"Christmas Carol" is the sixth episode of the fifth season of American science fiction television series The X-Files. It was written by Vince Gilligan, John Shiban and Frank Spotnitz and directed by Peter Markle. The episode explores the series' overarching mythology. The episode premiered in the United States on December 7, 1997 on the Fox network, earning a Nielsen household rating of 12.8 and being watched by 20.91 million people in its initial broadcast. It received moderately positive reviews from television critics, with many complimenting Gillian Anderson's performance. 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, on Christmas vacation with her family, receives a mysterious phone call that leads her to a case involving a little girl that she believes to be the daughter of her dead sister, Melissa. "Christmas Carol" is the first of a two-part story that concludes with episode seven, "Emily". The episode was inspired by the 1951 British film Scrooge, starring Alastair Sim. The young actress who originally played Emily was terrified of the hospital setting in the episode's sequel "Emily", and as a result the producers had to recast the role and reshoot all footage featuring her in this episode. Gillian Anderson's younger sister, Zoe, was chosen to play Scully in a flashback sequence. Plot Around Christmas time, Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and her mother visit her brother Bill and his wife, Tara, who is expecting. Scully answers the phone, and the person on the other end, who sounds just like her dead sister, Melissa, tells her that someone needs her help. Scully traces the call to a nearby home in San Diego, where local police are investigating the suicide of a woman, Roberta Sim. Kresge, the lead detective on the case, tells Scully that it was impossible for Roberta to have dialed, as she died before the telephone call was made. That night, after dinner, Scully reveals to her mother that, due to her abduction and cancer, Scully is unable to bear children. Scully flashes back to when, as a child, she hid her pet rabbit from her brother in a lunchbox, only for it to suffocate and die. Scully receives another telephone call