r/XFiles • u/13onFire • 4d ago

Bill Scully Discussion

Does anyone else absolutely hate this dude? Does his character get any better? Im on S5 EP 8.

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u/stormchasegrl 4d ago

I could write a dissertation on Bill Scully and how I wish we'd have gotten more from him because I hated his character. Don't get me wrong, Pat Skipper played him to perfection. The brooding contempt he exuded toward Mulder was perfectly done to make us bristle defensively. I didn't hate him because I didn't somehow understand where he was coming from. I hated how he (and Mulder....and by extension CC) acted like everything that happened to Scully was Mulder's fault. I know why they did it, but it cheapens the strong, fierce independence of Scully and, the way Bill talks, likens her to a doe-eyed irrational teen full of adulation for a lunatic.

I really wanted more Scully family dynamics in TXF, largely because of this (and bc of Melissa if we didn't lose her). By extension, I was craving an eat-crow moment where Mulder's brilliance, actions, and true devotion to Scully would have him save her/maybe even also Bill/his family. I've written so many FF stories like this in my head over the years. I've read only 1 or 2 really good ones like this in all these years.

All this to say, I get why he gets a lot of hate, but I really wanted more of him on my screen if it went in an eat-crow-esque direction.

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u/mb10240 Assistant Director Skinner 4d ago

Had Flight 180 been produced, we would’ve had more of the Scully family dynamic.

4

u/damnmydooah 4d ago

This is so cool, thank you for sharing it! I know Final Destination was originally a spec script, but I'd never read it.