The X-Files
Understanding the shared knowledge base and personal preferences that draw people to follow the X-Files television program and participate in the message board requires an analysis of the program’s arrangement and characters. X-Files programs usually contain concurrent narratives wherein the two main characters, FBI agents Dana Scully and Fox Mulder, are depicted having experiences both as individuals and as a pair. As investigators, they explore a miscellaneous smorgasbord of events or occurrences that appear to be unusual or have one or more extraordinary element about them. It is because of these unusual elements that the cases they are assigned defy standard practices of categorization, hence their label as “X” files. Virtually all of their screen appearances as a duo are related to their acts of investigating these cases, while their scenes as individuals vary between investigation and personal modes.
Reality formation is a constant thread throughout almost every aspect of the program. While Scully is a trained scientist and medical doctor, Mulder relies more heavily on his intuition and personal experiences to guide his actions. It is because of Mulder’s trust in perception and subjective evidence that Scully has been assigned as his partner - to serve as an analytical foil and debunk his conclusions. Mulder’s office is decorated with posters that tout slogans like “I want to believe” and “The truth is out there”. Scully has no posters of her own, which may be indicative of her science-based background that assumes that there is one truth or reality, and serious hard proof is necessary to amend any theory of what that reality is.
Central to this conflict of viewpoints is the struggle other characters encounter as they deal with case developments and investigations. Walter Skinner, the agents’ immediate supervisor, is often put in the role of stopping an investigation, due to orders from his superiors, most often in the context that the inquiry is proceeding toward the exposure of evidence which may prove damaging for various government officials or projects. Another character, who is usually held nameless, appears in different episodes as informant to Mulder, supplying him with tips and evidence which Mulder always follows up on, even though he knows from previous experiences with this character that the tips may or may not be true.
The “Cancer Man” is another character, one with intentions that are usually sinister and actions that are deeply manipulative and suspect. The juxtaposition of these three roles with those of Mulder and Scully contributes to the continuous redefinition of the reality paradigm in the show. Although the defining trait of investigation is to expose events as they actually occurred, Skinner is put in the paradoxical positions of giving support for this exposure at one moment, and then having to halt the process (often with a thinly veiled explanation or none at all) in the next moment. Mulder’s informant is nameless and his role kept purposely vague - if the audience does not know him, they cannot speculate on his motivations, thus keeping the receipt of his information ambiguous.
The “Cancer Man” (also sometimes called “The Smoking Man”) is so-named because of his penchant for chain-smoking. He is depicted as being a highly placed, powerful official whose illicit activities force him to keep a low profile. Although he has known the Mulder family since before Fox was born, the relationship is one that is unclear, and only revealed in small clips, sparsely spread over many episodes. The choices made by the Cancer Man are often made for reasons known only to him, and though hints are given and references made, they are never overtly spelled out in the plot or dialogue, and the viewer must construct their own interpretation.
The intertextual shift that occurs among these characters, as well as Mulder and Scully, mark the context of the show with a degree of uncertainty, where what is true and real can change at any moment. This dynamic characteristic is evident in another of the show’s supporting slogans, “Trust No One” and Fox’s much-repeated line of script, “Define normal.” Due to the constant questioning of reality, the characters sometimes appear paranoid when they do not accept events at face value, but instead investigate the surrounding circumstances, often going to great lengths to do so. It is identification with this perspective that draws viewers to the show, and indeed the purpose statement of the message board asserts that it is intended as a forum for “discussion of the paranormal” - a declaration that informs the idea that its participants have a vision of reality that for them extends well beyond the physical world.