‘Avatar’ is a mediocre X-Files episode that redefined one character for the better

When Assistant Director Skinner, played by Mitch Pileggi, arrived at the end of The X-Files season 1, nobody liked him. While Agent Mulder (David Duchovny) had managed to convince Agent Scully (Gillian Anderson) of the validity of the X-Files, the rest of the FBI still regarded Mulder as a pariah within the agency. So when Skinner was introduced as their direct supervisor, he appeared to be yet another bureaucrat intent on undermining their work, which was only underlined by the unspeaking presence of the mysterious Cigarette Smoking Man in Skinner’s very first scene.

Over time, that changed. Skinner began to understand the X-Files were not just Mulder’s fanciful crusade into paranormal subject matter; they were real cases worth investigating. More importantly, much of Mulder and Scully’s work evidenced a conspiracy within the FBI and the US government itself, something the morally upstanding Skinner could not abide. Eventually he became the greatest protector of the X-Files, shielding the division from the compromised higher-ups at the FBI and sometimes even getting his hands dirty with a well-placed ass-kicking. One episode in season 3 was particularly important to Skinner’s character growth, even if it was just an “okay” episode overall.

Released on April 26, 1996, “Avatar” begins with Skinner being served with divorce papers. He then goes out to a bar, meets a woman, and the two get a hotel room. The next morning he awakens next to her dead body — her head has been turned completely around. As the investigation into the dead woman unfolds, Skinner keeps seeing the image of an old woman, the same old woman he saw in a dream the night of the murder and the same old woman he saw while he was a soldier in Vietnam.

Initially, he asks Mulder and Scully to stay out of the investigation, but Skinner eventually confides in them about the old woman. This leads Mulder to believe that Skinner is being haunted by a female demon known as a succubus. In time, the real killers are caught and Skinner is cleared, though the succubus portion of the case remains unresolved.

Image: 20th Century Fox/Disney

As far as The X-Files episodes go, “Avatar” would probably be considered “mid.” While Pileggi does a great job shouldering a lot more screentime, the storyline is merely mediocre and kind of fizzles out by the end. Also, the creepy old succubus hardly ranks up there with great X-Files villains like the monstrous Flukeman or the liver-eating Eugene Victor Tooms. However, “Avatar” did serve as essentially a “proof of concept” that The X-Files could be doing a lot more with Skinner.

By the end of season 3, when “Avatar” aired, Skinner’s transformation was already well underway. When Scully went missing early season 2 and Mulder, blaming himself, vowed to quit the FBI, Skinner offered a story about an out-of-body experience he had in Vietnam. It was the first time he’d shared part of his personal life, and it was impactful enough for Mulder to stay.

Image: 20th Century Fox/Disney

Throughout The X-Files season 3, Skinner began to push back against the forces opposing Mulder and Scully, most notably the Cigarette Smoking Man. Then, late in that season, came “Avatar,” which proved more could be done with the character.

After that, Skinner basically became to Mulder and Scully what Commissioner Gordon is to Batman. While he’s not always a part of their crusade and must, at times, cooperate with those in the FBI he knows are corrupt, Skinner is a pragmatist who does what he can to protect their mission — a mission he very much believes in.

This role would continue to expand as the series progressed, and Skinner increasingly became the only other person Mulder and Scully could trust. When Mulder went missing during seasons 8 and 9 of the show, a good deal of focus shifted to Skinner, especially as Scully received a reduced role as well. While the show was unquestionably floundering at this time, Skinner’s character still shined. These lesser seasons also include what is arguably his greatest moment, when he kills the longtime X-Files antagonist Alex Krycek.

Image: 20th Century Fox/Disney

Of course, while a variety of writers and directors deserve a good amount of credit for expanding the character, the lion’s share goes to Pileggi himself. Early on, he played a convincing prick and, as time went on and the character seemed to change his opinion of Mulder and Scully, Pileggi’s stone-faced seriousness became something fans respected about the character. That respect then turned to cheers on the rare occasion where the broad-shouldered, 6’2” Skinner got to kick some ass.

Pileggi even got to be funny on very rare occasions. In the season 7 episode “Hollywood A.D.” Skinner is seen taking a bubble bath during a comical three-way call with Mulder and Scully. And when the character appeared in an episode of The X-Files spinoff The Lone Gunmen, Pileggi got to play the role of the show’s dumb jock character disguised as Skinner in a Mission:Impossible-like Skinner mask. During the scene, it’s clear Pileggi is having the time of his life.

Much like Skinner became the most reliable person for Mulder and Scully in their times of need, Pileggi became the always-reliable player on The X-Files. During his time on the show, he would rise to every challenge brought to him, even doing some of his best work while the series overall was struggling. In a way, that’s why “Avatar” is the perfect Skinner episode, because even The X-Files wasn’t firing on all cylinders, Pileggi was.