“I don’t know if my being here will help bring you back. But I’m here.” – Fox Mulder.
ONE BREATH [Mythology] November 11, 1994
Episode: 2×08 / 32 Overall
Director: R. W. Goodwin • Writer: Glen Morgan & James Wong
When Scully’s comatose body is discovered at a local hospital, Mulder suspects the government was responsible for her disappearance.
Morgan & Wong close off the myth-arc that began with Sleepless, with an episode that’s rich in drama and human emotion but presents more as a series of moments rather than a complete package. Gillian Anderson’s first episode back after having given birth conveniently has her lying in a hospital bed for the majority of her screen time. Therefore this is really a Mulder centric show in the vein of Beyond the Sea, meaning Duchovny is given the chance to explore his character’s faith, or lack-thereof and come to terms with what he truly holds dear to his heart. The relentless pursuit of truth, whatever the cost is taking it’s toll on Mulder and those around him. We’re introduced to Scully’s new age sister (Melinda McGraw) in the same episode we bid farewell to the final appearance of her father (Don S. Davis). Mulder debuts the term ‘Cancer Man’ which some fans adopted in place of ‘Smoking Man’. I personally prefer the new moniker, it carries a more ominous connotation that fits with the character and in keeping with the progression of the series I will henceforth utilise this name in reference to him. Mulder tapes a large ‘X’ on his window in an attempt to signal his informant, this is the first time we see him act out this now iconic gesture and the taped ‘X’ will become a very recognisable reference to the show in the years to come.
This episode is full of great moments that, as mentioned, unfortunately don’t come together quite as neatly as they should. If we break down the character driven emotional drama that is presented to us into separate pieces we can draw out some terrific scenes that work well in isolation. Mulder’s confrontation with Cancer Man is definitely a highlight. We see that the character is fallible and vulnerable physically but at the same time intellectually superior. He is able to talk down an enraged Mulder with a gun to his head without breaking a sweat. At first it seems odd that he’s home is so easily accessible and unguarded. However, what this interaction shows us is that he does not rely on brute force to ensure his survival but rather through manipulation and intimidation. Fear is this character’s greatest weapon, fear of the unknown, fear of our true nature, as in the case of Mulder becoming overwhelmed with guilt and and disdain for what he has become, a man obsessed with vengeance. This interaction basically says to the audience that Mulder will never kill Cancer Man, not without crossing a line he is not willing to cross. Thankfully for the fans this means we’re probably going to start seeing a lot more of him as the series progresses.
Mulder and Skinner share an intimate moment for the first time as human beings rather than subordinate and superior. Skinner’s outer body experience in Vietnam has left him unable to look beyond the material world in a way that he knows Mulder can. He admires him for having the strength to face the unknown with a courage he will never possess. This is why he cannot accept Mulder’s resignation and possibly one of the main motivating factors in his decision to re-open the X-Files unit. Scully, though unresponsive herself, shares a final moment with her father while in a state of limbo, Mulder has a tense confrontation with X and some more tender moments with Margaret and Melissa. Each of these scenes are well crafted and deliver a strong amount of drama to the episode. However, Morgan & Wong are never quite able to make all these individual elements gel together as well as they should have, considering their strength as individual scenes. I also found the visual metaphor of the boat tethered to the dock to be a bit on the nose, an almost too literally representation of what the writer’s were trying to convey. That being Scully’s tenuous grasp on reality, which could break at any moment.
There is a rather peculiar element that I feel compelled to mention, and that is the distracting nature of Anderson’s breasts while lying down. They seem to be abnormally large, pointy and defiant of gravity. There’s something not quite right about her physical proportions here and I only mention it because I found that it detracted from the sombre mood of some of the scenes. Some fans have suggested that since the episode was filmed directly after Anderson’s labour, that her stomach was quite big and would be very noticeable while lying down. Therefore, the suggestion is that they padded her bra in order to make her belly appear flatter. This is one possibly explanation, but either way there is certainly something strange about her appearance that doesn’t seem natural.
That oddity aside, this episode is by and large a satisfying conclusion to this story line which contains a memorable performance by Duchovny and some fantastic standalone scenes which writer Glen Morgan himself commented was a departure from standard X-Files procedure and was more about human emotions, drama and relationships.
★★★☆☆
The X-Files Retrospective Project 