for The New York Times, after the premiere of "The Truth", said of the show: "The most imaginative show on television has finally reached the limits of its imagination." M.A. Crang, in his book Denying the Truth: Revisiting The X-Files after 9/11, was critical of the episode's trial sequences. While he stated that these scenes "do a good job of bringing together the many disparate threads of this arc", he felt that they were "interminably dull". Not all reviews were critical. Tom Kessenich, in his book Examinations, wrote a rather positive review of the episode. He noted that, while the episode "told us nothing of significance" regarding the "big picture" mythology story arc, the chance to see Mulder and Scully together one last time resulted in "an exquisite Mulder-Scully moment". He was particularly pleased with the final scene, noting that it was an appropriate conclusion; he called it "fitting", as well as "wonderful". Kessenich maintained that, were it not for the return of Duchovny, "nobody would have given a damn about the end of this series." Julie Salamon of The New York Times gave the episode a positive review. Salamon noted that "Until the end, the series maintained its mesmerizing visual gloominess, cleverly punctuated with suggestive plays of color and light". She claimed the show "also retained its conspiracy-theory heart that has appealed so greatly to viewers". John C. Snider of SciFiDimensions praised the episode, stating "The Truth is a satisfying conclusion to the series, with plenty of twists and turns, a few surprise guest appearances, and an explosive finale complete with requisite black helicopters. The romantics among us will also be pleased with the culmination of the Mulder/Scully relationship". In 2011, the finale was ranked number twenty-two on the TV Guide Network special, TV's Most Unforgettable Finales. Footnotes Filming locations Bibliography External links 2002 American television episodes American television series finales The X-Files (season 9) episodes Television episodes written by Chris Carter Television shows filmed in California Television episodes set in New Mexico Television episodes set in Texas Television episodes set in Virginia 2012 phenomenon