demographic fact fox executives reported percent overall increase demographic solely patrick casting writing filming carter inspired write scene scully water face aware new actor facing opposition members fan community scene filmed order truly introduce patrick conclusion x-files television series patrick commented episode favorite scene series admitted think better way introduce character scene said lot actually helped appears episode long running recurring character similarly remarked meeting favorite scenes entire series director episode kim_manners felt perfect introduction character leader sent find mulder manners stated patrick gave new sense energy basically characters seven years script episode specify identity unseen person file gibson praise door kim_manners later ask writers mysterious visitor director told chris_carter frank_spotnitz unseen person actually asked question manners time director sure answer hoping avoid looking gave actor answer patrick thought reason manners secretive director wanted patrick mysterious visitor identity device actor aid performance manners later teased patrick reason answered question liked patrick time prompting actor ask manners night filming episode eventually director finally admitted patrick actually happened actions later revealed explained ninth season premiere important happened today majority episode like rest seasons seven filmed los_angeles california area shooting episode chris_carter reminded patrick times good shape audio commentary patrick remembers nervous shooting episode big fan files acting crew scene walter_skinner tells witnessed mulder taken away aboard ufo filmed second patrick night production series scene marked time patrick got work ending episode majority follow filmed state park according producer incredible heat wave hit area shooting resulting terrible filming conditions desert cast crew informed chance bit later joked filming scenes think snake original opening sequence season remained unchanged opening sequence modified include new images updated fbi badge photos duchovny anderson addition patrick main cast duchovny featured opening credits appeared episode furthermore opening contains images scully pregnancy according frank_spotnitz showed abstract explanation mulder absence season falling eye member production crew x-files died filming episode accident injured crew members episode dedicated memory themes x-files entered eighth season human resurrection salvation disease suffering healing increasingly central focus episodes eighth season explore themes birth death resurrection sub theme birth emerged episode scully opening dream abducted mulder strong birth imagery sack sic fluid later episode themes death resurrection touched scully shown mulder arc continue gift mulder brain resurrection explored theme reappears force found dead mulder buried months later brought life sub theme continue ninth season entries episode feature mulder christ like figure comparisons purposely inserted seventh season episode sixth extinction mulder placed cross like table symbolic wooden cross jesus nailed book myth notes mulder torture scenes bear resemblance argues metal bars piercing similar nails held jesus metal head similar crown reminiscent wound furthermore bush parallels jesus horrific death order rise mulder abduction death resurrection later allusions christ like nature mulder reception ratings aired fox november episode earned nielsen household rating meaning seen nation estimated households episode viewed million households million viewers episode marked decrease seventh season opener sixth extinction slight increase seventh season finale requiem viewed million viewers soon completed carter screened played like feature film according patrick fox promoted episode tagline new case new agent mystery new file mulder episode later included volume colonization dvd collection contains episodes involved alien plans earth reviews overall episode received positive reviews critics television pity gave episode rare entry follow receive second making episodes x-files receive prestigious rating site entertainment_weekly reviewer ken_tucker gave episode largely positive review awarded said patrick portrayal giving positive reviews inclusion furthermore noted anderson enacted episode follow reacted positively episode enjoying idea making character skinner true believer paula_vitaris cinefantastique gave episode mixed review awarded stars vitaris criticized unnatural scully pregnancy mulder shown calling little lip service robert_shearman lars_pearson book wanting believe critical guide lone gunmen rated episode stars wrote episode sings old introduces new shearman pearson criticized bringing noting return episode altogether manages episode giving x-files bold new beginning feel like offer old book examinations wrote moderately positive review episode noted ways reminded tune x-files week reminded road ahead difficult fox_mulder gone forgotten replaced zack_handlen wrote form great way pick cliffhanger ending previous season pair episodes work introduction new narrative status quo awarded entries praised characterization writing brings distinct charismatic energy slightly critical episode features scully sad melodramatic fans criticized introduction claiming character intentionally created replace mulder carter responded interview npr stating brings different approach x-files knee couldn different character mulder insider fbi liked mulder course banished basement files agent scully reluctant believer dynamic changes completely
Within (The X-Files)