max files max eighteenth episode fourth season american science fiction television series files premiered fox network march directed kim_manners written frank_spotnitz series creator chris_carter max featured guest appearances brien saw final appearance special agent episode helped explore overarching mythology fictional history x-files max earned nielsen household rating watched million people initial broadcast episode received mixed positive reviews critics centers fbi special agents fox_mulder david_duchovny dana_scully gillian_anderson work cases linked paranormal called files following airplane crash killed alien mulder pursued assassin looking recover alien artifact max episode plot continuing previous episode manners praised large cast extras production concluding best worked max featured scenes filmed vancouver international airport studio water tank custom built boeing set constructed dialogue episode inspired film man plot background member repeatedly abducted aliens life meeting fbi agent fox_mulder david_duchovny abducted thought lost entirely years later found dead victims airplane crash investigating disaster mulder partner dana_scully gillian_anderson learn airplane crashed intercepted military jet possibly alien spacecraft mulder search evidence craft leads diving great lake find scully ambushed assassin seeking kill military witness leading colleague shot events mulder caught group swimming shore washington scully tends critically wounded man black escapes assistant director walter_skinner mitch_pileggi arrives shortly tells scully orders protect arrested providing false testimony scully releases mulder confinement tells official explanation crash caused crash mistakenly military fighter craft plane lying cover mulder skeptical latest explanation thinks crashed ufo found underwater involved crash scully tells mulder max sister unemployed engineer met max mental institution tells agent died wounds mulder scully visit max trailer watch tape talks finding proof alien existence military recovers crashed ufo lake including alien body agents visit investigation unable prove military cover story mulder tells believed happened mulder believes max boarded plane proof alien life ufo stopped plane military aircraft intercepted orders attack ufo max returned military aircraft struck causing ufo plane crash mulder visits max trailer looks mail finding claim ticket scully visits mental institution tells scully stole technology employer max believed alien device parts brought plane mulder uses claim ticket obtain device new_york airport heads plane return washington aboard sits mulder soon realizes holds gunpoint care telling mulder shoots plane able escape parachute mulder airplane bathroom soon emerges gun orders hand device suddenly plane starts shaking bright lights shine windows plane touches mulder gets device gone mulder missing minutes having memory happened agents visit time max trailer goodbye production writers decided kill agent episode actor portrayed character episodes appearing season episode assistant director filming crew wanted telling director kim_manners know act led cast song unmarked helicopters heard playing trailer song appeared compilation album songs key music inspired x-files scene shot small tank street vancouver wide angle lenses film scene actors actually room swimming look like actors actually covering ground reality swam feet set following scene fox_mulder reaches shore cold manners commented acting crew tired usual filming duchovny struggled run actors playing previously able run horses filming episode took days film alien abduction scene internal shots airplane cockpit filmed real flight separate airplane set rest interior shots exterior scenes filmed vancouver international airport executive producer asked write speech scene mulder encounters airplane inspired speech given man wrote monologue homage film scenes airplane final airborne moments included eighty extras manners felt eighty best extras worked life extras young years old leading series creator chris_carter note scene benefit showing younger children represented dolls safety precaution beam light seen shining beneath ufo episode achieved shots elements including crane carrying spotlight borrowed spray combined create final shot broadcast reception max premiered fox network march broadcast united_kingdom bbc january 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 episode received mixed positive reviews critics todd_vanderwerff writing rated max vanderwerff episode stretched parts felt character simultaneous lives lost fictional war real story live edges society driven mad visions real visions rest immediately disregard unbelievable surreal paula_vitaris writing cinefantastique rated max half stars vitaris praised episode visual effects felt parts story better served hour episode vitaris felt episode final act featuring mulder airplane saw mulder putting civilians risk example bad writing robert_shearman lars_pearson book wanting believe critical guide lone gunmen rated episode stars describing satisfying witty touching shearman noted second half episodes series tended drop ball felt story arc max solid calling satisfying event x-files
Max (The X-Files)