As I watched the last episode, I kept checking the clock thinking, "How are they going to get to a resolution--there's only five minutes left!" My initial reaction to the ending was "Ah, you can't end it there!" But then I was extremely hopeful, rather than infuriated as some viewers were, because the ending leaves all kinds of possibilities--movie, further seasons, etc.
For me, this season (widely criticized by, well, critics) was a gift to long time fans of the show. When I talked to people who watched the miniseries but never watched the original series or movies, they didn't get it. Meanwhile, I felt complete joy watching every one of the six episodes because it reconnected me with characters, plots, and monsters of the week who were so important to me when I was a teenager. I will always love this show and it will most certainly continue.
In the meantime, I binge on Netflix to reacquaint myself with the first 9 seasons...
For me, this season (widely criticized by, well, critics) was a gift to long time fans of the show. When I talked to people who watched the miniseries but never watched the original series or movies, they didn't get it. Meanwhile, I felt complete joy watching every one of the six episodes because it reconnected me with characters, plots, and monsters of the week who were so important to me when I was a teenager. I will always love this show and it will most certainly continue.
In the meantime, I binge on Netflix to reacquaint myself with the first 9 seasons...
1
Everything in the media is the opposite...This is predictive programming...
About as good (terrible!) as the X Files movies. Thanks again, Chris Carter (not)!
2
The X Files Season 10 creators would have done well to study the mistakes of the initially very popular Season 1 of "The Killing." Fans were infuriated by the complete lack of any kind of resolution at the end the season, so much so that the show was lucky not to be canceled. As it was, it ran for only three seasons.
1
It wasn't that there was no resolution. It's that Ms. Sud *promised* us a resolution, *promised" that The Killing would feature one wrapped-up case per season.
BTW - The Killing in the U.S. ran for four seasons. The original Danish version ran for three.
BTW - The Killing in the U.S. ran for four seasons. The original Danish version ran for three.
Netflix picked it up after it was cancelled after the 3rd season to produce the 4th.
I think that the harsh critics of this episode are so caught up on the science, and the mythology of the X-Files, that very X-File like they are missing the truth; The X-Files has always been nothing but a love story between two extraordinary people, all the other stuff, was, and always has been nothing more than a macguffin.
A Macguffin is a plot device that has no specific meaning or purpose other than to advance a story around the main characters. Chris Carter knew this from day one. He always knew that the real heart and soul of the X-files was in the human drama of the Mulder-Scully relationship, the UFO and the paranormal was just away to entice in new viewers who he knew would get snared by the twist and turns of the Mulder/Scully relationship.
If the show had been conceived as Agent Mulder working solo to investigate paranormal activity, it wouldn't have even been green lighted let alone gotten through the first season, but when Carter hit on the idea of a love story at the center, and he found such charismatic and beautiful people to play the lead characters, then he knew that he truly had something very special on his hands. As did we; The fans.
A Macguffin is a plot device that has no specific meaning or purpose other than to advance a story around the main characters. Chris Carter knew this from day one. He always knew that the real heart and soul of the X-files was in the human drama of the Mulder-Scully relationship, the UFO and the paranormal was just away to entice in new viewers who he knew would get snared by the twist and turns of the Mulder/Scully relationship.
If the show had been conceived as Agent Mulder working solo to investigate paranormal activity, it wouldn't have even been green lighted let alone gotten through the first season, but when Carter hit on the idea of a love story at the center, and he found such charismatic and beautiful people to play the lead characters, then he knew that he truly had something very special on his hands. As did we; The fans.
3
I'm not as disappointed with the last episode as other commenters are because I didn't watch the last episode with any expectations good or bad. It doesn't surprise me that Chris Carter may create more episodes. It is interesting that he reads the reviews of his show. I'm wondering if he also reads the comments section.
3
Just watched this last night on Amazon...and I want my $1.99 back. This was flat out just good old fashion bad television. Bad writing and stilted performances. I knew from the opening voice-over that this series has gone from being ground-breaking, artistic, innovative to merely derivative.
Having seen every episode many times (thank you Netflix) I think I am done with the Ex-Files.
Having seen every episode many times (thank you Netflix) I think I am done with the Ex-Files.
3
Bleh ...
Watch "The Strain". Everything this piece of awfulness isn't.
Watch "The Strain". Everything this piece of awfulness isn't.
2
I've always disliked the comments section in articles, even if sometimes I offer up my own pointless view. But this review of the final episode itself read like a distillation of the over indulgent, self-important criticism that anyone with a Times digital subscription feels compelled to make thousands of times a day (I pity the editors who have to read them all).
3
I read the critical review and every comment posted. Here's my assessment of both. First, Kaly Soto is clearly unqualified to review the X-Files. If Soto is so dense as to miss the reason behind 'thinning of the herd' then maybe some remedial courses in literature are in order. As for those claiming to be long time fans of the series yet complaining about how it unfolded in the 1st and 6th episode, I'm just going to flat out call you liars. Why? Because everything about the 2 episodes in question exemplified the very spirit of the series since inception. And quite frankly, no long time fan of the series would have expected anything different than what was given. The only recurring criticism that I'll agree with is that the dialog was somewhat stiff. (Yeah, I don't feel compelled to copy everyone's use of the word stilted. I can think for myself.) Lastly, I understand Lauren Ambrose's acting style isn't for everyone. I won't even argue that it is a bit unrefined. However, I watched her through the Six Feet Under series, my second favorite series of all time, and have grown to like her delivery. Personally, I think she would be the perfect replacement for Scully if that's the direction the series is headed. Agent Miller on the other had didn't work for me at all.
2
I felt like I was watching an episode of Star Wars. Here's something so popular, so beloved, by so many that their taken on a roller coaster ride and left hanging in mid-air. Be it TV or movies, is it too much these day to ask that a story winds up? It's the X-Files. No matter what, stories can be written to support individual and unnatural events or X-Files mythology, but it's insulting to viewers, new and old, to end a series this way.
PS: Mr Carter, more of AD Skinner please!
PS: Mr Carter, more of AD Skinner please!
2
With a single exception this highly anticipated revival was ghastly, with plots and tones all over the place, and narratives seemingly at odds with those from the original series. It was in short a shambles, perhaps the result of the work of a committee of Fox execs who probably never saw, perhaps had not been born at the time of the first run. I too will stick to those.
6
Chris Carter and all the cast, writers and crew: well done! Yes, more, please! I think the snarky here and elsewhere don't get that all creative work takes more time to develop than is often available. Not every episode was a bull's eye in season 10, but to be honest, not all were in the first 9 seasons. If a creator were out there to compare to Mr Carter and that man or woman weighed in today, yes...notes, please. I don't think that person is alive...RIP Rod Serling. Nothing, nothing compares to X Files' originality and quality over 10 seasons. Bravo/Brava-- see you all again asap.
I cannot believe how bad it was. They really need to kick Chris Carter off the bus and let someone else (Paging the Morgans!) write it. The last two episodes were completely incoherent and worse, BORING. And was Mulder even in the last one? I'm not counting Unconscious Mulder.
I was such a huge fan of the original series. But this? When it finally ended I was yelling at my TV. And not in a good way. What a waste of everyone's time.
I was such a huge fan of the original series. But this? When it finally ended I was yelling at my TV. And not in a good way. What a waste of everyone's time.
4
I went from "we're actually getting answers, what a great way to wrap things up!" to "ack, fell for it again, now I remember how I used to feel so abused by the X files". I'm not even going to dignify that ending by calling it a cliffhanger, it was more like a slap in the face.
Also I can't believe Carter would brag about having actual scientists write it- Scully can sequence her DNA and make a bunch of IV bags with the cure, in an hour or two in a hospital lab? I don't need the Xfiles to be believable, but c'mon, really??
Also I can't believe Carter would brag about having actual scientists write it- Scully can sequence her DNA and make a bunch of IV bags with the cure, in an hour or two in a hospital lab? I don't need the Xfiles to be believable, but c'mon, really??
3
Stephen King nearly killed me with terrified humans fleeing sickness traffic jams in "The Stand." For years I couldn't go through a Manhattan tunnel without thinking of cars filled with corpses. More recently, "Station Eleven," more humans fleeing sickness, with traffic jams, cars, and corpses. And now XF traffic jam humans fleeing sickness. Too many others to point out. This is the trope that must be eradicated by alien DNA. As to Chris Carter, he sent me to bed bored/delighted/angry almost every single Friday or Sunday evening for years, and I only stopped watching completely when Mulder was gone, because what was the point w/o the Sculder ship? But still, I came back this time for more abuse and no answers, which I expected. Because how can CSM or Chris Carter for that matter be anything but himself?
3
I enjoyed the 6 episodes and glad that there is likely more to come (which could only be due to the positive ratings).
I find it hard to understand all the negative comments and reviews of these 6 ep while the plodding, slow and regurgitated "Walking Dead" (which I still watch) still gets high praises.
Maybe we needed a "Talking X" after each episode. :)
I find it hard to understand all the negative comments and reviews of these 6 ep while the plodding, slow and regurgitated "Walking Dead" (which I still watch) still gets high praises.
Maybe we needed a "Talking X" after each episode. :)
2
The thing about the descending space craft is very interesting, there is one group-lets call them the optimists, who believe the ship is coming to save Mulder, than there is another group, lets call them the pessimists, who believe the craft is descending to kill Sculley because she has figured out a cure for the epidemic. It all depends on your point of view which makes it so brilliant.
There is An old saying : Is the glass half empty or half full, can we replace that with: is the spaceship coming to save or is coming to destroy.
There is An old saying : Is the glass half empty or half full, can we replace that with: is the spaceship coming to save or is coming to destroy.
2
As for myself, i loved it, I was literally on the edge of my seat from start to finish, Things were happening so fast and everything was so momentous that there was hardly time to catch your breath, the fact that it began with a title card that portentously announced "The End" kind of told the audience to buckle up and hold on. All bets were off and anything could happen, even the death of Mulder or Scully was on the table. this one episode had so much happening and answered so many questions that it was like 20 episodes in one
This episode had it all, a worldwide epidemic , Scully racing against time to find a antidote, Mulder confronting the CSM, The CSM offered Mulder a deal a antidote if Mulder would grovel for it, but Mulder refused he would not give up his soul or honor to save his neck, he would rather die with than conspire with the people responsible for killing so many.
The last 10 minutes was some of the best stuff i have ever seen on TV, Scully racing through a world falling a part to save the man she loves only to find that she had gotten there too late, there was nothing she could do to save him, Scully losing her composure , Mulder trying to be brave for her sake, and then when all was completely lost, With Mulder about to die, the one thing he had always been ridiculed for, the thing he had always tried to prove to all the skeptics, the doubters, that UFOs were real, from the night sky A Ufo appeared and descend toward them. Absolutely brilliant
This episode had it all, a worldwide epidemic , Scully racing against time to find a antidote, Mulder confronting the CSM, The CSM offered Mulder a deal a antidote if Mulder would grovel for it, but Mulder refused he would not give up his soul or honor to save his neck, he would rather die with than conspire with the people responsible for killing so many.
The last 10 minutes was some of the best stuff i have ever seen on TV, Scully racing through a world falling a part to save the man she loves only to find that she had gotten there too late, there was nothing she could do to save him, Scully losing her composure , Mulder trying to be brave for her sake, and then when all was completely lost, With Mulder about to die, the one thing he had always been ridiculed for, the thing he had always tried to prove to all the skeptics, the doubters, that UFOs were real, from the night sky A Ufo appeared and descend toward them. Absolutely brilliant
2
I agree 100%, Anixt999. I was holding my breath with tears welling up the last 10 minutes. An excellent finale, that satisfied many threads yet left so much open. Thanks for your post!
After seeing this 6-episodes "revival", I'll repeat what I said when they first announced this thing: FOX should've brought back Fringe instead.
2
Only thought episode 3 was enjoyable. I particularly loath agent Einstein.
2
Not enough Skinner. I don't buy where Reyes ended up 10 years later - helping CSM, what?!? It made me want Doggett back. The ending was unsatisfying. Even as a cliffhanger, it didn't work for me.
Episode 1 - blah
episode 2 - not bad
episode 3 - best of the season
episode 4 - eh. Too much packed into one episode and too on the nose with the trashman bit
episode 5 - pass
episode 6 - frustrating.
Episode 1 - blah
episode 2 - not bad
episode 3 - best of the season
episode 4 - eh. Too much packed into one episode and too on the nose with the trashman bit
episode 5 - pass
episode 6 - frustrating.
3
I don't get it. I seem to remember (many times) the syndicate (to which the Cigarette-Smoking Man belonged) all talking about how they were working with the aliens to help them colonize the planet (remember the black oil?). Remember Cassandra Spender? The first "successful" alien-human hybrid, and colonization would start with her?
Um, what happened to all of that? Why did the story completely change out of nowhere?
Um, what happened to all of that? Why did the story completely change out of nowhere?
1
Did you not stop to think that with most Smoking Man tactics there is a plan within a plan? Also, that his plans are generally carried out through other people?
Possibly his plan was that Scully find the cure (Him knowing Scully/Molder) and then she spread the Alien DNA through the cure. Generation after generation could slowly (or quickly as we don't know how fast the gene could mutate) produce offspring with more of the alien DNA.
Hybrids? A whole world of them?
Possibly his plan was that Scully find the cure (Him knowing Scully/Molder) and then she spread the Alien DNA through the cure. Generation after generation could slowly (or quickly as we don't know how fast the gene could mutate) produce offspring with more of the alien DNA.
Hybrids? A whole world of them?
I really enjoyed the mini-run, for the most part. The first episode was great fun from an intrigue and nostalgia aspect. Eps. 2-4 were all excellent, especially the one with the street artist/Scully's mother narrative - for anyone who has lost a parent, that portrayal was about as real as it gets. The one I would have ditched from the lineup was 5, as I was completely uninterested in the adventures of "Lil' Mulder and Scully." That hour could have been much better spent containing half of the material overstuffed into the frantic finale. I mean, come on, one episode to introduce a world plague, who created it, how to cure it, locating your love who is sick with it, realizing it won't be enough to save him and you need a child not seen for decades, that child most likely appearing just then overhead in a spaceship?! When the next mini-season appears, let's spread out the story a bit!
Thank God that those who have commented negatively on the Finale are not representative of the viewing audience as a whole. It seems as if those who had nothing good to say, either did not grow up watching the X-files, or they have grown closed to the narrative which surrounds the premise of the series. I am not sure what the nay-Sayers are looking for, but the writing was classic X-files and the ending was a thread for those who enjoyed the come back as a prelude to more episodes. My suggestion is all those who were disappointed, go back a view some of the original X-files and compare. If you can't see the stark similarities then please watch the Bachelor, or Family Guy, and leave the X-Files for those who love and enjoy watching a classic come back to life. The show will vindicate itself. The Truth is out there......
1
Waste of time. Got sucked in with the hype. Story was stupid and amateurish with bad acting tossed in as a bonus. Is creativity so dead that we have to bring back past shows?
2
Couldn't agree more. These 6 episodes came off almost parody-like. It spent way more time poking fun at itself rather than establishing a legitimate reason for a return.
1
"Clearly destroyed by fire" LOL another "I was a big fan of the show all along" review from someone who thinks he could write a TV show but can only write trite, meaningless criticisms.
"Why would this cabal of men set out to kill humanity?" Were you watching? The reason was given in full explanation, and the true fans picked up on it right away. You have to listen when you watch, maybe the closed captions could help out this "reviewer."
A lot of people are trying to catch up with a 9 year series by pretending they watched it. I challenge anyone anywhere to now tell us why the cigarette smoking man was nearly incinerated and how.
How pitiful. "Clearly he was in a fire of some sort" LOL. Give me a break.
Perhaps all you "fans" wanted Agent Miller to turn out to be William. Those of us who loved the show all along, and actually followed it (Cigarette Smoking Man's incineration was one of the most memorable scenes in X-Files history, TELEVISION history even) are completely satisfied with the new episodes and look forward to seeing whatever they have in store for us next. Perhaps the aliens land in London, and that would make it easier to get everyone together than Vancouver.
Thanks, everyone involved. As soon as the screen went black, I cursed you, then immediately asked myself what more I expected but to be left wanting more, as you have always provided.
"Why would this cabal of men set out to kill humanity?" Were you watching? The reason was given in full explanation, and the true fans picked up on it right away. You have to listen when you watch, maybe the closed captions could help out this "reviewer."
A lot of people are trying to catch up with a 9 year series by pretending they watched it. I challenge anyone anywhere to now tell us why the cigarette smoking man was nearly incinerated and how.
How pitiful. "Clearly he was in a fire of some sort" LOL. Give me a break.
Perhaps all you "fans" wanted Agent Miller to turn out to be William. Those of us who loved the show all along, and actually followed it (Cigarette Smoking Man's incineration was one of the most memorable scenes in X-Files history, TELEVISION history even) are completely satisfied with the new episodes and look forward to seeing whatever they have in store for us next. Perhaps the aliens land in London, and that would make it easier to get everyone together than Vancouver.
Thanks, everyone involved. As soon as the screen went black, I cursed you, then immediately asked myself what more I expected but to be left wanting more, as you have always provided.
9
Episode 1: Hideous
Episode 2: Not bad at all
Episode 3: Classic X-Files
Episode 4: Still good
Episode 5: Getting ridiculous
Episode 6: Snooze
Episode 2: Not bad at all
Episode 3: Classic X-Files
Episode 4: Still good
Episode 5: Getting ridiculous
Episode 6: Snooze
17
The old X Files I enjoyed, got frightened with and looked forward to every week. The mini series, not so much. I agree with this article that some episodes were just goofy, cheesy, and not really worth watching. I do hope the series continues, but that the writers bring back more of the old x files writing.
Have to say the characters look great after all these years. I, to, would like to know about William.
Have to say the characters look great after all these years. I, to, would like to know about William.
1
I wonder why the New York Times reviewers (both TV and movies) feel compelled to trash everything they review at least in part? Obviously the viewer hates science -- likening the Scully/Einstein as tedious, like an episode of NOVA. Doesn't matter that the science is accurate (refer to the NYT interview w/Chris Carter) and that it fits the plot scattered throughout the original series.
8
William is in the ship and rescuing his dad, Mulder.
2
William is only 15 at this point and doesn't know who his biological parents are. I think Skinner's in the ship.
2
Yup. What a massive disappointment.
Especially after the last three standalone episodes. Each of them was terrific.
But the finale? Awful: banal dialogue, slooooow pacing, ridiculous plotting. And, of course, the violation of the "Chekhov's gun" rule of storytelling in regard to Mulder and Scully's son.
Above all, the typical X-Files tail-chasing: it was aliens all along; no, it was humans; no, it was humans working with alien technology; no, the aliens are trying to save humans from each other.... Honestly, you jerk me in a completely different direction one too many times and I stop having any faith that you know where you're going.
It was the perfect reminder of why I stopped watching the original X-Files in the first place.
Especially after the last three standalone episodes. Each of them was terrific.
But the finale? Awful: banal dialogue, slooooow pacing, ridiculous plotting. And, of course, the violation of the "Chekhov's gun" rule of storytelling in regard to Mulder and Scully's son.
Above all, the typical X-Files tail-chasing: it was aliens all along; no, it was humans; no, it was humans working with alien technology; no, the aliens are trying to save humans from each other.... Honestly, you jerk me in a completely different direction one too many times and I stop having any faith that you know where you're going.
It was the perfect reminder of why I stopped watching the original X-Files in the first place.
10
You decided you didn't like the X-Files anymore because it is the way it is, and now you've come back to tell us you still don't like it because it still is the way it is.
Thanks, I think.
Thanks, I think.
7
Kevin: you apparently haven't seen the comments I posted here in response to the Times' reviews of Episodes 4 and 5. I raved about how great they were. I defended them against commenters who, I felt, had missed some of their depth, complexity and richness. So yeah, I was disappointed that the finale (like the introductory episode) failed to live up to those standards. And I felt that I needed to walk back some of the unconditional praise I had lavished on the new series in my previous comments.
I was disappointed because we saw Krycek in the montage while Scully spoke. I'd hoped Nick Leah would be in the episode. To me he was always one of the more interesting floaters.
They set out to kill humanity because humanity was destroying a good thing. Didn't you listen to Cancer Man's little justification speech? In light of the odious things they'd done in the past it seemed contrived and out of place.
Still it was fun to watch and I expect if it's on again. I will continue to watch. It's not so much about the stories as it is about Scully and Mulder. As it always has been.
They set out to kill humanity because humanity was destroying a good thing. Didn't you listen to Cancer Man's little justification speech? In light of the odious things they'd done in the past it seemed contrived and out of place.
Still it was fun to watch and I expect if it's on again. I will continue to watch. It's not so much about the stories as it is about Scully and Mulder. As it always has been.
2
The attempt to resuscitate the X-Files reminds me a high school sweetheart twenty five years later. You soon find out she is no longer the woman of your desire. The fire and passion are gone.
5
Time to ditch all the old characters - Skinner, Smoking Man, Monica Reyes - they are ancient history. Lauren Ambrose turns out to be a remarkably awful actress and the site gag of her looking like a young red-haired Dana Scully has already evaporated. If the story can't move off all the old themes, it's time to move on. I think there is room in the story line for Scully & Mulder to be doing other things instead of chasing alien DNA, it's just up to Chris Carter to figure out how to make the best use of the Sculder talents as FBI agents. I did, however, enjoy seeing the Lone Gunmen in Mulder's hallucination. That was fun as was the entire episode. Can you go home again? Maybe not.
5
Personally, I'm very thankful that Chris Carter didn't consult you on the writing. Mulder and Scully make the story compelling, how could they possibly be "doing other things" as you suggest? Particularly in light of the final episode?
3
I've read all the complaints about this last episode, and on some level I agree.
However I'm so desperate for good SCI-FI that I loved the last episode. Maybe I'm too isolated here in Colorado, but I was happy to watch some unpredictable fiction that didn't have someone committing a mass shooting.....
However I'm so desperate for good SCI-FI that I loved the last episode. Maybe I'm too isolated here in Colorado, but I was happy to watch some unpredictable fiction that didn't have someone committing a mass shooting.....
6
Chris Carter -- every writer, even the greats, can and should learn from criticism. And everyone needs an editor. Hire one.
4
Disappointed is about the nicest way of expressing my opinion of these 6 hours. There are much better shows to watch. X-Files may have been above average when it was first showing. Now, it is mediocre to inferior compared to the number of really good to outstanding shows it's competing with.
1
Really? The show is averaging 20 million viewers per show in the US, and 50 million worldwide for episode 1, and the numbers have held. Enjoy your "much better shows", but I'll be re-watching these episodes, and the ones to come.
5
You'd be right that there's better television currently than these past 6 X-Files (except for maybe Were-Monster), but there's no current show or show that's transpired since X-Files went off the air in 02' that's come close to the original series except for Breaking Bad and now, Better Call Saul -- both works of Vince Gilligan's, a veteran writer of the original X-Files who penned some of the very best episodes.
Next season opener: Scully takes over the Malheur NWR, reveals the Twin Towers were burned down by CSM's cigarettes. It's what people always thought FOX corporate was up to, on a FOX program. Jenny McCarthy and Marin County Moms must be cock-a-whoop.
1
I believe that William is in the "spaceship" that hovers above his parents on the bridge. Now the question is, who will play William? And also, when can the series continue? I want to believe.
4
Dreadful--just tedious, pointless, and dreadful! I was hoping that Episode 6 would provide a justification for the reboot, but there was none, aside from presumably another season (or movie). The only "Struggle"was getting through it all.
7
Like many, I was happy to have Mulder and Scully back in my living room with new episodes. Episode 3 was far and away my favorite of the short series. To me it seemed they felt a need to delve into the secrets we've all wanted the answers to for years. When they ignored those, the episodes were good. I fear that Einstein and Miller will be the next XFiles partnership.
3
Me too about Einstein and Miller. I'm not looking forward to it.
4
I have been an an avid fan of X Files from the beginning. I liked this series of episodes. I found it very tedious over the years about the references and sometimes little peeks at the great conspiracy that was supposed to have existed. I find it very satisfying that there is now some light shed on what the conspiracy is and what its aims are. And now there is a plausible plan, albeit in its infancy, to fight this conspiracy. We finally have hope that there is a reason to fight, and not just have an apathetic surrender to some horrible inevitable surrender to the conspiracy. One couldn't possibly wrap all of that battle into one neat package of six episodes. So now we have more understanding of what has been happening and we are given the hope that there is a viable plan to save the human race by the very method we thought to be its demise. Of course now that this is all (at least partially) revealed, there will have to be either other episodes to show how we fare now that we have a tangible enemy and solution. Or there will have to be a movie to bring all of this to some resolution. Either way, I love being left wanting more in classic X File style. And I loved this series of episodes, new characters and all. Just my humble opinion.
9
I share your perspective/opinion Mr. Hill and I too enjoyed each episode for the writing and performance together and separately. It was great watching quality sci-fi for a change given all the reality and silly comedy series broadcasted not to mention multiple crime series!
What a disappointment! It was the Heavenly Hash Ice Cream of episodes -- a little bit of everything mishmashed into a totally unsatisfying viewing experience. Hey, I know it's the X-files -- I've never missed an episode or a movie from Day 1 -- but couldn't Carter have exerted himself to give us some kind of closure about just one strand of the story?
3
For example, "what ever happened to Agent Reyes?"
1
Always a huge "X Phile", I've always viewed Chris Carter as a hit-or-miss writer. Certainly, much better have worked on the show (the brilliant Darin Morgan, the equally brilliant Vince Gilligan, to name but two). I often think that Carter is perhaps too close to the show, in particular, the "mythology" episodes. It's as though his mind has a broader story than he's able to fully convey on screen in 48 minutes. Also, in the hands of other writers and the actors themselves, Mulder & Scully evolved beyond Carter's original vision of them & in some ways, he failed to keep up. His dialogue tends to be formal & stilted; it's only because Duchovny and Anderson so fully inhabit their characters that they're able to tamp it down and make it sound natural.
I've been re-watching many of the original episodes, with 11 yr old, and I realize that there have always been a handful of clunkers in each season albeit more in the later seasons, when David Duchovny effectively left the show, and in the earliest seasons, when the show was finding its footing.
Overall, I really enjoyed season 10, mostly as another commentator pointed out, for the relationship between Mulder & Scully, which IS at the heart of the XF. (For the love of all that is holy, please get rid of Miller & Einstein!) I look forward to 6 or 8 more episodes in 2017 !
PS: X Files fans who need a good Gillian Anderson fix should watch "The Fall" on Netflix. Fantastic! Can't wait for series three.
I've been re-watching many of the original episodes, with 11 yr old, and I realize that there have always been a handful of clunkers in each season albeit more in the later seasons, when David Duchovny effectively left the show, and in the earliest seasons, when the show was finding its footing.
Overall, I really enjoyed season 10, mostly as another commentator pointed out, for the relationship between Mulder & Scully, which IS at the heart of the XF. (For the love of all that is holy, please get rid of Miller & Einstein!) I look forward to 6 or 8 more episodes in 2017 !
PS: X Files fans who need a good Gillian Anderson fix should watch "The Fall" on Netflix. Fantastic! Can't wait for series three.
13
Must we analyze to death every second of what we watch? I was simply glad to see Mulder and Scully back for a while, and the finale told me I'll be seeing them again.
22
Amen to that.
Was it a UFO or was it the ship Mulder saw in episode 1?
Why would this cabal of men set out to kill of humanity?
Cancer man made it sound like killing off a larger part of the population was needed to save Earth.
Why would this cabal of men set out to kill of humanity?
Cancer man made it sound like killing off a larger part of the population was needed to save Earth.
2
"The breadth and length of the original series made it impossible to wrap up the “mythology” arc in just two episodes in a shortened season. And as bookends, the episodes seemed jarring and out of place. To make this feel more cohesive, it wouldn’t have taken much to seed bits of the Spartan virus plot in the other four episodes."
Yes. The mini-series was too scattershot, what with a major global conspiracy addressed in a mere two episodes plus a few goofy monster of the week episodes thrown in between. Also just a little too self-conscious in trying to make the episodes fit the paranoia of 2016 rather than the 1990s. It all felt kind of ... off.
But Ms. Anderson is still gorgeous.
Yes. The mini-series was too scattershot, what with a major global conspiracy addressed in a mere two episodes plus a few goofy monster of the week episodes thrown in between. Also just a little too self-conscious in trying to make the episodes fit the paranoia of 2016 rather than the 1990s. It all felt kind of ... off.
But Ms. Anderson is still gorgeous.
4
Somewhat frustrating, somewhat entertaining series. Episodes 3 and 5 seemed head and shoulders above the others. When they do monster stuff with humor, as in Ep. 3, it kills. Every time. Ep. 5 gave us more Scully and it was poignant. The conspiracy stuff is a bore, partly because we've been bored to death by conspiracy shows and by serials that never come to any resolution. To me, it screams, "LAZY!". Ditto CSM. CSM officially earned status as a comic book villain, which is not a compliment. He's a cartoon and not an interesting one. Kill him already and introduce the next villain. Even comic book serials have multiple villains.
5
"Kill him already" another "Fan" of the X-Files.
Like the reviewer, you don't know that CSM was struck by a nuclear warhead missile and didn't die.
That's the whole point to him coming back. You can't make him go away. He is, "the most powerful man on earth."
These are all basic plot points to the original series, and I am sorry you need to be exposed as someone who doesn't know that, but I find most of the criticism of these 6 episodes being presented by people who are not really up with what has already happened.
Like the reviewer, you don't know that CSM was struck by a nuclear warhead missile and didn't die.
That's the whole point to him coming back. You can't make him go away. He is, "the most powerful man on earth."
These are all basic plot points to the original series, and I am sorry you need to be exposed as someone who doesn't know that, but I find most of the criticism of these 6 episodes being presented by people who are not really up with what has already happened.
2
But Kevin, you're not listening. We don't care about those 'basic plot points.' CSM is such a caricature that he's boring. Get rid of him and move on! Carter himself changed the game in Episode 1 this year; it's not aliens but humans using alien DNA as it suits them. He should make more changes. If not a nuclear warhead, try making CSM watch Episode 1 for 24 hours straight. That should do the trick.
1
I have the terrible feeling that the mini-series was a setup to reboot the series with Lauren Ambrose and Robbie Amell as the leads. When and if they come back Mulder and Scully will have disappeared in to the spaceship and will be no shows until the second season finale or a third movie, or maybe there will be a third movie to conclude Mulder’s and Scully’s story then the reboot. Either way FOX and Carter were thinking about more than a six episodes mini-series from the beginning. Hooray for Hollywood!
2
I doubt that any future series with Ambrose and Arnell would not do nearly as well. Nothing against them, there's just less experience as actors and no chemistry whatsoever; although I think they'll be involved in any additional episodes. Fox knows the money for them is with Gillian Anderson & David Duchovny, they had it right from the very first episode.
6
correction: I doubt that any future series with Ambrose and Arnell would do nearly as well.
1
lotusflower0, I completely agree with you but I don't think Anderson and Duchovny will commit to a series. A movie or a few appearances a year maybe. They are also going to want a lot more money than Ambrose or Amell. This wasn't about the fans, it was about a big payday for Carter, Anderson and Duchovny and that would come with a movie. But the ratings were so good FOX might want more. If there is going to be a full season of the X-Files it won't be with Anderson and Duchovny.
1
I remember when X-Files was on Friday nights, we would all watch it and then go out. Here's a comparison form left-field: Harper Lee. What does she have to do with X-Files? A much beloved story gets new chapters, and people feel...ambivalent. Last night I thought the dialogue was stilted and the plot ludicrious and overheated, but hey, that's writing.
3
I really enjoyed the mini run. Obviously many people were expecting something more than they received but as the critic points out, could a satisfying resolution of the overarching theme of the show been fully fleshed out in 2 episodes? 6? The "monster" episodes were well done - alternating funny and creepy. Building a new facet of the story by adding Einstein and Miller helped to lend some feeling of the passage of time - 14 years - since the last TV episode. Seems some have become very spoiled if when given a revival of a beloved show - even a flawed revival - all folks can do is throw food at the TV in disdain (literally or figuratively). Not every show can be Breaking Bad or Downton Abbey or the tiny handful of truly exceptional pieces of work that have been given to us in recent years. Gotta say that I would love another run of X-Files versus the uninteresting treacle that would otherwise occupy that space.
7
I've been a fan always, hated the finale, looked at the front page of the Times this morning and reminded myself It's just TV.
4
To answer the question "Why would this cabal of men set out to kill of humanity?", the impression I got from Old Smokey's speech to Mulder was that with global warming and such, this planet could only survive if a 'chosen few' carried on with Earth's limited natural resources. So the intent was a "thinning of the herd."
1
As a fan of XF since its inception this episode found me wanting more, much more. Some of the dialogue in this episode needed more polishing but it still had the old spark the original series had. On the whole I enjoyed this very stilted season, here's hoping to more.
3
The "cabal of men" was trying to ease the world's overcrowding and disappearing resources by doing some culling of the herd, so to speak, so that the chosen many who had been given alien DNA could remake planet Earth into something more livable and pleasant.
I fervently hope Trump wasn't watching because if he was, this might be his next line of thought . . .
I fervently hope Trump wasn't watching because if he was, this might be his next line of thought . . .
4
That was awful. Yuk. Nice seeing Scully and Mulder, but gets us a script and plot doctor.....
5
I always preferred the standalone episodes, and they were pretty good--better than other stuff on network TV. But yes, the finale was a mess. If they brought back more episodes, though, I'd definitely watch. Mulder and Scully remain such a watchable team.
8
Cynthia, you nailed it. I can scarcely think of other television duos with such chemistry. And I agree about the standalone episodes. I would watch Mulder and Scully again, for sure.
I loved last night's episode. Guess some critics wanted the ending tied up in a neat little package with a cute little bow. These are the same critics that blasted the ending of "Lost." They seem to forget that sometimes the journey is much more rewarding than the final destination. The X-Files ending leaves it open to either more episodes or another film. I'm good with that.
6
Some critics wanted coherent writing and something that didn't pander to conspiracy nuts.
6
But, but, but... pandering to conspiracy nuts is what the X Files was all about... always.
2
@Jim - What do you mean exactly by "coherent writing"? It's an unfolding global crisis with very few people knowing or having a hint at what's going on. Isn't chaos a natural element at this point?
1
I'm in agreement -- I didn't care much for this episode, which had the same thrown-together, let's try to sum it all up (not too well) feel of the last series finale.
And yes, I had the same question expressed here -- why? What purpose would destroying humanity have for those mysterious guys at the table? As the story played out, it would seem they were on the losing end no matter how the plot resolved.
How come so very much Scully and so little Mulder in this last episode? Why was the encounter between Mulder and his dad, Old Smokey, so stilted and pointless? It reminded me of the encounters between heroes and villains in old movie serials.
And, really, what is Annabeth Gish doing on this show? She is consistently the weakest link, the feeblest actor, and the least interesting character. If only we'd seen Agent Doggett, and more of the Gunmen.
I can foresee X Files going the way of the Star Trek franchise: first the aging characters start to rely more on humor than action, then they start to bore us a little, then they are replaced by younger versions of themselves.
And yes, I had the same question expressed here -- why? What purpose would destroying humanity have for those mysterious guys at the table? As the story played out, it would seem they were on the losing end no matter how the plot resolved.
How come so very much Scully and so little Mulder in this last episode? Why was the encounter between Mulder and his dad, Old Smokey, so stilted and pointless? It reminded me of the encounters between heroes and villains in old movie serials.
And, really, what is Annabeth Gish doing on this show? She is consistently the weakest link, the feeblest actor, and the least interesting character. If only we'd seen Agent Doggett, and more of the Gunmen.
I can foresee X Files going the way of the Star Trek franchise: first the aging characters start to rely more on humor than action, then they start to bore us a little, then they are replaced by younger versions of themselves.
4
Emily Emirac said: "I can foresee X Files going the way of the Star Trek franchise: first the aging characters start to rely more on humor than action, then they start to bore us a little, then they are replaced by younger versions of themselves."
- - - -
Don't give up you day job, Emily.
- - - -
Don't give up you day job, Emily.
1
Dear Ms. Emirac,
I'm right with you up until the last bit. X-Files is not going to go the way of Star Trek. Star Trek was a show cancelled too soon, that spawned first movies, then spin-offs, then further spin-offs, to the extent that it is very difficult to keep track of them all. There were at least three separate chains of movies with completely different casts, even though the last two were about the first cast (roughly).
Star Trek hung together logically, fairly well, and was a well-conceived notion. X-Files was always a little silly, started to go down during its initial run, had a couple of awful, nearly unwatchable movies that lost a lot of money, and then there was this. This will be the last of it, there won't be any "Baby X-Files" show, nor "Mulder & Friends", nor "The NeX-files Generation". Let it die a peaceful death, is my advice, and think back to the good times in the early 90's.
I'm right with you up until the last bit. X-Files is not going to go the way of Star Trek. Star Trek was a show cancelled too soon, that spawned first movies, then spin-offs, then further spin-offs, to the extent that it is very difficult to keep track of them all. There were at least three separate chains of movies with completely different casts, even though the last two were about the first cast (roughly).
Star Trek hung together logically, fairly well, and was a well-conceived notion. X-Files was always a little silly, started to go down during its initial run, had a couple of awful, nearly unwatchable movies that lost a lot of money, and then there was this. This will be the last of it, there won't be any "Baby X-Files" show, nor "Mulder & Friends", nor "The NeX-files Generation". Let it die a peaceful death, is my advice, and think back to the good times in the early 90's.
I hope they don't give us a new series with the younger versions of Scully and Mulder. The two actors were not engaging. Miller is a cute drip, and Lauren Ambrose (forgot her character's name) was simply irritating.
Would love to see more of the originals, however.
Would love to see more of the originals, however.
6
It's a mistake to expect a "point" from Chris Carter. Like the Joker, he just "does things". None of it is in service of a larger plot or goal. That's why I got bored with X-Files after the sixth season.
4
It was the same problem with "Lost", and probably with Under the Dome although I gave up on that, it became so ludicrous. The producers seem to become overwhelmed with the challenge of maintaining a coherent plot over a season or set of seasons that actually has an ending, or a set of endings. Did they not read the classic epics in literature courses?
This final episode would have worked if it came at the end of a full-length season and we knew another season was coming. In that event, what a cliffhanger ending. As it is, there are huge holes in the narrative and the implausibility factor was off the scale. The scenes with Scully, important and ultimately life saving as they were, were tedious and unbelievable. Millions are dying and her hair never gets mussed, her clothes look like they just came from the dry cleaners? I love Scully and her calm, rational approach to every crisis, but maybe she could have broken a sweat here.
And Mulder--his ultimate victory over Cigarette Smoking Man is to die with his morals and ethics intact, leaving the world to fend for itself?
@dr.reba has it right--the series is about Mulder and Scully together. Maybe the writers/Carter were trying to create tension--The heck with saving the world, will Scully get to Mulder in time to save him? Didn't work. By then, there was no tension.
I'm going to go back and watch episode 5 and pretend that was the end of this mini-series.
And Mulder--his ultimate victory over Cigarette Smoking Man is to die with his morals and ethics intact, leaving the world to fend for itself?
@dr.reba has it right--the series is about Mulder and Scully together. Maybe the writers/Carter were trying to create tension--The heck with saving the world, will Scully get to Mulder in time to save him? Didn't work. By then, there was no tension.
I'm going to go back and watch episode 5 and pretend that was the end of this mini-series.
5
There's 6 hours of my life I wish I had back. The last episode could be the worst hour of television I ever forced myself to watch. It failed on every level - plot, writing, directing, acting, music... And the 'science' of it's PCR DNA sequencing, CRISPR-induced viral immune shutdown, and vaccine, was so laughable as to make the original show's bread and butter aliens and monsters downright plausible by comparison. This was a revival that never should have been, other than to perhaps introduce a new 'Einstein and Miller X-Files' to come.
4
If you thought that every episode was a waste of time, why didn't you stop after the first? The science you think is "laughable" is actually real and accurate, read the NYT Chris Carter interview.
3
‘My Struggle II’..what to say? It was the kind of episode the original series would have developed over an arc of two or more seasons. Instead, it was presented as bookends, neither one of which made much sense.
Outside of two episodes of genuine delight and a touches of the original X-Files ethos (Darin Morgan's "Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster" and at least partially in Chris Carter's "Babylon"), the rest of the season's offerings were all but a waste of superb actors.
Where was Mitch Pileggi this season? And the Lone Gunmen (Tom Braidwood, Dean Haglund, and Bruce Harwood) deserved more than half-second cameos, even if they are dead in the story canon.
Yes, it was great to see William B. Davis in full, sneering control of seemingly everything again, but the writing, with 1.5 notable exceptions, was appallingly the fast-food version of the X-Files - mostly filler, little substance.
Fox should renew the series, if for no other reason than to make Carter pay back the debt owed to us for this season.
Outside of two episodes of genuine delight and a touches of the original X-Files ethos (Darin Morgan's "Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster" and at least partially in Chris Carter's "Babylon"), the rest of the season's offerings were all but a waste of superb actors.
Where was Mitch Pileggi this season? And the Lone Gunmen (Tom Braidwood, Dean Haglund, and Bruce Harwood) deserved more than half-second cameos, even if they are dead in the story canon.
Yes, it was great to see William B. Davis in full, sneering control of seemingly everything again, but the writing, with 1.5 notable exceptions, was appallingly the fast-food version of the X-Files - mostly filler, little substance.
Fox should renew the series, if for no other reason than to make Carter pay back the debt owed to us for this season.
2
@Joseph Taylor - I think Skinner's in the spaceship. Next mini-season will tell.
My biggest issue with the revival is the obvious constraint placed on the show - 6 episodes was never going to work for a series like The X-Files. Have to admit that the writing overall was uneven, which is more obvious when you don't have the luxury of a longer season with well-developed scripts. However, the finale exceeded my expectations and touched on aspects of the earlier seasons, eg. smallpox vaccinations and viruses! This has always been a crucial part of the show - go back to the original episodes and the first movie - so I'm not sure why Kaly Soto mentioned anti-vaxxers. I've come to realise that despite its flaws, the new season actually works for the serious fans who stuck with the show through the good years AND the average years - every single episode and the two movies. Seriously, it all makes sense in the typical unresolved, frustrating X-Files way.
1
I was not expecting much and was pleasantly surprised. I look forward to more episodes.
2
This episode was a joke. So bad on just about every level. It matched the prior ones this season with the exception of the werewolf one. It's time for Chris Carter to take a backseat and let some new writers breath some life and sense into this world. He can be showrunner and lead director, but please stop with the writing. He's never been able to handle the big conspiracy plots satisfactorily. The finale was so slipshod it was an embarrassment. Develop a vaccine in minutes, then have it relayed on a web show for all the enemies to see? Media that doesn't cover a major epidemic? That's just the tip of the iceberg. Please, Chris, get a grip and step back. Spoken by a fan who does care where this series is headed.
9
It wasn't developed in minutes, it was hours. And you need to read the Chris Carter interview in the NYT, all the science Scull & Einstein talked about was accurate as the script had to pass muster with actual scientists in that field. Media isn't "covering the epidemic" because they're all affected as well, either ill and/or dying. Sorry to say that it's your commentary that seems slipshod.
1
A missive from Fox (the network, not the character): "made you look"!
2
While yes, I can agree that the mythology part of the "X-Files" couldn't really be concluded in just 2 episodes, I enjoyed this brief revival of the show. I honestly wondered if Scully used a Jedi mind trick to stop the rioting. Also, I am curious how she was able to navigate the D.C. traffic.
1
Loved the original X-Files. This series is so trite and has such terrible writing we have switched it off. Such stilted language and lots of energy expended acting upset instead of anything actually happening. Ugh. We are done.
11
I disagree. This mini-season came on air with nine 22-episode shows behind it. All that history underpins any storylines in these six episodes. It seems to me that you've forgotten all those original X-Files that you say you loved.
1
XF isn't about aliens, or conspiracies, or monsters. It's about Mulder and Scully, their relationship (not just the romantic facet either!), their quest to believe and and hold on to love. Through them it's about us, about the human condition. That's why the show only works when both of them are present - and why we're frustrated when they only get 3 minutes of time together onscreen in a massive finale! And the reason the Mulder-Scully relationship is so compelling is because it grew organically, like a real relationship, almost in spite of the wishes of the show creator. It began accidentally, through the unplanned magic of the natural and seemingly effortless chemistry between the lead actors. As they inhabited the characters, the writers picked this up, writing to it, enhancing it and pushing it into new places. In that way the characters pulled their authors into places they did not expect to go - just as novel writers will say that their characters take on a life of their own and end up directing where the story goes, even when that wasn't the author's original intent. That's why the show is so good, even when there are weaker plots or weaker scripts - because Scully and Mulder have become so real that they are always a pleasure to watch, just like we enjoy the presence of our old friends even on mundane days. We thank you, DD, GA, CC, the team, and, yes, Fox. We love you, please come back with more - we're not ready for you to leave again now.
44
There is a perfectly good reason why they are separated from each other, they had to take individual action on their own, Mulder had to confront CSM (his biological father for those that don't know) and Scully had to use her own blood to find an antidote, both of these actions were very significant and we had to zone in on the individual characters, each was given their own moment to shine. later we had an opportunity to see how much the two characters care about each other, Scully racing to get to Mulder, refusing to let any obstacle stand in her way, racing through a World coming apart at the seams to get to Mulders side, and Mulder basically trying to stay alive long enough to see Scully's face one more time. They only share a minute of screen time in that episode but that one minute was one of the powerful moments in X-file history, we wanted so much for Scully to get to Mulder, to save Mulder, that if you were like me your heart was racing.
And the anguish on Scully's face when she realized she gotten there too late that Mulder was going to die.
As a team, Scully and Mulder have proven time and time again, that they can solve any mystery, overcome any obstacle, meet any challenge, they are heroes in every sense of the word, and as short as their time together might have been, I think it will not only serve as a perfect mental touchstone for all x-file fans but also serve as an example of a perfect love between two people.
And the anguish on Scully's face when she realized she gotten there too late that Mulder was going to die.
As a team, Scully and Mulder have proven time and time again, that they can solve any mystery, overcome any obstacle, meet any challenge, they are heroes in every sense of the word, and as short as their time together might have been, I think it will not only serve as a perfect mental touchstone for all x-file fans but also serve as an example of a perfect love between two people.
The final episode aired tonight. Here's hoping all can agree to bring it back for more episodes. Being a "X-Filer" for many years, it was so good to see the old crew back together again.
10
Sigh. I heartily agree with everything the writer said. I think, in the end, Chris Carter et al simply tried to do way too much in a mere six episodes. Alas, rather than make a compelling case for further episodes, this season really does the exact opposite, causing many die hard fans of the show when it was great to go running back to those first seasons (maybe 1-6 or so). Except of course for the episode where Mulder and Scully meet the Were-Man. That episode proves that we need more, much more, Darin Morgan.
15
I'm a science fiction fan but always saw the X-files as pretty weak sauce, because it was just goofy silliness about conspiracy alien theories and mythology come to life (werewolf, genie, recycling monster, etc.). It was well filmed and had some good dialogue but nothing in it could be taken as anywhere near being realistic.
This as opposed to sci-fi classics like 2001, Bladerunner, and recently Ex Machina, where it's not real but it's all things that could, potentially, be true someday, given certain assumptions (eg: in 2001, interstellar aliens exist, in the others, artificial intelligence is possible).
In the X-files, the aliens' actions never made the slightest bit of sense and were incomprehensible coming from intelligence that had mastered interstellar travel.
So sorry folks, and true believers, but what we ended up with here is what we had all along. An entertaining mish-mosh of fables with no logical theme nor plot. Enjoy it for what it is, because it's a high quality example of the sub-genre (eg: "Pacific Rim" is a lower quality example with better special effects).