Apocrypha (The X-Files)

"Apocrypha"
The X-Files episode
The black oil leaving its host.
Episode no.	Season 3 Episode 16
Directed by	Kim Manners
Written by	Frank Spotnitz Chris Carter
Production code	3X16
Original air date	February 16, 1996
Running time	44 minutes
Guest appearance(s)
Mitch Pileggi as Walter Skinner Nicholas Lea as Alex Krycek William B. Davis as Smoking Man John Neville as Well-Manicured Man Don S. Williams as First Elder Lenno Britos as Luis Cardinal Tom Braidwood as Melvin Frohike Dean Haglund as Richard Langly Bruce Harwood as John Fitzgerald Byers Brendan Beiser as Pendrell Kevin McNulty as Agent Brian Fuller Suleka Mathew as Agent Linda Caleca Barry Levy as Navy Doctor Dmitry Chepovetsky as Young Bill Mulder Craig Warkentin as Young Smoking Man
Episode chronology
← Previous "Piper Maru" Next → "Pusher"
List of season 3 episodes List of The X-Files episodes

"Apocrypha" is the sixteenth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on February 16, 1996. It was directed by Kim Manners, and written by Frank Spotnitz and series creator Chris Carter. "Apocrypha" included appearances by John Neville, Don S. Williams and Brendan Beiser. The episode helped to explore the overarching mythology, or fictional history of The X-Files. "Apocrypha" earned a Nielsen household rating of 10.8, being watched by 16.71 million people in its initial broadcast.

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. In this episode, Mulder returns from Hong Kong, having found rogue agent Alex Krycek (Nicholas Lea) while investigating a mysterious mind-altering black oil. Meanwhile, Scully pursues the man who she believes killed her sister. "Apocrypha" is the second part of a two-part episode, continuing the plot from the previous episode, "Piper Maru".

"Apocrypha" was the first mythology-centered episode to be directed by Manners, and made use of a mixture of physical and digital effects to create the episode's antagonistic black oil. The episode's sets were also augmented with digital effects, amplifying what could be constructed within the given budget.