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a bit muddled". John Keegan from
Critical Myth gave the episode a moderately negative review and awarded it a 4 out of 10. He wrote, "Overall, this episode fails to capitalize on the idea of delving into the world of Walter Skinner. The conspiracy elements seem a bit redundant, and the paranormal side of the episode is a forced and inconsistent mess. Instead of developing something unique about Skinner, the episode dwells on what is already known or suggested, leaving the character in the same emotional place at the end as in the beginning."
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assassin is nearby and is aware of their plan. They agree to meet at the
Ambassador Hotel in an hour. Skinner goes to see his comatose wife, telling her why he could not sign the divorce papers. An alarm on Sharon's vital sign monitor starts sounding, but as Skinner is about to run for help, the old woman once again takes the place of Sharon, beckoning him to come closer. As Skinner leans in, he sees his wife again, now awakened from the coma; she begins to tell him something right before the scene cuts.
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despite the fact that there was little chemistry between the characters to make it effective. David
Duchovny, on the other hand, was very pleased with the episode and Mitch Pileggi's performance; he later noted, "It was nice for Mitch, and I think he deserved an episode after two years. He did a great job".
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gave the episode a B+. She praised the storytelling, positively commenting on how it revolved around
Skinner and his past life. In addition she wrote that the episode possessed some "good scares". However, she felt that the "central paranormal mystery of the episode is handled in a fashion that feels
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Mulder waits in the hotel bar while Scully guards Judy in a hotel room. The assassin enters the room to attack them but is quickly killed by
Skinner, who was also there. The dead man's identity is unknown. After being rehired, Skinner returns to work, declining to say to Mulder how he knew them to be
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Sharon visits
Skinner at his home as she is worried about him. Skinner, dismissive, freezes her out. After she leaves he falls asleep, seeing the old woman again. He awakens as detectives enter the house, telling him Sharon has been run off the road and severely injured. Skinner admits to Mulder that
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was removed from the final cut due to time considerations. This reduced the latter's role in the episode to only a very short, dialogue-less appearance. Another scene where Mulder confronts
Skinner about where his loyalties lie was excised when the producers felt it was too aggressive. The episode's
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gave the episode a mixed review and awarded it two stars out of four. She referred to the scenes between
Skinner and Sharon as "contrived" and derided Skinner's bedside confession as "simply poor writing". Vitaris was positive of Duchovny and Hetrick's acting, and wrote that Pileggi gave "his best"
450:
finds a face imprint in the airbag which is not
Skinner's. He goes to see the prostitute's boss again but discovers that she has been murdered. The agents hope to use Judy, an employee who saw the man who actually hired the prostitute and use her to set up another meeting with him, unaware that the
470:-centric episode as a way to give himself a break, although ultimately he still ended up having a large part in the episode. Duchovny felt that Skinner was an interesting character whom the show was not utilizing to his full extent. Duchovny's idea, which was written in collaboration with writer
425:
Skinner sees the old woman looking at him on a city street. However, when he pursues the old woman, he instead finds Sharon. The agents talk to Sharon, who says that the marriage failed because of
Skinner's emotional distance. Scully learns that Skinner had been receiving treatment for a sleep
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of 9.3, with a 16 share, meaning that roughly 9.3 percent of all television-equipped households, and 16 percent of households watching television, were tuned in to the episode. The episode was watched by a total of 14.62 million viewers.
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Mulder investigates the airbag on Skinner's car, which was the one used to hit Sharon. Scully defends Skinner to the Office of Professional Responsibility, but it does no good and he is fired. Mulder believes this was done to weaken the
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disorder, in which he apparently had dreams about being suffocated in bed by an old woman. She fears that Skinner may have unwittingly killed Sayles in his sleep. However, Mulder believes that Skinner may be having visions of a
348:"Avatar" was developed after Duchovny initially suggested having a Skinner-centric episode as a way to give himself a break. Skinner's popularity amongst fans had risen with his increased role in the episodes "
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ghost story or as a conspiracy piece", but praised the acting of Pileggi and the dialogue written by Gordon; Shearman called the former "great" and the latter "so terse and so real". Paula Vitaris of
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294:, the teleplay was written by Gordon, and it was directed by James Charleston. The episode is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, unconnected to the series' wider
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391:. However, after the tryst, Skinner has a nightmare of an old woman in bed with him. He awakens to find Sayles dead, her head twisted completely around.
337:. Mulder is a believer in the paranormal, while the skeptical Scully has been assigned to debunk his work. In this episode, when Assistant Director
383:) is given divorce papers from his wife, Sharon, after seventeen years of marriage. At a bar, he meets an attractive woman named Carina Sayles (
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of 9.3, being watched by 14.62 million viewers in its initial broadcast. The episode received mixed reviews from television critics.
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gave "Avatar" a D+, describing it as "ridiculous" and saying, "The clench-toothed Skinner deserves more air time, but not this
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he saw the woman during his experience in Vietnam, but passed it off as being due to drugs. It is revealed that
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at the hotel. After Mulder leaves, he reaches into his drawer and puts his wedding ring back on.
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glow around her nose and lips. Mulder finds out that Sayles was a prostitute and interviews her
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was such a good actor, the writers decided to make his character an ally to Mulder and Scully.
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is observing their conversation through the one-way mirror of the interrogation room.
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Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen
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Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen
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in the United States on April 26, 1996. The story for the episode was developed by
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The episode received mostly mixed reviews from critics. Emily VanDerWerff of
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in the United States on April 26, 1996. The episode earned a
360:. The episode title refers to the incarnation of a deity in
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As the homicide investigation unfolds, Skinner tells agent
688:""Hell Money"/"Jose Chung's From Outer Space"/"Avatar""
333:) who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called
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Television episodes about crimes against sex workers
742:"X Cyclopedia: The Ultimate Episode Guide, Season 3"
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787:Vitaris, Paula (October 1996). "Episode Guide".
858:Trust No One: The Official Guide to the X-Files
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1291:Television episodes written by David Duchovny
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502:word referring to the material appearance or
18:21st episode of the 3rd season of The X-Files
8:
1286:Television episodes written by Howard Gordon
402:) not to get involved. He refuses to take a
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618:Hurwitz & Knowles (2008), pp. 87–89.
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406:test and is viewed as a suspect. Agent
186:Janie Woods-Morris as Lorraine Kelleher
835:Hurwitz, Matt; Knowles, Chris (2008).
653:The X-Files: The Complete Third Season
637:
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686:VanDerWerff, Emily (15 August 2010).
414:) examines Sayles' corpse, finding a
266:" is the twenty-first episode of the
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627:Hurwitz & Knowles (2008), p. 89.
651:Goodwin, R.W.; et al. (2001).
242:
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177:Michael David Simms as Senior Agent
14:
1266:1996 American television episodes
754:from the original on 1 March 2012
446:. Mulder, with the help of Agent
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180:Tacha Simms as Jay "Jane" Cassal
718:. Critical Myth. Archived from
44:
1:
1276:The X-Files season 3 episodes
1078:Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose
820:. Little, Brown and Company.
466:initially suggested having a
493:A scene between Skinner and
772:Shearman (2009), pp. 77–78.
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1281:Succubi in popular culture
591:Lowry (1996), pp. 201–204.
518:"Avatar" premiered on the
183:Stacy Grant as Judy Fairly
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877:Shearman, Robert (2009).
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308:Nielsen household rating
97:April 26, 1996
881:. Mad Norwegian Press.
609:Edwards (1996), p. 178.
514:Broadcast and reception
387:); the two engage in a
1134:War of the Coprophages
282:. It premiered on the
854:Lowry, Brian (1996).
812:Edwards, Ted (1996).
676:Lowry (1996), p. 251.
641:Lowry (1996), p. 205.
600:Lowry (1996), p. 204.
306:". "Avatar" earned a
152:Cigarette Smoking Man
839:. Insight Editions.
837:The Complete X-Files
816:X-Files Confidential
750:. 29 November 1996.
747:Entertainment Weekly
540:Entertainment Weekly
498:title "Avatar" is a
313:The show centers on
375:assistant director
138:as Detective Waltos
202:Episode chronology
165:as Agent Bonnecaze
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1027:I Want to Believe
846:978-1-933784-80-9
275:television series
260:
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239:
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144:as Sharon Skinner
118:Guest appearances
94:Original air date
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1192:From Outer Space
1057:The Blessing Way
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109:Running time
33:
25:
15:
1127:Revelations
1000:The X-Files
954:The X-Files
907:The X-Files
797:(3): 18–40.
657:Los Angeles
655:(booklet).
545:USA Network
520:Fox network
504:incarnation
408:Dana Scully
358:the X-Files
327:Dana Scully
298:, although
284:Fox network
279:The X-Files
76:Teleplay by
56:Directed by
35:The X-Files
1260:Categories
1183:Hell Money
1155:Piper Maru
1064:Paper Clip
869:0061053538
510:on earth.
480:Paper Clip
459:Production
396:Fox Mulder
354:Paper Clip
319:Fox Mulder
304:Paper Clip
112:44 minutes
101:1996-04-26
51:Episode 21
1162:Apocrypha
1148:Grotesque
1106:Oubliette
574:Footnotes
547:reject".
404:polygraph
296:mythology
136:Tom Mason
1245:Category
1214:Wetwired
1207:Quagmire
1099:The Walk
1085:The List
1048:Season 3
958:episodes
913:"Avatar"
903:"Avatar"
752:Archived
716:"Avatar"
500:Sanskrit
448:Pendrell
428:succubus
362:Sanskrit
248:season 3
233:Quagmire
213:Previous
194:Pendrell
64:Story by
43:Episode
968:Seasons
699:21 July
478:" and "
444:X-Files
352:" and "
335:X-Files
270:of the
229: →
211:←
99: (
38:episode
1200:Avatar
1169:Pusher
1141:Syzygy
1071:D.P.O.
885:
866:
843:
824:
758:4 June
726:3 July
325:) and
264:Avatar
26:Avatar
1113:Nisei
508:deity
506:of a
420:madam
1092:2Shy
917:IMDb
883:ISBN
864:ISBN
841:ISBN
822:ISBN
760:2012
728:2012
701:2019
368:Plot
290:and
227:Next
89:3X21
1120:731
915:at
905:on
373:FBI
315:FBI
192:as
171:as
150:as
129:as
45:no.
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