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

383551 03: Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny in ‘The X-Files – The Movie.’ (Photo by FOX/Liaison via Getty Images)

13. She’s a master of the eye roll

Generally, Scully is the model of professionalism. She’s direct but polite. She frames her questions and conclusions in such a way as to get the most information out of witnesses without offending them. Perhaps it’s a corollary of the “be sweet” maxim that, spoken or not, seems to be reinforced for practically every woman across the planet. It can also be a pretty powerful way to get people to work with you without forcing their hand.

Nevertheless, Scully is human. Furthermore, Scully is a human being who has to work with Fox Mulder. As much as X-Files fans love Mulder, they have to admit that he is a, shall we say, “challenging” person. A friendship or work partnership with Mulder means that you will be subject to midnight phone calls about the government agents watching him, awkward visits to the Lone Gunmen offices, and long, involved slideshows featuring blurry UFO pictures.

Hence, the eye roll. It’s a sometimes subtle, sometimes obvious way that Scully expresses her exasperation with a given situation. Sure, it may not be entirely polite, but I think we can cut Scully a little bit of slack here. She’s been abducted a few times, was almost digested by a giant fungus, and even had to pretend that she was married to Mulder in order to infiltrate a planned community. So, let’s appreciate the pure artistry of her well-rehearsed eye rolling.