The X-Files loomed large throughout the '90s and early '00s before reviving in for two seasons. It was a major win for sci-fi, with its influence still being felt today β both in the genre and beyond it. The duo became a hot topic for their drawn-out will-they-won't-they dynamic, fueled by underlying sexual tension in storylines and actors Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny's innate chemistry.
Any fan of The X-Files knows the massive hype and anticipation surrounding Scully and Mulder's relationship, regardless of whether they were for or against the once-controversial pairing.
Audiences had to wait seven seasons for a kiss. After their relationship moved into official romantic territory, the next big question on everyone's minds was when they would hook up. While creator Chris Carter was famous for limiting the duo's intimate moments, he still threw them a bone on multiple occasions.
Updated June 20, , by Joshua M. Patton : Debuting in , The X-Files run paralleled the beginning of the Internet age, and the series' fandom carved out a presence early. Audiences through the years-long shipped characters, but the fans who yearned for Mulder and Scully to hook up pioneered the phenomenon in the digital age. From lamenting the missed opportunities and obstacles put in the characters' way to writing their own spicy fanfiction, it allowed series creator Chris Carter and the writers to further delay this particular bit of gratification.
While individual viewers' head-canon may vary, eventually Mulder and Scully became an item. Only it was never that overt. Luckily, The X-Files fans were built to find clues, draw connections, and put two-and-two together.
