Season 5, Episode 20: The End

Synopsis

At a surprisingly well-attended chess match in Canada, a 12-year-old prodigy named Gibson Praise senses a sniper in the rafters and manages to dodge a bullet by quickly winning the game and pushing back his chair. Krycek goes to Canada to bring Cancer Man back from his cabin. The sniper turns out to be former NSA, and Spender has been given the case by an out-of-bureau order. Mulder sees Praise's dodge on a video of the shooting and thinks Praise was the target. Another agent, Diana Fowley, agrees and suggests that Praise sensed the shot by precognition.

The Syndicate tells Cancer Man that Praise is a problem for them. Mulder, Scully, and Fowley meet Praise in a psychiatric hospital, and Mulder suggests to Praise that he has the ability to read people's minds. Mulder and Spender spar a little over how to run the case, with Mulder suggesting that Spender is hiding something. Scully goes to the Lone Gunmen with the results of Praise's brain scans, and finds from them that Fowley is Mulder's ex and has a background in the paranormal. Cancer Man goes to Spender in the FBI parking garage and says he gave him the case, then warns him not to become part of someone else's crusade but only pursue his own interests.

Scully tells Skinner that the tests on Praise shows extreme development in the "God nodule" of the brain, and Mulder suggests that he could be key to all of the paranormal things in the X-Files. Mulder wants the Attorney General to grant immunity for the sniper to help explain Praise and the interest in him. Fowley warns that he's risking the X-Files in doing so, but Mulder says he's willing to do that. The sniper hints that Praise is genetic proof of alien existence.

The sniper is killed in his cell, and Cancer Man kidnaps Praise from protective custody and delivers him to the Syndicate. Mulder realizes Cancer Man is still alive, and accuses Spender of working with him. The Attorney General and Spender are both pissed, and force the closure of the X-Files. Mulder realizes that everything has been carefully planned out. Cancer Man takes Samantha's case from the X-Files and torches the rest. He reveals to Spender on the way out that he's his father.

Martin Ferrero, who plays the sniper, also played Izzy Moreno on Miami Vice.

Episode Body Count

Russian chess opponent: shot by a sniper during a chess match against Praise.

Thug: shotgunned through a door by Cancer Man.

Sniper: shot by a prison guard.

U.S. Marshal: Skinner says one was killed during the kidnapping of Praise.

Humans: 4
Creatures: 0
Aliens: 0

Season Body Count

Humans: 206
Creatures: 8
Aliens: 5

Decreases all around. A fairly non-deadly season.

Cumulative Body Count (117/202 episodes, 0/2 movies)

Humans: 1,414

Creatures: 88
Aliens: 60

Grand Total: 1,562