Fearful Symmetry (The X-Files)

"Fearful Symmetry" is the eighteenth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on February 24, 1995. It was written by Steve De Jarnatt and directed by James Whitmore Jr. The episode is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, only loosely connected to the series' wider mythology. "Fearful Symmetry" received a Nielsen rating of 10.1 and was watched by 9.6 million households. The episode received mixed reviews from critics but later won an EMA Award.

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, Mulder and Scully investigate the death of a federal construction worker and the destruction of various property that can only be tied to an escaped elephant. Unfortunately, the only witnesses claim to have seen no animals which might have caused the turmoil. Soon, Mulder and Scully discover the local zoo whose claim to fame is that they've never had a successful animal birth.

"Fearful Symmetry" takes its title from a line in the William Blake poem "The Tyger". Due to strict animal cruelty laws in British Columbia, filming the episode was a challenge: To include a live elephant, the show's producers had to secure special permits and film in South Surrey, where restrictions were less stringent. Additionally, the crew struggled to keep a live tiger calm and warm in Vancouver's climate.