The X-Files: 27 years ago, this memorable episode shook millions of fans, and Stephen King had something to do with it

On October 8, 1998, X-Files fans sat comfortably to discover Season 5, Episode 10 of the cult series: The Doll. This is a very special story, created by the master of horror himself, Stephen King!

A maestro of anxiety at the limits of reality

An avid paranormal fan, the Carrie and The Shining author wrote the script for the episode in collaboration with series creator Chris Carter. In 1995, while meeting David Duchovny during a TV show, Stephen King expressed his desire to write a script for the famous TV series.

Then the writer picks up his pen and writes us a script featuring an evil doll like Chuck or Annabelle. It takes us to Amma Beach, a quiet seaside resort in Maine… well, quiet, until a little girl named Polly and her creepy doll take a detour to the local supermarket.

In a matter of seconds, it’s a butchery in the literal sense: customers gouge out their eyes, a butcher sticks a knife in his eye, and the atmosphere becomes anything but family-friendly. Fortunately, a certain Dana Scully, who is on vacation in the area (even off duty, bad luck follows him like a curse), happens upon the scene of the carnage.

Witchcraft and the cursed doll

Mulder, on the other hand, is stuck in the office and missing inexplicable events. He’ll give it a chance to talk about magic, but Scully tries to keep her scientific composure … and her lunch. Quickly, he discovers that Melissa Turner, Paul’s mother, and her daughter are the only ones untouched by the collective madness. coincidence? Mulder doesn’t believe him.

The local sheriff, Jack Bonsane, adds a layer of soap opera by revealing that the dead butcher was madly in love with Melissa, the widow of a sailor who disappeared into the misty backwaters of Maine.

Scully then questions the fisherman who worked for Melissa’s husband. The latter confides to him that he died shortly after picking up an old box containing a doll that he had given to his daughter. Then we understand the supposed origin of evil.

Meanwhile, the deaths keep piling up, in the style of the final destination, like this saleswoman getting her hair stuck in a blender, or this old lady who slits her own throat. And it always revolves around little Polly and her doll, with a killer plastic look.

Desperate, Melissa tries to escape, burn down the house, or even sacrifice herself to break the curse. But the doll has other plans! Luckily, Scully intervenes just in time, retrieves the doll, and… puts it in the microwave! Polly and her mother finally breathe free from the curse.

But since this is The X-Files, evil never really dies. The final scene shows the carbon doll found in the lobster trap, still animated. He’s ready for more carnage!

An episode that caused a lot of ink to flow

This memorable episode greatly divided fans during its run, but remains one of the series’ most memorable. The most recurring criticism noted the tone of the story, which would definitely benefit from playing the mockery card to its fullest. According to the press at the time and some fans, the episode mishandled humor by not knowing where to stand.

This could be explained by the somewhat chaotic production of the doll, including disagreements between Stephen King and Chris Carter’s vision. The latter also had to rewrite many passages, especially dialogue between Mulder and Scully, which did not work. Moreover, director Kim Manners would say that the final script had more of Chris Carter’s touch than Stephen King’s.

Steven wasn’t used to writing for Mulder and Scully, and the story he came up with for them didn’t really work.

“Steven wasn’t used to writing for Mulder and Scully, and the plot he came up with for them didn’t really work. Our stories have to unfold in a certain way. We can’t go forward without the main characters. The audience can’t see what Mulder and Scully don’t see.”Trust the book by Chris Carter Resist or Serve: The Official Guide to The X-Files, Volume 4 By Andy Meisler.

Chris Carter modified King’s script so much that he was eventually credited as a co-writer. He also had the idea to break up Mulder and Scully, going after the latter while on vacation, but instead got involved in a strange local case.

Despite this rewrite, the episode retains several typical Stephen King elements. Set in Maine, a recurring setting in her novels, it features a capricious child at the helm of catastrophic phenomena, an evil doll, and witchcraft-related themes.

If you want to (re)watch this iconic episode, The X-Files is available in its entirety on Disney+.