page_title: Improbable (The X-Files)
section_title: Development
hierarchical_section_title: Improbable (The X-Files) / Production / Development
caption_attribution_description: A cropped version of this photo centered on Reynold's face is at Image:Burt Reynolds 1991 cropped.jpg. Burt Reynolds on the red carpet for the 43rd Annual Emmy Awards, 8/25/91 - Permission granted to copy, publish, broadcast or post but please credit "photo by Alan Light" if you can2321
context_page_description: "Improbable" is the thirteenth episode of the ninth season and the 195th episode overall of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States and Canada on April 7, 2002, on Fox, and subsequently aired in the United Kingdom. It was written and directed by series creator and executive producer Chris Carter. The episode is a "monster-of-the-week" episode, a stand-alone plot which is unconnected to the mythology, or overarching fictional history, of The X-Files. The episode earned a Nielsen rating of 5.1 and was viewed by 9.1 million viewers. The episode received mostly positive reviews from critics.
  The show centers on FBI special agents who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files; this season focuses on the investigations of John Doggett, Monica Reyes, and Dana Scully. In this episode, Reyes and her fellow agents investigate a serial killer who uses numerology to choose his victims. Soon, Reyes and Scully meet an unusual man who may prove more of a hindrance than a help.
  "Improbable" features Burt Reynolds playing God.
context_section_description: Carter later explained that humorous episodes were important to the show, especially during the "pitch-black" ninth season. He reasoned "there are the downbeats, and then you need the relief in the tension." The use of numbers in this episode helped emphasize the idea "that numerology is an important part of our life and plays a part, but it really ... illustrate[s] the idea of patterns, patterns of behavior, of the ways in which numbers rule both the universe and our lives and our ability to solve things, [and] to solve our mysteries of life". The tagline for this episode is "Dio Ti Ama", meaning "God loves you" in Italian, replacing the usual phrase "The Truth is Out There." The normal line "Executive Producer: Chris Carter" is also rendered in Italian, reading, "Produttore Esecutivo: Chris Carter".
  The name Vicki Burdick came from a high school student Chris Carter knew. Carter felt that he needed to kill the character "all out of fondness." Before casting Ellen Greene, Carter had first spotted her in the musical, Little Shop of Horrors both in "New York and Los Angeles." The first scene shot for Greene's character took a "long day". Carter called her a "trouper" and said she was open to the direction he gave her. The set for that scene was created by Tim Stepeck, the show's set decorator during its ninth season. Annabeth Gish later revealed that her lines were difficult to remember. She explained, "I remember learning my lines and thinking, 'Oh my God. I've got to memorize this. It's scary. Like physics united theory, all of that."
caption: The episode guest starred Burt Reynolds as God.
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