For some, "sex" and "St. Scully" is an oxymoron.

As the Sainted One herself declared--she doesn't go out much. Our girl, it would seem, is more than a bit rusty on the dating circuit, let alone the baseball diamond of human sexual behavior. But what exactly does The Blessed One's lack of social intercourse (outside of the office and her immediate family) and her apparent lack of sexual inter...uh...action mean? What does it say about her character? What does it say about her priorities? And, perhaps more interestingly, what does it say about US???

The truth is, we know very little about Scully's sexual experience or preferences. It appears that she is heterosexual; she has dated (Rob/Ed J/PromNight story/Mystery Movie Date referred to in Never Again); and she has been involved in at least one longer-term relationship (Jack Willis).

Well, that's a hell of a lot to go on, isn't it?

The rest, of course, we've had to fill in as we go, from the background she has been given, to general comments the character has made, to what other's have said about her.

Her background, of course, is a conservative one (Catholic parents/military father). From that, and from Scully's apparent long-term lack of a sexual relationship, some conclude that St. Scully is "repressed" and leave it at that. (I am still constantly amazed at the number of fan fictions written that suggest that the Blessed One is "frigid.") I disagree. I take a more moderate view of St. Scully's sexuality:

1. Scully Is Not Repressed. Conservative, yes, but not repressed. In general, I have never thought of her as a bar-hopper or one to engage *routinely* in one-night-stands. But just because St. Scully doesn't "walk on the wild side" of life for the most part, doesn't mean that she doesn't desire or enjoy sex (or have her moments of untamed behavior); it just means that, in general, I think she'd prefer to get to know someone intellectually before she knows them physically, which leads to my next point...

2. Scully Is Attracted More to the Intellectual than the Physical. Now this doesn't mean that the Blessed One is blind. She can recognize a cute ass when she sees one just like any other female ;) Heck, she even told her friend Ellen that Fox Mulder was "cute." What I mean here is that, given Scully's intelligence, I think she is drawn more toward the intellect; men who will focus on her as an individual and that will willingly listen to her and communicate with her. I would argue that Mulder is intellectual, and that appeals to her. But does he listen? REALLY listen? Does he focus on her? Can he read between the lines of "Why don't I have a desk?" and "I'm fine" to get her to open up? No, not really. Did Ed Jerse? Yes. Did Eddie Van Blundht? Yes. Again, that doesn't mean that she doesn't enjoy the physical aspects of a relationship, she just puts more stock in the intellectual/communication aspect.

3. Scully's Lifestyle Has Forcibly Limited Her Choices. Face it, Scully's priorities at this point in her life appear to be The X-Files and Fox Mulder. Because of this, her opportunities for relationships, including sexual ones, are limited. Now whether these choices are choices she has made herself or choices others have made for her and that have subsequently consumed her is really a good part of what St. Scully is trying to figure out in "Never Again" (and potentially another essay topic). It's one reason I enjoyed the episode so much. Finally, having said all this, I believe that...

4. SCULLY IS HUMAN (well...you know what I mean...). St. Scully is such a wonderful character with so many admirable qualities that sometimes, I think we don't give the character the luxury to act outside of her own bounds or the norms that we have mentally set for her. (Even the OBSSE has contributed to this mind set, albeit in a tongue-in-cheek fashion.) As much as we would like her to be, St. Scully is not perfect, not untainted, not unattainable. She has human needs, wishes and desires--including sexual ones. That is what "Never Again" was about to me--an exploration of those feelings, concerns, regrets that St. Scully rarely voices, ("Sometimes I wish I was that impulsive..."), that she buries or masks ("Why don't I have a desk?"), but that she nonetheless possesses and must deal with to move on ("Mulder, this is my life.")

In the end, I believe that our reaction to "Never Again" really has more to do with our own personal sexual mores and limits than it does with the character of St. Scully, who I believe on a sexual front is perhaps more normal than some of us would care to admit. As much as the episode can be viewed as St. Scully's taking stock of her life, it's also an opportunity to take stock of our own.

The X-Files has offered the viewers a chance to become intimately involved with its two main characters and the trials they've endured. Yet by the show's very nature, we rarely get a peek into their personal lives. We know they are both attractive agents who work in close proximity and are each other's most trusted companion, but their intimacy is not of a sexual nature due to the pressures and limitations of their work. Sexual tension is often palpable but so far unresolved. We've had a few hints dropped regarding past relationships for both agents and possible sexual predilections for Mulder but the airing of the episode "Never Again" brings Scully's sexuality under scrutiny.

I view Special Agent Scully (the professional) and Dana (the woman with a sexual component) as nearly separate beings. I've always felt that she's written this way. On the other hand, I think the character of Dana Scully perceives the components of her personality as too tightly linked to separate, making it impossible for her to let down her guard and take time out for herself. This is both respectable and tragic. My impression of Scully, gleaned from the episodes "Beyond The Sea" and "Soft Light", is of a woman who felt the need to work very hard in earning the respect of her family and co-workers and has driven herself above and beyond the call of duty in that endeavor. She's succeeded but still feels compelled to do more than her share for her own sake as well as the victims she has sworn to protect. Because of her sense of responsibility, she puts her personal life on the backburner which has lead to an empty social calendar, especially since she joined the X-Files division. But the fact that Scully may not be sexually active doesn't mean she is repressed. She can still be a sexual creature and others can look at Dana Scully and perceive that woman. I've always believed Scully has a healthy life outside of what we see on the show which probably includes mixing and mingling with the opposite sex. I picture her conversing and flirting at the gym with attentive men who appreciate her for her wit and beauty. This may be the most that Scully is willing to pursue at this point since she's not the type to rush into something knowing she can't dedicate herself to a healthy and fulfilling relationship. She also has enough self-esteem and self-worth to avoid the mistake of thinking she needs a man to make herself complete.

So what happened in "Never Again"? My take on the date gone wrong is that Special Agent Scully decided to take the night off and be Dana. From the teaser, it is clear that Scully was a bit tired and frustrated with the grind of the X-Files cases. Having Mulder wander into the office the next day and begin ordering her around was the icing on the cake. When I heard Mulder telling her that the X-Files were his cases, that he's worked his ass off for them, and that she was just assigned, it made me cringe. I wanted to take that casefile out of his hand and thwack him over the head with it. Since signing on as Mulder's partner, Scully has worked her ass off and sacrificed greatly. She's not just some lackey to be sent off to do gruntwork. She's his partner and you'd think after four years, he would be a bit more perceptive and could afford her a bit more respect. As he heads off to get his own brand of religion, Scully leaves to work on the case as ordered. By the time Mulder calls to check in on her, her level of frustration has jumped exponentially and I can understand how it might have hit the breaking point. I don't see her actions as being a rebellion against Mulder...more of a rebellion against what her life has become while she was looking the other way. Mulder's insensitivity was simply the straw that broke the camel's back. She didn't choose a dangerous, rebellious path; rather, she choose to go on a date with a man who seemed pleasant and friendly and showed some real interest in her as a person. Here was a man who saw her as Dana and in whom she recognized a fellow human in pain who might appreciate the chance to listen and be listened to without past histories and judgments on the table. The only problem was that this otherwise kind, loving, family man was under the influence of a drug that found its way into his system without his knowledge. She didn't choose to spend the evening with a wacko but, with this misjudgment, she lost her control over the situation.

Although we've rarely seen Scully interacting intimately with men, I don't think the incident was outside the character we know. She's only human and along with humanity comes human weakness. The incidents in "Never Again" didn't make me feel as though I was watching a different character. It was the Scully I've known for four years but it seemed she was coming into better focus. Finding flaws or weaknesses in a character are necessary to complete the portrait. We've seen Scully's determination. We know her views on justice and the predators she hunts and seeks to prosecute. We've seen her deep, abiding love and trust in her parents. What we haven't seen is a character who takes time away from work in an effort to relax and renew her relationship with the outside world. Scully is not the same woman we met in Season One. Both partners have weathered years of loss and sacrifice courtesy of their quest for The Truth. I think Scully deserved a break and it's just unfortunate that her misjudgment nearly cost her the life she is in such need of revamping.

Although I understand the premise of The X-Files and the need to stay focused on the cases themselves, I still feel there is room for improvement with regard to the agents' personal lives. I would hate to see shows that focused simply on their day to day activities, as much as I'm curious. In a similar vein, I don't want the show to become more of a soap opera than it is now, no matter how non-mainstream it may be. But I'm sure the writers could find ways to drop hints about the habits and sexuality of the characters without making it an annoying focus. If it's convenient to throw a bone to the viewers with all the in-jokes, porn references, and self-promotion, then it would seem a bit of character background every now and again isn't beyond the realm of possibility. Scully could call Mulder about a case and find him at a pick-up game of basketball instead of in his basement office. Mulder might ring Scully and we'd find her digging her cell phone out of her gym bag at her aerobics class. Or one of them could interrupt the other during a date (it's been done once but what the heck). It might seem gratuitous but on the other hand it seems more realistic than expecting us to believe that these characters are dedicated 100% to their jobs and still mentally healthy and functioning people. If we had seen more signs of Scully's sexuality before "Never Again", it might not have come as a shock when she accepted an invitation for a dinner date. She herself admits that she doesn't do this much. Why the heck not!? She's a smart, beautiful woman and it's an X-File in itself that she's not in a healthy relationship. Of course, this brings me back to my earlier analysis of the character. She probably finds it hard to rationalize an evening out when there are mutants to track, myths to lay to rest, and murderers to bring to justice. But if there's one thing Scully really deserves, it's a date with an interesting, attentive, affectionate man who respects her as much as we do. The tryst is out there.

"N-N-No, M-M-M-Mulder. I ca-can't turn my v-v-v-v-v-vibrator off."

But seriously, folks...

For the sake of argument, we are going to agree on:

#1 Scully is Catholic.
#2 Scully has been and always will be Daddy's girl.
#3 Sully has always been the serious one. The one family and friends can rely on.

Prior to Never Again, Scully stayed the good girl. By training, she is aware of her own sexuality and takes care of it when need be. I'm sure she's had her share of Close Encounters of the Sexual Kind, but she seems to have Daddy whispering in the back of her head, 'Not my little girl.'.

She has this underlying emphasis on the 'Right Thing' . To say and do the Right Thing in her approaches to people and situations. Both personally and professionally. Scully is the Moral Background that anchors Mulder to the ground. She would never dream of breaking in to any goverment installation to uncover secret documents.

She is very rigidly controlled. It's almost like she's afraid of herself and her feelings. Besides the separation anxiety of Daddy's always being gone, there seems to be the alienation of moving from place to place. Of always being the outsider looking in on the other kids on the playground. Again, afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing and so desperately trying to fit in. Submersing herself in books and studies so she doesn't have to feel alone. Waiting for Daddy to come home and the other children to finally accept the New Kid.

So. Here we have this lonely kid that is now a lonely adult. Afraid of nothing except close relationships. (Like Mulder, but that's another story.) From her education, she knows how dangerous one-night-stands are. And you'd think that with all of her experience with the X-Files, she'd be doubly cautious.

However, there comes a time in everyone's life when they must examine where they've been, where they're going and who they really are. To compare the 'Then' and 'Now's' of their own life and wonder at their own mortality. Sometimes it takes a death of a close friend, shaking hands with the Grim Reaper yourself or a date with Leonard Betts.

Now that I've rambled on, I'll come to the point. (FINALLY!!)

I think Scully uses vibrators and/or dildoes, but she usually feels guilty about it. Her Objective Physician's side doesn't have a problem with it, but her Subjective side does. She wouldn't carry it with her, but only use it at home late at night. Either that or she has one of those detachable shower heads with pulsating spray. Or both.

In Never Again, we see a little Scully rebellion. And, no. I don't think it's out of character. She wants to experience life and stop existing in it. She wants to have a strong man hold her and tell her it's alright to be afraid. It's o-kay to cry. Not that Scully wants to be dominated or suffocated, but that she needs reassurance that she IS doing the Right Thing. That she's a Good Girl. And it's o-kay to be normal and have feelings.

The Tattoo is another way of kicking up her heels. Now that Daddy's gone and Mulder is on vacation, let's do something Naughty! As for the choice of bodily decoration, heh, heh, heh. Well, it IS a nod towards Millennium, but it also typifies Scully's feelings. Of always going in circles. A neverending cycle of latching on to a strong male and/or authority figure and then waking up and rebelling against it. Of trying to break away from the self-control that has always governed her, only to come back to it.

I don't think Scully is used to being listened to. (Nice girls don't argue with Men.) She appears to always play the passive role in work and home. Only recently has she come out of her shell and gained the confidence that she's always had, but was afraid to use. (Nice girls are demure.)

Scully is speaking up and growing up. (Why don't I have a desk?) She is coming to terms with her mortality and realizing that she's 33 years old. She has no children (Home) or even the hope of having them now (Momento Mori). The only man in her life is Mulder and he ditches her on a regular basis.

(Side note: In the Mulder/Scully Universe that WE see. We don't see the boring assignments where he actually tells her what's going on and where he is. Those episodes are about 15 minutes long. ;-))

In Never Again, she meets an attractive man who LISTENS to her. That LIKES her. Wow! Maybe, just maybe this might work. To have a man that isn't intimidated or feel threatened by her title and education. One that might actually be there for her. Now is the time when she realizes what she's been missing. And the prospects are looking pretty good. Until his Tattoo acts up.

To answer Loligo's Questions:
No. Scully's sexuality doesn't offend me. I regard it as a natural progression for her. It's a normal reaction given her background and circumstances that she's lived with. I'm just amazed that it took her this long.

What I would like to see:
Scully speaking up more often.
Scully being right more often.
Scully going out with the some college friends.
Scully going out with a guy who doesn't turn out to be an X-File.

And on a personal note:
This is the episode that made me realize that Scully is indeed a Saint. She is a Saint for the '90's. A strong professional woman who is coming into her own. To put up with Mulder's B.S. (Bogus Stuff) for 4 years and to live a solitary exsistence is, well, it just ain't natural.

A Saint that can go to PA, get drunk, get a Millennium tattoo is MY kind of Saint.
A Saint that can see the lack in her life, and try to gain it, is MY kind of Saint.
A Saint that is practical, kind, sympathetic, and CAN SPEAK UP FOR HERSELF, is MY kind of Saint.