How cinematography and production design was used in The X-Files to show the audience what the script/dialogue never explicitly revealed regarding Scully's pregnancy/conception:
ALL THINGS (S07E17)
Scully stands in front of the mirror and gets dressed in Mulder's bathroom wearing a green sweater. As she exits his bathroom back to the bedroom where Mulder remains sleeping in bed, the camera pans down to reveal a dripping tap.
WITHIN (S08E01)
Scully enters her bathroom during a bout of morning sickness. As she bends over the toilet, the camera pans down to reveal a dripping tap. She stands in front of the mirror and washes her mouth and face with a green washcloth.
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hi! I was wondering what you think about the season of secret sex and how planned it was by the actors/crew. I've seen a lot of people saying that David and Gillian decided to play it like Mulder and Scully are together after Millenium, and that Gillian's intention was not to show their first time in All Things, but the time when she finally committed to the relationship. although this feels right based on the dynamic of the season, I've never seen the source of these claims, only other people's words. do you know if it's true?
The X-Files: What We Know About the Season of Secret Sex
I did read confirmation of that claim at some point; but lost it to the internet void. To add insult to injury, I can't remember if it was CC or Spotnitz or another writer or the actors or a reporter who discussed it in an interview or X-Files book somewhere. So, unfortunately, that assertion can no longer be heralded with full throated, meritorious authority.
However, I proffer three evidences in its defense:
David Duchovny began his battle with FOX while filming Season 7, definitively declaring he was leaving the show because of a list of (valid) grievances (pay and burnout primarily.) He, the writers, the crew, the actors, the press, the fans all knew he was planning to bail after the finale wrapped-- which was why Spotnitz and Carter began prepping for Scully's surprise pregnancy as early as Amor Fati (e.g. the family planning book hiding in the basement, the boy on the beach referencing the UFO in Africa, CC and Spotnitz writing all things with Gillian Anderson, and Spotnitz confirming all things's opener pointed to William's conception.)
The creed of the show (that Glen Morgan voiced in 2024) was, "Whenever we go back to being at the FOX commissary-- or wherever it was that we were thinking about this stuff-- we had two rules: if Scully ever saw an alien, or they ever kissed, the show was over." However, with DD leaving-- and the old formula, by necessity, changing-- Carter and Spotnitz set up Scully's pregnancy in Requiem to-- as they hoped-- launch a second X-Files movie (which Duchovny, and Anderson, already expressed interest in doing.) And after John Shiban convinced CC to include a New Year's kiss, all bets were off. To quote Wikipedia (because I'm lazy) quoting Marc Shapiro's All Things: The Official Guide to The X-Files: John Shiban developed the idea for a Mulder–Scully kiss, which was described by series creator Chris Carter as a "present for the fans." Shiban noted that the episode's kiss felt like "the logical culmination of their relationship. They had been heading toward the kiss for years". Gillian Anderson later explained that, "David [Duchovny] and I knew the kiss was coming. [...] I felt the editors of that episode milked it in a very effective way." In order to create the atmosphere of the scene, specialized camera angles were used and everything was slowed down to make the scene last longer.
So, Mulder and Scully kissed, and the game changed. The lead writers penned Sein und Zeit and Closure-- a resolution to Mulder's arc-- and collaborated on all things-- a resolution to Scully's arc; and, with Gillian's permission, slipped in a scene confirming the characters' relationship.
Those points have been confirmed; but there are, of course, more points on the "season of secret sex" graph to draw a straight line.
For one thing, the props department sprinkled clues everywhere: an extra toothbrush on Mulder's sink in Orison (thanks to anon and @b0oker18 for noticing), Scully's supplies tucked away in Mulder's bathroom in all things (thanks @unremarkablehouse and @touchstoneaf)-- touches which delicately establish a relationship in full swing. And, as every person working on every level of 1013 attested (on both runs of the show, and the movies), nothing ever happened on-set without CC knowing or approving it.
Scully and Mulder were given more allowances that season, too-- or David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson just... stopped caring about the "will they, won't they?" after Millennium's decisive "they did." Mulder grinning at Scully's arrival and teasing her over her jealousy, Scully territorially bumping into him and playing with his tie, and both of them arriving late for work together in Rush (here); Scully suggestively hinting they wrap up the case (here) and stating she loves baseball now, too (here), in The Goldberg Variation; Mulder having a second toothbrush on his sink (here) in Orison; Scully staying the night with Mulder and not flinching when Skinner catches them (here and here) in Sein und Zeit; Mulder teasing about Catholic girls and snake handling (here) in Signs & Wonders; Scully's beauty tools residing in Mulder's bathroom (here) in all things-- those instances (and more) all highlight the glaringly obvious next step in the agents' partnership. Not to mention Carter's own flirty episode, Fight Club (here.)
I don't know, man, but there's a difference in DD and GA's acting pre-and post-Millennium. It's palpable. They knew the jig was up.
I've touched on Season 7's relationship here, if you're curious.
Also, for the fun of it, I'm including some speculations about the Season of Secret Sex (or all things) that I came across in my archive dive, courtesy of @agent-troi (here) and @deathsbestgirl (here) and @nachosncheezies (here) and @numinousmysteries (here) and @b0oker18 (here) and @thursdayinspace (here.)
If anyone feels like adding thoughts or linking other posts, have at-- the more the merrier!
some of you guys havent written to your best friend’s mother telling her that if she doesnt provide a certain amount of money for you to flee to america then you will take your own life and it really shows
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I really loved this one! I know its famous and all, but it really is one of the first times I feel like we see such significant character development for Scully.
I was reminded many times of that scene way back in season 1, in 'Beyond The Sea'. Mulder asks Scully: "Dana, after all you've seen... after all the evidence... why can't you believe?" And she says: "I'm afraid. I'm afraid to believe."
It seems that after seven seasons, she has finally found that courage to believe. There's just something really beautiful about it. (Even though it took so long... lol.)
AND that once she finally does get in touch with her deeper self, her intuition, her desires (as Dr. Waterson emphasizes with the "what do you want, Dana?") her intuition--as represented by the woman she is always chasing but keeps eluding her--quite literally leads her to Mulder. I think she is truly able to see that, from the bottom of her heart, crop circles and all, everything within her is leading her back to him...
I know there's a lot of talk of them getting together before this, but I think this really is that pivotal moment in their relationship. That Scully finally accepts her own intuition pulling her towards him, that he comes back to her, that they finally talk about their feelings for the first time... (and that moment with the blanket...!) It's just a beautiful episode, and I'm glad that I feel like the writers handled it really well, it was a lot more than I was expecting.
