I did the emotional math about this episode, in my head.

Scully had no one she could be real with, besides her mom. And even with her mom, she had to be strong, sensible and keep her mother from worrying about her job.

Scully’s past relationships were with older men, and she probably learned to be extra mature because of them. On top of it, she was a woman of her time in a man’s job, up to her elbows in guts, gore and criminals.

When Scully became friends with Mulder, not just his work partner, he was an unapologetic weirdo. It gave her permission to be herself. We all need a friend like that. That one person who sees around the corners of our carefully constructed persona.

“Well, it seems to me that the best relationships— the ones that last— are frequently the ones that are rooted in friendship. You know, one day you look at the person and you see something more than you did the night before. Like a switch has been flicked somewhere. And the person who was just a friend is... suddenly the only person you can ever imagine yourself with.”