Chinga (The X-Files)

"Chinga"
The X-Files episode
The doll is incinerated in the microwave. Despite mixed critical reviews, several of the episode's scenes, such as this one, were praised by critics for their creepiness.
Episode no.	Season 5 Episode 10
Directed by	Kim Manners
Written by	Stephen King Chris Carter
Production code	5X10
Original air date	February 8, 1998
Running time	44 minutes
Guest appearance(s)
Susannah Hoffman as Melissa Turner Jenny-Lynn Hutcheson as Polly Turner Carolyn Tweedle as Jane Froelich Gordan Tipple as Assistant Manager Harrison Coe as Dave the Fishmonger Larry Musser as Jack Bonsaint William MacDonald as Buddy Riggs Dean Wray as Rich Turner Henry Beckman as Old Man Ian Robison as Ranger Tracy Lively as Clerk Elizabeth McCarthy as Shopper Sean Benbow as Customer
Episode chronology
← Previous "Schizogeny" Next → "Kill Switch"
List of Season 5 episodes List of The X-Files episodes

"Chinga" is the tenth episode of the fifth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It was written by noted author Stephen King and series creator Chris Carter, and directed by Kim Manners. The episode aired in the United States on February 8, 1998 on the Fox network. The episode is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, a stand-alone plot which is unconnected to the series' wider mythology. "Chinga" earned a Nielsen rating of 12.8 and was viewed by 21.33 million viewers. The episode received mixed reviews from television 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, Scully takes a vacation to Maine, where she encounters a bizarre case where the victims appear to have inflicted wounds upon themselves—apparently at the behest of a strange young girl.

"Chinga" was co-written by noted horror author Stephen King after he requested to pen an episode of The X-Files. Carter rewrote portions of King's final draft, resulting in a shared writing credit for the entry. During filming, Gillian Anderson performed her lines in a tongue in cheek manner, which resulted in Carter informing her that her lines were not meant to be humorous and that the production staff was having to edit out various shots. The supermarket shots were filmed in an actual supermarket, a first for the series, according to art director Greg Loewen. Chinga, the titular evil doll, was created by sewing together various doll parts, including an oversized head and a wig created from multiple hairpieces.