one of the many many reasons why the x files works so well as a genre-bending show is that every single character actually is genre-aware, but they're only aware of one of the genres they're in, and they for the most part act solely according to the rules of that genre. mulder and reyes think they're in a paranormal show, scully and doggett think they're in a procedural, skinner and byers think they're in an espionage drama, frohike and langly think they're in a buddy action comedy, etc.
there are two notable exceptions to this:
the smoking man, who is not genre-aware at all
krycek, who is the only person in the whole show who is aware of every single genre they're in, which unfortunately means he's the only one who knows they're also all in a romantic drama
during tonight’s rewatch of the x files pilot i realized how many classic mulder line deliveries we get in this episode. the highlights:
who’d you tick off to get stuck with this detail, scully? >:3c
[did you read it?] i diiid :3 i liked it :3
do you believe in the existence of extraterrestrials
we leave for the very plaaauusible state of o-re-gone at 8 am
which, with a little ✨lemon twist✨ is just to DIE for (if you’ll pardon my expression)
[it’s a universal invariant!] not in this zip code 😈
ya gotta love this place. every day’s like HALLOWEEN !!!
also, special mention to the fact that he makes sexually charged eye contact with his new partner dana scully through a one way mirror. episode ONE. fox mulder really just sprang into existence day one fully formed. the fictional character of all time
why do i even bother writing cancer arc fic when i know that nothing i can possibly invent will even come close to being as heartbreaking or incisive as mulder sneaking into scully's hospital room in the middle of the night to ask for her advice on a lifechanging decision but when he gets there and sees her sleeping he collapses to his knees and bursts into silent tears by her bedside. like pack it up folks
"they're not doing this to you, scully, they're doing it to me" what a fucking line. mulder means it to reassure her that her reassignment isn't because she failed. he's the one who failed. but what scully hears is a complete invalidation of her work on the files. mulder is so convinced that she's too good for him that he cannot see how lost and lonely she feels, and she in turn is so blinded by her fear that no one will ever take her seriously that she can't see that he already does. shrieking and wailing
"mulder ruined scully's life" ice cold take. scully ruined her own life because she was bored and it made her happy. and it's why she's top 10 characters ever written
by far the most underrated part of war of the coprophages is right at the beginning when scully calls mulder for the first time and says that she's been trying to get ahold of him all day and then has absolutely nothing work-related or otherwise urgent to discuss with him. she just wanted to chitchat. obsessed
tuser benoitblanc's list of x files fics to change your life
below the cut, because this got LONG. happy reading xoxo gossip girl
casefic
beacon by cecily_sass
instinct by light_loves_the_dark
one hand tied by cecily_sass
she's beauty, she's grace by sunflowerseedsandscience
amor non reciprocatus by papernautilus
the boy on the beach by cecily_sass
you send me by spooky_nerd
angst
slow returns by o666666
the wonder that's keeping the stars apart by sisterspooky1013
tremors in the unshakable ground by coppersunlight
in this metallic silence by light_loves_the_dark
pilgrims creeping toward the dawn by softnow
anchored by wonderland
cancer arc angst
the imperfect art of saving a life by softnow
she still has her hair by mizdiz
they don't talk about dying by mizdiz
when you said never by backatpatrickpark
never by sisterspooky1013
dance without sleeping by wonderland
between sorrow and bliss by sunflowerseedsandscience
seaglass blue by melforbes
something better by bloodscully
maniacs in the fourth dimension by illinoise
bestow by o666666
she can just by edie_rone
faith by kittenscully
aus
paracosm by softnow
xtropy by deadcanons
fickle truths by mizdiz
a winter's tale by anjou
pause by cecily_sass
all that is dark and bright by malibusunset
you he did not fail by extraordinarily_ordinary
parallel by sisterspooky1013
six months by markwatneyandensemble
aus that are just slightly canon divergent
nuptiae sub rosa by sisterspooky1013 and xfmaweezy
the early on series by sunflowerseedsandscience
redux iii by softnow
beyond the shore by softnow
true lies by mldrgrl
the light of a clear blue morning by libbyt
how to lasso the moon by cabbagesandqueens (i'll admit this one is mine. i'm including it on this list because above all else i wrote this fic for Me. so it can go on my rec list it's allowed)
levity
the caller you are trying to reach by cecily_sass
love in all the wrong places by sisterspooky1013
x files aitas by maeveofconnacht
lord help the sister by o666666
die siedler von by kittenscully
misc (multichapter)
fox mulder, closet romantic by silhouetteofacedar
the marriage spectacular by cecily_sass
i'd like for you and i to go romancing by journeyintomystery513
baseball season by apostrophic
baseball metaphors by leiascully
four days on the 63rd parallel by frostbitepanda
plus one by alienqueequeg
misc (oneshot)
kiss it better by backatpatrickpark
at least most things by journeyintomystery513
center mass by kateyes224
one percent by bloodscully
unfinished business by all_these_ghosts
snakebitten by onpaperfirst
restructuring the food pyramid at midnight by justlikeswitchblades
your platonic relationship: an owner's manual by nanda
wips
lots and lots of files by fandomme
teacher's pet by fandomme (i am gnawing at the walls for the next chapter of this. ohhhhhh my god. EVIL cliffhanger)
i don't know, first base by fandomme (i am just keeping up with their whole catalogue atm)
blessed and stricken by mamuscript
hand to your heart by oohnotvery
when it all comes down to dust by plausiblestateoforegon
imposter syndrome by wonderx
method acting by mizdiz (will hopefully return from the war at some point. mizdiz if you see this i love you. you write the best cancer arc in the biz)
i don't think we talk enough about the scene in colony endgame where the alien bounty hunter disguises himself as mulder and goes after scully. like she does figure out that it's not him pretty much immediately but how absolutely horrific must it be to experience someone who looks like the person you love most in the world trying to kill you. it's not mulder but he's got mulder's eyes and they are absolutely devoid of any of the care and respect he has for her. it's not mulder but he's got mulder's hands and they're closing around her throat and throwing her against the wall. things they should absolutely have had a conversation about that i know they never did
