#x files actors

[tuttle-did-it]

Mark Sheppard in Sliders (4.15, "Net Worth")

Episode aired Jan 11, 1999

[spookyhotmess]

[rosenkranz-does-things]

The X Files art masterpost

I've decided to put all of it in one place. will possibly get updated, but here's what I've got so far

studies

timelapses

environment studies: 1 2 3

posters:

Bad Blood, Ascension, Ice, The Unnatural

The Post-Modern Prometheus, Memento Mori, Demons, All Things

Fight the Future: 1 2 3 4

Cancer arc posters

Wetwired

Pilot, Darkness Falls, Triangle, Fight the Future

How the Ghosts Stole Christmas

just some general posters for the show: 1 2

Dana Scully iconic moments: 1 2 3 4 5

msr playlist part 1 msr playlist part 2

miscellaneous: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

some attempts to recreate the ✨retro✨ vibe: 1 2 3 4 5

queer msr posts: 1 2 3 4

prints

fic illustrations: 1 2

bonus: text posts

and in case any of the above makes someone start watching the show, just remember:

[rpfshippingpolls]

⚠️ DON’T START DISCOURSE ABOUT RPF IN THE NOTES!! YOU WILL BE BLOCKED IF YOU DO SO ⚠️

Do you ship it?

Reason:

“They’re insane. They hate each other. They love each other. In the 90s they “spent more time together than with their significant others”. He went as her date to the golden globes on the day she divorced her then-husband, and he held her hand all night. She kissed him before she kissed her then-boyfriend when she won an award. They regularly just made out on set - completely unprompted. The levels of chemistry between them are off the chart. Every photoshoot they’ve done together is completely bonkers. They flirt incessantly whenever together in public. The Jimmy Kimmel interview they did is I think the only reason needed.”

[the-redhead-in-a-dress]

I know I'm like nearly 30 years years behind but lately I haven't been able to stop thinking about the 1996 Rolling Stones X-files photoshoot. Specifically this shot of David, eyes closed and topless, snuggled into Gillian's side.

Honestly, when I see that I only see sweet baby Mulder, finally sleeping, in need of comfort, finally resting because Scully's in his arms and he doesn't need to be scared she'll leave or something bad will happen to her.

Mulder has gone through so much emotional turmoil, so much emotional rejection from his family, and then he meets Scully. You can't say this man is not a cuddler and that the only good nights sleep he ever gets is when he's tucked up next to Scully. He's at peace.

He's the epitome of babygirl Mulder.

[olemisekunst]

[mezzo-morte]

I have normal feelings about that kiss between Gillian and David that wasn't even scripted and think about it a normal amount

[zanephillips]

David Duchovny in The X-Files S02E05 “Duane Barry“

[sculien]

Gillian Anderson as Dana Scully

The X Files | 4.12

[nachosncheezies]

In defense of late-canon x files (including the revivals)

I was thinking about this poll after I commented on it, and I kinda want to be brave and say more.

Short answer to the poll's question before I go any further: If you're a new fan and a sensitive sort who thinks you'll struggle with your blorbos Really Going Through It and you really need a happy ending, I suggest you stop at the end of season 8. Do not pass go, do not look at spoilers. Disregard this post entirely, close the internet, and go look at something that makes you happy. (Also fuck every part of society that characterizes sensitivity as inherently weak and bad and some kind of personal failing, you are valid.)

That said, "quality" as a concept is entirely subjective, and the question of whether or not there's a decline in quality for any story is wholly subjective, too. In the case of x files? I'm not convinced there is a decline. I am going to be upfront that I haven't yet watched past season 8, though I am almost completely spoiled on events after that - and the reason I haven't watched yet is not because of how I know events are going to unfold, but simply because I don't want it to end!!! Ohh, the tension between "I CAN'T WAIT!!!" and "Nooo don't be over D:"

When I first came to txf fandom on tumblr and gradually became spoiled about what happens in late canon though, I was often left uncomfortable and tbh kinda queasy about it. As I said in my comment on the poll, the hate for especially the revival and IWTB, or to a lesser extent even seasons 8 & 9, is very well documented. But! There are other takes to be found here on tumblr if you figure out where to look, and my feelings have changed!

The thing is, I have yet to find myself in any fandom where there isn't a vocal subset of fans who dislike the story after a certain point. I am not joking when I say that no one hates the things they love as passionately as sci-fi and fantasy fans. In my experience, it often hinges on the extent to which a viewer has strong notions on where they would like the characters to end up. In particular with series where shipping is a dominant component for the bulk of a fandom, I have almost universally found that there comes some turning point in the story where "let them be happy you cowards" is the dominant view, and things that compromise the attainment of a degree of romantic stability and/or domesticity are, to many fans, annoying at best and despicable at worst. But! As one tagset on the linked poll said:

and I think for any fandom, that last tag especially is so so so important. (I think that's harder for people watching a weekly series live, bc you have so much time to analyze and speculate and dream before the next breadcrumb drops, but I digress.)

So why am I saying this and how do I apply it to x files? Well, I eventually found that there are also a subset of fans who find redeeming things right up to the very end and actually quite like the whole thing! The things that I had seen people rage and ventpost so much about honestly never quite sounded to me as "out of character" or "untrue to the story" etc as those same ventposts made them sound. And I've discovered I'm not the only one who felt that way. Do I love that the spooky squad had to go through all of those things? No, those poor guys D: Life is hard and they have been through so much trauma. But do those events and their choices make sense to me in light of everything that came before? Yes! And I honestly can't wait to see them fight to overcome those things, breaking, healing, always learning, always growing, always getting better.

So if you're wondering "where does it go wrong"... well, I'm a completionist, as many people who've answered that post are, but also my personal opinion is that I don't think it does go wrong. If you're new and interested in exploring why I've gone from "vaguely queasy" to "excited" about the whole thing, or want to maybe balance out the impressions you're getting about the later seasons before deciding whether or not you want to see the whole thing, I'll put a few blog names in the comments.

Final admission: even once I started feeling a little more confident in the possibility that "actually ok maybe I'm not crazy, maybe this all kind of is in character and does make sense", there was one big plot point that I was NOT looking forward to and I thought I would never be comfortable about. In hindsight, I think my discomfort came from the negative responses being SO seemingly universal that I hadn't stopped to let myself truly consider other possible interpretations on that point. (I mean my initial instinct when I first read about it was, why are we mad about this?? CSM is literally the most unreliable narrator in history???? it's obviously fake news?????? this must be either a fever dream someone's having or it's a misdirection ploy against whatever shadowy forces might still be lurking?????????????? but for whatever reason I guess I had halfway written that off.) Happily, just last month there's a new post-s11 novel out, and although reviews for the book as a whole are mixed, it seems to have laid the groundwork for resolving that plot issue in a way I think most fans would be broadly happy with. If you're interested in being spoiled about that and seeing how, I recommend searching #perihelion on @agent-troi who liveblogged reading it with receipts, scroll back chronological-style to the first post on the subject and see how it unfolded. (And never forget that Dana Katherine Scully is the queen of denial as a coping mechanism lol)

Everyone's mileage will vary. Each person can feel however they want! But for anyone new, I wanted you to know that the very many ventposts you might be seeing are not all there is to this show or its fandom. Some of us love it despite - or even because of - all the things that went "wrong". I think we just don't talk about it as much.

[xxplastic-cubexx]

adding onto the size difference thing they had to make james wear heels in first class to make him taller 😭

chat quick who has that fuckin promo pic for dofp where james is wearing wedges and he's next to michael because i've been reminded of it and imvl eavkjalkjvlwkvj

[xchronicles]

After watching the Screen Rant interview, I want Season 3 of Prodigy without Admiral Janeway or Chakotay appearing at all. Holo Janeway is more than enough. Kate is clearly against J/C for whatever reason, and she even went after Brett for wanting Gwyn/Dal. I'd rather enjoy Season 3 with the Protostar kids only and not get frustrated with the J/C stuff. Please, I'm begging. Brett, my beloved.

Media and art are escapism. We live in super messed up times, and I just want two imaginary, make-believe characters to kiss so my mind can escape into something positive and feel the love that the world is so clearly missing. People find comfort in art and can feel a bit of love through imaginary characters in this messed up world. The rest of Prodigy is about hope; J/C is about (romantic) love, and it's a positive path to take, especially in times where men are being taught to hate women by idiots like Tate. And here you have a character, a man (Chakotay), who gives zero fucks about power dynamics and gender roles. We want them together as a middle finger to the gender roles imposed by social norms. Janeway hates to cook and do house chores, Chakotay does not. Janeway likes to be in command, Chakotay is fine being her support. They are breaking the tiresome stereotypes, and dunking on the shippers for wanting them to be together is just playing into the 'a strong woman can only be strong if she is forever alone' trope. It's an outdated mindset.

That is why Kate. For every girl and woman who was told repeatedly she'll be alone and that no man would want her because she didn't fit the gender role. Because she wanted to be in power and be loved at the same time. For daring to want both. Women can have both. Women are allowed to have both. Being in a romantic relationship is not weak, and it's freaking weird to be saying that having two characters be in a romantic relationship who clearly love each other beyond words would do them a disservice. What does that teach the kids? That you have to choose? That having a powerful bond and a romantic relationship is mutually exclusive? It's weird, and I'm tired of pretending that it's not.

[jessiesjaded]

Conduit.

[azure-firecracker]

When the episode description looks like silly goofy campiness and then the episode provides some of the most heart-wrenching scenes you have ever watched.

[noellebond]

🎀👽🎬

[dilfgifs]

DAVID DUCHOVNY as FOX MULDER THE X-FILES S10E05 "Babylon"