Season 4, Episode 13, “Never Again,” remains one of the most controversial episodes of The X-Files for many reasons. Scully’s night of breaking bad starts with a crummy bar, migrates to getting a tattoo, and ends with her seemingly sleeping with Ed Jerse, who is, by all accounts, a total stranger. Yet, the standout scene involves the episode’s final moments. Scully and Mulder’s first “it’s not about the case” fight ends with them sitting across from each other in total silence. It’s not often we see them so at odds, and if you ask me, Mulder’s jealousy is a big part of that.
“Not everything is about you, Mulder.”
That’s, of course, what Scully replies when Mulder asks if her rebellious escapade was because he didn’t get her a desk. But, sorry, sis. You’re not fooling me with that line—at least not entirely. Knowing “Never Again” originally came before “Leonard Betts” means this isn’t a woman acting recklessly because she fears a cancer diagnosis. This is a woman feeling stagnant and confused about her partnership, and to understand Scully and Mulder’s closing fight requires context.
‘Never Again’ Is Filled With Symbolism
The episode starts with Scully lamenting about taking “two steps forward and three steps back” professionally and “standing still” personally. Here, she seems to wonder how equal her and Mulder’s partnership is. After all, it’s Mulder’s nameplate on the desk, Mulder’s things on the walls, and Mulder’s work, which he reminds her of with the “You were just assigned” remark. At some point, her desires and agency took a backseat to Mulder’s mission—a mission he somehow still doubts her commitment to. (Hey, dummy, her sister got murdered for this, remember?)
That’s where the desk comment comes in. Scully isn’t really asking for a desk. She’s asking why there isn’t space for her in Mulder’s life. The question stumps Mulder, who genuinely doesn’t seem to see a problem. “I always assumed that was your area,” he replies, pointing to some faraway corner of the office. It’s almost as if he is fumbling for an answer. That if he spoke the truth, it would be more like, “Why do you need your own desk when we share this one?”
And that’s the crux of this fight. Mulder views Scully as an extension of himself, not always her own person. (He gets better in later seasons, I swear.) In contrast, Scully feels consumed by Mulder but can’t seem to create a boundary. Even though she initially “refuses” the Pudovkin assignment, she ends up working it anyway while Mulder is on vacation. Do you hear that? It’s the deafening sound of co-dependency, and the whole point of “Never Again.” Scully and Mulder have such an intense, all-consuming relationship that they can’t tell where one of them starts and the other ends—professionally and personally.
So, what does Scully do? She rebels against her rigidity. The bar, the tattoo, and the ambiguous one-night stand all seem so wild. This is Special Agent Dana Scully we’re talking about. It’s shocking, but it’s supposed to be. Some fans claim it’s out of character. However, I argue it makes her seem real. People are flawed, and so is Scully, no matter how many degrees and accolades she has.
Scully’s need for Mulder to see, hear, and maybe even desire her leads to another man, who, ironically, is a rampant misogynist. (As Mulder also reveals in the last scene, it’s not ergot to blame for that vicious voice in Jerse’s head. It’s his own hatred of women.) Jerse sees Scully as a “cheap redhead,” the polar opposite of how Mulder views her. Sure, we know Mulder finds Scully attractive. He canonically implies she’s “hot” in Season 1, Episode 17, “E.B.E.” Still, she remains his partner first, woman second. Although sometimes, in situations like these, the lines get blurred.
Mulder and Scully’s ‘Never Again’ Fight Stems From Jealousy
When we hit that final scene, Scully arrives at the office alone. She’s back where she started, only now bruised and battered. Then, Mulder enters with a barrage of cold and cutting remarks about her run-in with Jerse. It’s not a good look, but we’ve seen glimpses of this side of him before, and we will see it again in episodes like “En Ami.” Mulder is angry that Scully put herself in danger. However, it’s clearly jealousy that has him forgoing concern for cruelty in this case.
In true X-Files fashion, no one says the word out loud, but it’s whispered. Mulder’s earlier annoyance at Scully having a date and his anxious wait by the phone all point to complicated feelings. Plus, David Duchovny plays Mulder like he could blurt out, “Why him and not me?” at any second. Scully doesn’t give him any answers, though. She is quiet and faraway. When Mulder realizes he’s taken the jabs too far, he tries to switch gears to a potential X-File. Even still, he can’t let it go.
“All this because I didn’t get you a desk?” he asks, leading us back to Scully’s remark that I mentioned earlier, “Not everything is about you, Mulder. This is my life.” In some ways, she’s right. Her mission was to rediscover herself, only to realize this version of herself is Mulder and the X-Files. Is it feminist messaging? Not exactly. However, what’s important here is Mulder’s response… or lack thereof.
“Yes, but it’s…”
Become mine. We know that’s how Mulder’s sentence ends. The “Never Again” script confirms it. However, he can’t bring himself to finish the thought, and Scully hits him with this intense stare that proves how powerful an actress Gillian Anderson is. Say it, her gaze seems to challenge. When he doesn’t, she looks… disappointed? Numb? Maybe even a little sad? And that’s how the episode leaves us, with Mulder and Scully sitting across from each other in silence as the camera pans out.
The heaviness of their realization hangs between them: They’re completely entangled. For the first time, they seem to acknowledge how complex their relationship is. They aren’t just partners, nor are they just friends. There’s this more profound, almost indescribable, bond between them. His life is her life. Just like her life is his. If anything, it foreshadows their eventual romance because these feelings are DEEP.
Funny enough, it’s Mulder who finds answers in “Never Again,” not Scully. He never wants to see her hurt, so for him to realize he’s doing the hurting is a wake-up call. That’s why he stumbles over his words, and why they sit in silence. The episode might end on a prickly note, but that’s what I love about The X-Files. Scully and Mulder are about action, not words. Mulder becomes more attentive and considerate. Also, more fearful. The possibility of Scully choosing to walk away terrifies him, but that’s a topic for another day.
“Never Again” might show Mulder at his worst, yet it also results in slow but lasting change. For that reason, it’s one of The X-Files‘ most important episodes. With so much inferred rather than said, it’s certainly open to interpretation. If you ask me, though, Scully is lying when she says, “Not everything is about you, Mulder.” Whether it’s because she knows her feelings for Mulder aren’t professional or because she hasn’t quite figured them out is up for debate, but it doesn’t really matter. Of course, everything is about Mulder here. How could it not be when the whole point of “Never Again” is their entanglement?
First Featured Image Credit: ©20th Century Fox