ghost machine files ghost machine seventh episode season american science fiction television series files broadcast october ghost machine written directed episode featured guest appearances saw reprise role time character introduction episode monster week story unconnected series wider mythology ghost machine earned nielsen household rating watched million households initial broadcast received mixed reviews critics centers fbi special agents fox_mulder david_duchovny dana_scully gillian_anderson work cases linked paranormal called files episode mulder asked old partner aid investigation murder software company soon dana_scully gillian_anderson uncover artificial intelligence started killing protect writers admitted computer felt writing scenes set software company filmed complex building location barely big actors perform crew finished setting necessary equipment x-files team face fifth season episode kill switch plot virginia headquarters software company founder chief executive officer argue measures leaves drake writes memo proposing shut computer runs seeing surveillance camera sets trap drake bathroom locking door drake tries use open rejects card manual key fatally fbi agent fox_mulder partner approaches dana_scully help investigating drake murder way drake office agents elevator stalls causing scully desk help identifies records contact information examining crime scene agents meet building systems engineer later steals mulder profile supposed killer presents outraged mulder confronts mulder scully question denies involvement murder scully initially doubts involvement finds voice matches speaking clock drake received death sets arrest fails access home computer concerned travels headquarters followed unable access discovers learned talk arrives killed causes elevator crash mulder meets explains artificial intelligence developed trying acquire mulder meets falsely confessed murder mulder convinces develop computer virus destroy scully doesn accept mulder belief later discovers machine computer joins mulder building help destroy machine agents way inside building power scully climbs air pulled giant fan manages destroy mulder permitted control room reveals mole tries stop mulder virus scully arrives holds gunpoint allowing mulder virus destroy meeting explains detained government undisclosed location mulder asks survived assures virus left trace scientists unsuccessfully examined machine remaining signs program building directs team attempting recover told superiors destroy machine hours unbeknownst comes life watches says going figure thing kills production scenes set software company filmed complex building location barely big actors perform crew finished setting necessary equipment scene dana_scully shooting fan air shaft minute change script replacing elevator shaft sequence deemed expensive episode title taken title book ghost machine actions episode homage space odyssey conflicted programming confused killed people files team face fifth season episode kill switch writers admitted computer felt writing gordon disappointed episode stating biggest ranking worst episode season felt parts episode worked maybe fell little flat little afraid sense think building needed scary personality mixed feelings saying episode neat stuff end think ending little visually terms mulder comes machine overall fun episode chris_carter supportive episode stating script addressed question file doesn paranormal felt positive episode action scenes broadcast reception ghost machine premiered fox network october broadcast united_kingdom bbc november following initial american broadcast episode earned nielsen household rating share meaning roughly percent television equipped households percent households watching television tuned episode viewed million households retrospective season entertainment_weekly ghost machine rated episode premise system described rip offs presence called cited absence humor episode main writing favourable episode rating felt similarities space odyssey effective adding plot worked dated poorly writing den geek reviewed episode negatively feeling plot formulaic simply stood test time felt appearance highlight episode praised score extremely atmospheric plot ghost machine adapted novel young adults guardian listed ghost machine best files episodes
Ghost in the Machine (The X-Files)