Season 11, Episode 10: My Struggle, Part IV

Synopsis

William recalls his upbringing, the development of his powers, and how he foolishly clued the Syndicate in to his abilities by playing a dumb prank on his girlfriends. He says he wants to find answers, perhaps from his mother but mostly from his father, who is indeed the Cigarette-Smoking Man. Somewhere else, CSM confronts and shoots Mulder.

Kersh, enraged that Mulder has gone on the record to Tad O'Malley about CSM's plan to release a contagion against humanity, plans to shut down the X-Files and suspend Mulder and Scully. CSM calls Skinner, demanding that he find William; Skinner asks if he'll stop the contagion if he does, but CSM doesn't make a promise.

Fifteen hours earlier, Agent Reyes contacts the agents to say that William has been picked up in Tennessee and is being transported to Maryland. She says that the person who controls William will control the future. Scully isn't sure she can trust Reyes, but doesn't stop Mulder from chasing the lead.

Mulder confronts Syndicate member Mr. Y, who says they weren't able to capture William and that the boy "has what everybody wants." He then pulls a gun on Mulder, so Mulder is forced to kill him before he can learn any more.

Scully finds that several people have won the lottery within a 10-mile radius in Tennessee, and figures that's how the Syndicate was able to find William. Mulder finds surveillance footage of William in the store that sold the ticket and begins to pursue him, unaware that a tracker has been placed on his car.

Scully lets O'Malley know about how an alien pathogen designed to decimate humanity is about to be unleashed, allowing Mulder to be his source for the information. Scully has a vision of Mulder's death and tries unsuccessfully to warn him. William, who has made it to Norfolk and is despondent about living on the run, ponders suicide and begs one of his girlfriends to help him. She agrees, but winds up letting Mulder know the motel William is staying at.

Mulder meets with William, who is reluctant to accept Mulder's help since he thinks he's a danger to those around him. William leaves Mulder behind after vaporizing a group of Syndicate pursuers. When Mulder lets Scully know, she vows to meet with him, figuring he'll listen to her. Skinner decides to help her, and lets her know how CSM is William's father.

William's other girlfriend lets him know another one of his likely hiding places at the harbor and he heads there, followed by Scully and Skinner after they spot his car. Skinner spots CSM and Reyes and manages to shoot Reyes, but is run down and apparently killed. Mulder and Scully pursue William, but CSM manages to get the drop on Mulder and shoots him in the head.

Only it turns out this was William, since Mulder then appears and guns down CSM. Scully tearfully confesses to Mulder how William wasn't truly their son, but rather an experiment. Mulder is distraught, asking what he is if not a father. Scully reveals that he is, since despite her age she's gotten pregnant (perhaps after the events of "Plus One"). We'll see how the series follows up on that, given that Gillian Anderson is leaving the show after this season.

At the end of the episode, William emerges from the water, apparently none the worse for wear.

Episode Body Count

Four Syndicate guards: Killed by Mulder as he confronts Mr. Y

Mr. Y: Shot by Mulder after he tries to pull a gun on Mulder

Syndicate pursuer: Has apparently been killed by William sometime before arriving in Norfolk

Four more Syndicate members, including Erika Price: Blown to bits by William's telekinetic powers

Monica Reyes: Shot and apparently killed by Skinner

Walter Skinner: Run over and apparently killed by Reyes

Cigarette-Smoking Man: Perhaps killed off for real this time after not one, not two, but three fake-outs; gunned down by Mulder at a Norfolk dock

There seems to be some debate over whether Skinner or even Monica wound up dead in the confrontation at the docks, but I can always pull out the UNDEAD'D if the series gets renewed and one or both of them come back.

Humans: 13
Creatures: 0
Aliens: 0

Cumulative Body Count (202/202 original episodes, 2/2 movies, 16/16 reboot episodes)

Humans: 2,524
Creatures: 134
Aliens: 66

Grand Total: 2,724