The X-Files - 5.

German title: Das Ende
translation: The End

Japanese title: no change

Spanish title: El Fin
translation: The End

US Airdate: May 17, 1998

writer: Chris Carter

director: R. W. Goodwin

STARRING:

David Duchovny as Special Agent Fox Mulder

Gillian Anderson as Special Agent Dana Scully

Mitch Pileggi as Assistant Director Walter Skinner

Guest Cast:

Mimi Rogers as Agent Diana Fowley

William B. Davis as Cancer Man

Chris Owens as Agent Jeffrey Spender

John Neville as Well Manicured Man

Bruce Harwood as Byers

Tom Braidwood as Frohike

Dean Haglund as Langly

Nick Lea as Alex Krycek

Jeff Gulka as Gibson Praise

Martin Ferraro as Shooter

Don S. Williams as 1st Elder

George Murdock as 2nd Elder

John Moore as 3rd Elder

Patrick Phillips as Clinician #1

Paul Moniz de SA as Clinician #2

John Trottier as Clinician #3

Orest Blankavich as Russian

And we're helpless caught up in the madness

Of a world gone mad .....

The roar of fire rings out on high

And flames light up the black night sky .....

As walls collapse and timbers flare

The smell of death hangs in the air

When help at last arrives

They try to fight the flame but nothing survives of all those lives

from Elton John's "Madness"

Well, nothing but Samantha's file, that is! And a couple of lines for Old Smokey:

Don't let the sun go down

Said the man with the fire, firing the furnace

I been buried in the snow

from Nick Cave's "The Hammer Song"

"Buried in the snow"? Come on, perfect, don'tcha think? Thanks, it's a gift ;-) And, just 'cause it was too cool to pass up, one last one:

The end will come before we know ....

We light the fuse and let it burn out

from Elton John's "The End Will Come"

Too darn perfect, huh? Alright, I'll stop now, let's get to the action!

Plotline

We open in Vancouver, British Columbia (yeah, it's about time!), at a packed stadium (GM Place, although it isn't identified as such) at what looks like A Very Important Chess Match taking place between a Russian man, and a young American kid. The camera pans down so we can see the

really cool chess-looking platform the players are perched on, the Russian studies the board, glances behind the kid (for some reason, not high enough to be looking for the sniper in the rooftop), moves a piece and clicks the little clock thingy (can you tell I don't play chess?). The kid quickly moves one of his pieces, clicks the clock and the crowd oohs and ahhs.

We move up to the rafters to see an assassin putting his gun together. Back at the match, the Russian captures one of the kid's pieces, click, then the kid moves a piece, click. Suddenly, he starts hearing voices, garbled, like a radio changing stations. The kid scans the crowd (as does the camera, very quickly, hardly stops at all, which must have ticked off the xphile extras called to film the scene that were promised their mugs on screen), then his eyes move up to the roof, where the

sniper is loading his bullets. He returns his attention to the chess board, as we see the sniper lining up his shot, the Russian's head in his cross-hairs.

But, wait, he moves his sights down to the back of the kid's head which is facing him. The Russian moves another piece, click. The sniper's finger is poised on the trigger, itching to pull. The kid stands up, placing his final piece in checkmate position, clicks and says "Checkmate". As he sits down, a shot rings out and the Russian takes the bullet in the chest. The crowd goes wild, screaming and yelling, as the Russian falls off his chair, dragging the chess board, all the pieces

AND the clock thingy down with him to the floor. The kid very nonchalantly looks behind him, directly at the sniper, who's decidedly unnerved by this sighting. Interesting to note that we can see the chess board behind the kid, back in place on the table, pieces intact. As a Mountie arrives to tend to the Russian and the crowd begins to scatter, the sniper decides to NOT take another shot at the kid, or we wouldn't have a story, and he flees from the rafters. Cue the music, we're off

and running!

Far from this madness, according to the onscreen writing, we're now in the Laurentian mountains in Quebec (yeah, right, we wish we had huge mountains like this in the East! Gotta be the Rockies), snow covering the ground as two paratroopers land (love the red and white chutes, look

just like Canadian flags for a brief second). The paratroopers wear black ski masks, we can't see their faces, and they start to run somewhere.

Next we see their destination, a familiar looking cabin tucked away in the woods. Inside, a teakettle begins to boil and a hand removes it from the stove. The camera moves slowly up as we watch the hands begin to button up a man's shirt, a surgical scar featuring prominently on his grizzled chest. His face appears .... it's Cancer Man! Good to see ya, buddy, and what are you doing up at 6:30AM? No job, you should be sleeping, fella.

Good thing, as he hears an alarm beep (motion sensors he's set outside, not loud enough to wake him up, though). The paratroopers are outside the cabin, sneaking towards it, guns drawn. The first one foolishly goes right up to the front door, moves his gun to his left hand, forcing him to try the doorknob with his right, which puts him smack dab in the center of the door. Twit. The handle turns, the door opens slightly and BAM! A big hole splinters the wood (what? Boy, Old Smokey's a daredevil, no metal doors for this guy) and kills the paratrooper dead. He falls back onto the snow, starting a nice angel he can't finish.

The other paratrooper rushes up to the cabin, sees his buddy dead with LOTS of blood next to him and spots some nicely marked bloody footprints leaving the cabin. He's off in pursuit. We see Cancer Man running through the snow, moving pretty darn well for an old dude, the paratrooper running almost behind him and familiar looking lips poking through the ski mask. Next thing we know, the paratrooper is standing atop a small hill, gun poised, Cancer Man's caught.

He looks up at the gunman, terror in his eyes, as the man removes his mask with a flourish. It's Krycek! Cancer Man screams at him, "Go on! Take your shot, Alex!" (love this scene) Krycek hesitates and Cancer Man starts to walk away, figuring he'll shoot him the back if he must. But

Krycek stops him and says he was sent to bring him back. Oooooo!

We cut to Mulder's office and see his "I Want To Believe" poster with a Post-It note reading, "You Are Here", plastered on the UFO (enjoy it, one of the last times you'll see it *sniff*). A bulletin board is scanned, containing articles and pictures on, in order, Duane Barry, Leonard Betts, the Eve's, Tooms and peeking out from under a picture of Mulder and Scully together (wow! Didn't see *that* much this season), dressed in FBI jackets and looking at papers, a picture of the men from Paper Clip. A hand picks up a loose file, marked as X-491679, and as it's opened, we see the hand belongs to Skinner. What the heck's he doing wandering around Mulder's office?

Mulder arrives, makes a joke about Skinner tidying his office for him, and asks why he's there. Skinner says he came down to ask him something and started nosing around. He's curious about Mulder's "long-term plans" and Mulder says, "You got them right there in your hands", referring to the x-file he's holding. As he starts to put the file into the file cabinet, Skinner asks what he hopes to find in "the end" (major plotline clue there, my friends!). Mulder says whatever he hopes to find is contained in the x-files, was that what Skinner wanted to ask him? No, turns out Skinner came down to tell him about the chess match assassination case. The sniper used to work for the NSA (National Security Agency), so a lot of folks are upset by this. Skinner tells him that the kid, Spender, make that Special Agent Spender, he says with distaste, is working the case, special orders from outside the Bureau and Mulder is NOT to be included. Makes ya wonder why he bothered telling Mulder then, eh? Anyway, Mulder gets a sly grin on his face and nods when he learns Spender specifically asked that he be excluded from the team. Is that right? I'll show him.

In the briefing room, we see Spender in control, showing the video of the shooting to a room full of FBI agents, including (gasp!) Scully. Mulder and Skinner enter the room, Scully turns to look at them, surprised to see Mulder there, and Spender stops his briefing. Mulder calmly tells Spender to continue, which he does, not pleased with his presence at all.

Mulder watches the video from where the Russian has already been shot and is slumping over in slo-mo. However, as Spender speaks to the room on the theories he's reached regarding the sniper and his target, the Russian, Mulder interrupts and asks him to rewind the tape. No, he doesn't have any questions, he just thinks Spender is wrong. With anger flaming in Spender's dead eyes (personal comment, sorry!), he listens incredulously as Mulder tells him that the kid was the target, not the Russian. Spender says, yeah, right, a 12 year old kid, tell me another one, Mulder. He answers, "And a good chess player. Here, let me show you his best move, if you’ll just take it back."

Spender, his irritation rising, rewinds the video back to BEFORE Mulder walked into the room, proving Mulder's previously unknown psychic skills. Also note that during this scene's playing of the tape, the chessboard stays on the table after the Russian is shot, it doesn't even spin wildly like it did in the opening scene. Mulder points out how the kid pushed back his chair right before the shot is fired. If he'd stayed where he was, then he would have been shot in the back of the neck.

Spender dismisses his ideas and asks to move on, but a woman we haven't seen before speaks up and agrees with Mulder. We will soon know her as Agent Diana Fowley, among other things. On hearing her voice, Mulder turns to look at her, surprised beyond simply hearing someone agree with his theory. Finally, Skinner asks for the tape to be rewound and his word still holds some weight it seems 'cause Spender does. Gee, look at that, the kid very clearly turns around to face the camera and looks at *someone* behind him just before the shooting. Gosh, how did all those

fancy-shmancy agents miss that one? Spender certainly looks devasted to be proven wrong by that Mulder. He looks at Mulder, Mulder looks at Diana, the tension can be cut by an alien icepick.

Nightime, in a parking lot somewhere (Vancouver, from the background scenery, but they're not supposed to be there), two figures walk towards a car. It's Krycek leading Cancer Man to the Elders. Nose to nose with the First Elder, he holds his head up and mocks the Elder's shock at

seeing him. If they really thought he was dead, then they underestimated both him and the man they sent to do the job. At this comment, the First Elder looks at the other Elders, followed by a more focused look at Krycek. Was *he* sent to do the job? Water under the bridge apparently, as Cancer Man lights up and asks what his job will be. Although the Well-Manicured Man expresses his usual disgust, "Dear God!", it's clear they want him to take care of the kid once and for all. Cancer Man assures them he can be counted on and walks away.

Inside a car, Mulder's driving, Scully's in the passenger seat and Diana Fowley is seated behind Mulder. Scully asks her how long she's been with the Bureau and Diana answers, "Since '91." Diana's been in Europe since the Berlin Wall came down, concentrating on terroism. Was she brought in on this case because of terroism concerns, Scully asks. Nope, Diana asked for the reassignment, she had things at home she wanted to get back to. Mulder and Diana exchange a look in the rear-view mirror which Scully doesn't notice. '91, wasn't that when Mulder started with the x-files, Scully says, and Mulder murmurs an agreement, more or less. Yet another look is exchanged which whizzes past Scully's head. Open your eyes, woman!

The scene changes to Inget Murray Psychiatric Hospital in Gaithersburg, Maryland, where the kid, Gibson, is watching "The Simpsons". Mulder arrives with his gals ... I mean, Dana and Diana, as Mulder introduces them. Gibson complains that back home in the Phillipines he can only watch "Baywatch", which makes Mulder ask what's wrong with that? Gibson keenly observes that Mulder has a dirty mind. Scully tries not to crack up at this comment as she tells Gibson that his parents will pick him up on Friday. The kid tells Mulder he's not interested in playing chess with the cheapo chess computer Mulder has tucked under his arm. Mulder tells him maybe he doesn't want to play 'cause he may not beat it, he can't read its thoughts like he can with his human opponents. That's how he knew the shooter was aiming for him, right? Gibson says he knows Mulder is thinking about one of the girls right now, which unnerves Mulder and causes Scully's eyebrow to dance. Diana, just curious, you understand, asks which one, but after studying Mulder's face and brain,

Gibson says he doesn't want him to tell. Mulder quickly tells the girls the kid needs round-the-clock protection and he leaves the room.

Scully follows him into the hall, wanting to know what the heck that was all about. Mulder's not sure what to make of the kid yet, maybe he's just a mind reader playing parlour games, but Scully says the kid was simply "goofing" on Mulder, playing along, he can't read minds surely. Yeah, they've seen this kind of case before, but Scully says no one has been able to stand up to rigorous testing, prove that they can read one mind in a crowd of thousands. If Mulder thinks this kid can, then who

would want to kill someone with this ability? Diana has exited the kid's room (leaving him alone, some agent, eh?) and stands in the hall sticking her nose in and listening. She comes forward to suggest that someone in the business of keeping secrets might find the kid very valuable. Then let's test him, Mulder says, full brain scan and psych evaluation. His gaze drops from Scully's eyes as he says, "You know what to do, Diana." and he walks away. The gals watch him go and Scully

surmises that these two know each other. Diana merely says it was a long time ago and she leaves Scully standing in the hall pondering that thought.

We see Spender leaving a cell in the Federal Detention Center of Ft. Marlene, Maryland, as Mulder approaches asking to talk to the shooter. Spender's not pleased, what else is new, he's spent 6 hours talking to him and the guy's not being very helpful, to say the least. Mulder tries to open the cell door, let him give it a shot, but Spender stops him, reminding him that he doesn't want Mulder involved with this at all. Mulder tells him he thought he was ambitious at first, then arrogant, now he wonders what Spender's protecting. But Spender volleys back that he's just trying to keep this from becoming a "paranormal free-for-all". But, Mulder wins this round with a speech that puts Spender right in his place, telling him he's lucky he's not "kissing some serious Russian ass" and whatnot. The kid's the key, the assassin knows it, move aside Spender, Mulder's going in.

In the cell, the shooter sits quietly as the two agents enter and Mulder gets to the point, the kid's alive but he was the target, right? The shooter tells Mulder his squeaky friend (Spender) hasn't given him any food or water for 16 hours, talk about heartless! Mulder, with a good-cop look of concern, tells Spender to get him some food and, reluctantly, Spender leaves. Fell for it, Spender, naaa-naaa-naaaa. Mentally going over a quick bio on the shooter, Mulder points out how ineffectual he is as an assassin. His latest miss was due to Gibson's mind reading, correct? Come on, I'll tell the kid you told me that and then we'll see how snug and cozy you feel. This gets the shooter's attention and he asks what Mulder can do for him. He offers immunity or maybe even the witness protection program, which the shooter scoffs at but Mulder tells him to think it over and leaves. He passes Spender and a guard returning with a tray of food and Spender eagerly asks if he got anything from the shooter. As he smoothly grabs a drink and a bag of chips from the tray, Mulder glides past them saying, "Just his attention." The two stand and watch Mulder disappear with the prisoner's food. Back to the cafeteria, boys.

Back at the hospital, we see Scully and Gibson walking down a hallway holding hands. Gibson doesn't like the tests they've been performing on him and Scully agrees that they are a bit scary. The kid then says he knows Scully has been wondering about the other girl, Diana, who steps out of a room, reading from a file folder, right on cue. Gibson tells Scully that Diana's wondering about her too.

Next we see Gibson seated in a room, an observation window in front of him (Scully and Diana are behind the glass, watching) and a group of doctors sitting in a circle around him. As they each hold up cards with pictures only they can see, the kid rattles off each picture's object, not missing one (unless you count the one he calls a statue, which is actually the Statue of Liberty, my son, turn off the cartoons once in a while). Behind the glass, Diana tells Scully she's seen clairvoyants and watched telepathy demonstrated, but this kid blows 'em all out of the water. Scully's curious where she may have seen these demos. Why, with Mulder, of course, in psychiatric hospitals where criminals may have been misdiagnosed. Scully seems uncomfortable with this info. The gals

watch as Gibson tells each of the doctors what they had for breakfast, to the docs' delight. With this, Scully announces she has to disappear for a bit and leaves the room. Diana just watches, wondering what Scully's problem is.

As the door slot slides back, we see the guard peering into the shooter's cell. He hands him a note, just doing his job. The shooter carefully opens it and reads, "You're a dead man", then he turns the paper over. It's a package of Morley cigarettes, yikes!

We see Scully on a video monitor as she pushes a door buzzer repeatedly, asking if someone will let her in. Well, lookey-here, she's visiting the Lone Gunmen ... and they're in their jammies. Frohike, wearing a full set of pajamas, finishes doing up his bullet-proof vest (how's THAT for paranoid, eh?) and unlocks the door, all seven solid dead-bolts, to let her in. As Frohike begins to believe his sweaty dreams have finally come true, Langly and Byers enter the room. Scully asks for their help, showing them Gibson's brain scans and saying the kid may be a fraud. "Dorf on chess?", Byers asks (refers to a character created by Tim Conway, a bit of an idiot that manages to excel at various sports). Scully tells them the kid reads minds, which Frohike loves, but what does she want them to do with the brain scans? Analyze it, she says. Then after a pause, she adds, "with an eye to the parapsychological." A walk on the wild side indeed for our Scully, Frohike can barely contain himself!

But, she clicks off the image viewer, there's something else she wants to know, in my opinion the real reason she's there. Who's this Diana Fowley and what does she want with my Mulder?! Okay, she actually only asks the first question. The boys definitely know the name and act a bit surprised to hear she's back on the scene. Frohike calls her Mulder’s chickadee back when he got out of the Academy, she was there when he discovered the x-files and has a background in para-science. Byers lets slip that he always wondered why they split up, which makes Scully very uncomfortable. She flicks the viewer back on, cutting the Diana conversation short and asks the fellas to see what they can find.

Back at the hospital, Gibson's watching cartoons again, "The Silver Surfer" this time, and Diana is standing behind an observation window, observing. The kid turns around and looks at her, even though you can't see through the glass, spooky! Mulder enters the observation room and watches the kid as well, calling him a little Carnac (a Johnny Carson character, he would read the answers to questions written inside envelopes he held to his head. Did I spell it right?). Diana says the kid's "the real deal, Fox." ... Really! ... She called him Fox! ... Oh, yeah, and the kid tested great, he's not a fake. Not only can he focus in on one thought, he can focus on a multitude of thoughts at once.

More importantly, Diana focuses on Mulder now, congratulating him for the videotape hit in the briefing room. Mulder goes all shy and embarrassed, golly gee, t'weren't nuthin', she would have picked it up. She doesn't agree, been dealing with terroism for so long that she's out of touch with this stuff, whereas he appears to be on top of his game. It's become his life, Mulder tells her, such as it is, for 5 years now. Diana has been hearing about Mulder's work (from where? or who?!) and

wonders what it would have been like if she'd stayed, her attitude towards his work being so different from Scully's. They share a laugh at Scully's close-mindedness, the animals! But, Mulder tells her he's been fine without her, his voice suggesting maybe he wasn't for a while (oh, leave me alone, ya gotta wonder what these two had going!). They clasp hands as Diana tries to break down his walls, saying she's on his side.

Alas, poor Scully chooses this moment of tenderness to pass by their room as she walks down the hallway, carrying a file folder. She sees them and looks surprised, shocked, agitated, you pick an emotion. She continues to walk down the hall, then stops short, turns around and walks swiftly past the room, not looking to see if they've gone any further. In a wonderful scene, full of emotional turmoil in such a brief moment (love Gillian's acting, have I mentioned that before?), Scully sits in her car in the parking lot, her mind racing with thoughts Gibson couldn't even work out. We'll never know, of course, *what* she was pondering, but we have our theories! Jealousy towards this new/old woman in Mulder's life, replacing her in a way. And if jealousy, why? How involved with Mulder has she become that this woman's arrival sends her reeling? Whatever the concerns, she picks up her cellphone and exhales, calming herself to dial. Mulder answers the ring. Scully tells him to meet her at the office, she has surprising news regarding the kid. He tells her to come to the hospital, but Scully insists he meet her at work. He agrees and hangs up. Whew, that'll get that Diana away from my Mulder for now .... oh, sorry, that pesky personal opinion again :-)

As Scully turns around before she pulls her car out, she spys Agent Spender arriving in his car. He doesn't see her, so she doesn't waste any time worrying about why the heck Spender is at the hospital. We hear car tires squeal as they exit. Scully's in a hurry to get to her meeting with Mulder, forget Spender. But, if only she'd stuck around for a minute, she'd witness something we haven't seen for a long time. The meeting with a shadowy informant in a parking garage, oooooo.

Spender gets out of his car, taking time to set his car alarm even though the driver's side window is wide open. How on earth did this man become an FBI agent, I ask you? Anyway, he gets out and starts walking towards the entrance door for the hospital. A voice from behind him calls his name and he turns around to see a shadowy figure leaning against a pillar ... a cigarette in his hand. Gasp, it's Cancer Man! Apparently, Spender has no idea who this guy is (boy, will THAT change soon) and the smokey villian comes across as a helpful guy merely interested in Spender and his case. The case Cancer Man gave him, that is. Bright boy, I mean, Spender, has no clue what the old dude is saying with his chess analogies, "Control the board. Know which men to

sacrifice and when." Cancer Man tells him to not get caught up in someone else's crusades, pursue his own self interests. Always and forever and ever, amen.

Before he can give Spender any actual information, Mulder enters the garage. He can see Spender clearly, but the figure he's talking to is now behind the pillar, out of sight save for his coat. Like a complete and utter twit, Mulder shouts out Spender's name, thus giving Cancer Man scads of time to take off. Nice going, Mulder. He must have caught a glimpse at him, though, as he tells Spender (who doesn't know who the guy was) that he thought the man was dead.

Cut to Skinner's office, time has passed. Seated in front of his desk are Mulder and Scully, Spender is standing behind them, near the couches where Diana and other agents are seated. The room's packed, okay? So, after Mulder prompts Scully to tell Skinner exactly what she'd already told him, Scully pauses for a minute, bites her ruby-red lip in hesitation, then speaks. She tells Skinner what the brain scans have proven, that Gibson is using parts of his brain that we're barely beginning to understand. A part known as the "God module". They're not looking at the next Christ child, Skinner hopes. No, Scully tells him, but the activity present in this part of the kid's brain is unheard of. Mulder rattles off a list of highly intelligent men who may have had access to similar brain centers. Skinner still doesn't get why anyone would want to kill the kid and Mulder tells him that Gibson may be a huge piece of the x-files puzzle, everything they've been working on may be solved by this one kid.

From the peanut gallery, I mean the agents seated behind them, comes Spender's scoffing voice. Surely Mulder doesn't think this assassination attempt was to foil the silly little x-files? Mulder turns to face him and, surprisingly, doesn't jump up and punch him out, but calmly tells him it's bigger than that. In *that* voice, Spender tells him to explain please, but Mulder can't, only the shooter can, if he's given immunity. Spender nearly blows a gasket at this, "give a murderer a free ride for the secrets to the pyramids?" It's crazy, it's nuts, just like you, Mulder (poetic licence here). Scully steps in to break 'em up, saying this is proof positive of everything her and Mulder have been working on (bit of a leap, if you ask me), but now it's Diana's turn to spar. Go to the Attorney General with this idea and she'll "go off". The x-files is an indulgence, she says, (oh, really?), but draw attention to them and they'll shut you down. She doesn't want to see this happen as she still

holds an interest in their work (hmmm, just how much of an interest, eh?). Skinner shoos everyone out into the hall, except Mulder, as he tries talking Mulder out of this. He would risk the x-files for this? Yes, he would. Mulder asks how soon Skinner can call the Attorney General.

Inside the shooter's cell, he jumps up in his cot when the door opens. Looking quite scared, he's greeted by Mulder and Spender as Mulder tells him the Attorney General has heard the request for immunity. The shooter gets up and starts to pace, holding his head, he can't believe Mulder didn't get him immunity like he promised. Mulder says the Attorney General needs more and Mulder needs answers. After a pause, the shooter spills the beans. The kid's a missing link. Mulder says, "He’s genetic proof, isn’t he?" and the shooter nods. Spender, in the background where neither of the other men is paying him any attention, asks what the heck they're talking about, but he's ignored. The shooter and Mulder stare at each other for a minute until Mulder says the kid's "more human than human" and he leaves quickly, Spender on his tail. In the hallway, Mulder tells Spender about theories of alien astronauts and how we have dormant genes we never use but science can't explain. Spender can't believe Mulder thinks the kid's part alien, and yells that he's being led, just like he led the other agents as Mulder leaves him standing there.

We watch Cancer Man leave a seedy-looking hotel, the Avalon Hotel, an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips, and walk onto the street in broad daylight. A car pulls up, Krycek's in the driver's seat and the Well-Manicured Man is his lone passenger. The consortium's not pleased as they've learned Mulder has gone to the Justice Department with testimony on the kid. Cancer Man's messed up, in their opinion. He says it's all just a game and throws out another chess reference, "You just take their pieces, one by one until the board is clear." All the Well-Manicured Man is manage is "God" under his breath as he rolls up his window and drives off. Cancer Man watches them leave and finally lights his ciggie.

The scene switches to Centerville, Virginia, nightime, as a different car pulls up to a motel. Inside one of the rooms, Gibson is watching "King Of The Hill", proclaiming it a great show (stick around for the one after it, kid, you'll love it) as Scully sits nearby, watching him. She pulls a chair over to talk to him and asks him how he does it. Gibson tells her he can hear people thinking, like a radio, but at times there are too many radios and he just wants to switch 'em off and watch TV. Scully wonders if he enjoys chess because there's only one thought, but the kid says he enjoys the game because there's no talking. In real life, people say one thing while they're thinking another. They worry about other people while the other people are worried about them and it makes him laugh. He says, "They make up all this stuff to believe but it’s all made up. Some people try to be good people but some people just don’t care. Like you." Scully is surprised to hear him say this, does he

think she doesn't care? But, no, he meant that she doesn't care what people think, except for *her*, that other woman, Mulder's chickadee, Diana. She knocks on the door and walks in right on cue to take over the watch and Scully tells the kid they'll talk more later. As Scully leaves, Gibson calmly tells her he knows they want to kill him. Surprised the little mind reader knows this (duh, Scully), she reassures him that he'll be fine, she promises. Gibson already knows that. Scully leaves and Diana gives the kid a maternal look of concern.

Meanwhile, in the shooter's cell, the door slot slides open again with another message from the guard. Nervously, the shooter unfolds the Morley wrapper ... but it's blank. He looks up at the door slot as he hears a click. The guard stands back and shoots into the slot, killing the gunman. (NOTE: this was the final scene filmed in Vancouver)

Back at the motel, Diana has fallen asleep on the job and awakes with a start. Gibson's not glued to the floor in front of the TV like earlier, she panics and calls his name, then sees him looking out the window. He says there's a man with a gun and Diana grabs him away from the window, pushing him towards the bed. With the brains God gave a cabbage, Diana goes to the window, peeks out through the curtains, even stands up so the gunman can get a clear shot as the kid says, very calmly and way too slowly, that the gunman's not pointing at him, he's aiming at you, babe. Shock registers on her face as a shot rings out, the glass shatters and she falls to the ground.

It's daylight again as Mulder and Scully arrive on the scene. They drive up to the motel which is crawling with police cars and ambulances and they start to walk towards the building. On the way, they pass a body lying on the ground, covered by a sheet, a pair of men's shoes sticking out the bottom. Skinner walks out to greet them, telling them a US Marshall is dead and Diana's been wounded. We see her being wheeled out, unconscious, on a gurney. Mulder holds her hand for a second until the EMTs push him aside and load her onto the ambulance. Skinner tells them that Diana's in pretty bad shape with weak vital signs and a hole in a lung, it doesn't look good for her. The kid's gone and Spender's down at Federal Detention. Seems it was a busy night, the shooter's dead as well. He then hands Mulder the only clue found in the cell. The blank Morley wrapper. Mulder looks at it in disgust, then walks off.

Elsewhere, we see Cancer Man waiting under a bridge as Krycek's Consortium Taxi Service pulls up. He's got the kid. The Well-Manicured Man gets out and greets the kid, telling him he has nothing to be afraid of. Our little Kreskin knows otherwise, "You're a liar. Just like him." and the Well-Manicured Man is shocked at the child's honesty. He sneers at Cancer Man, like it's his fault he's a lying s.o.b. and tells him his work is done, but Cancer Man thinks otherwise. "My work is just

beginning." He turns and starts to walk away as they get into the car. Krycek suggests he shoot the smokey devil in the back, but the Well-Manicured Man tells him not to, "He’s useful. And you may need him in the future." Krycek peels out and narrowly misses Cancer Man, just to spook him. As the car passes him, he slowly takes a drag on his ciggie. Cheated death yet again, my friend.

In a hallway, we see Spender briefing some other agents, telling them to contact Gibson's parents and the Phillipine government. Mulder comes charging up to him, grabs him and pushes him up against the wall. He shoves the Morley wrapper in Spender's smug face, accusing him of working with "Old Smokey". Mulder yells at him that he'll see Spender gets tried for murder, just watch me, your days are numbered, pal. And he storms off. After Mulder's out of earshot, Spender says very quietly, "You’re wrong, Agent Mulder. It's your days that are numbered." as he straightens his tie.

In darkness, we hear Scully talking to Skinner on the phone. It sounds like he's stepped out of a meeting to call her, let her know what's going on. As the light brightens, we see that Scully is seated at Mulder's desk in a hotel room.

NOTE: Everyone seems to think she's in Mulder's apartment, but I believe that's just wishful thinking. Mulder's just been to see Spender, right? The case is being investigated in Virginia and Maryland, which is where the shooter was held, remember? Also, the layout of the room does not

look right for Mulder's apartment to me. The couch should be to the right of the desk with the window directly behind the desk, not in the distance as it appears. Also, there's no computer on the desk, the furnishings look hotel-like to my trained eye and, more importantly, where's Mulder's fishtank?! Anyway, I say they're in a hotel room and I'm sticking to it.

We see Mulder on the couch behind her, his eyes closed. Skinner tells her that Spender's going on about Mulder's alien astronauts theory and it's not looking good for either of them. Skinner's trying to help, telling the Attorney General that Mulder's personal involvement may have clouded his judgement, but the A.G. doesn't seem to be listening. Scully says she'll tell Mulder and be right there if Skinner needs her. She hangs up and Mulder asks if there's any news on Diana's condition. She tells him that Diana is barely maintaining her pressure. Then she hits him with the hard stuff, that there's a good chance they'll both be reassigned and the x-files will be shut down yet again. Mulder opens his eyes, saying it was all part of a plan, he just couldn't see it. Gently,

sadly and with a weary sound in her voice, Scully says, "Mulder, whatever you may believe, this time they may have won." Mulder stews on that for a minute as neither one speaks.

A lighter illuminates the darkness as it lights a cigarette. What a surprise, it's Cancer Man, the only guy that smokes on this show. He takes a long drag and looks around. He's in the x-files office! There's the "I Want To Believe" poster and there's Mulder's beloved filing cabinet, chock-a-block with his life's work, his sweat, his tears, his blood ... oh, sorry, got carried away there. Cancer Man's eyes settle on the filing cabinet and he pulls out a drawer marked "X-Files" (wow, that's some system you have there, Mulder, what do all those other drawers say?). He rifles through a few folders, stopping on one in particular and pulling it out. It's marked with the name Samantha T.

Mulder (must be Mulder's sis, even though no one seems to know what her middle name is! See the Notes for further ranting on this matter). He takes another slow drag.

Next we see him exiting an elevator, an envelope in his hand, and walking down a hallway. Suddenly, Spender turns the corner and comes face-to-face with Cancer Man again. Old Smokey wasn't expecting this and is caught off guard. When asked if he needs help, he tells Spender that no, he can help him, as a matter of fact. How did you get in here? Access, he tells Spender, it's all about access and what he can give Spender. It's what will make him and why he's doing this for him. Spender asks once again who this guy is and Cancer Man whips out his light sabre and tells him, "Luuuuke, I am your father." Well, minus the light sabre, that is! Spender is understandably shocked, but before Cancer Man can elaborate, fire alarms start to ring and he takes off. Spender just stands with his mouth open in shock.

Flames. Huge, frightening, red flames are consuming the x-files filing cabinet, licking the ceiling of the office. For some odd reason, the sprinklers don't appear to be working.

Skinner is standing in a hallway, talking to some other agents as Mulder and Scully arrive. He calls out to Mulder as he passes by, but Mulder doesn't stop and goes directly to the elevator. It's packed with fire fighters and their equipment, so Mulder heads for the stairwell. Scully looks after him, concern and worry etched on her face. Mulder slowly walks into the office as a fireman leaves and he stops dead, looking around at the destruction. It's all gone. His poster barely reads "Want"

and "Believe". The desk is destroyed. The cabinets are black with soot. The nameplate on the door is melted. Everything is in ruins. Scully walks in, shocked at the sight. She walks in further than Mulder, then turns to him, their features flashing red and blue from the emergency lights. She puts her hands on his upper arms, then lowers her head to rest on his chest. Mulder doesn't respond as he looks at the ashes of his life laid out before him. The camera pans up as we see the full effect of the burned office. Fade to black.

Notes

The tagline changes for the third and final time this season to, appropriately enough, "The End". Closest to an onscreen title we've come since "Home". The other tagline changes were for "Redux" (All Lies Lead To The Truth") and "The Red And The Black" (Resist Or Serve).

Talk about burning your bridges behind you. Bye-bye Vancouver, hello L.A., indeed. As a long-time fan, it nearly killed me to see the charred remains of Mulder's "I Want To Believe" poster, an icon in a way of the show itself. Forget the other 55 minutes of this ep, the final scene was the clincher. It's as if the entire 5 years leading up to this moment have been wiped away with the ashes. Even knowing all of the plotline going in, I was still stunned by this one scene and the actions which lead to it.

Before further confusion sets in, NO, this is NOT the end of the series, the show will continue for at least 2 more years. But it is the end of filming in Vancouver, British Columbia, and of course, the end of this phase of Mulder's work. I believe that after this summer's movie, things will never quite be the same for any of us. After far too much time, I've heard that Samantha and her abduction will be dealt with in the movie. Not too sure how people will react, though, but that's all I'm saying about that. But it bears repeating, even though this would make an excellent series finale, IMHO, it's NOT, okay? ... Unless the Big Boys have been lying to us, as some people think, and the movie is merely a ploy to fool us into thinking the show's moved to L.A. when it's really over! Oh My God, NOOO! ... Get a grip, folks, and thanks a lot, Chris, for calling it "The End", you're a funny guy :-P

As a farewell to Vancouver, this episode was a good news/bad news situation. From the opening scene in GM Place, the city was well-presented throughout the hour. Both of the scenes where Cancer Man meets the Consortium in some kind of parking lot are definitely shot in Vancouver. The one shot at night clearly shows the city's Expo ball in the background (I don't have a year or an official name for it yet, sorry) and when we see them meet during the day (with the train whooshing past on an elevated track) sources say this is the parking lot for the Vancouver Police. Last place Krycek, of all people, should be hanging out. But, the bad news is they went to town on the old set and burned it to the ground, at least Mulder's office anyway. That final crane-shot showing the overview of the destruction was a killer. As a matter of interest, according to the wise Autumn Tysko <http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/1411/main_rev.html>, the psychiatric hospital was named Inget Murray in homage to set designers Shirley Inget and Graham Murray. Knowing this twisted crowd, they probably enjoyed throwing a match on the office set. Maybe the new set can include two desks, please? And if that head shop if still open, that poster should reappear!

If you think this episode felt familiar, you're right, it eludes to The Erlenmeyer Flask in many ways you may not have even noticed. With mucho thanks to Michael Marek's site, The X-Files Timeline Site <http://www.usd.edu/~mmarek/xf/xftime.html>, for sorting it all out for us, here's some of the similarities:

- It ended with the possibility of the x-files being closed down and our agents being reassigned (in "The Erlenmeyer Flask" they were shut down and reassigned)

- A major informational source was lost (Deep Throat and Mulder's files)

- In "The Erlenmeyer Flask", Scully snuck into a secure facility to steal the alien fetus ... Fort Marlene, Maryland. The same facility the assassin was jailed in here. Technically, Scully never went to visit the shooter, so we'll forgive her for not playing connect-the-dots!

- Regarding the fetus Scully stole, that ties in nicely with Gibson. They're both believed to be genetic, maybe even scientific proof of alien life, what the agents have been searching for for so long. And they're both stolen from them.

- Also note that in their first case, The Pilot, they also lost everything to a fire. The hotel burned down, taking Scully's computer and files with it.

Wraps everything up in a pretty package, eh? As a way of preparing for the movie, I believe this was a terrific way of closing the season. In effect, both Mulder and Scully are beginning a new phase, leaving the non-fans easy access to the movie's plot. There will be a wrapup of sorts in the movie, though, but season 6 will be a fresh start for everyone.

So what's Diana Fowley's role to be in all this? Not sure if this was the desired effect, but from what we've seen of her so far, I'd say she's trouble with a capital T. Why show up now? How much did she know about the kid before she arrived? Would someone be called in from Europe because a former NSA agent shot a Russian chessmaster? Big whoop, no offence intended to any Russian chessmasters reading. I smell a plant with this gal. Gibson didn't seem too fond of her, was that shot a setup or what? Surely the kid knew who the shooter was aiming at when Diana was perched at the window, but he didn't give her much time to duck, did he? And just how is she keeping up with Mulder's work from Europe? Maybe he's a tabloid star over there as his work doesn't usually make the papers here. It'd be a big help if she had backup copies of the x-files, though, let's hope she's gone that far.

And what about Skinner? Is it merely foreshadowing to view his trip to Mulder's office in a different light? Does he appear to anyone else to be fondly remembering the past and trying to prepare Mulder for the future? Maybe HE has copies of all the burned files tucked away!

There is some basis to Mulder's theory on alien astronauts, if you believe what Erich von Daniken wrote in "Chariots of the Gods?". He stated that aliens visited us eons ago and continued to visit until about a thousand years ago, bringing us Stonehenge, the pyramids (note Spender's remark about the secrets of the pyramids) and the statues on Easter Island, among other things. He also theorized that these alien astronauts "directed" human evolution, which ties in with Gibson being

"more human than human".

Would someone please decide what Mulder's sister's name is?! Cancer Man steals a file marked as "Samantha T. Mulder", the same name used in Conduit, but in Paper Clip, she's "Samantha Ann Mulder"! Seeing as a lot of people incorporate their mother's name in theirs, maybe she's really Samantha Ann Tena Mulder? Just pick one and stick to it, that's all I ask.

A note about Fort Marlene. It sounds like an injoke, as there is a real place called Fort Dietrich in Maryland, known for its biological warfare experimentation. Does the name Marlene Dietrich ring a bell?

Actress Mimi Rogers (Diana) is known for movies such as "Lost In Space", "Someone to Watch Over Me" and "The Rapture". She co-starred with David Duchovny in the last one, as a matter of interest.

Couldn't help but laugh when the official cast list was released and Krycek was labelled as Agent Krycek. Yeah, right, like Krycek's still with the FBI, *snort* *chortle*

You may recognize actor Martin Ferraro (the assassin) from his role in "Miami Vice" (Izzy) or, his unfortunate claim to fame, the guy that gets munched in the outhouse by the dinosaur in "Jurassic Park".

In a smart, but frustrating marketing move, the official movie site <http://www.fightthefuture.com/>

changed their front page to read "The X-Files are closed" for about 24 hours after the finale aired. A good chuckle for the hip fans, but some folks nearly had heart attacks!

I rate this one in the top 5 season finales ... oh, yeah, there's only been 5 ;-) Okay, it doesn't top the first one, The Erlenmeyer Flask, nothing ever will for me, but it beats last year's, Gethsemane, by a country mile! Anasazi, interestingly enough, ended with Cancer Man setting something aflame (the boxcar), but we also had Daddy Mulder's death, so that was certainly more packed than this year's. Talitha Cumi, really only had that tantalizing conversation between Cancer Man and Mrs. Mulder, it never really grabbed me as a finale overall. So, for those that care, I'd say "The End" rates 3rd, behind The Erlenmeyer Flask and Anasazi. Bring on the movie, I'm raring to go!

As an excellent wrapup to the season, especially for R.E.M. fans, here's Monica Duff's <mrd@surf.net.au> great tribute, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I have absolutely no ownership of Mulder, Scully, Skinner or anyone else - or anything else referred to - in the following. But then you knew that already, didn’t you? (g) What I do have is a complete admiration for David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson and everyone involved in the creation of The X-Files, and a sincere appreciation for their efforts in bringing to life characters and stories which I love. Needless to say, no infringement intended ... yadda yadda yadda. (g)

Additional Disclaimer: I also do not have any ownership of the song on which the following is based. Again, just a love of R.E.M.’s music, and this song in particular which lent itself so well (okay, okay, some lines were difficult to amend! (g)) to a review of the 5th season of The X-Files. Again, no infringement (and no insult!) intended. Michael Stipe and co ... I really hope you don’t mind.

Archive: Anywhere appropriate with notice to author and name attached.

Author Notes: This is the first time I’ve ever publicly subjected anybody to anything I’ve written of a creative nature, and its only because of the feedback I received when I initially posted this that I do so now. Thank you to all who wrote ... it was a buzz to know that a bout of silliness amused and enlightened so many. As I said in my original post, this filk was prompted by the subject heading of a post, my love of R.E.M.'s music, way too much time on my hands, and a severe attack of the sillies.... With apologies to Michael Stipe and co, and anybody else who isn't familiar with the song "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" by R.E.M. Oh, what the heck, apologies to anybody else...period...(g) for subjecting you to this, but after spending time working this out, I just *had* to post it.

It's The End Of The Season As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

by Monica Duff

That's great, it starts with a Redux, vials and chips, a kiss or two, and shippers are not afraid. Mulder on a mission, ends with Scully in remission - Consortium serves its own needs, so now we know CSM bleeds. Frohike, Byers, Langly, Scully no, Skinner no. Mulder naked on the floor with fear of ‘them’. Not them. M&S by a fire, represent shipper hopes for sleeping bag for hire and a camping site. PMP, Mulder, Scully in a hurry with the locals breathing down their neck. Black and white X File has baffled, some philes shocked. Look at that dance scene! Great then! Uh oh, Emily, plot inconsistencies, Scully angst, but it’ll do. Save yourself, fanfic yourself. CC serves his own needs, see shipper hearts bleed. Modell up and walking and the sister with the whammy - huh? A therapist, psychotic, slam, trees, mud, blood, Mulder feeling pretty psyched.

It's the end of the season as we know it.

It's the end of the season as we know it.

It's the end of the season as we know it and I feel fine.

Nine o'clock - XF hour. Make sure your vcr has power. Stephen King, doll thing, listen to the phone ring. Mulder in office, Scully looking, pencils dropping. Mulder trapped - in a bad way. Kickass!Scully saves the day. Mulder, bed, Scully, bed. Ooh Boy, ooh Boy. Watch a bed shake,

shake. Uh oh, Marita means have fear - Mulder near. Krycek kiss and slash cheer. A Travellers, a Travellers, a Travellers of lies. Offer me no M&S, offer me a Mulder ring, and I decline.

It's the end of the season as we know it.

It's the end of the season as we know it.

It's the end of the season as we know it and I feel fine.

Mulder and Marty a nice connection did provide. Next ep Scully-ride. Scully, Skinner, Mulder undercover. Mulder nuts and locked up. Krycek back, Cancerman, office burn, hug! XF-obssessed, focussed! wow!, movie next, right? Right.

It's the end of the season as we know it.

It's the end of the season as we know it.

It's the end of the season as we know it and I feel fine...fine...

(It's time I spent some time online)

Quotes

____________________

Mulder walks in to his office and finds Skinner there

Mulder: "Wow, you know you’re going places in the Bureau when the Assistant Director tidies up your office for you. What’s up?"

Skinner: "I was just, uh ... looking."

Mulder: "For anything special?"

Skinner: "I came down to ask you something. I, uh, I guess I was nosing around ... wondering about you ... your, uh, long-term plans."

Mulder: "My long term plans? You got them right there in your hands." (he takes the files from Skinner and crosses to a file cabinet)

Skinner: "What do you hope to find? I mean, in the end."

Mulder: "Whatever I hope to find is in here. And maybe I’ll know it when I find it."

____________________________________________________________

Mulder has busted up Spender's briefing

Mulder: "I’m sorry, can you rewind the tape? Please. I’ll tell you where. Just take it back?"

Spender: "Let me get through this. If you have any questions, we can talk later."

Mulder: "I don’t have any questions. No. I just think you’re wrong."

Scully: (quietly) "Mulder, what are you doing?"

Mulder: "I don’t think the Russian was the target. I think it was his opponent."

Spender: "His opponent, Agent Mulder, was a twelve year old boy."

Mulder: "And a good chess player. Here, let me show you his best move, if you’ll just take it back."

____________________________________________________________

Well-Manicured Man: "There’s been an incident ... an unfortunate mistake."

Cancer Man: "Yes, I’ve seen. I’ve heard. I’ve read."

Third Elder: "The boy is a problem to us."

Cancer Man: "What would you like me to do ... shoot him dead ... splatter his brains?"

Well-Manicured Man: "Dear God!"

Cancer Man: "What’s the matter? Does this sort of business offend you?"

First Elder: "It’s in your interest ... as in ours."

Cancer Man: "You think you know my interests?"

First Elder: "Can we count on you?"

Cancer Man: (pause) "Yes."

____________________________________________________________

Gibson: "I don’t mind it here. They get all the good TV shows. Where I live, in the Philippines all we get is Baywatch."

Mulder: "What’s wrong with Baywatch?"

Gibson: (after a good stare at Mulder) "You’ve got a dirty mind."

____________________________________________________________

Gibson: "I know what’s on your mind. I know you’re thinking about one of the girls you brought."

Mulder: "Oh?" (Scully's eyebrow shoots up, Diana gives a half smile)

Gibson: "One of them’s thinking about you."

Diana: "Which one?"

Gibson: (after he studies Mulder's face) "He doesn’t want me to say."

____________________________________________________________

As Scully and Mulder talk in the hallway, Diana listens in

Scully: "We have seen cases, Mulder, of fakers and lucky guessers but no one that has ever been able to stand up to any kind of rigorous testing. No one who has gone so far as to claim that they can zero in on the mind of one person in a crowd of thousands."

Mulder: "Maybe that’s why they want him dead."

Scully: "Who? Who are you talking about?"

Mulder: "I don't know, I’m not the mind reader."

Scully: "Say that what you’re suggesting were even possible, who would want to kill a kid whose abilities would offer you the ultimate advantage ... I mean in business, in war, in anything?"

Diana: "Maybe somebody whose business is in keeping secrets."

Mulder: "Well, let’s test him. I think the kid will stand up. Let’s run a brain scan and a psych evaluation on him. (he drops his gaze from Scully's eyes) You know what to do, Diana."

(Mulder walks away down the hall and Scully and Diana watch him go)

Scully: "So, you two know each other?"

Diana: "It was a long time ago." (Scully watches Diana walk away)

____________________________________________________________

Mulder and Spender go at it in the hallway outside the assassin's cell

Mulder: "You know, when I first met you I figured you were just ambitious. Then, this morning, my opinion changed and I thought you were arrogant. Now I’m beginning to wonder what you’re protecting."

Spender: "I’m just trying to run this right, not like some ridiculous paranormal free-for-all."

Mulder: "You’re insulting me when you should be taking notes. Somehow, you got the big assignment but just because you’re wearing the suit doesn’t mean it fits. You’re lucky you’re not busy defusing an international incident, kissing some serious Russian ass and sending a whole lot of agents barking down a whole lot of bad leads. Now, the kid is the key to this and the shooter knows why. Excuse me."(he enters the cell followed by Spender)

____________________________________________________________

Scully's visiting the Lone Gunmen, showing them Gibson's brain scans on a viewer

Scully: "Well, apparently, he wins by reading his opponents’ minds."

Frohike: "I love that."

Langly: "And you want us to what?"

Scully: "Analyze the data ... with an eye to the parapsychological."

Frohike: "Ooh. A walk on the wild side."

Scully: (she switches off the viewer) "First ... I want you guys to tell me who Diana Fowley is."

Byers: "Diana Fowley? Geez, we haven’t heard that name in a while."

Scully: "Then you know her."

Byers: "Well ... yeeaaah."

Frohike: "She was Mulder’s chickadee when he just got out of the Academy. Good-looking."

Scully: "Well, she claims to have worked closely with him for a while."

Langly: "She was there when he discovered the X-Files. She has some kind of background in

para-science."

Byers: "She got a legat appointment a while back ...in Berlin. I always wondered why they split up."

____________________________________________________________

Diana: "That was a good catch on the videotape. I was impressed."

Mulder: (embarrassed, looking away) "Oh, you would have caught it eventually."

Diana: "No. I’ve been too many years trying to get inside the head of too many Arab terrorists. I’m out of practice with this stuff. But you seem at the top of your game."

Mulder: "That’s all I do. That’s all I’ve been doing for the last five years. Been my life, such as it is."

(he smiles)

Diana: "Sometimes I hear about you ... about the work you’re doing. And I think how it might have

been if I’d stayed."

Mulder: "Ah, we’d all be blown up by some terrorist bomb, no doubt, huh?"

Diana: "I sense you could have used an ally, though ... someone who thinks like you, with some background."

Mulder: "Oh, you mean Scully?"

Diana: "She’s not what I would call an open mind on the subject." (they both laugh)

Mulder: "She’s a, uh ... she’s a scientist. She just makes me work for everything."

Diana: "Yes, but I’m ... I’m sure there were times when two like minds on a case would have been advantageous."

Mulder: "I’ve done okay without you."

Diana: "Hey ... I’m on your side." (she tenderly takes his hand)

____________________________________________________________

A meeting in the shadows of the hospital parking lot

Cancer Man: "Agent Spender. I need to speak with you."

Spender: "Who are you?"

Cancer Man: "Somebody who’s taken an interest in you ... in this case of yours. This case I gave you."

Spender: "What are you? CIA? NSA?"

Cancer Man: "You’re a bright boy."

Spender: "You said you had information."

Cancer Man: "Control the board. Know which men to sacrifice and when."

Spender: "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

Cancer Man: "Don’t become part of someone else’s cause or crusade. Pursue your own self interest. Always."

____________________________________________________________

In Skinner's office, packed with agents, Scully tells him what Gibson's brain scans have uncovered

Scully: "The tests revealed something peculiar in an area of the brain that we are only beginning to understand. An area of the temporal lobe that neurophysicists are calling the 'God module.' "

Skinner: "I hope I’m not going to hear that this kid is the next Christ child."

Scully: "All of the boy’s brain processes are showing extraordinary activity in exactly this part of the brain. Which is not just abnormal or anomalous, but from what I know absolutely unheard of."

Mulder: "There are corollaries, individuals who have been responsible for great leaps forward in understanding in science. Newton, Galileo, Einstein, Stephen Hawking. All these men exhibited modes of thinking that are suggestive of access to special brain centers."

Skinner: "All right. So this kid is a human oddity. Would somebody please tell me why anyone would go to such great lengths as to kill it?"

Mulder: "This kid may be the key not just to all human potential, but to all spiritual unexplained paranormal phenomena. The key to everything in the X-Files."

Spender: "Let me get this right --- We’re supposed to believe that this boy was going to be killed because of the X-Files?"

Mulder: "No, it’s bigger than that."

Spender: "Uh-huh. Explain it to me. To us."

Mulder: "I can’t. But the shooter can. The assassin that you have locked up ... in exchange for immunity from prosecution."

Spender: "You want to give a murderer a free ride for the secrets to the pyramids? This is crazy. It’s nuts."

Scully: "You mischaracterize what I’ve said. This would be quantifiable scientific proof of everything that Agent Mulder and I have investigated over the past five years."

Diana: "How do you quantify the spiritual? It can’t be done. You ask for immunity for a killer on that basis, the Attorney General’s gonna go off. You’re allowed to investigate the X-Files as an indulgence. But draw the wrong kind of attention and they’ll close you down. Put an end to all your work. Something I happen to have an interest in myself." (Mulder nods and Scully looks at him)

Skinner: "Let’s everyone step out in the hall. (they all stand) Agent Mulder, you stay put. (Mulder sighs as everyone else leaves. Skinner sits on the edge of the desk.) She’s right, you know. The risk you’re taking, the long-term plans that you and I talked about ..."

Mulder: "If what Agent Scully’s found is true and I have every reason to believe that it is, then the answers I might have spent a lifetime searching for may fall together like a million puzzle pieces."

Skinner: "You’d risk the X-Files?"

Mulder: "How soon can you call the Attorney General?"

____________________________________________________________

Mulder and Spender enter the assassin's cell

Mulder: "The Attorney General’s heard my request for immunity."

Assassin: "Heard it? You ... Oh ... You said that you could get it."

Mulder: "She needs something more. Something to convince her that you’re not just playing

games. Something that I can corroborate. I need answers from you."

Assassin: "The kid is a missing link."

Mulder: "To what? He’s genetic proof, isn’t he?" (the assassin nods slightly)

Spender: "Genetic proof of what? (no answer, neither man is even looking at him) Genetic proof of what?"

Mulder: "The kid’s not superhuman. He’s just more human than human." (Mulder exits the cell quickly and Spender follows)

Spender: "He’s what?"

Mulder: "Most of us have genes we don’t use. They lie there dormant, turned off. Science doesn’t know what they’re for, why they’re there or where they came from."

Spender: "Right and you think this has something to do with that?"

Mulder: "There’s a long-held but unpopular theory tied to prehistoric evidence of alien astronauts."

Spender: "You’re not going to go out there and say the kid’s part alien. (Mulder gives Spender a direct look and keeps walking, Spender now shouts) You think that’s what you heard? You led them, Agent Mulder. Now you’re letting yourself be led."

____________________________________________________________

Scully's watching Gibson in a hotel room

Scully: "How do you do it?"

Gibson: "I just hear you thinking ... like on a radio. And sometimes there are lots of radios. And I want to shut them off and watch some TV."

Scully: "Is that why you like chess? 'Cause it’s just one thought that you hear?"

Gibson: "Yeah, but that’s not why I like it all the time."

Scully: "Why else do you like it?"

Gibson: "Because there’s no talking. Just thinking. It’s nothing like real life where people think one thing but they say something else."

Scully: (laughs softly) "Is that what people do?"

Gibson: "They’re worried about what other people are thinking when the people they’re worrying about are worried about the same thing. It makes me laugh."

Scully: "Why?"

Gibson: "They make up all this stuff to believe but it’s all made up. Some people try to be good people but some people just don’t care. Like you."

Scully: "You think I don’t care?"

Gibson: "No, you don’t care what people think. Except for her. The other one." (Diana knocks and enters the hotel room)

Diana: "I’m here to relieve you."

Scully: (to Gibson) "Well, we’ll talk about this later, okay?"

Gibson: "They want to kill me, you know."

Scully: "Nobody’s going to do anything to you, Gibson. I promise."

Gibson: "I know you do."

____________________________________________________________

After delivering Gibson to the Well-Manicured Man

Cancer Man: "You’ve never had the stomach for our business."

Well-Manicured Man: "Just not for your practices."

Cancer Man: "I’m a necessity. The complement to your cowardice."

Well-Manicured Man: "Your work is done now."

Cancer Man: "My work is just beginning." (he begins walking away)

Krycek: (in the car, looking at the departing Cancer Man) "I got a nice, straight shot."

Well-Manicured Man: "No. He’s useful. And you may need him in the future."

____________________________________________________________

Mulder confronts Spender in the hallway, throws him against the wall and crams the Morley wrapper in his face

Mulder: "Who do you work for?! You work for him -- You and Old Smokey --- Is that who put this together?! You’re going down for this, Spender! I’m going to see you prosecuted for murder! You watch me! Watch it happen! Your days are numbered!" (Mulder storms off and Spender watches him go)

Spender: (after Mulder has turned the corner, quietly) "You’re wrong, Agent Mulder. It’s your days that are numbered."

____________________________________________________________

After Scully has spoken to Skinner on the phone

Mulder: "What did Skinner have to say?"

Scully: "There are talks going on right now about reassignment."

Mulder: "For who?"

Scully: "Both of us. These talks included instructions from the Justice Department to close down the X-Files."

Mulder: "This was all strategized ... every move. I just couldn’t see it. It was all of a plan."

Scully: (sad and tired) "Mulder, whatever you may believe, this time they may have won."

____________________________________________________________

Technically, not a quote, just added for atmosphere and closure

In a chilling scene, we see fire consume the x-files office, flames reaching from the bottom of the filing cabinets and raging upwards to lick the ceiling.

As Skinner stands in a hallway, talking with other agents, Mulder and Scully walk swiftly towards him. He calls out Mulder's name as he passes, but Mulder ignores him, going directly to the elevator. It opens and is full of firemen and equipment. Mulder heads for the stairwell. Scully looks after him, concern and worry etched on her face. Mulder slowly walks into the office as a fireman leaves and he stops dead, looking around at the destruction.