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As I was taking a little Tumblr break I went ahead and watched Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul back to back. I can't believe I waited this long to watch both series!

Both shows have some of the best writing, directing and acting I've ever seen and that includes both TV and movies. I don't think I can say a single negative thing about either series, its near perfect television!

Vince Gilligan and his team of writers and directors are true visionaries and I don't think I will ever have as much fun watching a TV series than I did watching BB and BCS back to back!

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CC ANNOUNCED A DIRECTOR'S CUT FOR I WANT TO BELIEVE ON DD'S PODCAST.

(Included caps for you, since you love the movie! :DD)

LOL, Yes I just saw this. I was taking a XF/Tumblr break and of course this absolute bombshell of CC going on DDs podcast and a possible release of a directors cut for IWTB is announced.

I have a healthy skepticism of a director's cut but I am excited hopefully see it someday!

I'll be back on Tumblr soonish and I'm sure we will have many discussions on this!

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I kind of hate even asking this question but I’m going to ask it anyway.

Why do you think CC decided to totally retcon the mythology in the revival? Do you think he was bored of it? Did he think it didn’t fit in with “modern times”?

I know the mythology was kind of a mess at the end but I don’t think it was so bad that it was beyond saving.

It’s just, when you watch the struggles and accept the retcon it makes the Orginal Series feel like a waste of time. I’ve also heard theories that the Struggle episodes are told by an “unreliable narrator” for example CSM is an unreliable narrator in MSIII, Jackson is unreliable in MSIV. That just sounds like a cop out. It all just gives me a headache honestly. 🙁

tl;dr: CC is interested in new ideas; and will always be willing to cast off old ones in pursuit of fresher perspectives. His passion for the latter mythology was born from Dr. Simon's and Dr. Fearon's last-minute theory; but when it got fan backlash, he pivoted the focus from his revitalized mythology to the abandoned William arc. However: because he was chasing tantalizing ideas rather than a focused conclusion, Carter completely fumbled in his attempts to close up old threads in order to start afresh.

A couple reasons:

CC and Spotnitz wrapped up the original mythology in Season 6 (One Son), deciding that it had both blossomed out of control and somehow come together. Mythology wrapped up, they then finished off the Samantha arc in Season 7 and began a new mytharc in Season 8. Season 8's Existence, according to Spotnitz, functioned as the end of the original X-Files as a whole--

Spotnitz: "And the series will be different, whoever comes back for it [Season 9]-if there is another year. We’re still working out what that final story is, but there are a couple of elements that we know are going to be in there. And those two elements close the chapter.”

and,

Spotnitz: Whatever I said, what I mean to say is that 8 years of the series will come to a close this May, regardless of whether there is an X-Files next season. I actually believe most of the important questions about the mythology have already been answered, believe it or not, and you will see some new ones asked in upcoming shows.

--leaving room for Season 9 to begin a new chapter for the show (one no longer centered on Mulder and Scully's evolving story, since it had been concluded.)

That... didn't work. So, IWTB's focus, years later, was on a MOTW instead, with the hope that it would succeed and become a stepping stone to a movie-mythology franchise series.

That didn't work, either. But CC never gave up hope for a 3rd movie.

Then 2015 rolled around and FOX approached him for a revival.

Carter: I had one question thrown out to me at a meeting. [Fox Television CEO] Dana Walden asked, “If there were another series, when do you think you could begin work on it?” It wasn’t an overture, more of a practical issue. That was before the show ever aired and they knew what the ratings would be. There’s been no conversation about doing more of these. With the ratings news, it’s hard to imagine that they wouldn’t come back to us.

I would love to do another movie. Especially coming off that second movie, which had such a heavy weight upon it: A summer-release, low-budget movie, with no promotion, in a crowded field of tentpole fare. I was asked to do so much with so little. And I tried! If we were to do another movie, it would need to be akin to the first movie, which I thought was a story worthy of the big screen. That said, I can’t imagine they won’t want to somehow figure out how to do this on TV.

CC didn't know where to take the show, and only signed on after being told the season would be short (and might give him a movie, which is what he really wanted.) It was Dr. Anne Simon that actually got him excited about the mytharc again: as she tells it,

"What was the Conspiracy? This [Struggle I and II] is the conspiracy. Now, did Chris know that this was the conspiracy [since the original show]? Obviously not-- because I told him what the conspiracy was. But he knew that there was a Conspiracy-- he just didn’t know what it was. But when I told him, when I gave him this idea [plot for MSI/II], he was just, ‘This is amazing’-- I mean, he was so happy. ‘I want more, I want more, I want more!’ And every time I sent him these pages, typed pages, he was just, he was extremely happy. I could tell how happy he was.”

(Dr. Anne Simon's an interesting rabbit hole to go down, btw. Gonna do a post on her contributions in the future.)

He redid the focus of the show in Season 10; and his writers and collaborators and even his actors-- David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, both-- thought it was a well-written season (I know....) But the fans did not.

So, CC made a statement after FOX confirmed S11: shippers had been heard-- there would be more MSR and William. So much so, he brought William back purposefully to give his arc a resolution.

And when that didn't work out-- when CC's 'perfect' ending was hated by fans (and famously, Gillian) for feeling more like a cop out than an address-and-move-forward conclusion, he felt slighted and misunderstood.

In short, Carter wasn't invested in his series anymore-- and, to be fair, neither were David and Gillian: all three (and Spotnitz) wanted to do movies instead. FOX said no; so, they took on Season 8 and 9. When the middling traction from S8 flopped in S9, CC deviated from the mytharc and did IWTB. That flubbed; and he let the matter rest for a few years (still hoping for more movies.) When FOX only agreed to do another series, he didn't know what to do with the mytharc. Then Dr. Anne Simon and Margaret Fearon gave him a direction-- and, yes, both worked on (and cosigned) the mytharc episodes-- and got him excited to do something new; and more of it. And we all saw what happened thereafter.

(Dr. Anne Simon also worked on the OG mytharc episodes, and has nothing but good things to say about them and the Revival. Again, a future rabbit hole.)

In conclusion: once CC's interest is engaged, he loses track of all else and devotes his aspirations to that one thing-- to the detriment of not only the whole picture (i.e. mythology) but also other equally important moving parts (i.e. Gillian's desire to move on.)

I could go on, but I think that's it for now.

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pilot//iwtb

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the whole ‘william was an experiment and csm is his ‘father’’ 🙅🏼‍♀️🙉

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X Files fans! Sounds like it's happening.... Ryan Coogler's X Files reboot is going forward. (video here, X Files talk starts at 26:46)

I have many conflicting thoughts on this but here are some of my opinions on this so far. Opinions subject to change XD

If GA and DD come back as Mulder and Scully, you run the risk of the reboot forever living in the shadows of the OG series. The TV show “Scrubs” had a similar problem back in the day when they did the soft reboot. One could also argue that the Revival had the same problem. (an argument that I'd largely agree with)

If GA and DD don't come back I think this will frustrate a lot of OG fans, which can lead to a negative bias before the first episode even airs. 

If Mulder and Scully do come back in some capacity Ryan Coogler has quite the uphill battle to climb given where things are left at the end of season 11

As of this moment I would be more interested in a total reboot outside of the Mulder and Scully “universe”

I think Ryan Coogler is a very good director and writer but I simply do not trust Disney Plus with The X Files IP.

Thoughts?

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I watched some random episodes of the Revival just to see how I’d feel about them all these years later and HOOOO BOYYY was it SOMETHING. The dialogue is BAD at times, really bad. Even in “fun” episodes like “This” or “Lost Art Of Forehead Sweat” is just, I don’t know, babifyied? Too modern? It’s hard to describe. Then you have the bed scene in “Plus One”. IMO it might be the single worst interaction between Mulder and Scully in the show’s entire history. NOTHING about that conversation makes any sense. When Mulder said “you’re a woman of science” when Scully was taking about having more kids. I got out of my chair and screamed “WHAT?!?!” I hope my neighbor heard me. 😂

I won’t lie though, despite the scripts DD and GA still have that magic between them. I really would have loved to see a revival that just revolved around Mulder and Scully investigating the paranormal as a sort of private investigator/consulting team, but you know, not broken up. It’s a shame really.

I also need to mention the lighting in the reboot. It bothered me a great deal. It’s almost like there was an extra tint of darkness that was added in post production if that makes sense? I know TXF is always dark but here it feels artificial? It’s just strange.

Lastly I will say, I was regretting watching again because I knew I wouldn’t enjoy it, but I did get some enjoyment out of it. Not enjoyment as in I liked watching it, I didn’t. Enjoyment out of how I was reminded why I don’t like the revival era. It’s like a weight was lifted. I can laugh about it now and not feel angry or sad. I feel free 😃

**P.S. There is no hate to those that like/love the revival. I LOVED the revival when it aired but my heart just didn’t grow fonder for it after it aired. It needs to be said that The X Files fandom is a board church and all should be welcome! ♥️

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Just finished watching I Want To Believe! Here are Some thoughts of mine if you are so inclined to read them:

• I still love this movie dearly

• I know the plot is terrible

• Scully is not at OOC as some people may think. That is my opinion and I know many will disagree. That’s fine!

• Mulder is still Mulder

• No, Mulder and Scully did not break up half way through. They had an argument, it’s just done in the most Carterian way possible (yes, I’m probably coping)

• I love the final kiss at the end but it pales in comparison to The Truth and Existence Kisses

• I HATE when Mulder says “it’s why we can’t be together” but that’s Chris Carter talking and not Mulder

• When Mulder said “it’s why we can’t be together” it’s him throwing Scully’s words back at her. His feelings were hurt and he wanted her to know that. It’s a shitty thing for someone to do but again, not a breakup.

• in regards to “canon” endings. I Want To Believe in my personal favorite.

• I Want To Believe will forever be my personal canon ending.

• The novel is terrible but I do recommend reading it once if you can find it. It breaks down Scully’s headspace pretty well and it helps in understanding her motives.

Here’s some personal post IWTB headcanon stuff I’d like to share because why not?

• I’d like to believe that after this movie Scully will leave Medicine again and Mulder and Scully will start their own paranormal consulting business. Think Ed and Lorraine Warren from The Conjuring Movies but instead of demons possessions they investigate Physics, werewolves, Aliens and shit

• They will eventually reunite with William somehow.

• they may not be able to raise him, but they will have a good relationship with him and his adopted parents

• Colonization never happens because the alien rebels will come back and defeat the super soldiers/colonists

• They never move out of the unremarkable house because I love it too much

• They go away on many island vacations like the one we see in the credits

I can’t wait to watch this series again in another year or two! Like I said in this post. The X Files isn’t perfect but it’s my show and I love it!

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Just finished watching I Want To Believe! Here are Some thoughts of mine if you are so inclined to read them:

• I still love this movie dearly

• I know the plot is terrible

• Scully is not at OOC as some people may think. That is my opinion and I know many will disagree. That’s fine!

• Mulder is still Mulder

• No, Mulder and Scully did not break up half way through. They had an argument, it’s just done in the most Carterian way possible (yes, I’m probably coping)

• I love the final kiss at the end but it pales in comparison to The Truth and Existence Kisses

• I HATE when Mulder says “it’s why we can’t be together” but that’s Chris Carter talking and not Mulder

• When Mulder said “it’s why we can’t be together” it’s him throwing Scully’s words back at her. His feelings were hurt and he wanted her to know that. It’s a shitty thing for someone to do but again, not a breakup.

• in regards to “canon” endings. I Want To Believe in my personal favorite.

• I Want To Believe will forever be my personal canon ending.

• The novel is terrible but I do recommend reading it once if you can find it. It breaks down Scully’s headspace pretty well and it helps in understanding her motives.

Here’s some personal post IWTB headcanon stuff I’d like to share because why not?

• I’d like to believe that after this movie Scully will leave Medicine again and Mulder and Scully will start their own paranormal consulting business. Think Ed and Lorraine Warren from The Conjuring Movies but instead of demons possessions they investigate Physics, werewolves, Aliens and shit

• They will eventually reunite with William somehow.

• they may not be able to raise him, but they will have a good relationship with him and his adopted parents

• Colonization never happens because the alien rebels will come back and defeat the super soldiers/colonists

• They never move out of the unremarkable house because I love it too much

• They go away on many island vacations like the one we see in the credits

I can’t wait to watch this series again in another year or two! Like I said in this post. The X Files isn’t perfect but it’s my show and I love it!

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Finished my rewatch of the original series of The X Files last night (first time in too long) what a magical ride it was!

The X Files is a flawed show, no doubt about that. But it's MY flawed show, one that I am deeply appreciative of. I've watched many TV shows in my life time but none have come even remotely close to touching my heart the way The X Files does. I've never seen anything like it, and I doubt I ever will again.

I was going to just quote the legendary Kim Manners on his audio commentary of "Existence" and "The Truth" but it wouldn't do the man any justice. I think you need to hear him say these things and not just read them. There's no way I could have put things any better than Kim did here!

Credit to @andreicastrillon7830 for the YouTube video. A true legend of making this compilation!

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Just finished watching I Want To Believe! Here are Some thoughts of mine if you are so inclined to read them:

• I still love this movie dearly

• I know the plot is terrible

• Scully is not at OOC as some people may think. That is my opinion and I know many will disagree. That’s fine!

• Mulder is still Mulder

• No, Mulder and Scully did not break up half way through. They had an argument, it’s just done in the most Carterian way possible (yes, I’m probably coping)

• I love the final kiss at the end but it pales in comparison to The Truth and Existence Kisses

• I HATE when Mulder says “it’s why we can’t be together” but that’s Chris Carter talking and not Mulder

• When Mulder said “it’s why we can’t be together” it’s him throwing Scully’s words back at her. His feelings were hurt and he wanted her to know that. It’s a shitty thing for someone to do but again, not a breakup.

• in regards to “canon” endings. I Want To Believe in my personal favorite.

• I Want To Believe will forever be my personal canon ending.

• The novel is terrible but I do recommend reading it once if you can find it. It breaks down Scully’s headspace pretty well and it helps in understanding her motives.

Here’s some personal post IWTB headcanon stuff I’d like to share because why not?

• I’d like to believe that after this movie Scully will leave Medicine again and Mulder and Scully will start their own paranormal consulting business. Think Ed and Lorraine Warren from The Conjuring Movies but instead of demons possessions they investigate Physics, werewolves, Aliens and shit

• They will eventually reunite with William somehow.

• they may not be able to raise him, but they will have a good relationship with him and his adopted parents

• Colonization never happens because the alien rebels will come back and defeat the super soldiers/colonists

• They never move out of the unremarkable house because I love it too much

• They go away on many island vacations like the one we see in the credits

I can’t wait to watch this series again in another year or two! Like I said in this post. The X Files isn’t perfect but it’s my show and I love it!

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@precedex-files “it’s brilliant and infuriating” In all my years of being an XF fan I don’t think I’ve ever heard a more brilliant explanation of The X Files. Thank you for that!

I agree 100% with everything else you said!

Thanks for dropping in! ♥️

Finished my rewatch of the original series of The X Files last night (first time in too long) what a magical ride it was!

The X Files is a flawed show, no doubt about that. But it's MY flawed show, one that I am deeply appreciative of. I've watched many TV shows in my life time but none have come even remotely close to touching my heart the way The X Files does. I've never seen anything like it, and I doubt I ever will again.

I was going to just quote the legendary Kim Manners on his audio commentary of "Existence" and "The Truth" but it wouldn't do the man any justice. I think you need to hear him say these things and not just read them. There's no way I could have put things any better than Kim did here!

Credit to @andreicastrillon7830 for the YouTube video. A true legend of making this compilation!

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Finished my rewatch of the original series of The X Files last night (first time in too long) what a magical ride it was!

The X Files is a flawed show, no doubt about that. But it's MY flawed show, one that I am deeply appreciative of. I've watched many TV shows in my life time but none have come even remotely close to touching my heart the way The X Files does. I've never seen anything like it, and I doubt I ever will again.

I was going to just quote the legendary Kim Manners on his audio commentary of "Existence" and "The Truth" but it wouldn't do the man any justice. I think you need to hear him say these things and not just read them. There's no way I could have put things any better than Kim did here!

Credit to @andreicastrillon7830 for the YouTube video. A true legend of making this compilation!

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I chose "I'm not mad, just disappointed" but that is strictly for the original series.

First and foremost I was never disappointed with MSR. I like the slow burn nature of it all. Are there some things I would change? Yes! Overall though I really don't have any major complaints.

What disappoints me about this show is how unnecessarily convoluted the mythology got. Especially post season 6. I think the Mythos as a whole does largely make sense up until "Two Fathers/One Son" Everything after that however, really make no sense at all. The Super Soldiers are dumb and unnecessary. Like WTF happened to the alien hybrids or the alien rebels. I think season 8 and 9 are instantly more interesting if CC included them instead of Super Soldiers. We never even got any real resolution to what the Super Soldiers are! Then we have William, poor poor William. What a wasted opportunity that was. Again, none of these things make me angry per say, just disappointed.

Then we get to the Revival... Oh the Revival... That to me is an emphatic "I'm frustrated with his creative choices". To say I disagree with EVERY creative decision CC made in the Revival would be an understatement. The senseless break up, the complete retcon of the mythology, Mulder and Scully going back to the FBI FOR NO REASON, the disregard of William, I can go on and on. I'm just left with asking why? Was the Mythology really so beyond saving that you had to just retcon the whole thing? What did breaking up Mulder and Scully add story wise? Why did Mulder and Scully HAVE to rejoin the FBI in their 50's? Why did William have to continue to get treated like nothing more than a plot device? The revival was not a continuation of the original series, its a back door reboot and that, to this day, pisses me off. The one positive takeaway I can take from the Revival is it made me appreciate the OG series more!

I'm sorry for the long rant but I will be finishing my rewatch of the series tonight and I can't help but have some of these thoughts in my head. your post couldn't have come at a better time @randomfoggytiger

Lengthy responses would be preferable, but only if you want to.

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X FIles fans, I gotta know. Which of the two options do you prefer about William:

P.S. Please read both options and bullet points CAREFULLY.

A.) William is the result of a union between Mulder and Scully. His powers come from the following:

Mulder and Scully are both immune to the coming black oil plague due to their exposure (Mulder in Tunguska/Terma, Scully in Fight The Future). This trait was passed down to William, also making him immune to the coming Plague.

The Biogenesis ship reactivated Scully's ova, allowing her to conceive again.

The rubbings of said ship activate some Alien DNA in Mulder, giving him “powers” such as remote viewing and reading minds. (Biogenesis/ The Sixth Extinction)

These traits were passed down to Willam who also has the ability to move objects with his mind, etc. 

William IS “more human than human” but he is unequivocally Mulder and Scully's son 

B.) William is the result of CSM and “Scary Science”:

William was created to aid CSM in affecting the population with with spartan virus

He is “more human than human” because he has the ability to shape shift, explode peoples heads, etc.

William is NOT Mulders biological son, he is his half brother/spiritual son

I'm going to take a wild guess and say y'all are going to pick option A, but this fandom is full of surprises so you never know!

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I just rewatched Sunshine Days for the first time in a very long time and I forgot how wonderful the last two minutes of the episode was!

I know it’s corney but Scully’s line about proof of more “important things” (she’s meant falling in love with her spooky partner IMO) and then Doggett and Reyes holding hands (I ship em btw) really got to me in the best way. Vince Gillian, who wrote and directed this episode really knew what it’s really all about. He’s the 🐐!

✖️✖️✖️ 9x18 Sunshine Days

The one with... the man who’s obsessed with The Brady Bunch.

Best: As wrap up for the MOTW side of the original run of the show it’s touching. Doggett: So close, Dana. I’m sorry you don’t get your proof. Scully: Me too. Well, maybe I’ve had it these past nine years. If not proof of the paranormal, then... of more important things. The friends we made along the way!

Worst: Also highlights the downside of the MOTW format as once again no mention of William - WTF show?!

❌ Flashlights

❌ Woods/Desert

❌ Slideshow

✔️ Autopsy

✔️ Evidence Disappears

❌ Scully Misses It

✔️ Mulder Ditch (I hold this one against the show, not Mulder)

❌ Sunflower Seeds

❌ Voiceover

❌ Catch Phrase

❌ Scully is a Medical Doctor

❌ Mulder is Spooky

❌ Scuuullllaaaaayy! Muullllderrrr!

❌ Fox/Dana

❌ Inappropriate Touching (that I am here for)

❌ Casual Scully

❌ Casual Mulder

✔️ Trench Coats

❌ Bad Tie Watch

❌ Glasses Watch

✔️ Taking! It! Personally!: Scully

50 States: California x19 & DC x99 (44/50)

Investigate: Apart

Solve Rate: 83%

❌ Bechdel Test: Conversations between women were all about men

MSR: 🐝🐝

Goriness: 👽👽

Creepiness: 👽👽

Humor: 👽👽

Rewatch Thoughts:

William check-in: No mention 😐

Missing Mulder: Scully: I want vindication! For Mulder... and for all of us.

Michael Emerson, Pre-LOST! He’s so good at creating compelling characters - creepy/menacing but pathetic enough to turn to sympathetic

Is “dead as a hammer” a common saying? I thought it was “dead as a doornail” 🤔

Scully: If Mulder were here... 😢 She went through Mulder’s books!

Monica’s flippy, flippy hair 🤨

Doggett’s so confused by the idea of someone being obsessed with a 30 year old show 😝

It’s like they’re suddenly in a computer screen saver 😆

Scully’s happy smile and giggle at floating Skinner 😂

Aww, Skinner’s so happy that they have proof that will allow the X-Files to remain open! Sadly doesn’t last for long...

I don’t like Doggett’s new A to B to C thing - I’m not sure why, it just feels... smug, like he’s finally figured out how to understand X-Files by justifying his very basic leaps in logic

Scully and Dr Anspaugh (ER!) being so gung-ho to use this man as proof and vindication of their lives work is not a great look - but at least they come around quickly when they realize the harm his power is doing to him

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Mulder's Alien Baby Baby Trauma In-Depth (Part XX): "You Paid Your Dues"

Alone is quite a personal look into Mulder's ever-evolving growth. Concurrent to Scully's "regifting" of the Apollo 11 key chain, he's forced to contemplate the past while working through the present-- namely, that the man then can change while still retaining who he is at his core.

And, most importantly, Mulder rediscovers his sense of wonder.

GRATITUDE, GUILT, AND REGIFTING

To go forward in this analysis, we need to discuss Scully a bit first. 

Scully is packing up her office-- alone-- for maternity leave, rifling through objects of her and Mulder’s past, face somber as her nails flip around Dreamland's fused dimes and Queequeg’s dog tag. Attention arrested, she fails to notice Doggett's entrance until he cheerfully greets her.

Smiling a shade too brightly-- caught-- she packs away her melancholy and explains, “I’m not staying, Agent Doggett. My doctor told me to take my maternity leave. In fact, she insisted on it.” The words are surface-level: coolly described facts that disguise a host of indecision. Scully knows she’s not coming back-- a fact she does not relay verbally to Doggett in this scene. The reality, however, is just now setting in; and Scully, not one to relent to complicated or taxing emotions, is avoiding that exposure through packing, pleasantries, and final goodbyes. 

This creates the first of many emotional struggles this episode: while understandable and human-- and very "Scully"-- this precedent opens the flood gates of her old demon: Guilt. In an attempt to appease that foe, Scully begins to relinquish more and more of her needs, running back from maternity leave to track missing men and chase after monsters.

Not yet privy to this chain of events, Scully looks down at an old friend: the Apollo 11 key chain Mulder gifted her four years ago (and one she still smiles over, four years later (post here.) And it’s here where she does something controversial: acting on a thought, Scully hands the key chain over to her new partner with an earnest, “I'd like to give this to you, Agent Doggett.”

Doggett, sensing there's a deeper reason behind this sudden gesture, replies, “Thanks. Because?” 

As he (rightly) guessed, Agent Scully does have a greater point: “Agent Mulder gave it to me a few years back. It symbolizes team-work, partnership. It means no one gets there alone. And after this past year and everything that we've been through, it just…. I wouldn't be here without you.”

It's then that Scully initiates her first hug with Agent Doggett-- a gesture similar to Mulder's first proffered handshake (posts here and here)-- and a connection, at last, the two can express over the unique partnership they'd been able to forge and maintain during these past tragic months.

Handing over the Apollo 11 key chain is not a flippant action on her part (nothing Scully does ever is); but it is not a wholesale, heart-on-her-sleeve gesture, either.

While it would appear Scully reduced Mulder’s gift to a gesture of friendship, she has not. Before her partner gave her this key chain, Scully was diagnosed with cancer. In Memento Mori, she cracked open her ribs and bled her secrets onto paper, confessing, “I feel these words as if their meaning were weight being lifted from me, knowing that you will read them and share my burden, as I have come to trust no other. That you should know my heart, look into it, finding there the memory and experience that belong to you, that are you, is a comfort to me now as I feel the tethers loose and the prospects darken for the continuance of a journey that began not so long ago, and which began again with a faith shaken and strengthened by your convictions, if not for which I might never have been so strong now. As I cross to face you and look at you incomplete, hoping that you will forgive me." Her fear, then, was not only her lack of courage to face the end but that she would fail under this battle; and, most importantly, that she would disappoint those she loved. Mulder, as the expression goes, kept these things and pondered them in his heart; and met the strength of that fear with his birthday gift-- a confession of his own. Scully's second monologue captures his sentiment beautifully: “This gift that you gave me for my birthday. You never got to tell me why you gave it to me or what it means, but I think I know. I think that you appreciate that there are extraordinary men and women and extraordinary moments when history leaps forward on the backs of these individuals. That what can be imagined can be achieved. That you must dare to dream; but that there's no substitute for perseverance and hard work. And teamwork. Because no one gets there alone. And that, while we commemorate the, the greatness of these events and the individuals who achieve them, we cannot forget the sacrifice of those who make these achievements and leaps possible.” In short, she was assured by Mulder's unspoken reassurance: they were a team-- what she faced and fought would be battled and conquered together. Scully held tightly to that belief, telling her therapist in Elegy, “I guess I never realized how much I rely on him before this. His passion-- he's been a great source of strength that I've drawn on.” It was vital to them both.

Why, then, with all this history-- all these coded messages and cloaked romance-- did she give away the medallion to Mulder’s platonic replacement? Because Scully was both equally grateful for all that Doggett had done and deeply guilty for "abandoning" him with the work. 

Firstly: Doggett did not choose to be assigned to the files-- he was ordered to the basement by Kersh as a punishment. He promised to locate her partner (“Whatever you and I may differ on, I'll find him, Agent Scully”); and did, eventually, unearth Mulder. But Doggett was not relinquished from the files: he stayed the rest of Scully’s pregnancy (and beyond), and tried to leave when Mulder returned from the dead. 

Secondly: Scully knows the files are not his passion, and frankly fears for those who have to till with a backhoe alone. “Get out while you can, Agent Doggett," she warns in Deadalive, "or you may never get out at all." (It's a sentiment she repeats a few scenes after this one, sighing to Mulder that she "feels like a deserter.")

Thirdly: Doggett is afraid to be left alone-- not just because he’s lost an anchor in the work but also because he, too, has experienced how personally challenging and devastating the cases can be. He is fearful of picking up the torch and carrying it forward, yet is pressured to do so per Mulder's and Scully's separate pleas... and Scully knows this.

The Apollo 11 “regifting” (as Mulder later puts it), then, achieved three things for Scully: a wordless gesture of deep gratitude, a charm-- in effect-- against the evils of the job, and an attempt, posthumously, to alleviate her guilt. 

And it works. Temporarily. 

After releasing Doggett with a shy, averted smile, Scully walks to the door, a burden off her shoulders. When Doggett pinpoints the finality in her actions-- “Agent Scully. This pregnancy leave - it's just a leave, right? I mean, you are coming back eventually?”-- she pauses briefly to consider his words. Scully is, theoretically, free: smiling enigmatically-- plainly communicating that this is a final goodbye to that chapter of her life-- she seems, for a brief moment, relieved and effusive with hopeful contentment.

But the key chain gesture, verbalized gratitude, and first (and final) hug work only up to a point: Scully is still emotionally wavering-- still shoving away rather than healthily processing her complicated emotions over these slow-then-swift changes; and, as the final chapter of her time on the files draws to a close, she is face-to-face with Doggett’s stricken, shaken expression.

It's more complicated than feeling like a duty shirked. Months ago, Scully stood where Doggett is now standing-- alone, afraid of how to move forward, afraid she wouldn't measure up to Mulder's capabilities (let alone find him.) Yet here she is-- Scully feels-- placing that yoke directly on this unwilling man's shoulders and walking away to the life she always wanted. Further, she is walking away to a partner at home and a baby on the way, two things that Agent Doggett has lost. And while her intentions aren’t to abandon Doggett, he is being abandoned: left to a cause in a dead-end career, shackled by her and Mulder’s expectations without a family to buffer his losses.

Thus, her face falls; and the peace she’d attempted to purchase is left in the stale air of the basement-- neither purchased nor warded off by a regifted token of trust and partnership.

MULDER AND SCULLY, COMMUNICATING AT LAST

This scene is vitally important to deciphering where Mulder and Scully are in their relationship: not only as part of his PTSD healing journey, but also as a snippet into the shifting tectonic plates of their unspoken dynamic. 

In a word, Mulder and Scully are communicating. 

And in an even more interesting turn of events, Mulder chooses to open a personal conversation between them, a proactive update to their standard modus operandi. Both usually approach Scully’s personal crises through one of two methods: either she finally admits to a private struggle (Elegy, All Souls, Orison, all things, etc.) or Mulder heads off Scully’s denial with an acknowledgment of her suffering (Irresistible, Memento Mori, etc.) Generally, the two operate on the former rather than the latter method. The difference now is that Mulder knows (or suspects) her present worries will tie directly back to him and their new changes together; and, instead of fleeing that discussion through various distractions, he intentionally opens the conversation, ready to face it head-on.

When Mulder arrives at Scully’s apartment, he is chipper and vulnerable: playing with his fingers nervously, he offers a broad, sweeping smile to communicate his nervous excitement. 

Scully, however, doesn’t smile back: instead, she sweeps away for her keys (an attempt to hide-- i.e. avoid-- her bubbling emotions.) Mulder senses something is off: he walks through the door with a contemplative look, eyes staring at nothing in particular as his head works through the odd moment. Coming to rest in front of his partner’s couch, he fidgets with his sleeves, glancing over to size up her posture in silence.

It's a simple deduction to assume strange changes in behavior are due to new or out-of-the-ordinary circumstances; and Mulder makes this initial deduction, deciding that his very pregnant partner likely needs a stabilizing distraction.

“Hey, don't forget this,” he starts, leaning down for Scully’s support pillow. 

In a silly, animated mime, Mulder stuffs the pillow under his shirt, simulating her belly as he repeats, “Relax the back, breathe in, breathe out.” Seeing that his method is working, he adds two exaggerated breaths-- willing, as always, to be a fool for Scully. 

It’s not just a bid for her amusement, of course: misdiagnosing her anxiety with insecurity, Mulder attempts to assuage Scully's insecurities by demonstrating that he is prepared-- for Lamaze, birth, and beyond. He is, in effect, demonstrating his eagerness to be an involved father and partner.

What does Scully make of this? She is a tad amused, approaching with a side eye and suppressed grin, but largely unsurprised-- meaning, she never doubted Mulder's dedication and commitment. Knowing her partner as she does, she's well aware of his propensity to commit one hundred percent of himself into anything he believes in; and this miraculous pregnancy (that he told her never to give up on, post here), is one he has, post Vienen, forsaken all for.

But that, of course, doesn't solve the current problem.

Her mood drops as she approaches, the closer proximity more naturally bringing out her vulnerabilities. Scully, consciously aware of her physical tells, becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, betraying her emotions against her intent.

Mulder keeps the game up for a little bit (“I'm unemployed, I have a lot of time on my hands"); yet, when her smile doesn't return, he abruptly ends their play with one final self-deprecating joke (“Oprah. I watch a lot of Oprah.”)

In response, Scully unintentionally throws out a glaring warning sign: “Thank you for doing this with me.”

While she means it to be an earnest thanks, it falls flat in the face of her current, distracted state. And, unfortunately, it throws Mulder's words back at him, trivializing-- unintentionally-- his commitment to a laudable inconvenience he is doing for her sake.Thankfully, Mulder seems to understand her intentions: his face falls, but only in acceptance that his gestures had failed; and his mouth tightens grimly, but only in preparation for the conversation he's about to instigate.

It’s been a harrowing recovery after his resurrection: a long trail through withdrawal and misunderstanding and jealousy and hurt and anger and resolution and loss and growth, all culminating in his recovery and steps forward. Sometime between his ousting from the FBI to his entrance through Scully's front door, Mulder has resolved to be happy-- to be a dedicated partner and parent. He's chased aliens to find his sister, pursued UFOs to keep Scully safe, and recently jumped from his career to come home to his child. He is here because he chooses to be: because this is his chance at a better life, one he attempted with Scully during the IVF arc (posts here and here) and dreamed of “in another life, another world.” One he hoped for after their kiss, his closure, and Scully’s final resolution. One he almost didn’t have when he was abducted and “killed”; and one he almost lost again in the DOD, during Scully's abruption, and while on a burning oil rig.

He demonstrates this change with a plain address: “What’s the matter?” They are a team, together.

And here we see another tell of their current relationship: Scully pauses not because she is surprised by his question but because she is thoughtfully considering it. She takes Mulder’s probe in stride-- part of which can be explained by the nature of their relationship, since truth finding was always a part of Mulder’s programming. But another, truer part is the Occam's Razor answer: they are communicating, regularly and clearly, now.

Which isn’t too much of a surprise: Mulder knew the name of her doctor (post here), Mulder stitched himself into Scully’s new familiar routines seamlessly (post here), and Mulder acknowledged-- in his own way-- that his "going down swinging" would personally affect the baby (post here.) It’s a reestablishment of their Season 7 camaraderie, but without the good-natured pauses and mannerisms that marked an uncharted, fumbling, spirited discovery of their new territory. 

Taking his question in stride, Scully mulls it over, and self-deprecatingly cops to a very intimate disclosure: “I don't know. I, uh-- maybe it's hormones, or, I just.... It's just, I'm just feeling so strange about all this.” Hormones, feelings, and the undefinable word “strange” are landmark revelations in the Mulder and Scully communication technique-- to us, the audience, at least. More broadly, they point to fruitful conversations stretching from "Three Words" to now that we aren't-- and won't be-- privy to. A pity.

Whatever he had been expecting, it wasn't this: Mulder's face droops further, his eyes cloud over, and his mouth drops down-- a sign that he is scrambling emotionally. Per his actions, we can infer that this is not only unexpected but potentially destabilizing: 

“This, 'having a baby' this?”

His eyes bounce from Scully’s to her belly, searching for the truth as his mood shifts from discomfort to confusion. It's an interesting reminder of Mulder's humanity: VCU Golden Boy and whiz criminal profiler that he is, Mulder is still fallible with regards to his personal life. It is also interesting to note that, per his old pattern, the hint of possible personal rejection still emotionally destabilizes Mulder: in this case, he leaps to Scully not wanting to have "a baby this"-- his baby; with him.

“No, no,” Scully insists, tilting her head to the side. The thought is unimaginable. 

Eyebrows drawn, she stares into the middle distance, slowly taking stock of her emotions. “Leaving work, I guess. I mean…. I, I walked out of that office today feeling like a deserter.” Her voice cracks, plaintively awash with guilt. 

It's here we find another interesting tidbit: Mulder leaps in, brimming with conviction, “You paid your dues there, Scully. More than paid them.” 

His statement, while not revolutionary, is telling: an echo of his sentiment in Requiem (post here): “I want you to go home. No, I’ve been thinking about it. Looking at you tonight, holding that baby, knowing everything that’s been taken away from you. A chance for motherhood; and your health; and that baby…. I think that… I don’t know, maybe they’re right. The FBI. Maybe what they say is true, though for all the wrong reasons. It’s the personal costs that are too high.” This is a reiteration of Mulder's long-standing pattern: a lasting legacy of guilt over Scully’s losses while following along (he reasons) on his purported destiny-- one that traces as far back as Tooms (“I’d hate to see you carry an official reprimand in your career file because of me”) and Darkness Falls (“I told her it was going to be a nice trip to the forest”.) As far back, really, as the Pilot (“All right, but I just want you to understand what it is you're saying.... You have to write it down in your report”); and one that, more likely than not, began on the night his sister disappeared. It’s a shackle he wasn’t able to shed until The Unnatural and Amor Fati taught Mulder to live the life he has now; and a truth that was affirmed when Closure set him free. It’s a truth he clings to when he or Scully are upended time and time again. 

Fox Mulder is ready to move on; and he’s determined to take Scully (and their baby) with him.

Scully senses this; knows this. Feels, even, that this is the right choice. But she also feels for the tragedy of Doggett’s situation; and wonders if she’s abandoning her duty in order to chase a (perhaps selfish) happiness. 

Intelligent man that he is, Mulder intuits this. Face hardening, he asks, “You’re concerned about Agent Doggett?” 

Scully looks to the side, realizing that the jig is up. Although relieved that Mulder’s guessed her turmoil, she treads the conversation cautiously-- her old partner is not her new partner’s biggest fan. “You know, the entire time that I was down there, I had someone to watch my back.” 

Mulder, of course, is not especially moved by Doggett’s plight. His posture solidifies into possession, mouth tightening as he dismisses, “I'm betting that Agent Doggett can take care of himself.” Translation: while Doggett may be the man he’s forced to entrust the files to, he is not (Mulder believes) someone (read: a man) who Scully should be wasting a single thought or worry over-- not when he, her true partner, is here to drive her to Lamaze and start this new chapter of their lives together. "He's a big boy. You gotta worry about the little boy."

Scully clocks his use of language: head shooting up, eyebrows cocking, mouth pulling at the corners, she locks onto his face, trying to assess if it’s a boy he's been secretly wanting. 

"Or little girl."

Mulder, cluing in to her shift, comes to a sudden halt as he rewinds his previous statement and her reaction. A new thought dawns: had he, without even trying-- without previously considering-- guessed the sex of the baby?

Tilting his head towards her belly, his eyes travel down and up again, interest sparking and flashing.

“Boy?” he repeats, eyes illuminated with curiosity and excitement. “Or girl?” he adds with a head toss, certainty waning due to Scully’s impassive reaction.

Scully remains silent, tender intrigue giving way to an amused superiority. There’s relief, as well: that her partner is as excited as she is, yes; but that he is also not holding "something" back-- that he isn't going through the motions while keeping his true thoughts and opinions behind a shield. Because Mulder’s reaction was unmistakably genuine-- awe and intrigue and anticipation on full display-- she is certain, proof positive, that her partner (every part of him) has been unbarred for her to see.

She closes her eyes, content… and doesn’t tell Mulder the sex of the baby. 

Why doesn't she? Who knows.

Perhaps Scully and Mulder had an unspoken-- off-screen-- conversation where they established a game between them, she to hold back and he to guess. Perhaps not. To me, the most probable theory is that Scully didn’t know the sex: not only because of Mulder's acknowledging remark in Existence ("What we feared were the possibilities"), but also because, in the midst of labor, she begged for her child’s mercy while calling him an “it” (“Please don’t let them take it!”) And while that could be dismissed as poor writing (or worse: baited writing), Scully’s actress poured her heart and soul into that plea, transforming it from banal text to flesh-and-blood belief. The cogs seem to fit organically in that direction, regardless: Scully afraid to know yet hoping it would all come out right, turning her head away from yet another uncomfortable fear or anxiety-- it fits her own long-standing pattern.

OLD HABITS DIE HARD, PART I

Scully hears through the pipeline that Doggett has gone missing; and, unable to rest while he's in danger, she abandons her maternity leave and flies straight to the autopsy bay.

Catching onto her absence an indeterminate time later, Mulder sneaks into the FBI-- via a visitor’s badge-- and heads straight towards her natural habitat. Suspicions confirmed, his face drops from low-level worry to grimly-determined frustration. 

Scully, caught, stares at Mulder; and her assistant, glancing between Spooky Mulder’s set posture and Agent Scully’s frozen demeanor, decides it’s best to vacate the room as quickly as possible. 

Arms clasped politely in front, Mulder watches her go, waiting for the door to swing firmly shut before turning back to Scully. 

The obvious, then is at hand.

Rather than tackle his partner head-on, Mulder meanders his usual route: a gentle detour that will, ultimately, lead to the same point. And while thinking how best to head in that direction, Mulder draws attention to the obvious: “It seems like old times. You in scrubs, slicing and dicing.” ‘Like old times’ does a lot of heavy lifting here: by turns presenting a twinge of nostalgia over the past and a subtle reminder of their differing present. 

Scully is not a fool, but does not want to have this conversation. Swallowing, she ignores his allusions and switches the conversation to a different obvious: "What are you doing here, Mulder?”

“Actually, I, I wandered away from my tour.” Indicating his visitor’s badge, Mulder takes a decided step forward, face tightened in exasperation-- physically closing in on Scully step by step until she can no longer escape the confrontation.

Neutralizing his expression, he glides nearer, pivoting his body to dip across the autopsy table as far as possible before redirecting her misdirection with, “Better question is, what are you doing here?”

Instead of answering directly, Scully launches into an immediate justification, pointing to swabs and listing causes and symptoms, hoping to engage her partner’s interest and win him over. And, at first, her methods appear to be working: Mulder stands silently by, patiently listening to her theories and only emoting exasperatedly here or there. 

At one hopeful point, he mildly engages with her demonstration, leaning forward to squint at the corpse's secretion coating... only to immediately burst her bubble by effortlessly concluding, “Venom. Produced by reptiles.” 

Scully is pulled up short, q-tip suspended mid-air. “How did you know that?” 

Mulder tightens the net around her arguments: “Before Agent Doggett and his partner went missing they sent in samples to be analysed. Hydrolytic enzymes. Skinner told me.” Meaning, Scully has been checking other peoples’ work rather than revolutionizing their findings-- which, again, brings them back to the discussion at hand: why is she disregarding doctor's orders to work on a case?

“I, uh,” Scully flounders, grasping for another source of usefulness, “I also found some bacteria in the venom which I am going to do a culture on.”

“Let somebody else do it,” Mulder states. When her eyes flare, offended at his disregard, he quietly, pointedly, reminds her, “There are other concerns right now.”

“I know,” she admits, softening. This battle of wills between them, then, is not about her competency or capabilities: it’s about her self-sacrificial guilt complex, to her own (Mulder believes) detriment. 

Their communication kicks in again as she insists, “But this is an X-File, Mulder, and you are out of the Bureau. If now I go home, where is Skinner going to find someone qualified to look into this?”

It’s the truth; and one Mulder can’t deny-- one that leaves him no choice if he’s going to get Scully back home and off of her feet.

“I know where he could find somebody," he hints, lips morphing from sardonic resignation to irrepressible resolution.

As previously discussed, Mulder was fired from the FBI after his return from the dead (post here); and, although he decided to trust Doggett with the files, still felt the sting of poignant loss. With Scully soon to be disengaged from the basement, it would be easier-- Mulder reasoned-- to reinforce a clean break. But now his partner is struggling with a sense of loyalty, and unable to let go (just yet.) While he no longer hates Doggett, Mulder's nature jealously guards all access to Scully’s devotion or attention (a jealousy that dates as far back as Squeeze’s post-interrogation scene.) The fact that Doggett and Scully had successfully worked in his stead is more galling than that Scully had soldiered on alone (post here); and more galling, still, that she runs from one partner (him) back to her other partner (Agent Doggett.)

At the same time, it is an X-File. It's not a prospect that Mulder would have entertained willingly, but returning to an active investigation of this nature is not without its intrigues.

Even if his rationale is contradictory-- and unreasonable in some respects, it is understandable; and will, inevitably, set him back on the path to rediscovering his wonder for the work.

SHADOWED STEPS

It's no great shock that each episode after Mulder's return dealt with disparate, intense character flaws (e.g. Three Words's disempowerment and abrasive reactivity, Empedocles's human reconnection and understanding, Vienen's blinded willfulness and solo act, Alone's avoidance and rediscovery.)

There is personal work that must be done to live a whole, healed life; and there is character work that must be done to wholly sacrifice self in order to nurture and rear up a child. In the limited time Mulder has had to catch up (post here), he's made tremendous strides on both fronts. But there is still an important aspect to tackle: his tendency towards all-or-nothing extremes-- in this case, disavowing the FBI to build a life solely apart from it. In doing so, Mulder is in danger of losing a key part of himself-- a piece he rediscovers over the course of this monster case: his wonder of the unknown.

CONCLUSION

Communication. That's the key.

Thanks fro reading

Enjoy!