The X-Files (TV Series) The Gift (2001) User Reviews

It's the gift that keeps on giving.

[Muldernscully · 8/10 · 15 September 2007]

The Gift has one of the coolest teasers of the X-Files. You see this man walking up to a house on a stormy night but you don't see his face. This mysterious man walks into a house of a couple, and shoots a third, deformed man. He then leaves the house and returns to his car. Who is this mystery man that just shot another person in cold blood? Fox Mulder, the missing FBI agent. What a cool setup.

We then find out that this occurrence happened several months ago, right before Mulder's disappearance. Doggett investigates it, hoping that it will give him clues as to Mulder's whereabouts. Doggett finds that Mulder lied about his trip to this small town, and that Scully signed off on the falsified case reports. Doggett takes Skinner along to investigate.

The Gift is a very fine mystery written by Frank Spotnitz and directed by Kim Manners. We, as viewers, are puzzling throughout what Mulder has to do with all this. This episode showcases Doggett's excellent investigative skills. Kim Manners does some fine camera work. I like the shot when the husband says that he and his wife had an argument and "patched things up" and the camera moves to a shot of their wall with 3 holes plastered over and "patched up".

We see that Skinner still doesn't completely trust Doggett and is quick to accuse him of trying to find Mulder just so he can advance. As a nice bit of continuity from the season opener "Within", Doggett feeds Mulder's fish.

The Lone Gunmen are brought in purely for exposition. And it appears that Doggett is on a friendly basis with them, even though this is only the third time we've seen them with him.

It seems like these small towns are always guarding secrets in the X-Files. The underground scenes of the creature vomiting the people into the molds reminds me of the underground scene from season one's "Gender Bender".

There is no Scully in this episode, and I don't even miss her. It has to be a good episode to not make me miss the presence of my favorite female FBI agent. Doggett and Skinner carry the episode well, making a good combination. The mystery surrounding Mulder and the creature keeps you drawn in and in suspense the whole time.

Also of note, I was surprised to see the amount of partial nudity that The Gift was able to show, including a close shot of female breasts covered in slime.

The Gift is a fine solo effort by Frank Spotnitz and wonderfully directed by Kim Manners. It's a little bit gross at times, but ends up showing us that it is better to give than to receive.

I'm just trying to find the truth.

[Sanpaco13 · 9/10 · 4 February 2008]

The Gift is another solid season 8 episode. I really enjoy the teaser and I love the rest of the episode just as much. Season 8's redeeming quality for me is the Doggett centric episodes. Even the ones that are about Mulder. This one is about a creature that eats people's diseases by completely consuming their bodies and then vomiting everything out again into a pit where they then reform into a new person without their previous ailment. The teaser suggests that Mulder may have been involved in the murder of the man that possesses this ability; however, we later find out the reason Mulder killed him was because he saw the pain and suffering the creature was going through by having to take all the ailments onto himself. Doggett finds this out and also take compassion on the creature but tries to save him by taking him away. He is confronted by the town and much to our surprise is shot through the chest with a shotgun. But don't worry, he too gets healed by this powerful creature. I love the interaction between Skinner and Doggett in this episode and I enjoy the backstory into Mulder's final months before his abduction. I give The Gift a 9 out of 10.

An excellent episode.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 29 September 2022]

Doggett takes over a case that Mulder was working on, just prior to his disappearance, Doggett believes the worst of Mulder.

It starts off very well, I initially thought it was a bit stereotypical, you could almost imagine it appearing on script as, 'it was a dark and stormy night,' but it's such an intriguing opening sequence, it grabs your attention.

So much going on underneath, we see Doggett trying to find the truth, even if it means throwing Mulder under a bus. Robert Patrick leads from the front, the story is so good, that you're almost unaware of Anderson's absence.

It's certainly very different, it's quite a bleak, pretty gross storyline, but it's very imaginatively written.

Credit to the makeup team once again, the creature looked impressive, actor Jordan Marder is quite striking looking, he looked quite incredible.

A real highlight, 9/10.

Great One!

[otheozzy · 10/10 · 11 May 2007]

Any season 8 critics should take note. This is one hell of an episode... Doggett & Skinner investigate a case Mulder was working on before he disappeared. When Doggett is forced to put his skepticism of Mulder's work & disappearance aside in order to solve the case, he starts to understand what Mulder (& the x files), are really all about... It's actually a rather moving episode. If any of you get a chance to catch it in reruns, I highly recommend it.

I find it some what sad that a lot of die hard fans never really gave seasons 8 & 9 a fair shot. You really missed out on some great episodes... "Lord of the Flies" & "Release" from season 9 are also really strong episodes.

Worth your hour

[jackreich · 10/10 · 7 June 2007]

An excellent episode, with a small-town conspiracy, the on-going mystery of Mulder's disappearance, a triumphant appearance for Agent Doggett, some native American spiritual lore, and a suspenseful plot that will make you forget about that sandwich you were going to make during commercials.

At the center of the action is a mysterious creature that....has some astonishing powers. Gradually we realize that the townspeople are in on this, and in fact, counting on it. At least some of them. But why? What do they want? What is the creature and what does IT want? By the end you'll know - and be privy to several amazing surprises....and have we found Mulder.....or not?

Via Negativa Redux (Possible minor spoilers)

[emblade · 9/10 · 23 March 2008]

Arguments start not far into this episode, as a result of Skinner and Doggett's basic disagreement regarding what the facts are in the case of the missing X-Files agent Mulder. In a bizarre redux of Via Negativa, Doggett and Skinner pair up once again, absent Scully.

Which is not to say this doesn't feel much different in many ways, than that episode. To quote Muldernscully's review, "It has to be a good episode to not make me miss the presence of my favorite female FBI agent." I can't say Scully is my all-time favorite but she was before the introduction of Vivian Johnson in the pilot of "Without a Trace." Now Special Agents Scully and Johnson are probably tied in my book.

In this episode we get a continuation of season eight's major plot line: what is going on with Mulder? Suffice it to say this is a thoroughly engaging mystery for both the characters and audience, though I'd say most of the mystery regarding the episode's X-File is pretty much gone within the first few minutes: we're here mostly to find out about Mulder.

Many episodes of this show reveal that a small town is hiding something. This small town is no different, except that its mystery is certainly much more interesting than average. Roadrunners is also a great ep. from this season that pulled off the small town theme without becoming too boring.

Best episode of season 8

[erickkasecamp · 10/10 · 14 December 2021]

Don't understand the low rating for this one. This is beyond the best episode of season 8. Touching, personal, Mulder returned, Daggett forced to believe the paranormal, breaking the law to save Scully, just like Mulder would have done. Finally the ending, complete silence, Daggett finally sees Mulder for who he was, concluding with an unspoken awknowledgment and acceptance. It's not that he has replaced Mulder, but more able to stand alongside him.

"People hate it because they need it."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 19 August 2017]

David Duchovny fans would have been excited about the teaser for this episode because it looks like he's back at the X-Files, but we come to learn it's a bit of bait and switch. It's Mulder in a flashback from a few months earlier when he was investigating a case in Squamash Township, Pennsylvania. Even so, I thought it was highly complimentary for the opening credits to feature Duchovny back on top in deference to his prior seven seasons on the program. I thought that was an interesting touch.

So this episode features Agent Doggett in another team-up with Assistant Director Skinner (Mitch Pileggi), as Doggett pursues what's becoming a personal mission to find Mulder. Seeing Skinner very forcefully defending Mulder's reputation, and by association, Scully's as well, was one of the highlights of his often confrontational relationship with Doggett. But I had to laugh too, when Doggett conferred with The Lone Gunmen, and Frohike (Tom Braidwood) called him Agent Dogbird. That was a neat swipe at Doggett.

By the time the story proceeds toward a resolution, things get stood on their head with the identity and purpose of the Squamash Indian legend. The show gets just as bizarre as the 'Home' episode from Season Four, and one could almost call it a toss up when the Indian brute up-chucks all the vile disease he's 'consumed' from his victims. Good thing too, because otherwise Doggett would have been a goner with that shotgun blast to his back. Don't even ask how that's supposed to equate to the 'soul eater' removing diseases from one's body, I'm still thinking about 'Dogbird'.

Brilliant episode with all the good stuff

[modii3 · 9/10 · 20 October 2019]

This one had a bit of it all. At first I was skeptic about season 8 but this episode turned me over.

The plot just kept taking a twist and seeing Mulder again a long with more of his story was awesome.

I really liked how it started out with the mystery of Mulder murdering a man for no apparant reason and it ending with the discovery of him actually attempting to end the creatures suffering.

For those saying it's disgusting how it devours people, honestly there has been more disturbing x files.

Perhaps it did get somewhat repetitive and predictable. But this was one of the greats that you don't want to miss.

Log monsters... Why did it have to be log monsters!?

[mrdonleone · 7/10 · 9 February 2022]

There is no Scully in this episode, which makes the comeback of Mulder but dilly. The presence of the T-1000 or a certain log monster don't make it any better. Yawn. Next.

Another lame episode

[diurnal1 · 4/10 · 11 May 2008]

How many times have I seen this. The person or persons do a act (in this episode heals people by eating them and puking them out) and repeat it over and over again. It just gets so repetitive. All it is, is filler. It's getting on my nerves. ARGGGh.

Anyway, Mulder is back in this episode. Albeit, it is something that happen in the past. Doggett tries to figure out where Mulder is heading, but still can not find him.

It's always good to see A.D. Skinner in the shows. He brings so much to the X-files with his no nonsense attitude.

Scully appears and the beginning of the episode but it is a flashback from another episode. This sets up the episode. Anyway, the story sucks but the acting is good. I shave big-time points off when the story sucks. So 4/10.

Sometimes I wonder why I watch this show. Maybe waiting for CSG to come back.

Nasty disgusting episode

[MyEinsamkeit · 1/10 · 23 December 2016]

A man has the power to heal diseases and sickness, that's all good and well. But he eats them , then vomits them back out of his mouth? And they actually shown when he does it. EWWWWWWWWWW freaking nasty as hell. Nobody wants to see that nonsense.The only highlights of this episode, Seeing Mulder and Caroline Lagerfelt who is one of the most sexy and beautiful woman i ever seen. Besides that, awful disgusting episode.

I have to remind myself to skip pass this episode when i watch the DVD again. Seems like the next few episodes are good, too bad they made this bad one. I honestly don't see how anyone can stomach watching it.

The real secret of the X-Files uncovered...

[pmicocci-18908 · 5/10 · 15 July 2021]

The agents were part cat - that's the only explanation for why they never seemed to have trouble seeing in such poor lighting!

Every scene in virtually every episode seems to be lit from one side and below, or backlit; in a lab scene in this episode, the exit sign is better lit than the rest of the room.

Outdoor scenes typically happen at night, with a distant flood light (or perhaps a brilliant moon?) partially obscured by trees, and agents scrambling around in the dark with the aid of miniscule flashlights, maybe the size of one you might carry on your key chain.

Of course, this was in the days before the advent of cheap, bright LED lights, so maybe Fox or the FBI were trying to keep costs down.

Oh, and those Muggleheims, or whatever their name was, probably got those holes in their walls from banging into them in the extreme gloom that pervaded their home.

Gift and Within related storylines

[tracytweety · 3 April 2024]

I'm a bit confused by the related storylines between Gift and Within. In Gift, Dockett told Skinner that Scully signed the false reports Mulder turned submitted. Did she simply sign the reports without reading them? I doubt it. Yet, in the episode Within, Scully seemed unaware that Mulder was dying. That wouldnt seem plausible if she was aware of him going to see the disease eater. She believed him to be okay after CSMs surgery. Third, In Gethsemane, Murder stated he wouldn't ever ask Scully to lie except to those who had lied to them. Finally, Mulder would never have lied to Scully for over a year about his dying. He cared to much for her to do that. Points decreased for storyline, but increased for Pileggi being in episode and always giving a strong performance.