 " Three Words " is the sixteenth episode of the eighth season ( and the 177th episode overall ) of the science fiction television series The X @-@ Files and first aired in the United States and Canada on April 8 , 2001 , on Fox . It was written by executive producers Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz , and directed by Tony Wharmby . The episode explores the series ' overarching mythology and earned a Nielsen rating of 7 @.@ 6 and was viewed by 7 @.@ 77 million households , receiving mixed to positive reviews from television critics . 
