The episode itself was generally well received by fans and critics alike, which led to a growing cult following for the series before it hit the mainstream.

The pilot introduced the two main characters, Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, who were portrayed by David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson respectively.

The episode also featured William B. Davis, Charles Cioffi and Zachary Ansley as the recurring characters of the Smoking Man, Scott Blevins and Billy Miles.

Principal photography for "Pilot" took place over fourteen days during March 1993; using a budget of US$2 million, the scenes were filmed in and around the Vancouver area.

Later, in Washington, D.C., FBI Special Agent Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) is summoned to a meeting with Division Chief Scott Blevins (Charles Cioffi) and a seemingly anonymous individual (William B. Davis).

She is assigned to work with Special Agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) on the X-Files, an obscure FBI section covering unexplained phenomena.

He also notes an unknown organic compound found in the tissue surrounding the marks on her body, as well as similarities between her death and others from across the country.

As they drive in the woods near the town, the agents' car radio goes haywire; Mulder marks the spot of this event by spray-painting an "X" on the road.

Mulder arranges for the exhumation of the third victim, Ray Soames, despite the protests of Dr. Jay Nemman, the county medical examiner.

That night, the agents investigate the forest; Scully discovers ash on the ground, leading her to suspect cult activity.

At the motel, Mulder tells Scully that his sister Samantha suddenly vanished when he was twelve years old, which has driven his efforts into investigating paranormal cases.

Returning to the woods, they again encounter Detective Miles, but hear a scream and find Billy nearby with Theresa in his arms.

Carter believed they responded negatively towards the casting because "she didn't have the obvious qualities that network executives have come to associate with hit shows".

All of the interior shots of the FBI headquarters were filmed in the main newsroom of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, as the production crew found that the open plan offices they wished to represent no longer existed, having typically been converted into cubicles.

However, during test shots, the prop's tubing burst, causing the stage blood to begin dripping down Koskoff's forehead, rather than from her nose.

[3] Anderson has expressed displeasure over the scene in which Scully visits Mulder in his motel room in her underwear to have him examine a suspicious wound which turns out to be insect bites.

The scene that introduces her in the script is set just before her visit and takes place at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, where she teaches a small group of trainees about the physiology of homicide, specifically electrocution and death by cattle prod.

Her attention is distracted by an agent who enters the room and hands her a note that reads, "Your attendance is required in Washington at 1600 hrs.

[13] The second scene briefly shows Scully answering a telephone call from Mulder whilst asleep in bed with Minette, though the latter has no dialogue.

Writer Howard Gordon stated that "the pilot set the tone of the show really successfully", noting the difficulty inherent in introducing both a series' premise and its main cast in "forty-eight minutes" and finding that the episode had achieved both, being "a tremendous synthesis of all the parts".

Carter also recounted that the episode's test screening for Rupert Murdoch and other Fox executives was met with "spontaneous applause".

Of the acting, Variety stated, "Duchovny's delineation of a serious scientist with a sense of humor should win him partisans, and Anderson's wavering doubter connects well.

[21] After the airing of just four episodes, the magazine called The X-Files "the most paranoid, subversive show on TV", noting the "marvelous tension between Anderson—who is dubious about these events—and Duchovny, who has the haunted, imploring look of a true believer".

[23] Matt Haigh, writing for Den of Geek, reviewed the episode positively, praising the chemistry between the lead roles and the quality of the script.

[19] In 2012, SFX named it the tenth best TV pilot in the science fiction and fantasy genre, saying that it "brought us everything we came to expect from the show".