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

12. She wasn’t afraid to speak the truth

As all X-Files fans know, the truth is out there. And, sometimes, the truth is really, really weird. Scully has the strength of mind to admit that the reality of her situation can be, on the surface, unbelievable. Yet, as she inevitably concludes, it really must be believed.

If this makes you doubt Scully’s skeptical cred, remember that she reaches even the craziest notions via a logical path. Sometimes, however, that logical path is a twisting, turning, mind-bending sort of road.

Such is the case in “Field Trip,” one of the best and most confusing episodes of the sixth season. Mulder and Scully start off by investigating two sets of skeletal remains in the North Carolina hills. As it turns out, these are the mortal remains of two hikers who went missing. The bones are also covered in a mysterious yellow goo. The two FBI agents go investigating but fall prey to the same force that killed the hikers. They begin to hallucinate and see that same gross yellow goo everywhere.

What force is this? At first, it’s pretty unclear. Mulder thinks it’s aliens, especially in relation to the nearby Brown Mountain Lights. Scully thinks that she finds Mulder’s skeletal remains and begins to mourn—except Mulder shows up at his own wake back in Washington, D.C.

Soon enough, thanks to the tortuous but inexorable progression of Scully and Mulder’s teamwork and her logic, it becomes clear that they’re still in danger.

Scully finally asks, “Mulder, what if we’re being digested?” In fact, they are being digested by a giant fungal organism. That awareness ultimately saves the day for both of them.