The X-Files (season 4)

The X-Files season 4
Region 1 DVD cover art
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	24
Broadcast
Original channel	Fox
Original run	October 4, 1996 (1996-10-04) – May 18, 1997 (1997-05-18)
Home video release
DVD release
Region 1	November 13, 2001 (2001-11-13)
Season chronology
← Previous Season 3 Next → Season 5
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.

Cast

Main cast

• David Duchovny as Special Agent Fox Mulder
• Gillian Anderson as Special Agent Dana Scully (Does not appear in "Zero Sum")

Recurring cast

Also starring

• Mitch Pileggi as Deputy Director Walter Skinner (12 episodes)
• William B. Davis as Cigarette Smoking Man (7 episodes)

Guest starring

• Laurie Holden as Marita Covarrubias (5 episodes)
• Brendan Beiser as Pendrell (5 episodes)
• Tom Braidwood as Melvin Frohike (3 episodes)
• Rebecca Toolan as Teena Mulder (3 episodes)
• Don S. Williams as First Elder (3 episodes)
• Dean Aylesworth as Bill Mulder (2 episodes)
• Scott Bellis as Max Fenig (2 episodes)
• Bruce Harwood as John Fitzgerald Byers (2 episodes)
• Dean Haglund as Richard Langly (2 episodes)
• Sheila Larken as Margaret Scully (2 episodes)
• Nicholas Lea as Alex Krycek (2 episodes)
• Greg Michaels as Scott Garrett (2 episodes)
• John Neville as Well-Manicured Man (2 episodes)
• Chris Owens as Young Cigarette Smoking Man (2 episodes)
• Morris Panych as Grey-Haired Man (2 episodes)
• Charles Cioffi as Scott Blevins (1 episode)
• John Finn as Michael Kritschgau (1 episode)
• Jerry Hardin as Deep Throat (1 episode)
• Steve Makaj as Scott Ostelhoff (1 episode)
• John Moore as Third Elder (1 episode)
• Pat Skipper as Bill Scully (1 episode)
• Roy Thinnes as Jeremiah Smith (1 episode)
• Brian Thompson as Alien Bounty Hunter (1 episode)
• Arnie Walters as Father McCue (1 episode)
• Steven Williams as X (1 episode)

Crew

Writers and producers

Series creator Chris Carter also served as executive producer and showrunner and wrote eight episodes. Howard Gordon continued as executive producer and wrote five episodes for his final season on the series. Frank Spotnitz was promoted to co-producer and wrote seven episodes. Vince Gilligan was promoted to co-producer and wrote five episodes. Former X-Files writers Glen Morgan and James Wong returned after an one season absence from the series as consulting producers and wrote three episodes together, with Morgan writing an additional episode solo that Wong directed. John Shiban was promoted to story editor and wrote four episodes. David Greenwalt joined mid-season as co-executive producer and wrote one episode for his only season on the series. Writing team Valerie and Vivian Mayhew wrote one freelance episode. Executive producer and frequent series director R. W. Goodwin wrote his first and only episode for the series. Other producers included producer Joseph Patrick Finn, co-producer Paul Rabwin, and consulting producer Ken Horton, who joined the series with this season.

Directors

Producing-directors for the show included Rob Bowman and Kim Manners, who directed the bulk of the episodes for the season. Manners directed eight episodes, while Bowman directed seven. Executive producer R. W. Goodwin again directed the season premiere and finale. James Charleston directed three episodes, while Tucker Gates, Michael Lange, Cliff Bole, and series writer James Wong each directed one episode.

Reception

The fourth season earned the series twelve Primetime Emmy Award nominations, with three wins. Gillian Anderson won for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, after being nominated the previous year. The episodes "Memento Mori" and "Tempus Fugit" won for Outstanding Art Direction for a Series and Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series, respectively. Notable nominations included its third consecutive nomination for Outstanding Drama Series, David Duchovny's first nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, James Wong nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for "Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man", and Chris Carter, Vince Gilligan, John Shiban and Frank Spotnitz being nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for "Memento Mori". Other nominations were Jim Gross and Heather MacDougall each being nominated for Outstanding Editing for a Series – Single Camera Production for the episodes "Tempus Fugit" and "Terma", respectively; Outstanding Makeup for a Series for "Leonard Betts"; Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series for "Tempus Fugit"; and Mark Snow being nominated for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) for "Paper Hearts". The series also won its second Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama, while Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny won in the television series drama acting categories.

Episodes

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.

See also: List of The X-Files episodes

№	#	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 (1996-10-04)	4X01	21.11
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 (1996-10-11)	4X03	18.85
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 (1996-10-18)	4X04	18.01
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 (1996-10-27)	4X02	19.10
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 (1996-11-03)	4X05	19.85
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 (1996-11-10)	4X06	18.85
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 (1996-11-17)	4X07	17.09
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 (1996-11-24)	4X09	18.85
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 (1996-12-01)	4X10	17.34
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 (1996-12-15)	4X08	16.59
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 (1997-01-12)	4X11	22.37
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 (1997-01-26)	4X14	29.15
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 (1997-02-02)	4X13	21.36
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 (1997-02-09)	4X15	19.10
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 (1997-02-16)	4X12	16.56
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 (1997-02-23)	4X16	16.56
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 (1997-03-16)	4X17	18.85
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 (1997-03-23)	4X18	18.34
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 (1997-04-13)	4X19	18.09
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 (1997-04-20)	4X20	20.86
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 (1997-04-27)	4X21	18.60
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 (1997-05-04)	4X22	17.10
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 (1997-05-11)	4X23	19.10
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 (1997-05-18)	4X24	19.85
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.

Footnotes

References

• Meisler, Andy (1998). I Want to Believe: The Official Guide to the X-Files Volume 3. Harper Prism. 

External links

• Season 4 on The X-Files Wiki, an external wiki
• List of The X-Files episodes at the Internet Movie Database
• List of The X-Files episodes at TV.com