please talk about All Souls and it being a healthy time in mulder and scully’s relationship! i saw it in your post about the pine bluff variant and wanna know more 👂

okay so here's the thing. most of Mulder and Scully's cases are actually more *Mulder's* cases. it's not an icky power dynamic thing, really, or in the occasions that it is it's entirely accidental bc he tends to get a bit carried away at times. it's more just that the X-Files are Mulder's baby — they're his work, his passion, that's what it's about for him. it's very personal.

for Scully, it's not so much about the Files themselves as it is about Mulder. she wants the Truth as much as he does, of course, and it does become more personal to her after her abduction and then even MORE post Fight the Future. but when it comes right down to it, the difference is that Mulder is there for his own personal mission, and Scully is there for Mulder.

so the dynamic most of the time is very much Mulder taking the lead on cases. they're on equal footing still, there's a great amount of mutual respect and even though Mulder doesn't always listen to her, you know that he still respects her a lot. I won't say that Mulder is the one "in charge" bc i don't think that's how it works, but he definitely takes the lead more often than Scully does because the Files are more his thing than they are hers. and that usually works for them.

but in All Souls the roles are reversed — both in the Skeptic/Believer dynamic, as it's an episode that deals directly in Scully's faith in God, and in that Scully takes the case independently of the Files or Mulder. it's very personal in that she's specifically asked to take it by her priest, and because it ties to closely into the Emily Arc. she doesn't even want to bring Mulder into it at first, because of how personal it is and because she's unsure if he would even want to be involved seeing as how it's such an intrinsically religious case.

but, the thing is, of COURSE Mulder wants to be involved. he may not consider it an X-File, but he's still interested, and not just because of Scully's involvement. it's kind of the reverse of what I was saying about TPBV (and shdjdjsj I'm writing these posts in backwards order lol), because in All Souls it's Mulder who doesn't want Scully to be alone on her case. that's part of why I feel like, even though the subject matter and plots are so completely different an unconnected, All Souls and TPBV go together very well.

so. I mean the role reversal already makes it very interesting, but the thing that really gets me is that this is very explicitly Scully's case. from the moment Mulder gets involved, he's consistently and very willingly respecting that, not overrunning her with his own theories like he does most of the time. he offers his help almost hesitantly, because she hadn't invited him but he wants to help her, but he doesn't want to intrude. it's honestly very sweet considering how overbearing he can often be.

Scully, for her part, is actually very open to Mulder's help and theories, and honestly I feel like that might actually be BECAUSE of how respectfully he offers it. they both know that this is her case, and she takes the lead on it. this time, it's Scully who's there for the case, and Mulder who is there for her. something about it seems incredibly balanced, just the way Mulder so easily defers to her even when their opinions differ. neither of them shuts the other down or really tries to argue, even when they directly disagree.

I think the only thing bordering on conflict they have is that one scene after they meet the weird priest dude, and even that is a very open, honest communication? like, this case is intrinsically tied to Scully's faith and Mulder can't accept that (and actually the fact that part of the reason he rejects God so much is bc of how many cults and evil people calling themselves believers he's run up against is... really interesting to me), he doesn't believe it can be anything spiritual and he says that, but he doesn't do it in a way that condemns Scully's faith or that of her family. and Scully obviously disagrees and tells him that, but it's not an *argument*. it's a difference of opinion and beliefs based on personal experiences, and the way they discuss it is very honest with each other.

I feel like honesty is really what it comes down to in All Souls. the episode is framed around Scully going to confession, which in and of itself is an act of total honesty. there's this moment where she lacks honesty, in that she won't be entirely open with Mulder about how personally this case is affecting her, until almost the end — and I know everybody talks about that scene, but it's for very good reason.

Scully does not, no matter what, like for Mulder to think he has to protect her. that's a thread that shows up very early on in the show and continues to be brought up. usually, if Mulder asked her to step away from a case like that, she would get defensive and not listen to him. but there's something about how vulnerable she really is, how supportive and respectful he's been this entire time, and the specific way he phrases his concern: "I've never seen you this vulnerable, and it scares me because I don't understand it," that actually makes her open to it for once.

Mulder sees Scully struggling this entire episode. it's very very clear both to the audience and to him, even though he can sometimes be oblivious to her emotions. he sees that and he's careful with it, not in a walking-on-eggshells way, but in a way that very clearly telegraphs that he's respecting her leadership on the case but also wants to make sure she's okay. I think there's a lot of intentions on both of their parts that go unspoken, but are still understood. Mulder reaches out, Scully doesn't pull away. she listens to his concerns and she accepts it. she doesn't feel the need to defend herself or argue.

idk how to conclude this other than just what I told @fortes-fortuna-iogurtum over text earlier: All Souls is the episode directly before TPBV. and if TPBV is about mutual trust (and pining), then All Souls, which directly precedes it, is about mutual honesty and respect. Scully is open about her vulnerability, even going so far as to tell Mulder about her vision of Emily, and Mulder is honest about his concern in an exceedingly respectful way. there's something extremely healthy about their communication and dynamic in the episode that's likely because of the role-reversal, and it brings a balance and a sense of lightness even through the darker, angsty themes of the episode.

in conclusion? Mulder in All Souls is peak husband material.