souls files souls seventeenth episode fifth season american science fiction television series files episode originally aired fox network april episode written frank_spotnitz story directed episode monster week story stand plot unconnected mythology overarching fictional history x-files souls received nielsen household rating watched million viewers initial broadcast received mixed reviews television critics centers fbi special agents fox_mulder david_duchovny dana_scully gillian_anderson work cases linked paranormal called files episode unexplained death young girl health problems prompts father ask scully help investigation leads mystery involving children mortal women angels scully soon learns department social services worker demon disguise girls order devil control power original version souls simple story mulder scully angels overhauled idea added elements earlier christmas carol emily story arc making souls unofficial entry contained elaborate effects achieved makeup cgi viewed final cut installment decided frame action scully story priest plot alexandria virginia sixteen year old emily severely mentally physically challenged girl confined wheelchair manages leave house middle night soon baptism father lance finds middle street arms raised upward kneeling dark figure suddenly lightning flashes dark figure disappears lance reaches realizes dead eyes gone having burned father contacts dana_scully gillian_anderson asks help case scully visits learns adopted years earlier severe spinal explanation walked house lance convinced devil stood street scully examines body notes removed extra fingers reluctantly proposes girl struck god mistake man named father gregory visits psychiatric hospital attempting visit girl named twin sister blocked social worker night dies man enters room fox_mulder david_duchovny birth records reveals shortly reveals adopted father gregory agents visit priest insists trying protect harm later examining body scully experiences vision daughter emily mulder performs research adoption records information sister apparently troubled homeless help mulder abandoned buildings town dark figure finds kills girl finding father gregory scene mulder believes responsible murders questioning mulder scully father gregory insists tried protect girls souls devil fourth girl located agents step interrogation room enters demands know location fourth girl gregory answer burned alive revealed devil scully approached revealed angel descended heavens fathered children mortal woman god sent return girls heaven order devil claiming scully find fourth girl gregory church shadow revealing true origins scully tries help escape women confronted reluctantly lets hand seeing emily place lets enter heaven later scully tells mulder protecting girls gregory believes place meant production writing script souls written frank_spotnitz directed original genesis episode idea developed story board editors series left christmas incarnation plot radically different according story mulder scully angels worked way originally conceived decided haul script feature elements earlier christmas carol emily story arc episode according unofficial story wanted include universal idea scully exploring feelings deceased daughter addition making scully believer mulder writers added mulder scully cross major theme fifth season order counter darker aspects script behest star david_duchovny added bits comic relief offered mulder according straight ahead investigative shows shows try sure kept kind humanity alive humor filming scenes john church church featured episode shot actual vancouver british_columbia order secure permission filming script sent church local approval eventually script approved filming commenced production crew scouted churches case permission film fell ornate physical presence chosen church special stain glass windows created featured angel ascending heaven themes episode father book created assistant art director guidance scenes father gregory church filmed older boiler room location previously earlier fifth season entry production crew initially worried high windows building allow cameras time film light coming dramatically shift day wore solution devised windows lit artificial means episode contained elaborate effects achieved makeup cgi makeup artist given task creating distinct looks played addition responsible making appear older task proved particularly difficult hair grey skin guy seen visual effects create shifting heads created means cgi took visual effects supervisor long time complete finish hours scene created having actor wear lion mask track scene different heads filmed green screen added light effects look scary viewed final cut episode decided far end feeling missing decided frame episode scenes featuring scully church vancouver producer chosen play role priest scene delivery map ireland features initially gillian_anderson sent script minute shot comprised half pages advance night crew sent greater anderson refused rush performance noting difficult lines undermine emotion supposed scene crew ended shooting day later finn actually filmed anderson order added scenes total seven pages worth cut episode trimmed scene scene line line broadcast reception souls premiered fox network united_states april broadcast united_kingdom bbc february earned nielsen household rating share meaning roughly percent television equipped households percent households watching television tuned episode viewed million viewers souls received mixed reviews television critics sfx magazine named episode angels applauded episode role switching allowing scully believer mulder awarded episode called gem fifth season cited episode strong scully centric episodes time stunning exploration questions faith furthermore wrote number important psychological questions addressed stage set decisions fight future todd_vanderwerff wrote positively episode awarded despite calling entry occasionally slow episode vanderwerff praised anderson performance potential emmy tape season furthermore enjoyed scully skepticism religious beliefs noting series taken idea realm irony instead played seriousness allowed work reviews negative paula_vitaris cinefantastique gave episode largely critical review awarded star vitaris wrote trip blatant souls comes like bad episode millennium furthermore critical scenes souls taken noting excessive religious imagery soul taken camera right stops telephone pole forms cross robert_shearman lars_pearson book wanting believe critical guide lone gunmen rated episode star derided fact episode killer appears god angel commanded god fact girls destined die disabled right live furthermore shearman pearson concluded religious worship passive act treated episode ultimately concluded looking death different angle fascinating explored better closure
All Souls (The X-Files)