Did it promote skepticism and science though? It showed them being applied, sure. In the end though, the show was always on Mulder’s side of the “truth”. Of course it also kind of said “Scully’s work is important” but it was always assumed that her view of any situation would ultimately be the wrong one. Her science-oriented methods break down when it comes to (in the broadest sense) “supernatural” phenomena - because they are, by definition even, outside science.
Her science-oriented methods break down when it comes to (in the broadest sense) “supernatural” phenomena - because they are, by definition even, outside science.
I only watched the first 2 or 3 seasons of The X-Files, so I there’s lots of episodes I haven’t seen, but this seems incorrect to me. Scully and Mulder were chasing unexplained phenomena, which are entirely within the realm of science. Humans tend to call things “supernatural” when we don’t know how to explain them (ghosts, monsters, aliens, etc), but those entities (in the context of The X-Files where they are actually real), once observed, can be subjected to the scientific method the same as anything else. Aliens and cryptids and such in The X-Files aren’t magic; it’s just extremely rare for humans to be able to observe and study them.
Counterpoint: there’s an episode where a genie kills a man by giving him a giant penis but not enough blood to fill it and keep his brain alive, then turns another person invisible. It’s a monster-of-the-week episode, but still. Definitely magic.
Did it promote skepticism and science though? It showed them being applied, sure. In the end though, the show was always on Mulder’s side of the “truth”. Of course it also kind of said “Scully’s work is important” but it was always assumed that her view of any situation would ultimately be the wrong one. Her science-oriented methods break down when it comes to (in the broadest sense) “supernatural” phenomena - because they are, by definition even, outside science.
I only watched the first 2 or 3 seasons of The X-Files, so I there’s lots of episodes I haven’t seen, but this seems incorrect to me. Scully and Mulder were chasing unexplained phenomena, which are entirely within the realm of science. Humans tend to call things “supernatural” when we don’t know how to explain them (ghosts, monsters, aliens, etc), but those entities (in the context of The X-Files where they are actually real), once observed, can be subjected to the scientific method the same as anything else. Aliens and cryptids and such in The X-Files aren’t magic; it’s just extremely rare for humans to be able to observe and study them.
Counterpoint: there’s an episode where a genie kills a man by giving him a giant penis but not enough blood to fill it and keep his brain alive, then turns another person invisible. It’s a monster-of-the-week episode, but still. Definitely magic.