Kaddish (The X-Files) - Broadcast and Reception

Broadcast and Reception

"Kaddish" originally aired on the Fox network on February 16, 1997, and was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on December 17, 1997. This episode earned a Nielsen rating of 10.3, with a 15 share, meaning that roughly 10.3 percent of all television-equipped households, and 15 percent of households watching television, were tuned in to the episode. It was viewed by 16.56 million viewers.

The episode received moderately positive reviews from television critics. Andy Meisler, in his book I Want to Believe: The Official Guide to the X-Files Volume 3, called the episode "one of the best non-mythological episodes of the fourth season" due to its "seamless integration of character development, social commentary and the supernatural." Juliette Harrisson of Den of Geek named "Kaddish" the best stand-alone episode of season four and called its conceit "absolutely real and utterly tragic" despite being "highly fantastical". Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club rated the episode "B+", claiming that, while it was "the sort of episode that works best if you enjoy it for its style and presentation without getting too caught up in the script", it felt "appropriate". Handlen did, however, criticize the episode's characterization of Scully, noting that her scientific counter-arguments were "becoming less about applying common sense to madness, and more just arguing for arguing's sake."

Shearman and Pearson awarded the episode three stars out of five and called it "one of best". Furthermore, the two praised many aspects of the script, particularly the "real anger" which made the episode "something special". Despite this, they felt that the plot "offer nothing unexpected" and that its position, after the revelation that Scully has cancer in "Leonard Betts" caused it to look "as if it's cheating on the consequences of Scully's illness". Paula Vitaris from Cinefantastique gave the episode a positive review and awarded it three stars out of four. She called it a "flawed yet unusually affecting episode". Vitaris cited the Golem's disintegration as "a leitmotif, a reminder of death, a beautiful way to translate into visual terms the depth of Ariel's grief."