My adorable lady and I watched the next two episodes of The X-Files, and
s01e12 Fire and s01e13 Beyond the Sea. They turned out to match each
other in a sense, both being character studies; Fire about Mulder,
Beyond the Sea about Scully.

In s01e12 Fire we follow an aristocratic English family relocating to
the US to escape the threat of an arsonist. The solution, revealed
since the beginning to the audience but not to the agents investigating,
is a young man with supernatural “pyromancy” abilities, who in fact is working with the family and has followed them.

The character itself is interesting and well-developed, slightly
disturbing in his manipulative way of talking to children to get their
trust; but the real focal point of the episode was the female
investigator coming from London to request Mulder's assistance and in a
not too subtle way trying to rekindle her past relationship with him
dating back from their time at Oxford University.
We also learn about Mulder's profound fear of fire, related to a past
accident, that he eventually heroically overcomes.

The English investigator, Phoebe Green, was played by Amanda Pays; I
recognised her from The Flash. My wife took an immediate strong dislike
of the character. Mulder looked uneasy, weak and somewhat rather in
front of her. Scully observed the two, keeping her opinions to herself
but certainly judging.


In s01e13 Beyond the Sea Mulder receives an offer to help from a death
row inmate he contributed to capture: the inmate claims that his
clairvoyance powers revealed him the truth about a kidnapping case.
Mulder considers the idea with very hostile scepticism, and openly
dismisses the possibility, influenced by his opinion about the inmate.
The inmate happens to reveal a detail, “Beyond the Sea” -- the title of Scully's father favourite song.

Tragedy strikes: Scully's father (played Don Davis, Major Briggs from
Twin Peaks) suddenly dies; right before it happens Scully has a vision
of him. From that point on and almost to the end of the episode, Scully
will feel the need to believe, in opposition to Mulder. Hoping to have
his sentence commuted the inmate keeps contributing hints, which do lead
to the right direction. In the End both Mulder and Scully switch
positions again, remaining in conflict with each other. - Why is it so difficult for you to believe?, says one to the other.

At least at this state the work relationship between Mulder and Scully
is formal and detached, to a degree. After the tragedy Mulder tries to
console Scully addressing her by her first name, only to get immediately
mocked for it: - “Dana”!, says Dana in scorn, maintaining her distance.

The struggle between Mulder's honest will to discreetly help and
Scully's effort of remaining calm and keep her pain private were shown
in a psychologically realistic way, more interesting to me than the
already tired conflict between scepticism and belief.


Two good episodes.

--
Scruffy Beard

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