The X-Files season 7
The X-Files | |
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Season 7 | |
![]() DVD cover | |
Starring | |
No. of episodes | 22 |
Release | |
Original network | Fox |
Original release | November 7, 1999 May 21, 2000 | –
Season chronology | |
The seventh season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files commenced airing on the Fox network in the United States on November 7, 1999, concluded on May 21, 2000, and consists of twenty-two episodes. Taking place after the destruction of the Syndicate, this season marks the end of various other story lines; during this season, Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) learned the true fate of his sister, Samantha.
Before the broadcasting for the season began, Duchovny sued Fox and eventually announced his decision to leave the show. As a result, the season would be the last to feature Duchovny in a full-time capacity until the show's tenth season (which aired in 2016), although he would return in seasons 8 and 9 as an intermittent main character. Due to this eventual character change, this season would be the last to feature the original opening sequence for the series, as two years later, the intro was updated in an attempt to renew and revive the series.
The seventh-season premiere "
Plot overview
After the events of the
While investigating a bizarre disappearance of a young girl from her home, Mulder becomes obsessed with the number of children who have vanished in similar circumstances. Scully fears that he is emotionally involved due to his sister's disappearance.[5][6] At the same time it is revealed to him that his mother, Teena Mulder (Rebecca Toolan), committed suicide. He then tries to prove that his mother did not take her own life, but is ultimately forced to accept that his mother's death was by her own hand. He is led by a man whose son disappeared years earlier to another truth—that his sister may be among the souls taken by "walk-ins", saving the souls of children doomed to live unhappy lives. Together they locate evidence that proves that Samantha was abducted by Cigarette Smoking Man and was forced to live in a now-abandoned US Army base. It is later revealed that Samantha had become a "walk-in" spirit.[7][8]
Mulder and Scully investigate a case which leads them back to Oregon,
Production
Background
After five seasons in
Development
Originally, the mythology for season seven was supposed to continue from and show the ramifications of the "Two Fathers"/"One Son" story arc. Frank Spotnitz, in an interview, explained that the mythology episodes for season seven would feature "characters you saw in 'One Son' coming back" and explore "what happens now that the conspiracy has been destroyed, what are the politics of the new landscape that exists. […] There are aliens from outer space, two different races that are warring with each other."[14] In addition, he said that the then-planned series finale would feature "the big idea that Chris [Carter] had in the beginning."[14] However, these ideas never came to pass, and the season finale, "Requiem", segued directly into the eighth season premiere "Within".[15] Duchovny later revealed that, had the show ended, the final three episodes would have been devoted to the myth-arc.[16]
While filming was underway for the seventh season, many members of the crew felt that the show had entered into its final season. Executive producer
The season also saw several of the show's cast write their own episodes. Series co-star Gillian Anderson directed and wrote her first episode of the series, "
Lawsuit
Before the season aired, David Duchovny filed a lawsuit against
Neither Carter nor Duchovny were contracted to work on the series beyond the seventh season; however, Fox entered into negotiations near the end of season in order to bring the two on board for an eighth season.[26] After the airing of "Requiem", Duchovny expressed his intentions to leave the series. He explained, "I was kind of a free agent after season seven, and to me, there was not much else to do in terms of the character. So it was really about me wanting to pursue other parts of my career as a writer, director, and actor."[12] Rumors began spreading—and were eventually confirmed—that, since Duchovny had not expressed an interest to appear as a main character in the eighth season, that another character would take Mulder's place. Many fans on the internet believed that Mitch Pileggi, who portrayed Walter Skinner, would take the role; Pileggi later called this guess "ridiculous."[27]
Crew
Series creator Chris Carter also served as executive producer and showrunner and wrote six episodes. Spotnitz continued as executive producer and wrote five episodes. Vince Gilligan continued as co-executive producer and wrote six episodes. John Shiban was promoted to supervising producer and wrote two episodes. David Amann was promoted to co-producer and wrote two episodes. Jeffrey Bell was promoted to story editor and wrote two episodes. Cyberpunk novelists William Gibson and Tom Maddox returned to write their second of two episodes for the series. Cast member Duchovny wrote two episodes in the season, while other cast members Anderson and Davis also wrote an episode each. New writers in the seventh season included Steven Maeda and Greg Walker, who wrote one episode; and Chip Johannessen who wrote a single freelance episode. Other producers included Paul Rabwin, Harry V. Bring and Bernadette Caulfield, and Michelle MacLaren who joined as co-executive producer.[28]
Producing-directors for the show included producer
Cast
Main cast
Starring
- David Duchovny as Special Agent Fox Mulder
- Gillian Anderson as Special Agent Dana Scully
Also starring
- Mitch Pileggi as Walter Skinner
- William B. Davis as Cigarette Smoking Man
- Nicholas Lea as Alex Krycek
Recurring cast
- Melvin Frohike
- John Fitzgerald Byers
- Richard Langly
- Teena Mulder
Guest cast
- Michael Kritschgau
- Mimi Rogers as Diana Fowley
- Nick Chinlund as Donnie Pfaster
- Jerry Hardin as Deep Throat
- Laurie Holden as Marita Covarrubias
- Jeremiah Smith
- Brian Thompson as Alien Bounty Hunter
- Albert Hosteen
Episodes
Episodes marked with a double dagger (‡) are episodes in the series' Alien Mythology arc.[nb 1]
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code [28] | U.S. viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
140 | 1 | "The Sixth Extinction"‡ | Kim Manners | Chris Carter | November 7, 1999 | 7ABX03 | 17.82[30] |
Diana Fowley's duplicity. In the meanwhile, Dana Scully is hunting for an ancient artifact in Africa. | |||||||
141 | 2 | "The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati"‡ | Michael Watkins | David Duchovny & Chris Carter | November 14, 1999 | 7ABX04 | 16.15[30] |
Returning to Washington to find Mulder gone, Scully joins Kritschgau and Skinner—who is still being forced into betrayal by Alex Krycek—to find her partner. However, the Cigarette Smoking Man has taken Mulder to a place where all his problems are gone and Fowley is forced to make a choice about her loyalties. | |||||||
142 | 3 | "Hungry" | Kim Manners | Vince Gilligan | November 21, 1999 | 7ABX01 | 16.17[30] |
In an episode told from the point-of-view of the "monster", a fast-food employee with unusual cravings becomes the focus of an FBI investigation. The victims appear with no brain and a suction hole in the forehead. | |||||||
143 | 4 | "Millennium" | Thomas J. Wright | Vince Gilligan & Frank Spotnitz | November 28, 1999 | 7ABX05 | 15.09[30] |
An associate of the Frank Black , a man who has former experience with the shadowy group. | |||||||
144 | 5 | "Rush" | Robert Lieberman | David Amann | December 5, 1999 | 7ABX06 | 12.71[30] |
When a school student becomes the prime suspect in the bizarre murder of a police officer, Mulder and Scully are sent to investigate. They discover that the boy and a couple of friends have been playing with the ability to accelerate their movements to a frequency the human eye can't perceive. | |||||||
145 | 6 | "The Goldberg Variation" | Thomas J. Wright | Jeffrey Bell | December 12, 1999 | 7ABX02 | 14.49[30] |
After being thrown off a building and surviving, Henry Weems, who appears to be the luckiest man in the world, attracts the attention of Mulder and Scully. But, if he is so lucky, why is he on the run from the mob, and why is everyone around him so unlucky? | |||||||
146 | 7 | "Orison" | Rob Bowman | Chip Johannessen | January 9, 2000 | 7ABX07 | 15.63[30] |
Reverend Orison releases Donnie Pfaster, Scully's former kidnapper, as seen in the second season episode "Irresistible", from jail in the hopes of passing judgment on him. What he discovers instead is that he has released pure evil, and it's headed for Scully. | |||||||
147 | 8 | "The Amazing Maleeni" | Thomas J. Wright | Vince Gilligan & John Shiban & Frank Spotnitz | January 16, 2000 | 7ABX08 | 16.18[30] |
The Amazing Maleeni, a small-time magician, performs an amazing feat to impress a heckler—he turns his head 360 degrees. So when he is later found without a head at all, Mulder and Scully arrive on the case and discover an angry ex-con, an unimpressed rival, and Maleeni's twin brother all seem to have something to do with the plan to rob a major bank. | |||||||
148 | 9 | "Signs and Wonders" | Kim Manners | Jeffrey Bell | January 23, 2000 | 7ABX09 | 13.86[30] |
When a small town church is the site of a number of ritualistic-like murders, fingers are pointed to the Church of God with Signs and Wonders, a church where the Bible is read literally, and punishment is dealt deftly. But soon the agents realize that the difference between the peaceful religious and the fanatics may not be very much at all. | |||||||
149 | 10 | "Sein und Zeit"‡ | Michael Watkins | Chris Carter & Frank Spotnitz | February 6, 2000 | 7ABX10 | 13.95[30] |
While investigating the bizarre disappearance of a young girl from her home, Mulder becomes obsessed with a number of children who have vanished in similar ways. Scully's fears that he is emotionally involved due to his sister's disappearance 27 years earlier are heightened when Mulder's mother dies, apparently of suicide. | |||||||
150 | 11 | "Closure"‡ | Kim Manners | Chris Carter & Frank Spotnitz | February 13, 2000 | 7ABX11 | 15.35[30] |
As Mulder is forced to accept that his mother's death was by her own hand, he is led by a man whose son disappeared years earlier to another truth—that his sister may be among the souls taken by 'walk-ins', saving the souls of children doomed to live unhappy lives. Together, they embark on a journey that will reveal to Mulder the truth about his sister's disappearance. | |||||||
151 | 12 | "X-Cops" | Michael Watkins | Vince Gilligan | February 20, 2000 | 7ABX12 | 16.56[30] |
A filming of an episode of COPS gets in the way of the collaborative effort between the FBI and the local police department. Mulder later finds out that the monster feeds on fear. While Mulder embraces the publicity, Scully is not so sure of it. The episode was filmed as if it were an authentic episode of the TV series COPS. | |||||||
152 | 13 | "First Person Shooter" | Chris Carter | William Gibson & Tom Maddox | February 27, 2000 | 7ABX13 | 15.31[30] |
The Lone Gunmen summon Mulder and Scully to the headquarters of a video game design company when the new virtual-reality game, which the Gunmen helped design, is taken over by a bizarre female computer character whose power is much more than virtual. | |||||||
153 | 14 | "Theef" | Kim Manners | Vince Gilligan & John Shiban & Frank Spotnitz | March 12, 2000 | 7ABX14 | 11.91[30] |
After a prominent doctor discovers his father-in-law dead and the word "Theef" written on the wall in blood, Mulder suspects hexcraft may be the source of threats against the doctor's family. | |||||||
154 | 15 | "En Ami"‡ | Rob Bowman | William B. Davis | March 19, 2000 | 7ABX15 | 11.99[30] |
After a young boy with cancer, whose parents do not believe in medical treatment because it is against God's will, recovers miraculously, Scully is intrigued. What she soon discovers is that his cure is not miraculous, but scientific. Eager, if wary, to learn of the truth behind his secrets, Scully agrees to travel with the Cigarette Smoking Man to get the cure to all mankind's diseases. | |||||||
155 | 16 | "Chimera" | Cliff Bole | David Amann | April 2, 2000 | 7ABX16 | 12.89[30] |
Mulder investigates what appears to be a case of a missing woman from a small town, but soon turns out to be a murder by a spirit summoned from the underworld. Scully, meanwhile, must endure an uncomfortable stakeout. | |||||||
156 | 17 | "all things" | Gillian Anderson | Gillian Anderson | April 9, 2000 | 7ABX17 | 12.18[30] |
While Mulder is away in England, Scully is led by coincidences, chance, fate and possibly a higher power to a married man with whom she had an affair during medical school, and a look at the life she didn't choose, forcing her to make choices about her future. | |||||||
157 | 18 | "Brand X" | Kim Manners | Steven Maeda & Greg Walker | April 16, 2000 | 7ABX19 | 10.81[30] |
While protecting a man due to testify against the Morley cigarette company, Skinner is horrified when the witness dies mysteriously. What the agents soon discover is that a new brand of cigarette has a dangerous secret. | |||||||
158 | 19 | "Hollywood A.D." | David Duchovny | David Duchovny | April 30, 2000 | 7ABX18 | 12.88[30] |
X-Files division, however the agents find that the level of realism in their fictional portrayal is somewhat questionable. | |||||||
159 | 20 | "Fight Club" | Paul Shapiro | Chris Carter | May 7, 2000 | 7ABX20 | 11.70[30] |
Mulder and Scully cross paths with a pair of doppelgangers whose close proximity yields unlimited mayhem. Splitting up in two, the agents try to find out "why" and "what" they are doing. | |||||||
160 | 21 | "Je Souhaite" | Vince Gilligan | Vince Gilligan | May 14, 2000 | 7ABX21 | 12.79[30] |
Mulder and Scully's encounter with a man and his handicapped brother lead them to an indifferent genie whose willingness to grant wishes belies a deeper motive. | |||||||
161 | 22 | "Requiem"‡ | Kim Manners | Chris Carter | May 21, 2000 | 7ABX22 | 15.26[30] |
Mulder and Scully return to the site of their first investigation together when a series of abductions take place. However, Scully's failing health, and Mulder's concern that she is in danger, cause him to take her off the case. Meanwhile, the Cigarette-Smoking Man—on his deathbed—reunites with Marita Covarrubias and Krycek in an attempt to revive the project. |
Reception
Ratings
The seventh season of The X-Files debuted with "
During 2000, companies were paying Fox $225,000 for every 30-second spot that would air between acts of The X-Files. Many Information technology (IT) companies were buying commercials during the show, largely due to the fact that "many ['coders IT geeks'] get their weekly fix of science fiction from this prime-time show."[34]
Reviews
The seventh season received moderately positive reviews from critics, although increasingly critical reviews were more common this season. While critics enjoyed many of the episodes, many also felt that, as a whole, the season was the weakest of the show's original seven. Eric Mink of the
The episodes themselves received a variety of reviews. Some were positively received: several reviews praised the episode "
Accolades
The seventh season earned the series six
DVD release
The X-Files – The Complete Seventh Season | |||||||
Set details[28] | Special features[28] | ||||||
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Release dates | |||||||
Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | |||||
May 13, 2003 | September 22, 2003 | October 20, 2003 |
Notes
- ^ The episodes were included in the DVD collection The X-Files Mythology, Volume 3 – Colonization, released by Fox.
- ^ "Requiem" was viewed by 15.26 million viewers whereas "The Sixth Extinction" was viewed by 17.82 million viewers.[30] Subtracting the two figures and then dividing them by 17.82 million, which represents the largest possible audience, yields a percent decrease of 14 percent.
- ^ "Requem" was viewed by 15.26 million viewers whereas "Biogenesis" was viewed by 15.86.[30][31] Subtracting the two figures and then dividing them by 15.86 million, which represents the largest possible audience, yields a percent decrease of 4 percent.
References
- The Sixth Extinction". The X-Files. Season 7. Episode 1. Fox.
- ^ Shapiro, pp. 7–16
- ^ Michael Watkins (Director); Chris Carter and David Duchovny (Writers). "The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati". The X-Files. Season 7. Episode 2. Fox.
- ^ Shapiro, pp. 19–28
- ^ Michael W. Watkins; Chris Carter & Frank Spotnitz. "Zein und Zeit". The X-Files. Season 7. Episode 10. FOX.
- ^ Shapiro, pp. 119–128
- ^ Kim Manners (Director); Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz (Writers). "Closure". The X-Files. Season 7. Episode 11. Fox.
- ^ Shapiro, pp. 130–139
- ^ Kim Manners (Director); Chris Carter (Writer). "Requiem". The X-Files. Season 7. Episode 22. Fox.
- ^ Shapiro, pp. 266–277
- ^ a b Vitaris, Paula (October 1998). "X-Files: A Mixed Bag of Episodes and a Feature Film Pave the Way for Season Six". Cinefantastique. 30 (7/8): 27.
- ^ a b Hurwitz and Knowles, pp. 155–156
- ^ p.155–156
- ^ a b Spotnitz, Frank (1998). "The Next Files". The X-Files Magazine.
- ^ Elber, Lynn (May 18, 2000). "Fox Mulder 'Ready to Get Back to Work'". Space.com. Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 24, 2004. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
- ^ Persons, Dan (October 2000). "The Man Behind the Mytharc". Cinefantastique.
- ^ Hurwitz and Knowles, p. 180
- ^ Carter, Chris et al. (2000). The Truth Behind Season 7 (DVD). Fox Home Entertainment.
- ^ Johnson, Allan (November 25, 1999). "Kiss and Tell". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
- ^ Thomas J. Wright (Director); Frank Spotnitz and Vince Gilligan (Writers) (November 28, 1999). "Millennium". The X-Files. Season 7. Episode 4. Fox.
- ^ Shapiro, p. 139
- ^ Shapiro, p. 277
- ^ a b c d Shapiro, p. 214
- ^ Shapiro, p. 190
- ^ Shapiro, p. 191
- ^ a b c d Kessenich, p. 80
- ^ Shapiro, p. 278
- ^ Fox.)
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link - ^ Hurwitz and Knowles, pp. 236–240
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac Shapiro (2000), p. 281
- ^ a b c Meisler, p. 294
- ^ "Top TV Shows For 1999–2000 Season". Variety. November 4, 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
- ^ Kessenich, p. 146
- ^ "The List". BtoB Magazine. Crain Communications. April 30, 2001. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
- ^ New York Daily News. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Doherty, Thomas (October 2000). "When a Show Works Best as Self-Parody, It's Time to Shut Off the Transporter Beam". Cinefantastique. 32 (3): 16–17.
- ^ Kessenich, p. 83
- ^ Adams, Sam; Dyess-Nugent, Phil; Handlen, Zack; Harris, Will; Heller, Jason; Hyden, Steven; Keller, Joel; McGee, Ryan; Modell, Josh; Phipps, Keith; Rabin, Nathan; Semley, John; Teti, John; VanDerWerff, Todd; Zulkey, Claire (May 7, 2012). "One bad apple...we can live with that: 31 rotten parts of otherwise fantastic wholes". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on May 25, 2012. Retrieved May 19, 2012.
- ^ Payne, Andrew. "'X-Files' 10 Best Episodes". Starpulse. Archived from the original on December 19, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
- ^ The Gazette (July 24, 2008). "Top drawer Files: the best stand-alone X-Files episodes". The Montreal Gazette. Archived from the original on March 21, 2014. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
- ^ Kessenich, p. 131
- ^ Shearman and Pearson, p. 221
- ^ Vitaris, Paula (October 2000). "The X-Files Season Seven Episode Guide". Cinefantastique. 32 (3): 18–37.
- ^ Kendzior, Sarah (May 2000). "Brand X". 11th Hour Magazine. Archived from the original on April 1, 2008. Retrieved January 2, 2012.
- ^ a b c Shapiro, p. 280
- ^ "The X-Files". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on August 1, 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
Bibliography
- Hurwitz, Matt; Knowles, Chris (2008). The Complete X-Files. Insight Editions. ISBN 978-1-933784-80-9.
- Kessenich, Tom (2002). Examination. New York, US: Trafford Publishing. ISBN 1-55369-812-6.
- Meisler, Andy (2000). The End and the Beginning: The Official Guide to the X-Files Season 6. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-107595-7.
- Shapiro, Marc (2000). All Things: The Official Guide to the X-Files Volume 6. Harper Prism. ISBN 0-06-107611-2.
- Shearman, Robert; Pearson, Lars (2009). Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen. Mad Norwegian Press. ISBN 978-0-9759446-9-1.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/34px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png)
- The X-Files at IMDb