I loved the first episode as it would have lead t a more reality based show. There are political conspiracies for sure. Go Mulder find the real answer to 9/11, pollution & income inequality. Not one person prosecuted for the 2007-8- Great Recession.
Enjoyed these new XFiles! I would have liked some follow up of the first one. Cliffhanger was great hoping this means more to come. David Duchovny was always my favorite in this series more so than the later different ones he did. I loved Gillian Anderson as well- do not know if she did any other roles. I hope more XFiles will be on the docket.
This first episode didn't blow me away. It was way too much exposition, most of which was spoken by Joel McHale's character. Lots of info thrown at us in a boring way. Mulder and Scully weren't proactive at all, everything in the first episode was driven by Joel McHale... he basically threw a bunch of info into their laps.
The Roswell flashbacks were interesting and so was the scene where they looked at the zero-point energy vehicle. Other than those two scenes, it was a lot of talking. Mulder is just now figuring out that the gov has been abducting people using Alien technology.... anyone in the UFO community has known about that for years. Also... I was a little confused why the powers-that-be would care if Joel's character went on-line to talk about this grand conspiracy. Seems like his character has been talking about conspiracies for years. People go on the internet and talk about this sort of thing all the time, unless he had hard proof that he was going live with... it wouldn't be a big deal. Most people don't believe this sort of thing unless they see it on the main stream news. I hope the next episode is better.
The Roswell flashbacks were interesting and so was the scene where they looked at the zero-point energy vehicle. Other than those two scenes, it was a lot of talking. Mulder is just now figuring out that the gov has been abducting people using Alien technology.... anyone in the UFO community has known about that for years. Also... I was a little confused why the powers-that-be would care if Joel's character went on-line to talk about this grand conspiracy. Seems like his character has been talking about conspiracies for years. People go on the internet and talk about this sort of thing all the time, unless he had hard proof that he was going live with... it wouldn't be a big deal. Most people don't believe this sort of thing unless they see it on the main stream news. I hope the next episode is better.
I liked that character who could stretch himself into small places. Maybe they'll bring him back.
As someone involved with science fiction for most of my life, I hated this show. People started thinking that when I said "Science Fiction," I meant this sort of UFO-weird-conspiracy sort of stuff, in which Someone was out to Get Us. It set the SF field back by decades, as publishers tried to cater to what they thought the market demanded.
As it turned out, the people who watched "The X-Files," or "Star Trek," or the "Star Wars" films, had no interest in written SF—unless they were media tie-ins, set in those universes.
Fo this particular reader and watcher, the show was boring and dumb, just as mindless as "Lost," and other forgettable shows like it.
As it turned out, the people who watched "The X-Files," or "Star Trek," or the "Star Wars" films, had no interest in written SF—unless they were media tie-ins, set in those universes.
Fo this particular reader and watcher, the show was boring and dumb, just as mindless as "Lost," and other forgettable shows like it.
You're so exceptional. No doubt a cunning and brilliant mind of our time. Clearly, head and shoulder above the rest of us in your intellectual prowess. We should all bow in humble reminder that our collective opinion is dwarfed in inferiority to your own greatness.
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Yeah, the exceptional are frequently hard to understand. But thanks fo the comment.
Never watched this show. Loved science fiction and, wondering how I passed up good scifi, started binge watching last week.
It's awful - boring and the acting by the two leads sounds wooden and like they are middle-schoolers doing a play they don't want to do.
What a shock.
I'm hoping this gets better.
It's awful - boring and the acting by the two leads sounds wooden and like they are middle-schoolers doing a play they don't want to do.
What a shock.
I'm hoping this gets better.
1
"Mulder-Scully umami" is my new favorite phrase. Thank you.
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In the original series Gillian Anderson, the so-called FBI medical expert, used to mispronounce the name of every drug, organ and disease that made it into the script. I used to flee the room clutching my head. my kids jeering at me. I hope they hire a doc-speak coach for her this time round.
I've heard different doctors pronounce the same drug completely differently. What's your point? That she didn't pronounce it the same way you were "taught"?
tomayto, tomahto.
tomayto, tomahto.
I want to add that I wish they would leave well enough alone...the show was really good & interesting but it came to an end...like all shows have to at some point, don't bring back the dead, let them rest in peace, I want to remember the show & the actors the way they were...do something brand new..in saying that I just heard Cats is coming back to Broadway...is it that we no longer have amazing creative minds to come up with fresh & new ideas?
It was really interesting & fun back then & it still holds interest today as it transcends time & different generations...some episodes were so perfect they've stayed with me even till today where I can remember them entirely, they were special to many & even years from now will continue to be, just like the Twilight Zone was with many memorable episodes.
Thanks for the spoilers, NY Times. Why couldn't you hold off until after the show started again? I'm fully capable of forming my own opinion without your help.
I haven't watched TV since the digital switchover. Time to put an antenna on the roof or get cable.
No mention of music soundtracks in the review? No 'Io Mammate E Tu' reprise?
No mention of music soundtracks in the review? No 'Io Mammate E Tu' reprise?
Everything ages and eventually dies. X-Files was the best at its peak but then through no fault to anyone, it began to wither. The actors got tired of the roles, the material had more misses than hits, the story became more muddled, and the show stayed past its welcome. Always leave with them wanting more.
Rejuvenate the X-Files. Its premise will still work. You can even retain Mulder and Scully as the heart. They aren't that old. It can be done if they have the right attitude. But if you do, it has to be FRESH and not mired in the past with melancholy reminisces of times gone by with aged characters constantly referencing their past as if they have one foot in the grave.
Being older and experienced does not mean sad, depressing, and acting like the past matters more than the future. That's how I felt in the new Star Wars. Any scene with the older actors was depressing. They weren't vibrant and strong. They were sad ghosts showing up to pay homage to the past. Don't make Mulder and Scully be that way. If you aren't going to do them as they were in their "heyday", then don't do it at all. There is no need to watch them act tired and bored with a "here we go again" attitude. I care too much for the characters at their height to seem them be treated that way now either by the actors or the writers. Be very careful of the spectre of ageism. Who wants to listen to them talk about how old or sad they are now? That is not the X-Files.
Rejuvenate the X-Files. Its premise will still work. You can even retain Mulder and Scully as the heart. They aren't that old. It can be done if they have the right attitude. But if you do, it has to be FRESH and not mired in the past with melancholy reminisces of times gone by with aged characters constantly referencing their past as if they have one foot in the grave.
Being older and experienced does not mean sad, depressing, and acting like the past matters more than the future. That's how I felt in the new Star Wars. Any scene with the older actors was depressing. They weren't vibrant and strong. They were sad ghosts showing up to pay homage to the past. Don't make Mulder and Scully be that way. If you aren't going to do them as they were in their "heyday", then don't do it at all. There is no need to watch them act tired and bored with a "here we go again" attitude. I care too much for the characters at their height to seem them be treated that way now either by the actors or the writers. Be very careful of the spectre of ageism. Who wants to listen to them talk about how old or sad they are now? That is not the X-Files.
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Of course there's something out there! There's millions of other planets similar to ours. Now way are we alone.
The stand-alones were by far the best. The mythology, in my humble opinion, got so tired I stopped watching those episodes entirely and missed the last 3 or so seasons. That being said, Duchovny and Anderson are both formidable actors (underrated, you might say) on their own and downright brilliant onscreen together. I caught the pilot episode the other day and was surprised at a) how good it is and b) how well it has held up. Very much looking forward to the new episodes.
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I didn't watch it in its original run, and some months ago I watched some episodes on Netflix and they were BAD. why it was popular beats me. The acting was very wooden and not nearly as good as old sci-fi movies from the fifties.
they are all too much alike and when you have YEARS of this stuff, the actors age often in bad ways.
they are all too much alike and when you have YEARS of this stuff, the actors age often in bad ways.
You forgot to say that was your opinion, which I have to tell you differs from millions of other people's. And I disagree with you on your statement that "sci-fi movies from the fifties" were better. Not even close. The Day the Earth Stood Still is a classic, yes; but except for Michael Rennie & Patricia Neal, there was a lot of overacting in that movie.
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Your opinion is yours and your opinion of the '50's movies explains it. Many of us thoroughly enjoyed the X-Files.
I guess you don't know that "The Day the Earth Stood Still" was based on a short story, "Farewell to the Master" by Harry Bates, published in Astounding Stories in 1940. In the original story [Spoiler Alert!] the robot was the master; they had created the humans as their servants.
In the 1950s, this was an idea too challenging for Hollywood.
Of course, the 2008 remake was far worse than the original film.
In the 1950s, this was an idea too challenging for Hollywood.
Of course, the 2008 remake was far worse than the original film.
I don't know about the new x-file episodes, but this review is certainly plodding.
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Hilarious!
I so want to believe!!!!
I guess I didn't realize how big of an X-Phile I still was until I saw Mulder and Scully on the cover of TV Guide the other day at the supermarket checkout counter.
I guess I didn't realize how big of an X-Phile I still was until I saw Mulder and Scully on the cover of TV Guide the other day at the supermarket checkout counter.
2
If you're a Gillian Anderson fan (which I most definitely am), be sure to see her British series "The Fall".
5
She was also great in the TV series "Hannibal"!
1
The X-Files was quite bad in their last season, and worse in their movies.
Please do not return.
Please do not return.
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I agree, the last season of the X-Files was tragic. No offense intended to Robert Patrick or Annabeth Gish, but without Mulder and Scully the show lost all cohesion. It began to limp noticeable when Duchovney became scarce, then nose dived into the ground toward the end. However, I have hope for these six episodes because they contain Mulder and Scully, to me the most important element of the X-Files.
Netflix, huh? Here's a question for these two "critics." How many people have Netflix? I don't. How long has it been around? Who cares if you don't have access to it?
X-Files went off the air well over a decade ago. Why hasn't the original show ever been in general syndication? Far as I can tell it's never been available. I can turn on the tube any night and watch movies from the 30s and 40s, sitcoms from the 50s and 60s, Star Trek Classic and Next Gen, Stargate SG-1, Love Boat, Magnum P.I., and enough recycled episodes of CSI and Law & Order on enough stations to gag a sous chef. But no X-Files. "Then and now" reviews would be a lot more relevant, and perhaps meaningful, if we'd actually seen the show's re-runs some time in the last 11 years.
X-Files went off the air well over a decade ago. Why hasn't the original show ever been in general syndication? Far as I can tell it's never been available. I can turn on the tube any night and watch movies from the 30s and 40s, sitcoms from the 50s and 60s, Star Trek Classic and Next Gen, Stargate SG-1, Love Boat, Magnum P.I., and enough recycled episodes of CSI and Law & Order on enough stations to gag a sous chef. But no X-Files. "Then and now" reviews would be a lot more relevant, and perhaps meaningful, if we'd actually seen the show's re-runs some time in the last 11 years.
How many people have Netflix? actually 75 million and growing with subscribers around the world--I think about 135 countries if I remember the article in yesterday's Times correctly. Read much?
$7.95 /month streaming is pretty hard to beat--and yes, all of x-files is available if you are really THAT interested.
$7.95 /month streaming is pretty hard to beat--and yes, all of x-files is available if you are really THAT interested.
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We have X-file reruns all the time on "Chill". And for anyone who thinks that the X-Files weren't any good, I recommend "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose".
2
You aren't clever, or part of some elite majority for failing to subscribe to Netflix. In fact, I'd say you are quite ignorant and naive. Netflix offers better content than every cable subscription out there, dollar for dollar. Anything you might miss from not having your typical cable provider can be supplanted via other streaming providers, including sporting events, in the year 2016.
I appreciate the thoughts, and in particular the line "Mulder-Scully umami" which is great and on point. Honestly, though, no one's opinions should dissuade even causal fans from watching it and giving it a chance-- particularly so we can get another installment of episodes that will hopefully be even better than this 6. Seeing the Mulder and Scully chemistry again, which in my opinion was never again replicated by any show, should be enough for us all to tune in. I'm excited and hopeful.
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Seeing the Mulder and Scully chemistry again, which in my opinion was never again replicated by any show
You haven't seen Trace and Hepburn I guess? Try Desk Set for starters
You haven't seen Trace and Hepburn I guess? Try Desk Set for starters
I'm surprised the writers didn't mention the theme music. It was/is? spot-on spooky and started playing in my head the second I saw the article listing. Of course now I can't get it out of my head. Scully, Mulder, help!
4
I always watched the X-Files and enjoyed the show. I will watch it again and make my own conclusions. If I listened to critics I would have missed good shows and movies. My perception is mine. I believe there is something out there.
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I've seen quite a few movies that critics gave awful reviews (<30%) that were actually quite excellent. Likewise, I've seen quite a few movies that critics gave rave (>90%) reviews that were absolutely awful.
I've come to the conclusion that "critics" either have an agenda to promote, or are paid off. Their reviews often make no sense after seeing the film they are critiquing.
I've come to the conclusion that "critics" either have an agenda to promote, or are paid off. Their reviews often make no sense after seeing the film they are critiquing.
1
There was always such a tantilizing restrained sexual tension between scully ad mulder that was enriched by their similarly understated humor. Great writing and great acting to achieve that.
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Do we still want to believe? It's fiction. Do people actually believe that the x files is real?
1
I like to think that I can be critical of all media forms, but nostalgia alone will keep me glued. I hope the mini season is enough of a success to ensure more episodes so the writers/producers/actors can really stretch out their muscles and ease back into the sweet spot.
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Nicely put, Tim!
Interesting commentary…when I first heard about the revival, I considered not watching, but knew I probably would. I was a very committed fan in the day, as was my husband. But he eventually gave up on the series (I stayed) because we both got to the point of scratching our heads during the “mythology” episodes and asking “and which alien race is this?” I appreciate the humor of the Mulder line about looking for internal logic because that’s where the series eventually floundered.
I blame Chris Carter, as he was presumably the driving force and show runner. I really believe he didn’t respect his audience enough to bother following the overarching story line through in a coherent manner. Aliens’ and conspirators’ motives seemed to change over time; the search for an explanation for the disappearance of Mulder’s sister came to a bizarre and ridiculous end; and for anyone who saw the second film, I challenge them to point out even an oblique reference to Scully’s baby, presumably still growing up on a farm somewhere like a young Clark Kent with his adoptive parents.
I’m still a fan because the good episodes were VERY good and I don’t believe a whit of criticism could ever be directed towards Ms. Anderson or Mr. Duchovny with respect to their abilities to imbue their characters with an unassailable authenticity. They were funny, too. (It’s possible I’ve devoted a bit too much timeto thinking about all this!)
I blame Chris Carter, as he was presumably the driving force and show runner. I really believe he didn’t respect his audience enough to bother following the overarching story line through in a coherent manner. Aliens’ and conspirators’ motives seemed to change over time; the search for an explanation for the disappearance of Mulder’s sister came to a bizarre and ridiculous end; and for anyone who saw the second film, I challenge them to point out even an oblique reference to Scully’s baby, presumably still growing up on a farm somewhere like a young Clark Kent with his adoptive parents.
I’m still a fan because the good episodes were VERY good and I don’t believe a whit of criticism could ever be directed towards Ms. Anderson or Mr. Duchovny with respect to their abilities to imbue their characters with an unassailable authenticity. They were funny, too. (It’s possible I’ve devoted a bit too much timeto thinking about all this!)
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Nice post, my thoughts as well. Carter threw the viewers under the bus. I can see him laughing at us all.
There were many well done episodes, along with some real stinkers. The chemistry between the Scully and Mulder was a rarity in the 90's.
There were many well done episodes, along with some real stinkers. The chemistry between the Scully and Mulder was a rarity in the 90's.
Reminds me of the end of Lost. I was recently reminded of the saying "jumped the shark".
I started reading this article and stopped....apparently these critics don't like the "reboot." Who cares? I'm looking forward to this.
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I agree, the article overall has a negative tone, even when supposedly saying something positive. Perhaps they take the role of "critic" a little too seriously.
11
"Do we still want to believe" In this ? Never. Filled with totally Unfulfilled expectations.
Such a loooooooooong article. Nothing happens. Kinda like the show.
Such a loooooooooong article. Nothing happens. Kinda like the show.
Yea, back in the day "The X-Files" had its own creative sci-fi cache, but never enough to eclipse the dramatic style and genius of Rod Serling's, "Twilight Zone". To drag "The X-Files" out of mothballs and expect it to carry on exactly where the series left off seems more like Chris Carter's ego trying to "over reach", which invariably will end up an exercise in futility destined to fail. Hollywood has made a lot of money kicking the proverbial "redux" horse to death despite some pretty abysmal results. Perhaps "The X-Files" would be better served in its original form as reruns for the Netflix crowd and for those aficionados willing to shell out big bucks on Amazon for the "limited edition" DVD box set. Is the truth out there? At this stage does anyone really care?
Sounds like you never like the show to begin with. I disagree with most of your assessment, although I've always been a fan of Rod Serling's work. However, it might be better advice that you simply Netflix the Twilight Zone series, and let X-File fans enjoy the new episodes and any that may come in the future.
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Mully and Sculder had a kid together?!? When did that happen? Wow, I guess I really haven't retained many specific memories of the show from that long ago!
I wonder how much the vagueness of my recollections will color my enjoyment of this mini-series?
I wonder how much the vagueness of my recollections will color my enjoyment of this mini-series?
4
You must have missed a LOT of episodes to not know that. Seriously.
5
When during the series di this happen? Last few seasons? It may not be missing episodes as much as simply not recalling. I only saw them once during their first run.
1
Yeah, well the pregnancy was announced in the finale of season 7, and then the baby played a part for the last 2 seasons as well.
1
Actually, 'The X-Files' is a great metaphor for our political campaigns. There's what one candidate says, what the opponent says - and the truth is out there.
1
i am so excited! i believe!
1
Nope!
Above all else, the reason I have been a fan for over 20 years and why I am ecstatic about The X-Files' return is the pairing of Mulder and Scully. At its heart The X-Files is about the camaraderie, love, trust, and passion between these two characters. The paranormal storytelling is only the backdrop. To me, Mulder and Scully are the finest example of an onscreen romantic partnership and I hope that Season 10 reunites them as such.
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