there is a sense that these two don't really "get" each other, a certain je ne sais quoi missing - a lack of something flowing between them - an emotional distance? A bugger me, I don't know how to phrase it. There's a hole in their bucket dear Lisa.
Ahaha! Love this.
Another thing that I don't like about this fic is that I have some 'gender role' issues with it. It seems like Scully is basically getting moved around throughout the fic, without really knowing what to do with herself. Mulder manipulates his way into getting them put on the investigation, for reasons which have as much to do with him wanting to see Scully "cut loose" as anything else. He tricks her into getting all dressed up in on outfit she's uncomfortable in. He shows off his exceptional talents for beating the house at craps, and has people catering to him and women brushing their breasts against him in short order. He's the one engages Chip, and who decides when they should head back to the rooms, and who plants the bugs in the rooms. He's also the one who instigates the innuendo, and ultimately pushes the matter by asking about Padgett, and then by making the first move.
Scully is put in this position of being a bauble, an easy drunk, tottering around on her pretty shoes (with heels no higher than her regular shoes, so what gives?). She does try to assert herself here and there, but it's just not in the cards for her in this fic. This is Mulder's show. She's little more than a spectator, watching him assert himself, watching him "make his own luck", watching him win, watching him charm the marks, and the entire craps table, and practically swooning over him herself. Then admitting that she isn't good at knowing what's best for herself, and using that as an invitation for him to make his move.
What's particularly strange is that RT is clearly aware of gender stereotypes and whatnot. But in this case, it's like the fic acknowledges distasteful stereotypes and then marches right into them anyway. Scully scowls at the "virgin luck" cliche, but when Mulder tells her to play, she rolls the dice, while he makes the bets and wins. She scowls that nobody asked her what she was drinking, but drinks what Mulder ordered for her anyway. Maybe it's all for the sake of their cover, but that's not really how it comes across. This goes deeper than "Joe and Dana". It ruffles Scully personally, not professionally.
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winterfish
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Date: 2012-01-31 01:13 am (UTC)Ahaha! Love this.
Another thing that I don't like about this fic is that I have some 'gender role' issues with it. It seems like Scully is basically getting moved around throughout the fic, without really knowing what to do with herself. Mulder manipulates his way into getting them put on the investigation, for reasons which have as much to do with him wanting to see Scully "cut loose" as anything else. He tricks her into getting all dressed up in on outfit she's uncomfortable in. He shows off his exceptional talents for beating the house at craps, and has people catering to him and women brushing their breasts against him in short order. He's the one engages Chip, and who decides when they should head back to the rooms, and who plants the bugs in the rooms. He's also the one who instigates the innuendo, and ultimately pushes the matter by asking about Padgett, and then by making the first move.
Scully is put in this position of being a bauble, an easy drunk, tottering around on her pretty shoes (with heels no higher than her regular shoes, so what gives?). She does try to assert herself here and there, but it's just not in the cards for her in this fic. This is Mulder's show. She's little more than a spectator, watching him assert himself, watching him "make his own luck", watching him win, watching him charm the marks, and the entire craps table, and practically swooning over him herself. Then admitting that she isn't good at knowing what's best for herself, and using that as an invitation for him to make his move.
What's particularly strange is that RT is clearly aware of gender stereotypes and whatnot. But in this case, it's like the fic acknowledges distasteful stereotypes and then marches right into them anyway. Scully scowls at the "virgin luck" cliche, but when Mulder tells her to play, she rolls the dice, while he makes the bets and wins. She scowls that nobody asked her what she was drinking, but drinks what Mulder ordered for her anyway. Maybe it's all for the sake of their cover, but that's not really how it comes across. This goes deeper than "Joe and Dana". It ruffles Scully personally, not professionally.