"End Game" is the seventeenth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on February 17, 1995. It was directed by Rob Bowman, and written by Frank Spotnitz. "End Game" featured guest appearances by Megan Leitch, Peter Donat, Brian Thompson and saw Steven Williams reprise his role as X. The episode helped explore the series' overarching mythology. "End Game" earned a Nielsen household rating of 11.2, being watched by 10.7 million households in its initial broadcast. It received positive reviews from critics.
The show centers on FBI special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. In this episode, Scully is kidnapped by an alien bounty hunter and Mulder offers his sister Samantha (Leitch) forward as ransom. However, Samantha is merely one of several clones created as part of a human-alien hybrid project, leading Mulder to pursue the bounty hunter for the truth about her disappearance. "End Game" is a two-part episode, continuing the plot from the previous episode, "Colony".
"End Game" was the first episode of the series written by Spotnitz, who eventually went on to become one of the series' executive producers.
Plot
USS Allegiance, an American nuclear submarine, is patrolling the Beaufort Sea off the coast of Alaska when it comes across a craft below the ice that is emitting a radio signal. Allegiance is ordered to fire upon the craft by Pacific Command. However, the craft manages to disable the sub using a high-pitched frequency, stranding it far below the ice.
Continuing from the cliffhanger ending in "Colony", Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) is beaten and kidnapped by "Mulder", who is really the Bounty Hunter in disguise. When the real Mulder (David Duchovny) finds the wrecked hotel room, his sister Samantha explains that the Bounty Hunter will set up a hostage exchange to swap Scully for her. She further explains that the Bounty Hunter can only be killed by piercing the base of his neck and that his toxic alien blood is deadly to humans. Finally, Samantha reveals that the clones are the progeny of two original aliens, and worked at abortion clinics to gain access to fetal tissue. Their objective was to set up an extraterrestrial colony on Earth, an effort that has gone as far back as the 1940s. However, because the clones' experiments were considered to have tainted their alien race, the Bounty Hunter was sent to kill them.
Walter Skinner meets Mulder and Samantha at Mulder's apartment, telling them that the remaining clones are missing. Mulder receives a call from Scully, who tells him that the Bounty Hunter seeks an exchange for Samantha. Mulder and Samantha are sent to a bridge near Bethesda while Skinner hides nearby with a sharpshooter. After the exchange takes place, Samantha attacks the Bounty Hunter. During the struggle, the sharpshooter fires upon the Bounty Hunter, and both he and Samantha fall into a river. An anguished Mulder tearfully apologizes to his father, Bill, for losing her again. Bill leaves Mulder a note from Samantha, which provides him with the address of a Maryland clinic where they can meet if separated. Mulder hopes that she is alive, but soon gets a call from Scully reporting that Samantha's body has been found. After Scully ends the call, she discovers Samantha's body dissolving into a green liquid.
Meanwhile, inside the clinic, Mulder finds multiple clones of Samantha working on fetuses in labs similar to that of the clones. They reveal that they manipulated Mulder by sending one of their own to pose as "Samantha" in an effort to have him protect her original clone. They also claim to know the real Samantha's location. Mulder, realizing he has been duped, initially refuses to help and starts to leave, but is knocked unconscious by the arriving Bounty Hunter, who proceeds to kill the Samantha clones and burn down the clinic. When no trace of the clones is found, Mulder meets with X at the Kennedy Center, demanding to know the Bounty Hunter's location. X says that the Bounty Hunter's craft below the Beaufort Sea has been found, and that a naval fleet has been sent to destroy it. Mulder heads there and e-mails Scully to tell her not to follow him.
Scully goes to Skinner for help, but he initially refuses. Scully also summons X to Mulder's apartment, but he turns her down. On his way out, X is confronted by Skinner in an elevator. After the two men get into a vicious physical altercation, X divulges Mulder's whereabouts. Meanwhile, Mulder finds the stranded Allegiance, with its sail broken through a patch of shallow ice. Inside, he finds what seems to be the sub's only surviving crewman, whom Mulder correctly guesses is the disguised Bounty Hunter. The two struggle, during which Mulder becomes exposed to the Bounty Hunter's toxic blood. The Bounty Hunter claims that Samantha is still alive before dumping Mulder off the sail and submerging Allegiance; a weak Mulder is nearly cut in half with the sub's diving plane in the process. He is discovered and rushed to the field hospital seen at the beginning of "Colony", where Scully—having learned that the alien blood contains a retrovirus that dies in cold temperatures—convinces the doctors to take him out of the bath that would warm his body up.
As Mulder's condition stabilizes, Scully writes a field report crediting science with detecting the retrovirus and saving Mulder. She contends that the retrovirus is of a mysterious origin, and reports that neither the Bounty Hunter nor Allegiance have been found. When Mulder regains consciousness, he tells Scully that his experiences did not give him the answers he had been searching for, but that they have given him renewed "faith to keep looking".[1][2]
Production
Writing
This was the first episode of the series written by Frank Spotnitz.[3] Spotnitz, who came up with the idea to bring back Samantha Mulder in "Colony", wrote this episode, his first credited work on the show.[4] According to Spotnitz, he along with Chris Carter, were overly ambitious when writing this episode.[3] Since this was Spotnitz's debut as a television writer, he got significant help from Carter to put the script together.[3] All of the scenes originally pitched by Spotnitz were kept, except for a car chase scene that ended with a crash, and one where Mulder mistakes a federal marshal for the bounty hunter. The scenes were cut due to time restraints during filming.[4] Spotnitz later became a frequent collaborator on many of the subsequent mythology episodes of the show, as well as co-writing the two feature films.
It turned out in this episode that the Samantha Mulder (Megan Leitch) who appeared was a clone.[3] Carter did not want it to be the real Samantha, since that would have been "straight science fiction" and it was too "ridiculous" to give too many answers.[3] Spotnitz further explained that the production crew never saw The X-Files as a "science fiction show", but more of a show that incorporated science fiction, and that this and previous episode "Colony" were more of a "suspense thriller" than any other genre.[3] Chris Carter described the "Colony" and "End Game" two-parter as the "backbone of the show, the romantic quest of Mulder for the truth and Scully as well", and that it led Scully to believe in the conspiracy.[5]
The motel scene with the bounty hunter and Dana Scully was shot on a sound stage in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in a simple motel room set. The scene featuring Scully being beaten up by the bounty hunter was primarily performed by a stunt woman.[3] The stiletto weapon, often referred to as the "gimlet", used by the bounty hunter was constructed from aluminium and acrylic, and activated by a pneumatic hose hidden in actor Brian Thompson's sleeve.[6] The grunt Scully utters when thrown through a table was insisted on by Standards and Practices, giving the reasoning that the show needed to make it clear for the viewers that she was not dead. According to executive producer Frank Spotnitz it was an "arcane, bizarre logic that you have to deal with when you're putting a show on network television."[3] As director Rob Bowman was dissatisfied with the first take of Skinner shoving X against the elevator wall, Mitch Pileggi and Steven Williams decided to do the stunt for real, and Pileggi did it with so much strength that it broke the back of the elevator scenery.[7] Williams' background in fight choreography, stemming from his role in Missing in Action 2: The Beginning, allowed him to help in choreographing the brawl.[8]
One hundred and forty tons of snow and ice were trucked into a soundstage to create the scene with the submarine towards the end of the episode,[6] and the stage had to be refrigerated for five days. The control tower scenery was able to rise or lower only five feet, leading to restrictions such as filming on black backdrops.[5] A decommissioned destroyer, HMCS Mackenzie was rented from the Royal Canadian Navy and used for the submarine interior. It was reused two episodes later for interior shots in "Død Kalm".[9][10]
Reception
...the sad paradox of Mulder's quest is that you can't want to believe and trust no one. ... In the end, despite near death, despite all the set-backs, he still has the faith to go on searching. He believes, he'll follow any lie no matter how outlandish, because maybe, just maybe, he might find that final thread that will give his life meaning. And we watch, hoping the same might be true for ourselves.
"End Game" premiered on the Fox network on February 17, 1995.[12] The episode earned a Nielsen household rating of 11.2 with a 19 share, meaning that roughly 11.2 percent of all television-equipped households, and 19 percent of households watching television, were tuned in to the episode.[13] A total of 10.7 million households watched this episode during its original airing.[13]
The episode has been met with positive reviews from critics. In a retrospective of the second season in Entertainment Weekly, the episode was rated an A−, being called "an exhausting, essential chapter, boasting the series' most visually stunning finale".[14] Writing for The A.V. Club, Zack Handlen rated the episode an A, noting that it was "X-Files in top form". He felt that the fight between Skinner and X was "one of the season's great moments", although he derided the use of Scully in a "heroine-as-victim" role.[11] Michelle Bush, in her book Myth-X, has noted that "End Game" is "a good example of the basic premises that Mulder and Scully cannot succeed without the other", and serves to highlight "the danger of making someone else's choice for them."[15]
The second season of the science fiction television series The X-Files commenced airing on the Fox network in the United States on September 16, 1994, concluded on the same channel on May 19, 1995, after airing all 25 episodes. The series follows Federal Bureau of Investigation special agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, portrayed by David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson respectively, who investigate paranormal or supernatural cases, known as X-Files by the FBI.
The third season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files commenced airing on Fox in the United States on September 22, 1995, concluded on the same channel on May 17, 1996, and contained 24 episodes. The season continues to follow the cases of FBI special agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, portrayed by David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson respectively, who investigate paranormal or supernatural cases, known as X-Files by the FBI.
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 learned the true fate of his sister, Samantha.
Samantha Ann Mulder is a fictional character in the television series The X-Files. She is the younger sister of FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder and the daughter of Teena and Bill Mulder. As a child, Samantha was abducted, ostensibly by aliens, and was never returned. It is this experience that drives her older brother Fox Mulder to join the FBI, and later take the reins of the X-Files section.
X, sometimes referred to as Mr. X, is a fictional character on the American science fiction television series The X-Files. He serves as an informant, leaking information to FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully to aid their investigation of paranormal cases, dubbed X-Files. The character serves as a replacement for Deep Throat, who had been killed off in the first season finale, "The Erlenmeyer Flask". X himself would be killed off after appearing in several seasons, eventually being replaced by Marita Covarrubias.
On The X-Files television show, the term Men in Black refers to a group of enforcers employed by the Syndicate to execute assassinations, cover-ups and other clandestine operations. It is clear that most, if not all, of them are former members of special operations units. Some, mostly shown in comedic episodes, parodied the traditional view of MIBs from UFO lore. Most had no known civilian identities, though there were some exceptions. They rarely speak.
"Ascension" is the sixth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on October 21, 1994. It was written by Paul Brown, directed by Michael Lange, and featured guest appearances by Steve Railsback, Nicholas Lea, Steven Williams and Sheila Larken. The episode helped explore the series' overarching mythology.
"Colony" is the sixteenth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on February 10, 1995. It was directed by Nick Marck, and written by series creator Chris Carter based on a story developed by Carter and lead actor David Duchovny. "Colony" featured guest appearances by Megan Leitch, Peter Donat and Brian Thompson. The episode helped explore the series' overarching mythology. "Colony" earned a Nielsen household rating of 10.3, being watched by 9.8 million households in its initial broadcast. "Colony" is a two-part episode, with the plot continuing in the next episode, "End Game".
"The Blessing Way" is the first episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on September 22, 1995. It was directed by R.W. Goodwin, and written by series creator Chris Carter. "The Blessing Way" featured guest appearances by Floyd Red Crow Westerman, Peter Donat and Jerry Hardin, and introduced John Neville as the Well-Manicured Man. The episode helped explore the overarching mythology, or fictional history of The X-Files. "The Blessing Way" earned a Nielsen household rating of 12.3, being watched by 19.94 million people in its initial broadcast. The episode received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics.
"731" is the tenth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on December 1, 1995. It was directed by Rob Bowman, and written by Frank Spotnitz. "731" featured guest appearances by Stephen McHattie, Steven Williams and Don S. Williams. The episode helps explore the series' overarching mythology. "731" earned a Nielsen household rating of 12, being watched by 17.68 million people in its initial broadcast.
"Apocrypha" is the sixteenth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on February 16, 1996. It was directed by Kim Manners, and written by Frank Spotnitz and series creator Chris Carter. "Apocrypha" included appearances by John Neville, Don S. Williams and Brendan Beiser. The episode helped to explore the overarching mythology, or fictional history of The X-Files. "Apocrypha" earned a Nielsen household rating of 10.8, being watched by 16.71 million people in its initial broadcast.
"Talitha Cumi" is the twenty-fourth episode and the season finale of the third season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on May 17, 1996, in the United States. The teleplay was written by series creator Chris Carter, based on a story he developed with lead actor David Duchovny and was directed by R. W. Goodwin. The episode is one of several that explored the series' overarching mythology. "Talitha Cumi" achieved a Nielsen household rating of 11.2, being watched by 17.86 million people in its initial broadcast. The episode received mostly positive reviews from critics.
"Herrenvolk" is the fourth season premiere of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on October 4, 1996. It was directed by R.W. Goodwin, and written by series creator Chris Carter. "Herrenvolk" featured guest appearances by Roy Thinnes and Brian Thompson, and introduced Laurie Holden as recurring character Marita Covarrubias. The episode helped to explore the overarching mythology, or fictional history of The X-Files. "Herrenvolk" earned a Nielsen household rating of 13.2, being watched by 21.11 million people in its initial broadcast.
Volume 1 of The X-Files Mythology collection is a DVD release containing selected episodes from the first to the third seasons of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. The episodes collected in the release form the beginning of the series' mythology, and are centred on alien abduction at the hands of "colonists". Several of the elements introduced in the collected episodes arose through necessity during production, as working around the pregnancy of lead actress Gillian Anderson led to both the creation of unifying plot thread and the introduction of several recurring characters.
Volume 2 of The X-Files Mythology collection is the second DVD release containing selected episodes from the third to the fifth seasons of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. The episodes collected in the release form the middle of the series' mythology, and are centered on the discovery of a mind-altering extraterrestrial "black oil".
"Without" is the second episode of the eighth season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States and Canada on November 12, 2000, on Fox and subsequently aired in the United Kingdom on February 18, 2001. It was written by executive producer Chris Carter and directed by Kim Manners. The episode helps to explore the series' overarching mythology and continues from the seventh season finale, "Requiem", and season eight premiere, "Within", in which Fox Mulder was abducted by aliens who are planning to colonize Earth. The episode earned a Nielsen rating of 9.0 in the United States and was seen by 15.1 million viewers. As with the previous episode, "Within," it was generally well-received by critics, although some detractors criticized various plot points.
"Paper Clip" is the second episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on September 29, 1995. It was directed by Rob Bowman, and written by series creator Chris Carter. "Paper Clip" featured guest appearances by Sheila Larken, Melinda McGraw and Nicholas Lea. The episode is one of those that explored the overarching mythology, or fictional history of The X-Files. "Paper Clip" earned a Nielsen household rating of 11.1, being watched by 17.2 million people in its initial broadcast. "Paper Clip" has received highly positive reviews from critics; it is generally considered by both critics and cast/crew as being among the best episodes of the series.
The mythology of The X-Files, sometimes referred to as its "mytharc" by the show's staff and fans, follows the quest of FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder, a believer in supernatural phenomena, and Dana Scully, his skeptical partner. Their boss, FBI Assistant Director Walter Skinner, was also often involved. Beginning with season 8, another skeptic named John Doggett, and Monica Reyes, a believer like Mulder, were also introduced. The overarching story, which spans events as early as the 1940s, is built around a government conspiracy to hide the truth about alien existence and their doomsday plan. Not all episodes advanced the mythology plot, but those that did were often set up by Mulder or Scully via an opening monologue.
The Colonists are an extraterrestrial species and are also the primary group of antagonists in the science fiction television show The X-Files as well as the first X-Files feature film. The mystery revolving around their identity and purpose is slowly revealed across the course of the series. In the series' plot, the Colonists are collaborating with a group of United States government officials known as the Syndicate in a plan to colonize the Earth, hence their name.
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