12. FBI ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WALTER SKINNER

SKINNER AND THE MAJESTIC CONSORTIUM: There does not seem to be any evidence to suggest that Skinner is an active or former member of the Majestic consortium. He is career FBI front, back and center. But he has picked up on more than his fair share of off-the-books information. While he may be aware of some aspects of the Majestic Consortium, I think he has picked up his information through "unofficial channels." Skinner knows there are rogue elements of the intelligence communtiy working on immoral and illegal projects, and he does what he can to combat them when he can.

SKINNER AND THE X-FILES: Skinner supports Mulder and Scully's work with the X-Files because he believes in the paranormal. He experienced it first hand in Vietnam when he had his out-of-body experience, witnessing Robert Model's mind control powers first hand in PUSHER, the mind-clouding abilities of Nathaniel Teager, the assassin in UNREQUETTED, and in AVATAR where he is warned of CSM's plot against him by what appears to be an Angel (although Mulder beleives it to be a kind of demon known as a Succubus). He also saw how dangerous the paranormal can be with the Tooms case and the Newark Flukeman. Skinner supports the X-Files because he knows that the FBI has to have a way to deal with paranormal cases or the FBI won't be able to protect the public. Skinner values procedure and following the rules, but the paranormal doesn't. As long as Skinner has the X-Files, he has a "procedure" for dealing with the "unorthodox."

However, Skinner knows there are limits to what he can get away with, as well as what he can help Mulder and Scully get away with. He's more cautious than Mulder (he wouldn't have gotten to be an FBI assistant director if he wasn't circumspect) and is willing to give up fighting a battle today if he can keep fighting the war tomorrow. Some fans consider Skinner two-faced and vacillating. I prefer to think of him as a man who knows his limitations. It just doesn't pay to push Majestic too far.

SKINNER AND MULDER AND SCULLY: Mulder and Scully mean more to Skinner than mearly tools with which he can counter the threats of the paranormal. He has shown real concern for Mulder on several occassions (his refusal to accept Mulder's resignation in ONE BREATH and his questions to Scully about Mulder's state of mind in GROTESQUE), and Scully as well (his coming to Scully's aid with the MJ Document data tape in THE BLESSING WAY and his refusal to halt the investigation of Melissa Scully's murder that led to his wounding in PIPER MARU). I think it would be a mistake to underestimate the compassion and respect Skinner has for his two subordinates. In MEMENTO MORI, Skinner even goes so far as to compromise himself with the CSM in exchange for a promise to help Scully with her cancer. As much as Skinner despises CSM this was an enormous sacrifice. One he did not make lightly. I doubt CSM would have sold out to CSM to help himself, but he did so to save Scully's life and prevent Mulder from selling out to CSM himself.

SKINNER AND THE CIGARETTE SMOKING MAN: Skinner began following CSM's direction because Skinner originally believed Mulder's investigations were frivolous wastes of manpower and resources. Skinner respects authority and the CSM represents a great deal of authority, anonymous though it may be. So if CSM told Skinner that Mulder's investigations were endangering "National Security" by exposing top secret projects, I think Skinner would have taken him at his word.

Skinner seemed to yield to CSM's authority for a while, but by the end of TOOMS he knew the X-Files were not a waste of manpower. And by the end of LITTLE GREEN MEN Skinner Knew CSM was not his kind of people. Skinner strikes me as a man with a strong sense of right and wrong. A man who equates following the rules as the best way to ensure that "justice" will be done. Short cuts are hard for him to accept. Skinner is a man who values the law above everything. By the end of LITTLE GREEN MEN, Skinner recognized that the Cigarette Smoking Man was willing to fuck the law in the name of protecting "National Security," a nebulous term that the Cigarette Smoking Man feels free to define as it suits his needs. Skinner could never stomach that kind of "moral expediency." Hence, his relationship with CSM has continued to deteriorate.

The CSM still had enough real or apparent authority to sit in on FBI meetings and get information on Mulder's on-going investigations. He even sent Mulder an assignment when it suited him (episode F. EMASCULATA). Skinner resents CSM's presence but appears to be under political (or other) pressure to continue to cooperate with this man he clearly loathes.

In THE BLESSING WAY and PAPERCLIP the relationship between CSM and Skinner hit rock bottom as the two of them exchanged threats and insults. They let each other know exactly what they thought of each other. CSM even panicked in front of Skinner ("Where's the DAMN tape!" he screamed). After Skinner told CSM to "pucker up and kiss my ass!" I seriously doubt CSM will be sitting in on any more Bureau meetings. But at the same time, in NESEI, Skinner indicated that he too had been shaken by his confrontation with CSM was not willing to push his bluff about Albert Hosteen and the 20 other Navajos having memorized the MJ documents too far.

In TUNGUSKA, CSM and Skinner have their first face to face encounter in 31 episodes. CSM was hanging around the edges of the episode AVATAR, but never confronted Skinner in his moment of weakness, prefering to gloat from behind a two-way mirror. CSM returned to hound Skinner for the missing diplomatic pounch containing the Martian meteorite fragment, which tells you how important the pouch was to CSM.. Skinner tells him to piss off. While Skinner actually knew nothing about the pouch, its my impression he wouldn't have told CSM anything anyway.

The next time we see these two antagonists together is in the episode MOMENTO MORI. Skinner comes to CSM to "sell his soul." After repeatedly pissing in CSM's eye, Skinner finds himself in the unenviable position of asking CSM for his assistance in curing Scully's terminal cancer. CSM no doubt has the ability to help Scully, his own cancer and Mrs. Mulder's stroke having been cured by the intervention of Jerimiah Smith and the alien Bounty Hunter. The question is not "can" CSM save Scully, but rather "will he?"

The episode ZERO SUM seems to have answered that question in the negative. Skinner finds himself morally and ethically compromised by CSM, not to mention set up for a murder charge. All together, the encounter between CSM and Skinner was a draw. Skinner slips the noose with Mulder's help, but is still made to look the fool. On the other hand, he gets his first introduction to Marita Corvarubias, who may or may not be a potential allie (despite he connection to CSM) and Skinner genuinely shocked the "black-lunged son of a bitch" when he nearly blew his head off. For half a second CSM thought Skinner had killed him. It helps to remind the bastard that he may push too far, one time too many.

What is most important here however is that Skinner talked Mulder out of selling out to CSM and instead sold out himself. It seems that Skinner wants to preserve Mulder's "purity of purpose" and sees himself as already tainted from his years of walking the line. It seems as if Skinner values Mulder more than he values himself.

SKINNER & MR. X: This relationship is subtle, but less complex than many people have made it out to be. I believe there is nothing to connect the two men as being previously aquainted. And here's why:

In THE HOST, Mr. demonstrates that he knows Skinner is sympathetic to Mulder's work on the X-Files. How does Mr. X know Mulder has "a friend at the FBI?" One possible answer is that if Mr. X works for Majestic, as does CSM, then perhaps Mr. X is aware of Skinner's resentment of Majestic's influence. If he has access to Majestic's files on Skinner, then Mr. X would know that Skinner is not considered 100% reliable by Majestic and may be considered Mulder's ally.

In SLEEPLESS, Skinner asks Mulder who sent him the 911 tape and the obituary of the Doctor who was killed by the illusionary fire. Mulder responds that the only source he ever trusted was dead, implying he has no idea who sent the tape. This scene could indicate that Skinner is aware that a new source (Mr. X) is seeking Mulder out.

In END GAME Skinner gets to meet Mulder's source "face to face." How did Skinner know where to be to intercept Mr. X and knock the information out of him? I don't buy the idea that Skinner knew Mr. X would be there because Skinner sent Mr. X to Mulder's apartment. It's far more likely the scenario unfolded like this:

Mulder is missing and Scully can't find him. The last time Mulder disappeared, in LITTLE GREEN MEN, the spooks from Majestic followed Scully around hoping she'd lead them to Mulder. I think Skinner sort of did something similar. In past episodes we'd seen Skinner go further and further out on a limb to help Mulder. He saved Mulder from official sanction; steered X-Filesish cases to Mulder despite the X-Files having been disbanded; he lets Mulder pursue other X-Filesish cases; reinstates the X-Files to counter Scully's abduction; delivers The Smoking Man's whereabouts to Mulder; talks Mulder out of resigning; and backs up Mulder with FBI snipers at the "hostage exchange" with the alien assassin, despite the fact that Mulder refuses to explain what's going on.

In END GAME, Skinner goes above and beyond the call of duty to help Mulder. He follows Scully, figuring that she would eventually find Mulder, and perhaps he intended to keep the goons from Majestic from interfering with her search. Watching her go to Mulder's apartment, Skinner would have seen her set up the "X" signal in Mulder's window. He also would have seen X arrive and see the lights come on in Mulder's apartment when Mr. X encountered Scully. Skinner may have had an idea that Mulder had a new informant after Mulder received the 911 tape in SLEEPLESS. He may have guessed that the "X" signal was a means of signaling Mulder's informant. It wouldn't have been hard for him to intercept Mr. X in the elevator on the way out if he'd been watching Scully's back.

There just isn't any flash of recognition between Mr. X and Skinner when the elevator door opens. Mr. X just tries to step out and when Skinner blocks him Mr. X just says "Excuse me." He only realizes something is wrong when Skinner replies "Did you tell her what she needed to know?" Mr. X's brow furrows for a split second as his mind goes through the "What th'fuck?" stage. His eyes widen and he goes for his gun when his mind arrives at the conclusion "Oh shit!"

Someone on this usenet group suggested that Skinner was fishing when he asked Mr. X if he'd told Scully what she needed to know and that Mr. X's expression confirmed to Skinner that he had the right guy. I agree. The way the scene was written and played (although slightly ambiguous) argues against the idea that Skinner and Mr. X were familiar with each other prior to the elevator punch up. (And, by the way, despite how much I like Skinner, I still think he lost the fight with Mr. X. If you end a fight with your opponent's gun to your head, you lost.)

SKINNER & THE WOMAN WHO DOESN'T SMOKE MORELEYS: Now here's something no-one has talked about. Who was the woman at the cigarette machine in ONE BREATH who delivered the Cigarette Smoking Man's where abouts to Mulder? Skinner seemed to confirm to Mulder that he was responsible for having her contact Mulder, but the question remains: Who was she? Is she FBI? Did she merely relay the information from Skinner to Mulder? Or is she with Majestic? Did Skinner contact her and get her to pass the location of CSM's safe-house to Mulder, by-passing Skinner completely? If she is Majestic, how does Skinner know her? Will we see her again? I don't have a clue about any of that, but fear we will not see her again as she was probably a one-shot plot device.

SKINNER AND SENATOR MATHESON: There's just no evidence to connect Skinner and Senator Matheson. Both men assist Mulder in his investigations, but for completely independent reasons.

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