Existence (The X-Files)

"Existence"
The X-Files episode
Dana Scully giving birth to William, with Monica Reyes helping.
Episode no.	Season 8 Episode 21
Directed by	Kim Manners
Written by	Chris Carter
Production code	8ABX21
Original air date	May 20, 2001 (2001-05-20)
Running time	44 minutes
Guest appearances
Annabeth Gish as Monica Reyes Mitch Pileggi as Walter Skinner Nicholas Lea as Alex Krycek Zachary Ansley as Billy Miles Adam Baldwin as Knowle Rohrer Tom Braidwood as Melvin Frohike Dale Dickey as Game Warden Dean Haglund as Richard Langly Bruce Harwood as John Fitzgerald Byers Shelley Mack as Rebecca Tom Martin as Pathology Assistant James Pickens, Jr. as Alvin Kersh Cynthia Shadix as Alien/Human Hybrid Jerry Shiban as Baby William Austin Tichenor as James Langenhahn Kirk B. R. Woller as Gene Crane[1]
Episode chronology
← Previous "Essence" Next → "Nothing Important Happened Today"
The X-Files season 8
List of episodes

"Existence" is the twenty-first episode and final episode of the eighth-season of the science fiction television series The X-Files and 182nd episode overall. The episode first premiered on Fox in the United States on May 20, 2001, and subsequently aired in the United Kingdom on June 28, 2001, on Sky1. It was written by executive producer Chris Carter and directed by Kim Manners. "Existence" earned a Nielsen household rating of 8.4 and was watched by 8.58 million households and 14 million viewers, overall. The episode received largely positive reviews from television critics.

The show centers on FBI special agents John Doggett (Robert Patrick) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson)—as well as ex-FBI agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny)—who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. In this episode, continuing from the previous episode, "Essence", a new type of alien, called a Super Soldier programmed to destroy any traces of alien involvement on Earth, is introduced. Mulder, Doggett, Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi), and Alex Krycek (Nicholas Lea) help Scully escape from Billy Miles with Special Agent Monica Reyes (Annabeth Gish) to a remote town. Shortly after, Skinner kills Krycek and Scully delivers an apparently normal baby with the alien Super Soldiers surrounding her. Without explanation, the aliens leave the area as Mulder arrives.

"Existence", along with previous season eight episodes starting with "Per Manum", introduce the story arc revolving around the "super soldiers", which continued throughout the ninth season. The episode was the last to include David Duchovny's character until the series finale the following year. As such, the last scene with Doggett and Reyes in Kersh's office was intended to show the "New X-Files" without Duchovny.