The X-Files: A Feminist’s Analysis of Gender Imbalance

For those who grew up in the 1990s with an interest in the supernatural, The X-Files provided an outlet for curiosity, especially for girls and young women who were just beginning to initiate the third wave of feminism. One character who stands out from the cast is Dr. Dana Scully, who is not only an accomplished forensic scientist but who leads a thriving career in the FBI, two very male-dominated fields of work. It’s easy to say that Scully’s character paved the way for the future portrayal of female characters in STEM roles, and thus she quickly became a feminist icon of her time. But was her independent career tainted by patriarchal hindrance and sexist suppression?

This article will seek to examine the character role of Dana Scully in both the original X-Files and the 2016 reboot in regards to her personhood and agency as a scientist, an FBI agent, and a woman in the workplace during the third wave of feminism. For those who have yet to see episodes of the television show, this article will contain spoilers. WARNING: this article also explores elements of sexual harassment, rape, and violence against women that some readers may find upsetting.

The Dana Scully Paradox

Scully is a well-rounded and fully developed character. She not only has flaws and weaknesses, but she also has personhood and agency; she is not two-dimensional. She is portrayed as strong and capable, oftentimes taking on a more masculine role as the skeptic in comparison to Mulder’s typically feminine role as a believer in the supernatural. ² All of these elements have effectively made her into a feminist icon of her time, representing what female characters on television should become. However, she is a paradox and a contradiction.

Although her character oftentimes challenges the patriarchy, she is still regularly undermined by sexism and misogyny, both in the workplace and in the field as an FBI agent. Her personhood and agency are affected on a regular basis by how the male characters treat her, including Mulder, and by certain events that will be discussed in detail later on in this article. More often than not she is effectively rendered as a plot device for the show. The following will further outline this paradox, and analyze whether or not Scully’s character should be honored as a feminist icon, or seen more as a victim of patriarchal suppression.

Feminist History and Scully’s Background

Dr. Dana Scully, played by actress Gillian Anderson, is talented and intelligent. She studied hard science at the University of Maryland, earning an undergraduate degree in physics, and eventually completing her residency in forensic medicine. ³ With that being said, her character did all of this during a time in the 1990s when the third wave of feminism was only beginning. It was not as popular for young women to pursue careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), and it was even less popular for female characters on television to choose such careers. In fact, viewers were hard pressed to find female characters in powerful scientific or engineering roles, and when they did these roles reinforced gender stereotypes. ⁴ Furthermore, when considering these gender stereotypes, it’s important to note that 95% of female lead, co-lead, and secondary roles were portrayed as attractive or hypersexualized. ⁵ Although Anderson is a beautiful actress, Scully was not hypersexualized and may, by today’s standards, even appear rather conservative.

When considering the three waves of feminism it’s pertinent to note that each wave was indicative to the evolution of the feminist movement and were characterized by their own distinct mile markers. According to Dr. Martha Rampton, Professor of History at the Pacific University of Oregon, the first wave began in the late 19th to early 20th Century as a result of “urban industrialism”, as well as “liberal, socialist politics”. ⁶ Arguably, the most noteworthy accomplishment from the first wave was the passing and ratification of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. This, of course, was only after several generations of sufferance, lectures, lobbying, and civil disobedience to prompt a radical change and ultimate victory in the 1920s. ⁷ This wave also won women rights such as The Married Women’s Property Act and the reform bill, which enfranchised 8.4 million women, and the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975. ⁸

The second wave, taking place from the 1960s to the 1990s, paved the way for anti-war and civil rights movements, while giving a voice to minorities. ⁹ Second wave feminists were inspired by Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex to spearhead the societal changes they sought, namely scientific breakthroughs such as the pill and abortions, which empowered women to control their reproductive health and gave them the freedom to establish careers. ¹⁰ The second wave forced society to question traditional gender roles in both the household and the workforce, while challenging post-WWII misconceptions of gender role imbalance, namely that women were subordinate to men. ¹¹ Rampton continues then to explain the third wave, the wave Dana Scully found herself in:

The third wave of feminism began in the mid-90’s and was informed by post-colonial and post-modern thinking. In this phase many constructs were destabilized, including the notions of “universal womanhood,” body, gender, sexuality and heteronormativity. ¹²

The third wave, laying important foundations for the future fourth wave, was dedicated to gender, racial, economic, and social justice, while questioning the “sexual division of labour in the household”, and empowering women to be “high-achieving” and “self-aware”. ¹³ This wave was spearheaded by female role models such as Rebecca Walker, Jennifer Baumgardner, and Amy Richards ¹⁴ and it can be said that Scully’s television character was directly influenced by these women. Claire Elizabeth Knowles makes a valid argument on this subject in her piece featured in the 21st volume, #5 edition of A Journal of Media and Culture:

In the context of the televisual [sic] landscape of the 1990s, this representation of Scully as a character who is every bit as intelligent and as integral to the action of the series as her male partner, was incredibly powerful. It marked Scully as a third-wave feminist character in an era dominated by women who seemed to conform to the kind of problematic post-feminism embodied by Ally McBeal. ¹⁵

Knowles continues on to say, as a TV show, a lot of female viewers saw themselves reflected in Scully’s character, and it’s arguable whether or not The X-Files had an influence on the evolution of female character portrayal in U.S. television, seeking to thoroughly develop more complex characters, and making these types of characters more mainstream. ¹⁶ Upon further examination of Scully’s character, Knowles determines her “longevity as a feminist icon” can be attributed to her survival of this “televisual [sic] landscape” previously occupied by bland representations of professional women. ¹⁷

The fourth wave of feminism began in 2012, and focused most on sexual harassment, body shaming, and rape culture. ¹⁸ This wave has become less about the political and economic stature, or previous victories, and more about the desire for choice. Jessica Abrahams, writer for Prospect Magazine, says: “The concept of choice—so central to modern feminism—deserves to be critiqued. We need to understand how these choices were shaped.” ¹⁹ That being said, the core of the fourth wave has become: a woman’s right is to choose to do what she wants, without being judged or ridiculed, by fighting for “equal share opportunities”. ²⁰ While Dana Scully began her journey in the 1990s, the reboot does place her in this pivotal fourth wave. It is undeniable that as a female television character in both waves Scully, and ultimately Anderson, had to survive hindrances from the patriarchy. For example, in the ’90s, Anderson worked hard to close the wage gap and achieve pay equal to that of co-star Duchovny, but then when she was asked to join the reboot, the same wrongdoing occurred again as the studio offered her half pay compared to his. Anderson said in an interview:

“Especially in this climate of women talking about the reality of [unequal pay] in this business, I think it’s important that it gets heard and voiced. It was shocking to me, given all the work that I had done in the past to get us to be paid fairly. I worked really hard toward that and finally got somewhere with it… And then it happened again! I don’t even know what to say about it.” ²¹

Not only that, but in 1993 the studio required Anderson to stand behind Duchovny on camera, never side-by-side, until three years later when Anderson finally said enough was enough. ²² As for Scully, in both the third and the fourth wave, her character remains steadfast as she continues to take on sexism with the same spitfire bravado as Anderson did.

Nevertheless, all of this adoration and praise for Scully’s character does not negate the fact that she still suffers the same stereotypes and sexist suppression many female characters of her time did. Throughout events that will be explored later in this article, viewers watch as Scully clearly falls victim to the effects of rape culture, and is routinely denied her right to choose, even in the newer episodes. The male characters constantly inhibit her growth, influencing events which result in her bodily harm, and the male writers and directors of the show make no apologies for this. This victimization is why her character is such a paradox when it comes to analyzing the true nature of her development.

Personhood and Agency

To better examine this paradox, first one must analyze the two factors that come into play the most: Scully’s personhood, and her agency as a woman. According to feminist theory of agency, a woman in a male-dominated environment must “live in ways that reflect their genuine needs and concerns”, while also explaining how she endures “sexist social and political institutions” and actively resists. ²³ Therefore, Scully’s agency includes: 1) how she interacts with male characters, and 2) how their sexist oppression inhibits her needs and concerns.

Personhood is more complicated to define. In a general and moral sense, it is a term to define an idea of “self” as a whole, independent entity extending beyond a biological basis, including consciousness. ²⁴ This root of understanding states: a person is a person because of their cultural and moral rights. However, in the context of feminism, personhood goes beyond this belief to say a woman is also a person who deserves the same cultural and moral rights as a man. Author Dianna Anderson does best to summarize this concept: “Declaring that women are people means nothing if you don’t have a context for discussing what personhood, bodily autonomy, consent, ownership, and full humanity mean.” ²⁵ It’s important to remember the first-wave of feminism sought to gain “legal and political status”, or personhood, for women in the public. ²⁶ By gaining this legal status, women would be given the same cultural and moral rights as men, being recognized by law as equal individuals and obtaining true personhood. This makes personhood one of the integral goals of feminism. Scully’s personhood is important to her character as she is not defined by a romantic relationship with a man, she has multiple degrees, and a career separate from male counterparts. She is her own independent entity, with bodily autonomy and ownership. However this personhood is subsequently threatened in the second season of the show.

The Original X-Files (1993-2002)

One major plot event that directly inhibits both Scully’s personhood and agency is her implied alien abduction and disappearance. In the 5th episode of season 2, “Duane Barry” (1994), Mulder and Scully are investigating the case of a deranged abductee named Duane Barry who held Mulder hostage in a previous episode. Scully becomes involved when Mulder asks her to examine a metal implant removed from Barry’s body when he was hospitalized. In the end of the episode, Barry finds Scully in her home and kidnaps her while she is leaving a voice message for Mulder. ²⁷

Although she does fight back against her attacker, Barry easily overpowers Scully; binding, gagging, and stuffing her into the trunk of his car. ²⁸ This drastically reduces her screen time in the rest of the episode and ones to follow, and it effectively turns her into a damsel in distress. When interviewed about the decision, writer and director Chris Carter said:

“I remember that the censors were very nervous about us putting Scully in a trunk… you walk this fine line on television trying not to be too graphic and that was one of those images that we fought for and it made the show very scary because you believe that Agent Scully was really in danger in the hands of a psycho…” ²⁹

Now part of this decision was attributed to Anderson’s unexpected pregnancy during the end of season 1 and the beginning of season 2. ³⁰ The writers attempted to hide her growing belly with bulky clothing and long trench coats, and utilized unique camera angles while filming. Her maternity leave also contributed to her lack of appearance for the duration of the season two episode titled “3” (1994). ³¹ Furthermore, her pregnancy was the root inspiration for the abduction as a whole, and shots of her full-term belly were even secretly featured in the episode “Ascension” (1994). ³²

However, although Scully’s abduction provided an element of shock to the series, the fact still remains that it was a direct undercut to her character as several male characters benefited from the ordeal. Her disappearance becomes a catalyst for Mulder’s character arc, providing him many opportunities to face emotions he had been avoiding, and to confront fears he needed to confront. The Cigarette Smoking Man, who viewers learn in later seasons had a huge part in this event, was able to further his scientific efforts. The gain which the male characters make from Scully’s suffering is blatantly sexist.

After being stuffed in the trunk, Scully is then reduced to a passive character as Barry takes her up to Skyland Mountain. During her capture, audiences see her as bound and gagged, locked in the trunk of his car, and she does not have any dialogue. When Barry is stopped by police on Route 229 in Rixeyville, Virginia, she does try to alert the cop. But this futile attempt results in the cop’s death, and Barry opening the trunk long enough for her to be captured by the police car dash cam. This gives the viewers, and more importantly Mulder, one last image of her ragged appearance and gagged mouth before she is shut away again. ³³ This effectively removes her personhood as she is reduced to merely a device designed to move the plot.

In the following episode, “Ascension” (1994), audiences observe Scully as, in a series of fragmented clips, she navigates a strange and surreal cognitive dissonance caused by her coma. She experiences flashbacks from the abduction, revealing to viewers the horrific experiments done to her including: the surgical implantation of a microchip, the inflation of her stomach through her naval, and other implied surgical “tests” involving drills and the like. ³⁴ While for most of these tests she is depicted as unconscious or sedated, in a series of flashbacks in later episodes she is awake for some of the surgery. This is an invasion of bodily autonomy, and a violation of the fundamentals of personhood as she is experimented on without her consent.

In season 2 episode 8, “One Breath” (1994), Scully miraculously appears in a Washington, D.C. hospital unconscious and in critical condition. In this episode she comes to only to tell Mulder she does not remember anything about her abduction. However, audiences learn she has been grafted with alien DNA in the hopes of breeding something “inhuman”. ³⁵

In fragmented flashbacks over the course of the next nine seasons, Scully slowly remembers bits and pieces of her abduction experience, including that those who operated on her, including Dr. Shiro Zama (season 3 episode 9, part II, “731”, 1995), were men. This effectively proves that everyone directly responsible for Scully’s abduction, impregnation, violation of autonomy, personhood, and agency were male characters. It is also noteworthy that the writers and directors of almost all of the episodes mentioned within this article are men (excluding “Aubrey”, 1995, “All Things”, 2000, and “My Struggle II”, 2016). In fact, as of 2018, merely nine of the 208 episodes were written by female writers, while only two were directed by female directors. ³⁶ Furthermore, Anderson herself is one of these two, having written and directed the 17th episode in season 7 titled “All Things”, which aired in April 9, 2000. ³⁷

Viewers learn in season 4 episode 14, “Momento Mori” (1997), that Scully has inoperable cancer, possibly due to the removal of her implant as result of her abduction. ³⁸ Then, in season 5 episode 7, “Emily” (1997), it’s revealed she mothered a daughter during her abduction. ³⁹ This makes two children Scully has conceived but has not raised due to circumstances beyond her control; the other of course being her son William, renamed Jackson Van De Kamp after she gives him up for adoption in season 9 episode 16, “William” (2002). ⁴⁰ Finally, as a result of her abduction and experimentation, Scully is pronounced infertile in season 8 episode 13, “Per Manum” (2001), when Mulder reveals her ovum had been stolen from her and stored in a government facility. ⁴¹ By stealing her reproductive organs, the writers harm Scully’s personhood even more so, and by withholding this information Mulder is just as guilty of patriarchal suppression as the other male characters.

The X-Files Reboot (2016-2018)

The 2016 series reboot promised many things, including answers to questions fans were left with when the original series ended in 2002. However, despite airing during the fourth wave, the pattern of Scully’s repeated violation and abuse carried over to the new seasons. In 2016, season 10 begins with the episode “My Struggle”, which opens a new loop of events in the timeline after the final two-part episode “The Truth” from season 9. In “My Struggle”, Scully discovers further tampering with her DNA, which begins her quest for the truth. ⁴² The last episode of season 10, “My Struggle II” (2016), and the first episode of season 11, “My Struggle III” (2018), both continue to explore this tampering and violation. During this time Scully is admitted to the hospital with debilitating seizures as result, presumably, from the alien DNA and her psychic link to her son, William.

It is also revealed in “My Struggle III” that The Cigarette Smoking Man was responsible for “impregnating her with science” ⁴³, or, in other more appropriate words, raping her. This, again, violates her bodily autonomy, agency, and personhood. By calling what The Cigarette Smoking Man did to Scully an “impregnation with science”, Chris Carter, who wrote and directed “My Struggle III”, tried to dodge these accusations of rape, yet this was not a satisfactory response as critics and feminists globally rejected his claims. Jennifer Still, writer for Decider.com, had plenty to say on the matter:

It’s disheartening to realize we haven’t evolved in our ability to allow our strong female characters to exist without having to falsely validate that existence by repeatedly subjecting them to abject horrors in a misguided attempt to prove their mettle by seeing how well they survive. It’s also insulting and downright infuriating to realize how many male writers still believe in this nonsense. Adversity has the ability to make all of us tougher and more resilient, but strength isn’t dependent on how many tragedies you can crumble at the feet of and still get back up from. Having Scully be “impregnated by science” is code for saying Scully was raped, end of story. ⁴⁴

It’s arguable that her rape, and many other aspects of her abduction experience, helped to progress Scully through a dynamic character arc. Although it is true that, despite these “false validations”, she has prevailed as a strong female character, the evolution of her personality and transformation of her character are evident across the series. It is interesting to see these changes in the seasons from the 1993 original compared to the 2016 reboot, and in conjuncture with the two different waves of feminism.

Throughout the series as a whole, Scully experiences emotional fluxes, and the events previously discussed trigger a turning point for her character arc. For example, she once was a devout Catholic, yet her worldviews and faith evolve over the course of the show, transforming from devotion to doubt. Furthermore, she grapples with grief in the original, but finds peace in the reboot. This evolution can be seen by comparing together episodes such “All Souls” (season 5 episode 17, 1998), “Redux II” (season 5 episode 2, 1997), and “My Struggle IV” (season 11 episode 10, 2018).

In the original episode, “All Souls”, Scully is helping Father McCue with a case involving Dara Kernoff, a paraplegic girl. ⁴⁵ Throughout the episode, Scully experiences visions of her daughter, Emily, who she lost in season 5. “All Souls” not only explores Scully’s religious beliefs, but also her battle with grief and the loss of her daughter. The episode includes her Confession to an unnamed Priest, where she admits: “An innocent girl is dead because of me. I could’ve saved her life, but I let her die.” ⁴⁶ In this context, Scully is referring to Roberta, but metaphorically she is speaking about Emily. She is clearly filled with a grief she struggles to process, which could also stem from losing William. However this line from 1998 Scully is a stark contrast to the 2016 Scully audiences see in “My Struggle VI”.

Then, in the episode “Redux II”, Scully is hospitalized as her cancer progresses, and she is forced to face mortality, her fear of death, and her doubts concerning her faith. ⁴⁷ When her mother brings in Father McCue to minister to her, Dana tells Mrs. Scully: “I’ve come so far in my life on simple faith, and now when I need it the most I just push it away. I mean, why … I will subject myself to these crazy treatments, and I keep telling myself that I’m doing everything I can, but it’s a lie!” ⁴⁸ Not only does this showcase her wavering faith, this scene clearly highlights Scully’s fear of death.

A significant event that takes place in the episode “My Struggle VI” is when Scully and Mulder learn that Mulder is not William’s biological father, the Cigarette Smoking Man is. ⁴⁹ Mulder struggles to accept this revelation. Yet at the end of the episode, Scully tells him: “William was an experiment, Mulder. He was an idea. Born in a laboratory. I carried him, I bore him, but I was never a mother to him, I wasn’t.” ⁵⁰ Until this moment Scully had been grappling with both William and Emily, but this line seems to prove to audiences that she has come to terms with her losses and is choosing to make peace with herself. This evolution of her spirituality, and the more open acceptance towards the paranormal makes her a stronger partner for Mulder, but it creates a cognitive dissonance within her character as she struggles with who she was raised to be, and the woman she has become. 1993 Scully is a victim, but 2016 Scully is a rape and abuse survivor. She has come to terms with what happened to her, and she has confronted her demons.

Other Cases of Sexism throughout the Show

With the information already provided, it’s safe to claim that The X-Files consists of a repeating pattern of violence against female characters. In her article, “Scully, the Victim The Legacy of Gendered Violence on The X-Files”, Sadie Graham paints a controversial picture of Scully’s character, and the rest of the female cast on The X-Files, saying:

At its core, The X-Files has always been about structural violence, trauma, and violence against women… In The X-Files, an alien-government consortium is responsible for abducting an untold number of people, but the show particularly focuses on women who have been abducted… The X-Files has always explored the invasion of women’s bodies. ⁵¹

This bodily invasion is perverted and unnecessary, but seems to be a main focal point for a majority of the episodes. A good example of this, other than Scully’s abduction, can be found in the 11th episode of season 2 titled “Excelsis Dei” (1994). This episode explores a supposed haunted elderly care home. It opens with a nurse named Michelle Charters (Teryl Rothery) tending to 74-year-old patient, Hal Arden (David Fresco), who sexually harasses her. It then follows her as she becomes locked in an empty room and violently abused by an invisible entity. She later claims she was raped, displaying the wounds to supposedly prove so, but lacking DNA as substantial evidence. ⁵²

Scully is the one interested in the case, and throughout the episode her investigation is continually impeded by the male characters. Hal, when accused of the harassment, tells Mulder and Scully: “It was harmless, for crying out loud. Ever since this *sex harassment* fad, men can’t say what’s on their minds.” ⁵³ Even Mulder, who typically would be the first to assume poltergeist, believes Charters is staging the crime, telling Scully: “I think Michelle Charters concocted this story to get out of a job she hates.” ⁵⁴ It’s only because of Scully’s insistence to do so that they further the investigation, but the case shifts its focus from Carters’ rape to the elderly care’s mysterious medical treatment, as if trying to avoid confronting the true crime of violating another female character’s body. The episode’s open-ended conclusion is hardly satisfactory, and leaves viewers questioning whether or not Charters received justice for the crimes against her.

Dana Scully and Michelle Charters are only two of a long list of female victims featured in The X-Files. Further examples include Detective B. J. Morrow, who was psychologically tortured, and Linda Thibedeaux, who was raped, both by the same man (season 2 episode 12 “Aubrey”, 1995) ⁵⁵. Amanda Nelligan who was raped by a male shapeshifter (season 4 episode 20 “Small Potatoes”, 1997) ⁵⁶. Shaineh Berkowitz who was mysteriously impregnated (season 5 episode 5 “The Post-Modern Prometheus”, 1997) ⁵⁷. Countless other women, including Lottie Holloway, Betsy Hagopian, and Penny Northern, who were members of MUFON, were experimented on by the Syndicate (season 3 episode 9 “Nisei”, 1995) ⁵⁸. These are only a few examples of the many female characters, some of whom did not even receive names, The X-Files has victimized through violence and patriarchal oppression.

Agent Dana Scully is not only an inspiring female character but also an envoy for both third and fourth wave feminism. She regularly challenges misogynistic stereotypes, and provided female STEM representation on T.V. in a time when such representation was unheard of. Her existence is paradoxical as she suffers the same sexism and oppression as any other woman in the 1990s. Even in the 2016 reboot she is portrayed as a victim of rape and a product of her circumstances, effectively removing her personhood and agency as a result of her abduction. While her rape acts as a catalyst for her character arc, viewers can see her come to peace with her grief over Emily and William, as well as grapple with her skepticism for both the paranormal and her faith in God. However, she is not in control of her narrative; she is a passive character responding to the violence and personal attacks from outside entities, such as The Cigarette Smoking Man. This directly threatens her personhood, agency, and bodily autonomy, violating her consent. Although a harrowing character who bravely led young girls and women from the third wave of feminism into the fourth wave, she is also a victim of crimes for which the male characters, and subsequently the male writers, apparently will not be held accountable for.

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