#fandom gems

[destielette]

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[redyamada-blog]

Fandom Gems - Steven Universe

[badforthefish]

Fanon vs Canon

This is one of the most useful tool anyone has ever created for XF fic writers. I wasn’t sure I was going to find it again but I googled and lo behold! If I’m not mistaken Joann Humby (who wrote fic between 1997 and 2004) is the author. I’m copying the main parts below because this needs to be preserved.

The Working Day?

Given that we usually see Mulder and Scully working on the show, it should be pretty easy to see how these two perform as FBI agents. Which is why some of the fanon ideas that have grown up in this area are particularly surprising.

Mulder is a bad shot?

Mulder is an excellent shot. He doesn't shoot often but when he does, he doesn't miss. See Young at Heart, End Game, Soft Light, Oubliette, Our Town, Grotesque, Pusher, Unruhe, Paper Hearts, Trevor, Hungry, Millennium etc.

Mulder does fail to shoot out the tire on the RV in Bad Blood - probably not enough adrenaline - maybe he was drugged. He also makes a comment about missing low in 731 - but that was part of a rather good threat not a statement about his actual accuracy.

Mulder shoots to kill which is standard law enforcement practice. The exceptions to this are in Signs and Wonders (where he's close to his stationary target and has an easy shot if he wants it) and possibly in Grotesque (where he may have hesitated because it was his old boss)

Mulder fired "blind" at the croc during Quagmire - which would be considered bad practice. As is his decision to put his gun on the floor in Sleepless (but he wouldn't be Mulder if he didn't do that!)

Scully is a crack shot and a more reliable marksman than Mulder?

There is no indication that Scully is a better marksman than Mulder in canon. Scully seldom kills anyone she shoots. She's deadly in CBFR and Millennium (when Mulder's under attack) but usually she wounds. Is Scully intentionally trying not to kill (not standard FBI protocol) or is she just off a bit in her aim?

Anyone who can shoot a target (Mulder) through the shoulder and not do major damage is impressive (but she wouldn't be Scully if she hadn't done that!)

Scully's also fired "blind" on a couple of occasions - Theef and Orison - which would be considered bad practice. Orison "could" have led to a Tithonus style wounding of Mulder (which personally I think would have been quite an interesting outcome!)

Mulder never gets along with local law enforcement?

Mulder usually gets along fine with the local law. He's often called in to help by them and is seen taking the lead in their efforts. See Eve, Beyond the Sea, Genderbender, Shapes, Darkness Falls, Born Again, etc...

If they fail to play along though, he soon loses patience. Things start off fine in Jersey Devils and Blood, but he won't stop investigating just because it suits the other guys to quit.

The most notable "not playing nice" incidents are probably in Squeeze where the rest of the team dismiss his comments even after asking for his help, and Quagmire where Scully talks the locals into helping out just as Mulder prepares to give up trying.

Mulder is a lone wolf?

Probably an exaggeration from a few incidents. He uses all available resources unless he is up against a hostile or corrupt local sheriff/police. Shadows, Eve, Fire, Beyond the Sea, Lazarus, Young at Heart, Shapes, The Host, Humbug, Red Museum, Aubrey, Irresistible, etc.

Mulder does investigate certain things on his own but that is part of the normal investigative process. Everyone has their job to do.

On a more personal level, there have always been Mulder friends around (basketball pals, Lone Gunmen, Chuck etc) and exes (Phoebe, Diana). Scully is not the first person he's spoken to since Samantha went missing....

Mulder is always ditching Scully?

Some truth but not so much as you might imagine from fanfic. In the early seasons Scully used to tell Mulder that she couldn't follow him past the boundaries of FBI jurisdiction. Deep Throat, Fallen Angel, Little Green Men, End Game etc all fell into that category. As we know, Scully was lying - she didn't take those lines she drew seriously either.

In the early years, when he followed a personal lead that was not part of an assigned case, he didn't include Scully in his pursuit. The fact that Scully was willing to work on unassigned and personal investigations but didn't tell him so doesn't make Mulder a constant ditcher! Later as they became closer, he would go off on his own only when she made it clear she didn't believe him as in Kitsunegari or when he didn't see any danger as in Triangle.

Real "ditches" became rare in later seasons (though there's an excellent one in Demons). But 'philes became more sensitive to the concept so even choosing to investigate separately (as in Unruhe and The Beginning) gets classed as ditching by some. Mulder wouldn't see them that way, because he thinks Scully's a competent professional capable of working alone.

Mulder is always running after ridiculous cases and hoaxes?

In canon, Mulder pursues cases that are serious in nature such as kidnappings or killings. None of the cases that Mulder has taken on has turned out to be frivolous. He didn't chase after cases of dead mutilated cows. A dead mutilated human would have to be involved too (as in Bad Blood).

Mulder doesn't believe in getting backup?

Mulder accepts help from anyone who'll give it and that includes using the FBI and local law. Try Lazarus, Young at Heart, Irresisistible, Pusher, TRATB etc.

If he can't get back-up or they fail him he'll carry on alone. Try Squeeze, Tooms, Pusher, Our Town, FtF etc.

Scully always insists on getting backup?

Actually Scully's less likely to call for support than Mulder is - are you surprised? In Home, Mulder argues the need to wait for backup, but she insists that the situation's too urgent.

When she's come to Mulder's rescue over the years she arrives alone, not with the cavalry.

When she has her own hunch to play on a case (as in Beyond the Sea, Revelations, All Souls, En Ami) she'll go in alone.

Mulder's squeamish - particularly about autopsies?

Mulder's the master of "stick your finger in and sniff". He dealt with the rats in the toilet in Teso Dos Bichos, he's not fazed by the burned/rigored corpse that Scully's working on in Sleepless. He's wobbly in BrandX but then he's about to be hospitalized with bugs on the lung...

That said, he will sometimes make a show of dismay at getting the yucky job as in Leonard Betts. And he doesn't necessarily stick around for an autopsy if he can think of something else to do.

Mulder isn't a detective - he's either a lucky guesser or psychic?

There are later eps of the show where he appears to crack cases just by making a ridiculous leap or a lucky guess. But that's because in their declining years 1013 got lazy about showing the process!

Historically it was seen that Mulder is very good at finding obscure pieces of evidence that others overlooked. With his memory and ability to recognize patterns, Mulder made connections based on facts faster than other investigators. It just seems as if he is making an impossible "leap". There is a logic in how he put the facts together and it starts with him taking all the facts seriously.

He'll also go outside the box to propose a paranormal theory that Scully might want to shoot down. Mulder sees all possibilities not just the ones that people expect/want to see. Plus, Mulder has usually studied the case with an eye to a potential paranormal event which puts him ahead of Scully and the other investigators from the beginning. He discards non-viable paranormal theories if the facts do not support them. Try Squeeze, Soft Light and Irresistible for a few instances of how Mulder works.

Mulder rescues Scully from chauvinists in law enforcement?

Does Mulder leap to defend her from chauvinists, does Scully then insist to Mulder that she's capable of fighting her own battles? The few times we see Scully come up against a chauvinistic attitude, Mulder has stood back and amused himself greatly by watching the sparks fly. He enjoys Scully getting feisty and defending herself. He knows she is fully capable of holding her own against prejudice and lets her. See DPO - in that one, Scully was actually ticked at Mulder for not coming to her rescue from the condescending police chief.

Mulder is a self-centered jerk who ignores other people's feelings?

Mulder often gets accused of this by people who also think he gets too personally involved in the cases. An interesting dichotomy that probably means that they're worried by how he treats Scully not everybody else!

Mulder frequently identifies with or empathize with victims, witnesses and even the suspects on the cases.

Sometimes his drive and inspiration causes others to act more "nobly" than they planned (Lone Gunmen in MM, Lucy Householder in Oubliette, even Skinner and Kersh). This can lead to tragedy, but there's no indication that he's indifferent to their sacrifices. He's a dangerous influence.

Mulder can profile anyone except for Scully?

Mulder sometimes understands and anticipates her actions better than Scully does herself. He profiles Scully and uses that skill to deal with her. Otherwise he might have listened to her all those times when she said a case was pointless and not an X-File but then threw herself into the work anyway!

It's arguable though that he doesn't want to look at her too deeply during their private lives. Is he respecting her privacy? Accepting her boundaries? Or did he take a deeper look and decide to back away? Loads of fanfic fun in there for anyone who wants to play with it!

Mulder is sometimes very aware of Scully's feelings on a case and sensitive to the problems she may be having, even when she's telling him to back off (see Irresistible, Unruhe). In most cases, she isn't even aware that Mulder is trying to make things easier. Not classic "self-centered jerk" behavior.

Mulder in "profiler" mode is one step from 5-point restraints?

Mulder in "profiler mode" doesn't sleep, doesn't eat and tends to barf a lot? This is probably one of the most loved of all fanon myths and has been used entertainingly, but usually it isn't.

Mulder actually profiles quite a bit throughout the various episodes. It doesn't matter if they are serial killers with strange psychic abilities or just plain old serial killer humans or even the occasional serial killer mutant. Mulder gets into their heads quickly, efficiently and without a lot of physical problems other than being very anxious if Scully happens to have been kidnapped by one (Lazarus, Irresistible, Unruhe).

Mulder seems to have very little difficulty eating during cases. He eats a lot. Which is just as well as we seldom see him not working.

Mulder wallows in guilt?

And is always apologizing to Scully for anything that happens to her because he thinks it's his fault? Actually Mulder hardly ever apologizes to Scully for anything. Mulder's actions are justified by his own reasoning. He knows exactly what he is doing and the possible consequences for those actions. He accepts them. He may feel guilty about a lot of things but he seldom voices those feelings (try Biogenesis in his dream state). Sometimes you can tell by the look in his eyes, or a brief comment to a third party like Skinner or Melissa, but Mulder is essentially a very private person and keeps these things to himself.

This results in Scully being irritated by his constant guilt trips? She certainly senses the feeling on occasion, but there's little sign that it angers her. It sometimes triggers her desire to comfort or reassure him (as in Paperhearts). When it's personal it can trip her need for distance (as in Emily)

Scully is called the Ice Queen?

No one in the series ever called Scully or referred to Scully as an Ice Queen. She was called "Mrs. Spooky" in Squeeze.

. Scully is constantly bored on Mulder's cases?

Scully gets bored by X-Files and wonders what she is doing there? Scully became an FBI agent. The cases Mulder takes on are criminal cases with real victims. She is very invested in helping the victims of these crimes and finding the criminals.

Scully can beat the crap out of Mulder anytime and he knows it?

Afraid not. As agents they'll be trained in hand to hand combat and self defense. Given that Scully is 70 to 80 lbs lighter than Mulder and has very little upper body strength in comparison, the chances of Scully being able to best Mulder in a hand to hand fight is pretty non-existent unless she took him by surprise. She frequently loses out to untrained men (like Donny Pfaster) so it wouldn't be reasonable to believe that she could beat up Mulder.

We've also seen instances of Mulder's fitness regime (like running, basketball and swimming) we've got no idea whether Scully does more than the bare minimum to get herself through the next round of FBI checks.

However... There is the question of whether Mulder would fight back! A Scully attack would undoubtedly be a surprise and it might take him a while to react to her as if she's an actual threat.

Mulder folds if the case is about kids or Scully?

Mulder doesn't fold whatever the case is about. As far back as S1 we got plenty of evidence that Mulder empathises with victims and survivors. But he recognises the Eves as the bad guys, he doesn't become incompetent in Miracle Man (despite having visions of Sam) or even in SUZ/Closure when the stress must be immense.

If he folds, he folds when there's nothing he can actually do - usually once the case is over (as in Conduit) or when he's run out of options as in One Breath, not while he's working (see Irresistible for him working through a Scully abduction).

Mulder's Filing System is Awful?

Actually we've looked in his filing cabinets a few times over the years and they always looked fine to me. When Scully was asked to go looking for "hiding in the light" it was the number of files rather than their quality that fazed her. Mulder never had a problem finding what he wanted. Even Doggett seemed unperturbed.

Scully always does the paperwork because Mulder won't do it?

We've seen Mulder writing up reports. And, who did all his paperwork while he was the FBI's golden boy and before Scully came around?

Plus - why would she?

Scully can't handle murder cases involving children?

Because every child reminds her of Emily and/or her ova? This one is rather interesting since Scully appears to get more inured to death as the years go by. Dead bodies don't bother her since she is a pathologist. She is a professional whom we see taking care of business, examining crime scenes, conducting autopsies, etc. to get the evidence to catch the killer. Consider Closure - all those dead children and SUZ with the missing (and presumed dead) Amber LaPierre. Or what about digging up the babies in Terms of Endearment.

She cares about children but so does Mulder. Neither one is incapacitated as an agent or investigator because a case involves children. It just makes them both more invested in the case.

When the Working Day is Done?

There's less evidence about what Mulder and Scully are like after hours but fanfic has some very familiar images and it's interesting to look at how they compare with what the show did present.

Mulder's a slob - just look at his apartment!

Nope, his apartment is cluttered but not knee deep in garbage, pizza boxes or dirty laundry. And no one who keeps his clothes looking that good is a true slob.

What is quite likely though (based on Dreamland) is the idea that available flat surfaces, including the bed, do double duty as filing cabinets.

Mulder's sickly and accident prone?

Mulder's in and out of hospital all the time, he's sickly and accident prone? Prior to S8 he got hospitalized at about the same frequency as Scully. Most hospitalizations were due to him being assaulted or injured by the XFile of the week - whether that was green goo or a gunman. He soon got over it.

Being a "bad patient" never got him into trouble.

He did "escape" from the hospital in FtF but it was either that or wait for Scully to turn into green slime.

By S8 Scully easily won the "most hospitalisations" award.

While he's been seen to make a quick getaway in Jersey Devils and RainKing we've never seen him be rude or aggressive toward doctors or EMTs who are treating him. Not even in KillSwitch!

Mulder has nightmares and is an insomniac?

Mulder very early in the series said that he never has nightmares. In later years, Mulder occasionally had a prophetic dream or two but they weren't your typical nightmare since they turned out to be real. These seem to be part of an old pattern - he mentions these dreams back in S1 Roland.

We also see Mulder sleeping very soundly on his couch (or in his bed). Mulder sleeps and apparently sleeps well enough for a poor night's sleep to be worthy of comment in CBFR.

The main "evidence" for the insomnia theory seems to come from Mulder's apparent habit of falling asleep on the couch with the TV on. Little Green Men includes a sequence of Samantha's abduction that may give us an idea about one of Mulder's dreams/nightmares.

Mulder wears ridiculous undergarments?

Possibly with glowing alien head prints? Hmm, no. From what we've seen of him even when caught unawares he's a rather elegant dresser, even in the underneath department.

Scully Home Nurses Mulder when he's Ill?

Scully nurses Mulder, bringing hot soup and aspirin if he's sick with some common ailment, like flu or the common cold? Unlikely. Even in Amor Fati she pops round to see him while he's off work and he seems quite surprised. No sign of her taking the invalid home. Nor of her ever moving in to care for him. Nor popping round with soup and words of comfort.

The same goes for Maggie Scully too!

Mulder will accept help from Scully but he tends to save up the requests for really bad days like when his mom dies. I doubt that he'd waste it on anything as trivial as a cold or a sprained ankle.

Mulder Home Nurses Scully when she's Ill?

Mulder nurses Scully, bringing hot soup and aspirin if she's sick with some mundane ailment like flu or the common cold? Unlikely. Even when she had cancer she didn't look to him for coddling. And there's no sign of him ever taking her home, or moving in for a few days to look after her.

If Scully's in poor enough shape to need help she goes to professionals. She visits Karen Kossoff for emotional trauma. During the final days of her pregnancy she has a stranger/nurse in her home - not Mulder or her mom.

I doubt that she'd willing to accept help for trivial illnesses when she rejects it for serious ones.

Mulder phones Scully in the Middle of the Night?

He calls her when she's in bed in The Pilot ep but that's at 11:21. He'll wake her up about a case as in FPS. But calling to hear her voice or because of a nightmare? Not that we've seen.

Most evidence suggests Scully is surprised by late night calls from Mulder.

Mulder visits Scully in the Middle of the Night?

He calls round to see her in FtF.

Eddie Van Blundht's social call comes as a surprise, she seems to expect the worst if Mulder shows up unexpectedly.

She's surprised and rather angry to find him in her bedroom in Redux.

There's no real sign of Mulder night visits with no business motive being a regular part of their lives.

Scully does drop in on Mulder in HAD. He doesn't seem surprised by it. They work on the Milagro case at Mulder's place. Only if they are meeting a third party as in Young at Heart do they use Scully's place as the venue. It looks as if Scully's more at home in Mulder's place than vice versa.

Mulder only eats Junk Food?

He's certainly been seen eating (plenty of!) fried breakfast food, Chinese takeout, barbecue, Mexican, Fried Chicken, cake, sandwiches, Sweet Potato Pie, Fried Chicken and (stolen) Pizza.

Does he ever eat "real" food? Difficult to tell as we normally see him working, though he certainly has a real kitchen with cooking pans, knives and a chopping board even if all we've seen him prepare was a can of soup!

And just to tie this back to the "slob" question - yes, he does wash the plates though he leaves them to drip dry (Deep Throat and Anasazi)

Scully only eats Health Food?

She eats icecream out of the carton and candy in WOTC but has switched to nonfat tofutti rice dreamsicle by The Unnatural.

She eats fried chicken and barbecue when she's with Mulder.

She eats pizza on her own on stakeout in Chimera. She orders the pizza that Mulder steals in Bad Blood. She's waiting for pizza to arrive in Empedocles.

Mulder "accuses" her of eating yoghurt and bee pollen in Dreamland.

She claims to have eaten only half a light cream cheese bagel all day in Bad Blood.

It looks as if she became more concerned (and more of a food fashion victim!) over the years. Pizza seems to be her junk food of choice, but she won't have butter on her popcorn in Je Souhaite and she's very careful with the salad dressing in All Things.

Mulder Doesn't Drink because of his Dad?

It's a popular fanfic idea that Mulder's dad was an alcoholic and his son avoids alcohol lest he should follow down the same path. Actually on-screen his attitude to drink seems pretty conventional.

He's seldom seen drinking heavily, though he does manage to get himself thrown out of the bar in Fight the Future.

He's been seen with a beer in his hand a couple of times - as early as S1 and as late as S7. But he seldom drinks during a case and as mostly we see him working we seldom see him drink.

The most notable exception is his attempt to make a screwdriver (vodka and orange) in Syzygy. He then goes on to say "Yes, I, I have, which is funny, because I usually, I normally never, I don’t drink."

What about those bad ties then?

He admitted something of the sort in Wetwired as part of his "color-blind" speech, though he was actually wearing a perfectly discreet tie at the time.

He's certainly had bad tie days, but he's got more good ties than bad. Are the bad ones the gifts? Or the good ones? He's no worse than any of the other FBI agents we've met.

So is he colour blind?

The jury's still out, I think. He said so in Wetwired, but most fanficcers believe he knows that Scully's a redhead (and maybe even a real redhead)

If his colour vision was too poor he wouldn't have passed the FBI medical.

His clothes usually coordinate rather well. He may not have good colour vision but I don't think he's truly colour blind.

And a photographic memory?

He said he was cursed with a photographic memory in Fire but that might not have been a literal statement.

He's certainly got an exceptional memory. Recalls phrases from old X-Files, can quote the bible, cross-references between place names in files etc. He also shows a sharp visual/pattern recognition memory at times as in Aubrey when he identifies a rough sketch as the Trylon and Perisphere.

But the Photographic/Eidetic memory of reciting any page of a book at will? No, not quite - he does refer back to his files. Incidentally modern research suggests that what's commonly termed photographic memory either doesn't exist or is extremely rare. The closest matches to it seem to come from people whose brain development was abnormal, often due to infant malnutrition.

His memory's much better in MOTW than in mytharc eps!

So is she a real redhead?

She was more "hint of a tint" in S1.

The color intensified as she got older (I'm saying nothing).

But it was always some shade of red, even as a kid. So yes, it's real, though possibly chemically enhanced!

At home with the Mulders and the Scullys

Most fanfic would have you believe that MulderVille was a place of unrelenting trauma and abuse for young Fox. And that ScullyLand was warm and nurturing, full of freshly baked cookies and unconditional love. Does the show back that up?

Mulder's childhood - pretty normal before Sam's abduction?

Mulder talks about being reassured by the sound of his dad eating sunflower seeds. About how, "My dad and I were Indian Guides." Or there are flashbacks of him dressed as Spock, recollections of playing ball.

There are hints of arguments like the "little spy" moment from Demons and some warning bells like Fox's name on the file in Paperclip but basically there's no sign of that fanfic favorite - a kid repeatedly tortured at his family's hands.

Family falls apart after Sam's Abduction?

There were certainly a lot of problems in the Mulder household. FM says - "Tore the family apart. No one would talk about it." We know there's a divorce. We know from Mrs Mulder that - "It was your father's choice and I hated him for it. Even in his grave, I hate him still."

Fox falls apart after Sam's Abduction?

At some level perhaps but not academically. And probably not in terms of sports either.

Dad let him feel responsible for Samantha's abduction?

Probably. The strongest scenes in this regard are probably in Colony/End Game - twenty-odd years later and Mulder still sounds like a kid apologizing again for losing Samantha.

Mom kept secrets?

Right to the grave. She may have imagined this was Mulder's benefit. But given the risks he was willing to take to find out any snippet of his past, it seems unlikely that he'd agree.

Just how rich are the Mulders?

They seem to own a remarkable number of houses. Their son grew up with very expensive taste in clothes. I think there's a nest egg somewhere - unless FM gave it away.

Is Mulder really a Spender?

Not terribly important now is it! They dragged the story past my boredom threshold.

However, it really doesn't matter even canonically. Mulder now appears to have so many added extras that the genetics are the least of his worries. Dad was Bill Mulder, that's enough!

Fox the abused child?

A lot of fanfic assumes abuse, usually by Bill Mulder. Usually in the form of single or repeated beatings, sometimes even sexual abuse. Some authors suggest this may have started even before Samantha's abduction. The main "evidence" for the abuse scenario is unscripted. During Colony/End Game when Mulder confesses to his father that it was his fault that the (clone) Samantha died. His body language suggested a reversion to childhood behavior in speaking to Bill Mulder. A typical response from children who have been physically or emotionally abused.

The self-destructive, injury-prone and reckless behavior that's often used to add weight to the theory is actually more prevalent in fanfic than on the show. See the Time Out and Working Day sections for more discussion of this.

Some would also suggest that Mulder's empathy with "difficult" people like the "hard kid to love" in Schizogeny suggests some kind of connection.

However you can get the same results with a smart, sensitive kid who goes through a traumatic experience and becomes a smart, sensitive man. When it comes right down to it, there's no definite proof of physical abuse.

There is more indication in the series that Bill and Teena Mulder were guilty of neglect and emotional estrangement after Samantha's disappearance.

Again from Colony, it's clear that Fox is warm and protective of Teena Mulder. How many men would tuck their mom into bed like that? This pattern is repeated at various points in the series (eg: in Paperhearts) Mulder asks her a question, she fails to answer and starts to cry, Mulder comforts her. When Mulder fails to stick to the "rule" in Demons she slaps him. Overall, it looks like Fox got into the habit of comforting mom after Samantha's abduction rather than vice versa.

Was Scully destined to become a pathologist?

Very likely, this would explain why we hear childhood stories like the shooting of the snake (One Breath) and the suffocating of the rabbit (Christmas Carol). While Mulder's childhood memories seem to be full of mysteries and secrets; Scully's seem to focus on dealing with death.

Were the Scullys a close family?

Not close enough to stop Melissa leaving home seemingly on poor terms.

Not close enough to tempt Charles to return for funerals, christenings or his sister being read the Last Rites.

So Why did Melissa leave home?

We never really found that out for sure. Maybe just too much of a mystic to feel at home with her down to earth family?

Or maybe Dana learned to conform (at least superficially) when she saw how a "rebellious" Melissa was handled by mom and dad. But there are no hard facts in this area.

Bill is a quasi-abusive monster?

Because Dana hid the rabbit in the box? Because Dana shot the snake? Because Bill called Mulder a "sorry son of a bitch?" Evidence generally is that he's just a protective big brother who at least bothers to see his family occasionally and show up at the hospital.

Bill's seen to worry about Scully. He doesn't understand Mulder's or Scully's life. But there's not really much sign of Bill planning on doing Mulder any permanent damage or of him trying to go any further than big brotherly advice in conversation with Scully. He's career military himself, he doesn't know why Scully's job is more dangerous (or essential) than his.

Why do we never see Charles?

He doesn't like Maggie Scully's cooking? Again one of the mysteries of Scullyland. But also another strike against the idea that the Scully's were always a warm, nurturing, close knit clan.

Just how wealthy are the Scullys?

A common idea in fanfic is that Scully discovers that the Mulders are rich and feels inhibited by this. This seems unlikely. She does indeed afford those suede jackets on her G-Woman salary. There's not much sign of a pauper mentality about Scully.

In the years following her father's death it's clear the Scullys are comfortable. Maggie Scully has a large house and a maid to help serve dinner in Gethsemane.

More surprisingly perhaps, Maggie Scully hires a nurse to look after her pregnant daughter in S8 and no one's surprised.

That Adolescent Rebellion Vs Loyal Daughter thing?

Yes, Scully's probably been going through this since she was an adolescent! Though it looks as if it didn't really come to a head in terms of family relationships until she joined the FBI.

Based on eps like Never Again and All Things it seems to be a pattern that she's still playing out even in the XF years. Even going so far as to identify work colleagues as possible lovers and yet also as "father" figures.

Is Maggie Scully really Mulder's adoptive mom?

There's an adult-adult relationship right from their first meetings in Ascension through One Breath, and there's some mutual support in there, but not much mothering.

During the cancer and Emily arcs, Maggie Scully looks to her family for support and she's polite rather than warm towards Mulder. Scully used Mulder as her messenger to her mom in Memento Mori and that may have made things worse, by emphasizing him both as a bringer of bad news, and establishing him as Scully's closest confidante.

Let's Talk About Sex

R Rated mostly for innuendo

Mulder is straight?

Evidence is scant, but he's certainly attracted and seems to know what to do with females. Kristen (in 3), Bambi (WOTC), the woman on the answering machine (LGM), Phoebe (Fire), Diane (various) amongst others. Maybe even Scully?

Mulder is bisexual/gay?

There's less evidence on the bi/gay front but many people claim to have looked closely into the eyes and monitored the body language during meetings with Krycek and/or Skinner and they suggest there's more than macho posturing to those testosterone rushes he induces.

Mulder is Anybody's/Nobody's?

All this sexual signaling is probably Duchovny's fault! DD tells us that for Mulder, sex isn't usually on the radar, sexual energy is diverted towards his work/UFOs etc. Guessing here, but I suspect that Mr Duchovny has no shortage of sexual energy, I also suspect he's a natural born flirt. I would further suggest that he uses his sexual nature as part of his charm technique (still with me?). DD, in other words, is well aware of sex and what (apart from the obvious) can be done with it.

So when he brings us Mulder, the repression of sexual energy is part of his technique. It's my opinion that very little DD does as Mulder is truly accidental, this is a performer who rewards careful viewers. At moments of high tension and emotional intensity the energy is very close to the surface. The viewer is offered a level of focus that we usually only get from a lover. Sexual desire, emotional need and even intellectual hunger get translated by our lustful brains into a sexual signal. And with some men and women, that comes straight back at Mulder. Is that testosterone surge a sign of anger or lust? How easy is it to tell them apart? From sublimation of sexual charge we get totally ambiguous messages that make Mulder appear not merely a sexual being, but available. To anyone who pushes the right buttons.

Plus people suspect Mulder will try anything at least once!

Furthermore some people are convinced that Mulder's beautiful mind hides a dark side. For a discussion of this jump to Dark sex - strictly for Adults

Mulder was a sexual no-hoper before meeting Scully?

No evidence found. In fact, the ease of his pick-up of Kristen in 3 first in the bar then later in the follow through at her home, suggests that he knew exactly what he was doing.

This fanon factoid appears to be based primarily on his apparent celibacy after meeting Scully and people's desire to imagine that she saved him from sexual frustration rather than added to it!

But Once He Hits the Sack with Scully he's an Orgasmatron?

Fanfic Mulders are seldom portrayed as sexual underachievers. At least not once he goes to work on Scully. There is some good circumstantial evidence for this portrayal.

The brain - he pays attention when he's talking to somebody. He adjusts his speech rhythms in response to theirs. He moves towards them if they look as if they need his help.

The body - here Mulder's got the advantage of looking startlingly like David Duchovny. He also moves rather elegantly and he is disarmingly fit. Then there's that business of the oral fixation.

Besides - who wants to read about bad sex?

He's big - maybe too big!

There is circumstantial evidence for this, see Heidi's Bulge Reviews

Scully is straight / bi / gay / anybody's / nobody's?

Again, evidence is scant, but she certainly seems to have been attracted to males - there's Jack Willis (Lazarus), Daniel Waterstone (all things) - but these may just be daddy substitutes. Ed Jerse (Never Again) and the Vampire Sheriff (Bad Blood) were more promising indicators.

There's less evidence on the bi/gay front but she seems to get awfully tense around women - is she warning them off Mulder or afraid of her own sexuality? Maybe Reyes' could have helped her to resolve this if she had just laid off those whale songs.

A few years ago GA suggested that whilst Scully is sometimes charmed by Mulder, she'd never imagined him naked. This sounds like a definite vote for celibacy. Unless Mulder really isn't Scully's type. And honestly, how likely is that?

Scully was a Virgin before Meeting Mulder?

This sounds very unlikely, there's strong circumstantial evidence regarding Jack Willis and a weekend alone in a log cabin.

However 1013 seem very loath to admit to anything. Even GA who wrote "all things" claimed afterwards that Scully had never had sex with Waterstone.

Some members of the 1013 staff think Scully made a baby with Mulder, but that the whole idea of this was so ugly that any mention of this on-screen would have traumatised the viewers. This may explain why the kid had to go.

On-screen it looks as if she wasn't a virgin when she met Mulder. But nine years and one baby later, she was a virgin again. I guess it's a miracle.

But Once She Hits the Sack with Mulder she's an Orgasmatron

Fanfic Scullys are seldom portrayed as sexual underachievers. At least not once she gets to work with Mulder. We struggled to find evidence for this on-screen.

Open-minded and touchy-feely are not terms normally associated with the 1013 rendering of Dana Scully, though Never Again suggested she had sexual interests and appetites, possibly of a non-vanilla kind.

Fanon!Scully frequently exhibits both a voracious sexual appetite and a mastery of specialised techniques that suggest that she's had a lot more practice than she ever admitted to on the show.

We want to believe!

Besides - who wants to read about bad sex?

She's small - but she can handle anything!

This leads to her screaming, "don't wait, don't hold back, do me now!" Well you know how it is - practice makes perfect.

Scully's a skilled masseur - particularly backrubs?

No evidence. It's a nice idea but if it were true I think we'd have had some hints about it by now.

Training as a doctor will not give her this skill automatically. Particularly as her specialty is pathology.

Mulder's a skilled masseur - particularly footrubs?

No evidence. It's a charming thought but if he was that good I think Scully's high-heeled feet would have called him into service.

Scully just Loves the Smell of Mulder?

Mulders normally smell soapy, sunflower-seed-salty and uniquely of Mulder but when they need a shower, that's OK too - because she loves his musky manliness. No evidence found. And come on, there has to be something she doesn't like about him else why'd it take her so long!

Mulder just Loves the Smell of Scully?

Scully smells move with the times from strawberries to vanilla and beyond but always with something that is uniquely Scully. There is some evidence that Mulder likes the scent of Scully - in WOTC he says that he never thought he'd have to tell her that she smells bad.

On the other hand the only time he actually comments on someone smelling good is in Syzygy and it isn't Scully.

Scully's worried by her boob size?

Scully fears that if Mulder sees her naked he'll be disappointed? I doubt it, she knows that she's got the "it" factor. I can't believe she's insecure about her looks - not with those tight tops she started wearing.

Then again, is this the reason she wears bras in bed?

If Mulder gets Lucky he Won't Believe it?

It's a fanon tradition that even with Scully's tongue down his throat, her hand down his boxers and her thumb doing unmentionable things to parts of the anatomy only doctors know about, Mulder must still say - "Do you really want this?" Indeed, despite the fact she's already come three times and has now chained him to the bedpost it's still essential that he ask - "Are you sure?" Interestingly in fanon this leads to her screaming, "don't wait, don't hold back, do me now!" Not the "Well, duh," reaction that might be expected. Somehow, I doubt it. Mulder's not really the please/thank you type and he knows what Scully says doesn't always match what she'll do anyway.

I will admit to having a soft spot for Mulders who demand that she begs for it first. Unfortunately I think Scully's more likely to laugh than oblige. And we know how seldom she laughs.

Mulder - A Fool for Love?

Tell him you love him and he'll let you treat him like crap? There may be a germ of truth in here, though actually you don't need to bother telling him you love him. He'll give you what he can and he won't complain if you throw it back.

Did Phoebe scar him for life? Unlikely. He wasn't happy about her arrival, nor was he sad about her departure. But he didn't look especially traumatized when she was there.

Did Diana use him callously and break his heart? He still seemed to think of her as a friend and colleague even if not as a potential lover - again not much sign of distress over their old relationship. And she does get killed in his rescue, so it looks like she still cared about him years after they broke up.

Mulder's got such high hopes of the people around him that he must spend a lot of time disappointed, but he remains optimistic that they'll come good in the end. Don't mistake a belief in the fundamental goodness of human beings for him being a soft touch or a needy child!

So is Scully an Ice Queen in bed?

Initially fanficcers used variants like: Ice Maiden, Ice Queen, Doc Ice to describe how her professional demeanor might appear. Generally they were using it to contrast with the woman who Mulder (and the author) saw as passionate about her work (and even sometimes about Mulder)

Later on, some fanficcers used it as nickname (perhaps dating back to her affair with Jack Willis) that suggested she was frigid. This kind of frigidity usually vanishes as soon as Mulder gets involved.

The show was ambivalent about Scully sexuality - Lazurus, Never Again, Small Potatoes, All Things suggested that she had a sexual history and was not too repressed to have enjoyed it.

But comments about Skinner in Zero Sum and some of the women they met suggested that she could be dissapproving of other people's sexual conduct. Public displays of affection aren't her thing. During her working life she often seems to be pulled along (despite her doubts) by Mulder. Which could be why some fanfic Scullys are initially rather reserved - though they usually heat up fast.

Mulder watches porn because he's an emotional adolescent?

The porn's existence might signal/confirm a shortage of live sex in his life.

OTOH people who like watching porn do so whether or not they've got a regular partner. Most watchers are adult males (sometimes their wives watch it with them and it becomes less of a spectator sport and more of a sex toy).

He's not embarrassed about its existence - suggesting he considers it as functional rather than important.

It doesn't seem to reflect or lead to negative or derogatory attitudes to real women (or men for that matter)

It's safe sex, which given what look like the long years of celibacy that followed Scully's arrival was probably a good thing.

Interestingly many writers/readers who are critical of Mulder's porn watching habits enjoy reading NC17 fanfic.