Lord of the Flies (The X-Files)

"Lord of the Flies"
The X-Files episode
Dylan Lokensgard covered with flies
Episode no.	Season 9 Episode 5
Directed by	Kim Manners
Written by	Thomas Schnauz
Production code	9ABX06
Original air date	December 16, 2001 (2001-12-16)
Running time	44 minutes
Guest appearances
Aaron Paul as David "Winky" Winkle Aeryk Egan as Camera Dude Branden Williams as Cap'n Dare Erick Avari as Dr. Herb Fountain Hank Harris as Dylan Lokensgard Jane Lynch as Anne Lokensgard Michael Wiseman as Dr. Rocky Bronzino Samaire Armstrong as Natalie Gordon[1]
Episode chronology
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The X-Files season 9
List of episodes

"Lord of the Flies" is the fifth episode of the ninth season of the science fiction television series The X-Files, and the show's 187th episode overall. It first premiered on the Fox network in the United States on December 16, 2001, and was subsequently aired in the United Kingdom on BBC Two. The episode was written by Thomas Schnauz, and was directed by Kim Manners. The episode is a "monster-of-the-week" episode, a stand-alone plot which is unconnected to the mythology, or overarching fictional history, of The X-Files. "Lord of the Flies" earned a Nielsen household rating of 6.2, and was watched by 9.9 million viewers. The episode received mixed reviews from television critics, with many critical of the episode's reliance on humor.

The show centers on FBI special agents who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files; this season focuses on the investigations of John Doggett (Robert Patrick), Monica Reyes (Annabeth Gish), and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson). In this episode, an amateur stunt performer is killed while performing a daring act for a local cable reality show. Scully, Doggett and Reyes discover that the culprit was apparently a swarm of killer flies hidden in the victim's brain.

"Lord of the Flies" marked a return of comedic episodes to the series. Due to this, Patrick had issues with his acting because, initially, he felt the entry was too foolish. The aggressiveness of flies in the episode was inspired by the actual habits of Australian blow flies.