#they filmed it from mulder's eyeline/perspective | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

carefulfears · 1 year

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mulder and diana literally have the most intense divorced energy anyone could ever have...they have the chemistry of two people who've been married for decades and maybe don't wanna be married anymore, maybe aren't married anymore, but once you're married you're grandfathered in. you're always married. haven't touched each other in years, go most days not even considering the other, but owe each other something, and aren't sure of what it is. diana lies and lies and lies to his face, and then dies to save him. she feels entitled to him, she knows what's best for him, what's his is theirs. always. she was there when he got it. she helped him build it. (she tells him herself: "don't forget that"). so much of what she does appears as she's trying to establish a claim over him, but she doesn't have to try. she just is. she's irreproachable. you don't talk about the wife. (and you don't talk to her, as scully and diana arguing is met only with mulder's impatient, "scully...scully...scully.")

any time she comes up in conversation, his friends are uncomfortable. i love the way byers goes "well....yeah?" when scully asks if he knows diana. he says it like he's surprised that scully didn't know about her. when scully won't stop pressing mulder about diana in one son, all three of the boys tense up. the camera keeps going to their reactions. (you don't talk about the wife. they were there. "i always wondered why they split up.")

scully says "special agent diana fowley" as though maybe if she had one more title to throw in, she would disappear. diana says "fox" like she has something to prove. mulder says "diana" like it communicates everything he doesn't say. and in a way, it does. the first time scully heard him call agent fowley "diana," she knew.

#just because it isn't warm doesn't mean dd and mimi rogers didnt have chemistry #they have the chemistry of two people who played a married couple in a movie that ends with religiously motivated murder/suicide #they have cold ancient unsettling chemistry #watch any scene between the two of them and tell me it doesn't feel exactly like your parents silently moving through the house. saying #what they aren't saying #txf.txt #diana #the direction and camera placement in 'one son' frames scully as SO small #especially in that argument scene #they filmed it from mulder's eyeline/perspective #whereas typically scully's side would've been shot at her level (over his shoulder) or they would've put her on the box #but it's set up to where she is so small in front of him. and she FEELS small. and she is small. she's disadvantaged.#and it isn't fair. because where the fuck was diana? does having started it count more than following through? does having been there first #when gibson said that scully doesn't worry about what ANYONE thinks. 'except for her.'#what diana thinks matters. she's this looming figure with so much influence. and she IS irreproachable.#he won't let a word be said about her. she won't let anyone else have final say over him.#and more than anything else that's why i think they were married. more than the wedding ring in flashback episodes. more than the tension #they have this territoriality that feels very specific to divorce

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