One Breath

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“One Breath”
The X-Files episode

One Breath
Episode no. Season 2
Episode 2X08
Guest stars None
Written by Glen Morgan & James Wong
Directed by R.W. Goodwin
Original airdate 11 November 1994
Episode chronology
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"3" "Firewalker"

"One Breath" was the eighth episode of the second season of The X-Files science-fiction television series created by Chris Carter.

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Having been kidnapped in episode Ascension, Dana Scully's family believe her to be dead. Fox Mulder refuses to give up hope, and Scully later turns up in the hospital, in a bad state and close to death. She is comatose, and she is given medical life support, although her will requests that she die a natural death rather than be kept alive artificially.

Mulder struggles with guilt over his failure to protect his partner, and seeks revenge against the people who abducted her. He is convinced that The Cigarerette Smoking Man is involved, and finds him at home, with assistance from an anonymous helper (who most likely is Assistant Director Skinner). Mulder confronts The Cigarette Smoking Man, who confesses to his involvement, tells Mulder that he does not consider himself the bad guy, and then invites Mulder to murder him.

Worried that the truth would die with him, Mulder however lets The Cigarette Smoking Man live. Mr. X informs Mulder of the precise time when the people responsible for Scully's impending death will arrive to his apartment to search for evidence against them. He suggests that Mulder should wait for them there and kill them in self defense. Mulder does as instructed, but is interrupted by Scully's sister, Melissa. She explains to him that she thinks revenge is irrelevant, and that he should rather spend his time saying good bye to Scully on her death bed.

Mulder goes to the hospital and tells his comatose partner how he feels about her, thus missing his opportunity to murder her abducters. The next day, Scully awakes from her coma.

[edit] Trivia

  • Scully's father makes an appearance as a ghost; he last appeared in the series one episode Beyond the Sea.
The X-Files Season 2
Episode List | Official Website
Little Green Men | The Host | Blood | Sleepless | Duane Barry | Ascension | 3 | One Breath | Firewalker | Red Museum | Excelsis Dei | Aubrey | Irresistible | Die Hand Die Verletzt | Fresh Bones | Colony | End Game | Fearful Symmetry | Død Kalm | Humbug | The Calusari | F. Emasculata | Soft Light | Our Town | Anasazi
TV series and films created by James Wong and Glen Morgan
21 Jump StreetThe Commish The X-Files Space: Above and Beyond Millennium The Others Final Destination series The One Willard Black Christmas
In other languages