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One Breath

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Series: The X-Files
Original Airdate: 11-11-94
Production Number: 2x08
Date(s): None given
Written by: Glen Morgan & James Wong
Directed by: R.W. Goodwin

Scully miraculously appears in a Washington DC hospital, unknowingly supervised by a nurse who may never have existed.

Contents

[edit] Summary

The episode opens with a voiceover from Scully's mother, speaking of a time when her daughter was very young. She says she was always a tomboy, and always hung around with her brothers in the woods. For her birthday, her brothers gave her a bb gun, and despite her dad telling her to only shoot cans. One day though, they shot at a snake in the grass. The snake begins to bleed, and Scully realises what she's done and begins to cry with guilt. She had taken something that wasnt hers and despite being afraid of snakes, she held it as if pure human will could save it. The snake died however. We now see Mulder saying that they cant give up on her, thats its too soon. Scully's mother says she know nows how her daughter felt that day in the woods. Then an object is placed on the table, the camera pans overhead and we see it. It is a tombstone, with Dana Catherine Scully the name on it.....

After the opening credits, we cut to Mulder's apartment, he has the file on Duane Barry, Scully's kidnapping on the table, and he is lying in the darkness, a look of despair written across his face. It sounds like he is watching porn but we can't see it. The phone rings. We cut to Georgetown Hospital, Washington. Mulder barges down the hallways and despite a nurse trying to stop him, bursts through the ward doors, where we see Scully, in a coma, in critical condition and on life support. Mulder stares at her broken body in disbelief, along with Scully's mother. Mulder snaps, running around like a wild animal demanding to know how she got into the hospital, who brought her there. He approaches a Dr.Daly, and he angrily asks Daly to see the admission forms. Mulder is dragged out of the ward, screaming at Daly that if he is involved with "them" and he swears he will find out what "they" did to Scully.

In a private room later, a somewhat calmer Mulder, Scully's mother and Dr.Daly are speaking about Scully's condition. Daly says she is listed in critical condition, with total unawareness of self and does not respond to external stimuli. Daly says that no-one at the hospital knows anything about Scully's arrival and because there is no recent medical history, Daly says he is totally lost at how to treat Scully. He can't determine why and how long she's been in this state. He cant find any metabolic symptons and every test they've done has shown nothing. Mulder wants her tested for trace evidence but Daly says she's already been bathed and cleaned. Daly then mentions that Scully has very specific living terms in her will and is very clear on life support. Mulder says that Scully does not want to live in this condition and Mulder signed the will as her witness.

Back to Scully's bedside. We see a middle aged woman and she says to Mulder that she was told not to call him Fox, by Scully. The woman claims that Scully's soul is present. Just then, Scully's mother arrives and they greet each other. The woman is Scully's older sister, Melissa. Melissa says Scully is deciding whether to remain in this world, or move on. We cut to a new scene, Scully is alone in a small boat, tied to a pier by a rope. Mulder, Melissa and an unknown woman are standing on the pier. Mulder says she isnt here, Melissa tells him to stop being angry as his negative energy is blocking her. Mulder says he needs to do more and leaves.

Back at his apartment, Mulder puts the traditional X shape on his window and we see him doing various things in his apartment as the hours flow by. Morning comes and X never shows. Back in the hospital, Frohike, dressed in a smart suit and with flowers arrives. He and Mulder look at her chart and Frohike spots something odd. All 3 of the LG discuss her chart and mention how down Mulder is. The charts shows odd protein chains in the blood and the LG send her medical records to the so called latest member of the LG, "the Thinker". They claim he is a hacking genuius. The Thinker reports that the protein chains are a by product of branched DNA, the apperent cutting edge of genetic engineering, supposedly 50 years down the line. The LG speculate it may be an identity tracker, or even grafting human DNA to non-human DNA. The branched DNA is inactive however, and whoever was experimenting on Scully, is now finished and the DNA is now nothing more then a poison. Mulder asks if she'll live,the LG exchange worried glances and say that Scully's immunse system has been decimated, and that even a healthy human may not be able to fight it. They tell him Mulder can do nothing....

Cut back to the boat scene and Scully is again in the boat alone. This time, the woman we saw before is speaking to her. She says her name is Nurse Owens and that she is going to look out for her and help her find her way home. Owens tells her that she must leave only when it is time and she will be there for her. Mulder arrives and Owens leaves without saying a word. Another nurse arrives and says she must take some blood. She does so and Mulder looks behind, only to see a suspicious looking man staring. The nurse places the blood on her table. Suddenly, on the bed next to Scully, the patient flatlines and nurses and doctors rush to aid quickly. Amidst the chaos, Mulder looks at the table and the blood is gone. Mulder dashes out the doorand gives chase to the suspicious man. He manages to escape into a lift at the last second. Mulder runs down the stairs, determined not to lose him. The chase continues into the car park and X suddenly appears and grabs Mulder....

"This high-capacity compact SigSaver .40 caliber weapon is pointed at your head to stress my insistence that your search for who put your partner on that respirator desist immediately!"

Mulder tells him that a man took Scully's blood and X says to forget him. Mulder demands that X get his gun out his face. “This high-capacity compact SigSaver .40 caliber weapon is pointed at your head to stress my insistence that your search for who put your partner on that respirator desist immediately!” barks X. Mulder retorts irately that X ignored his calls for help and now he expects him to do what he says. X yells at Mulder, saying he got "him" killed(Deep Throat, we assume) and you got "her" killed and the same thing isnt going to happen to him. X says he comes to Mulder when he needs him and he is his tool. X says that Mulder is leading them right to the hospital. Mulder asks him what he is talking about and X says the whole point is Mulder is not meant to know. Mulder says he owes Scully more then sitting around. X says she was a good soldier but there's nothing he can do to bring her back. X says he used to be like Mulder, but Mulder isnt like him. He says Mulder doesnt have the heart to walk away, grieve for Scully and never look back. Mulder breaks loose of X and runs after the man once again. He closes in but the man opens fire and escapes out of the car park. Mulder pursues him again, through a gloomy, dark basement. Mulder flanks the man and demands that the man tell him who wants Scully's blood. The man doesnt say a word. The man gets the drop on Mulder, however X intercepts him, breaks his arm and tells Mulder to stay there. He then asks Mulder does he want to see what it takes to find the truth. He then elimanates the man, excecution style.

Back once more to a private room with Mulder, Melissa, Dr.Daly and Scully's mother. Daly tells them that some people have lived for 9 years on mechanical ventilation. He tells them this is not likely to be the case with Scully however and she will not improve. Melissa asks if she is below the criteria in her will. Mulder says branched DNA can be treated with special anti-biotics. Daly says he has no idea where Mulder came up with his theory and Mulder cuts him off, saying Daly has never had an answer. Mulder says she needs to be studied. Melissa says she isnt an experiment, Mulder counters, saying she's here via unnatrual circumstances. Melissa says she's dying, and thats perfectly natrual and they hide people in hospitals because people can't face death. She says Scully's live should end. Mulder says this is polically correct, and Melissa simply says its very human. She says she loves her, and this is the right thing to do. Scully's mother says Scully has made their choice. She then says to Mulder that him and Scully had a relationship built on respect. She has lost her husband, and doesnt want to lose her baby girl, but she has always respected her. She says its a moment for the family, but he is welcome to join. He solemnly shakes his head however. Once again we cut to the boat scene, and the rope snaps and Scully drifts into parts unknown.....

A.D Skinners office, and we see a pack of Morely cigarettes on his desk. CSM places a file on the desk, saying its all there. CSM says if Skinner is having trouble sitting on Mulder, he can deal with it with no trouble. He attempts to light up, and Skinner points to a 'Do not smoke please' sign. CSM lights up anyway, and leaves. Mulder then enters via the side door and sees the burning stub. Skinner tells him to sit down and asks him about rumours that he was involved in an incident in the hospital. Mulder messes with Skinner, and Skinner demands to know whats going on. Mulder tells him its simple. It is all CSM's doing. Skinner wants to know how Mulder knows this. And Mulder asks who he is, and where he is. Skinner reminds him that they work for the Department of Justice and Mulder says thats exactly what he wants. Skinner says Scully was a fine agent and more then that, he liked and respected her.

We cut to a ghostly, almost purgatory like place. Scully is lying on a wooden table, wearing a white dress. Her father emerges and speaks to 'Starbuck' about how people say to him life is short, kids grow up fast and its over before they know it. He never listened however, until he realised he would never see her again, his little girl. He says his life felt as short as one breath, one heartbeat and he never knew how much he loved her, and he could never tell her. He then says he would trade every medal, every commendation for just one more second with her. He finally tells her they'll be together again someday, but just not now. Nurse Owens arrives again, and says that despite death being close, her time is not over.

Melissa and Mulder are speaking out in the hospital cafeteria, about how Mulder could spend his lfe hunting down who did this to Scully and it still wont bring her back. She tells him that whoever did it, has an equal horror coming to them. "Including me?" asks Mulder. A woman then asks Mulder does he have change for the cigarette machine, to which he replies no. Melissa asks him to explain what he means. Before he can answer, the woman says there's a pack already there. However, they are Morleys and not her brand. Realising what is going on, Mulder examines the packet and finds an address inside....

"Dont threaten me, i've watched presidents die."

We cut to an apartment. A tv is blaring with a classic war film on. The room is dark and we see a table with a gun, 2 bottles of Budweiser and an ashtray filled with stubs. The camera pans to CSM, who while reaching for a cigarette hears a noise. He reaches for his gun but Mulder grabs him and hurls him back into his seat. CSM demands to know how he found him, but an enraged Mulder yells at him to shut up and that tonight, HE asks the questions. CSM cooly replies that he shouldnt threaten him, as he has seen presidents die. He tries to light up but Mulder knocks it right out of his mouth. An emotional Mulder asks why Scully. CSM stays silent. Mulder screams at CSM for an answer. CSM simply says he likes Mulder. He also likes Scully, and thats why she was returned. Mulder bitterly says CSM is the one that should die. CSM, without ever panicing, changing the tone of his voice or ever cracking his cool exterior, simply asks why and tells Mulder to look him in the eye. He says he has no wife, no family, some power.He says he's in the game because he believes what he is doing is right. An incredolous Mulder asks CSM who the hell is he to decide whats right. CSM replies "Who are you?". CSM continues, saying that if everyone knew what he did, everything would fall apart. CSM tells Mulder he told Skinner that he shot the man in the hospital, despite the fact he didnt believe that he did. And now here he is with a gun pointed at another man. CSM says he has more respect for Mulder then that and if does kill him, he will never learn the truth. "And thats why ill win." CSM smugly decares as Mulder takes his finger off the trigger....

Back in his office, Mulder prints off a resignation letter for AD Skinner. The camera cuts with Mulder looking a broken man. Camera cuts and we see Mulder packing away his stuff. AD Skinner enters and says when he joined, Mulder's office is where they kept the copier. Mulder replies that at least the room wasn't just wasting space back then. Skinner takes the resignation letter out of pocket, and tears it in half. He sternly says it is unacceptable and he wont accept resignation just for the sake of self-punishment and defeat. Mulder says after everything, field reports, forensics, he still has nothing and he has lost himself, and now Scully. He says he hates what he's become. Skinner starts to talk about when he was 18 he went to Vietnam, of his own free will. He did it out of blind faith and he believed it was right. 3 months in, a 10 year old Vietnamese boy walked into base, covered with explosives. Skinner blew his head off. After that, Skinner had lost his faith, not in his country, but in himself. He believed there was no point in anything after that. Out on patrol, they were caught in an ambush, everyone died. Skinner remembers looking down, and seeing his body from the outside, feeling peaceful and unafraid, watching all his friends, and himself. Next morning, while being put into a body bag, he assume the coroner found a pulse and he woke 2 weeks later. He now says he's afraid to look past that day, while Mulder is never afraid. Skinner leaves, again saying that Mulder's resignation is unacceptable. Mulder realises Skinner gave him CSM's location, and put himself at great risk. Skinner simply replies that every day is a danger, that is just life.

Mulder, now walking down the steps is approached by X. He gives him a plane ticket. He says he doesnt know why Scully was taken, but he can give Mulder the man that took her. He tells Mulder that they believe he will be out of town, and that he has information in his apartment, and at 8.17pm, they will break in. X says Mulder will be waiting, armed and ready to defend himself with "terminal intensity". X says its the only way and the law will not punish them. X then says he cant contact Mulder again for several weeks. At his apartment, Mulder sits in the darkness, ready to deliver his vengence. Suddenly, there is a knock on the door. It is Melissa. Mulder lets her in and she tells him Scully is weakining and that Mulder should see her. Mulder says he can't, Melissa says she would think he would and he again repeats that he can't. Melissa snaps and berates him for his paranoia, cynicism and his defeat and asks why is it so much easier to try and get revenge then to be with Scully and tell her how he feels. Even if it doesnt bring her back, at least Scully will know Melissa tells Mulder before she slams the door. At Scully's bedside, Mulder arrives. He takes her hand and says he feels that Scully isnt ready to leave. He doesnt know that being there will help but that he is here anyway. The camera pans out and we see an anguished Mulder as the time ticks by...... Next morning, Mulder arrives home and sees his apartment has been trashed. Realising he missed his chance or indeed realising he is about to lose Scully, he sinks to his knee's and weeps. We are now in a sunny forest much like the one we saw right at the start with a young Scully and her brothers. Scully, in her hospital gown is lying in bed. The scene fades back to the hospital. A nurse passes the bed and calls for Dr.Daly. Scully is awake!

Mulder, sitting on his sofa, with despair across his face, ignores the phone as it rings. He eventually picks it up as the voice machine kicks in. He broadly smiles. Out of IC, we see Scully in bed with her mother and sister by her side. Mulder enters and Scully's mother greets him by his first name. Scully says thats it's Mulder, not Fox. She says she remembers nothing after Duane Barry kidnapped her. Mulder says he's got Scully a present, Superstars of the Superbowl. He tells her to get some rest and she says that she had the strength of his beliefs. He gives her back her crufix necklace that he found in Acension and turn and leaves. A nurse comes in and Scully asks to see Nurse Owens. The nurse tells Scully that she's worked here 10 years and there is no Nurse Owens.....

[edit] Memorable quotes

Byers: Good work sneakin' out these charts
Frohike: Tucked them in my pants.
Mulder: There's plenty of room down there.
Langly: You look down, Mulder? Tell you what, you're welcome to come over Saturday night. We're all hoppin' on the internet to nit-pick the scientific inaccuracies of Earth 2
Mulder: I'm doing my laundry.


Skinner: Tell me what happened at the hospital last night.
Mulder: Are you referring to the tooth found in the cafeteria jello?


William Scully: (to Scully) Hello Starbuck. It's Ahab. People would say to me, "Life is short. Kids, they grow up fast. Before you know it, it's over." I never listened. To me, life went at a proper pace of many rewards. Until the moment that I knew, I understood, I would never see you again, my little girl. Then my life felt as if it had been the length of one breath, one heartbeat. I never knew how much I loved my daughter until I could never tell her. In that moment I would have traded every medal, every commendation, every promotion, for one more second with you. We'll be together again, Starbuck. But not now. Soon.


Mulder: Sit down!
CSM: How'd you find me?
Mulder: Shut up! Tonight, I ask the questions! You're going to answer me, you son of a bitch!
CSM: Don't try and threaten me, Mulder. I've watched presidents die.
Mulder: Why her? Why her and not me? . . . Answer me!
CSM: I like you. I like her too. That's why she was returned to you.
Mulder: You should be the one to die.
CSM: Why? Look at me. No wife, no family, some power. I'm in the game because I believe what I'm doing is right.
Mulder: *Right?* Who are you to decide what's right?
CSM: Who are you? If people were to know the things I know, it would all fall apart. I told Skinner you shot the man in the hospital, but I didn't really believe it. And here you are with a gun to my head. I have more respect for you, Mulder. You're becoming a player. You can kill me now, but you'll never know the truth. (Mulder wants to shoot, but doesn't) . . . and that's why I'll win. Don't worry. This'll be our secret. We wouldn't want others to . . . start rumors.


Melissa: Only the light . . .
Mulder: Oh, enough with the harmonic convergence crap, ok. You're not saying anything to me.
Melissa: Why don't you just drop your cynicism and your paranoia and your defeat. You know, just because it's positive and good doesn't make it silly or trite! Why is it so much easier for you to run around trying to get even than just expressing to her how you feel? I expect more from you. Dana expects more. Even if it doesn't bring her back, at least she'll know. And so will you.


Mulder: I brought you a present. "Superstars of the Super Bowls".
Scully: I knew there was a reason to live.

[edit] Background Information

[edit] Introductory Details

  • The title of this episode is from William Scully's speech to his daughter.
  • This episode represents the third part in a trilogy that also includes the Season 2 episodes "Duane Barry" and "Ascension". Although "Duane Barry" ends with a cliffhanger as well as the legend "TO BE CONTINUED", "Ascension" does not; this episode is therefore an indirect follow-on rather than a direct sequel.

[edit] From Script to Screen

  • The original intent for this episode was that it would be based entirely upon Raising the Dead, a non-fiction book that Glen Morgan had read. The book was written by surgeon Richard Selzer and detailed dreams he had apparently experienced while being comatose for twenty-three days in 1991. According to the book, Selzer had also been declared dead during his coma, a fate that Skinner includes as part of his recollections to Mulder in this episode, before the writer underwent a period of recovery over three weeks. Morgan was fascinated by the book and had been wanting to plan an episode around it, ever since the beginning of 1994. He originally thought it would be a great opportunity for Duchovny, but the comatose character was changed to Scully after the series' production staff were forced to deal with actress Gillian Anderson's pregnancy.
  • The writing duo of Morgan and Wong also intended to feature a side of the paranormal that they felt was very hopeful - the phenomena of angels, hope and peace - because the series, so far, had been, at least in Morgan's opinion, very dark and bleak. Morgan believed that the whole theme of the episode was summed up by Scully's sister, Melissa, when she says to Mulder, "Just because the belief is positive and good doesn't make it silly or trite."
  • This episode is the first in the series to feature the idea of Dana Scully having a sister and the first in which that specific sibling appears. This episode is also the second of only two that feature an appearance by the sisters' father, William, and the only time - apart from a possible background appearance, in a single scene of "Beyond the Sea" - that the sisters' brother, Charles, appears. Similarly, William Scully was never named before this episode but the naming of his eldest son - Bill, Jr. - in this episode marks the first time that his name can be inferred. This is all consistent with the comparatively heavy use and introductions of the Scully family by Morgan and Wong, having previously written "Beyond the Sea", which not only includes the aforementioned first appearance of William Scully and the possible presence of his rarely seen son, Charles, but also the introduction of William's wife and his children's mother, Margaret, who also reappears in this episode.
  • The role of Melissa Scully, Dana's sister, was written specifically for actress Melinda McGraw, who had previously worked on The Commish, a series created by Morgan and Wong.
  • The character of Nurse Owens was named after Morgan's grandmother.
  • The alias "The Thinker" was inspired by the Internet pseudonym "DuhThinker", used by Yung Jun Kim - a highly knowledgeable online fan of The X-Files.
  • This episode also marks a development of the character "X", after frustrations had arisen regarding Steven Williams, the actor portraying this character. Even though Glen Morgan had initially complained that the character was too similar to "Deep Throat", he believed that Steven Williams was a good actor and that this allowed the writers to include the scene where X performs an execution. Morgan also came to define the two characters by realizing that, whereas Deep Throat had been willing to lose his own life for revealing the secret, X was still scared and his character was figuratively somewhere between Mulder and Deep Throat.
  • Director Robert Goodwin initially instructed Morgan and Wong to minimize the scene in which the Cigarette Smoking Man is confronted by Mulder, due to Goodwin's assumption that actor William B. Davis would be able to do little more than appear, smoking a cigarette - the task that Davis had originally been hired to perform, for the pilot episode of The X-Files. Despite similar fears from other members of the production crew, Morgan argued that Davis, an acting teacher, was also a capable actor. Goodwin discussed the character of the Cigarette Smoking Man and his role in the episode with Davis, and the director was ultimately impressed by the actor's performance.

[edit] Other Episode Notes

  • This episode was originally planned to be produced immediately after "Ascension" but was not ready to be filmed when time for its production initially came and "3" was therefore produced first, as an extra episode, resulting in Season 2 ultimately having twenty-five episodes, rather than the twenty-four that was the standard quantity for each season.
  • This was the first episode filmed after Gillian Anderson gave birth to her first child. She spent much of her time on the set lying on tables or beds in a hospital gown. Occasionally, she would fall asleep between takes while filming these scenes. According to James Wong, the biggest problem in the creation of the episode was in postproduction, when the production crew, who unfortunately could do nothing about the problem, realized that signs of Anderson's recent pregnancy were highly noticeable.
  • This episode was, according to Chris Carter in or before 1996, one of the most popular episodes of The X-Files. Although Carter thought that some people at Fox didn't like the episode due to the fact that its paranormal content is minimal, the episode was received on the Internet as one of the series' best. Director Robert Goodwin noted that the episode was highly unusual for The X-Files because it was more about human emotions, drama and relationships than about the series' usual material. James Wong admired the episode, appreciating Duchovny's performance therein.
  • For his work on the episode, Director of Photography John S. Bartley, was nominated for an Emmy award in the category of Cinematography for a Series.

[edit] Continuity

  • Although he is merely referenced in this episode, "The Thinker" later appears in the Season 2 finale, "Anasazi".
  • Similarly, even though this episode shows William Scully, Jr. in his boyhood only, an adult version of the character (played by Pat Skipper) would subsequently appear in the Season 4 finale, "Gethsemane", before returning in Season 5's "Redux II" as well as the two-parter "Christmas Carol" and "Emily". Child versions of both him as well as his sister, Dana, reappear in "Christmas Carol".

[edit] Links and References

[edit] Guest Stars

[edit] References

Washington D.C.; snake; BB gun; amino acid; The Thinker; Northeast Georgetown Medical Center; branched DNA; genetic engineering; biological marker; respirator; hacker; .40 caliber; Sig-Sauer P228; blood; laundry; execution style; Starbuck; Ahab; 900 West Georgia Street; harmonic convergence; Vietnam; USMC; Superstars of the Superbowl

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