#less skeptical than scully tho

[linklore]

sometimes. perhaps. i think about my wife. dana scully from the x files. and my sona who lives in my brain as part of the gang whenever i think about her and mulder

[thanx-files]

Season 3 Wrap-Up

Let’s skip the boring part. We know the routine by now, and I have a lotttt to say this time around. Thoughts on Talitha Cumi and S3 below the cut.

Talitha Cumi

My least favorite season finale so far, if I’m honest. It’s not that the stakes weren’t high enough, it’s that I was confused for a lot of this episode. I, like Mulder, have precious little patience for Cancer Man and his musings, and there were a LOT of musings in this episode. I’m going to have to read the Wikipedia plot summary for this one. Also, not enough Scully.

Season 3

My favorite season so far. I know, I know “Thanx, you’ve said that every season!” If you’ll recall, I was on the fence about season 2 being better than season 1 (Pilot my beloved) because I feared recency bias. But I feel very strongly that S3 beats out both S1 and S2 pretty handily, recency notwithstanding. Why? Because it’s fun, in a way. The first handful of episodes are less so, but as the season finds a rhythm, there are these brilliant little character moments. Skinner gains a lot of depth this season, for example, but he also has some killer one-liners that tell us he is playing this game for better or for worse.

And as for Mulder and Scully? If there is one thing these two will do, it’s talk on the phone. Those were some of my favorite details this season. The classic “it’s me,” but also the way they can’t stay off the phone in Coprophages. The way Mulder knows Scully will stay on the line to eavesdrop in Avatar. Mulder, our “ticking time-bomb of insanity” starts to show his Captain Ahab side more (hello, Grotesque???). And Scully gets to call him on it! More importantly, the moment I’ve been waiting for: they finally let Scully be so so Catholic.

This season just went crazy, I don’t know what to tell you. There are some seriously unhinged episode progressions — and I’m not even talking about the two-parters. Coprophages to Syzygy to Grotesque (just two eps before Pusher)? Quagmire to Wetwired? Stop it.

5 fave eps (now with more musing!):

Revelations - I told y’all I wanted more Catholic Scully, and this episode really delivered. I love that our skeptic is religious, however remotely. I love Scully. I love that there is this part of her which the X-Files never seem to touch — until they do.

War of the Coprophages - The way they can’t stay off the phone with each other. The way Fox Mulder just HAPPENS to be in the cockroach town during the cockroach uprising. The bug that crawls across the screen. The way Mulder is eating chocolate cake while writing his report about how he narrowly escaped an exploding shit lab. The inexplicably exotic bug he squishes without hesitation.

Pusher - Fuck all the way off. The paper that just says “Pass.” “Smile, Scully.” Russian roulette. Russian roulette!!! I don’t need to tell you all about this. You already know. Plus, there’s this deeply unwell post I already made.

Jose Chung from Outer Space - I also already posted about this one, but the TL;DR is that this sitcom fanatic loves a frame story and a series of Events Which Probably Didn’t Happen Like That.

Quagmire - I KNOW I KNOW it was between this and Wetwired. But when it comes down to it, the Captain Ahab conversation is just too fucking good. Also, I feel I should honor the memory of Queequeg, who deserved better.

5 least fave eps:

The Blessing Way - It’s not that it’s a bad ep, it’s just not for me. I’ve never been much for the metaphysical “between life and death” thing where you talk to your dead dad and he tells you to keep living. This is because my heart is made of rocks.

The List - I’ve come to the conclusion that I just don’t like prison eps.

Piper Maru & Apocrypha - I just got lost. Glad to see Krycek again tho!

Talitha Cumi - See above.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to buckle my seatbelt for the [REDACTED] [REDACTED] arc. Maybe I’ll also rewatch the pilot just for kicks.

[theswisscheeserag]

X-Files Ask Game:

If you were a character, who would you be and why?

Any WIPs or fic ideas you want to talk about? Share them here!

Top 10 worst episodes?

:)

Scully. I’m a total skeptic (I believe in the statistical likelihood of life elsewhere but that’s the only place I’m less skeptical than her). I love power suits. I have a big family. My girlfriend believes in ghosts and I categorically do not. Other such things

Working on a multi chapter case file type fic tho school is kicking my ass! Hope to share soonish!

Top ten worst episodes: Sex Amish for all ten

[masterthespianduchovny]

Maybe this has been discussed, maybe it hasn’t, but I think what really makes S8-9 hard to digest isn’t simply Mulder’s disappearance, but most important, Scully becoming uncharacteristically trusting.

Mulder being missing is a huge thing, so his absence was going to always be felt. But, Scully and Mulder served as our ethical/moral center for 7 seasons of the show. They were the good guys, fought the food fight, and were always on the side on the little man.

One of the most noteworthy things of the show was there inherent and explicit trust in one another. Another interesting thing to note: despite mulder’s paranoia, he could trusting, where as Scully ONLY trusted Mulder.

Constantly throughout the series we literally hear her tell Mulder that she only trusts him or she makes it quite known that’s how she feels. Scully is very stingy with trust when it comes to everyone else who isn’t Mulder. Perhaps in the beginning of season one she trusted others, but even during the first season, she started increasingly distrusting. Then, once she was abducted, it was rare to see her trust a non Mulder person.

Most importantly, Scully didn’t even trust skinner. Someone who consistently had their backs. Every blue moon, he did something to protect his neck, but I don’t recall him ever flat out betraying Mulder and Scully (without plans to save them or a good reason).

When skinner is framed for murder, Scully believes that he did or it is leaning towards believing that. It is only because Mulder pushes the issue that e case is investigated. She doesn’t refer to his character, their working relationship—nothing to even entertain the idea that skinner could’ve been innocent. There is even evidence that she didn’t trust him at the end of season seven (and, hell, probably beyond).

She didn’t trust the Lone Gunmen, despite working with them on and off for years.

We know she didn’t trust Diana and Phoebe, but I don’t think it was primarily driven by jealousy. Mulder gets distracted easily and can let a sense of comraderie and loyalty influence him.

We saw him trust deep throat and Maria. Despite providing good intel, they also betrayed him as well.

Scully may defend a person’s character generally speaking, but she does not trust on a personal or professional level beyond that.

That only extends to Mulder.

So, now that this foundation has been laid, let’s look into season 8:

Doggett is sent to investigate Mulder’s disappearance and pretends to be some random officer. Tries to manipulate Scully into thinking Mulder didn’t trust her and was confiding in other people.

I mean, I get his angle, BUT Scully...Scully, that’s something she’s never going to forget. And we see how deeply his words angered her. Calm, cool, and collected Scully threw water at his face.

So, we see hints of her not trusting him when she investigated the case by herself, but then, after that case when he chastises her...she starts to trust him a little bit???

And it doesn’t make a lick of sense.

Scully has less reason to trust doggett. For starters, Scully usually eviscerated anyone for talking to her like that. But, also...he was sent by Kersh. Why wouldn’t Scullys paranoia ramp up, esp because they did that with Krycek (Diana and Spencer). They’ve sent double agents to compromise the x files. Hell, even she was sent down there to debunk it.

I know doggett gave her his speech, but again, Scully doesn’t believe it trust other people. Of all of the people sent down to debunk and compromise the x files, she is the only one who stayed and believed in what she did. What makes matters worse: doggett believes the x files is horseshit. He essentially believes that it’s a waste of time.

Why would Scully have faith and trust a person like that to protect the x files on a basic level?

What incentive would doggett have to thoroughly investigate cases, find undeniable evidence, believe victims/witnesses of the supernatural kind? He doesn’t believe in this stuff at all when Scully decides to start trusting him.

Scully didn’t believe it much herself, BUT she believed in Mulder and she had a much bigger axe to grind with the FBI and the shadow people than Doggett did. I’m not exactly sure why doggett was willing to risk as much as he did.

But, circling back to scullys skepticism, she legitimately tried to validate Mulder’s work. Doggett came off as dismissive and believing the victims were crazy.

So, we see that Scully automatically doesn’t trust non Mulder people, but there is no professional reason for her to trust him either, despite him keeping her secret. And keep in mind: the stakes were higher at that time than when she was assigned to Mulder. Him protecting her secret could’ve played into a long game.

But, then...she defends him against Mulder to Mulder in private and that’s where the show loses me once and for all.

I’m not saying that Scully would never defend doggett or anyone against Mulder’s criticisms (I also think Mulder was uncharacteristically hostile), BUT Scully either would’ve been unsure or advising Mulder that they have to be careful with how he approaches doggett for a couple of reasons.

But, since Chris Carter wants us to like and trust doggett, Scully suddenly likes and trust him even tho that has never been her MO throughout the entire series. She may have been trusting in the first season to some extent, but Scully ended a friendship/connection concerning Mulder. Again, it took her almost a decade to even trust skinner despite all that they been through, yet she trusts doggett???

Her trust of Reyes was less offensive because they didn’t try so hard, but again, it’s a hard pass for Scully trusting her either.

I know they flirted with the idea of Scully trying to be Mulder for an episode, but without a doubt, she would’ve been the most paranoid person in the FBI after his abduction for a very long time. I can’t imagine her having any type of meaningful relationship while Mulder was missing, the fbi investigating it, AND possibly her. I can’t imagine her trusting anyone at all after that.

Her partner, her best friend, her lover, the father of her child, and literally the only person she trusted was fucking abducted. Scully is traumatized and scarred. She’s careful, fragile, but cautious. Terrified and unafraid at the same time.

It doesn’t connect as someone else explained, it was supposed to be Mulder and Scully against the world not Mulder, Scully, doggett, Reyes....

But, it feels as if, besides Scully not truly being her paranoid, untrusting self, they missed the baptismal by fire. Their trust was unearned based on how we know Mulder and Scully.

[spiralguide]

hiveswap liveblog part 1

- the home screen music is so pretty! love the harp + piano + synth strings combo and the chord progs. reminds me a bit of the sims opening music somehow - ooh that opening noise was quite undertale esque - fucksake my laptop can't play the opening cutscene :I :I i guess im in a room now. some nice monstery bg sound

BEDROOM - roxy is the babysitter i guess? and their dad is gpa harley? - oh wow joey actually goes to school that's slightly jarring. breaks the isolated feel you get from the comic - oh look a fiduspawn reference. there's a cheruby key in there. ok - couple of misses with the writing style so far for me but some good hits. - what the fuck there's a manthro chap there. solid "what a daring dream" and pony pals references - there's so much to look at why is there so much to look at - damn that outside landscape is pretty! - more misses. man it's hard to avoid the fact that a walkaround game written by hussie would have been hilarious. but then if it were written by hussie i would be being much less critical of it so maybe not a fair comparison - ok jude using walkie talkie speak is cute. the joke of him being way too serious about this is pretty funny and his dialogue is landing well w me - wow was that... a misspelling. on 'material'

HALLWAY - good god that's a lot of crap in the hallway. i hope i don't have to click on all of it - I LIKE THIS MUSIC. I REALLY LIKE THE GLOCKENSPIELY MIDDLE 8. the staccato string chords remind me of something from the homestuck soundtracks but i can't think what - what the fuck is the signless doing in the hallway - the geography of this hallway is not immediately clear but it opens out on a landing which is why both directions of an apparent fork go the same way - more stuff is landing w me. tho some of the LOOK / ACTION choices seem a bit confusing and superfluous - what are pogs.... google says milk caps. is this a weird american thing - the significance of the mulder/scully preferences was lost on me because i don't know which is which lmao i am a fake nerd - "i better shake a leg" what. does that mean. hurry up?  - this is a VERY pretty game i have to say

ATTIC - oh gpa harley hangs out up here? this is weird and i don't get the familial basis of this game. feels like a weird au - miss and hit - ooooh nice music upon peering into the attic i hope there's more when you go in - more good jude dialogue - it feels weird to be playing a game where you have to click to move vs like, the johns land walkabout flash which was much simpler and yet allowed you to navigate with keys. i keep reaching for them

STAIRS - a miss... oh god. bad miss - there's a picture of jake and jane. and roxy. still a solid what the fuck on that one. and there's also a wedding picture of joey's random hot mom with mustachioed jake english and just. what is he doing there. ok foreshadowing that the dog betrayed jake which sounds stupid but whatever - another miss. why isn't there a space after any of the ellipses. i noticed this in the first room but it felt petty to mention it then and now it is annoying

DOWNSTAIRS - a tuba? this music is pretty noiry. i would LOVE a noiry soundtrack, trollcops was always one of my fav ever hs songs. tho there's some weird piano happening in the background which doesn't fit tonally and is confusing me - does joey have a crush on the green lady from reboot? sure seems like it. ok the idea of jake's daughter having a thing for GREEN ladies is p funny - aww i was really excited for her to play a haunting melody. MORE CREEPY MUSIC - oh some blue ladies! yeah she's defo gay and not being shy about it in her internal monologue omg yay - may have been another typo there but i clicked too fast to tell - thing where she turned the static noise off seems kinda unnecessary but ok - that commentary lacked a full stop... - spice mix seems irrelevant - the rooms aren't labeled or anything and it's not v helpful and making everything feel a bit disordered - why are jude's question marks separated... also it would be funnier if he did a vocalised "question mark" a la kanaya. but his dialogue is still good - something i only just noticed because im dumb: joey types in jane's blue but no capitalisation. jude types in yellow which is a new colour, it's not sollux's yellow - the action box for going back up the stairs from the living room is so tiny wtf. also that's probably not what it's called i don't know game things - this is the point at which i would be consulting a walkthrough were there one available. oh thank god there are the flashlight batteries. the different batteries in the sylladex are not labeled very clearly that's not that helpful - significantly more misses than hits in this part of the game BASEMENT - this music is a little cruder but i like the jazzy tuba(?) still - equal hits and misses - jake likes betty crocker in this universe? - missed that cutscene again. fucksake. and that one - battle music is alright. i like the melody but theyve gone for a weird synth and there are some weird false relations - "the room where it slappens?" what? the strife writing is really hard to read. altho "let's do lunge - check please" is silly but funny - i love jude's dialogue, it's well done. joey just kinda talks the same way as jane but lower case. she even has the skepticism thing - haha wiliness attribute. i notice that the game isn't doing much in the way of inventing its own running gags, it's actually just still referencing those of the original comic. not that they aren't working but. it could do better TROPHY ROOM - is that a different strife music or am i an idiot. nice bass and a maybe less offensive synth? oooooooh nice 8bit work - i really like the concept of the strife text, what a good adaptation of the comic. most of the puns are a bit weak tho. but a few are gooduns. - how the fuck do i win. ive tried all the options. oh there we go - fun victory text but the music is basic and annoying. oh the same rank ascension jargon as homestuck that's nice if in a less readable/interesting format than in the comic - more hits than misses in this room! that digression on a mexican folk monster is pretty random. im still very into the glockenspiely part of this music, that wasn't a thing that stopped happening or anything - there are some ashes in this room. I have a newfound appreciation for john's exploration sequence at the start of homestuck. i wouldn't say im tired of the point-and-click thing yet but im not loving it - some of jude's dialogue reminds me of WV's commands to john before he reads the etiquette book. abrupt capitals. maybe that's where some of my affection for it comes from - i do like the conversation options those are pretty well done