Yes! It’s especially insane with Phoebe bc like the show goes out of it’s way to explicitly show how fucked up she was idk how people forget it
yep yep yep!! it's quite literally the entire point of the episode. but i still see people all the time like...calling mulder stupid for "trusting" her and making jokes about the way he behaves around her and it's just like...please don't piss me off. same exact thing with diana.
fire is one of my favorite episodes though i think it's such an interesting look at mulder's character and example of the ways that he views and interacts with people close to him
because he understands and acknowledges from the very beginning that phoebe's just there to fuck with him, that she made the trip from boston to DC to bring him in on the investigation for no reason other than knowing that it will scare him
he knows what she’s doing, and he still agrees to help her
his only concession being that scully not be involved
noting that he's not going to "put her through" phoebe's games
this is something that we've seen him do before, with his former partner jerry earlier in season one, who broke into his office and stole his work.
it's clear throughout ghost in the machine that mulder isn't comfortable working with him, but helps him anyway because jerry asked him to
and builds him up when jerry is feeling insecure
he infamously does it again with diana, always affording her the benefit of the doubt and defending her
and with his parents, consistently coming whenever they call, despite all of their lies and neglect
(side note from pulling ghost in the machine caps but his ties in this ep are soooo classic baby spooky i miss s1 soooo much)
anyway, this is the dynamic that fire circles around, and the only time in the episode that mulder pushes back against phoebe is when he cracks this joke about having a "refined technique" with women who cheat
which he apologizes for instantly, recognizing that it upset her
fire is also one of the best portrayals of the true sign of a toxic/abusive relationship: not realizing anything is wrong with it until you tell your best friend
i see criticism of this episode sometimes that interprets it as glorifying phoebe, portraying her as sexy and her behavior as righteous, but i disagree.
i don't think that you can base the episode's stance on phoebe on mulder's behavior, he's responding to her through a very warped and controlled lens. just because he views her in a positive light, doesn't mean that we should as the audience.
whereas, scully is immediately wary of phoebe and critical of her, even before knowing the context for her actions.
this shot is my favorite lmao. she is contemplating murder. she is wondering if she could get away with it.
her lil passive aggressive "bye bitch" finger wave
her "mmmmyeah sure sherlock"
her watchful eye as she hangs in the doorway while mulder and phoebe meet with the arson specialist
she literally sits at his desk in his chair and waits for him just to make this sherlock holmes joke 😭😭😭 they are BEST friends
now, this is when she finds out the true history with phoebe, and the reason behind her visit. and it's when mulder tells her that she's off the case.
and from that point, scully starts investigating the murders herself, consulting her own sources to put together her own theories
while these two do absolutely fuck all
she shows up uninvited at the event in boston, having SOLVED THE CASE HER-FUCKING-SELF
and she's the only one who gives a fuck when mulder gets hurt
while phoebe shakes hands and schmoozes at the party
sweetie pie making sure her partner gets some water and some rest
now, dana 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
after making sure mulder is okay (and getting a peek at him shirtless) she shows him the evidence that she found, telling him that she just "didn't know a whole lot about arson" so took the opportunity to do some research "for my own edification, of course" GIRLLLLL
and they identify the groundskeeper as the murderer based on the information that she gathered
the face of a woman who single-handedly solved a string of serial murders to get her best friend's bitch of an ex away from him. she is truly an inspiration to us all.
and she has 1 more sherlock holmes joke in her.
so, anyway, mulder is visibly uncomfortable around phoebe from the start, and this is something that scully picks up on immediately, even before being told any information about phoebe or her motives
and this is an ongoing theme from the very beginning, as mulder is generally unaggressive and compassionate to a fault, leaving scully feeling a responsibility to be conscious and wary of their surroundings.
scully isn't being jealous towards phoebe, just like she isn't "taking things personally" with diana. she understands this about mulder and how exploitable it is, and she's fiercely protective of both him and the kindhearted qualities that leave him vulnerable to these situations
anyway TLDR let me see any of you call either of them stupid again
Mulder’s Apartment. The Goodbye We Never Got to Say.
Does anyone else feel like we never got a proper goodbye to Mulder’s apartment? I feel that, in a lot of ways, his apartment was just as iconic to the show as the X-Files basement office.
Yet they ditched it without so much as a cursory glance, or a wistful note played of Mark Snow’s score. We were there - and then we weren’t. And now it’s gone forever.
The last time we see Mulder (and Scully) in his apartment, is in season 8′s Three Words.
But it’s not actually the last time we see the apartment itself. The last time is even sadder - because there’s no Mulder or Scully- it’s through Agent Doggett’s eyes that we say our final farewell to this iconic location. He walks into Mulder’s apartment to find it empty in the season 9 premiere Nothing Important Happened Today.
Mulder’s belongings all gone - now moved to Scully’s apartment.
I really think we deserved a scene where Mulder and Scully are packing away his things and they talk about all the times they had together in the apartment - Mulder musing about moving forward with his life - and leaving the past behind. Them smiling at each other as they walk out of the empty apartment… and the door closes.
Did I just describe the series finale of Friends, there? I think I might have.
Anyway!
As a homage to apartment #42, 2630 Hegal Place Alexandria, VA 23242, here’s a scrapbook of it’s greatest hits from season 1 - 9 and Fight the Future. I will be posting at least 1 screecap of EVERY episode the apartment appeared in.
So yeah, this is gonna be long. VERY LONG! You have been warned!
i love how the opening of All Things just shows Scully leaving Mulder’s apartment and then plays the theme song. like the fact that Mulder got laid is the x file
The X-Files MSR Analysis Series: Season 1 Episode 12
“Fire”
Previous episode analysis - 1x11 Eve.
Oh Fire, what an episode. The first time we see Mulder actively pursue a woman and it’s not Scully. WHAT IS THIS FUCKERY.
It’s okay though, because it turns out Mulder’s ex – Phoebe Green – is a real piece of work, making it quite easy to dislike her, which is handy because I think that’s the point.
There are two MSR angles here. The first is how Scully is really there for Mulder as a friend. She sees he is vulnerable and is protective of him; she is caring and reassuring even when Mulder seemingly dismisses Scully in pursuit of that British poontang. The beauty of their blossoming platonic bond really shines through in this episode.
The second angle is that Mulder has exactly what he desires right in front of him, but doesn’t see it. Phoebe is a tantalising reminder of a lifestyle he’s given up – having a woman in his life – someone to love and care for who loves him back. But everything that he desires in Phoebe is already there in the form of Scully. The issue is that Mulder doesn’t allow himself to see her as anything more than his partner, his friend, and so doesn’t recognise that he has this incredible woman right under his nose already.
With this in mind, there are parts of Fire that almost play out like a stereotypical romcom. The male protagonist with the amazing female best friend who is perfect for him but he just continues to pursue terrible women, all while the best friend looks on from the sidelines, picking up the pieces, supporting him. Until one day… *cough* seven years later… *cough*
every day people sign on to fox mulder’s internet and say things like “they should make nighttime scenes in mulder’s apartment brighter.” no they should not!!! sorry if you’re not prepared for the truth that there is no more strikingly beautiful image in the history of television than mulder and scully silhouetted against the streetlights cutting through his blinds. oh should caravaggio lose the shadows too
"Mulder, you are the only one I trust", "Mulder, I wouldn't put myself on the line for anybody but you", "Scully, you are the only one I trust", "Before, I could only trust myself. Now, I can only trust you", "Scully, you have to believe me. Nobody else on this whole damn planet does or ever will. You're my one in five billion", "You were my friend, and you told me the truth. Even when the world was falling apart, you were my constant, my touchstone", "You made me a whole person. I owe you everything. Scully, and you owe me nothing", "Well, I'm fairly happy. That's something", "I'm not going to risk losing you", "I won't let you go alone", "Agent Scully is already in love", "Scully? I love you", -
Not every Star Wars show should be Andor. We need our adventure serials. Our family friendly animated romps. Our big galactic epics.
But I wish every show put nearly a fraction of the amount of thought and care that Andor does into their writing and production. It’s a show that cares deeply about character and theme and as a result it feels more focused and more impactful when it aims for the big Star Wars moments. The Mandalorian is fun and all, but character has never been its strong suit and it’s certainly not concerned with any larger thematic ideas or messaging. I don’t need Mando to spend episodes at a time in brooding discussions about galactic espionage or offering up nuanced critiques of colonialism, but I want it to have something to say and have interesting characters say them. Is that so hard? I feel like I know more about the supporting cast of Andor after half a season than I do the literal protagonist of Mando after two full seasons and a spin off.
Also, by god, shoot on a set when you can. Do some environmental storytelling.
It’s going to be so hard to go back after this season wraps. The Favroni-verse is really going to have to step it up.
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