words files words sixteenth episode eighth season episode overall science fiction television series files aired united_states canada april fox written executive producers chris_carter frank_spotnitz directed episode explores series overarching mythology earned nielsen rating viewed million households receiving 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 secretly conducts investigation man white_house lawn attempting inform president planned alien invasion soon head tries expose evidence colonization episode written way signal mulder exit fbi producers writers felt mulder character given clean exit easily focus characters following season series star recurring actor david_duchovny later declared happy character depart manner plot cover darkness unidentified man jumps fence white_house intercepted personnel struggles pulls gun accidentally shoots bleeding ground man hands computer disk begging president words written disk fight future fox_mulder david_duchovny remembers experiences alien ship touches face chest dana_scully gillian_anderson enters surprisingly good news condition killing disappearance gone perfect health mulder returns apartment scully pregnancy sought long time prison librarian gives leader ufo group seen book apocalypse hidden inside newspaper article man jumped fence later escapes work detail attacking guard board nail fbi headquarters deputy director calls walter_skinner mitch_pileggi office informs mulder applied x-files intends deny request claiming higher percentage success ignores skinner defenses mulder unfit proper bureau work agent returns home work finds waiting gun demands neck confirm tells man killed white house died knew alien invasion tapes gun plan salt information hostage attempt sneak census bureau database claims census bureau data showed aliens unfortunately plan fails detecting gun security shoots head despite use body shield skinner mulder enters skinner office accuses deliberately attempting cover truth setting killed accusation takes great offense later meets liaison reveals statistics bureau fight future scully request tells mulder disk labeled fight future mulder realizes network attempts break census bureau mulder slips center help begins searching data computers soon arrives realizing leak trap bitter argument scully gunmen revealing mulder arrival black mercenaries scene leave security arrives confronts tip gave claims trying help learn truth skinner leave seen strange neck production words written executive producers chris_carter frank_spotnitz directed saw reprise role doctor having appeared previous episode appearance series cult leader reprising role happening baseball field scene filmed los_angeles park having previously sixth season episode unnatural later ninth season episode lord flies episode mulder prepares submit application reassigned x-files division mulder boss deputy director informs intends deny request season nearly producers writers decided refuse mulder fbi way series new main stars season david_duchovny agreed method noting completely thought correct trying focus going come second half season mulder situation beginning season broadcast reception episode aired fox april earning nielsen household rating meaning seen nation estimated households words viewed million households ranked 32nd watched episode week ending april fox promoted episode tagline control files episode later included volume dvd collection contains episodes involved alien super soldiers arc words received mixed positive reviews critics robert_shearman lars_pearson book wanting believe critical guide lone gunmen rated episode stars calling extremely performed concerned shearman pearson felt episode similar earlier somewhat formulaic noted necessary positive step series changes seasons explaining point emphasise different x-files universe feels familiarity ingredients making aware mix going writing television pity rated episode felt stage series mythology moving concentric circles pain confusion zack_handlen awarded episode wrote episode finds duchovny feet ready action brings new energy enjoyed way presented story spend time watching mulder outside seeing events perspective makes things interesting handlen wrote episode hit emotional notes predecessor nonetheless stronger built inevitable conclusion classic files style reviews positive book examinations gave episode mixed review writing episode tremendous promise carter got right sadly failed invest fully mulder return paula_vitaris cinefantastique gave episode largely negative review awarded half stars vitaris wrote despite opening affecting acting david duchovny episode lost opportunity explore person suffered torture
Three Words (The X-Files)