#realistically dana scully is my favorite fictional character of ALL TIME

[bisexualfbiagents]

There is no right or wrong. Life is just a path. You follow your heart and it'll take you where you're supposed to go. God, you sound like a greeting card.

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF THE X FILES Day 3: Favorite Character ➤ Melissa Scully

[katherine1753]

I was tagged by @slow-burn-sally​ thanks friend :D

your name and then what you would have named yourself

Katherine. I’m not sure, something shorter or that can only be spelled one way lol. 

astrological sign (sun/moon/rising if you know them)

Cancer. I have no idea what sun/moon/rising means. I was supposed to be born during Virgo though if that means anything?

when did you join tumblr and why?

......2010. To follow some fandom artists I liked on deviantart and some youtube people. I’ve been here a good long while.

top 5 fandoms

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, The Terror, The Untamed, Good Omens, uhhhhhh either Star Wars or Sherlock idk I’m very focused on the other four right now haha

top 5 favorite films

I don’t knowwww um The Holiday, Ocean’s 8, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Shining, Beauty and the Beast

go to song when you wanna Feel something

Wildfire - Marianas Trench

what’s your religion or faith if you have one?

I was raised Methodist so I guess that? 

a song that makes you feel seen

hmmm probably something else by Marianas Trench tbh 

if you could have any career

Wellll I love my job, I’m a kennel manager/dog groomer(mostly), maybe the same thing but paid better lol. I mean I’d love to be like a singer or artist or something but I’m thinking realistically here. I’m doing absolutely nothing with my degree/s, so something in those fields would be nice too...

do you have a type?

I don’t think so? I’m mostly into women and I just like any of them. As for men, at least fictionally, I like men who look like they’re straight out of the 1800s, ready to faint from scurvy or tuberculosis or something. Or the dark brooding type. Would I like any of them as regular human beings? I have no idea. As for everyone else, *shrug*? idk just someone who’s nice to me

what does your heart/soul yearn for

a HUG. freaking hugs. physical touch. Stupid covid. My best friend and I have seen each other at a distance a few times this year because it’s our 20th year of friendship and I can’t even hug her and it physically pains me that I cannot. 

if you had to describe yourself in 5 words

quiet, creative, tired, indecisive, good-with-animals

favorite subjects in school

in high school, band. in college...most of my major classes? uhhh Celtic Prehistory and Archaeogeology are standing out at the moment. 

where does your soul feel most at home

somewhere with woods/mountains/moss

top 5 fictional characters:

ahhhh I’ll limit myself to one per fandom: John Segundus, Thomas Jopson, Dana Scully, Wen Ning, Belle

top 3 moments in a show that made you ugly cry

Nicole and I just finished the Untamed so I’m going with that: 1. When Wen Ning yelled all the truths at Cheng and it was a huge massive reveal that I predicted but all of the pretty men were crying and it was emotionalllllll. 2. like the entire rest of the show ummm the long lost cousin/child/nephew reveal 3. The ending. “...Wei Ying.” if you know then you KNOW

the earth, the sun, the moon or the stars

earth

favorite kind of weather

basically now? Fall. Any of it. 

top 3 characters you kin with

ummmm idk Guillermo de la Cruz, Lan Zhan, can I say John Segundus again? 

favorite medium of art

pencil/pen/marker. Something on a paper!

introvert/extrovert/ambivert

oh introvert for sure. 

a favorite literary quote

“the Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite” - Piranesi

some of your favorite books:

and suddenly I’ve forgotten every book I’ve ever read. Piranesi, Gideon the Ninth/Harrow the Ninth, Neverwhere, Good Omens, And Then There Were None

if you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

I’m in GA, I like GA, somewhere by myself. 

if you could live in any time in history when would it be?

as much as I love historical periods, probably now. Medically I wouldn’t have done so well otherwise lol 

if you could play any instrument masterfully

I think piano or guitar would be the most like...useful? I was pretty decent at clarinet. 

if you have one, what mythological god or goddess do you feel a connection to

Idk, I’ve always thought Hades was cool 

and lastly, favorite recent selfie in your camera roll

my hair is a completely different color now but this was from a couple weeks ago. It’s a decent one!

[velvetmel0n]

Get to know me tag

Tagged by @hystericalmedicine @adikaofmandalore and @qveenbvtch

Name: I’m not too comfy sharing my full name here, sorry guys!

Nickname: Most people just use my name but Ty and T are pretty standard, and my mom’s called me Bug my entire life

Zodiac: Virgooo

Height: 5’10

Languages spoken: English, incredibly limited Spanish that I’m trying to relearn

Nationality: American

Favorite season: I love the cold but realistically probably summer

Favorite flower: We’ve been over this I pretty much love them all and they get brownie points if they smell nice

Favorite scent: Diesel/gasoline and cigarette smoke together (don’t look at me like that it reminds me of my grandpa and smells like home), horses, orange blossoms and my mom’s perfume

Favorite color: Jewel tones and peach

Favorite animal: Probably alligators and crocodiles, I’ve loved them since I was a kid...and sharks tbh, anything with sharp teeth and/or scales is a really good bet

Favorite fictional characters: oh god why did you have to ask this question. In no particular order: Indiana Jones, Evie Carnahan, Poe Dameron, Finn, Javier Peña, Din Djarin, Rick O’Connell, Dana Scully, Clarice Starling, Mazikeen Smith, Sara and Ducky from Land Before Time were my favorites growing up, Villanelle, Leia Organa, Ezra, the list could really go on but I’ll stop there 

Coffee, tea or hot chocolate: Coffee and tea! I’ve been drinking coffee almost every day for years now and I’m chronically addicted to tea

Dog or cat person: BOTH BITCH

Hours of sleep on average: anywhere from 3 to 8, non consecutively. I’ve never slept very well so a decent amount of sleep without waking up at least once is very rare for me

Number of blankets I use: at home? None except for like three months out of the year lmao. At school I was using three and sleeping in a hoodie, which I will argue counts as a wearable blanket

Dream trip: Everywhere. Central and South America and Africa are probably close to the top of the list continent wise though

Blog established: March fucking 14th 

Random fact: The longest I’ve stayed in one place was...6 or 7 years?

Tagging: @flower-petal-blooming @generaldamneron @damerondjarin @rzrcrst @beskars @themandjalorian @himbopoes @darksideofclarke @poeticandors @tintinwrites @chelsfic @okay-hotshot @huliabitch

[beautifulglider]

Tagged by @basada-en-la-esperanza! I know I’ve basically stopped using this website, but I love doing these, and the first thing I saw after logging on for the first time in weeks was that N had just tagged me, so you bet I’m gonna do this one.

You can call me: Emily, or Em if you want

I’d describe myself as: caring; responsible; cautious; a weird combination of quiet and talkative.

Fictional character(s) that I identify with or am fond of: I think I’ve written before that I don’t tend to identify with fictional characters. I’m very fond of Steve Rogers (and refuse to see endg*me because character assassination). Also Rey and Finn. Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. Elizabeth Bennet. Evelyn Carnahan.

Three random facts about me:

1) I love spooky things but am very easily spooked. This leads to such contradictory behavior as choosing to watch ghost shows after dark and then making my siblings come downstairs with me because I’m too scared to go by myself.

2) I have mast cell activation syndrome and have to follow a low-histamine diet, in addition to dealing with other food intolerances.

3) My favorite Elton John album is Tumbleweed Connection, and I still can’t believe no one’s turned it into a musical yet. Anyone who wants to take on the project should come talk to me, because I’ve got Ideas.

Something little about my appearance that I kind of like: the color of my eyes.

An outfit that makes me feel powerful: jeans, flannel shirt, and boots.

An object that is special to me: I probably couldn’t function without my phone.

A compliment (or two, or three) about me that made me feel warm inside: Usually they’re food-related. Last week I made gluten-free/vegan donuts for my sister’s first grade Halloween party and one of her teachers was super grateful. Yesterday I made garlic knots and my mom couldn’t stop saying how good they were.

Something I’d love to buy for someone else: I wish I could get my little sister some more cozy leggings/sweatpants. She’s got enough to get by, but it would be nice to have a few extra pairs and be less worried about running out before laundry day.

Something I’d love to buy for myself: I would love a pair of taller winter boots for colder, snowier days. Also warmer mittens. Also warmer slippers. Are you sensing a theme here?

Three things that make me happy right now:

1) My mom was gifted an electric blanket for her birthday, but she already has one, so she re-gifted it to me. Now I turn it on while I’m getting ready for bed, and it feels like a whole herd of cats has been laying on the foot of my bed when I get into it, and it’s lovely.

2) I recently learned that one can drink plain hot water and it’s surprisingly pleasant. Sometimes I’ll add a small spoonful of honey as well, and it almost makes up for the fact that I can’t drink tea like I used to.

3) I’m taking my sibling to an appointment tomorrow and the office just called to switch from the location that’s 30 minutes away to the location that’s only 10 minutes away, which makes my day a lot easier.

Something I’m looking forward to: I just gave in to temptation and ordered myself three bags of smashmallows—pumpkin pie, hot cocoa, and candy cane—and I can’t wait to try them all (though I think I’m most excited about the candy cane flavor).

Something I enjoyed recently: A few days before Halloween, my siblings and I went on a local ghost tour, and the guide was super friendly and an amazing storyteller, and the stories were awesomely creepy, and it was an all-around blast. 10/10 would recommend.

Song(s) stuck in my head recently: She Lit A Fire by Lord Huron.

I watched this, maybe you’d like it too: In all honesty, Wishbone is the last thing I watched and enjoyed the heck out of. Oh, and Leverage! Can’t forget the Leverage rewatch.

Something adorable I came across recently: I carved my Halloween pumpkin this year to look like the spooky space kook from Scooby Doo, and in my research I found this video of this guy’s realistic (and amazing) costume, and the family photo at the end featuring all their themed costumes is super cute imo.

If you wanted to know me better, you should check out these things: Hmm. Well, I have a very long list of favorite things, including but definitely not limited to Pride and Prejudice, Sherlock Holmes (ACD’s version), The Mummy, The Force Awakens, Captain America, The X-Files, Leverage, Tamora Pierce’s books, Hozier’s music, Bastille’s music. If you were to interact with any of these things and then come discuss it with me, that might be one way to get to know me better.

Something I can/will do to take care of myself or make things more positive for me in the coming days: For physical and emotional health, regular baths will be occurring over the next week or so. ‘

If you want to answer some questions too, consider yourself tagged. :)

[peggyfromtheblockk]

Get to Know the Blogger

Hey! So, I’ve realized aside from a few comments here and there, I haven’t really talked on here at all! This sad thought made me realize it was time to share a lot of unnecessary stuff so maybe you can get a basic--detailed--idea of who I am. So here’s a bunch of word vomit and feel free to come talk to me, I promise I’m a lot nicer than a lot of my answers make me seem lol

Name: You can call me E.

Age: 20

Zodiac sign: Aries

Height: 5’7

Languages spoken: English but I do remember a few random words of Spanish

Nationality & Location: American and Michigan

Work: Currently working in the infant room at a daycare

Favorite fruit: Blueberries

Favorite scent: Lavender, vanilla, or apple

Favorite animal: I really love otters and llamas

Favorite fictional character: Dana Scully of course (though, I do have a soft spot for Stella Gibson)

Favorite candy: KitKat’s but currently I’ll devour almost any chocolate given to me

Favorite holiday: Christmas and Halloween. But probably Halloween more because I love the prep and the actual day, whereas I just really love the prep for Christmas

Favorite season: I really like autumn because my hometown and college towns are so beautiful but I love spring because I love everything coming back to life

Favorite Social Media? Twitter, but like, stan twitter

Favorite thing about where you live? I just love that I have some of my favorite people within literal minutes of me. It’s a really comforting feeling. And we have a fair every year which is gross but entertaining at the same time

Favorite swear word? Probably shit, but fuck and damn do escape quite often

What are you listening to:  As of right now When I Kissed The Teacher from MM2

What Books Are You Reading? I have three books I haven’t finished and haven’t touched in like two months. We, Beaches, and Yes Please

What Time Do You Usually Go To Bed? Around 1 in the morning usually

What Makes You Happy? A lot of things, though I don’t always realize that. I’m usually an “It’s the little things” person too. BUT to answer, Gillian and msr never fail to make me happy

What Are You Craving Right Now? I could smash a plate of spaghetti right now

What Is Your Gender? Female (she/her pronouns)

What Is Your Sexuality? Bisexual but I’m definitely like 85% women, 15% men

What’s The Next Movie You Want To See In Theaters? MAMMA MIA 2 IM SO EXCITED

What Eye Colour Do You Find Sexiest? I’m a sucker for blue eyes

What Do You Wear To Bed? A tee and shorts usually but if I’m in The Mood I’ll wear just a tee (Yes, That Mood)

What Sounds Are Your Favourite? I love the sound of a campfire and babies laughing or babbling literally melts my heart

What’s the first thing you notice about people? Usually, their eyes but I’m drawn to those with a bright genuine smile

What’s something that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside? Being With My People. They never fail to make me feel warm and fuzzy. Also when I get a cute little note from my favorite professor on an assignment because she is like the light of my life  

What are your hobbies? When I’m not in school I like to read and I’m able to write some. During school, you can find me watching x files, sleeping, or enjoying movies or music

What’s your favorite book? I love anything by Laurie Halse Anderson and really anything in the YA genre

What inspires you? Gillian is really inspiring to me because of all the work she does to help others. Bette Midler too

What’s your favorite place in the whole world? well, ok. So, I love Mackinac Island because it’s so beautiful and peaceful (even with thousands of tourists covering the tiny location) but I also just love when I’m with my people. When I’m with one of My People wherever we are, that’s my favorite place because I’m really happy. Also, I really love my work because nothing exists outside those four walls except the babies I take care of

What do you typically have for breakfast? A big cup of coffee and the occasional bagel or bowl of cereal

What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without sleep? The first semester of my sophomore year I had this 60-70 page case study due for the end of the term for an education class. For at least a week I would stay up until about 5 am working on it, go to sleep, get up at 7:30 am and do it all over again. That’s been my most stressful and sleep deprived time of my life so far and just looking bad makes me shudder. At least I got a 99% on it

What makes you angry? A lot of things. Let’s not get into that.

What makes you nervous? Uh, everything. But thinking about the real part of my future (bills, working, adulting) really gets me going

Do you wear glasses: Yes and these specific frames fucking suck and my eyes keep getting worse (my doctor told me I’d need surgery before I turned 30, wtf thanks dude)

Do You Have Freckles? Yes and it used to bother me how many I have but thanks to fics that mention Scully’s, I’ve become fond of them

Do You Sing In The Shower? When my family or suitemates aren’t home, then yes I usually belt it all out but usually, I stick to humming

Do You Collect Anything? Postcards and shot glasses. And llama things now too apparently

Do You Prefer To Swim In A Pool Or The Ocean? Pool because it’s clean and I can see the bottom

Do You Study Better With Or Without Music? It depends on the subject or the task but I almost always need some type of constant sound

Do You Save Money Or Spend It? Save it usually but I also tend to spend it all on a big impulse purchase

Do You Have Any Obsessions Right Now? That’s why I’m here lmao

Do You Have Strange Dreams? Alright so I just started taking Zoloft and before it, my dreams would be weird but like unrealistic-weird, like having-a-bad-trip-weird. But since starting the med, my dreams have become realistically-weird, like sometimes I wake up and question if that all really happened

Do You Make Your Bed In The Morning? When I’m at school, yes, but when I’m home I usually just say fuck it because I’ll be back in it at least 8 more times

Do You Like To Read / Write? I love to read (fics, duh) but I do try my hand at writing but I struggle to finish anything and I’m terrified to post any of my work on here

Do You Have Any Homework Right Now? If So, What Is It About? YES and it’s just barely halfway into summer break and I’ve got a huge assignment due the first day back

Do You Get Homesick? Sometimes but I really do love my college life and wouldn’t change it

Do You Wear Jeans Or Sweats More? A mix but because of work, jeans most days

Do you use sarcasm a lot? Sarcasm is my middle name

Do you believe in miracles? Yeah I think so

Do you have any special talents? I don’t think so but I’m good at taking care of kids. Sometimes my supervisor calls me the baby whisperer lol

Do you have any pets? Three cats and a dog and some succulents

Do you have any siblings? A little (half) brother and then technically I have four other half-siblings but they don’t know I exist

Do you believe in the paranormal? Absolutely. A big secret of mine….I actually could, and sometimes still can interact with spirits...Just call me Mrs. Spooky

Do you play any instruments? Nope but somehow I have managed to have a guitar and a keyboard in my possession. I do sing though and was in choir for 7 years

Do you have any crushes? Do celebrities or fictional characters count? If no, then no

Do you have any bad and/or anxious habits? I just have panic attacks a lot lmao and I tend to get really bitchy and mean when I’m anxious which I feel bad about but I can’t stop it

Do you believe in anything enough to fight for it? My right to marry whoever I want and have kids with whoever I want and be in control of my body. There’s probably more but those have been on my mind today

Do you keep a journal? Yeah a few actually but I lose motivation after a little bit and it takes so much to start it over

Do you like your age? Yes and no. I’m an adult which is cool and all but like….most of my friends are old enough to drink and it really pisses me off that I’m 9 months short of legally doing that. I’m super responsible and mature for my age like what will 9 months do to change that? It’s just stupid that I can join the military and go thousands of dollars into debt but I can’t have a glass of wine with my mom at a block party. UGH. American laws  S U C K

Do you like your own name? Yes, I love my name. When I was a kid I hated it, I didn’t get the sentiment of being named after someone. I finally got the sentiment around the time my grandma started getting sick. Now that she’s gone, I know just how blessed I am to carry on the legacy of my full name and try to make her proud.

Do you have any scars? Oh plenty, I’m really clumsy. My most notable is the one on my thumb from a freak childhood accident that nearly cut my entire thumb pad off. What a wild time

Do you have a strong accent? I’m from Michigan so apparently, I have a strong Midwestern accent but I don’t hear it. But anytime I’m on the phone/skyping with my friend from Missouri, she always points it out and laughs

Do you talk to yourself? Probably too much but also not in the way that I think is expected. I’m just constantly talking in my head like a constant tv interview about whatever the fuck I’m thinking about which 99% of the time is msr lol

Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate: All of the above

Beer or wine or neither: W I N E

When was your blog created: I knew this was the place to find the best gifs and fics and I wanted to be in the fandom more since I’m so new. Also, I wanted to try my hand at fic writing but I continue to lose the motivation or the courage to write/post

Last movie you’ve seen: Hotel Transylvania is pretty much on repeat in my house thanks to my little brother, so most likely it’s that

First job: My first job was customer service/field hand on a blueberry patch but my first legit legal job is/was at a daycare

Pet peeve: The first I can think of is slow walkers because I walk so fast because my legs are like a mile long

The color of your eyes: Green but they used to be giant sky-blue saucers

Night owl/day person: I don’t like getting up before 9 but past midnight I’m a grouch

Tattoos:  None yet, but I have two planned, it’s just a matter of money and timing

Like to cook: Not really but I can cook enough to survive which is typical for college

Grab The Book Nearest To You, Turn To Page 20 Give the last two lines: “Action: Today I will be kind to myself. Affirmation: This is who I am, and I feel glad to be me” - We

Last Person You Cried In Front Of? I cried while holding a baby at work because my shift is changing so things will be different and also my hormones are really out of whack right now

If You Were A Crayon What Colour Would You Be? Any shade of purple

Name One Movie That Made You Cry: Beaches is my go-to crying movie, same goes for Steel Magnolias (what a typical answer, I know)

If I Handed You A Concert Ticket Right Now, Who Would You Want The Performer To Be? Cher, Reba, DD, Bette Midler or Straight No Chaser. Reba especially though because she’s going to be near me soon but it's a 21+ event and I’m nine months short of that so I’m really pissed I can’t go

Would You Rather Carve Pumpkins Or Wrap Presents? Carve pumpkins but I do a damn good job wrapping too

Did You Like Swinging As A Child? Do You Still Get Excited When You See A Swing Set? I loved it even though it made me sick. There’s a park down the street from my campus so if I’m really upset, I’ll go down there and blast my headphones and swing until I forget what’s happening. It’s really therapeutic

Name Something That Relaxes You: I have some relaxing instrumental playlists and I’ll put one of them on, turn on my lavender oil diffuser, and hop in a nice hot shower (and the hot water at college doesn’t run out so I can pretty much be in there for like ever really) or I’ll watch a fav movie that tends to soothe me

Scary movie or happy endings? Happy endings give me life. The fluffier the better

When was the last time you cried? I’m sure I’ve cried today and just don’t remember. There’s literally not a day that goes by that I don’t shed tears but I literally cry so easy (This video or this video will make me cry almost instantly)

Where would you like to visit? I’ve wanted to visit Barcelona and California since I was a kid but in the past 4 years I’ve really wanted to visit New York and Greece

Describe your favorite people in the whole world? I’ll just sum all five of them up with they literally make me feel so warm, happy, and validated. I love them so much I could cry just thinking about them. And don’t get me started with Gillian because I do often cry when I think  about her I just really love her a lot ok

Who would be your ideal partner? Gillian Anderson, Dana Scully, or Fox Mulder of course. No, but I want someone who’s like me morals/humor wise

Most used phrase? Right now I’m really into saying “Yikes” but “god fucking dammit” leaves my mouth A LOT

Most used word? Probably “like” as much as I hate to admit it

Extrovert or Introvert? Introvert 100% except when I’m with My People of course because I feel comfortable with them

Who was your first real crush? I had plenty of crushes during early school years but I think my first real one was on a school employee. Wowza I was head over heels for her and the very obvious knew-it-was-coming heartbreak hurt a lot

How many piercings do you have? Just my first holes in my ears but I’ve been thinking about getting my Helix pierced (upper portion of the ear)

How do you deal with stress? Uhhhh I panic first lol. I tend to listen to music—very specific songs that I know will drown out the anxiety/stress, or sometimes I’ll write what I’m feeling, go for a walk, read an absolute favorite fic in my list, watch x files, or I’ll just scroll through my thousands of pictures of GA lol

How many pillows do you sleep with? Three, sometimes four and then I have four accent pillows when I make my bed. Too many, as I’ve been told by everyone

Have you ever been to the hospital? Been to? Yes, plenty of times. Been in/admitted? No, thankfully

Have you ever met any celebrities? In 2016 I went to a rally for Hillary that Cher was speaking at so like…I was in the same room as her. AND THEN my friend shoved me up to her path as she was leaving and she touched my hand and I literally nearly passed out

Have you ever been in a position of authority? I am always deemed the mom friend so I’ll let you figure out that answer...

Have you ever drank underage? Yeah but nothing crazy. I just really like my wine. The craziest I’ve ever gotten was after I turned in that case study, I chugged half a bottle of wine (on an empty stomach), got bad heartburn, and then went to bed for like 14 hours

Are You Easily Influenced By Other People? Depends on the person, but I’d have to say no unless it’s Gillian/Scully/Stella

Are You A Picky Eater? I say yes, but compared to my brother and my uncle, no

Are You A Heavy Sleeper? Usually yes

Are Both Of Your Blood Parents Still In Your Life? Just my momma, but I do see my *gag* father around my hometown every now and again

Are you religious? Not really. I used to go to church a few years back, and then went to another church which ruined a lot of stuff for me and then I went through some tough stuff that made me question, idk

Are you a good liar? I like to think so (I say that as if lying is something I should be proud of), at least to everyone but my mom because I swear I can pull off the best lie ever and she always sees right through me

Are you a clean or messy person? My home life is messy. My room is trashed but the things that are put away are organized. But life at college is completely opposite, my dorm is very clean and organized and I clean it top to bottom every weekend

If you made it this far, thank you for putting up with my crazy long first post, and I’m sorry that I practically vomited my thoughts into a jumbled mess but I wanted to share myself with you! 

[pjstafford]

The Challenging Character of Fox Mulder

In chatting a little about David Duchovny and “the X-Files” with some friends I have been thinking about all the reasons why the role of Fox Mulder might have been especially challenging to play.  This blog addresses the challenges of the role and the talents of the actor in his portrayal.  

Do you love Fox Mulder?  Which Fox Mulder? Do you think of Fox Mulder as the intense, work obsessive, truth seeking, risk taker hero?  Or is he the guy with time on his hands to throw pencils at the ceilings and watch old science fiction movies on repeat?  Perhaps you think of him more of the pleasant geek guy who loves Elvis, is devoted to his fish and can quote lines of great literature at the spur of the moment.  Any other Fox Mulder’s we would like to add?  The intense yet chaste lover who can devote himself to one woman as the years slip away without so much as a kiss?

My favorite happens to be a combination of the nerd and the clown, but “X-Files” wasn’t a comedy. It was a dark, action filled angst driven drama where the main male character was a guilt ridden, paranoid, arrogant, self-confidant, truth seeking, brilliant and unorthodox FBI agent who put his and his partner’s life on the line continuously to save mankind against global conspiracy.  It, also, in its way, became the greatest love story of the late half of the twentieth century.  

That is a significant reason for the longevity of the series and the crazed fandom.  Those of us in the fandom can respond to the question “what are you in the mood for tonight:  comedy, action, romance, or drama?” with “Yes.  I would love to watch an episode of the X-files.” 

There is first of all a challenge for any actor who is asked to cross genres that easily.  David Duchovny is a multi-faceted actor who has, since  “the X-Files” become acclaimed for his comedic performances in “Californication” and guest appearances on “The Larry Sanders Show” and “Life with Bonnie.”  For a series to try to encompass so many genres seems risky.  The fact that both Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny can cross genres so easily made it well worth the risk  which  turned a science fiction/ horror hour of television into an iconic and landmark series.

There is a little more to it in the case of Fox Mulder than simply having an actor willing to cross genres.  By praising David Duchovny, I do not mean to slight Gillian Anderson.  I am an admirer of Gillian Anderson who seems to be one of the few actresses who has transcended the past 40 curse to be considered both a serious actress and sex symbol.  Perhaps I will blog about the challenge of playing Dana Scully at another time.  I do think both roles were challenging but different in the challenges.  This blog is about the challenges of playing Fox Mulder. 

Good dramas that maintain interest over seasons do so by exploring aspects of the main characters’ personality that might not be immediately apparent.  So you might see the gentle side of a police officer with scenes of a home life.  Most quality shows strive to make their characters multi-dimensional.  In “X-Files” Fox Mulder, however, the writers seemed to begin with Fox Mulder being a multi-faceted person but in a way that seems especially challenging. Yes a hardened police man can be soft with his family.  How can a work obsessed compulsive truth seeker also be the man goofing off throwing pencils at the ceiling and watching hours of pornography?  How can the super brilliant, Oxford educated man with a great memory not know how to work simple phone apps?   How can Fox Mulder ooze sexuality and be the poster child for abstinence (apparently through the use of porn) at the same time?  

If  you take the primary premise of the Mulder character, it would already be a complex and layered role- a man with guilt because his sister was abducted as a child when he was watching her, with difficult family dynamics, the brilliant man who sacrificed his career for his obsession.  You then throw in that he is assigned a partner who is going to spy on him, but from the first episode he trusts implicitly, by the second season will be the deciding factor in her decision to choose life over death, but they will not become romantically involved until sometime inn the 7th season.  Isn’t that enough?  Yet, the other “facets” of Mulder’s personality were thrown in.  I proposed that only an actor of great ability could have made the viewers believe that he encompassed all the Mulders within him simultaneously.  Mulder is simultaneously the nerd, the sex symbol, the bumbling FBI agent and the action figure hero. Most of us have contradictory components of our personality.  However, that we can believe and enjoy so many various contradictory personality traits  within one character is clearly a testament to the acting skills of David Duchovny.

David Duchovny discusses briefly in some of the season 10 behind the scenes additions the difficulties of playing Mulder in a Darin Morgan written episode (always my favorite) because you have to keep the character true for non-comedic episodes.  I recently saw an interview from the early days when he talked about being “motherly” towards Mulder and another later interview when he talked about being the “steward” for the character.  I do not know David Duchovny, the man.  I only know the public glimpses he shows the world.  It appears that he is a complex man able to quote Beckett and make a fart joke in the same interview.  It is clear that he is intelligent, self-reflective, and perceptive.  I believe that his concern for keeping the character “true” and how well he knows this character (sometimes in interviews being deferential to the character and other times ridiculing the character) accounts for whiy this character stayed so believable.  All “X-Files” fans should be grateful that David Duchovny was in this role.  I do have some issues with season 10, but there is an added complexity of coming back to a character after so many years. That is a subject for another day.  

Two additional points i would like to make.  In an early interview David Duchovny discussed a conscious decision to not make Mulder a caricature.  I am assuming that this is a combination Carter and Duchovny and possibly others decision.  The scripts were often unbelievable and Duchovny has said he doesn’t believe in a global conspiracy around UFO’s.  Yet he decided to play it with a sincerity that Mulder believed.  This could have been such a different show if that decision had not been made.  How much more difficult must it have been though to play the tongue in cheek version of Mulder in the comedic episodes in a way that made it both funny and realistic.

The final point is related to the low key approach (under acting) which is often criticized.  Again in an early interview Duchovny has said that due to the nature of the show, the decision was made not to have Mulder and Scully look terrified at every instance of a monster because they would have been terrified every show.  The emotions needed to be more underplayed and nuanced.  I see the character of Mulder as a man with deep emotions held just under the surface.  When his anger or obsessions rose and bubbled over, dangerous consequences occurred- people died, he put himself and his partner at risk, he alienated his superiors.  He is a man who tried to keep his emotions controlled.  Yet somehow the audience always knew by a glance, by a look in the eye, by the way his head moved exactly what he was feeling.  

If I told anybody, actor or not, that they were angry at a chair and to communicate that to the audience, they could.  They could kick the chair, throw the chair, scream at the chair.  Mulder was capable of this reaction and Duchovny played it  well.  If I added, but communicate your anger to the chair without looking at or talking to the chair and without any violent demonstrations, well, I don’t know a lot of actors who could do that.  David Duchovny can.  He did as Fox Mulder.  I find that the harder acting feat simply because I, as a layman, cannot imagine how I would accomplish it.  

I hear so many criticism that Duchovny had a an easy role in playing Mulder with the deadpanned expressions.  I have tried to look at the character of Mulder itself as a character so many millions of fans enjoyed.  Mulder is complex and difficult to play.  He is the master piece of David Duchovny’s acting career.  (to date)

[fistful-of-fandom]

Feeling Nosey?

I was tagged by the lovely (and talented) @conversationinthehallway​ 💕

Rules: Answer these and tag 20 people  as many people as you damn well please 

Name: Cassie Gender: Female Star sign: Gemini Height: 5′9″ Sexual orientation: 89% straight Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw Favourite colour: Some shade of blue (exact shade varies according to my mood) Favourite colour to paint the walls: A neutral taupe or soft gray Favourite colour of lipstick: Tea Rose flower fusion by Origins Favourite animal: My dog is my favorite animal on the planet, so I guess dogs?  I also love Horses and pretty much all animals to be honest. Time right now: 1:14 PM CST Cat or dog person: Dog Favourite fictional character: I’m making up my own rules and doing four. Dana Scully, Leia Organa, Hermione Granger and Fox Mulder. Number of blankets I sleep with: A sheet and a down comforter (in the winter) Favourite singer/band: The National is my number one jam. Dream trip: I’ve never been to Europe but my dream has always been to do a full-on European tour. Dream job: This question gets harder and harder as I get older. If I’m being realistic I would say Art Director or Marketing Exec for a really fun/cool company. Either that or Photoshop artist for The Onion. When was this blog created: November 2015 When did your blog reach its peak:  I think (I hope) it’s improving every day. What made you decide to make a Tumblr: Okay so when the revival was announced I got back into txf again and started reading @thetvmouse​ blog (which is brilliant). I didn’t really know anything about tumblr, much less that there were so many people like ME on here! I saw that tvmouse had a tumblr and decided to give it a try. And I’m glad I did, because I’ve “met” some really awesome people! Why did you pick your URL: I kept putting in user names when I started my account and everything I wanted was taken. So I just went with this because I think it embodies what my blog is about.

As always, feel free to do this or not (I am totally not offended if you feel like it!)  @ohyayaseance @katherinebodine @moonprincess92nz @thethirstisoutthere @jamofappreciation @dangerscully @chileananderson @jackieisboring @thegilliantimes @crossedbeams @kateyes224 @mulderswaterbed and really any other takers!