Comparisons have been drawn between the character of Dana Scully and that of FBI student Clarice Starling in "The Silence of the Lambs". Rhonda Wilcox and J. P. Williams note the similarities in their appearances, as well as their positions in a patriarchal working environment. In "Beyond the Sea" in particular, parallels can be seen. Like Starling, Scully has an emotional connection with—and a need to prove herself to—her dead father. After William Scully's death, his daughter becomes particularly concerned with whether or not he was proud of her. Although by the end of the episode, Scully seems to have come to terms with her father's opinion of her, her worries resurface later in the series when she fears that he would have been ashamed of her actions ("Anasazi"). The connection to Clarice Starling is further shown by Scully's encounter with Luther Lee Boggs, an apparently helpful serial killer, which echoes Starling's relationship with serial killer Hannibal Lecter.