| "Our Town" | |
|---|---|
| The X-Files episode | |
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Our_Town_TXF.jpg) A man wears a sacrificial mask. Director Rob Bowman found scenes featuring the mask the most difficult to shoot. | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 24 |
| Directed by | Rob Bowman |
| Written by | Frank Spotnitz |
| Production code | 2X24 |
| Original air date | May 12, 1995 |
| Running time | 44 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
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"Our Town" is the twenty-fourth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network in the United States on May 12, 1995. It was written by Frank Spotnitz and directed by Rob Bowman. The episode is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, unconnected to the series' wider mythology. "Our Town" received a Nielsen rating of 9.4 and was watched by 9.0 million households. The episode received mixed reviews from critics.
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, Dudley, Arkansas, is the site of the latest investigation for Mulder and Scully, who are sent to find a missing poultry inspector. The case takes a twist when another poultry worker is shot after she goes insane, leading Mulder to believe that certain townspeople are cannibals.
"Our Town" was future executive producer Spotnitz's first stand-alone episode for the show. Spotnitz was inspired to write the episode after thinking of cannibalism occurring at a chicken processing plant, an idea that he thought was one of the most despicable and vile things. Spotnitz later named the characters after real life cannibals.