Why does The X-Files keep degrading Scully?

Decider

In a “Dear Chris Carter” essay reacting to this week’s controversial episode, Jennifer Still writes: “It’s disheartening to realize we haven’t evolved in our ability to allow our strong female characters to exist without having to falsely validate that existence by repeatedly subjecting them to abject horrors in a misguided attempt to prove their mettle by seeing how well they survive. It’s also insulting and downright infuriating to realize how many male writers still believe in this nonsense. Adversity has the ability to make all of us tougher and more resilient, but strength isn’t dependent on how many tragedies you can crumble at the feet of and still get back up from.”