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The Truth (The X-Files)
Encyclopedia
"The Truth" is the collective name for the 201st and 202nd, and final, episodes of the science fiction
television series The X-Files
. They first aired in the United States on May 19, 2002 on Fox
in the United States
and Canada
. "The Truth" subsequently aired in the United Kingdom
and Ireland
. It was written by creator and executive producer Chris Carter
and directed by Kim Manners
. The episode acts as a series finale
for the show, concluding many long-time story arcs while creating new ones for a possible film franchise
. Chris Carter has expressed an intent to make a third X-Files feature film that would focus on the impending alien invasion revealed in this episode, depending on the success of the 2008 film The X-Files: I Want to Believe
.
military base, Fox Mulder
appears with several government officials. He gains access to highly-classified documents on a secure computer system, and is shocked and dismayed to read the documents, which provide details of the final colonization of the planet
.
Before he can continue reading, Mulder hears another person approaching. He quickly hides and observes Knowle Rohrer, a former friend of Doggett
but who has been irreversibly transformed into an enemy "Super Soldier", approach the computer system. Rohrer immediately realizes the system has been accessed. Mulder attempts to attack Rohrer, but Rohrer easily overpowers him. Mulder frantically flees, but Rohrer outflanks him. In a violent altercation, Mulder flips Rohrer off a catwalk onto high-voltage wiring, and Rohrer apparently dies by electrocution. Mulder attempts to escape, but is quickly arrested by several soldiers.
News of Mulder's arrest spreads to the FBI. Upon hearing that he has resurfaced, and in such a dire manner, Scully
and Skinner
immediately visit him. They learn that he had in fact made the incursion, but he wants his reason for doing so to be heard. While Mulder languishes in military captivity, he receives mysterious visits from two phantoms of his past: Alex Krycek
and X. Meanwhile, Scully and Skinner go to great lengths to get him released, but are unsuccessful.
Mulder's fate is ultimately made the subject of a military tribunal. At the outset, it appears he will be the hopeless victim of a show trial
not in his favor.
Skinner takes Mulder's defense, while Scully, Reyes
, Doggett, Marita Covarrubias, Gibson Praise and Jeffrey Spender
testify on Mulder's behalf. The prosecution presents Rohrer's body as evidence against Mulder. Aware that Rohrer is a seemingly-invincible "Super Soldier", Scully performs a medical examination and proves that the body is not that of Rohrer. Despite this, the defense is ultimately overruled, and Mulder is sentenced to death for the murder of a military officer.
With the unexpected help of Deputy Director Kersh
, the agents help Mulder escape. Despite being advised to immediately leave the continent via Canada
, Mulder instead takes Scully to New Mexico
. Doggett and Reyes find their office emptied, suggesting that the X-Files have been closed down for the third time.
Skinner is called into a meeting with Kersh and the Toothpick Man, whom Gibson Praise asserted is "not human". He is seen for the last time as the door closes behind him.
In New Mexico, Scully and Mulder arrive at Anasazi Pueblo
ruins to find a "wise man", who they believe can make sense of the classified documents Mulder has read. They discover the so-called "wise man" is the Cigarette Smoking Man
, who is hiding to survive the colonization — an event that will happen on December 22, 2012
(first alluded to in "Red Museum
" / episode 2X10). This corresponds to a significant date in the Mayan Calendar — perhaps the end of the world. Outside, Reyes and Doggett arrive and fight Rohrer, who has been sent to kill Mulder and the Smoking Man. The ruins are filled with magnetite
, which kills Rohrer as he advances on Doggett and Reyes. Switching cars with Mulder and Scully, the agents drive off. Black helicopters
destroy the cliff dwellings — and the Smoking Man within — before giving chase to the wrong car. Doggett and Reyes are last seen speeding away with the helicopters in pursuit.
In a motel room in Roswell, New Mexico
, Mulder and Scully prepare for bed and talk. Their final words:
(David Duchovny
) was shot in a hydroelectric power plant east of Fresno, California
. The rooms seen in the episode were the main rooms for the power plant. The X-Files
crew turned it into what they called a "war room". Most of the decoration and interior scene was done by the visual effect crew; the only visible part seen in real life was a large generator that pumped water. Bill Roe, the cinematographer for the episode, spent four to five days to light the set for filming. Kim Manners
commented on his work and called it "a great job". The main computer terminal room was shot at a sound stage at 20th Century Fox
; the crew built the set themselves. The scenes with Mulder being tortured by the military guards were shot at an abandoned military base in Long Beach, California
, Fort MacArthur
.
Filming the court room was one of the "most challenging sequences" Manners had ever done. Chris Carter
wanted the courtroom to have no spectators and no jury. This meant all Manners had to work with was a handful of actors, trying to give them a "fresh" look. Manners was terrified by filming a 40-page long courtroom scene, saying they were basically telling a nine year history of The X-Files. Corey Kaplan designed the set.
With this episode David Duchovny
rejoins the main cast and marks the only episode that all five principal actors (David Duchovny
, Gillian Anderson
, Robert Patrick
, Annabeth Gish
and Mitch Pileggi
) are credited together in the opening titles. Mulder, Dana Scully
(Gillian Anderson
) and the Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis
) are the only characters to appear in both this episode and the series' pilot. This episode is the fourth of only four episodes in season nine
where Duchovny appeared, the others being "Trust No 1", "Jump the Shark" (appearing in archive footage in both these episodes) and "William".
Originally, this episode was to feature recurring character
Shannon McMahon. However, actress Lucy Lawless
became pregnant shortly after filming the two-parter "Nothing Important Happened Today
" and was not available for subsequent episodes. The final scene of the episode was originally going to show the Toothpick Man informing George W. Bush
(played by Gary Newton
) of Mulder's escape. The scene was filmed, but was not included in the broadcast version. However, it was featured as a deleted scene on the DVD; on that DVD's audio commentary, the producers mentioned that they had considered having Martin Sheen
appear as his The West Wing character Josiah Bartlet
instead of Bush. The cameo of the Cigarette Smoking Man was filmed on a sound stage back at 20th Century Fox. Manners called the last scene with Duchovny and Anderson "extremely tough."
The final scene in which Mulder and Scully speak in a hotel room is reminiscent of the series' first episode.
of 7.5, with a 12 share. It was viewed by 7.913 million households and gathered a total of 13.200 million viewers in the United States
alone. On May 19, 2002 the episode premiered on American and Canadian television on Fox
(both nations) and Global Television Network
(Canada) the same time and day as Fox did. In the United Kingdom
and Ireland
, it made its first appearance on Sky1 on September 26, 2002. "The Truth" received 1.03 million viewers, placing The X-Files number two in the top ten broadcasts for Sky1 for that week behind The Simpsons
.
In 2011, the finale was ranked #22 on the TV Guide Network special, TV's Most Unforgettable Finales.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
. They first aired in the United States on May 19, 2002 on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. "The Truth" subsequently aired in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. It was written by creator and executive producer Chris Carter
Chris Carter (screenwriter)
Christopher Carl Carter is an American screenwriter, film director and producer. He is the creator of The X-Files and Millennium.- Ten Thirteen Productions :...
and directed by Kim Manners
Kim Manners
Kim Manners was an American television producer, director and child actor best known for his work on The X-Files and Supernatural.-Early life:...
. The episode acts as a series finale
Series finale
A series finale refers to the last installment of a series with a narrative presented through mediums such as television, film and literature. In many Commonwealth countries, the term final episode is commonly used in regards to a television series...
for the show, concluding many long-time story arcs while creating new ones for a possible film franchise
The X-Files franchise
The X-Files is a science fiction-thriller franchise, initially conceived by Chris Carter. The franchise generally focused on paranormal or unexplained happenings. The first franchise release, simply titled The X-Files, first aired in September 1993 and ended in May 2002...
. Chris Carter has expressed an intent to make a third X-Files feature film that would focus on the impending alien invasion revealed in this episode, depending on the success of the 2008 film The X-Files: I Want to Believe
The X-Files: I Want to Believe
The X-Files: I Want to Believe is a 2008 science fiction-thriller directed by Chris Carter and written by both Carter and Frank Spotnitz. It is the second feature film based on The X-Files franchise created by Carter, following the 1998 film...
.
Plot
At Mount WeatherMount Weather
The Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center is a civilian command facility in Virginia, U.S. used as the center of operations for the Federal Emergency Management Agency...
military base, Fox Mulder
Fox Mulder
FBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
appears with several government officials. He gains access to highly-classified documents on a secure computer system, and is shocked and dismayed to read the documents, which provide details of the final colonization of the planet
Colonist (The X-Files)
The Colonists are an extraterrestrial species 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 revealed across the course of the series...
.
Before he can continue reading, Mulder hears another person approaching. He quickly hides and observes Knowle Rohrer, a former friend of Doggett
John Doggett
FBI Special agent John Jay Doggett is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction show about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of alien existence...
but who has been irreversibly transformed into an enemy "Super Soldier", approach the computer system. Rohrer immediately realizes the system has been accessed. Mulder attempts to attack Rohrer, but Rohrer easily overpowers him. Mulder frantically flees, but Rohrer outflanks him. In a violent altercation, Mulder flips Rohrer off a catwalk onto high-voltage wiring, and Rohrer apparently dies by electrocution. Mulder attempts to escape, but is quickly arrested by several soldiers.
News of Mulder's arrest spreads to the FBI. Upon hearing that he has resurfaced, and in such a dire manner, Scully
Dana Scully
FBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
and Skinner
Walter Skinner
FBI Assistant Director Walter Sergei Skinner is a fictional character in the American FOX television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence...
immediately visit him. They learn that he had in fact made the incursion, but he wants his reason for doing so to be heard. While Mulder languishes in military captivity, he receives mysterious visits from two phantoms of his past: Alex Krycek
Alex Krycek
Alex Krycek is a fictional character in the long-running American science fiction show, The X-Files portrayed by Nicholas Lea. Initially introduced in the second season as a partner for main character Fox Mulder in the absence of his previous partner, Dana Scully, Krycek grew to become one of the...
and X. Meanwhile, Scully and Skinner go to great lengths to get him released, but are unsuccessful.
Mulder's fate is ultimately made the subject of a military tribunal. At the outset, it appears he will be the hopeless victim of a show trial
Show trial
The term show trial is a pejorative description of a type of highly public trial in which there is a strong connotation that the judicial authorities have already determined the guilt of the defendant. The actual trial has as its only goal to present the accusation and the verdict to the public as...
not in his favor.
Skinner takes Mulder's defense, while Scully, Reyes
Monica Reyes
Special Agent Monica Reyes is a fictional character in the American FOX television series The X-Files, a science fiction show about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence...
, Doggett, Marita Covarrubias, Gibson Praise and Jeffrey Spender
Jeffrey Spender
FBI Special agent Jeffrey Frank Spender is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction show about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of alien existence. Spender was in control of the X-Files office after Fox Mulder's and Dana Scully's...
testify on Mulder's behalf. The prosecution presents Rohrer's body as evidence against Mulder. Aware that Rohrer is a seemingly-invincible "Super Soldier", Scully performs a medical examination and proves that the body is not that of Rohrer. Despite this, the defense is ultimately overruled, and Mulder is sentenced to death for the murder of a military officer.
With the unexpected help of Deputy Director Kersh
Alvin Kersh
Alvin D. Kersh is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction series about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of extraterrestrial existence...
, the agents help Mulder escape. Despite being advised to immediately leave the continent via Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Mulder instead takes Scully to New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. Doggett and Reyes find their office emptied, suggesting that the X-Files have been closed down for the third time.
Skinner is called into a meeting with Kersh and the Toothpick Man, whom Gibson Praise asserted is "not human". He is seen for the last time as the door closes behind him.
In New Mexico, Scully and Mulder arrive at Anasazi Pueblo
Pueblo
Pueblo is a term used to describe modern communities of Native Americans in the Southwestern United States of America. The first Spanish explorers of the Southwest used this term to describe the communities housed in apartment-like structures built of stone, adobe mud, and other local material...
ruins to find a "wise man", who they believe can make sense of the classified documents Mulder has read. They discover the so-called "wise man" is the Cigarette Smoking Man
Cigarette Smoking Man
The Smoking Man is a fictional character and the antagonist on the American science fiction television series The X-Files. He serves as the arch-nemesis of FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder. Although his name is revealed to purportedly be C.G.B...
, who is hiding to survive the colonization — an event that will happen on December 22, 2012
2012 Doomsday prediction
The 2012 phenomenon comprises a range of eschatological beliefs that cataclysmic or transformative events will occur on December 21, 2012. This date is regarded as the end-date of a 5,125-year-long cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar...
(first alluded to in "Red Museum
Red Museum
"Red Museum" is the tenth episode of the second season of The X-Files science-fiction television series created by Chris Carter.- Plot :Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully are called in to investigate a number of kidnappings in which children are recovered half-naked and drugged, with either the...
" / episode 2X10). This corresponds to a significant date in the Mayan Calendar — perhaps the end of the world. Outside, Reyes and Doggett arrive and fight Rohrer, who has been sent to kill Mulder and the Smoking Man. The ruins are filled with magnetite
Magnetite
Magnetite is a ferrimagnetic mineral with chemical formula Fe3O4, one of several iron oxides and a member of the spinel group. The chemical IUPAC name is iron oxide and the common chemical name is ferrous-ferric oxide. The formula for magnetite may also be written as FeO·Fe2O3, which is one part...
, which kills Rohrer as he advances on Doggett and Reyes. Switching cars with Mulder and Scully, the agents drive off. Black helicopters
Black helicopters
Black helicopters is a term which became popular in the United States militia movement and its associated political circles in the 1990s as a symbol and warning sign of an alleged conspiratorial military takeover of the United States, though it has also been associated with men in black and similar...
destroy the cliff dwellings — and the Smoking Man within — before giving chase to the wrong car. Doggett and Reyes are last seen speeding away with the helicopters in pursuit.
In a motel room in Roswell, New Mexico
Roswell, New Mexico
Roswell is a city in and the county seat of Chaves County in the southeastern quarter of the state of New Mexico, United States. The population was 48,366 at the 2010 census. It is a center for irrigation farming, dairying, ranching, manufacturing, distribution, and petroleum production. It is also...
, Mulder and Scully prepare for bed and talk. Their final words:
Scully: "You've always said that you want to believe. But believe in what, Mulder? If this is the truth that you've been looking for, then what is left to believe in?"
Mulder: "I want to believe that the dead are not lost to us. That they speak to us as part of something greater than us — greater than any alien force. And if you and I are powerless now, I want to believe that if we listen to what's speaking, it can give us the power to save ourselves.
Scully: "Then we believe the same thing."
Mulder: "Maybe there's hope."
Production
The first scene with Fox MulderFox Mulder
FBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
(David Duchovny
David Duchovny
David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer and director. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
) was shot in a hydroelectric power plant east of Fresno, California
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
. The rooms seen in the episode were the main rooms for the power plant. The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
crew turned it into what they called a "war room". Most of the decoration and interior scene was done by the visual effect crew; the only visible part seen in real life was a large generator that pumped water. Bill Roe, the cinematographer for the episode, spent four to five days to light the set for filming. Kim Manners
Kim Manners
Kim Manners was an American television producer, director and child actor best known for his work on The X-Files and Supernatural.-Early life:...
commented on his work and called it "a great job". The main computer terminal room was shot at a sound stage at 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
; the crew built the set themselves. The scenes with Mulder being tortured by the military guards were shot at an abandoned military base in Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, Fort MacArthur
Fort MacArthur
Fort MacArthur is a former United States Army installation in San Pedro, Los Angeles, California . The fort is named in honor of Lieutenant General Arthur MacArthur...
.
Filming the court room was one of the "most challenging sequences" Manners had ever done. Chris Carter
Chris Carter (screenwriter)
Christopher Carl Carter is an American screenwriter, film director and producer. He is the creator of The X-Files and Millennium.- Ten Thirteen Productions :...
wanted the courtroom to have no spectators and no jury. This meant all Manners had to work with was a handful of actors, trying to give them a "fresh" look. Manners was terrified by filming a 40-page long courtroom scene, saying they were basically telling a nine year history of The X-Files. Corey Kaplan designed the set.
With this episode David Duchovny
David Duchovny
David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer and director. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
rejoins the main cast and marks the only episode that all five principal actors (David Duchovny
David Duchovny
David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer and director. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
, Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
, Robert Patrick
Robert Patrick
Robert Hammond Patrick, Jr. is an American actor, known for his leading and supporting roles in a number of films and television shows....
, Annabeth Gish
Annabeth Gish
Annabeth Gish is an American actress known for starring roles in Shag, Mystic Pizza and Double Jeopardy. She is best known for her roles as Special Agent Monica Reyes on The X-Files, Elizabeth Bartlet Westin on The West Wing and as Eileen Caffee on the Showtime drama Brotherhood.-Personal...
and Mitch Pileggi
Mitch Pileggi
Mitchell Craig "Mitch" Pileggi is an American actor. Pileggi is known for playing FBI assistant director Walter Skinner on the long-running popular series The X-Files. He also had a recurring role on Stargate Atlantis as Col. Steven Caldwell...
) are credited together in the opening titles. Mulder, Dana Scully
Dana Scully
FBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
(Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
) and the Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis
William B. Davis
William Bruce Davis is a Canadian actor, known for his role as The Smoking Man on The X-Files. He has also appeared in Stargate SG-1 as Damaris, a Prior of the Ori and as Mayor Tate on Smallville...
) are the only characters to appear in both this episode and the series' pilot. This episode is the fourth of only four episodes in season nine
The X-Files (season 9)
The ninth season of The X-Files commenced airing in the United States on November 11, 2001, concluded on May 19, 2002, and consists of twenty episodes. The X-Files is an American serial science fiction-horror-thriller television series. Season nine took place after Fox Mulder's leave after the...
where Duchovny appeared, the others being "Trust No 1", "Jump the Shark" (appearing in archive footage in both these episodes) and "William".
Originally, this episode was to feature recurring character
Recurring character
A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who appears from time to time during the series' run. Recurring characters often play major roles in an episode, sometimes being the main focus...
Shannon McMahon. However, actress Lucy Lawless
Lucy Lawless
Lucy Lawless, MNZM is a New Zealander actress and singer best known for playing the title character of the internationally successful television series Xena: Warrior Princess....
became pregnant shortly after filming the two-parter "Nothing Important Happened Today
Nothing Important Happened Today
"Nothing Important Happened Today" is the collective name for the 182nd and 183rd episodes of the science fiction television series The X-Files. Part 1 first aired on November 11 and Part 2 aired on November 18, 2001 on Fox in the United States and Canada. Both episodes subsequently aired in the...
" and was not available for subsequent episodes. The final scene of the episode was originally going to show the Toothpick Man informing George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
(played by Gary Newton
Gary Newton
Gary Basil Newton was an American field hockey player. He competed for the Americans at the 1984 Summer Olympics. His brother Michael was one of his teammates at the Olympics.-External links:*...
) of Mulder's escape. The scene was filmed, but was not included in the broadcast version. However, it was featured as a deleted scene on the DVD; on that DVD's audio commentary, the producers mentioned that they had considered having Martin Sheen
Martin Sheen
Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...
appear as his The West Wing character Josiah Bartlet
Josiah Bartlet
Josiah Edward "Jed" Bartlet is a fictional character played by Martin Sheen on the television serial drama The West Wing. He is President of the United States for the entire series until the last episode, when his successor is inaugurated...
instead of Bush. The cameo of the Cigarette Smoking Man was filmed on a sound stage back at 20th Century Fox. Manners called the last scene with Duchovny and Anderson "extremely tough."
The final scene in which Mulder and Scully speak in a hotel room is reminiscent of the series' first episode.
Reception
It became the most watched episode of the ninth season; receiving the season's highest ratings. The episode received mixed reviews by critics; the main reason for criticism was that instead of creating a conclusion, it created new questions for the audience. The episode earned a Nielsen household ratingNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of 7.5, with a 12 share. It was viewed by 7.913 million households and gathered a total of 13.200 million viewers in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
alone. On May 19, 2002 the episode premiered on American and Canadian television on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
(both nations) and Global Television Network
Global Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
(Canada) the same time and day as Fox did. In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, it made its first appearance on Sky1 on September 26, 2002. "The Truth" received 1.03 million viewers, placing The X-Files number two in the top ten broadcasts for Sky1 for that week behind The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
.
In 2011, the finale was ranked #22 on the TV Guide Network special, TV's Most Unforgettable Finales.
External links
- The Truth part 1 at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
- The Truth part 2 at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...