Question: In a vast majority of the episodes, whenever Mulder and Scully investigate some mysterious or paranormal phenomenon, Mulder believes that some unknown force is responsible but Scully always has a rational explanation for what is happening. In other episodes, when Scully herself is caught up in something mysterious, she is the believer but Mulder is the skeptic. In those episodes, why would Mulder be skeptical about an unexplained phenomenon considering that he a was witness to his own sisters abduction and he saw many strange things that defied explanation while working for the F.B.I.?
Answer: A variety of reasons. Just because Scully saw something unusual does not mean that it was. Mulder always needs concrete proof before he'll believe there's some otherworldly explanation for unexplained phenomena. He's too experienced to take a novice's explanation as fact. It is also a plot by device by the writers to switch the tables on the characters to make it more interesting and to let viewers see another side of their relationship.
Question: In the final few scenes of this story, DS Beck has abducted David Harvey and has taken him to the top of a tower block in order that they can both leap off. Fitz and Penhaligon race to the top to try to talk Beck out of it. In the original broadcast on UK TV (1995), Fitz speaks with Beck at length on the rooftop (as in the novel), but in all repeats and subsequent VHS/DVD releases this scene is missing and has never been seen since. Now, Fitz only manages to reach the rooftop as Penhaligon is looking over the side after Beck has jumped pulling Harvey with him. Is this scene un-cut on the Region 1 DVD of this show? (I don't want to buy it just to find the same cut version again). (02:25:00 - 02:26:45)
Chosen answer: I still own on tape the 1995 UK TV broadcast version of that episode, and it definitely doesn't have Fitz talking Beck out of jumping. It is definitely in the novel adaptation of 'Brotherly Love', but as far as I know never made it to the final cut of the TV version. I'm presuming therefore the scene wouldn't exist on the Region 1 DVD. The only TV version I have ever known to be of that scene is Fitz just turning up after Beck has jumped and then comforting Penhaligon. A few scenes did get lost from the original broadcast to the subsequent DVD/VHS releases though, but as far as I'm aware that was never one of them.
Answer: As he stated many times throughout the series, Mulder needed Scully to be sober and skeptical. Whenever Scully's skepticism wavered and she started questioning her own rationality, Mulder would try to restore her sense of skepticism, because he needed her to be clear-thinking.
Charles Austin Miller