copyright to XPRA
Yes, fellow XPRAers, the time has finally come to devote a little
bit of analysis to our favorite small screen heroine and her romantic tendencies.
As Scully is a person who is a bit more in touch with her emotions, it
is sometimes easier for *us* to see the affection she has for Mulder.
That doesn't mean, however, that she's willing to compromise her professional
integrity by letting *him* see what she really
feels for him. That would be wrong... (but wouldn't it be great
to =see=, at least once??? Whoops... I digress.... <g>)
Just like Mulder is not your typical guy, I would venture to
say that Scully isn't your typical girl. She's a woman who bucks
tradition in every respect -- it's not enough for her to want to be a doctor,
oh no. She has to become a =forensic pathologist=, and then take
those skills not to the local suburban clinic, but to the =FBI=.
Such a woman would certainly not be someone to choose an ex-football player
named Biff as a boyfriend. (I offer the guy from "Jersey Devil" up
as an example... his name may have not been
Biff but the point still holds. <g>) No, a woman like Scully
would much prefer a man whose mind is as attractive as his body, a man
who challenges her on levels that transcend the physical. A
man who has a penchant for sunflower seeds and looks =really= cute in glasses...
(Whoops!! There I go again... sorry....)
Anyway, I think it is not at all a matter of question that Scully
has deep feelings for Mulder, wounded bird that he is. In fact, as
one of you mentioned in the list of choices you sent to me, "The woman
is truly crazy about him and the man is blind not to see it." Couldn't
have said it better myself!! (Names have been concealed to protect
the innocent... and the publicity shy. <g>) Well, that's why we're
here, folks -- to pinpoint some of those romantic doings...
The time has come... let's start the countdown!
This weeks results are interesting, because they cover only 7 episodes
(Scully was =very= generous in these eps, apparently!) and also because
they often deal as much with what she =says= about or to Mulder as what
she =does= for him. Check it out:
10) Going to Arecibo -- Scully's trip to Puerto Rico in "Little Green Men" takes the number ten spot this week. As one of you pointed out, one of the dead giveaways that Scully cares about Mulder is the fact that she's pretty much ready to follow him to the ends of the earth at the drop of a hat. Too true... but I don't think it is so much that she is chasing after him (not an attractive quality!) but that she knows he is too stubborn to ask for her help -- help that he so often needs. So she takes it upon herself to follow him...and I would say that definitely qualifies as romantic!
9) Missing the Message -- Scully's decision
to return to Mulder's bedside in "Beyond the Sea" and miss the message
from her father that had been promised to her by Boggs comes in at number
nine. Myself,
I'm not so sure that her decision not to go back to the prison was
entirely motivated by a need to be by Mulder's bedside -- after all, by
that point, he was pretty much out of danger. However, it was Mulder
who earlier told her not to trust Boggs ("He is the greatest of lies"),
and perhaps now, having come to terms with her father's death in her own
way, she doesn't need to hear Boggs' words, and would
rather be with Mulder. And it =is= a nice bedside scene...<g>
8) Going In Alone -- The number eight spot goes
to Scully's willingness to go into the hospital corridor alone in search
of Mulder and Modell at the end of "Pusher". Brophy, the cute
UDB, puts it best when he asks Scully, "Why do we keep giving him everything
he wants?" And Scully just looks at him and says,
"Just wait for my signal." This is a woman who will =not=
be stopped, not when her partner is in danger. Ummmm.... she *rocks*....
7) Defending Mulder to Colton -- It's here,
at the number seven spot, that things are going to start getting a bit
repetitive, folks... <g> This is the first of our choices from
"Squeeze", and refers to the scene in which Scully gets into the argument
with Colton about Mulder's request for a stakeout of Tooms' place.
She has that terrific line about what it takes to climb up the ladder
-- and totally gets in the last word with Colton. Even though Mulder
is nowhere to be found, it is nice to see Scully so staunch in her defense
of him. (And the rage that carries over to the message she
leaves on Mulder's machine is excellent as well.... and tinged with just
a bit of UST!)
6) Sticking by Mulder -- And yet another from
"Squeeze". This one refers to the scene between Scully and Mulder
near the staircase after they have just finished interrogating Tooms with
little success. (You know the scene -- it is where Mulder plays so obviously
with her necklace to set it up for the later bit where it is stolen by
Tooms... <g>) Mulder has been publicly embarrased, and Scully
is questioning him as to his reasons. Then the conversation shifts
a little... Scully tells him he was being awfully possessive... and Mulder
tells her that he will understand if she wants to leave him. Mulder
heads up the stairs and she
chases after him... and with a totally innocuous line, Scully makes
it clear that she's willing to stick things out with him. Awwwww!!!
Love that...
5) Lying to the Boss -- Hitting the midway point, we get the first of our 'Scully tells a lie' choices. At number six, it is the scene in "Tooms", where she lies about the fact that Mulder was in the car with her on the stakeout, to prevent him from being busted for having beat up Tooms. Even though *we* know it was a setup orchestrated by Tooms, *Scully* doesn't -- and yet she lies for Mulder without a second thought. And people say there is no trust in this world.... <g>
4) Lying to the Boss =and= the Board --
Same scene, more people. <g> In "Anasazi", Scully does basically
the same thing she did in "Tooms", which is to say, she lies to protect
and defend her partner though she has very little idea what he's up to.
It's great to see her lying to the board members (one of whom, we should
all know, is CC himself in a cameo!) and the subsequent scene at Mulder's
place where she asks him if it's worth it -- and he can't give her an answer
-- and she =still= sticks by him.... wow,
it's terrific! Needless to say, this one's a definite indicator
of some deeper affection. No regular colleague would put themselves
at this kind of risk...<g>
3) The Conversation In the Car -- Back to "Tooms" for this one. I don't think I have to say any more to you people than, "I wouldn't put myself on the line for anyone else but you." Hello???? Anti-relationshippers out there???? Listen up, that is a declaration of *love* if I've ever heard it... and I don't =care= if there was a root beer in the damn bag!
2) Shooting Mulder -- Typical of the "X-Files".
Only on this show would shooting your best friend be thought of as romantic....<g>
But this bit from "Anasazi" came in at the number two slot, not too shabby!!
And of course it involves more than just the shooting, which prevented
Mulder from being framed for his own dad's murder. Scully basically
rocks throughout this whole ep -- putting up
with Mulder's rages, taking him in to her apartment and nursing him
when he's running that drug fever -- all the stuff that precedes the shooting
itself cannot be ignored. ("She loves him, yeah, yeah, yeah....")
and now we come to the top spot...
1) Another Trip To Alaska -- The wrap-around scenario
that connects "Colony" and "End Game" takes our top spot for the week.
Not only does Scully track Mulder to the end of the earth (umm, that would
be =Alaska=) despite the fact that he has done his best (as usual) to ditch
her... <g> ... but when she gets there, she saves his life with a show
of force ("Stop it!! You're killing him!!! The cold is the only thing
that's keeping him alive!!!) as well as some pretty fabulous medical
skills. And who can forget her sitting by his bedside, keeping
vigil. I don't remember offhand the words she says in voiceover as
she waits for him to awaken, but I remember them being very poignant.
When he wakes up and tells her he's "found the strength to keep looking"
while holding her hand -- I think the evidence is =there=, people!
It is *Scully* who gives him that strength.... and I'll beat up anyone
who tells me differently! <g>
And that brings us to the end of yet another Top Ten Countdown!!!
Sorry if I'm a little rambly this week -- I'm under the influence of a
lot of cold medicine!!
.
.
BACK