The End (The X-Files)
Encyclopedia
"The End" is the 20th episode of the fifth season
, and 117th overall of the science fiction
television series The X-Files
. The episode first aired in the United States and Canada on May 17, 1998. "The End" subsequently aired in the United Kingdom, Ireland and was eventually released for broadcast to mainland Europe
. The story was written by executive producer
Chris Carter
, and directed by R.W. Goodwin.
The episode starts with the assassination of a chess grandmaster which leads Fox Mulder
(David Duchovny
) and Dana Scully
(Gillian Anderson
) into an investigation that they soon discover strikes at the heart of the X-Files when they learn that the real target was a telepathic boy named Gibson Praise. The episode earned a strong Nielsen household and syndication ratings in the United States compared to previous episodes of the season, it was generally well-received by fans and critics alike.
The episode was penned down by Carter, the episode features what would become the recurring character
of Diana Fowley, portrayed by Mimi Rogers
. As a season finale, it needed to create loose ends to both The X-Files
feature film, and the subsequent season opener, "The Beginning
". The tagline for this episode is "The End".
, British Columbia
, Canada
, an international chess tournament
is held between Anatole Klebanow, a Russian grand master, and Gibson Praise, a young American prodigy
. In the rafters, the Shooter, an MIB
assassin, prepares to fire at Gibson. However, Gibson senses the Shooter's presence and manages to discreetly dodge the shot, which kills Klebanow instead.
Elsewhere in Canada, the Smoking Man is found by Alex Krycek
. At FBI Headquarters Skinner reveals to Mulder that Jeffrey Spender is leading the case investigating the shooting. Despite Spender's request that Mulder not be involved, he bursts into the meeting and offers the explanation that the assassin was firing at Gibson, not the Russian. In the meeting is Diana Fowley, an acquantance from Mulder's past. The Cigarette Smoking Man is reunited with the Syndicate members, including the First Elder and the Well Manicured Man, who want him to help them with the situation concerning Gibson. Fowley accompanies Mulder and Scully as they go visit Gibson. Mulder believes that Gibson can read minds which is why he's so good at chess. Scully learns that Mulder and Diana know each other from long ago.
Mulder goes to see the shooter, despite Spender's objections. Mulder wants to give the shooter immunity in exchange for testimony, which the shooter refuses. Gibson proves his abilities to a group of clinicians while Scully and Fowley watch. The Guard at the prison hands the shooter a flattened Morley cigarette box that says he's a dead man. Scully visits the Lone Gunmen, wanting them to analyze the data from Gibson. She asks them who Diana is, and they tell her she worked closely with Mulder when he discovered the X-Files. The Cigarette Smoking Man meets with Jeffrey in the FBI parking lot, but disappears when Mulder spots them talking. Scully and Mulder present to Skinner on Gibson, who shows extraordinary brain activities. Mulder believes that Gibson is the key to everything in the X-Files and wants to make a deal with the shooter. Diana and Skinner think this may result in adverse attention from the Attorney General and the X-Files could be closed down if things go wrong, but Mulder dismisses that risk.
Mulder meets with the shooter again, who tells him that Gibson is a missing link. Mulder believes that Gibson has genes that are dormant in most humans. The Cigarette Smoking Man dismisses the Well Manicured Man's concerns about Mulder's actions. At the prison the guard kills the shooter. Diana Fowley, protecting Gibson in a hotel room, is shot shortly afterwards and Gibson is captured by the Cigarette Smoking Man's minions. Skinner tells Mulder of the shooter's death and that a flattened Morley cigarette box was found in his cell. Mulder confronts Spender, accusing him of working with the Cigarette Smoking Man. The Cigarette Smoking Man turns Gibson over to the Well Manicured Man. Scully is informed by Skinner that the Justice Department is seeking to have the X-Files shut down. Mulder realizes that this was all part of a plan. The Cigarette Smoking Man takes Samantha's X-File from Mulder's office and lights the room on fire. As he leaves he meets Jeffrey, and tells him that he's his father. By the time Mulder and Scully arrive the X-Files are completely destroyed.
said of Jeff Gulka, who portrayed Gibson, "There was something about that kid's personality that really came off on screen. He really exuded an intelligence that was pretty special. Chris saw what Bob Goodwin did with him and he knew that this kid was a special storytelling tool for the chronicle of the X-Files". Chris Carter
said that Fowley "was a character you were destined to hate because she was a competitor for Mulder's affection with Scully. Gillian Anderson
said, "She didn't make it easy on Scully. I think she was aware of her effect on Mulder and on the situation."
This episode was the last filmed in Vancouver, Canada prior to production moving to Los Angeles, California
. The move was influenced in part by David Duchovny
, who after five years of filming wanted to be closer to his wife. The audience at the chess match was made up of local fans as a 'thank you' to the city for hosting the production during its first five years. The chess match was filmed at Rogers Arena (known as GM Place at the time), the home of the Vancouver Canucks
as well as the Vancouver Grizzlies
at the time. While the producers expected five thousand people to show up, twelve thousand appeared. Instructions were given to the crowd by director R.W. Goodwin using giant video screens attached to the scoreboard. During breaks between shooting concession stands, music and videos were made available to the attendees. Actors Duchovny and Anderson also answered questions for the audience and over $20,000 worth of equipment was raffled off. Chris Carter directed the second unit filming for the episode in order to be with the show's Canadian crew members.
The X-Files (season 5)
-Episodes:Episodes marked with an asterisk are part of the series' mytharc. Episodes with a double asterisk are part of the series' Alien Mythology....
, and 117th overall of the science fiction
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...
. The episode first aired in the United States and Canada on May 17, 1998. "The End" subsequently aired in the United Kingdom, Ireland and was eventually released for broadcast to mainland Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. The story was written by executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
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 R.W. Goodwin.
The episode starts with the assassination of a chess grandmaster which leads 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...
(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:...
) and 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...
) into an investigation that they soon discover strikes at the heart of the X-Files when they learn that the real target was a telepathic boy named Gibson Praise. The episode earned a strong Nielsen household and syndication ratings in the United States compared to previous episodes of the season, it was generally well-received by fans and critics alike.
The episode was penned down by Carter, the episode features what would become the 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...
of Diana Fowley, portrayed by Mimi Rogers
Mimi Rogers
Mimi Rogers is an American movie actress and competitive poker player.-Early life:Rogers was born Miriam Spickler in Coral Gables, Florida, the daughter of Philip C...
. As a season finale, it needed to create loose ends to both The X-Files
The X-Files (film)
The X-Files is a 1998 American science fiction-thriller film written by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz, and directed by Rob Bowman. It is the first feature film based on The X-Files series created by Carter that revolves around a fictional FBI paranormal investigation unit called the X-Files...
feature film, and the subsequent season opener, "The Beginning
The Beginning (The X-Files)
"The Beginning" is the first episode of the sixth season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. "The Beginning", which was the first episode of the series to be filmed in Los Angeles, features an alien loose in the Phoenix, Arizona area....
". The tagline for this episode is "The End".
Plot
In a stadium in VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, 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...
, an international chess tournament
Chess tournament
A chess tournament is a series of chess games played competitively to determine a winning individual or team. Since the first international chess tournament in London, 1851, chess tournaments have become the standard form of chess competition among serious players.Today, the most recognized chess...
is held between Anatole Klebanow, a Russian grand master, and Gibson Praise, a young American prodigy
Child prodigy
A child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
. In the rafters, the Shooter, an MIB
Men in Black (The X-Files)
In The X-Files television show, the Men in Black refer, unofficially, to a group of enforcers employed by the Syndicate to execute assassinations, cover ups and other covert operations. It is implied that most, if not all, of them are former members of special operations units...
assassin, prepares to fire at Gibson. However, Gibson senses the Shooter's presence and manages to discreetly dodge the shot, which kills Klebanow instead.
Elsewhere in Canada, the Smoking Man is found by 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...
. At FBI Headquarters Skinner reveals to Mulder that Jeffrey Spender is leading the case investigating the shooting. Despite Spender's request that Mulder not be involved, he bursts into the meeting and offers the explanation that the assassin was firing at Gibson, not the Russian. In the meeting is Diana Fowley, an acquantance from Mulder's past. The Cigarette Smoking Man is reunited with the Syndicate members, including the First Elder and the Well Manicured Man, who want him to help them with the situation concerning Gibson. Fowley accompanies Mulder and Scully as they go visit Gibson. Mulder believes that Gibson can read minds which is why he's so good at chess. Scully learns that Mulder and Diana know each other from long ago.
Mulder goes to see the shooter, despite Spender's objections. Mulder wants to give the shooter immunity in exchange for testimony, which the shooter refuses. Gibson proves his abilities to a group of clinicians while Scully and Fowley watch. The Guard at the prison hands the shooter a flattened Morley cigarette box that says he's a dead man. Scully visits the Lone Gunmen, wanting them to analyze the data from Gibson. She asks them who Diana is, and they tell her she worked closely with Mulder when he discovered the X-Files. The Cigarette Smoking Man meets with Jeffrey in the FBI parking lot, but disappears when Mulder spots them talking. Scully and Mulder present to Skinner on Gibson, who shows extraordinary brain activities. Mulder believes that Gibson is the key to everything in the X-Files and wants to make a deal with the shooter. Diana and Skinner think this may result in adverse attention from the Attorney General and the X-Files could be closed down if things go wrong, but Mulder dismisses that risk.
Mulder meets with the shooter again, who tells him that Gibson is a missing link. Mulder believes that Gibson has genes that are dormant in most humans. The Cigarette Smoking Man dismisses the Well Manicured Man's concerns about Mulder's actions. At the prison the guard kills the shooter. Diana Fowley, protecting Gibson in a hotel room, is shot shortly afterwards and Gibson is captured by the Cigarette Smoking Man's minions. Skinner tells Mulder of the shooter's death and that a flattened Morley cigarette box was found in his cell. Mulder confronts Spender, accusing him of working with the Cigarette Smoking Man. The Cigarette Smoking Man turns Gibson over to the Well Manicured Man. Scully is informed by Skinner that the Justice Department is seeking to have the X-Files shut down. Mulder realizes that this was all part of a plan. The Cigarette Smoking Man takes Samantha's X-File from Mulder's office and lights the room on fire. As he leaves he meets Jeffrey, and tells him that he's his father. By the time Mulder and Scully arrive the X-Files are completely destroyed.
Production
The episode introduced two new characters in Gibson Praise and Diana Fowley. Kim MannersKim 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:...
said of Jeff Gulka, who portrayed Gibson, "There was something about that kid's personality that really came off on screen. He really exuded an intelligence that was pretty special. Chris saw what Bob Goodwin did with him and he knew that this kid was a special storytelling tool for the chronicle of the X-Files". 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 :...
said that Fowley "was a character you were destined to hate because she was a competitor for Mulder's affection with Scully. 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...
said, "She didn't make it easy on Scully. I think she was aware of her effect on Mulder and on the situation."
This episode was the last filmed in Vancouver, Canada prior to production moving to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. The move was influenced in part by 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:...
, who after five years of filming wanted to be closer to his wife. The audience at the chess match was made up of local fans as a 'thank you' to the city for hosting the production during its first five years. The chess match was filmed at Rogers Arena (known as GM Place at the time), the home of the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
as well as the Vancouver Grizzlies
Vancouver Grizzlies
The Vancouver Grizzlies were a professional basketball team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They were part of the Midwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Toronto Raptors, as part of the NBA's...
at the time. While the producers expected five thousand people to show up, twelve thousand appeared. Instructions were given to the crowd by director R.W. Goodwin using giant video screens attached to the scoreboard. During breaks between shooting concession stands, music and videos were made available to the attendees. Actors Duchovny and Anderson also answered questions for the audience and over $20,000 worth of equipment was raffled off. Chris Carter directed the second unit filming for the episode in order to be with the show's Canadian crew members.