Stephen King Actually Wrote One Episode of The X-Files (And It’s Terrifying)

Most fans of The X-Files don’t know that Stephen King wrote an episode of the acclaimed sci-fi horror series. The esteemed author has written dozens of horror novels, many of which have been adapted into movies and TV shows. It, The Green Mile, The Shining, and Pet Sematary are just a few of the popular films derived from King’s stories, while The Outsider and The Stand represent the best adaptations of his stories in the TV world. King’s work on The X-Files might surprise some viewers of the show since he typically serves as a writer on projects based on his books. But, The X-Files had a knack for bringing on top-notch creatives throughout its original nine-season run, enlisting the likes of Vince Gilligan in the writers’ room and soon-to-be-famous actors Bryan Cranston, Ryan Reynolds, Octavia Spencer, and tons more in guest roles.

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King is listed as a writer alongside series creator Chris Carter on The X-Files Season 5, Episode 10, “Chinga”, — which aired in 1998. Set against the backdrop of FBI special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully’s (Gillian Anderson) investigations of unexplained paranormal and extraterrestrial events, the episode’s plot centers on a series of strange and deadly occurrences involving a young girl and her doll. “Chinga” is one of The X-Files‘ more terrifying “Monster of the Week” stories, however, King’s influence didn’t end up as prominent as initially planned.

“Chinga” Is a Horrifying Episode of The X-Files

“Chinga” opens with a chilling sequence that sets the tone for the episode. In Maine, Melissa Turner (Susannah Hoffman) and her daughter Polly (Jenny-Lynn Hutcheson), with her doll named Chinga, walk into a grocery store. After Polly expresses her discontent with being at the store, the doll opens its eyes and says, “Let’s have fun!” In an instant, the tension mounts, as Melissa sees an apparition of the store’s butcher with a knife in his eye. Everyone in the store begins bleeding from their face, and some invisible force compels the butcher to fatally stab himself in the eye.

The rest of the episode isn’t quite as scary, but it’s an exceptionally intense narrative with plenty of creepy imagery of dolls and gory deaths. While vacationing in Maine, Scully investigates the case, leading her down a rabbit hole of witchcraft before determining that Polly’s doll was behind the grocery store massacre and other similar events. Melissa’s visions of soon-to-be-dead people continue and end with her. Near the conclusion of the episode, Melissa grows agitated while Polly refuses to go to bed. The doll wakes, and Melissa is forced to repeatedly bash her head with a hammer. Scully and the local police chief arrive at the house too late to save Melissa, but they toss Chinga in the microwave to burn her. Yet, the sinister doll has the last laugh. In the episode’s bone-chilling final scene, a fisherman finds a charred doll in a lobster trap. Her eyes open, and she exclaims, “I want to play!”

The X-Files succeeds in frightening audiences in “Chinga” by appealing to the common fear of haunted dolls and delivering some extremely disturbing scenes. The doll not only looks spooky, but she also has a creepy-sounding voice. In addition to the episode’s blood-soaked opening sequence, the flashback of Richer Turner’s (Dean Wray) death is particularly graphic, as Melissa’s deceased husband meets his demise via a giant hook through his skull while on a fishing trip. The episode’s score generates a high level of tension to keep viewers on the edge of their seats, and the ending twist is the stuff of nightmares.

Stephen King’s Involvement in Writing “Chinga” Didn’t Go as Expected

King became a co-writer on “Chinga” thanks to his own love for The X-Files. He approached Duchovny and Carter with his interest in penning an episode, and was granted the opportunity to write. King devised drafts of his episodes, which were later rewritten by Carter. In fact, Carter’s rewrites were so extensive that King later described his X-Files gig as a “very odd experience,” per Lilja’s Library. Thus, the final draft of the script contained significant changes from King’s initial version. For example, Mulder and Scully weren’t supposed to be separated for the entire episode.

In the 2008 book The Complete X-Files: Behind the Series the Myths and the Movies includes an account of the matter from the episode’s director, Kim Manners. “I was very excited to be able to direct a Stephen King piece, and when it was all said and done, there was very little Stephen King left in it. The nuts and bolts were his, but that was really one of Chris’ scripts,” she said.

Even though King’s vision for “Chinga” wasn’t fully realized in the end, this episode of The X-Files still manages to deliver an eerie atmosphere and genuine scares. Yet, with this information in mind, one can’t help but wonder how King’s version of “Chinga” would have turned out. Known for some of the best horror writing of his time, King can frighten readers and viewers like no one else, and it’s a safe bet that his true rendition of his X-Files episode would have been great.

All seasons of The X-Files are available to stream on Hulu.