All things

"all things"
The X-Files episode
Against a blindly white background, the translucent chest of a man is seen. His heart and veins can be clearly seen.
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.
Episode no.Season 7
Episode 17
Directed byGillian Anderson
Written byGillian Anderson
Featured music"The Sky Is Broken"
Production code7ABX17[1]
Original air dateApril 9, 2000 (2000-04-09)
Running time45 minutes[2]
Guest appearances
  • Colleen Flynn as Colleen Azar
  • Stacy Haiduk as Maggie Waterston
  • Stephen Hornyak as Dr. Paul Kopeikan
  • Victoria Faerber as First Nurse
  • Nicolas Surovy as Dr. Daniel Waterston
  • Carol Banker as Carol
  • Elayn Taylor as Second Nurse
  • Cheryl White as Third Nurse
  • Scott Vance as Healer[3]
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Chimera"
Next →
"Brand X"
The X-Files season 7
List of episodes

"all things"[1][3][4] 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.

"all things" is the only episode of the series written and directed by Anderson, as well as the first episode of The X-Files to be directed by a woman. 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.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference DVD was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "The X-Files, Season 7". iTunes Store. Apple. September 10, 1993. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
  3. ^ a b Shapiro (2000), pp. 204–214.
  4. ^ "The X-Files – "all things" – Research". TheXFiles.com. Fox Broadcasting Company. March 2000. Archived from the original on October 31, 2001. Retrieved April 26, 2012.