15 times The X-Files’ Dana Scully was the best character on TV

9. The time she had to convince Mulder that something spooky was happening

On very, very rare occasion, Mulder and Scully switch places. Mulder becomes the unbeliever, doubting the truth of what’s before him, while Scully is cast into unfamiliar waters. In “Beyond the Sea,” episode 13 of the first season, it also proves to be rich ground for Scully’s character development. Plus, there’s a fantastically unsettling performance courtesy of veteran character actor Brad Dourif.

However, “Beyond the Sea” does not immediately begin with Luther Lee Boggs, the eerie (and thankfully imprisoned) serial killer played by Dourif. Instead, it starts with an everyday tragedy—the death of a parent.

Specifically, it’s Scully’s father. Just after she enjoyed a post-Christmas visit from them, she wakes in the middle of the night to find a silent phantom of her father sitting across from her. The telephone rings. It’s her mother. Scully’s father, William, has died of a heart attack.

Meanwhile, a young couple in North Carolina is kidnapped by an unknown man. Scully and Mulder are on the case. Mulder says that Luther Lee Boggs, whom he helped catch, is saying that he has psychic powers that he can use on the case. But it’s mighty suspicious, seeing as Boggs likely wants to get out of his looming death sentence.

But when the duo meets with Boggs, Scully finds herself unmoored. She sees visions of her father in the prison, while Boggs gives her information about the kidnapper. Of course, it could be that Boggs has arranged everything with an outside accomplice. Whatever you think, it’s deeply satisfying to see the pair switch roles and Scully grapple with the unknown for once.