| The X-Files season 8 | |||
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Region 1 DVD cover |
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| Country of origin | United States | ||
| No. of episodes | 21 | ||
| Broadcast | |||
| Original channel | Fox | ||
| Original run | November 5, 2000 – May 20, 2001 | ||
| Home video release | |||
| DVD release | |||
| Region 1 | November 4, 2003 | ||
| Region 2 | March 14, 2004 | ||
| Region 4 | April 14, 2004 | ||
| Season chronology | |||
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| List of The X-Files episodes | |||
The eighth season of The X-Files commenced airing in the United States on November 5, 2000, concluded on May 20, 2001, and consisted of twenty-one episodes. The X-Files is an American serial science fiction-horror-thriller television series. Season eight took place after Fox Mulder's alien abduction in the seventh season. The story arc for the search of Mulder continues until the second half of the season, when a new arc about Dana Scully's pregnancy is formed. This arc would continue, and end, with the next season. The season explores various themes such as life, death, and belief.
Season eight was received well by critics but got more mixed reviews by fans and viewers, since David Duchovny elected not to return as a main character. Duchovny was initially replaced by Robert Patrick who played new central character John Doggett. Duchovny appeared for only twelve episodes in season eight, and reduced his time on The X-Files dramatically in season 9. "This Is Not Happening" marked the first appearance of Annabeth Gish as Monica Reyes, who would become a main character in season 9 as Doggett's new partner in the X-Files office.
Series creator Chris Carter believed that the series could continue for another ten years with new leads, and the opening credits were accordingly redesigned in both seasons eight and nine. During the airing of season eight, Carter and The X-Files production team created and aired a spinoff entitled The Lone Gunmen.
Contents |
Dana Scully meets John Doggett, the leader of an FBI taskforce organized to conduct a search for Fox Mulder.[1] Although the search ultimately proves unsuccessful, Doggett is assigned to the X-Files and works with Scully to look for explanations to several cases.[2] When Scully learns that several women have reportedly been abducted and impregnated with alien babies, she begins to question her own pregnancy and fears for her unborn child.[3]
Doggett introduces Scully to Monica Reyes, an FBI specialist in ritualistic crime, shortly before Mulder's deceased body suddenly appears in a forest at night.[4] Following Mulder's funeral, Assistant Director Walter Skinner is threatened by Alex Krycek that he must kill Scully's baby before it is born. Billy Miles, a multiple abductee who disappeared on the same night as Mulder, is returned deceased but his dead body is resurrected and restored to full health.[5] Mulder also returns from death, with Scully supervising his recovery. Fully rejuvenated, Mulder investigates several X-Files, against orders to do so, but soon gets fired, leaving Doggett in charge of the cases. Mulder continues to provide input in an unofficial capacity. With Scully on maternity leave, Doggett is assigned a new partner, an inexperienced agent who is obsessed with the X-Files, but the relationship is only temporary.[6]
Reluctantly accepting Krycek's assistance, Mulder, Doggett and Skinner learn that an alien virus recently created in secret by members of the United States government have replaced several humans, including Miles and several high-ranking FBI personnel, with so-called alien "Super Soldiers". Krycek claims that the soldiers are virtually unstoppable aliens who want to make sure that humans will not survive the colonisation of Earth. They have learned that Scully's baby is a miraculously special child and are afraid that it may be greater than them. They have only recently learned of the baby's importance, which is why Krycek told Skinner to kill the unborn child earlier.[7] When Miles arrives at the FBI Headquarters, Mulder, Doggett, Skinner and Krycek help Scully to escape with Special Agent Reyes who drives her to a remote farm. Shortly after Skinner kills Krycek, Scully delivers an apparently normal baby while the alien supersoldiers surround her. Without explanation, the aliens leave the area as Mulder arrives. While Doggett and Reyes report to the FBI Headquarters, Mulder takes Scully and their newborn son, William, back to her apartment.[8]
The X-Files season 8 took place in a science fiction environment and employs the common science fiction concepts of strongly differentiated characters fighting an unequivocally evil enemy (the Colonist). The first episode of the season, "Within" explored "loss", "loneliness" and "pain" after the disappearance of Fox Mulder.[9] "Per Manum" included the basic themes for the series "dark, foreboding terror, overriding sense of paranoia" and "the fear of the unknown" among others.[10] Death and resurrection emerged as a major sub-theme during the season starting with "The Gift", where John Doggett was resurrected and later in "Deadalive" when Mulder was awaken from his deathbed. This sub-theme would continue well into the ninth season.[11]
The main story theme from the earlier to this one, would also point to that humanity is a greater danger to itself. The main theme has focused most of its years on human resurrection and salvation from ourself (the Syndicate) and the threat outside (the Aliens). Some other themes are rebirth, life and belief as seen in "This Is Not Happening" and "Deadalive".[11]
"Within" marked the first major change to the opening credits since the show's first season. The opening sequence now included new images, updated FBI badge photos for David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson and the addition of Robert Patrick to the main cast. Duchovny only features in the opening credits when he appears in an episode. The opening contains images of Scully's pregnancy and, according to Frank Spotnitz, showed an "abstract" explanation of Fox Mulder's absence in this season, with him falling into an eye.[12]
"Patience" was the first episode of the series without Duchovny. "Salvage" contains a reference to actor Patrick's (Doggett) perhaps most well-known role prior to The X-Files, that of the liquid-metal T-1000 android in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) – Doggett: "What’re you saying? Ray Pearce has become some kind of metal man? ‘Cause that only happens in the movies, Agent Scully." The title of the episode "This Is Not Happening" is said four times in the episode, three times at the start of the episode, and the fourth time by Scully.[13]
The seventh season was a time of closure for The X-Files. Characters within the show were written out, including The Smoking Man and Mulder's mother, and several plot threads were resolved, including the fate of Fox Mulder's sister Samantha. After settling his contract dispute, Duchovny quit full-time participation in the show after the seventh season.[14] This contributed to uncertainties over the likelihood of an eighth season.[15] Carter and most fans felt the show was at its natural endpoint with Duchovny's departure, but it was decided Mulder would be abducted at the end of the seventh season, leaving it open for the actor's return in 11 episodes the following year.[16] "Requiem", the season finale, was written by Carter as a possible series finale. The producers found it difficult to write Duchovny's character out of the script, and explain Mulder's absence in the episodes of the upcoming season.[12]
Hoping to continue the series, Carter introduced a new central character to replace Mulder: John Doggett. More than 100 actors auditioned for the role, with only about ten considered by the producers. Lou Diamond Phillips and Hart Bochner were among the auditionees, and Phillips, Bochner and Bruce Campbell (who played Wayne Weinsider in a previous episode of The X-Files) were considered for the role, but the producers eventually choose Robert Patrick.[17] The season also introduced Monica Reyes (portrayed by Annabeth Gish), who would become a main character in the following, and ultimately final, season.
"This Is Not Happening" received the highest Nielsen household rating of the season. It earned a 10.6 rating, with a 15 share, being viewed by 10.833 million households and gathered around 16.800 viewers in total. The season premiere "Within" received the second strongest rating, getting a 9.5 in rating, 13 in share, 9.709 million in households and gathered 15.870 million viewers around the United States. "Per Manum" gathered the most viewers in the season, gathering around 16.900 million. "Salvage" was the least viewed episode of the season and gathered the lowest rating and share. The season average was 8.2 in ratings, 12 in share, 8.332 million in households and 13.573 million viewers, a small rise from the previous season.[18] The first three episodes of season eight averaged about 12.99 million viewers, while the previous seasons first three episodes averaged about 12.97 million viewers.[19]
"This Is Not Happening" was nominated for an American Society of Cinematographers award for cinematography.[12] Robert Patrick won a Saturn Award in the category "Best Television Actor" in 2001 for his role as John Doggett,[20] that year Gillian Anderson was nominated in the category "Best Actress on Television" and the series itself was nominated in the category "Best Network Television Series" in the Saturn Awards, but failed to win.[21] Anderson was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild award the very same year in the category "Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series".[22] The X-Files won an Emmy Award in the category "Outstanding Makeup - Series" for "Deadalive" and Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series Bill Roe.[12][23]
Collin Polonowonski from DVD Times said that the season included "more hits than misses overall" and was throughout negative about the mythology episodes claiming them to be the "weakest" episodes in the season.[24] Jesse Hassenger from PopMatters gave a negative review to the season, claiming that Patrick was mis-cast and calling David Duchovny's appearances as Fox Mulder shallow.[25] Entertainment Weekly reviewer Ken Tucker said that Patrick's portrayal of Doggett was "hardboiled alertness," giving mostly positive reviews about his inclusion.[26] Anita Gates from The New York Times said that most fans had "accepted" the introduction of the character and further stated that he actually looked "Like a Secret Service Agent."[19] Executive producer Carter commented on the character, saying "Everybody likes Robert Patrick and the character," but further stating that the fans "miss" Duchovny character "Mulder."[27]
Episodes marked with an asterisk (*) are part of the series' mytharc. Episodes with a double asterisk (**) are part of the series' Alien Mythology.
| № | # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Production code |
U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 162 | 1 | "Within"** | Kim Manners | Chris Carter | November 5, 2000 | 8ABX01 | 15.98[28] |
| An FBI taskforce is organized to hunt for Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) but Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) suspects the taskforce leader, Special Agent John Doggett (Robert Patrick), and instead chooses to search for her lost partner with Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi). | |||||||
| 163 | 2 | "Without"** | Kim Manners | Chris Carter | November 12, 2000 | 8ABX02 | 15.15[28] |
| At a remote school in the Arizona desert, Doggett, Scully, Gibson and Skinner – as well as a host of students and agents – do not know who to trust as the bounty hunter works among them; and – in a spaceship close by – Mulder is tested on. | |||||||
| 164 | 3 | "Patience" | Chris Carter | Chris Carter | November 19, 2000 | 8ABX04 | 13.21[28] |
| Having been assigned to the X-Files, John Doggett joins Scully to investigate a series of gruesome murders that appear to be the work of a bat-like creature. This being their first case together, Scully and Doggett find that their investigative techniques are less than similar. | |||||||
| 165 | 4 | "Roadrunners" | Rod Hardy | Vince Gilligan | November 26, 2000 | 8ABX05 | 13.34[28] |
| Working alone, Scully pursues a cult that worship a slug-like organism; but in her efforts to save an injured stranger, she discovers she’s in over her head. | |||||||
| 166 | 5 | "Invocation" | Richard Compton | David Amann | December 3, 2000 | 8ABX06 | 13.60[28] |
| Having been kidnapped for ten years, a little boy mysteriously reappears but has not aged one bit. While the case stirs up painful memories for Doggett, suspicion stirs that the boy is not all he seems. | |||||||
| 167 | 6 | "Redrum" | Peter Markle | Teleplay by: Steven Maeda Story by: Steven Maeda & Daniel Arkin |
December 10, 2000 | 8ABX03 | 13.89[28] |
| After his wife is murdered, a lawyer friend of Doggett's tries to clear his name of the crime but the days regress backwards. | |||||||
| 168 | 7 | "Via Negativa" | Tony Wharmby | Frank Spotnitz | December 17, 2000 | 8ABX07 | 16.90[28] |
| Doggett and Skinner work to avert the murderous spree of a religious cult leader, while Scully takes time off to deal with the early stages of her pregnancy. | |||||||
| 169 | 8 | "Surekill" | Terrence O'Hara | Greg Walker | January 7, 2001 | 8ABX09 | 13.38[28] |
| The fatal shooting of a realtor while alone in a cinderblock jail cell has Doggett hoping motive will yield more than method, but they soon learn that there is more to this case than meets the eye. | |||||||
| 170 | 9 | "Salvage" | Rod Hardy | Jeffrey Bell | January 14, 2001 | 8ABX10 | 11.69[28] |
| Doggett and Scully encounter a dead man who is still living – only somewhat changed. What they discover is a man made of metal, enacting vengeance on those he believes created him. | |||||||
| 171 | 10 | "Badlaa" | Tony Wharmby | John Shiban | January 21, 2001 | 8ABX12 | 14.58[28] |
| When a mystic smuggles himself out of India, Scully and Doggett give chase as his murderous spree starts terrorising two families in suburban Washington, D.C. But Scully soon comes upon a crisis of faith when she realises how dissimilar her techniques are from Mulder, even as she tries to be the believer. | |||||||
| 172 | 11 | "The Gift" | Kim Manners | Frank Spotnitz | February 4, 2001 | 8ABX11 | 11.87[28] |
| Doggett comes upon an old case about a professed ‘soul-eater’ that Mulder kept secret from Scully, which he hopes will ultimately prove the truth behind Mulder’s abduction. | |||||||
| 173 | 12 | "Medusa" | Richard Compton | Frank Spotnitz | February 11, 2001 | 8ABX13 | 13.83[28] |
| A string of bizarre deaths in the tunnels of the Boston subway system sees Doggett join a team of professionals underground to investigate. Meanwhile, Scully has to defy the train authorities above land, who are determined to get the trains up and running within hours. | |||||||
| 174 | 13 | "Per Manum"** | Kim Manners | Chris Carter & Frank Spotnitz | February 18, 2001 | 8ABX08 | 13.83[28] |
| Scully becomes personally involved when she encounters several women who had no way of naturally conceiving but who claim to have been abducted and impregnated with alien babies. | |||||||
| 175 | 14 | "This Is Not Happening"** | Kim Manners | Chris Carter & Frank Spotnitz | February 25, 2001 | 8ABX14 | 16.80[28] |
| Doggett calls on another agent, Monica Reyes (Annabeth Gish), to assist in the Mulder case, but Scully’s fears about finding him come to a head with the sudden recovery of abductees seized at the same time. | |||||||
| 176 | 15 | "Deadalive"** | Tony Wharmby | Chris Carter & Frank Spotnitz | April 1, 2001 | 8ABX15 | 11.80[28] |
| Three months after Mulder's funeral, a former abductee awakens from the dead and Scully pins her hopes on resurrecting her partner. Meanwhile, Alex Krycek (Nicholas Lea) offers Skinner a loathsome deal which he claims can save Mulder's life. | |||||||
| 177 | 16 | "Three Words"** | Tony Wharmby | Chris Carter & Frank Spotnitz | April 8, 2001 | 8ABX18 | 11.87[28] |
| Mulder secretly conducts his own investigation after a man is gunned down on the White House lawn attempting to inform the President of a planned alien invasion. However, he is soon in over his head as he tries to expose further evidence of colonization. | |||||||
| 178 | 17 | "Empedocles" | Barry K. Thomas | Greg Walker | April 22, 2001 | 8ABX17 | 12.46[28] |
| Reyes enlists Mulder’s help investigating a killer’s connection to the unsolved murder of Doggett’s son but Mulder soon finds himself clashing with Doggett. | |||||||
| 179 | 18 | "Vienen"** | Rod Hardy | Steven Maeda | April 29, 2001 | 8ABX16 | 12.20[28] |
| Mulder and Doggett are asked to investigate several deaths aboard an oil rig, but Mulder is convinced the rig is carrying an alien black oil; meanwhile a heavily pregnant Scully attempts to protect Mulder in absentia. | |||||||
| 180 | 19 | "Alone" | Frank Spotnitz | Frank Spotnitz | May 6, 2001 | 8ABX19 | 12.72[28] |
| With Scully on maternity leave, Doggett is paired with an enthusiastic young agent who knows everything about the X-Files, and her apotheosis of Mulder and Scully leads to him learning a thing or two. But when Harrison and Doggett disappear, Mulder defies orders in an attempt to find them. | |||||||
| 181 | 20 | "Essence"** | Kim Manners | Chris Carter | May 13, 2001 | 8ABX20 | 12.81[28] |
| Mulder, Skinner and Doggett come up against the horrible consequences of the Syndicate’s pact with the aliens, as a hybrid attempts to erase all evidence of the tests – including Scully’s soon-to-be-born baby. The men call on Reyes, and – reluctantly – Alex Krycek to help them. | |||||||
| 182 | 21 | "Existence"** | Kim Manners | Chris Carter | May 20, 2001 | 8ABX21 | 13.57[28] |
| Mulder, Doggett and Skinner face off with the alien replicants as they desperately try to expose the conspiracy within the FBI. Meanwhile Scully goes into labour in a remote location, but Reyes soon learns they may be no safer there. | |||||||
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