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A few observations struck me, recently, in regards to Pusher's surveillance scene-- namely, that Vince Gilligan masterfully wove consequences and character beats into the subtlest details of even the quietest pauses.
THE SETUP
We open on Mulder calling the local payphone, eyes fixed intently on his objective. When that falls through, he hangs up, pivots to Scully-- who is sleeping on his shoulder-- and softly wakes her by brushing her cheek. When she bolts upright, he preemptively diffuses her tension with a smooth, "I think you drooled on me." Her reply ("Sorry") is short and relieved (and a little comedically self-conscious), and quickly jumps from the personal to the professional with a telling, "What time is it? No luck I take it?"-- which, in turn, gives Mulder the cue to fill her in.
This brief moment provides us with two telling details about both characters, and hands Modell a dangerously clairvoyant insight into Mulder and Scully's strengths and weaknesses.
FBI PROTOCOL
In Candace DeLong's Special Agent: My Life on the Front Lines as a Woman in the FBI, she explains the crucial aspects of an FBI stakeout:
It takes at least two people to work an effective stationary surveillance, one to have "the eye"-- that is, to hold his or her gaze locked on the objective-- and the other to assist with the surveillance and keep the log, a detailed record of every action taking place in the target zone. This is not just busywork, for the log may become the foundation of an agent's testimony in court and because, sometimes, a seemingly insignificant observation can hold the key to an entire case....
No matter how many hours you are stuck on surveillance, you can't read the paper or do your nails to pass the time, for your full concentration must stay focused on your target.... You can't even look around much, and that singularity of focus is one reason why surveillance can be dangerous. Agents have been shot to death sitting in cars, too intent on their targets to sense the approach of danger.
About the only thing you can do to stave off boredom on a lengthy surveillance is to eat. The longer you'll be sitting, the more sensory stimulation you'll want from your snacks, making potato and tortilla chips, popcorn, candy, and that beloved law enforcement staple, doughnuts, the foods of choice.....
MULDER'S CARE, SCULLY'S TRUST, AND MODELL'S ADVANTAGE
Scully (inadvertently) broke the FBI rules and regulations by falling asleep, which Mulder assisted and enabled by not only letting her rest but covering up the fact she'd nodded off. Further, when she woke, Scully didn't chastise or double down on protocol: instead, she politely apologized for drooling and moved on as if the night's missteps were second nature. Whether they are or not, Scully trusted that Mulder, the rule breaker, had her back.
Mulder knew the risks of their position but let his partner catch a few winks, regardless. While this betrayed official regulations, it wordlessly spoke to his priorities: people above protocol. Unfortunately, that propensity was regularly a blessing and a curse. In this case, Mulder had to overcompensate for the lack of backup, losing the ability to simultaneously scan the perimeter and keep an eye on their objective-- the payphone-- at the same time.
Modell, meanwhile, was able to leisurely watch the pair, then slip by, unnoticed, and make his escape. Not only that: he was also able to divine the virtue-and-vice flip coin of Mulder's and Scully's natures, using his observations to lure them both into his trap during the episode's proceeding events.
