My Struggle (The X-Files)

"My Struggle" is the first episode of the tenth season of The X-Files. Written and directed by series creator Chris Carter, the episode aired on the Fox network on January 24, 2016. Guest stars include Joel McHale as Tad O'Malley and Annet Mahendru as Sveta.

The show centers on FBI special agents who work on unsolved paranormal cases called X-Files; this season focuses on the investigations of Fox Mulder (David Duchovny), and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) after their reinstatement in the FBI. In this episode, Mulder is contacted by Scully at the behest of FBI Assistant Director Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi), who wants him to meet a right-wing online webcaster named Tad O'Malley (McHale). O'Malley claims that the idea of an alien invasion is just a smoke-screen for nefarious government doings, and he claims to have proof.

"My Struggle" debuted to a select crowd at the 2015 New York Comic Con, where it was lauded by fans and critics alike. However, closer to the episode's premiere, pre-release reviews were much more critical of, among other things, the excessive use of monologues and the performances of the cast. Nonetheless, the episode was a ratings success, being watched by 16.19 million viewers; this made it the most-watched episode of The X-Files to air since the eighth season episode "This Is Not Happening" in 2001. Furthermore, when DVR and streaming are taken into account, "My Struggle" was seen by 21.4 million viewers.