Squeeze
| The X-Files episode | |
|---|---|
| “Squeeze” | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 2 |
| Writer(s) | |
| Director | |
| Production no. | |
| Original airdate | |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| ""Deep Throat"" | ""Conduit"" |
Squeeze is the third episode of The X-Files (the second regular episode, not counting the pilot), and the first episode which deals with non-alien phenomena. The story focuses on a series of unexplained murders.
There are a few gender and characterization issues.
One comment in particular sticks out: Scully is lunching with a classmate from "the Academy", Tom --. They discuss a colleague's rapid promotion, and Tom asks for Scully's advice about a case that he hopes will bring him similar glory and rapid promotion. If it works out, Tom suggests, "maybe [she] won't have to be Mrs. Spooky any more." This comment, referencing Scully by Mulder's nickname "Spooky", implicitly frames Scully as Mulder's subordinate in their team. It suggests that Tom and perhaps other FBI agents see Scully's relationship to Mulder that way. Scully's reaction -- a discomfort -- is framed, a subtle rebuttal to the statement.
Her unease is repeated several times more, as the team works with Tom and his team. On several occasions, team members patronize or dismiss Mulder; in one instance, Mulder straight-facedly talks about grey Reticulans. In each instance, Scully's portrayed discomfort suggests a mixture of emotions: At first it is unclear whether she is herself embarrassed by her assignment, but over the course of the episode, irritation becomes more obvious: Irritation at being considered subordinate to Mulder or less serious -- tainted, maybe -- by her association with Mulder. One likes to think that perhaps Scully is also irritated by Tom's presumption in trying to "rescue" her, when she has herself seen and respected the work she and Mulder are doing together.
It's also nice to see Scully getting respect from both Mulder and her former classmate and his partners, for her own skill in profiling and ideas. Mulder frankly acknowledges, with perhaps a bit of surprise, that "You were right", in her profile suggesting that the killer would return to the scene of the crime.