x-files eighth episode fourth season american science fiction television series files fox network november directed kim_manners written frank_spotnitz series creator chris_carter featured guest appearances episode helped explore series overarching mythology earned nielsen household rating watched million people initial broadcast episode fbi special agent fox_mulder david_duchovny travels russia investigate source black oil contamination partner dana_scully gillian_anderson assistant director walter_skinner mitch_pileggi summoned attend united_states senate hearing mulder whereabouts episode plot continuing episode inspired reports evidence extraterrestrial life possibly found setting inspired works story offered writers chance expand scale series mythology globally production episode described troublesome expensive plot episode opens dana_scully gillian_anderson brought senate select committee questioned whereabouts fox_mulder david_duchovny scully refuses answer committee questions attempts read statement denouncing conspiracy government senator threatens hold scully contempt congress days earlier honolulu airport returning searched customs officers officers removes glass accidentally exposing men black oil new_york_city mulder scully fbi raid domestic terrorist group mulder group revealed terrorists released missile trapped turned smoking man william davis tells agents help expose leads agents international airport try second carrying diplomatic russia leads agents pursuit airport drops escaping revealed carry seemingly rock mulder confined high rise apartment assistant director walter_skinner having rock analyzed nasa space flight center sacks nasa scientist tells mulder scully rock prehistoric fragment contain alien bacteria skinner approached smoking man demands returned breaks skinner apartment searches thrown skinner sacks cuts fragment inadvertently releases black oil inside organism scientist suit puts coma like state mulder travels new_york visit reveals fragment originated russian province provides documents needed travel mulder reluctantly brings fluent russian virginia smoking man learns mulder travels skinner agents appear senator panel missing skinner questions scully mulder whereabouts forthcoming mulder forests fragment tied event mysterious cosmic impact occurred area men come slave labor camp captured thrown skinner scully meet senator questions death location agent mulder mulder talks fellow prisoner tells innocent people captured brought subjected experiments immediately guards burst room mulder mulder awakens large room bound chicken wire prisoners black material dumped face black oil production follow conceived writers trying conceive big fun canvas tell stories decided create story connected russian led natural idea russians experimenting separately syndicate create black oil series writer felt natural create arms race like story united_states russia cold war ended years earlier writers desired expand series mythology globally concept continued fifth season series feature film adaptation idea conspiracy global reach series second season felt story good place expand allowing production crew stretch limits resources imagination inspiration oil containing rocks nasa announcement possible evidence extraterrestrial life scenes based books day life scenes featuring raid terrorist cell found filmed single night requiring individual film split camera crews working simultaneously dawn required shots filmed later completed sound stage additional scenes shot episode featuring smoking man man cut time constraints scene featuring scully briefing skinner events episode cut felt redundant narrative repeating information shown audience david_duchovny father present production episode leaving actor enjoy shoot crew described production expensive trouble plagued marked fourth appearance series previously appeared pilot avatar reception ratings premiered fox network november broadcast united_kingdom bbc october 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 reviews received positive reviews critics based advance viewing episode script entertainment_weekly rated praising arms race plotline wrote positively entry gave rating highlighted storyline excellent direction writing gave episode favorable review rated described strong mythology episode season added loses momentum writing todd_vanderwerff rated episode noting global scale series overall relevance vanderwerff felt action episode terrific praised portrayal smoking man described mythology episodes run found plot episode moving series forward noting time mulder feels like driving action like messenger boy david_duchovny described episode action heavy lots fun awards received nomination award sound mixing television series
Tunguska (The X-Files)