| The X-Files season 4 | |||
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Region 1 DVD cover art |
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| Country of origin | United States | ||
| No. of episodes | 24 | ||
| Broadcast | |||
| Original channel | Fox | ||
| Original run | October 4, 1996 – May 18, 1997 | ||
| Home video release | |||
| DVD release | |||
| Region 1 | November 13, 2001 | ||
| Season chronology | |||
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| List of The X-Files episodes | |||
The fourth season of the science fiction television series The X-Files commenced airing on Fox in the United States on October 4, 1996, concluded on the same channel on May 18, 1997, and contained 24 episodes.
Contents |
Episodes marked with an asterisk (*) are broadly part of the series' mytharc. Episodes with a double asterisk (**) are primary episodes in the series' Alien Mythology arc.
| № | # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Production code |
U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 74 | 1 | "Herrenvolk"** | R. W. Goodwin | Chris Carter | October 4, 1996 | 4X01 | 21.11[1] |
| Pursued by an Alien Bounty Hunter, Jeremiah Smith (Roy Thinnes) takes Mulder to a farm where he finds several girls who are clones of his sister. | |||||||
| 75 | 2 | "Home" | Kim Manners | Glen Morgan & James Wong | October 11, 1996 | 4X03 | 18.85[1] |
| In a small, otherwise peaceful town, the agents investigate the death of an infant with disturbing birth defects, and the trail leads to a clan of inbred, genetic mutants. | |||||||
| 76 | 3 | "Teliko" | James Charleston | Howard Gordon | October 18, 1996 | 4X04 | 18.01[1] |
| Mulder and Scully are called in to investigate the unexplained deaths of several African and African-American people whose skin color has turned white as the result of either a rare medical disorder or a bizarre curse. The tagline for this episode is "Deceive Inveigle Obfuscate" instead of the usual "The Truth is Out There". Guest starring Carl Lumbly, Willie Amakye, Mitch Pileggi, Laurie Holden and Brendan Beiser. | |||||||
| 77 | 4 | "Unruhe" | Rob Bowman | Vince Gilligan | October 27, 1996 | 4X02 | 19.10[1] |
| Agents Mulder and Scully investigate a group of bizarre kidnappings in which the only clues are inexplicable photographs. But when Scully is the next intended victim, Mulder must get into the killer’s head. | |||||||
| 78 | 5 | "The Field Where I Died" | Rob Bowman | Glen Morgan & James Wong | November 3, 1996 | 4X05 | 19.85[1] |
| FBI Agent Mulder’s search for an informant inside a cult compound leads Scully and him to one of the cult leader’s wives. What they soon discover is an unexpectedly close connection with the woman. Guest starring Michael Massee, Doug Abrahams and Kristen Cloke. | |||||||
| 79 | 6 | "Sanguinarium" | Kim Manners | Valerie Mayhew & Vivian Mayhew | November 10, 1996 | 4X06 | 18.85[1] |
| Bizarre murders in a hospital's plastic surgery unit lead Mulder and Scully to suspect a supernatural force may be responsible. Guest starring Richard Beymer. | |||||||
| 80 | 7 | "Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man"* | James Wong | Glen Morgan | November 17, 1996 | 4X07 | 17.09[1] |
| Mulder, Scully and Byers meet with Frohike, where he details what may have been Cigarette Smoking Man’s real life. | |||||||
| 81 | 8 | "Tunguska"** | Kim Manners | Frank Spotnitz & Chris Carter | November 24, 1996 | 4X09 | 18.85[1] |
| A diplomatic courier carrying deadly cargo involves Agents Mulder and Scully in a dangerous web of intrigue, which leads Mulder on a trip to Russia. | |||||||
| 82 | 9 | "Terma"** | Rob Bowman | Frank Spotnitz & Chris Carter | December 1, 1996 | 4X10 | 17.34[1] |
| Scully and Skinner attend a suspicious Senate hearing, while Mulder and Krycek face off in a Russian gulag. Guest starring Stefan Arngrim, William B. Davis, Campbell Lane, Nicholas Lea, John Neville, Mitch Pileggi and Fritz Weaver | |||||||
| 83 | 10 | "Paper Hearts" | Rob Bowman | Vince Gilligan | December 15, 1996 | 4X08 | 16.59[1] |
| Agent Mulder is haunted by an old case in which young girls were killed and hearts cut from their nightgowns. Soon Mulder becomes suspicious when the killer taunts him with the idea that one of his victims may have been Samantha. | |||||||
| 84 | 11 | "El Mundo Gira" | Tucker Gates | John Shiban | January 12, 1997 | 4X11 | 22.37[1] |
| Deadly rain in a migrant workers camp sends Agent Mulder and Scully on the trail of a mythical beast — El Chupacabra. | |||||||
| 85 | 12 | "Leonard Betts" | Kim Manners | Vince Gilligan & John Shiban & Frank Spotnitz | January 26, 1997 | 4X14 | 29.15[1] |
| The disappearance of a man's body from a hospital morgue leads Mulder and Scully to investigate the strange circumstances surrounding the man’s death. However, for Scully it will lead to a horrifying revelation. | |||||||
| 86 | 13 | "Never Again" | Rob Bowman | Glen Morgan & James Wong | February 2, 1997 | 4X13 | 21.36[1] |
| On a solo assignment out of town, Scully meets Mr. Wrong, a man whose tattoo does not want to share him - especially not with Scully. Guest starring Jodie Foster in a voice-acting role. | |||||||
| 87 | 14 | "Memento Mori"** | Rob Bowman | Chris Carter & Vince Gilligan & John Shiban & Frank Spotnitz | February 9, 1997 | 4X15 | 19.10[1] |
| Fear for Scully’s health sends Mulder to investigate the bizarre circumstances that may explain her mysterious abduction two years ago, while Scully takes a more practical course to quell her illness. | |||||||
| 88 | 15 | "Kaddish" | Kim Manners | Howard Gordon | February 16, 1997 | 4X12 | 16.56[1] |
| A murder in a Jewish community leads to the deaths of the killers, forcing Mulder and Scully to determine whether vengeance or larger forces are at work. | |||||||
| 89 | 16 | "Unrequited" | Michael Lange | Teleplay by: Howard Gordon & Chris Carter Story by: Howard Gordon |
February 23, 1997 | 4X16 | 16.56[1] |
| The mysterious assassination of a high-ranking military official has Mulder and Scully racing against the clock to stop a seemingly unstoppable - and invisible - assassin. | |||||||
| 90 | 17 | "Tempus Fugit"** | Rob Bowman | Chris Carter & Frank Spotnitz | March 16, 1997 | 4X17 | 18.85[1] |
| While celebrating Scully’s birthday, Mulder learns of Max Fenig’s death in a plane crash. What the agents soon discover is that the circumstances surrounding the crash may have been alien. | |||||||
| 91 | 18 | "Max"** | Kim Manners | Chris Carter & Frank Spotnitz | March 23, 1997 | 4X18 | 18.34[1] |
| The investigation continues for agents Mulder and Scully of the apparent downing of Flight 549 by a UFO. They encounter deadly opposition from the military, which continues to cover up the truth of incident. | |||||||
| 92 | 19 | "Synchrony" | James Charleston | Howard Gordon & David Greenwalt | April 13, 1997 | 4X19 | 18.09[1] |
| Mulder and Scully investigate a murder for which the suspect presents an incredible alibi — that the death was foretold by an old man able to see into the future. | |||||||
| 93 | 20 | "Small Potatoes" | Cliff Bole | Vince Gilligan | April 20, 1997 | 4X20 | 20.86[1] |
| A small town is “blessed” by babies being born with tails. Mulder and Scully arrive only to encounter a suspect who proves nearly impossible to identify. | |||||||
| 94 | 21 | "Zero Sum"** | Kim Manners | Howard Gordon & Frank Spotnitz | April 27, 1997 | 4X21 | 18.60[1] |
| Agent Mulder launches a criminal investigation into a bizarre death which he finds has connections to A.D. Skinner. Meanwhile, Skinner makes his own deal with the devil in a desperate attempt to save Scully from the cancer that is taking over her body. | |||||||
| 95 | 22 | "Elegy" | James Charleston | John Shiban | May 4, 1997 | 4X22 | 17.10[1] |
| Mulder and Scully track a series of murders that lead to a home for the mentally ill and a clue that makes no sense: each victim had a purported warning from the dead. However, while Mulder makes some surprising discoveries, Scully is reminded of her own mortality. | |||||||
| 96 | 23 | "Demons"* | Kim Manners | R. W. Goodwin | May 11, 1997 | 4X23 | 19.10[1] |
| Scully is concerned for Mulder’s well-being when he suffers from a memory loss while investigating a case — and is the only suspect in a brutal double murder. | |||||||
| 97 | 24 | "Gethsemane"** | R. W. Goodwin | Chris Carter | May 18, 1997 | 4X24 | 19.85[1] |
| Researchers in northern Canada discover what may finally be irrefutable proof of alien existence, but even Mulder is skeptical until sinister agents begin to kill to prevent its revelation, leading to a shocking conclusion. | |||||||
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