You've really got me thinking about the season 4 committed arc now. What you said about how it would crush Scully to do that to him especially, because I completely agree with that. I'm wondering how it would affect her later relationship with him -- would she feel guilt for not having been able to help him or take care of him on her own? Thinking about this in the context of the revival where it seems that his mental health issues contributed to the demise of their relationship. Because I've always felt that in that context too a factor was her guilt over not being able to help him. I can just say from personal experience that that kind of feeling of powerlessness can contribute to the deterioration of relationships. I guess what I'm wondering about is what would have to be going on inside her to make a decision like that. Because it would be completely justified to say "I can't handle this on my own anymore." And that has nothing to do with how much you care about someone. So how bad would it have to become for her to decide she is unable to help him on her own? And once that decision was made, every time in the future when things got tense, would there have been the fear that he's not telling her everything for fear of her doing something like that again? I think it would not only have done serious damage to the trust between them, but to her personally. I think we do see that in the revival with how she feels about having left him. At least that's how I've read it.
yes i completely agree with all of this. scully wouldn't feel worthy of his trust anymore. i think it would have only added to her "you don't need me, mulder. you never have. i've just held you back." in fight the future. this would be something, like giving up william, she would never be able to let go of. these things that she did that hurt him immeasurably, and her too but mulder was the one who didn't have a choice. it could have been a factor in her leaving post iwtb, because she couldn't help him (again) but she wouldn't do it to him again and she was drowning too. which doesn't leave her many options.
they maybe could have written it well enough. just considering he tells scully in anasazi? 'thanks for taking care of me' after she shoots him lol
an arc for something like this just makes me feel sick. all the hospital stays are enough for me. demons, folie a deux, biogenesis/sixth extinction/amor fati, field trip and kitsunegsri were enough for me.
