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Series creator Chris Carter's so-called "mythology" storyline, which concerns the government's efforts to conceal alien contact, is without question the most high-profile aspect of this very high-profile show. But those who attribute The X-Filess' success solely to the dramatic sweep of the mythology arc are mistaken. Shadowing the progress of that tangled intrigue is a far more profound and meaningful storyline: It's the development of a relationship, one of the most realistic and deliately nuanced in television history.
No, not that kind of relationship, not the kind that certain X-Philes have been clamoring for. Scully and Mulder are never going to be romantically involved, Chris Carter has vowed, and more power to him. Cheers and Moonlighting, two of the best series in television history, both lost their spark when the two main leads became romantically involved, and once gone, that element of flirtation and possibility can never be regained. Carter understands that keeping Mulder and Scully at arms' length from one another creates the kind of dramatic tension that the typical television romance--no matter how tempestuous--lacks.
But by banning that development, Carter has taken his two FBI agents down a far more difficult--but ultimately rewarding--path. Those who clamor for a relationship between Mulder and Scully miss the central fact that they already have one--one that's just as profound as any "love connection", if not more so. The two leads do love each other--as close co-workers and even closer friends. Time and again, the subtle, empathetic acting of Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny has communicated just how deeply these characters care for one another, and the miles they've trekked--physically and emotionally--to bail each other out of dangerous situations demonstrates the depthof their commitment to each other.
But those who believe that out of this profound bond should come candy, flowers, and candlelit dinners are myopic, if not immature. One of life's great lessons is that sometimes the most intimate relationships are non-sexual--and they can be profound because sex is not an issue. Besides, can you picture Scully and Mulder flitting off for dinner and a movie after dissecting a hideously disfigured corpse? That kind of plot would test credulity far more than the wildest X-Files premise ever did.
The duo's rock-solid friendship, howebver, is what grounds their encounters with a nonstop parade of mutants, freaks and killers in reality. And, no, the fact that Scully is more skeptical than her partner is not what makes the pair's relationship work. What makes their interaction realistic is that Mulder respects her skeptisism, and that Scully in turn believes in her partner enough to help him find proof for his pet theories. Far from being about adversial bickering, the basis of their relationship is admiration for each other's integrity.
And it's that kind of depth that draws millions of viewers to The X-Files each week. It's ironic that a show that's supposedly about the paranormal actually derives much of it's appeal from finely shaded character development, but if the wider world wants to believe that The X-Files' main draws are monsters, aliens and freaks, well, that's their affair. We know the truth.
Well, wasn't that a good read? Yay, a Noromatic journo! There is hope for the world! :)
Much has been made of The X-Files' narrative achievements, and in this case, the hype is justified. How many other television shows have been able to sustain such a complex dramatic arc over several years? The Prisoner stayed true to it's premise, but the program lasted a mere 17 episodes. Hill Street Blues and L. A. Law made overlapping character storylines last for several months, and newcomer Murder One featured a trial that stretched over an entire season, but The X-Files' ambitions are of a different order altogether. The only current televison show that comes close to matching the Fox hit's narrative momentum is the syndicated Babylon 5, but The X-Files' intermingling of real-life events with deftly concocted conspiracies gives its "mythology" arc greater heft and relevance. After all, most Americans believe that the government is hiding something--whether it's proof of extraterrestrial contact, the existence of a White House enemies list or the date on which Social Security will go bankrupt. The X-Files incorporates those lingering suspicions into stories that, for the most part, function quite well as ripr-roaring entertainment, no mean feat in the trendy but superficial comedies and self-important, overhyped dramas.
It was taken word for word from Volume 3, Number 1 of the magazine "Cinescape presents The X-Files and Conspiracy Television", and I know for a fact that I don't have the author's permission for this to be here. But Mo, if you're reading, you did a real good job, y'hear? It's flattery, believe me.
NOROMO VALUES by Brianna L (noromo_values@start.com.au). Let me know if something looks wrong, or if you have comments, critisism, praise, suggestions.
Not in frames but table-heavy so Netscapers, tread lightly. Sitemap, disclaimer.
Spoiler free for Australian teev. Lawyers and Shippers, fuck off, everyone else, enjoy.
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