One Breath
Encyclopedia
"One Breath" is the eighth episode of the second season of the science fiction
television series
The X-Files
created by Chris Carter
. This episode features the return of Scully from her abduction in a coma-like state.
) tells Fox Mulder
(David Duchovny
) a story about Dana
(Gillian Anderson
) shooting a snake with her brothers as a child and regretting what she did afterwards. She indicates she's ready to let go of Dana, and shows Mulder Scully's gravestone. Mulder, however, refuses to give up.
Scully then turns up mysteriously at a hospital in a coma. An out of control Mulder demands to know how she got there, and is escorted out by security but later calms down and meets with Dr. Daly (Jay Brazeau), who reveals that no one can figure out how she got there or what's wrong with her. He tells Mulder and Mrs. Scully that she has a living will that dictates she be taken off of life support when her condition falls to specific criteria. At Scully's bedside Mulder meets her older sister, Melissa (Melinda McGraw
). A sequence shows Scully sitting in a boat, attached by rope to a dock where Mulder and Melissa stand. Frohike visits Scully and sneaks out a chart on her that the Lone Gunmen investigate. Byers finds that Scully's blood contains branched DNA that may have been used for identification but now is inactive and nothing more than a poisonous waste product in her system.
The mysterious Nurse Owens visits Scully at her bedside, trying to reach her in her coma. Later Mulder visits Scully while another nurse takes her blood. When distracted, a mysterious man steals Scully's blood sample and runs. Mulder chases him down to the parking lot where he is confronted by X, who demands that he stop pursuing what happened to Scully and let her die. He then executes the man who stole her blood. When Assistant Director Walter Skinner
(Mitch Pileggi
) calls Mulder to his office regarding the incident, Mulder denies any involvement and claims that the Cigarette Smoking Man
is responsible for what happened to Scully. Mulder, calling him "Cancer Man", demands to know where he is but Skinner refuses.
In another vision Scully sits on a table and is visited by her deceased father. Mulder, sitting with Melissa in the hospital cafeteria, is asked by a woman for change for the cigarette machine. When she says that a pack of Morleys is already there and leaves, Mulder opens it and finds the Cigarette Smoking Man's address inside. Mulder bursts into the Cigarette Smoking Man's home and holds him at gunpoint, demanding to know why Scully was taken instead of him. The Cigarette Smoking Man claims he likes the both of them, which is why she was returned. He tells Mulder that he'll never know the truth if he kills him, and Mulder decides not to.
Mulder returns to FBI headquarters and types out a resignation letter that he hands into Skinner. Skinner visits his office as Mulder is packing his things, and relates an out-of-body experience
he had in Vietnam. Skinner refuses to accept Mulder's resignation and Mulder realizes that he was the one who provided him with the Cigarette Smoking Man's location. Heading to the parking garage, Mulder is met by X, telling him that he'll have a chance for revenge that night when men, believing him to have information on Scully, will search his apartment at a specific time. Mulder is waiting with his gun at his apartment when Melissa arrives. Although he initially refuses to leave, Melissa is able to convince Mulder to see Scully, where he holds Scully's hand and talks to her. Returning home to find his apartment trashed, Mulder sits on the floor and cries.
The next day, Scully awakens. Mulder is called to the hospital and sees her, returning her cross necklace, where she indicates she heard his voice while in her coma. Scully tells him she doesn't remember anything after being kidnapped by Duane Barry. Later Scully asks one of the nurses if she can see Nurse Owens, as she wants to thank her, but the nurse tells Scully that no nurse named Owens works at the hospital.
, who had just given birth to her daughter Piper days before this episode spent the majority of the episode in a hospital bed.
The episode title, One Breath comes from a line from Scully's father when he talks to her during the episode. The character 'The Thinker', who later appears in person in the episode "Anasazi
" was named after online X-Files fan 'DuhThinker'. The episode introduces Melinda McGraw as Scully's sister Melissa. McGraw had previously worked with writers Glen Morgan
and James Wong
, who specifically wrote the part with her in mind. Thoughts were given to having a romantic interest between Mulder and Melissa, but the concept never came to pass.
Writer Glen Morgan said of the episode, "Duchovny challenged us to do a "Beyond the Sea" for him. The show had been so dark and bleak, and Jim and I feel that there is a side to the paranormal that's very hopeful. We wanted to do that side of it. I thought it would be a great opportunity for Duchovny, but then the situation came up with Gillian's pregnancy. We needed to get her off her feet anyway. There's a line in there where Scully's sister says 'Just because the belief is positive and good doesn't make it silly or trite'. It was the whole theme of the show."
Chris Carter described the opening scene, where Scully discovers about death and the related sadness and sorrow, as "a way he would never imagined an X-Files episode to begin with", and that the related scene with Scully's tombstone was "a soft but beautiful opening" that "sets up the episode in a frightening way". The image of Scully in the boat was meant to symbolize "being tethered to something very tenuously, and that there was a chance for you to be cut adrift and slip into the unknown". Skinner facing the Smoking Man placed the character as "both an antagonistic and institutional figure" that tries to be both an FBI agent and an ally of Mulder and Scully - as he asks for him not to smoke in his office, "speaks of [Skinner's] alliances and allegiances to Agent Scully and his hatred of this man he cannot vanquish, he cannot get rid of, but he has to tolerate".
in 1996 declared this one of the series most popular episodes thus far. Co-writer James Wong
also enjoyed the episode, saying "I really love that show." Director R. W. Goodwin
said of the episode, "What's so unusual about "One Breath" is that it had very little to do with our usual X-File stuff. It was more about human emotions, drama, relationships." The episode was nominated for an Emmy Award
for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Cinematography for a Series.
The episode earned a Nielsen rating of 9.5 with a 16 share. It was viewed by 9,063,000 households.
Entertainment Weekly
gave the episode a B, criticizing the "absurd symbolism and the introduction of Scully's dopey New Age sister" but considering they did not stop "One Breath" from being a "richly layered installment", and that the episode had "arguably Duchovny's best performance".Reviewer Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club
hailed "One Breath" as an essential episode of the show, considering that despite the "sloppiness to the mythology" and that "the resolution of the whole coma situation is weak", the "incredibly moving moments" and highlights such as Mulder attacking the Smoking Man and Skinner's speech about Vietnam turned it into an episode "more about the moments than the big picture".
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
created by Chris Carter
Chris Carter (screenwriter)
Christopher Carl Carter is an American screenwriter, film director and producer. He is the creator of The X-Files and Millennium.- Ten Thirteen Productions :...
. This episode features the return of Scully from her abduction in a coma-like state.
Plot
Scully's mother (Sheila LarkenSheila Larken
Sheila Larken is an American television actress.-Career:She is best known for playing the role of Margaret Scully on the popular The X-Files series....
) tells Fox Mulder
Fox Mulder
FBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
(David Duchovny
David Duchovny
David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer and director. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
) a story about Dana
Dana Scully
FBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
(Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
) shooting a snake with her brothers as a child and regretting what she did afterwards. She indicates she's ready to let go of Dana, and shows Mulder Scully's gravestone. Mulder, however, refuses to give up.
Scully then turns up mysteriously at a hospital in a coma. An out of control Mulder demands to know how she got there, and is escorted out by security but later calms down and meets with Dr. Daly (Jay Brazeau), who reveals that no one can figure out how she got there or what's wrong with her. He tells Mulder and Mrs. Scully that she has a living will that dictates she be taken off of life support when her condition falls to specific criteria. At Scully's bedside Mulder meets her older sister, Melissa (Melinda McGraw
Melinda McGraw
Melinda Leigh McGraw is an American actress. She has starred in movies such as Albino Alligator , Wrongfully Accused , and Nutty Professor II: The Klumps , and is also known for her television performances on The Commish, The X-Files and Mad Men.-Early life:McGraw was born in Nicosia, Cyprus, to...
). A sequence shows Scully sitting in a boat, attached by rope to a dock where Mulder and Melissa stand. Frohike visits Scully and sneaks out a chart on her that the Lone Gunmen investigate. Byers finds that Scully's blood contains branched DNA that may have been used for identification but now is inactive and nothing more than a poisonous waste product in her system.
The mysterious Nurse Owens visits Scully at her bedside, trying to reach her in her coma. Later Mulder visits Scully while another nurse takes her blood. When distracted, a mysterious man steals Scully's blood sample and runs. Mulder chases him down to the parking lot where he is confronted by X, who demands that he stop pursuing what happened to Scully and let her die. He then executes the man who stole her blood. When Assistant Director Walter Skinner
Walter Skinner
FBI Assistant Director Walter Sergei Skinner is a fictional character in the American FOX television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence...
(Mitch Pileggi
Mitch Pileggi
Mitchell Craig "Mitch" Pileggi is an American actor. Pileggi is known for playing FBI assistant director Walter Skinner on the long-running popular series The X-Files. He also had a recurring role on Stargate Atlantis as Col. Steven Caldwell...
) calls Mulder to his office regarding the incident, Mulder denies any involvement and claims that the Cigarette Smoking Man
Cigarette Smoking Man
The Smoking Man is a fictional character and the antagonist on the American science fiction television series The X-Files. He serves as the arch-nemesis of FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder. Although his name is revealed to purportedly be C.G.B...
is responsible for what happened to Scully. Mulder, calling him "Cancer Man", demands to know where he is but Skinner refuses.
In another vision Scully sits on a table and is visited by her deceased father. Mulder, sitting with Melissa in the hospital cafeteria, is asked by a woman for change for the cigarette machine. When she says that a pack of Morleys is already there and leaves, Mulder opens it and finds the Cigarette Smoking Man's address inside. Mulder bursts into the Cigarette Smoking Man's home and holds him at gunpoint, demanding to know why Scully was taken instead of him. The Cigarette Smoking Man claims he likes the both of them, which is why she was returned. He tells Mulder that he'll never know the truth if he kills him, and Mulder decides not to.
Mulder returns to FBI headquarters and types out a resignation letter that he hands into Skinner. Skinner visits his office as Mulder is packing his things, and relates an out-of-body experience
Out-of-body experience
An out-of-body experience is an experience that typically involves a sensation of floating outside of one's body and, in some cases, perceiving one's physical body from a place outside one's body ....
he had in Vietnam. Skinner refuses to accept Mulder's resignation and Mulder realizes that he was the one who provided him with the Cigarette Smoking Man's location. Heading to the parking garage, Mulder is met by X, telling him that he'll have a chance for revenge that night when men, believing him to have information on Scully, will search his apartment at a specific time. Mulder is waiting with his gun at his apartment when Melissa arrives. Although he initially refuses to leave, Melissa is able to convince Mulder to see Scully, where he holds Scully's hand and talks to her. Returning home to find his apartment trashed, Mulder sits on the floor and cries.
The next day, Scully awakens. Mulder is called to the hospital and sees her, returning her cross necklace, where she indicates she heard his voice while in her coma. Scully tells him she doesn't remember anything after being kidnapped by Duane Barry. Later Scully asks one of the nurses if she can see Nurse Owens, as she wants to thank her, but the nurse tells Scully that no nurse named Owens works at the hospital.
Production
Gillian AndersonGillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
, who had just given birth to her daughter Piper days before this episode spent the majority of the episode in a hospital bed.
The episode title, One Breath comes from a line from Scully's father when he talks to her during the episode. The character 'The Thinker', who later appears in person in the episode "Anasazi
Anasazi (The X-Files)
"Anasazi" is the twenty-fifth episode and the second season finale of The X-Files television series. "Anasazi" revolves around Mulder coming into possession of a digital tape that contains confidential government information about aliens.- Plot :...
" was named after online X-Files fan 'DuhThinker'. The episode introduces Melinda McGraw as Scully's sister Melissa. McGraw had previously worked with writers Glen Morgan
Glen Morgan
Glen Morgan is an American television producer, writer, and director.-Biography:Morgan is best known for his screen work with long-time writing partner James Wong, including The X-Files, Millennium, Space: Above and Beyond, the Final Destination series, The One, Willard, and the 2006 remake of...
and James Wong
James Wong (producer)
James 'Jim' Wong is a Cantonese-American television producer, writer, and film director notable for his screen works of The X-Files, Space: Above and Beyond, Millennium, Final Destination 1 & 3, The One, and the remakes of Willard and Black Christmas along with writing partner Glen...
, who specifically wrote the part with her in mind. Thoughts were given to having a romantic interest between Mulder and Melissa, but the concept never came to pass.
Writer Glen Morgan said of the episode, "Duchovny challenged us to do a "Beyond the Sea" for him. The show had been so dark and bleak, and Jim and I feel that there is a side to the paranormal that's very hopeful. We wanted to do that side of it. I thought it would be a great opportunity for Duchovny, but then the situation came up with Gillian's pregnancy. We needed to get her off her feet anyway. There's a line in there where Scully's sister says 'Just because the belief is positive and good doesn't make it silly or trite'. It was the whole theme of the show."
Chris Carter described the opening scene, where Scully discovers about death and the related sadness and sorrow, as "a way he would never imagined an X-Files episode to begin with", and that the related scene with Scully's tombstone was "a soft but beautiful opening" that "sets up the episode in a frightening way". The image of Scully in the boat was meant to symbolize "being tethered to something very tenuously, and that there was a chance for you to be cut adrift and slip into the unknown". Skinner facing the Smoking Man placed the character as "both an antagonistic and institutional figure" that tries to be both an FBI agent and an ally of Mulder and Scully - as he asks for him not to smoke in his office, "speaks of [Skinner's] alliances and allegiances to Agent Scully and his hatred of this man he cannot vanquish, he cannot get rid of, but he has to tolerate".
Reception
Chris CarterChris Carter (screenwriter)
Christopher Carl Carter is an American screenwriter, film director and producer. He is the creator of The X-Files and Millennium.- Ten Thirteen Productions :...
in 1996 declared this one of the series most popular episodes thus far. Co-writer James Wong
James Wong (producer)
James 'Jim' Wong is a Cantonese-American television producer, writer, and film director notable for his screen works of The X-Files, Space: Above and Beyond, Millennium, Final Destination 1 & 3, The One, and the remakes of Willard and Black Christmas along with writing partner Glen...
also enjoyed the episode, saying "I really love that show." Director R. W. Goodwin
R. W. Goodwin
Robert W. "Bob" Goodwin, billed as R. W. Goodwin, is an American television producer and director best known for his work as senior executive producer of The X-Files...
said of the episode, "What's so unusual about "One Breath" is that it had very little to do with our usual X-File stuff. It was more about human emotions, drama, relationships." The episode was nominated for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Cinematography for a Series.
The episode earned a Nielsen rating of 9.5 with a 16 share. It was viewed by 9,063,000 households.
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
gave the episode a B, criticizing the "absurd symbolism and the introduction of Scully's dopey New Age sister" but considering they did not stop "One Breath" from being a "richly layered installment", and that the episode had "arguably Duchovny's best performance".Reviewer Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
hailed "One Breath" as an essential episode of the show, considering that despite the "sloppiness to the mythology" and that "the resolution of the whole coma situation is weak", the "incredibly moving moments" and highlights such as Mulder attacking the Smoking Man and Skinner's speech about Vietnam turned it into an episode "more about the moments than the big picture".