Goodbye Mr. Duchovny

(humble analysis – anon submission)

This Gillovny clip hurts… but in a good way. I find it very interesting and meaningful. First we have Gillian. As a goodbye, she decides to hold out her hand and say “Goodbye” and adds “Mr Duchovny”. Then proceeds by saying “Pleasure working with you.” There is a lot to be said by this moment and these phrases. First it seems she wants to emphasize on their professional relationship and journey together. And I love it because she does tell him she loved working with him and that’s very sweet. They work well together, they always have. Possibly saying goodbye forever to a collaboration that works so well is hard on its own. Pure professionalism; that’s what the hand gesture and the phrases that go along with it indicate. But not really. There’s no reason for her to call him that and to shake hands with him when they have known each other for so long and are friends. It’s over the top which tells me she is only half serious. She has called him “Mr Duchovny” several times before. Sometimes even calling him by his full name. It’s a game she likes to play, pretending to be extra professional with him. I take it as a good sign as it is her way of engaging with him and teasing him gently. Moreso it shows she respects him, as a man and as an actor and that’s flattering for him. What’s interesting this time though is that she really uses the whole professionalism thing as an armor. She can’t crumble. Being completely raw in front of the whole world is not an option. Except her emotions still betray her. She is not ok. It seems there is a lot she wants to tell him. But where they are sitting is not the place for it. And maybe she is secretly hoping he can read her mind and knows exactly how she feels… Did she tell him everything that was in her heart that day? Will she? That’s something we might never know.

Then we have David. His attitude is very different than hers. He’s much more relaxed about it and doesn’t reveal much sadness. It makes him look detached. Perhaps because he doesn’t believe it’s a goodbye. After all that’s what he said recently. If I remember correctly he said something about not taking it as a goodbye – unless he is in denial because goodbyes hurt. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t care. He is just not where she is right now and approaches things differently. He starts by saying “See you on campus” in a positive manner; as if he is saying goodbye to the schoolmate he is going to see again when summer is over. But it seems he didn’t anticipate Gillian’s actions, reactions, emotions. He was taking this situation fairly lightly (or tried) and maybe thought she would too, especially since they are being filmed. Now he’s taken aback. First he is not sure what to say when she tells him goodbye. There’s nothing he can think of that would be be fitting. I totally get him! If Gillian was in a more cheerful mood, I bet he would have said “Goodbye Miss Anderson” but… he couldn’t. Then, while Gillian is almost crying and saying “Pleasure working with you” he talks over her and says “We’ll be talking.” Her sadness is too much for him. For her it’s a big deal and she makes it a big deal with her handshake, her “Mr Duchovny”, her “pleasure working with you” and her raw emotions. For him it’s not or he doesn’t want it to be. But also, he sees her sadness and doesn’t want her to feel sad like this. So that’s what his “We’ll be talking” is all about. He’s being sweet. It’s a “Tsk tsk, dry your eyes, don’t worry and we’ll talk about it later, ok?” More generally he knows this exchange could get too personnal and that’s scary when you’re in front of the cameras. So she gets it and immediately answers “We will.” No more than that.

At the beginning of the clip, they are in two different places mentally. But right here, at this very moment, they find common ground. And you can see it instantly. They proceed by sitting back, staying quiet and nodding together – Gillian, in particular, completely mirrors him, to the point of curling her lips exactly the same way as he did. It’s the fusion of Mulder and Scully and David and Gillian: they are both understanding each other, both agreeing, both synchronizing, both speaking in their own secret language where words are not always needed. The connection is tangible. And that’s quite beautiful to witness if you ask me.

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This is a huge analysis for this little clip, so thank you for taking the time to write it and submitting it to me, anon. I don’t know if I agree with everything you said and most of all, I think I need to see the whole conversation to make up my mind as to what’s happening in these last 10 seconds, but I do believe there’s a lot of different emotions in both David and Gillian’s minds at this moment and also a lot of unspoken feelings. And I agree, it’s quite beautiful.