X-Files Chronology Introduction to Timeline X

Introduction to The X-Files Chronology

The X-Files Chronology is an attempt to chronicle all of the episodes in the show's nine seasons, as well as all the books, adaptations and comics that were released in the years the show was on the air.

A strong attempt has been made to keep as accurate as possible to the dating of the shows itself

and when not possible, to estimate as closely based on other evidence. There have been

contradictions and mistakes made along the way, of course (the producers are as fallible as anyone else).

Where possible, I have sought to reconcile continuity gaffes concerning dates and have provided the reasoning behind certain decisions.

As to the question of "canon" let it be noted that all of the spin-off

material, including the books, comics and video games were commissioned and approved by Chris

Carter himself (the video games were even scripted by him). It was his wish that such offshoots be made available and be kept consistent with the chronology and mythology of the show (which not unlike the show itself suffers on occasion from dating errors). To my knowledge there is no other timeline available which details the placement of such materials, and thus the reason this chronology was born.

I have written brief episode summaries. Just for fun, I have included a code for the basic themes of each episode, be it the Alien/Conspiracy (which makes up the main mythology of the show), werewolves, bugs, serial killers, cults or shape-shifting transvestites...

Update: Seasons 7 and 8 and The Lone Gunmen will be forthcoming. There are some chronological issues which make dating the final two seasons of the X-Files difficult at best, and which requires me to make another viewing (which is not a problem as I enjoy the show in its last two seasons).

Update: With the advent of the new film, set six years after the events of Season 9, it's time to get on completion of the timeline with the show's final two seasons. Apologies for the dormancy of this site. My current efforts are taken up full-time with a reworking of my other site (the Star Wars timeline) and the writing of a book for 2010, but upon completion of that, I'll begin work on Seasons 7, 8, the Lone Gunmen and the 2nd film, I Want to Believe.

Dating the X-Files

The dating of this timeline is based on internal, external and sometimes subjective chronological interpretations based on scant and sometimes absent information made available. At times, the producers themselves have altered established dates (such as Scully's abduction) to give a more accurate interpretation of events (or perhaps for their own nefarious purposes). These updated figures are what I've shown, although original dates are noted as well. Regardless, I have tried as much as possible to stick with as accurate a historicity as is possible based on the characters and the show itself. Help in the form of Official Guides and the CD-Rom program Unauthorized Access (listed as UA) have been utilized.

Two series of X-Files novel adaptations were released, a 1995 and a 1997 series. I've indicated the difference in the listings. I have also indicated trade paperback collections and reprint editions of comic book titles for the sake of completists or those looking for the simplest means of locating the stories. Cover images are forthcoming.

Note that while I have tried to avoid placing any episode after its airdate (or publication date) for obvious reasons, this is not always possible or wise. The X-Files strives hard to present its supernatural events in as realistic a setting as possible. For the events of a show to take place after the air-date would prove quite a paradox! Nevertheless, there are incidences in which this definitely occurs, for instance, the epilogue of "The Erlenmyer Flask" which is definitively dated twelve days after that episode aired, and Gethsemane (4x24) which takes place five months after its airdate. Granted, we all recognize that the show is fiction. Nevertheless, for any fictional setting to work there is a necessary suspension of disbelief which must occur on the part of the audience. This is the reason authors and filmmakers have resorted to the game of "let's pretend" utilizing fictional devices to pretend their works were not just something they created from their imaginations but something they discovered (or uncovered as is the case here). J.R.R. Tolkien, L. Frank Baum, Conan Doyle, H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, the makers of The Blair Witch Project, and others have all utilized this device to good effect.

However, there is a good fix which would allow this suspension of disbelief and explain the dates occurring after the show has aired or even right up to the airdate (which given how long it takes to film an episode of a TV show is highly unlikely). While viewers could argue they're watching documentary footage, filmed by person or persons unseen, I believe a better understanding is available. The Pilot aired in September 1993, but was provided with a base date for the events: 3/6/92. This date is confirmed in later episodes and seasons. Yet immediately following this episode, events suddenly jump to the summer of 1993 with no explanation as to what transpired in the previous year. Mulder and Scully continue to behave as if they're new partners. A strong indication that something is amiss occurs in the dialogue and internal events of later shows and seasons which suggest that the Pilot (and thus the start of Mulder and Scully's partnership) occurred on 3/6/93, one year later than the given date. This, of course, is based on the assumption that the later episodes take place in the years they claim to. But what if they're not? What if the 1992 date is correct and all the show's later dates are off by one year.

Setting all of the show's dates (following the Pilot) back by one year not only reconciles the problems between the Pilot and Season One, but fixes all of the later statements (such as Scully asserting several times in various episodes (particularly Season 4 and 5) that she and Mulder began working together "four years ago"). Essentially, this then allows for one year for the events of each episode shown to have "actually" occurred in "real life." It allows Chris Carter and his writers to get their hands on classified FBI missions and turn them into scripts which they film and air. The Truth is out there, and it's being disseminated to you, the discerning X-Files viewer!

Of course, within that fictionalized context it begs the question as to why the Conspiracy doesn't shut down the show or demand the Fox Network cancel it, but perhaps they allow because they know it simply won't be believed.

At any rate, so as to not cause too much confusion, I've stuck with the timeline dates that appear closest to the show's internal ones and have moved the Pilot episode to the 1993 date... But for all of you out there who want to speculate as to when these events might "actually have occurred", set all those dates (except the Pilot) back one year ... and Trust no one!

The Truth Behind The X-Files

The X-Files are sometimes mistakenly viewed as just a show about monsters and UFO's, conspiracy theories and spooky legends come to life. Any cursory glance can reveal that, and indeed the sci-fi, horror and dramatic elements are what make the show enjoyable to watch (that and the fine performances of the actors, the excellent production values, the well-written stories and first-rate directing). But beneath the surface is where the heart of any artistic endeavour lies and there the truth can be found. For The X-Files is really a show about the search for truth and the snare of deception; the deception perpetrated by the government on its citizens for power; the deception individuals perpetrate on each other to get away with things, and the deception we play on ourselves in order to see what we want to see. In stark contrast to these dark elements are the show’s heroes, Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, two characters who deeply care about the Truth and are willing to risk life and limb to find it. Their courage, integrity and willingness to fight unknown and oftentimes sinister forces to unveil the shadows of deception are what make them heroes and what elevates the show above its genre trappings to make it not only the best television has ever had to offer, but a true classic in its own right.

Mulder can be described as a man ‘looking for the truth in all the wrong places.’ The tragedy of losing his sister, coupled with his drive to find the truth behind that abduction and his intellectual brilliance make him the prime candidate to become a pawn in a vastly larger game, a scheme put in place by powerful manipulative forces solely concerned about their own Machiavellian agendas. Mulder is the ‘believer’ of the show, the one who accepts alternate, highly controversial and sometimes genuinely crazy ideas as explanations. This willingness to believe the unbelievable is both his strength and his tragic flaw for it’s the very tool his enemies use against him.

Scully, of course, is the balance. The practical one; a scientist and doctor who trusts in the known and established facts. Coupled with her own keen intelligence and ethical scruples, she serves as the perfect complement for Mulder, figuratively reining him in as well as providing him with an anchor to the real world. Yet despite these outward differences, the two share a common bond which is both profound and rare: they care about the truth. They also care about each another. Theirs is a partnership built on respect and trust, a friendship that is both refreshing and surprising due to its platonic nature, but a relationship that transcends that of most TV (and real life) couples. This too serves as a double-edged sword as it places upon them a vulnerability, a weapon to be used by hidden enemies in ever unfolding covert agendas.

Mulder and Scully can be seen as representing the viewer; the seeker and the skeptic; the believer and the doubter; the idealist and the pragmatist. Beset by a host of lies, counterfeits and conspiracies, they are in essence the forces of Good struggling to understand and weave their way through the web of dishonesty, even if at times it's only themselves they tangle in the spider’s lair. Yet even then, it is because they have turned themselves into martyrs for Truth. Their struggle matters, and the fact that they continue to fight and seek answers in the darkest corners elevates them to a higher and more noble plane. Regardless of failure or success, they are survivors and winners, for no hero is ever truly lost. And because of that willingness to exert the effort, to take the journey, to sift through the shadows for answers, they are – combined – what we ourselves can be…

The X-Files is about much more than monsters and aliens and government conspiracies and things that go bump in the night. Those are just the fun aspects of it. In probing the themes, one finds that The X-Files really represents the search for God; the struggle to attain enlightenment; to trust and rely on others outside ourselves; and the need to continually fight against the leering whisperers in darkness, to identify falsehood, injustice, cruelty, greed and hate, opposing in whatever shape or form it chooses to confront us.

Latest News

9/29/09

Another update, this time in regards to my adding listings of the recent three-volume trade paperbacks by Checker. In the process, I also reformed the way the "Adaptations" column appears, differentiating between reprint (as in another comic reprint) and trade pb (trade paperback) to make it easier to understand what's being listed. Unfortunately, Checker stopped with volume 3, yet another trade paperback series that failed to complete collecting the entire run, or even all of the rarities. Note, that this three volume series continued where the older trade paperbacks, The X-Files Collection and The X-Files Collection Vol. 2 left off. Those two were published by Topps and went up to issue #12. Checker's Volume 1 picks up at #13.

Also, keep in mind that on November 17th, Wildstorm is releasing the trade paperback of the excellent recent series,The X-Files issues #0-6, which I bet a lot of you missed in its initial run. This is great mini-series, written by two of the shows writers, and featuring the best artwork an X-Files comic has ever received. Definitely grab this one!

7/26/09

I haven't updated this site in some time. That's no reflection on my love for the show, but rather my lack of time and a heavy involvement with other things. Well, it was time to do something or let the site become fully dormant. And Chris Carter's show deserves better. So here are some minor site updates. I've added a new section. Since the latest film isn't part of a season and takes place six years after the close of season 9, I've simply called it The Future. And yes, the future is now and up to 2012, which we all hope will see the third X-Files film in theaters.

I've also added Wildstorm's new comics, which unfortunately only ran seven issues. But they were good issues, four of which were written by the show's regular writer Frank Spotnitz (and the other three by comics veterans Marv Wolfman and Doug Moench). Dating these comics is problematic. Four of the six have no discernable dates, though the first two have a clue that they probably take place prior to Season 6. Two of them, however, issues 3 and 4, place the date in 2009 (though the month and day of the week don't match in that year). Issue 0 makes the same mistake. Unless Mulder and Scully are back to being FBI agents working on X-Files cases, this has to be a mistake on Spotnitz's part. Anything's possible, of course, but until I learn otherwise, it seems suspect to me. Nevertheless, the six issues were great and expertly illustrated by Brian Denham. Update: In fact, in the back of issue #0, author Frank Spotnitz specifically says the series is meant to take place in the past, roughly between seasons two and five. If so, then we have to ignore the dates (external and internal placements) that place the stories in 08 or 09.

And as you can see, I added this 'latest news' section. I'm not yet sure if it warrants its own page yet (let me know what you think), though I certainly will try to do a better job of updates than before. As you can see, I still haven't done anything with Seasons 8 and 9 (and The Lone Gunmen series), and unfortunately I won't be able to for a little while yet (at least until I finish the book I'm writing). But it does remain a goal.

Finally, my short and sweet thoughts on the controversial film I Want to Believe. First off, it was not a summer blockbuster kind of film (unlike the first) and should've been released in the Fall when a more pensive, brooding film might better have been received. I enjoyed its somber tone, as well as seeing where Mulder and Scully's relationship had gone. As many have said, it was like an extended episode of the series, one of the standalone ones, and that was both its strength and weakness. With its small budget, it came across to many like a slightly mysterious cop drama, with a twist. I think, however, that fans and critics were perhaps expecting something more... out there. I noticed the unfavorable and rather bigoted gay subtext, which depicted the ruthless and sick villains as gay and transgender. That was unfortunate and beneath Chris Carter and everyone involved in the film. That side, I think the film will be seen in a better light over time. Its issues of faith and science were beautifully juxtaposed. Billy Connelly is simply brilliant, as are Duchovney and Anderson. Probably my biggest disappointment was not seeing the Lone Gunmen, and I know I'm not alone in wanting to see that they survived after all. They're just TOO cool to kill off. Maybe the next one will reveal they're alive and well.

Till next time, signing off. Trust no one!