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randomfoggytiger · 5 months

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X-Files IWTB: First Time React (Part I)

I needed to watch I Want to Believe for a Christmas present project; and, going into the movie, I knew it would be bad.

I didn't know it would be "broken within ten minutes before Mulder and Scully even get into the helicopter" bad.

On the positive side, I'm enjoying David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson's acting; and they're doing the best they can with the scripts, so A+ for effort!

Now, reaction below the cut:

Eyyyyyyyy, looky looky where we are.

An IWTB reaction.

Me, the canon denier after S8.

Yep.

But never fear! I shall have an absolute blast demolishing all the aspects that don’t make sense and enjoying the parts that deserve praise or kudos. :DDD

My Position Going Into This

When it comes to any art form, I stand absolute on the position that, yes, if it was created to be art, it is art; but art can also be critiqued on its merits or demerits. Otherwise, we all wouldn’t acknowledge what makes one piece of art masterful compared to another piece.

For movies, I focus on writing: does this plot point make sense in the context of generalized or specific circumstances; or, more specifically, do the actions of X person fit into their pre-established character or break it entirely without providing a reasonable motive? Pointing out the flaws of x/y/z character or moment doesn’t ruin my enjoyment-- every movie, tv show, book, etc. has them-- unless the flaw is noticeably glaring; in which case, what can I do about that?

In conclusion: this will be very snarky, but I mean no hate towards CC or anyone who helped create this movie. I have criticisms, justly; but I separate art from the artist always, and judge both on completely different scales and metrics. Any and all snark is exaggerated for comedic purposes... or that's my story and I'm sticking with it. ;)))

And now, onto the reaction~

Live Reaction

The movie’s gorgeous, I’ll give it that: tone, atmosphere, lighting, etc., all spectacular.

For a split second I wished that the man running past the woman victim had been a supernatural creature of some sort-- more X-Files in tone; and would eliminate the Father Joe character completely.

Dakota Whitney (not given her name yet, think it's her) seems in-tune with Father Joe’s strangeness-- another shame, because her character was squandered on a love triangle.

I will say, though, the spectacle seems… a little repetitive already? “Let him go, let him go” repeated three times with three different cuts.

Hmmm, I think this is the thought: compared to FTF, this movie seems like its plot is paper-thin, relying on spectacle or repetitive dialogue (or inane plotpoints? we’ll see) to keep it chugging along.

Scully is here!

After comparing her intro to the Pilot and Fight the Future and the previous five minutes, it seems… bland? The spectacle is gone, but that's not the problem. Everything is medical jargon as she’s giving an account of her patient to an overhead on a screen. The problem is-- and why I mentioned her previous introductions-- when a main character is introduced, their first scene establishes core aspects of their personality. Now would be a good time to get a thumb on how Scully has changed as she's navigated life on the run and in this hospital... instead, we're given nothing, really, just a medical spiel with no point other than to set up that she has a patient who needs experimental treatment. Nothing that is personal to her as an individual, other than she's more muted, downtrodden, etc. It's a very rushed and criminally underutilized scene.

I understand what CC and Spotnitz are going for: defanged Scully, hands tied and trying to keep her head down and live low-profile. Pouring her exhausted energy into trying to do some good, at least for the boy (since she can’t for Mulder.) It sets her up as frazzled and frustrated; and it makes sense why she pitches the FBI’s offer to Mulder when given the chance.

FBI agent just bounces in and disrupts her talk with her patient… that’s a plot point, definitely--

Wait, Scully kept referring to Mulder as Fox Mulder… which, yes, she’s parroting the man’s words back exactly to him but also Scully only ever referred to him as “Mulder”, “my partner”, “Agent Mulder”; and didn’t mention him by name otherwise. This is a nitpick, I know.

Also, from the interviews I’ve read, Gillian Anderson (and David Duchovny) struggled to get back into character in 2008 as well as the Revival (link here.) GA also notes (link here) that she agrees with Scully's characterization: "How she is in this film follows perfectly with where we last saw her and who she has always been." And, if lumping IWTB together with S9, I agree; and, interestingly, it's an aspect of Scully that GA seems to retain in the Revival (I think): saddened, withdrawn, only sparing animation when directly talking to Mulder. It makes sense after the William arc; but it’s sad to think about, regardless.

THAT’S THE FENCE?????

I THOUGHT IT WAS A TINY WOODEN FENCE THAT COULD BE HOPPED OVER.

…That makes a lot of sense, actually. I definitely can see Mulder rigging it up with all the time he had to spare (because, I mean, look at it: rusty, rinky, weirdly tied to the poles.)

I will say: I give Chris Carter props here because that man had a vision and he executed it: atmosphere, ~vibes~, and the kitchen sink. It’s why I maintain he was the ideas man and Frank Spotnitz was his refiner.

WAIT. Is that… is that orange juice on the table? (They remembered Mulder’s orange juice but forgot to iron out the plot. The irony. If this were an indie film, I’d find it endearing and charming. …But it’s not.)

Okay, intro to Mulder now.

Immediately we are shown the nest he’s built, with Samantha taking center-stage on his door. THAT’S how you do an intro; and, to the credit of the people behind the camera, it strikes a descriptive balance between Scully’s dispirited silence and his animated clutter.

OKAY. Mulder’s “What��s up, Doc?” was worth it. (Don’t you just love when creators behind really cool, innovative series make alternate universe stories in their own universe? The “what if”s? The “glad this didn’t happen but it’s not all that bad, yet” one-offs with big budgets behind them? Visionaries, I tell ya.)

Mulder’s going off on a tangent and Scully’s back in her element and I would be content if the movie skipped from here to the almost end with Skinner and Scully finding him and we (meaning me) the audience wonder “WAIT, WHAT HAPPENED” and then there’s the vacation and it ends.

Also, pertinent to stop here and reflect on the first Big Issue of the film:

Mulder and Scully have been living in this house for five years-- as confirmed by the cut lines in IWTB’s script (link here, thank you @dunhamhairograpy)-- which means they were on the run only one year before settling back in Virginia. To satisfy my suspicions, I looked up (on Wikipedia) criminals on the FBI’s wanted list between 2000 to 2003 to see how many years each person evaded capture (if they were ever caught.) In summary, those who were on the run more than a year most likely fled the country and at the very least did not settle back in the state they originally fled; and those who remained locked on American soil were caught within a few weeks to (maximum) a year (three years was the most, I believe. Longer or still at large dipped into other countries, at least temporarily.) The script also confirms that Mulder and Scully are aware that Skinner is aiding and abetting them behind the scenes; and since the agent who interrupted Scully at her hospital immediately cut to the chase-- with the implication that Scully knew where to find her partner-- the FBI likely knew how to find Mulder easily and just… let him be.

Despite the absolute dumpster fire of S9’s mytharc, we are led to assume that, somehow, Skinner and Doggett and Reyes stamped out the interest of alien-men-in-government and every other enemy that wanted Mulder's head and they all… proceeded as normal? Or Doggett and Reyes didn’t but Skinner did somehow…?

BUT THAT DOESN’T MATTER, LOOK AT THIS SHINY MOVIE AND THE PRETTY GOATMAN.

Also, yes, the beard needs work. However, I just remembered that beard oil is a thing but also that hair oil is a thing; and the idea that men might be taking better care of their beards than I do my own locks makes me wanna give them a thumbs up. (…But not Mulder: the texture on his face makes me want to cringe backward from the epidermis to the dermis to the subcutaneous layer of my skin.)

Mulder “who believes that anymore” was a great line for his first facial introduction (not bothering with technical phrases, gotta keep chuggin’); and his reaction at Scully’s snarky “they do at the FBI, apparently” and both of them being like “uhuh, they wouldn’t listen to you/us years ago” was a great nanosecond of screentime and I want more.

Mulder's walking wonky with a feverish passion behind his eyes; and I recognize that insanity from the fervor of spending too many hours indoors and online with nothing else to do but brood.

ALSO, he and Scully both make complete sense here and I cosign this scene.

(...Yeah, I know, we’ll get to those ones later.)

Scully getting around Mulder’s mood and straight to his interest and then igniting his sarcastic “oh” within a sentence or two is masterfully them and yep, I cosign.

Mulder choking on the “I am just as happy having them out of mine” denial stuck in his throat…. also: yes, Scully has a point about the FBI as discussed above but WHY do they want him out of their hair?? There were more people who had death wishes against him than there could be people in positions of power that support him; and with no CSM or Consortium hand-holding their superstar through trials and tribulations because he could “expose” them… again, whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.

Mulder’s being really petulant and I love it but also he’s being too petulant but in a good way, in a sarcastic “at the end of my rope and I’m only barely being polite” One Son way.

Scully's honest “I worry about you” is touching, that’s nice.

I just realized: y’know how DD wrote The Unnatural because he wanted to hear Mulder and Scully talk like normal people, not just regurgitate the plot points back to each other with flowery, long-winded expressions (which are great, don’t get me wrong)? Welp, they sound more… human? natural? broken in? here; and I like that aspect.

Mulder looking at Samantha’s pic and knowing he can’t not help an innocent was a perfect character moment: great writing, thumbs up. (Reminiscent of his prior pattern of reluctantly helping people he disliked or was annoyed by-- Max Fenig in Fallen Angel, Krycek in Sleepless, Skinner in Zero Sum, Crump in Drive, Doggett in Alone, etc.)

He accepts the FBI’s offer; and Scully’s relieved; and I advise you to keep that in mind for later.

The Big Problems Set In

Whether Mulder and Scully called and told the FBI where to pick them up or the FBI sent a helicopter out, unprompted, as a power move is unimportant in the minutiae but incredibly crippling in the larger narrative: it flew TO Mulder’s house to pick him up. There is no way Mulder is undercover or in hiding any longer; and that means, at this point, Mulder is committed. The end, full stop, point blank, period.

The movie is broken and it's only 10 minutes in. From here on out, it will try to claim that Mulder is losing Scully by running further into the darkness; but the reality is, he has no other choice because there is nowhere else to run to regain his freedom AND to not put Scully at cross ends (or in danger) with the FBI.

He CANNOT back out: if Mulder withdraws from this deal with the FBI, he has to leave his home, go on the run again, and risk more aggressive recapture and imprisonment and probably broker another deal to escape full penalty at. a. minimum.

It would be insane for him to back out at any point in the future. He knows it, the FBI knows it, and more importantly SCULLY knows it: she’s the cautious one in this relationship; and she would have weighed the pros and cons before telling Mulder the FBI's offer. Yes, she tends to react without thinking at times-- asking Mulder for his IVF donation without long-term plans, for example, (link here)-- but something as precious as her partner’s life, the only person she sacrificed everything for, would be carefully guarded and protected.

Surely, she wouldn’t want him to back out at any point; especially because she has constantly suspected their own allies in the FBI all the years they’d been there, even Skinner, over and over and over. There would be no inducement or reason for her to trust the FBI to let Mulder stop on his whim (or hers, or theirs); and it’s a good thing she doesn’t do that. …Right?

NOW: would it be in her character to want him to stop? Absolutely-- that’s who she is. But to place him in an impossible position then demand something even more impossible on top of it, after Mulder’s hands are effectively tied until the case is solved? That’s what’s character breaking for her. We’ll get to that.

What’s going to be even more frustrating is that Scully will ultimately break their partnership (or start to) because of jealousy over another woman... for script reasons. (Don’t believe me? I don't blame you. But we'll get to it in a future part.) And that’s the show’s greatest flaw: the writers enjoy playing “are they, aren’t they” with Mulder’s driven passion and Scully’s jealousy and wish to be his priority. What’s worse is he prioritizes her more than any other human on the planet, even in this movie; and, at this point, Scully knows and has made peace with how Mulder is (all things.) To sacrifice their growth and trust in each other because of illogical reasons... we’ll get to that.

“Past is the past” says Dakota Whitney. That might be enough for Mulder in the long run but it certainly won’t be for Scully. …RIGHT?

Monica name recycle which is a staple and yet not a Monica Reyes who could have had pull to have Mulder and Scully pulled in on the case… oh, well.

Yes, Mulder has precedent to write off psychic phenomenon evidence when given to him by his enemies-- he’s petty that way-- but can you imagine how annoyed he was when it came out the psychic was a religious guy? A former Father? An issue that used to pit he and Scully against each other? (I see what you did there, writers.)

So: we have religious angle to separate Mulder and Scully in this movie. Also, we have jealousy over Dakota Whitney-- this movie’s nicer variant of Diana Fowley and Detective White and Phoebe Green: a gal who wants Mulder and writes Scully out of the picture despite very obvious rumors and even more obvious clues in the present-- to drive a further wedge (will be discussed next time.) What else could go wrong?

What I do like is that this movie sets up Mulder’s priority list that aligns with his previous character iteration: he wants to chase monsters, but not at the expense of people; and, further, when he doesn’t want to chase monsters, he still will for the sake of others' lives.

Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Chris, did you have to make Father Joe a pedophile?

Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. I understand, I do, that it’s about people who want to redeem themselves, who are afraid of the monsters within, who are burdened with a greater purpose, BUT NONE OF THE PEDO STUFF HAS TO DO WITH THE PLOT.

For instance: Roland’s autism directly correlated with the X-File of his case, Marty’s blindness with hers, as well as all the other men and monsters with supernatural powers or inhibitions. Having a random and prominent flaw that doesn’t contribute to anything in the movie is, quite honestly, a waste of precious run-time; and is another example of the movie’s paper-thin story structure that it tosses around willy-nilly.

Tune’s catchy, though.

Okay, the movie’s editing is weird again. We’ve already “seen” Father Joe in the beginning; so repeating Mulder’s introduction style (angling towards everything but the man’s face) is noticeably repetitive and out of place.

Scully going for the man’s throat is a great set up for her and Mulder’s banter but

issssssssssssssssssss out of place, especially considering they need information out of the man and don’t know how he’ll react to fierce, off-topic interrogation. Yes, harming children is a no-no for Scully, and harming them especially in the name of her faith is a BIGGER no-no; however, she was never this tactless before, not even with John Lee Roche. Further, she stipulates this is Mulder's case, which means she jeopardized his interrogation with her sniping. Not only was it out-of-character, but it could have put an end to the only lead Mulder had to help out the FBI. Her professionalism is rusty, and further, she is sacrificing the high ground for a dig at the man’s ethics. It’s not very Scully, is it?

“Maybe it’s not God doing the sending” so this was personal, Scully, that dig had nothing to do with the case except for your own want to defend your beliefs against this pedophile. You’ve never done this in the past; and you and Mulder have worked past any insecurities you might have had with regards to your faith. So, THIS means you’re insecure. Maybe those years on the road have you overthinking or rethinking; but, regardless. it’s rolling back the character growth you achieved in all things and needed to be handled with defter care.

If the writers were trying to establish her as a bloodhound in this movie ala her old self, they can’t start it out with her being listless and downtrodden and suddenly break that in ways that would harm Mulder’s (and her) investigation and then shove her back into listlessness... and then repeat that cycle over and over with no rhyme or reason.

Also, Whitney is being established as the woman who looks to Mulder, always, because she has a big, fat crush on him that the writers will exploit for maximum drama.

FATHER JOE SENDS SCULLY OUT-- why. Negative energy didn’t inhibit psychic ability in previous cases. If Father Joe's so wimpy that someone watching him with disdain while he does his whammo makes him insecure and unable to… I was gonna say perform, remembered his altar boys, and cringed internally. Anyway, then he needs to be reminded who's in charge here.

The dialogue cracks are beginning to show: Scully’s parting line is cringe. Even though it doesn’t sound natural to say-- that’s never stopped The X-Files before-- what makes it egregious is that there is no connective tissue to her statement. When talking, there is a leadup to a point and a comment that follows it, etc. etc. Scully’s statement-- “Maybe what you see is a way to try to make people forget what you really are”-- is responding to nothing; and is randomly stated. The equivalent of the teacher telling Timmy to go sit in the corner and Timmy randomly yelling "You're not my mom!" before doing so. It achieved nothing; and made her look like a five year old that can't grasp the finer points of communication (because she only reiterated what everyone else in the room already knew.) Also, it sets up Scully as a disbeliever to Mulder and Whitney as believers; and, of course, this puts Scully through a hackneyed journey back to belief even though she doesn’t disbelieve in psychic ability any longer, etc. etc.

The question becomes: if this is a new pattern in her behavior, it will remain consistent. Another problem, too, remains. We (the audience) are not given a good reason why this rational character is behaving outside of her own interests. Scully has training and years of experience that being on the run for a year and in medicine for four? is not going to erase. It’s setting her up to be sloppy and messy with her decision-making skills; and we are given no reason why Scully is this way now; and, further, why she directly contradicts this new pattern in other scenes.

Scully getting scared by Mulder on the pedo colony balcony is a scene I didn’t know existed and I like and he was a reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal snot for doing that and yay, it’s Mulder.

And also, I have another nitpick: Mulder, although he has backed off and let Scully handle her own issues with sexist cops and the like in the past, would never let a crook dictate the terms of where Scully is supposed to be: Scully would decide to walk out when she didn’t believe a word their suspect was saying, not because she was expected to leave. Mulder didn’t advocate for her here, put his foot down, or even blaze up and insist Father Joe stop playing games. Strike one against Mulder's characterization.

JUST AFTER I MADE THOSE POINTS Scully admits she was wrong and Mulder immediately defers to her. Which… uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, time to break that down.

This doesn’t seem like a lot; but that tiny detail completely demolished Father Joe’s introductory scene AND Mulder and Scully’s first scene back in the FBI saddle.

“All I had were questions-- you challenged him.” That’s a very Mulder thing to say… in other circumstances, but not in this one. Here, Mulder shouldn’t have “just had questions” especially because he was bugged that the other FBI people were a little too doe-eyed about Father Joe; and that annoyance would have made him act out on the priest. Furthermore, Scully’s fury against criminals IS something he loves about her BUT was out of place here, too. And all of this is negated because Scully left, anyway, and he didn’t stick up for her. It’s like if Scully and he were middle schoolers and their classmates kicked her out of a group discussion only for him to wander over after it's done and say, “you did great back there, sweetie!” without sticking his neck out for her at all. It smacks of spinelessness, the opposite of Fox Mulder.

Great acting by DD and GA; but terrible, terrible scenario.

The precedent has been set that Scully will lash out, get shunned to an outer circle, and Mulder will ho-hum, let it happen, get his info, and give her a pat on the head later. That’s never been them; and this pattern is immediately broken by a following contradictory scene. This back-and-forth cycle continues, over and over, flip-flopping Mulder and Scully in and out of character, and further damaging the script with one-off, disconnected responses.

Also, aren’t Mulder and Scully past this unnecessary drama of poking the bear (an old, Irish? pedo priest) before they get their necessary information? ESPECIALLY NOW WHEN MULDER'S FREEDOM IS ON THE LINE.

Scully finding out Mulder is humoring Father Joe and deciding to leave the situation and beat them all to the car NOW is in-character; but--

wait. WAIT. NO, I WAS WRONG. SCULLY’S JUST LEAVING LEAVING??? WHAT.

Okay, another essay time-- wow, I’m not even 20 minutes into this movie, HOW-- before we keep going: Scully leaving, now, because she doesn’t want to humor Father Joe has never stopped her in the past. Ten seconds ago she and Mulder were bantering, five seconds ago she bantered as she left, one cut later she’s somber and serious and dour and down and Mulder has to chase after her. WHAT HAPPENED IN A MILLISECOND to change her entire attitude, especially since she doesn't have a new piece of information to react to?????

In order:

Sees Father Joe is being humored (tilts head back in her normal, almost-amused, incredulous style):

Makes a bantery “It’s been fuuuuuuuuuun” remark and an upbeat “no thanks” remark:

Walks off (which is dangerous to her partner, will talk about that in the below paragraph) with a bantery “anyway, he doesn’t want me here” handwave:

Mulder is amused (but knows he has to go convince her):

MILLISECOND LATER with no new info or reaction “This isn’t my life anymore, Mulder”:

SO, we’re supposed to assume Scully wanted to hand Mulder over to the FBI from the start, sit back, and just let him run willy nilly around with them without her being there; and only came along because he asked her to come but still bailed on him when she didn’t like the case…?

Let’s take John Lee Roche as an example of why Scully wouldn’t react this way: during that and Grotesque and even Folie a Deux, Scully had Mulder’s back even against her own professional interests. She only left him in FTF and One Son because she thought Mulder didn’t need her any longer. Scully’s nature has always been to ride along, even when she doesn’t want to-- How the Ghosts Stole Christmas, an excellent example: even before her keys were stolen, she was still trying to talk herself out of joining Mulder. But now, NOW when it’s inconvenient, she decides to skip out? Now she has even less excuse: this is her partner’s freedom on the line; and he stipulated FROM THE GET-GO that he needs HER to work WITH him to solve this, BEFORE she called the FBI to agree.

THIS is not Scully. THIS is ridiculous.

Now, to those who are reading this and thinking, “well, she could have done that”-- true, Scully could have. Anyone can do anything, IF there is a logical reason or it’s in a person’s best interest to take that action. For instance: Never Again was in-character for Scully because it fit into the mold of previously established reactions to father figures and feeling second place. Why this isn’t in her character is because the two keys to Scully’s loyalty-- being prioritized and depended upon as well as valued and trusted-- are being handed to her on a silver platter and she’s rejecting them (AND her partner’s safety) because she doesn’t wanna do it. Again, that’s never been who Scully is: Scully does the hard thing because it needs to be done; and she only shirks or avoids the emotional mirror being held up to her while still doing her job. There’s a life on the line here-- two, possibly, if Mulder doesn’t follow through on the deal-- and Scully would rather dump the problem in his lap when the logical, realistic, and easily graspable answer is do this case for a few rough weeks or months (because Mulder has always worked fast), then have unlimited freedom and time to go back to doing what she wants. This is not the place to write in this reaction: have one for Scully if, in the discussion for his freedom, Mulder starts pushing for reinstatement instead of simply finishing this case and letting his past go. That’s not what happens here (at the very least); so it makes no sense for her to be doing these actions-- especially with the information she and Mulder are working on-- now.

Scully says “You’ve done all they’ve asked for you to do” as if implying that Mulder’s finished his task NOW, RIGHT NOW-- that one talk with a psychic has won his freedom. …I’m sorry, how did she conclude this and where was this established?

Mulder was brought on to find an agent; Scully thinks that agent is dead, so oh, well! You’re done here, Mulder, let’s go~.

Scully. You know and Mulder knows and I know that the FBI said one agent but really meant the whole case. Don’t be stupid. You’re not a stupid person. They never stipulated either way, c'mon, you were there, you know this.

The problems aren't over AND IT'S ONLY 20 MINUTES IN.

Next pet peeve: as a general rule, Mulder is understanding with those on the wrong side of the law; however, Father Joes is a pedophile. Further, we’re not shown the scene where Father Joe has humanized himself, his reasons, or even his current character enough to justify the soft way Mulder is dealing with him.

All we have is that--

Father Joe isolates himself in a compound.

Father Joe told Scully to leave the room when she barked at him.

Mulder handles Father Joe gently despite him being a pedophile and despite him kicking Scully out of the interrogation (which sets up her feeling left out.)

Mulder is sitting in the car with Father Joe (and Whitney) and not Scully despite the two of them driving to the same place together.

Father Joe’s castration and inner torment is not brought up until later when he wants to appeal to Scully.

So, for all intents and purposes, Mulder is being needlessly sweet to a guy that confessed (at this point) to touching more than a couple altar boys and ostracized Mulder's partner just because he’s… psychic. Does Chris not remember how Mulder was initially not nice to Samuel in Miracle Man until after he pulled the Samantha card, was never nice to Modell in Pusher, and still picked fights with various witnesses because of their personal decisions? Again, the only time Mulder was nice or at least professionally kind with flawed characters was AFTER they owned up to or tried to atone for their sins…and, AGAIN, we aren’t shown that scene between he and Father Joe. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SCENES BETWEEN THEM BECAUSE IT SETS THE TONE FOR THEIR PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP. It falls into the “reply without a preceding remark” territory that I mentioned about the dialogue, except this time it's with characters. Really bad.

The writers try to save the interaction by having Father Joe sympathize about Samantha whereas the other agent up front doesn’t… but that only breaks the scene even more.

Male agent up front believed in psychic Father Joe before Mulder was even asked aboard the case.

Male agent up front believes in psychic abilities but still pokes at the man who was an “authority” on them by mocking Samantha’s “E.T.” abduction.

Male agent has been professionally distant and disdainful from the get-go; but it’s in HIS best interest to not create rifts with Mulder who is helping Father Joe help the FBI (and him) find their missing agent.

There is nothing in male agent’s character to suggest he is an irrational man; so, therefore, his random poke only serves to undercut his teammates’ efforts thus far to find and bring Mulder on board. This would waste everyone’s effort and precious time.

This scene only serves as a convenient excuse to simultaneously lore dump about Samantha and attempt, too late, to humanize Father Joe. Lore about Samantha is fine, but not if it contradicts (read: breaks) male agent's character. And humanizing Father Joe is pointless here because every monster can sympathize with others in their own crooked way. A truer test of character would be to show him go out of his way or comfort zone to help another person-- and that isn't what happens here.

Conclusion

Will I do a part two? Yeah, probably: I need to get to "the split" and Skinner and the vacation-- can't leave it (not even) half-done, after all.

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!

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gaycrouton · 1 year

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When is the “Real” Anniversary of Mulder and Scully’s Partnership?

In The X-Files, March 6th marks the anniversary of when Dana Scully became partners with Fox Mulder.

While you can anticipate many commemorative tweets, you might notice a discrepancy when it comes to the year. Is it the 30th or 31st anniversary?

Find out in the following exploration 🔎

[As always, because of Tumblr’s photo limit on posts, this thread looks a lot better on Twitter]

The Pilot episode of "The X-Files" aired on September 10th, 1993 on the FOX Network, but it took a long time to get there.

Chris Carter first conceptualized the idea for the show in March 1992, and he began working on the first draft in September 1992 (Lowry, 16). The FOX Network ordered a script by November 1992 (Lowry, 13). The first draft of the script was submitted in December of that year. Further revisions – from which the shooting script was compiled – were made in March of 1993.

Principal photography took place over fourteen days in March 1993 (Lovece, 47). Post-production work on the episode was finished by May 1993, with the final version of the episode being assembled only three hours before its preview screening for FOX executives (Edwards, 37). With that, "The X-Files" was slated to join the 1993-1994 FOX Network lineup.

While many television shows are flexible with timelines, "The X-Files" tends to generally reflect real-world time. So with most production occurring in 1993, what's the problem?

According to research done by avid fans at Eat the Corn, Chris Carter set the "Pilot" in March 1992 to honor when he first conceived of the idea. A small ode to the birth of "The X-Files."

While a small detail, the 1992 v. 1993 debate has plagued fans every March for decades.

While the timestamps in the "Pilot" indicate 1992, there's a plethora of in-show, direct references to support that it's canon Mulder and Scully started working together in 1993.

In honor of Mulder and Scully, let me present you with the facts so you can make an informed decision

To begin, here is a screenshot from the "Pilot" that indicates 1992. Mulder and Scully met the day before they begin investigating the case, so they were partnered together and first introduced on March 6th.

While "Deep Throat" (1x02) doesn't reference a date, a timestamp in "Squeeze" (1x03) indicates 1993. You can also see/hear references to 1993 in "The Jersey Devil" (1x05), Shadows (1x06), "Ghost in the Machine" (1x07), "Ice" (1x08), "Eve" (1x11), and "Lazarus" (1x15).

This is a trend "The X-Files" typically follows. The first half of the series is generally set in the fall while the latter half is set in the spring, mirroring the traditional television schedule (barring finale/premiere two-parters and post-production changes in episode order).

Based on "The X-Files"’s tendency to reflect the year a given episode is airing, it can be presumed the "Pilot" is included in that (barring Carter's self-referential Easter egg).

While I recognize the hypocrisy of saying "don't believe this timestamp" by providing evidence of other timestamps, I hope to demonstrate that if you believe it's 1992 solely because it was shown in canon, there is an overwhelming amount of similar evidence to prove the contrary.

Additionally, if they met in 1992, that means there is a whole year of their partnership we never see.

Many of the lines in season one were written to highlight the newness of their relationship and would sound awkward coming from partners of over a year.

In seasons one and two, there aren't many allusions to the "Pilot" or Scully being assigned to The X-Files. However, as I'll demonstrate below, there are several references made in every season for the rest of the show's run that solidify 1993 as the correct date.

Keep in mind that "The X-Files" generally uses the year of the episode's airing as the in-show date, so while many of my examples will only have a Month/Day reference, we can assume from the airing year.

Syzygy (3x13)

Written By: Chris Carter

Airing Date: January 26th, 1996

SCULLY: Look, we’ve been working together for, what, two years now? We have different opinions, but I didn’t expect you to ditch me.

Evidence: Presuming the three-year mark is March 1996, this indicates 1993

Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man

Written By: Glen Morgan

Airing Date: November 17th, 1996

While watching CSM's history, we see the moments leading up to his appearance in the "Pilot" wherein the 1992 appears on screen once more.

Evidence: 1992 Timestamp

This moment of Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man is the piece of evidence (often the only) that pro-1992 fans use to justify the 1992 date.

It could be said that, while writing his connections to the "Pilot", Glen Morgan rewatched the episode and used 1992 to keep continuity.

Tunguska (4x08) and Terma (4x09) - Same Dialogue

Written By: Frank Spotnitz and Chris Carter

Airing Date: November 24th and December 1st, 1996

SCULLY: I left behind a career in medicine to become an FBI agent four years ago because I believed in this country.

Evidence: 1992

Tempus Fugit (4x17)

Written By: Frank Spotnitz and Chris Carter

Airing Date: March 16th, 1997

SCULLY: Mulder... you have never remembered my birthday in the four years I've known you.

MULDER: [...] It's every four years, it's like dog years that way.

Evidence: 1993

It is valid to point out that this one could be discounted being that we know Scully's birthday is in February and they met in March -- meaning that they would've only been together for three of her birthdays.

However, her line is very explicitly "four years I've known you"

Elegy (4x22)

Written by: John Shiban

Aired: May 4th, 1997

MULDER: What is that look, Scully?

SCULLY: I would have thought that after three years you'd know exactly what that look was

MULDER: What, you don't believe in ghosts?

Evidence: ... 1994 (we can discount that one haha)

Gesthemane (4x24)

Written By: Chris Carter

Aired: May 18th, 1997

SCULLY: Four years ago, Section Chief Blevins assigned me to a project you all know as the X Files [...] I come here today, four years later...

Evidence: 1993

Redux I

Written By: Chris Carter

Aired: November 2nd, 1997

This episode has multiple

SCULLY: That would mean that for four years we've been nothing more than pawns in a game. --- MULDER'S VO: In four years, I have shared my partner's passionate search for the truth.

-----

BLEVINS: Agent Scully. Please have a seat. Some time has past since you were first in this office.

SCULLY: Yes, sir. Four years.

Evidence: 1993

Redux II

Written by: Chris Carter

Aired: November 9th, 1997

This episode also has multiple

SCULLY: He's been in a position to know everything from the beginning, everything that we've done over the past four years.

----

MULDER: Four years ago, while working on an assignment outside the FBI mainstream, I was paired with Special Agent Dana Scully, who I believed was sent to spy on me.

Evidence: 1993

Patient X (5x13)

Written by: Chris Carter

Aired: March 2nd, 1998

Multiple references

WERBER: It's been some time.

MULDER: Almost five years.

-------

MULDER: I've had my head up my rear end for the last five years.

Evidence: 1993

The Red and The Black (5x14)

Written by: Chris Carter, Frank Spotnitz

Aired: March 8th, 1998

Another episode with multiple.

SCULLY: Mulder, when I met you five years ago, you told me that your sister had been abducted ... by aliens.

----

SKINNER: Over the past five years I've doubted you, only to be persuaded by the power of your belief in extraterrestrial phenomena.

Evidence: 1993

Folie à Deux (5x19)

Written by: Vince Gilligan

Aired: May 10th, 1998

MULDER: Five years together, Scully. You must have seen this coming.

Evidence: 1993

The End (5x20)

Written by: Chris Carter

Aired: May 17th, 1998

Multiple references

MULDER: That’s all I do. That’s all I’ve been doing for the last five years.

-----

SCULLY: This would be quantifiable scientific proof of everything Agent Mulder and I have investigated over the past five years.

Evidence: 1993

Fight the Future (1998)

Written by: Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz

Released: June 19th, 1998

MULDER: Five years together, Scully. How many times I been wrong?

Evidence: 1993

Tithonous (6x10)

Written by: Vince Gilligan

Aired: January 24th, 1999

We can see Scully’s career timeline on screen, but I, personally, cannot discern the date. Maybe it says 1992, maybe it says 1993, maybe it gives me cataracts.

Evidence: ???

Field Trip (6x21)

Written by: Frank Spotnitz

Teleplay by: Vince Gilligan and Chris Carter

Aired: May 9th, 1999

MULDER: Scully, in six years, how... how often have I been wrong?

Evidence: 1993

Hollywood A.D. (7x19)

Written by: David Duchovny

Aired: April 30th, 2000

GARRY SHANDLING AS MULDER: You know, seven long years I've been waiting for just the right moment, Scully.

Evidence: 1993

Fight Club (7x20)

Written by: Chris Carter

Aired: May 7th, 2000

MULDER: No, the interesting thing about these agents is they had worked together for seven years previously without any incident.

SCULLY: Seven years?

MULDER: Yeah, but they are not ... romantically involved if that's what you're thinking.

Evidence: 1993

A tounge-in-cheek reference to Mulder and Scully’s relationship taking a sexual turn a few episodes prior.

Je Souhaite (7x21)

Written by: Vince Gilligan

Aired: May 14th, 2000

SCULLY: You know, Mulder, in the seven years that we've been working together I have seen some amazing things, but this?

Evidence: 1993

Requiem (7x22)

Written by: Chris Carter

Aired: May 21st, 2000

Multiple direct references to the pilot

MALE VOICE: (on phone) My name is Billy Miles. I don't know if you remember me.

MULDER: Oregon, seven years ago.

-----

SCULLY: I watched Agent Mulder paint that there seven years ago.

------

MULDER: Seven years ago you came to Agent Scully and I for help.

Evidence: 1993

Per Manum (8x13)

Written by: Frank Spotnitz and Chris Carter

Aired: February 18th, 2001

DUFFY HASKELL: I contacted you about my wife About eight years ago because she was an alien abductee.

SCULLY: That was before my time here.

This episode is one of those “back from break” episodes that takes place in Fall of the previous year, so the “present day” parts of this episode occurs in 2000 -- meaning the eight year anniversary hasn’t happened yet. It more than implies 1992 would be “before her time.”

Evidence: 1993

DeadAlive (8x15)

Written by: Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz

Aired: April 1st, 2001

DOGGETT: What?

SCULLY: I heard the same speech come out of my mouth seven years ago.

Evidence: Would you look at that, two accidental 1994 references.

Three Words (8x16)

Written by: Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz

Aired: April 8th, 2001

Multiple references

KERSH: From this report, you and Agent Scully have had more arrests on percentage than she and Mulder over seven years.

-----

MULDER: Truth is, this is a bullet that was fired about eight years ago.

Evidence: Mulder went missing in 2000, so for Kersh’s statement to be correct, they had to have worked together from 1993-2000. 1993 is further backed up by Mulder’s line.

Dæmonicus (9x03)

Written by: Frank Spotnitz

Aired: December 2nd, 2001

SCULLY: Dr. Dana Scully. I have just been assigned to the Academy as a forensic investigator. For the past eight years I was part of a unit known as the X-Files.

Evidence: 1993

Sunshine Days (9x18)

Written by: Vince Gilligan

Aired: May 12th, 2002

SCULLY: It very well could. I mean, I've... I've been working this unit for nine years now. I-I've investigated nearly 200 paranormal cases. We are due for some incontrovertible proof. I want vindication, for ... for Mulder and ... for all of us.

Evidence: 1993. This was the 200th episode of the show, meaning we’ve watched nearly every case they ever worked together.

The Truth (9x19/20)

Written by: Chris Carter

Aired: May 19th, 2022

Several references

SCULLY: My name is Dana Katherine Scully. I was assigned nine years ago to the X-Files to spy on Agent Mulder whose methods the FBI distrusted.

------

MULDER: Because this is greater than you or me. This is about everything we worked for for nine years.

------

KALLENBRUNNER: She gave up the miracle child? The proof of everything that she and Mulder claim that they've risked their lives for over the last nine years - she just sent it off to some strangers?

------

REYES: You don't care what these people have sacrificed over the last nine years - what's been lost to their cause.

------

MULDER: I'd like to congratulate you on succeeding where so many before you have failed. A bullet between the eyes would have been preferable to this charade. But I've learned to pretend over the past nine years - to pretend that my victories mattered only to realize that no one was keeping score.

Evidence: 1993

My Struggle (10x01)

Written by: Chris Carter

Aired: January 24th, 2016

MULDER: In 1993, the FBI sought to impugn my work, bringing in a scientist and medical doctor to debunk it, which only deepened my obsession for the better part of a decade, during which time that agent, Dana Scully, had her own faith tested.

Evidence: Can’t lay it out much more than that. 1993.

Babylon (10x05)

Written by: Chris Carter

Aired: February 15th, 2016

SCULLY: Nobody but the FBI's Most Unwanted. I've been waiting twenty-three years to say that.

Evidence: Direct reference to the “Pilot.” 1993.

To sum it up, there are 23 episodes (over 1/10th of the series) that reference 1993 as being the year Mulder and Scully met, 4 episodes (technically 3 since it’s a repeated line in Tunguska/Terma) that indicate 1992, 2 that imply 1994, and 1 that I can’t read.

It is worth noting that many television pilots end up looking different than the rest of the show (I mean... we don’t even get the classic X-Files theme in the Pilot, and Scully’s hair isn’t quite the red we’ve all come to know and love). Pilots are the ‘pitch’ in the hopes they’ll be approved for more, and sometimes the network exectutives say “okay, but change xyz,” resulting in actor changes, character alterations, and pivoting directions. One could say the Pilot date shouldn’t be taken at face value for this reason.

Also worth noting, 1992 isn’t treated like an accident. Like many other shows, The X-Files has made alterations to certain details they wanted to change before the DVD releases. One such example is that Gillian Anderson’s wrist tattoo was accidentally left in during a scene that aired, but you can see it has been edited out on subsequent releases because Scully doesn’t have a wrist tattoo. This proves that they want the show to be as accurate as possible when they release it. Since they haven’t changed the 1992, it serves to illustrate that it is likley a meaningful Easter Egg for Chris Carter, and not a true canoncial fact he sticks by seeing as many of the above references to 1993 were made by Chris himself.

Despite my 1993 propoganda, I know damn well we will all see a bunch of “Happy 31st Anniversary” posts here in a few days. I’ve been on those X-Files Facebook fanpages enough to know that if you post “Happy 30th Anniversary,” an angry, self-righteous bro will post a screenshot of the timestamp and say “Actually, it was 1992.” The X-Files’ popularity made it a hit with general audiences who see 1992 on screen and take it for what it is, and The X-Files’ appeal to cult fandoms inspired anal-retentive fans like myself to look deeper and find the 1993 written in the margins (over-and-over).

Above all else, I encourage everyone to celebrate it however they want, at the end of the day, I think it’s beautiful that a thirty year old show is still being celebrated by its fans and recognized as an important piece of pop culture and television history.

I will end this thread with one final quote from Scully: “The truth is out there... but so are lies.”

#the x files #pilot #mulder #scully #msr #x files #season one #gillian anderson #david duchovny #chris carter #frank spotnitz #1x01 #1992 #1993 #anniversary

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offbrandevents · 11 months

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Philes, our Memorial Day Sale ENDS TOMORROW! And we have an update: we have an opportunity to add more to this exciting event, however we would need another 200 people to come to make this work! Share far and wide and make sure the news of Philefest spreads! ❤️👽X

#the x files #philefest2023 #xfiles #xfiles anniversary #convention #nicholas lea #william b davis #annabeth gish #john shiban #darin morgan #frank spotnitz #melinda mcgraw #chris carter #steven williams #joe harris

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spnscripthunt · 8 months

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The one with my name [Frank Spotnitz] on it that is my favorite for a bunch of reasons would be "Memento Mori," which is the one where Scully finds out she has cancer.

[The episode] was actually supposed to be the return of Darin Morgan. Darin had left the show, and he was going to write one more episode. Three or four days before prep, he called and said, "Look, I'm really sorry, I just can't. I can't finish the script. I can't do it.” And we were like, "What? What?" We had no script at all.

We had been debating the Scully cancer storyline, because there were some people who didn't think we should do it. And then we said, "Look, we've got three days. We've got to have a script to prep. And so we're going to go for it." And so in three days, John, Vince and I outlined that story and wrote the draft, and had something to prep.

And then, over Christmas, Chris Carter wrote the script, and then it got made. I think it's the best single mythology episode we ever did. It was just amazing that it almost didn't come to pass.

Source: Ryan, Maureen. 2013. 'The X-Files' Executive Producer Frank Spotnitz On His Biggest Regret And Fondest Memories. HuffPost, July 16. <https://www.huffpost.com/entry/x-files-anniversary_n_3599331>

#the x files #txf #txf bts #scripts #tv writing #frank spotnitz #darin morgan #vince gilligan #admin: lets-steal-an-archive #30th anniversary #of the pilot is in a few days #spn adjacent #john shiban #spn writer s1 + s2

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nerds-yearbook · 1 year

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David Duchovny returned to the X-Files in the February 25, 2001 episode "This Is Not Happening". It was the highest rated episode of the season. It also marked the first appearance of Special Agent Monica Reyes and the final appearance of the alien Jeremiah Smith and alien abductee Teresa Nemman-Hoese. ("This Is Not Happening", X-Files, TV, Event)

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countesspetofi · 7 months

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So, I watched Night Stalker, the 2005 reboot of the 1974 Kolchak: The Night Stalker series, and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. There's no danger of it supplanting the original series in my affections, but I was expecting a steaming mess and was pleasantly surpised.

Some things were a bit disconcerting, and I found myself wondering what the motivation was for some of the choices. Carl Kolchak is now a friendly, personable guy who has an entire support team he plays well with, while they, in turn, care about him? Where is my weird, abrasive loner who only gets along with old ladies and has a strange, hostile, but codependent relationship with his boss? Why is everybody so young and attractive? ("Hot Tony Vincenzo" was not on my 2023 Bingo card, folks, but there you go.) Kolchak lives in a showplace out of the pages of a glossy magazine and drives a car that doesn't look like it's about to fall apart? What's up with that?

Of course there were going to be similarities with The X-Files, due to the influence of Frank Spotnitz and the fact that The X-Files was inspired by the original Kolchak series. I thought they did a good job with the balancing act between Monster of the Week stories and the continuing story arc. I'm not sure you could get away with purely episodic storytelling here in the 21st century; the audience wouldn't stand for it. So, you need to maintain a light touch to keep from going too far in one direction or another, and I think they pulled it off. And there were some really great performances from guest stars.

Candyman himself, Mr. Tony Todd!

Angelo from The Pretender!

In perhaps the best episode of the series, Ted Chaough from Mad Men channeling Norman Bates, and his mother, Delenn from Babylon 5!

I'm not disappointed that it wasn't continued, but I found it worth the watch.

#night stalker 2005 #kolchak: the night stalker #tv reboot #1970s tv #2000s tv #tv sci fi #tv horror #tony vincenzo #tony todd #paul dillon #kevin rahm #mira furlan #the x files #frank spotnitz #carl kolchak

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vintagewarhol · 2 years

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#the man in the high castle #tv shows #amazon prime #frank spotnitz #illustration #vintage art #alternative movie posters

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celestialmega · 7 months

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The X-Files - Patient X by Kim Manners, Chris Carter, Frank Spotnitz.

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x-files-scripts · 29 days

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The X-Files - “Detour”

Written by Frank Spotnitz

September 11, 1997 (WHITE)

Alternate ending:

#the x files #x files #scripts #txf #season 5 #txf s5 #txf bts #detour #script #frank spotnitz #david duchovny #gillian anderson #mulder #scully #alternate ending #screenwriting #tvwriting

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medicaldoctordana · 1 year

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I so badly want to know the Dana Scully that wrote her thesis on Einstein’s twin paradox theory. I would LOVE to have drinks with the Dana Katherine Scully that had an affair with her med school professor. I crave having a chat with the Dana Scully that dated her teacher at the academy.

#the x files #dana scully #gillian originally wrote that scully and waterston did NOT have an affair but almost did #and frank spotnitz #was the one to suggest they imply mulder and scully evolved to a romantic relationship #also all things CANT be the first time they slept together #bc in trust no 1 her fbi agent (joke) said he was surprised when she invited mulder into her bed one night #but all things was HIS bed #so the first time was HER bed #and all things wasnt their first time

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90smovies · 1 year

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#The X Files #The X Files Fight the Future #David Duchovny #Fox Mulder #Gillian Anderson #Dana Scully #Rob Bowman #Chris Carter #Frank Spotnitz #90s

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randomfoggytiger · 11 months

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Updated! X-Files Mulder Trauma Responses: Fight, Flight, Freeze, or Fawn?

I've seen various takes on Mulder's and Scully's trauma and stress responses; and I wanted to autopsy the issue carefully to reach a conclusion. We're focusing solely on Mulder here-- but! Scully will get her own post in future.

Kitsunegari Sums Up Mulder's Trauma Responses in One Scene

Mulder is too late to stop "Scully" from pulling the trigger against her temple, screaming in agony as she drops to the ground, "dead."

He then cycles through all of his First and Secondary Trauma Responses (will be discussed below):

Running up in horror, then plastering a smile in sickening denial--

Mulder attempts to feel a pulse. There is none. Scully is dead.

His grief overwhelms him-- an aggravated and more violent (if shorter) version of his sorrow in Redux II-- scrabbling at her scalp and shoulders, silently screaming into her face, before turning away so as not to vomit.

He mentally starts to drift;

but denial-- denial, denial, denial-- holds sway as he pops his head back up, reenergized,

vainly feeling for a pulse once again, eyes desperately and obsessively focused on his partner.

There is no hope.

Mulder is now losing all control, probably gearing up to an epic meltdown of Biblical proportions-- heavy breathing, desperate eyes, nothing to grasp at or solve or hold onto--

when he hears a noise. A reprieve. A focus. An enemy.

Furious, he snatches a gun and levels it at Linda Bowman, spitting in his fury

...but doesn't fire.

And allows "Bowman" to talk him down.

And further, when "Linda" fires, Mulder flinches, puts his gun up as he dissociates (looks down to his mid-left)-- freezes, if you will-- and doesn't fight back, expecting to die.

This is Mulder's Trauma Responses in full: Freeze-Fight.

He will also begin to repeat this cycle in Milagro (if shorter-- because Scully pops up, alive, sooner.)

Why Mulder Is Primarily a Freeze Type

I'm going to include this entire segment from Pete Walker's Complex CPTSD: From Surviving to Thriving (see notes at the bottom for more info) because it's such a powerful piece of Mulder-psyche that it should stand on its own:

"A Freeze Response is triggered when a person, realizing resistance is futile, gives up, numbs out into dissociation, and/or collapses, as if accepting the inevitability of being hurt.... The Freeze Response, also known as the Camouflage Response, also triggers a survivor into hiding, isolating, and avoiding human contact.

The Freeze Type can be so frozen in the retreat mode that is seems as if their "Starter" button is stuck in the "off" position.

Off all the four Fs, Freeze Types seem to have the deepest and conscious belief that 'people' and 'danger' are synonymous.

While all 4 F Types commonly suffer from social anxiety as well, Freeze Types typically take a great deal more refuge in solitude.

Some Freeze Types completely give up on relating to others and become extremely isolated. Outside of fantasy, many also give up entirely on the possibility of love."

These Types have learned from a young age that fighting back will only get you punished and that fleeing will only get you reprimanded; so, they collapse inwardly instead. Dissociation becomes the name of the game, coasting through life without being attached to it, accepting its blows and distracting themselves from reality with either fantasy or the pursuit of a fantastical idea they want to achieve.

Frank Spotnitz said it best when he reflected on Mulder's character growth and seeking 'The Truth': ""You can't get the truth. You can't. There's a larger truth, though: that you can't harness the forces of the cosmos, but you may find somebody else. You may find another human being. That may be kind of corny and all of that, but that's really it: Love is the only truth we can hope to know, as human beings. That's what Mulder and Scully found after nine years. And that's a lot."

But what about those moments when Mulder runs at danger, demanding answers and yelling down the sky?

**Edit: This is the section i had to refurbish based on proper research.**

Secondary Trauma Responses develop when circumstances are so extreme that a person's initial trauma response is not removing them from danger fast enough; and they then develop a second polar opposite response in the hopes that this will help. More often than not, it simply becomes a ping-pong whiplash between one extreme to the other. The four Hybrids are Fight-Fawn, Fight-Freeze, and Flight-Freeze. In Mulder's case, if he stays frozen for too long he will very quickly become very dead; thus, Mulder developed a secondary response: Flight.

Freeze-Flight (or Flight-Freeze-- potato, potatoh) Types

Below is an excerpt from Pete Walker, but it's so completely Mulder that I have nothing else to add:

"The Flight-Freeze Type is the least relational, most schizoid hybrid. He prefers the safety of "do it yourself" isolationism. The Fight-Fleeze Type avoids potential relationship traumatization with an obsessive-compulsive dissociative two-step. Step One is working to complete exhaustion. Step Two is collapsing into extreme vegging out and waiting until his energy reaccumulates enough to relaunch into Step One. The price for this time of no-longer-necessary safety is a severely narrowed existence."

(**Note for the below paragraph: the author is not talking about alpha/beta in the current, dilapidated vernacular. Think of it as an academic term describing more aggressive or assertive behavior as compared to more passive or dismissive behavior.)

"The Flight-Freeze cul-de-sac is more common among men, especially those traumatized for being vulnerable in childhood. This then drives them to seek safety in isolation, or "intimacy lite" relationships. Some non-alpha type male survivors combine their flight-freeze defenses to become stereotypical technology nerds. Telecommuting is, of course, their preferred modes.

Flight-Freeze Types are the computer addicts who focus on work long periods of time and then drift off dissociatively into computer games, substance abuse, or sleep binging. FF Types are prone to becoming porn addicts: when in Flight mode, they obsessively surf the net for phantom partners and engage in compulsive masturbation. When in Freeze mode, they drift off into Right-Brain sexual fantasy world if pornography is unavailable. Moreover, if they are an intimacy-light relationship, they typically engage more in with their idealized fantasy partners than with their actual partner during real-time sexual interactions."

An interesting note: these types are often misdiagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome, which explains why some fans theorize that an Oxford graduate-FBI field agent might be on the spectrum (Mulder isn't: it's a symptom of him coping very, VERY badly.)

Mulder's Freeze-Flight response kicked in sometime after his sister's abduction, since his primary Freeze response "prevented" him from saving her (even if he couldn't do anything to help.)

Since then, Mulder has buried all trauma or deep emotion in the bowels of his work in the basement, printing them out as X-Files to brand his work as his life.

For all of Mulder's talk about disliking others for dismissing something that cannot be explained, labeled, or categorized, when he can't do it himself, he goes berserk: first freezing, horrified, before he launches with righteous fury into his work, demanding answers and running himself ragged.

A potent demonstration of Mulder's yo-yo-ing Freeze-Flight Response is the Russian Roulette showdown in Pusher: Mulder more readily accepts his own death than Scully, terrified but determinedly compliant... until she becomes the next target of Modell's mind games.

It's a pattern that has already been established since her abduction, and which repeats for her cancer (and every perilous moment after and in-between.)

An important

There are countless examples where Mulder disconnects from reality in the face of great grief, ala his father's death, CSM and Diana Fowley's oily plan in One Son, and-- especially-- his mother's suicide.

In all these instances, Mulder immediately ran into work mode, trying move the world by force and come up with an explanation-- any-- to make everything right. When he is forced to sit and deal with tragic loss, his Flight peters out, leading him back to square one: an unhealthy Freeze Response.

Luckily for him, Scully is a stable, reliable support; and coaxes him into properly grieving by not sugarcoating the Truth, thereby helping him turn into healthier coping mechanisms (if he wants to use them-- he doesn't in Paper Hearts, but he does in Sein und Zeit. Baby steps.)

In short: Mulder is a Freeze-then-Flight man.

Why Mulder Isn't a Fight, Flight, or Fawn Type

To make quick work of this, I'll rely mainly on Pete Walker quotes again and add my commentary after his statements:

"A Fight [Trauma] Response is triggered when a person suddenly responds aggressively to something threatening.... Fight Types are unconsciously driven by the belief that power and control can create safety, assuage abandonment, and secure love." Extreme Fight Types often become bullies or narcissists to their loved ones as well as their enemies if left unchecked. They are demanding, demeaning, and punishing, equating strength as exerted power over someone weaker. They usually grew up in homes where they had to fight back against physical abuse or protect others from it. This translates to a bitter outlook on the world, always suspicioning the motives of others in cruel or judgmental ways.

(Note: Not much of the above is directly related to Bill Scully-- or Bill Mulder, even, see my previous post about him here-- but his natural bent is Fight above the other 3 F Types. Doesn't mean he's a bully or a narcissist; just that those would be his extremes.)

As we have seen through the entire series, Mulder as an atypical American masculine archetype: he does not resort to violence, preferring to save victims and even villains, willing to give everyone a second chance (and, by extension, giving backstabbers a clear target for their next strike.) The only time he has exerted violence over another was as a last possible extreme to stop a threat (shooting Modell, shooting the Peacock brothers, shooting Schnauz, shooting Roche, etc.)

Back to Walker:

"A Flight Response is triggered when a person responds to a perceived threat by fleeing; or, symbolically, by launching into hyperactivity. .... Extreme Flight Types are like machines with a switch stuck in the 'on' position. They are obsessively and compulsively driven by the unconscious belief that perfection will make them safe and loveable. They rush to achieve. They rush as much in thought in action, compulsion."

I will be talking about this response a little bit more in a follow-up post; but the core with this character is their ability to distract themselves from their problems into oblivion. Mulder's pains and sorrows and traumas are a constant of his life, eating away at his heart and shoving themselves in his face every day. The difference between his obsessive work ethic and a Flight Type's work ethic is the motivator: he is dabbling in his fantasy, building empires from ideas and discovering new kingdoms with every possibility; while Flight Types have ceased to function at all, robotically going from task to task until they overload or shut down.

And, lastly, back to Walker for the Fawn Trauma Response:

"Fawn Response is triggered when a person responds to threat by trying to be pleasing or helpful in order to appease and forestall an attacker.... Fawn types seek safety by merging with the wishes, needs, and demands of others. They act as if they believe that the price of admission to any relationship is the forfeiture of all their needs, rights, preferences, and boundaries. The disenfranchisement of the Fawn Type begins in childhood... learns early that a modicum of safety and attachment can be gained by becoming the helpful and compliant servant of... exploitive parents." (As an aside, this Type is also formed from having at least one narcissistic parent.)

While Mulder is often used by those around him, he never loses the core of who he is to their abuse: when Phoebe comes knocking, he may set aside the case to (try to) get some hotel action; but he's still self-aware of his and her actions, disentangled enough to self-deprecatingly (and knowingly) smirk when he catches her red-handed with another man. When his father or mother weave in and out of his life with their soft or outspoken demands, he doesn't bend from the Truth, risking his relationships continually for It. He is willing to tell Scully to her face she is lying to him; and he is willing to sacrifice what new closeness they've achieved if he believes she's being purposefully blind or obtuse. Mulder, while reliant on Scully as his human credential, is not co-dependent on her: he can stand on his own two feet, even if she were to walk out of his life. The wounds would go deep; but he would dissociate from life (like he had in Little Green Men) not erode away completely.

(As an aside, that's why probably why Mulder would have committed suicide in Gethsemane but not during the Break Up Years TM. Post IWTB Scully, while she had walked away from their life together, was still a part of his reality; whereas, S4 Scully would have been dead, deceased, gone from existence... and Mulder could never escape that, no matter how much he dissociated from it.)

How Mulder Can Use His Freeze Response Healthy

In a nutshell, a person should work through their traumas so they can pick among the 4 Trauma Responses for the healthiest outcome in each situation: Fight for healthy boundaries, Flight for healthy retreat and perseverance, Freeze for healthy awareness and distanced assessment, and Fawn for healthy assertive listening and peacemaking. Unhealthy childhoods create fixations on one of these four; and it takes a while to learn the patterns and triggers in one's life and how to manage them.

For Mulder, he grew exponentially through the years, becoming less detached and more engaged with "life on this planet" (growing from a sarcastic S1 recluse to a more emotionally honest person in S2 to a more openly supportive person in S3 to a transformed heart-on-his-sleeve man in S4-5 to someone who can find joy in S6 and peace in S7 and recreation in S8. Is there canon after that?) So, as it stands, he's doing just fine. Because if one truly searches for the Truth it might not be aliens: it might just be a whole, happy life and how to enjoy it.

And there you have it, folks!

Scully will get her own follow up, soonish (though if you don't want to wait that long, she's a pretty obvious *spoiler* Flight Type. No one's really surprised because of what happened in Fight the Future.)

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!

*Note*: There are four main trauma Responses: Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn (taken from the book Complex CPTSD: From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker-- see Disclaimers section below for info.) In short: Fight Types responds to stress by physical intimidation or verbal bullying; Flight Types run as far as they can from danger or distract themselves from it as much as possible; Freeze Types disassociate, seeing fight and flight as futile and becoming numb to life; Fawn Types try to win favor from their oppressor, leaning co-dependently on others.

**Note**: Most of the information was obtained from Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker, a private counselor and lecturer for thirty-five years. As a victim of CPTSD himself, he made a study of its victims and helped craft a system for CPTSD recoverees to understand themselves and progressively heal. (Highly recommend his book-- excellent.)

***Note***: I will ghost edit later. Brb.

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