I really think the only basis for any real XF/Fringe comparisons is that they are both SF procedurals. That they both aired on FOX adds to it a bit, but honestly, aside from "people investigating strange things," Supernatural is as much a show that owes a debt to XF as Fringe is. Hell, in some respects, even something like Angel, too.
Scully did have a great character arc, but it was inconsistent in how it was portrayed. I mean, as much as I love the MOTWs, they often used the stock M&S characters, you know? A lot of the straightforward MOTWs, the Mulder and Scully investigating them in S2 weren't hugely different from the Mulder and Scully investigating them in S7, at least on a basic character level. In more personal episodes or in mytharc episodes, absolutely Scully was demonstrably a different character. But a lot of later eps, pre-Doggett (where everything went topsy-turvy and I'd rather just not talk about it), many many Act Ones still relied on Mulder going "it might be this crazy thing!" and Scully going "but science!"
Totally agree with you on the differences between XF and Fringe's mytharcs. Part of it is just the difference in when the shows aired. I remember the early 90s as being really super into conspiracies and all that, so a show where the protagonists were in the dark railing against unseen yet hugely powerful forces really tapped into that. But I think some of it is just that TV is far more serialized these days. I mean, XF mytharcs were usually only the season premieres and finales, and a two-parter during February sweeps. They weren't a long consistent storyline the way Fringe does. I definitely have way more respect for what Fringe is able to pull off, and especially the way the writers drop little mytharc tidbits into other seemingly MOTW episodes.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2011-10-14 06:31 pm (UTC)Scully did have a great character arc, but it was inconsistent in how it was portrayed. I mean, as much as I love the MOTWs, they often used the stock M&S characters, you know? A lot of the straightforward MOTWs, the Mulder and Scully investigating them in S2 weren't hugely different from the Mulder and Scully investigating them in S7, at least on a basic character level. In more personal episodes or in mytharc episodes, absolutely Scully was demonstrably a different character. But a lot of later eps, pre-Doggett (where everything went topsy-turvy and I'd rather just not talk about it), many many Act Ones still relied on Mulder going "it might be this crazy thing!" and Scully going "but science!"
Totally agree with you on the differences between XF and Fringe's mytharcs. Part of it is just the difference in when the shows aired. I remember the early 90s as being really super into conspiracies and all that, so a show where the protagonists were in the dark railing against unseen yet hugely powerful forces really tapped into that. But I think some of it is just that TV is far more serialized these days. I mean, XF mytharcs were usually only the season premieres and finales, and a two-parter during February sweeps. They weren't a long consistent storyline the way Fringe does. I definitely have way more respect for what Fringe is able to pull off, and especially the way the writers drop little mytharc tidbits into other seemingly MOTW episodes.
Wow, talky meat.