#msr meta

[lesbianscxlly]

mulder and scully being two people that have had their boundaries and autonomy consistently violated finally finding comfort in the understanding and acceptance they bring each other. they really just love each other for who they are no strings attached i’m gonna cry 🙁

[actual-changeling]

there's just something about bad blood and the way all their problems are put on display and hidden behind a thin veil of comedy to the point where most people just. don't see it.

scully is NOT having a good time! at all! any attempt at trying to bridge the gap is literally swatted away.

mulder doesn't refer to them as "we" and scully has to remind him several times that this isn't only about him, she's just as deep in this as he is. they're a team, even if he's somehow become incapable of remembering that.

in her version of the story, the way the sheriff behaves towards her is exactly how mulder usually does: he listens, he values her opinion, he actively seeks out her thoughts, he respects her as a scientist and a person and they physically meet in the middle.

it's not just funny haha or a coincidence that they placed them all this way. it's entirely intentional. the fact that the sheriff calls her dana just really drives the point home because yeah, he never knew her name—but mulder does. he knows her name and he used to call her that as a way of emotionally connecting deeper than they usually do.

do you remember the last time he did that at this point because i sure as hell don't, and i won't even start talking about the general decline throughout the first half of season 5.

just look at the physical distance between them. she leans in with her entire upper body and you could still fit another person between them. mr and mrs "we have to be in kissing distance to talk or we will die" are not whoever it is we are looking at.

i won't even get into how he very much does not touch her neck at the end compared to when he was feeling her up in "ice" in that stupid closet. and don't get me started on how he treats her like his personal assistant instead of an equal. go do that, no i don't give a fuck that you're hungry or tired i want you to do that autopsy now, yes i will do fuck all while you do that, no i don't think that's unfair, why are you still here go do as you're told.

she calls him out on it and he just doesn't listen, and then she goes and does it anyway because she loves him too much for her own good sometimes.

and none of this is to say that mulder is being intentionally malicious, he very much isn't (at this point, season 6 is a different story). but while he was careless from the beginning he still cared. he genuinely needed her and wanted her around, he wanted her to be happy and was more protective than he should have been. i have my own theories on why his behaviour changes (which would be a separate too long post if people are interested) and in the end there were several moments throughout season 5 and this episode that should have given him pause. mulder just isn't thinking about her like he used to, and that's why he's so uncharacteristically dismissive and cold towards her.

she tried to talk to him about it (so much. she tried so many times and so hard) but he wasn't listening. by then it would have taken her getting kidnapped or shot or otherwise hurt for him to get ripped back to reality and realize what he was doing, and even when that did happen it didn't actually change anything.

it's only when she intentionally and willingly attempts to walk away from him that he jumps into action but THAT is also a different post entirely.

anyway, bad blood is one of my favourite episode and i do think it's funny as fuck and i enjoy watching it. there's just more to it than one might realize on the first watch.

to end this on a good note, here's something that doesn't change in either of their stories: he still loves her and when he does look at her she's all he sees.

flaws and all, they're stuck together and choose to come back to each other every single time.

[lunaetsaturnus]

i find it very interesting that so many people love bad blood as an episode, because i personally find it extremely off-putting and haven’t been able to make it through a single rewatch. not judging people who like it — in fact if you do, could you please explain to me why? i’d like to understand what i’m missing 😂

it’s just so sad to me that neither mulder nor scully seem to feel properly appreciated by one another at that point in time. this is them after the cancer arc, during which both made their devotion to one another very clear, and still they apparently don’t understand how much they are valued by each other.

their individual accounts of how things went down also puts them as the one who is ‘carrying’ the partnership — mulder being narrated as a slacker by scully, and scully as someone who needs to be coaxed into doing her job by mulder. them coming up with these narratives seems borderline out of character to me, because we know that at the very least they respect each other’s work ethic.

anyways, i think my issue is that this is one of those episodes that don’t take themselves too seriously, but i am unable to overlook its implications. i just don’t understand what’s funny about raising some issues about their relationship which would actually be quite sad if true (and change a lot of how we view their dynamic) and then making light of it.

[azure-firecracker]

X-Files Masterpost

This post will be a central location where y’all can locate all of the X-Files content I make on this blog. Hopefully it makes it easier for things to be found! The goal is to update semi-regularly, but it will not always be 100% up to date. Also bear in mind that I am a first-time watcher, so please refer to my most recent posts if you want to know where I am in the show. I hope this is helpful!

My favorite thing about this fandom is how friendly y’all are, so please feel free to come to me with questions about any of my TXF stuff, fic or meta requests, random asks, or anything at all:)

My X-Files Fanfic

I have a general rule of not replying to comments for mental health reasons, but if you read these, know that I cherish every single comment and they often make my day, so please consider commenting if you enjoy:)

Beneath the Ice, Beneath My Skin (Teen and Up, 9,984 words): My first fic! An alternate version of Ice where Mulder is actually infected by the parasites. Paranoia and tension ensue!

Flight and Sanctuary (Teen and Up, 6,656 words): Scully and Mulder deal with the aftermath of Irresistible. Lots of angst, lots of worry, lots of hurt/comfort. As of the creation of this post, this is my most popular fic.

(And FANART! By @scullysmywife ! Yippee!)

Salvation (Teen and Up, 7,599 words): Mulder’s perspective during his missing scenes in The Erlenmeyer Flask, followed by how he and Scully cope with the trauma. Very angsty featuring some torture. 2 chapters: one during the episode, one after. The chapters can be read individually or together.

Save Me from the Fire (Teen and Up, 5,672 words): An alternate version of Our Town where Mulder and Scully switch places. Very tense, but also very heartfelt and tender (I hope). A personal favorite of mine.

And FANART❤️❤️❤️ by @scullysmywife

Piece Me Together (General Audiences, 3,147 words): Scully takes care of Mulder post-731. Introspection and moments of extreme proximity ensue. Probably the most introspection-heavy fic I’ve written.

Caught on Tape (Teen and Up, 4,044 words): Scully finds tapes that Mulder made for her while she was abducted. Very emotional, almost pure angst with a bittersweet ending.

I Hate All of My Habits, But I Happen to Love You (General Audiences, 5,066 Words): A series of vignettes depicting Mulder’s internal monologue throughout some pivotal/my favorite MSR moments, as he slowly realizes he’s falling in love. This fic was a birthday present to myself:)

Raise Your Voices (Teen and Up, WIP): My ongoing multi-chapter fic in which Mulder and Scully go undercover in a community choir. Set in Season 2, featuring lots of fluff, humor, angst, hurt/comfort, and little tidbits about folk music from all corners of the world.

(And FANART! By the amazing @scullysmywife !)

Fic Rec Roundup (Seasons 1-3): Favorite fics I’ve read.

My Season Reviews

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Individual Episode Takes

Deep Throat

Ice

Beyond the Sea

Irresistible

End Game

Anasazi

Syzygy

Wetwired

Memento Mori

Small Potatoes

Demons

Meta

Mulder + Scully + Saving Each Other

Intelligence Comparison

Mulder + Scully + Needing Saving

Season 2 Abduction Arc

The Problem with Season 2

Conversation on the Rock

What they Need to Hear: Irresistible vs. Teliko

Bringing Him Back to Life

MSR + Truth and Lies

Playlists

Mulder

Scully

Me Ranting About The Mulder and Scully Playlists (Not a Playlist)

TXF x Songs

MSR x Gracie Abrams Songs

MSR x Billie Eilish

Miscellaneous

Mulder + Scully being lousy at their jobs ( +Addendum)

Acknowledging Scully + Mulder’s good agent-ing in Season 1

Fanfiction Writers Made TXF

Why I love MSR

X-Files Episode Locations Game

My Camp Roommate’s Reaction to TXF

Criticizing the Score (+ Accompanying Meme)

Scully the “Rational One”

X-Files Ask Game

Pet Headcanons!

Holiday Headcanons

[queeenpersephone]

‘the truth is out there... but so are lies’ is honestly, to me, the most impactful moment of the entire x files series, and definitely the most impactful in terms of the quest. because mulder wants to believe so badly - he’d trust anyone, listen to anyone, follow any lead - though ‘you make me a whole person’ is a romantic overture, it also represents how mulder is only half of the investigative team. he wants the truth by searching for the truth. scully, on the other hand, tries to find the truth by searching for the lie. the lies that mulder has been told, the lies of everyone who isn’t mulder, the one person she trusts. the government’s lies. diana’s lies. and the way he stops, listens to her, and says ‘thank you’ before doing what he’s going to do anyways? i think you could read that response as flippant, but to me it’s genuine. he says thank you because he’s not going to change. his stubbornness and willingness to believe in spite of everything and everyone against him is his best and worst trait. he’s going to do what he does, especially this early in the series, no matter what scully says. but he’s going to listen. he’s going to thank her for looking for deception, because it’s not just discovering the truth that will move them forward - it’s also discovering the lies. 

narratively, i love that scully says this in s1. i think this is something that it takes the whole original series to really sink in for mulder. that the more they search, the more murky things are instead of clearer. you can sink your entire life into this impenetrable mask of truths and lies. but the truths and lies out there might be bigger but will never be as meaningful, as mulder finally realizes in s8, as the truth they both know. anyways tldr frank spotniz was right

[frogsmulder]

For all the aging and personal growth Scully has been forced to do, when she is lying on the motel bed cocooned by Mulder, she looks younger than she has looked throughout most of the series. As though finally being freed from the constraints of the conspiracy has allowed her-- not to revert-- but to relax into her core self; the person she was before she had a need for guards. With Mulder cocconing her, she is content, having won what she was fighting for: not the truth, but her and Mulder. She feels safe in his arms. She can relax.

One of the reasons for her seemingly youthful appearance is how her longer hair resembles that of the Pilot, harking back to an era when Scully was more open, invoking that feeling of her core nature in The Truth, where all pretences about their relationship and their quest have been dropped. Hence, despite being controlled by their situation, they have a new-found freedom, particularly with one another.

The Truth

[dreamingofscully]

X-Files Rewatch PAUSE (1/?)

My reasons for believing in a romantic relationship after “The Unnatural”

This is not an attempt to convince you that my perspective is the “best” or “most correct”. It’s just something I thought I’d explain in case anyone is curious! 

Season 6 is a big season for MSR, especially for me, so this deserves it’s own post.

The significant personal impact of events that took place during Milagro (Scully)/The Unnatural (Mulder)

By this time both of them know how the other feels (FTF/Milagro) and their relationship is in a good place again. 

I don’t know how they could resist each other after being so close/intimate during the baseball scene. I just can't see them waiting months after that (The Unnatural is in April) for their first kiss or first sexual encounter. I think of their attraction to one another as explosive - even though it was a slow burn up until now, I don’t think anything happened slowly once they crossed that line.

There is a Very Large time gap between The Unnatural (April) and Biogenesis (September at the earliest) with very few cases/episodes in-between (Three of a Kind and Field Trip ONLY). What else could they be doing? (Sex. Lots and lots of sex. It’s the summer of love, baby.) I didn’t list a time period but envision my latest fic taking place during this time period, probably their first week at work after The Unnatural, actually.

Mulder acquires a new bed before Field Trip, when he’s always been content to sleep on his couch before he got his surprise bed in Dreamland.

Scully is less jealous in Biogenesis/Sixth Extinction compared to her previous interactions with Diana. She is upset, but it’s about Mulder, about Diana’s complacency with Mulder’s state rather than the insecurity we saw in The End/The Beginning/One Son.

Ultimately this is all personal preference - I just want them to have more time together. I love the idea of the ‘summer of love’ and then several more months of bliss before the angst of s8. It makes me happy. I realize other theories make other people just as happy, so feel free to disagree!

I’ll talk about my interpretations of the Millennium kiss and such once I get to those episodes in my rewatch posts. I’ve already written about what I think occurred in all things in my fic “Momentum” which stretches over the En Ami to all things arc.

I may do a few more of these Rewatch PAUSE posts as the series goes on, to lay out a few theories about what I think occurred, uniting some of the things I’ve said in different rewatch posts.

[actual-changeling]

I know a lot of people interpret Scully's reaction to Mulder's love confession in 'Triangle' as her assuming that he is drugged up and talking nonsense.

There is another (worse) option, though.

"Oh brother" is definitely not what you respond if you're taking it seriously, we can probably agree on that, but i don't think potential drugs are the reasons here.

Let's look back a little. I'm working with the assumption that 'Folie a Deux' is set in May of 1998 with FtF taking place in August. 'The Beginning' happens sometime in September of the same year. If we use this as our timeline, we have a total of around five months during which a LOT of shit happens.

'Folie a Deux' is important because this is the "original" drugged up love confession Scully hears when Mulder is in the psychward. It gets to her, she thinks he is being genuine and does what he asked her to do.

More important than the act itself is what he tells her. I assume most of us have that conversation memorized, but just as a reminder:

"Scully, you have to believe me. Nobody else on this whole damn planet does or ever will. You're my one in five billion."

Even from our point of view, this makes complete sense—she IS the only one he trusts.

Except that it's a lie. I don't expect Mulder to think of Diana in that moment, and it wouldn't have been an issue at all if it weren't for the events of 'The End', which happen about 2-3 weeks later.

Suddenly, there is a person from his past that he trusts unconditionally to the point of stupidity, and he not only doesn't talk to Scully about any of it, he stops talking to her period. It's as if she has been a placeholder for Diana, and now that she's back, there is no use for her anymore.

Mulder works the case with Diana, Scully is dragging herself along and he does not care about her or her work until it is useful for him; he doesn't back her up when a room full of people (including Diana) belittle and mock her. He nods along, which, to Scully, is just the last puzzle piece slotting into place.

To summarize, Mulder's confession in Folie a Deux that she took seriously is revealed to be a lie—a means to an end to get her to do what he wants her to. Whether or not that's objectively true is a totally different matter because this is what Scully is confronted with.

Betrayal.

With that in mind, their argument in FtF in his hallway and Scully thinking of herself as redundant makes complete sense. We get yet another love confession, one she ALSO takes seriously, and if it weren't for that fucking bee, they'd have kissed. Maybe then, the whole mess that comes after could have been avoided, but here we are.

In "The Beginning", Scully repeats said confession back to him in an attempt to calm him and regain his trust in her/her science. Let's see what happens:

He implicitly tells her that none of what he confessed still applies, that the whole speech was, once again, nothing but a farce to get her to stay. Mulder confirms this at the end of the episode, and Scully asking him with tears in her eyes to trust her is a deeply painful contrast to his earlier declarations.

Two times, Mulder confesses his love to her.

Two times, he takes it back later and continues to use it against her.

In 'Triangle', Scully once again finds herself next to Mulder in a hospital bed and listens to him as he confesses his love for a third time. Does she think he's drugged up? Yeah, probably, but that's not the reason she cannot take him seriously.

Considering her track record with Mulder and big speeches, is it at all surprising that she no longer trusts what he tells her?

"Oh, brother," because she is forced to grapple with her many, many feelings for him and process it in a way that fits into everything else that has happened so far.

"Oh, brother," because it might be an attempt to placate her and nothing else.

"Oh, brother," because there is a chance he will twist his 'I love you' into a weapon to stab her with later. Because he says it and does not mean it.

This is not a "oh, he's drugged up" expression to me. This is Scully preparing to get hurt again.

The funniest part is that she's right. She is right. He couldn't have meant it because then he wouldn't be staring her down with apathy in his eyes and tell her not to make it "personal".

SHE is making it personal? After Mulder manipulated her by pulling on their connection like a leash to get her to do what he wants? After he confessed how much he loves and trusts her over and over just to throw it all away?

To ignore all of it in the moment it actually fucking matters?

The drug option is less angsty and kinda fun, and I do enjoy reading fics that interpret it as such, but with their history attached, it is so much more—and so much worse.

Pretending it never happened is one thing, but then actively denying it to her face and using her feelings to hurt her? Yeah, no.

Mulder fucked up and Scully has every right to reject his declarations and distance herself from him.