Hey guys! So the other day after feeling really beaten down and in the dumps about the XF fans over at XFU, I decided to muster up the courage to actually email Frank Spotnitz and ask him some things about the process that he and the other writers took in creating the relationship between Doggett and Scully. I'll post the direct link to his mail bag post, and I will copy paste my email to him and his response in here Smile
http://biglight.com/blog/inside-dsr/MY E-MAILHi Frank,
On my own web forum my friends and I have been having lots of fun looking back on the great moments that you and other writers (nearly everyone who wrote on seasons 8 and 9) created between Doggett and Scully that helped us to form a connection to the characters and the attraction, both physically and intellectually, that the two of them had/have for each other. I’ve read all of the shooting scripts for season 9 (which are available at the official XF fanclub online) and one of my favorite lines in between dialog that Chris Carter wrote in “Trust No 1″ is this:
“If Mulder’s safety is Doggett’s paramount desire, his desire for Scully is always at war with his honor.”
I know that I’m probably setting myself up for disappointment when I ask, but I’ve always been curious about this question ever since I got attached to the potential Doggett/Scully relationship (or DSR if you prefer)… did you and Chris (and other writers and executives) knowingly inject a touch of UST and desire between these characters in the eigth and ninth seasons of TXF? How much of this unresolved attraction that Doggett had for Scully, come from the writers/directors, and how much of it came from Robert Patrick himself? I’m one of those fans who also saw Scully take notice of Doggett (as a man, rather than just her partner) in the last two seasons too, did Gillian play up any of the UST between her character and Doggett?
Considering that you gave us such great DSR moments in your episodes of the last two seasons (even calling out Doggett’s feelings/love for Scully in “Daemonicus,” making his feelings for her undeniable to anyone paying attention to the story and characterizations), I consider you one of the most significant writers who contributed to a rather long list of subtle moments that happened between the two of these characters that suggested to me that they’d make a great couple together (if Mulder had actually died in season Cool.
Can you give me and other Doggett/Scully fans any inside look at the thought process revolving around creating this attraction that Doggett has for Scully (and possibly she for him)? Why it was done? What attracted Doggett to Scully outside a normal professional manner? How did the actors work with the writers, directors and each other to play out this chemistry and attraction?
To me, one of the most enjoyable parts of the last two season was seeing Doggett and Scully, not only working together on investigations, but to see touches of more than professional familiararity between them, play out through both seasons.
Thank you, again, from myself and other DSR fans, for creating such a beautiful potential romantic relationship between my two favorite characters of The X-Files.
Cassie
Overland Park, KS
FRANK'S RESPONSE:I can’t speak to what Robert and Gillian played under the text, but I can tell you that we spent a lot of time thinking about the nature of Scully’s relationship (romantic or otherwise) with Doggett. From the beginning, we anticipated the audience would miss Mulder and not want to like or accept the Doggett character. We gave full vent to those feelings through Scully (i.e., having her throw water in his face the first time they met). The key to understanding — and coming to love — the Doggett character was in seeing his reaction to her hostility, and to being given the thankless task of “taking Mulder’s place.” Doggett was a decent, honorable man, who always tried to act in accordance with his conscience. I found his situation deeply poignant. He may not have felt any investment in the X-Files assignment, but he clearly came to care for Scully and respect her enormously. He knew her heart was taken by the absent Mulder, so whatever romantic feelings he might have had for her would not be reciprocated. And while she was always perfectly capable of taking of herself, Doggett couldn’t help feeling somewhat protective of her, as a pregnant woman and then as a new mother.
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I think that part that sits the strongest for us DSR fans is this part:
"I can tell you that we spent a lot of time thinking about the nature of Scully’s relationship (
romantic or otherwise) with Doggett."
What he put in parentheses pretty much indicates that they did spend time considering a romantic angle on the pairing. I love Frank Spotnitz (even though I feel he was walking on eggshells in his response so not to completely tick off the shippers).
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