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No. No.in
overall season
162

Title
"Within"

U.S.
viewers
(millions)

Directed
by

Writtenby

Prod.
Originalairdate
code [23]

Kim
Manners

ChrisCarter

November5,2000 8ABX01 15.87[24]

AnFBItaskforceisorganizedtohuntforFoxMulder(DavidDuchovny)butDanaScully(GillianAnderson)
suspectsthetaskforceleader,SpecialAgentJohnDoggett(RobertPatrick),andinsteadchoosestosearchforher
lostpartnerwithWalterSkinner(MitchPileggi).
163

"Without"

Kim
Manners

ChrisCarter

November12,2000 8ABX02

15.1[25]

AtaremoteschoolintheArizonadesert,Doggett,Scully,GibsonandSkinneraswellasahostofstudentsand
agentsdonotknowwhototrustasthebountyhunterworksamongthemandinaspaceshipcloseby
Mulderisexperimentedon.
164

"Patience"

Chris
Carter

ChrisCarter

November19,2000 8ABX04

13.3[25]

HavingbeenassignedtotheXFiles,JohnDoggettjoinsScullytoinvestigateaseriesofgruesomemurdersthat
appeartobetheworkofabatlikecreature.Thisbeingtheirfirstcasetogether,ScullyandDoggettfindthattheir
investigativetechniquesarelessthansimilar.
165

"Roadrunners"

RodHardy

VinceGilligan

November26,2000 8ABX05

13.6[25]

Workingalone,Scullypursuesacultthatworshipasluglikeorganismbutinhereffortstosaveaninjured
stranger,shediscoversshe'sinoverherhead.
166

"Invocation"

Richard
Compton

DavidAmann

December3,2000 8ABX06

13.9[25]

Havingbeenkidnappedfortenyears,alittleboymysteriouslyreappearsbuthasnotagedonebit.Whilethecase
stirsuppainfulmemoriesforDoggett,suspicionstirsthattheboyisnotallheseems.

167

"Redrum"

Peter
Markle

Storyby:Steven
Maeda&Daniel
Arkin
December10,2000 8ABX03
Teleplayby:Steven
Maeda

13.2[25]

Afterhiswifeismurdered,alawyerfriendofDoggett'striestoclearhisnameofthecrimebutthedaysregress
backwards.
168

"ViaNegativa"

Tony
Wharmby

FrankSpotnitz

December17,2000 8ABX07 12.37[26]

DoggettandSkinnerworktoavertthemurderousspreeofareligiouscultleader,whileScullytakestimeoffto
dealwiththeearlystagesofherpregnancy.
169

"Surekill"

Terrence
O'Hara

GregWalker

January7,2001

8ABX09

13.3[25]

ThefatalshootingofarealtorwhilealoneinacinderblockjailcellhasDoggetthopingmotivewillyieldmore
thanmethod,buttheysoonlearnthatthereismoretothiscasethanmeetstheeye.
170

"Salvage"

RodHardy

JeffreyBell

January14,2001

8ABX10

11.7[25]

DoggettandScullyencounteradeadmanwhoisstilllivingonlysomewhatchanged.Whattheydiscoverisa
manmadeofmetal,enactingvengeanceonthosehebelievescreatedhim.
171

10

"Badlaa"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_XFiles_(season_8)

Tony
Wharmby

JohnShiban

January21,2001

8ABX12

11.8[27]
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WhenamysticsmuggleshimselfoutofIndia,ScullyandDoggettgivechaseashismurderousspreestarts
terrorisingtwofamiliesinsuburbanWashington,D.C.ButScullysooncomesuponacrisisoffaithwhenshe
realiseshowdissimilarhertechniquesarefromMulder,evenasshetriestobethebeliever.
172

11

"TheGift"

Kim
Manners

FrankSpotnitz

February4,2001

8ABX11

14.6[28]

Doggettcomesuponanoldcaseaboutaprofessed'souleater'thatMulderkeptsecretfromScully,whichhe
hopeswillultimatelyprovethetruthbehindMulder'sabduction.
173

12

"Medusa"

Richard
Compton

FrankSpotnitz

February11,2001 8ABX13

13.8[25]

AstringofbizarredeathsinthetunnelsoftheBostonsubwaysystemseesDoggettjoinateamofprofessionals
undergroundtoinvestigate.Meanwhile,Scullyhastodefythetrainauthoritiesaboveland,whoaredeterminedto
getthetrainsupandrunningwithinhours.
174

13

"PerManum"

Kim
Manners

175

14

"ThisIsNot
Happening"

Kim
Manners

ChrisCarter&
February18,2001 8ABX08 16.0[29]
FrankSpotnitz
Scullybecomespersonallyinvolvedwhensheencountersseveralwomenwhohadnowayofnaturallyconceiving
butwhoclaimtohavebeenabductedandimpregnatedwithalienbabies.
ChrisCarter&
FrankSpotnitz

February25,2001 8ABX14

16.9[30]

Doggettcallsonanotheragent,MonicaReyes(AnnabethGish),toassistintheMuldercase,butScully'sfears
aboutfindinghimcometoaheadwiththesuddenrecoveryofabducteesseizedatthesametime.
176

15

"Deadalive"

Tony
Wharmby

ChrisCarter&
FrankSpotnitz

April1,2001

8ABX15

12.4[31]

ThreemonthsafterMulder'sfuneral,aformerabducteeawakensfromthedeadandScullypinsherhopeson
resurrectingherpartner.Meanwhile,AlexKrycek(NicholasLea)offersSkinneraloathsomedealwhichhe
claimscansaveMulder'slife.
177

16

"ThreeWords"

Tony
Wharmby

ChrisCarter&
FrankSpotnitz

April8,2001

8ABX18

N/A

MuldersecretlyconductshisowninvestigationafteramanisgunneddownontheWhiteHouselawnattempting
toinformthePresidentofaplannedalieninvasion.However,heissooninoverhisheadashetriestoexpose
furtherevidenceofcolonization.
178

17

"Empedocles"

BarryK.
Thomas

GregWalker

April22,2001

8ABX17 12.46[32]

ReyesenlistsMulder'shelpinvestigatingakiller'sconnectiontotheunsolvedmurderofDoggett'ssonbutMulder
soonfindshimselfclashingwithDoggett.
179

18

"Vienen"

RodHardy

StevenMaeda

April29,2001

8ABX16

11.8[25]

MulderandDoggettareaskedtoinvestigateseveraldeathsaboardanoilrig,butMulderisconvincedtherigis
carryinganalienblackoilmeanwhileaheavilypregnantScullyattemptstoprotectMulderinabsentia.
180

19

"Alone"

Frank
Spotnitz

FrankSpotnitz

May6,2001

8ABX19

12.7[25]

WithScullyonmaternityleave,DoggettispairedwithanenthusiasticyoungagentnamedLaylaHarrisonwho
knowseverythingabouttheXFiles,andherapotheosisofMulderandScullyleadstohimlearningathingor
two.ButwhenHarrisonandDoggettdisappear,Mulderdefiesordersinanattempttofindthem.
181

20

"Essence"

Kim
Manners

ChrisCarter

May13,2001

8ABX20

12.8[25]

Mulder,SkinnerandDoggettcomeupagainstthehorribleconsequencesoftheSyndicate'spactwiththealiens,
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asahybridattemptstoeraseallevidenceofthetestsincludingScully'ssoontobebornbaby.Themencallon
Reyes,andreluctantlyAlexKrycektohelpthem.
182

21

"Existence"

Kim
Manners

ChrisCarter

May20,2001

8ABX21 14.00[33]

Mulder,DoggettandSkinnerfaceoffwiththealienreplicantsastheydesperatelytrytoexposetheconspiracy
withintheFBI.MeanwhileScullygoesintolabourinaremotelocation,butReyessoonlearnstheymaybeno
saferthere.

Reception
Ratings
Reportedly,PatrickwascastduetothehopesthathisfeaturedroleinTerminator2:JudgmentDay(1991)would
attractagreat18to35yearoldmaledemographictotheshow.Earlyon,Foxexecutivesreporteda10percent
overallincreaseinthedemographic,solelyduetoPatrick'scasting.[34]"Within",theseason'sfirstepisode,earneda
Nielsenhouseholdratingof9.5,meaningthatitwasseenby9.5%ofthenation'sestimatedhouseholds.[35]The
episodewasviewedby15.87millionviewers,[24]whichmarkedan11%decreasefromtheseventhseasonopener,
"TheSixthExtinction."[36]Thehighestratedepisodeoftheseasonwas"ThisisNotHappening",whichwas
viewedby16.9millionviewers,makingitthemostwatchedepisodeoftheseries,intermsofviewers,since"The
SixthExtinction".[30][37]Theseasonfinale,"Existence",earnedaNielsenhouseholdratingof8.4,meaningthatit
wasseenby8.4%ofthenation'sestimatedhouseholds.[38]Theepisodewaswatchedby14millionviewers,
overall.[33]ThenineepisodesoftheseasonthatdidnotfeatureMulderaveragedonly13millionviewers,whereas
thetwelveepisodesthatdidfeatureMulderaveraged13.93millionviewers,almostadifferenceofonemillion.
Theseasonaveragedatotalof13.53millionviewers,downfromtheseventhseason's14.2million.[39]
During2000,companieswerepayingFox$225,000forevery30secondspotthatwouldairbetweenactsofThe
XFiles.ManyInformationtechnology(IT)companieswerebuyingcommercialsduringtheshow,largelydueto
thefactthat"many['codersITgeeks']gettheirweeklyfixofsciencefictionfromthisprimetimeshow."[31]

Reviews
Theshow'seighthseasonreceivedmixedtopositivereviewsfromcritics.TheA.V.Clubnotedthatthefirsteight
seasonsofTheXFileswere"goodtogreat",andthattheeighthseasonoftheshowwas"revitalizedbythenew
'searchforMulder'storyarc."[40]JohnC.SniderofSciFiDimensionsgavetheseasonafavorablereview,callingit
"great"anddescribingitsepisodesas"prettystrong".[41]CollinPolonowonskiofDVDTimessaidthattheseason
included"morehitsthanmissesoverall"butwasthroughoutnegativeaboutthemythologyepisodesclaimingthem
tobethe"weakest"episodesintheseason.[42]ManycriticseventuallyacceptedDoggett'scharacter.AnitaGatesof
TheNewYorkTimessaidthatmostfanshad"accepted"theintroductionofthecharacterandfurtherstatedthathe
actuallylooked"LikeaSecretServiceAgent."[43]Cartercommentedonthecharacter,saying"Everybodylikes
RobertPatrickandthecharacter",butfurtherstatingthatthefans"miss"Duchovny'scharacter,Mulder.[44]Dave
GolderofSFXcalledPatrick"superb"andnotedthathisentranceintheseries"inject[ed]asenseofpragmatism
andgoodoldfashionedplainspeakingintotheshowwhichwedidn'trealisewasmissinguntilwegotit."[45]
EntertainmentWeeklyreviewerKenTuckersaidthatPatrick'sportrayalofDoggettwas"hardboiledalertness",
givingmostlypositivereviewsabouthisinclusion.[46]CynthiaLittletonofTheHollywoodReporterdescribedthe
seasonastheshow's"swansong".[47]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_XFiles_(season_8)

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