| "F. Emasculata" | |
|---|---|
| The X-Files episode | |
 A prisoner with exploding pustules. The pustules were carefully rigged to burst on command by makeup supervisor Toby Lindala. | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 22 |
| Directed by | Rob Bowman |
| Written by | Chris Carter Howard Gordon |
| Production code | 2X22 |
| Original air date | April 28, 1995 |
| Running time | 45 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"F. Emasculata" is the twenty-second episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It first premiered on the Fox network in the United States on April 28, 1995. It was written by series creator Chris Carter and staff writer Howard Gordon, and directed by Rob Bowman. "F. Emasculata" received a Nielsen rating of 8.9 and was watched by 8.5 million households. The episode received mixed reviews from television critics.
The show centers on FBI special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. Mulder is a believer in the paranormal, while the skeptical Scully has been assigned to debunk his work. In this episode, Scully tries to discover the cause of a mysterious illness after several men in a prison die. Meanwhile, Mulder attempts to find two escapees who could potentially spread the disease.
"F. Emasculata" was based on the actual practice of pharmaceutical companies sending scientists all over the world looking for plants and animals that could have medicinal use. The X-Files director Frank Spotnitz felt that the episode's exploding pustules were ridiculous because of their over-the-top nature. The Costa Rican forest at the opening was shot at the Seymour Demonstration Forest in North Vancouver.