The Smoking Man has, since the first days of Mulder & Scully's partnership been the most visible aspect of the conspiracy. His silent presence in Skinner's office served as a warning to Mulder that they were watching him. As Mulder's work became more dangerous, the Smoking Man's involvement became more pronounced. After Scully's reappearence in a Georgetown hospital, the evidence seems to points towards the Smoking Man, Mulder chases him down and comes within a trigger-pull of killing him. We soon learn that the Smoking Man has been involved for years in the conspiracy and may be responsible for the murder of Mulder's father. He finally tries to kill Mulder but fails through no fault of his own. As a result of this failure, he may no longer be so much of a threat since his superiors no longer have faith in him. Also, his double-crossing of Alex Krycek may be an event he may regret.