"all things" | |
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The X-Files episode | |
During a mystical reverie, Scully is able to diagnose Daniel Waterston's heart condition. The scene required footage of Nicolas Surovy to be superimposed with video of a prosthetic beating heart.
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Episode no. | Season 7 Episode 17 |
Directed by | Gillian Anderson |
Written by | Gillian Anderson |
Featured music | "The Sky Is Broken" |
Production code | 7ABX17 |
Original air date | April 9, 2000 |
Running time | 45 minutes |
Guest appearance(s) | |
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"all things" is the seventeenth episode of the seventh season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. Written and directed by lead actress Gillian Anderson, it first aired on April 9, 2000, on the Fox network. The episode is unconnected to the wider mythology of The X-Files and functions as a "Monster-of-the-Week" story. Watched by 12.18 million people, the initial broadcast had a Nielsen household rating of 7.1. The episode received mixed reviews from critics; many called the dialogue pretentious and criticized the characterization of Scully. However, viewer response was generally positive.
The series centers on Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Anderson) who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called "X-Files". Mulder is a believer in the paranormal. The skeptical Scully was initially assigned to debunk his work, but the two have developed a deep friendship. In this episode, a series of coincidences lead Scully to meet Dr. Daniel Waterston (Nicolas Surovy), a married man with whom she had an affair while at medical school. After Waterston slips into a coma, Scully puts aside her skepticism and seeks out alternative medicine to save Waterston.
The script for "all things", the only episode of the series written by Anderson, was originally fifteen pages too long with no fourth act. It was only after Anderson worked with series creator Chris Carter and executive producer Frank Spotnitz that the script was finished. The cast and crew helped Anderson adjust to her directorial debut—the first time a woman directed an episode of The X-Files. The episode makes heavy use of "The Sky Is Broken", a song from Moby's 1999 album Play, as well as a gong. The episode has been analyzed for its themes of pragmatism and feminist philosophy.