| "Je Souhaite" | |
|---|---|
| The X-Files episode | |
 Dana Scully uses yellow dust to see the invisible body of Anson Stokes. The scene required the use of various digital techniques like chroma keying and motion control. | |
| Episode no. | Season 7 Episode 21 |
| Directed by | Vince Gilligan |
| Written by | Vince Gilligan |
| Production code | 7ABX21 |
| Original air date | May 14, 2000 |
| Running time | 44 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Je Souhaite" is the twenty-first episode of the seventh season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network in the United States on May 14, 2000. It was written and directed by Vince Gilligan. The episode is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, unconnected to the series' wider mythology. "Je Souhaite" earned a Nielsen household rating of 8.2, being watched by 12.79 million people in its initial broadcast, and received mostly positive reviews from critics. The title means "I Wish" in French.
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 encounter a man and his physically disabled brother who lead the agents to an indifferent genie whose willingness to grant wishes belies a deeper motive.
Gilligan had written and helped produce earlier episodes of The X-Files, but "Je Souhaite" was his directorial debut. Originally, the script was supposed to be a "stark and scary" story, but Gilligan changed it to a humorous tale about a genie. The episode featured several elaborate "genie effects" that were created through digital technology; this included manipulating stock footage of former American President Richard Nixon and Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. One scene in the episode required the producers to block off eight blocks of downtown Los Angeles.