Entertainment
How An X-Files Episode Created TV's Scariest Villain
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Everybody (even those who have never even seen the show) knows that the Big Bad of The X-Files is the Cigarette Smoking Man, the shady nicotine fiend played by William B. Davis. This character has been in the show since the pilot episode, so many assume that he was always meant to be Mulder and Scully’s archnemesis. But in a twist worthy of this conspiracy-obsessed show, Davis was originally hired to be an unspeaking menace, and he wasn’t firmly established as the show’s archvillain until the excellent Season 2 episode “One Breath.”
Let’s start from the beginning; in this case, the very first episode of The X-Files. William B. Davis appears in this episode but never says anything. In the scenes where Scully is meeting with her superiors at the FBI, the Cigarette Smoking Man just lurks in the background, forcing the audience to wonder what the heck this creepy guy’s deal is.
Evil Finds Its Voice
The character didn’t speak until the Season 1 episode “Tooms,” which effectively cemented his identity as the CSM. This is important because Davis previously appeared as a CIA agent in “Young At Heart,” making it appear like the actor was little more than a glorified extra!
Because of this, the director of the Season 2 episode “One Breath” (Robert Goodwin) was worried because the script gave William B. Davis more to do on The X-Files than he had ever done before. Others on the production team shared his concerns that the actor wouldn’t be up to the task, and episode cowriter Glen Morgan had to convince the director that Davis (then a drama teacher) knew how to deliver a good performance. This was enough to mollify Goodwin, who was ultimately impressed by the actor’s performance.
The Truth Is In Here
But why, specifically, was Goodwin so concerned about whether Davis had the acting chops for this episode? The short answer is that “One Breath” firmly established the Cigarette Smoking Man as the show’s ultimate villain, someone willing and able to toy with the lives of our favorite FBI agents whenever he wanted to. In this episode, Mulder deduces that the CSM was behind Scully’s recent abduction and is doubly angry at him because she is currently in a comatose state; after convincing Deputy Director Skinner to give him the man’s address, Mulder actually ambushes the Cigarette Smoking Man at his own home.
Despite being held at gunpoint, the Cigarette Smoking Man is quite relaxed, informing his would-be killer that he likes Mulder and Scully, which is the only reason that Scully was returned to Mulder after her previous abduction. Even as he admits that he’s starting to respect Mulder, the CSM claims the other man won’t pull the trigger because it would mean killing the one man who knows the truth. He claims this is why he will always win, and a defeated Mulder ends up leaving the house, no closer to saving Scully or learning anything about who took her.
Mulder’s Dark Reflection
This X-Files scene is relatively short, but it positions Cigarette Smoking Man as the ultimate villain: he knows the elusive truth Mulder is always seeking and can have him and Scully killed whenever the mood strikes him. Adding insult to injury, he also points out that the only reason these two pesky FBI agents aren’t already dead is that he likes them. Just like that, Mulder learned that his fate is in the hands of a ruthless murderer who is starting to become his number one fan!
As director Robert Goodwin later noted, William B. Davis does an amazing job in this scene, presenting the Cigarette Smoking Man as a mirror image of Mulder himself. He, too, “wants to believe” and has dedicated his life to a cause that he thinks is righteous, one that he’s willing to kill in order to protect. Davis’ performance gives the character both steely menace and even a brief glimpse of vulnerability, emphasizing him as a very human threat that is nonetheless more dangerous than all the aliens and monsters on the show combined.
From here on, the Cigarette Smoking Man would appear in more and more X-Files episodes, including the series finale, the first movie, and even the show’s controversial revival. This would never have happened if William B. Davis hadn’t demonstrated his ability to bring TV’s scariest villain to life. In this sense, he owes both his fame and his character’s popularity to “One Breath,” an overlooked tale that is secretly one of the most important episodes in X-Files history.
Entertainment
NYT Strands hints, answers for April 19, 2026
Today’s NYT Strands hints are easy if you’re constantly changing.
Strands, the New York Times‘ elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There’s always a theme linking every solution, along with the “spangram,” a special, word or phrase that sums up that day’s theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you’re feeling stuck or just don’t have 10 or more minutes to figure out today’s puzzle, we’ve got all the NYT Strands hints for today’s puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Small change
The words are related to changes.
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Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained
These words describe fine-tuning.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?
Today’s NYT Strands spangram is vertical.
NYT Strands spangram answer today
Today’s spangram is There I Fixed It.
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NYT Strands word list for April 19
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There I Fixed It
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Adjust
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Modify
-
Alter
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Improve
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Tweak
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Refine
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable’s Games page has more hints, and if you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now!
Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Strands.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 19, 2026
Today’s Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you can never sit down.
If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Where did Wordle come from?
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What’s the best Wordle starting word?
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.
Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:
To rise.
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Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
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Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter T.
The Wordle answer today is…
Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today’s Wordle is…
STAND
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.
Entertainment
Hurdle hints and answers for April 19, 2026
If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.
There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it’ll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.
An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.
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If you find yourself stuck at any step of today’s Hurdle, don’t worry! We have you covered.
Hurdle Word 1 hint
The edge.
Hurdle Word 1 answer
BRINK
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Hurdle Word 2 hint
Moody.
Hurdle Word 2 Answer
POUTY
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Hurdle Word 3 hint
America’s bird.
Hurdle Word 3 answer
EAGLE
Hurdle Word 4 hint
A platform.
Hurdle Word 4 answer
FORUM
Final Hurdle hint
Cheapskate.
Hurdle Word 5 answer
MISER
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
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NYT Strands hints, answers for April 19, 2026
