<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> List of The X-Files episodes </Td> </Tr> <P> "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 . </P> <P> 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 . </P> <P> 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 . </P>

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