| "Redrum" | |
|---|---|
| The X-Files episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 8 Episode 6 |
| Directed by | Peter Markle |
| Story by | Steven Maeda Daniel Arkin |
| Teleplay by | Steven Maeda |
| Production code | 8ABX03 |
| Original air date | December 10, 2000 |
| Running time | 44 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Redrum" is the sixth episode of the eighth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on December 10, 2000. The story for the episode was developed by Steven Maeda and Daniel Arkin, the teleplay was written by Maeda, and the episode was directed by Peter Markle. "Redrum" is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, unconnected to the series' wider mythology. The episode received a Nielsen rating of 8.1 and was viewed by 13.2 million households. Overall, the episode received moderately positive reviews from critics.
The series centers on FBI special agents Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and her new partner John Doggett (Robert Patrick)—following the alien abduction of her former partner, Fox Mulder (David Duchovny)—who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. In this episode, a lawyer friend of Doggett's named Martin Wells tries to clear his name of the crime after his wife is murdered. Unfortunately for him, his perception of time regresses backwards, day by day. This leads to confusion, but ultimately an answer as to who killed Wells' wife.
"Redrum", described as a "Twilight Zone-type thriller" by critics, heavily featured the actor Joe Morton, who had previously played a role in the 1991 sci-fi film Terminator 2: Judgment Day alongside series co-star Robert Patrick. The title of the episode was purposely picked by episode writer Steven Maeda to be "murder" spelled backwards, a reference to Stephen King's The Shining. The episode's main character, Martin Wells, was named after famed 19th century author H. G. Wells.