outer space outer space 20th episode season science fiction television series files episode aired united_states april fox written directed outer space earned nielsen household rating watched million people initial broadcast received praise critics centers fbi special agents fox_mulder david_duchovny dana_scully gillian_anderson work cases linked paranormal called files episode mulder scully hear promptly investigate story alien abduction teenagers witness provides different version facts episode thriller novelist writes book incident episode stand episode like episodes x-files follows normal pattern features humor typical manipulation point view leading multiple certain events varying degrees unreliable plot teenage couple fictional washington returning date evening car suddenly stops ufo captured pair grey aliens aliens soon confronted giant alien race agent dana_scully gillian_anderson interviewed case famed author researching book writing alien ufo phenomenon scully notes girl found clothes inside appearing victim date rape date brought police claims rape abducted aliens foul local detective manners profanity replaced words blank believe story agent fox_mulder david_duchovny undergo describes spaceship surrounded aliens claims encountered cigarette smoking grey alien ship kept repeating happening mulder convinced abducted aliens scully thinks plausible teenagers simply sex struggling deal emotional aftermath agents speak electric power company named claims witnessed abduction turned eyewitness account movie screenplay entitled truth aliens recounts strange visit home pair men black told ufo thought saw night merely planet venus threatened kill told screenplay describes meeting alien calls lord took center earth told great mission telling version events scully explains suffers fantasy prone personality mulder thinks story contains partial truths decides time claims captured military aliens believing abducted aliens speaks science fiction fanatic frequently woods night looking tells night found alien body subsequently recovered mulder thinks mulder scully couple men black claims mulder saw alien scully believed man dressed like woman threatened told talk alien body mulder allows scully performing autopsy alien quickly released video documentary labeled dead alien truth narrated final autopsy reveals alien actually dead air_force pilot alien costume superiors arrive claim body find missing mulder tricks military officers revealing identity second missing air force pilot lieutenant mulder remembers night found state walking naked highway getting clothes mulder takes pilot explains partner dressed aliens flying secret military vehicle designed resemble ufo thinks partner teenagers abducted real aliens real ufo unsure surroundings real tells mulder exist sure superiors soon come away leaving military officer tells mulder dead man cook different version story tells mulder night kept asking cook strange questions alien ordering piece piece sweet potato pie leaving mulder returns finds men black seen earlier played scully room scully appears trance memory seeing men black morning mulder scully hear crash air_force plane head crash site dead bodies air_force pilots met earlier recovered mulder visits pleading publish book discredit ufo researchers witnesses making look ridiculous dismisses mulder publishes book scully reads office book describes people interviewed moved california founded spiritual cult based teachings believes received lord replaced power company continues search nights mulder describes time bomb insanity watches video footage love rejects immature ufo experience given new commitment philanthropy helping humanity production writer pieces script long time drawing inspiration research book government phenomenon manipulate space time piloted aliens morgan idea teaser mind staff member narrative style influenced casting session morgan witnessed actor auditioning sounded like came idea writer covering case died second choice unavailable role ended going cast men black morgan originally wanted went jeopardy host role lord went episode contained number references jokes named ufo use planet venus explain ufo sightings men black episode pilots dressed aliens named ufo authors air force sergeant named ufo researcher character named musician claims alien gives mulder pseudonym legendary fox alien autopsy video dead alien truth referenced morgan episode series video parody real life video aired named series director kim_manners character tendency swear lot influenced real life counterpart seen wearing space shirt interview potatoes mountain reference film close encounters kind additional reference film close encounters job power company job held character played close encounters cover book reference cover book communion lord homage director noted work stop motion model animation footage character shot high speed slowed edited post production create stop motion effect episode wrote series revival writer claimed frantic pace morgan later write similarly themed defense series millennium reception outer space premiered fox network april episode earned nielsen rating share meaning roughly percent television equipped households percent households watching television tuned episode totaled million viewers cast crew x-files reacted positively episode gillian_anderson cited episode highlights season said episode like adding kept fun kept worth time chris_carter said writer wonderful coincidence timing talent success allowing stretch direction able successful younger truly original comic mind don know anybody world working film work appears television voice million producer said episode instant classic seminal episodes know people talk twilight zone remember eye trouble original star trek going episodes immediately revered assistant director appreciated presence saying virtually gave lift crew executive producer said casting reilly fun episode outer space received praise critics author rated episode favorite episode seasons book guide x-files entertainment_weekly gave episode writing series parody brilliantly turns tables worthy moments mulder smoking alien vanderwerff gave episode rare wrote episode finest episodes television seen sure terrific episode x-files files lord rings length novel appendix source love main text critical place real human concerns edges vanderwerff colleague zack_handlen wrote episode brilliant feel satisfying anticipated contribute series review website ign named fourth best standalone x-files episode entire series writing outer space season showed x-files create true comedy masterpiece completely broke away usual format tone den geek listed tenth best episode series
Jose Chung's From Outer Space