| "Avatar" | |
|---|---|
| The X-Files episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 21 |
| Directed by | James Charleston |
| Story by | David Duchovny Howard Gordon |
| Teleplay by | Howard Gordon |
| Production code | 3X21 |
| Original air date | April 26, 1996 |
| Running time | 44 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Avatar" is the twenty-first episode of the third season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network in the United States on April 26, 1996. The story for the episode was developed by David Duchovny and Howard Gordon, the teleplay was written by Gordon, and it was directed by James Charleston. The episode is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, unconnected to the series' wider mythology, although The Smoking Man's machinations in the conspiracy against Skinner continues the feud between the characters started in "Paper Clip". "Avatar" earned a Nielsen household rating of 9.3, being watched by 14.62 million viewers in its initial broadcast. The episode received mixed reviews from television critics.
The show centers on FBI special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. Mulder is a believer in the paranormal, while the skeptical Scully has been assigned to debunk his work. In this episode, when Assistant Director Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) is accused of murdering a prostitute, Mulder and Scully investigate to determine the truth behind what happened.
"Avatar" was developed after Duchovny initially suggested having a Skinner-centric episode as a way to give himself a break. Skinner's popularity amongst fans had risen with his increased role in the episodes "The Blessing Way" and "Paper Clip" and these episodes helped re-establish the ground rules regarding where Skinner stood in regard to the X-Files. The episode title refers to the incarnation of a deity in Sanskrit.