It was written by Paul Brown, directed by Michael Lange, and featured guest appearances by Steve Railsback, Nicholas Lea, Steven Williams and Sheila Larken.
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.
Following the kidnapping of Scully by an unhinged alien abductee Duane Barry (Steve Railsback), Mulder races to track her down.
Upon hearing Dana Scully's (Gillian Anderson) kidnapping by Duane Barry as she leaves a message on his answering machine, Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) heads to her apartment and surveys the crime scene.
The next morning, Assistant Director Walter Skinner tells Mulder that he is "too close" to the case to be involved, and orders Alex Krycek (Nicholas Lea) to escort him home.
Realizing his role in Scully's abduction, Mulder submits a report to Skinner accusing Krycek of impeding his investigation and killing Barry.
Ultimately, the writers decided to work around the pregnancy by closing the X-Files, separating the agents, and eventually having Scully be abducted.
[3] Series creator Chris Carter commented that both the censors and the producers were reluctant on showing Scully in the trunk, but he "fought for that image" as he considered it conveyed the sense of danger to the character.
[4] "Ascension" featured guest appearances from Steve Railsback, Nicholas Lea, Steven Williams and Sheila Larken.
[1] David Duchovny provided his own stunts in this episode,[5] including being dangled in the aerial lift, shot in a single day at Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver, British Columbia.
The handling of Anderson's pregnancy was called "creative", while the re-opening of the X-Files unit and the exposure of Krycek as a villainous character were noted as highlights.
Club, Zack Handlen called "Ascension" an "essential" episode, adding that it serves to "raise the stakes without losing the core of the show's appeal, and solve a technical problem in the most creatively satisfying way possible".