x-files season seventh season american science fiction television series files commenced airing fox network united_states november concluded consists episodes taking place destruction syndicate season marks end story lines season fox_mulder david_duchovny learned true fate sister samantha season concludes mulder abducted aliens dana_scully gillian_anderson learning pregnant broadcasting season began duchovny sued fox eventually announced decision leave result season feature duchovny time capacity return later seasons intermittent main character eventual character change season feature original opening sequence series later years updated intro attempt renew revive series seventh season premiere sixth extinction debuted nielsen rating viewed million viewers marking noticeable drop viewership sixth season series fell number number television year critically seventh season received mixed positive reviews reviewers felt produced good episodes weakest duchovny anderson seasons plot overview events season finale walter_skinner mitch_pileggi desperately attempting find truth called alien object fox_mulder david_duchovny imprisoned brain activity dana_scully gillian_anderson skinner unaware fbi special agent working cigarette smoking man scully travels africa secrets alien artifacts finding looks like spaceship buried shoreline coast object prove life originated religion based contact alien life unsuccessful scully returns africa mulder washington instead finds disappeared contacts skinner find partner taken mulder place problems disappeared helps scully locate mulder leads death hands cigarette smoking man investigating bizarre disappearance young girl home mulder obsessed number children vanished similar circumstances scully fears emotionally involved sister disappearance time revealed mother committed suicide tries prove mother life ultimately forced accept mother death hand led man son disappeared years earlier truth sister souls taken walk ins saving souls children doomed live unhappy lives locate evidence proves samantha abducted forced live abandoned army base later revealed samantha walk spirit mulder scully investigate case leads oregon site case series alien taking place mulder scully contacted scully falls ill investigation returns washington contacts attempt revive government conspiracy unwilling assist seeking revenge contact mulder visits alien crash site skinner mulder return oregon scully hospitalized washington trapped alien device abducted alien bounty hunter miles skinner returns washington scully informs pregnant production background seasons vancouver canada production x-files moved los_angeles sixth season season filmed new location instigated duchovny order facilitate work films chance nearer wife series creator chris_carter opposed fox network officials eventually decision film california unpopular members cast crew series director kim_manners anderson supported vocally duchovny fans accused hollywood adding notable guests stars making plots simpler enjoyable mass audiences furthermore los_angeles meant drastic increase production costs development originally mythology season seven supposed continue fathers son story arc frank_spotnitz interview explained mythology episodes season seven feature characters saw son coming explore happens conspiracy destroyed politics new landscape exists aliens outer space different races addition said planned series finale feature big idea chris carter beginning ideas came pass season finale requiem directly eighth season premiere duchovny later revealed ended final episodes devoted myth arc filming underway seventh season members crew felt entered final season executive producer frank_spotnitz later explained pretty strong sentiment inside outside time day producers felt nearing end story arcs ended season fourth episode millennium written way bring closure recently cancelled carter created series episode features reprising role frank time eleventh episode closure features mulder discovering happened sister idea close story arc received mixed reactions production crew members producers realized time come answer biggest questions noted seven years don think going miss device motivation strong early years years gone speculation kind melted away season progressed idea producing season emerged explained found starting got end season kind hopeful season saw cast write episodes series star gillian_anderson directed wrote episode series things anderson originally approached carter writing directing episode series sixth season anderson crafted script scully pursuing deeply personal taken spiritual path logic fails anderson rough outline script day wrote majority story sitting explained certain concept began form wrote entire outline things right kind came page day anderson pitched script carter approved personal quiet characteristics story addition series regular davis wrote episode davis approached carter idea man trying seduce scully medical knowledge carter intrigued responded positively idea assigned executive producer work davis craft fledged script script went revisions cigarette smoking man able manipulate scully carter later referred episode year lawsuit season aired david_duchovny filed lawsuit 20th century fox duchovny upset claimed fox rights costing huge sums money originally contract duchovny eligible estimated percent according seen fraction money eventually lawsuit settled duchovny awarded settlement million lawsuit strain duchovny professional relationships lawsuit called chris_carter defendant friendship notably impacted anonymous source noted lawsuit thing revealed carter knew duchovny getting didn warn carter proved lay actions carter duchovny contracted work series seventh season fox entered negotiations near end season order bring board eighth season airing requiem duchovny expressed intentions leave series explained kind free agent season seven terms character wanting pursue parts career writer director actor rumors began spreading eventually confirmed duchovny expressed interest appear main character eighth season character mulder place fans internet believed mitch_pileggi portrayed walter_skinner role later called guess ridiculous crew series creator chris_carter served executive producer showrunner wrote episodes continued executive producer wrote episodes continued executive producer wrote episodes promoted supervising producer wrote episodes promoted producer wrote episodes promoted story editor wrote episodes returned write second episodes series cast member duchovny wrote episodes season cast members anderson davis wrote episode new writers seventh season included wrote episode wrote single freelance episode producers included joined executive producer producing directors included producer supervising producer manners executive producer directed bulk episodes season directed episodes final season series manners directed seven directed cast members david_duchovny gillian_anderson directed episode series creator chris_carter directed single episode series writer television directorial debut directors season included directed episodes directing cast main cast david_duchovny special agent fox_mulder episodes gillian_anderson special agent dana_scully episodes recurring cast starring mitch_pileggi walter_skinner episodes episodes episodes guest starring episodes episodes marked double dagger episodes series alien mythology arc reception ratings seventh season x-files debuted sixth extinction november episode earned nielsen rating share meaning roughly percent television equipped households percent households watching television tuned episode episode viewed million people increase sixth season finale viewed million viewers debut marked decrease sixth season debut beginning garnered million viewers season continued ratings began drop season hit low eighteenth episode brand viewed million viewers season finale requiem earned nielsen rating share viewed million viewers marking percent drop viewers compared season premiere percent drop viewers compared previous season finale series ranked number television season finishing average million viewers companies paying fox second spot air acts x-files information technology companies buying commercials largely fact weekly fix science fiction prime time reviews seventh season received moderately positive reviews critics increasingly critical reviews common season critics enjoyed episodes felt season weakest original seven new_york_daily_news praised season noting proof x-files creative life justify eighth season called stand episodes wonderfully creepy noted season possessed terrific bunch episodes cinefantastique gave season mixed review noted series hurt partnership mulder scully ing comfortable groove modern career marriage supportive professionally rewarding utterly noted entertaining episode self parodies killer living dead duchovny written directed episode scully mulder played motion picture slightly motion picture called x-files argued self parody style series caused viewers seriously anymore explaining longer going big carter company audience pretend believe anymore book examination unauthorized look seasons files positive half season soon saw episodes negative light wrote season began hope ended sense sorrow given end result season long backstage dealing reference david_duchovny lawsuit magnificent season finale doubts series amazing long soon embark new course wrought turmoil noted seasons x-files good great seventh season possessed significant problems episodes received variety reviews positively received reviews praised episode highly promoted cross police reality review new_york_daily_news called outing exceptionally clever named episode funniest series duchovny penned praised self comedy reviews episodes harshly received anderson writing debut things dull heavy handed brand hand called waste episode accolades seventh season earned series primetime emmy award nominations wins episode person shooter won outstanding sound mixing drama series outstanding special visual effects series episode won outstanding makeup series nominations included outstanding music composition series dramatic episode person shooter outstanding sound editing series rush outstanding special visual effects series series gillian_anderson won best actress series respectively nominations included screen actors guild award nominations david_duchovny gillian_anderson nomination brand international monitor award nomination rush dvd release
The X-Files (season 7)