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address inside. Mulder bursts into the
Smoking Man's home and holds him at gunpoint, demanding to know why Scully was taken instead of him. The Smoking Man claims he likes both of them, which is why she was returned; he reveals that he told Skinner that Mulder shot the man in the parking lot, although he didn't believe this to be true, incidentally revealing himself as being unaware of who did, namely X. He tells Mulder that he'll never know the truth if he kills him, and Mulder decides not to.
542:" 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." Consequently, Gillian Anderson, who had just given birth to her daughter Piper days before this episode spent the majority of the episode in a hospital bed.
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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—his refusal to allow the Smoking Man to smoke in his office "speaks of 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".
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611:, the episode was rated a B. Its "absurd symbolism and the introduction of Scully's dopey New Age sister" were criticized, but it was felt that these elements did not prevent "One Breath" from being a "richly layered installment". It was also felt that the episode featured "arguably Duchovny's best performance". Reviewer Zack Handlen of
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information on Scully, will search his apartment. Mulder is waiting with his gun at his apartment when
Melissa arrives. Although he initially refuses to leave, Melissa convinces Mulder to see Scully. While with Scully, Mulder holds her hand and talks to her. Returning home to find his apartment trashed, he sits on the floor and cries.
595:, ranked the episode as the eighth best in the series' run, calling it "just too unforgettable". Sordi added that "verbal sparring matches between Mulder and Scully's equally feisty sister, Melissa, created an interesting dynamic in the absence of Scully's perspective". Nick De Semlyen and James White of
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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
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hailed "One Breath" as an essential episode of the show. He felt that there was a "sloppiness to the mythology" and that "the resolution of the whole coma situation is weak". However, the "incredibly moving moments" and highlights such as Mulder attacking the
Smoking Man and Skinner's speech about
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Scully has a vision of sitting in a boat, attached by rope to a dock where Mulder and
Melissa stand with the mysterious Nurse Owens behind them. Frohike visits Scully and sneaks out her medical chart, which the Lone Gunmen investigate. Byers finds that Scully's blood contains branched DNA that may
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In another vision, Scully lies on a table and is visited by her deceased father. Mulder, 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 Smoking Man's
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he had in
Vietnam. He refuses to accept Mulder's resignation, and Mulder realizes that he was the one who provided him with the 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
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named it the fifteenth "greatest" episode of the series, considering it a "testament to the X-Files writing staff's ability to turn the temporary loss of one of the stars into a compelling, suspenseful and worthwhile piece of the overall mythology".
507:. 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, but the nurse tells Scully that no nurse named Owens has ever worked at that hospital.
45:
454:), tells Mulder a story about Dana shooting a snake with her brothers as a child and regretting what she did. She indicates that she is ready to let go of Dana and shows Mulder Scully's gravestone. Mulder, however, refuses to give up.
410:) has continued his work without her, but is still investigating her disappearance, believing her to have been abducted by aliens. His investigations into similar abductions in the past have been aided by
328:. "One Breath" earned a Nielsen household rating of 9.5, being watched by 9.1 million households in its initial broadcast. The episode received mostly positive reviews from television critics.
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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 calms down and meets with Dr. Daly (
366:", this time centered on Duchovny's character Mulder. The episode also introduced the character of Melissa Scully, an attempt to provide a romantic lead for Mulder which was later dropped.
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Anderson returned to the series only days after having given birth, missing the previous episode due to her pregnancy. Morgan and Wong attempted to create a version of the earlier episode "
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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 "
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Later, Mulder visits Scully while another nurse takes her blood. A mysterious man steals Scully's blood sample and runs. Mulder chases him to the parking lot where he is confronted by
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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".
535:, 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.
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Scully awakens the following day, and Mulder is called to the hospital to see her, where she indicates that she heard his voice while in her coma, and he returns her
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declared "One Breath" to be one of the series' most popular episodes. Co-writer James Wong also enjoyed the episode, saying "I really love that show". Director
527:" was named after online X-Files fan 'DuhThinker'. The episode introduces Melinda McGraw as Scully's sister Melissa. McGraw had previously worked with writers
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Mulder returns to FBI headquarters and types a resignation letter that he hands to
Skinner. Skinner visits his office as Mulder is packing and relates an
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Carter, Chris (2000). "Chris Carter Talks About Season 2: "One Breath"".
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is visited by the spirit of her father, during her near-death experience.
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The Truth is Out There: The Official Guide to the X-Files
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909:Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
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278:" is the eighth episode of the
563:"One Breath" premiered on the
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1366:The X-Files season 2 episodes
936:. Little, Brown and Company.
670:Lovece (1996), pp. 126–129.
106:November 11, 1994
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661:Lowry (1995), pp. 179–180.
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863:"3/One Breath/Firewalker"
783:"Top 10 X-Files episodes"
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954:The X-Files Declassified
573:Nielsen household rating
888:Edwards (1996), p. 105.
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571:. The episode earned a
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793:on September 27, 2009.
688:Lovece (1996), p. 130.
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497:out-of-body experience
292:. It premiered on the
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930:Edwards, Ted (1996).
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711:Lowry (1995), p. 180.
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300:. It was written by
191:John Fitzgerald Byers
933:X-Files Confidential
915:on October 30, 2013.
839:Entertainment Weekly
608:Entertainment Weekly
331:The show centers on
842:. November 29, 1996
822:on April 10, 2014.
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286:television series
217:Episode chronology
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1118:I Want to Believe
957:. Citadel Press.
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183:as William Scully
127:Guest appearances
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998:"One Breath"
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118:Running time
33:
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1246:Fresh Bones
1176:Duane Barry
1091:The X-Files
1045:The X-Files
904:Emmy Awards
874:November 9,
846:October 19,
787:Den of Geek
752:Los Angeles
750:(booklet).
727:Los Angeles
593:Den of Geek
581:9.1 million
565:Fox network
529:Glen Morgan
459:Jay Brazeau
396:Duane Barry
384:Dana Scully
345:Dana Scully
302:Glen Morgan
294:Fox network
289:The X-Files
85:Glen Morgan
71:Directed by
50:Dana Scully
35:The X-Files
1355:Categories
1302:Soft Light
1211:Red Museum
1204:Firewalker
1197:One Breath
639:Emmy Award
577:16 percent
533:James Wong
511:Production
416:John Byers
404:Fox Mulder
375:Background
337:Fox Mulder
306:James Wong
276:One Breath
245:Firewalker
121:45 minutes
110:1994-11-11
89:James Wong
81:Written by
26:One Breath
1183:Ascension
1169:Sleepless
649:Footnotes
621:In 1996,
554:Reception
400:Ascension
357:Ascension
326:mythology
181:Don Davis
66:Episode 8
1340:Category
1309:Our Town
1274:Død Kalm
1260:End Game
1155:The Host
1139:Season 2
1049:episodes
448:Margaret
392:abductee
260:season 2
228:Previous
58:Episode
1316:Anasazi
1059:Seasons
641:by the
587:Reviews
559:Ratings
547:X-Files
525:Anasazi
398:" and "
353:X-Files
241: →
226:←
108: (
38:episode
1281:Humbug
1253:Colony
1225:Aubrey
980:
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811:Empire
633:Awards
598:Empire
442:Events
430:) and
343:) and
1162:Blood
1008:IMDb
978:ISBN
959:ISBN
938:ISBN
876:2011
848:2011
531:and
370:Plot
320:and
304:and
239:Next
98:2X08
1006:at
567:on
465:).
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422:),
380:FBI
333:FBI
296:on
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