to say to Mulder how he knew them to be at the hotel. After Mulder leaves, he reaches into his drawer and puts his wedding ring back on. Production David Duchovny initially suggested having a Walter Skinner-centric episode as a way to give himself a break, although ultimately he still ended up having a large part in the episode. Duchovny felt that Skinner was an interesting character whom the show was not utilizing to his full extent. Duchovny's idea, which was written in collaboration with writer Howard Gordon, also surrounded the conceit that what Mulder and Skinner do comes with a tremendous price. Skinner's popularity among fans had risen with his increased role in the episodes "The Blessing Way" and "Paper Clip" and these episodes helped situate Skinner's position in regards to Mulder and Scully. According to writer Vince Gilligan, Skinner was originally supposed to be a villain, but because Mitch Pileggi was such a good actor, the writers decided to make his character an ally to Mulder and Scully. A scene between Skinner and The Smoking Man was removed from the final cut due to time considerations. This reduced the latter's role in the episode to only a very short, dialogue-less appearance. Another scene where Mulder confronts Skinner about where his loyalties lie was excised when the producers felt it was too aggressive. The episode's title "Avatar" is a Sanskrit word referring to the material appearance or incarnation of a deity on earth. Broadcast and reception "Avatar" premiered on the Fox network in the United States on April 26, 1996. The episode earned a Nielsen rating of 9.3, with a 16 share, meaning that roughly 9.3 percent of all television-equipped households, and 16 percent of households watching television, were tuned in to the episode. The episode was watched by a total of 14.62 million viewers. The episode later aired in the United Kingdom on January 30, 1997, on BBC One. The episode received mostly mixed reviews from critics. Emily VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club gave the episode a B+. She praised the storytelling, positively commenting on how it revolved around Skinner and his past life. In addition she wrote that the episode possessed some "good scares". However, she felt that the "central paranormal mystery of the episode is handled in a fashion that feels a bit muddled". John Keegan from Critical Myth gave the episode a moderately negative review