Fox Mulder is in a coma-like state, exhibiting telepathic abilities after exposure to alien artifacts. The Cigarette Smoking Man (CSM) abducts him to perform a brain operation, intending to harvest Mulder's alien genetic material to survive a coming alien apocalypse.
The episode heavily mirrors Nikos Kazantzakis's The Last Temptation of Christ . Mulder is portrayed as a Christ-like figure—complete with a cross-shaped operating table and a "crown of thorns" head brace—who must choose between a comfortable, hollow life and his painful destiny as a savior of humanity. [S1E6] Amor Fati
While unconscious, Mulder experiences a "Last Temptation" dream. In it, he lives a long, normal life with Diana Fowley, has children, and sees his sister Samantha return. However, this reality is a lie designed to make him abandon his quest. Fox Mulder is in a coma-like state, exhibiting
While technically the second episode of Season 7, it is often grouped with the Season 6 finale as the conclusion of a three-part arc. Mulder is portrayed as a Christ-like figure—complete with