Which X-Files episode was written by William Gibson and Tom Maddox?

The X-Files episode written by William Gibson and Tom Maddox is “Kill Switch.”

“Kill Switch” is the eleventh episode of season 5, which premiered on February 15, 1998. It was directed by Rob Bowman and is a standalone story outside the series’ mythology arc. The plot follows Mulder and Scully as they investigate the death of computer genius Donald Gelman and a rogue artificial intelligence capable of manipulating networks, satellites, and human perceptions.

Gibson, a pioneering cyberpunk novelist, and Maddox approached the show with the idea of writing an episode. Their script brought themes associated with Gibson’s fiction—artificial intelligence, paranoia, alienation, and uploading consciousness into cyberspace—into the show’s paranormal-investigation format. The episode includes a memorable virtual-reality sequence in which a digitally rendered Scully fights hospital nurses.

Viewers sometimes confuse “Kill Switch” with “First Person Shooter,” the pair’s other X-Files collaboration. “First Person Shooter” came later, in season 7; “Kill Switch” was their first episode for the series. The title also inspired the name of the metalcore band Killswitch Engage.