**** The Official X-Files Discussion Thread **** (1 Viewer)

[Mike Graham]

*Note: If there's another thread like this, sorry but I can't seem to find it anywhere, so I started this one.*
Anywho, I have to say that even though this is the 9th season of the aging Fox staple, I'm still pumped over its priemier. Although I wish Gillian Anderson had of exited with Duchovny last year, I enjoy the new characters immensely. Plus, the largely under appreciated Mitch Pileggi is finally listed in the opening title sequence!
By the way, to all those who think the show is going to be worse off, season eight turned out to be a step above Season 7, so maybe Season 9 can be even better. If you don't think it will be, relieve yourself of the burden and tune into "Alias", as I'm sure most people will be anyway.
What are everyone else's thoughts on this year?

 

[Matt Wooten]

i have been into the x files since day one. im not your average veiwer by any means.. i did think last season was actually pretty good. it was a better season than the last few actually. this is partly because of the introduction of new characters and the search for mulder i thought was great. but now.. with out david.. the show is in an odd place. i've been with the show since it started and i can say i live, eat, drink, and breathe the x files, but it just won't be holding my attention that much this season. to me.. the show's end was last season's finale. it was a show's ending.. not a season. i look forward to the movies no doubt, but another season WITHOUT mulder? you gotta be kidding me. i know the show has developed itself to exist without its two main stars but i mean comeon! this show has always been about Scully and Mulder.. Mulder and Scully. no way around it. the loss of the half i think will have a huge impact on ratings.. and story wise now.. i don't know where they can go. and frankly.. i don't think chris carter has the slightest idea. he let the show get away from him. now its something else.

 

[Mike St.Louis]

I agree with the previous post.
We've been down this road before and I'm sure Michael will be commenting as well

I'll watch the opener but after that, we'll see.

 

[todd s]

I think they should have let Gillian Anderson out of her contract. This way they could have focused on the 2 new agents. They could always bring Scully & Mulder back for the movie.

 

[Jon Mercer]

I've been watching X-files since day one also and found the last two seasons very unfullfuling. The stories just got away from what was important.
The thing I had such a hard time with was Scully TOTALLY believing EVERYTHING they came across without actually thinking first, regardless of what she has seen/witnessed this is totally out of character for her.
I will give the first couple of episodes a shot but be damned sure I'm enjoying Alias so I'll be taping that too.
------------------
Where the heck is Plucky? HERE DUCKY DUCKY DUCKY!!!
Magic armour is good but it tends to lose its magic without warning. Many an ancient lords last words had been " You can't kill me because I've got magic AARRGG!"
-Interesting Times-

 

[Jason Seaver]

I think they should have let Gillian Anderson out of her contract.

Did she actually ask out? I've seen comments where she's getting tired of it, and might like to pursue other projects, but nothing to indicate she asked to leave, or reduce her workload. Then again, she probably wouldn't say that to the press until after this season's over.

 

[Michael Reuben]

I'm sure Michael will be commenting as well

Not until I've seen the episodes. (I know that's becoming a novel approach, but I'm old-fashioned. )
M.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Well, to get the bump in money for last season, she had to agree to re-up for this season. So, as long as TPTB live up to their end, I have no problems with her having to hold up her end of the bargain.
And for some odd reason, I'm actually getting antsy to see the season premier next weekend! Then again, any excuse to see Gillian Anderson on TV is a good thing.
------------------
PatCave; HT Pix; Gear; DIY Mains; DIY CC; Sunosub I + II + III; DVDs; Link Removed

 

[Mike Graham]

I know Carter's reputation is basically in the mud now ever since people believe the show's quality has gone downhill over the last couple of seasons, but really, he's now just a hired hand. If Carter didn't want to do the show anymore, FOX would simply hire or promote someone else to do the job.
The X Files makes big money for the network; even though it isn't in the top ten anymore, there's still tons of money to be made in syndication, merchandise and a movie franchise. Letting it go would mean leaving a gaping whole in a very respectable Sunday night line-up (or so they seem to think). Personally, pushing Futurama and King of the Hill back to fill whole seems like the most logical idea; I mean really, whose ready to watch TV at 8/7 central?
Getting back to the point, I think easing up on Carter would be best. This is really his first show; as a writer/director/producer, he has tremendous talent. Some Millennium fans still think he cancelled Millennium to make room for Harsh Realm, but I believe that to be largely untrue (besides, he did the show's reputation a favor if he did - Season One and Two were some of the most interesting hours of TV produced in the 90's - while Season Three was an abomination , much like the Third Season of TOS). A producer whose head of a production company would like to have as many decents shows in production as possible.
Speaking of Harsh Realm, it wasn't too shabby either. Shame it was cut short so soon by a network hungry for an instant-hit.

 

[Jason Seaver]

Speaking of Harsh Realm, it wasn't too shabby either. Shame it was cut short so soon by a network hungry for an instant-hit.

Well, I'd argue it was, in fact, on the shabby side, but Fox's quick hook was pretty defensible on that one. It was losing viewers geometrically (2nd week had about 1/2 of the first week, 3rd week 1/2 of 2nd), and everyone involved was getting paid pretty good money. No way it was going to make back its cost. And they were involved in litigation with the creators of the original comic (who really didn't like the "Created By Chris Carter" credit, among other things), which could have wound up costing them even more.
I'm in favor of seeing Samantha Mathis on TV weekly as much as anyone, but I have to admit that if I were running the network, and could avoid paying for episodes 10-13, I'd have killed the show too.

 

[Dave Barth]

Carter badly needs an editor to filter out his more self-indulgent impulses, and an executive producer to provide coherent, long-run planning to his storytelling. I think he's much like David E. Kelley in that he gets his shows off to interesting starts, but unlike Kelley the shows suffer when he doesn't hand them off.
Millennium season 2 was amazing. Thanks not to Carter but Morgan and Wong. Oh, would that Carter had handed the X-Files off in season 4 or (at the latest) season 5...

 

[Chris Dias]

Can someone please tell me what happened in the finale last season? I missed it and I have been trying to catch a rerun of it all summer but I haven't seen it and I'm out of time. So can someone please let me know as much of what happened as you can remember?
Thanks,
Chris

 

[Mike Broadman]

I dunno. I'm still undecided about whether to watch this season. I really didn't like last season, and watched it only because my girlfriend was really into it. Now she's not around, so I'm stuck making up my own mind about what to watch.
It really breaks down to which aspect of X-Files you like more: the stand-alone stories or the arc stories. As a Babylon 5 loyalist, I'm really into drawn-out, engaging story arcs (that's also why I'm gonna be watching 24).
I think what happened is that when X-Files started, it was just supposed to be a "monster of the week" type show. Every week, they'd encounter some strange phenomenon, Mulder would guess it would be an alien/monster, and Scully wouldn't believe him. When Anderson got pregnant, they brought in Krycheck to be Mulder's partner, and that kicked in a continuing arc, at least more so than would have been otherwise.
I personally find that stuff to be more interesting. I don't really like 1st season or the last two, where it was almost all stand-alone eps. I love the middle of the show, with Smoking Man, Krycheck, Well-Manicured Man, Scully's microchip implant, etc. I like the movie, too. I got royally pissed when they killed off the entire Syndicate. Those guys were the best!
Anyways, it looks like this season will be more like last year. It seems that they've been putting arc stories in the first and last eps of a season, and stuffing the rest with stand-alone.
And, I'm sorry, but X-Files without Mulder? He was the Main Guy. So now Scully is playing the Mulder role, and the T-1000 is Scully? Ugh.

 

[Michael Reuben]

Can someone please tell me what happened in the finale last season?

http://www.thexfiles.com/episodes/season8/8x21.html

 

[Mike Graham]

Ugh, a rash of reviews of tonight's season primiere have been released, and none of them are very flattering. This definitely isn't helping me get psyched for tonight ;(

 

[Alex Spindler]

The new intro is different. Understandably considering Duchovny no longer receives any billing. It has me somewhat concerned. They now have four characters, with Scully and Doggett as well as Skinner and Reyes, I have to wonder if they'll be stretching themselves thin trying to tie them altogether. It was always a careful balancing act for shows like ER, but they were not as plot driven as the X-Files has been. I wonder if they'll feel compelled to balance time between all of them?

 

[Patrick Sun]

Sigh...I'm afraid the writing on the first episode of this season wasn't too good.
Mulder just up and leaves, and Scully is so vague to Doggett that I just wanted to throw the remote at the TV. Give the viewers a little credit, please!
Brad seems to be a creep. Monica has a nice healthy sized libido, but it does leave her open to lots of unwanted attention within the FBI.
Doggett has the attention span of a gnat it seems. Skinner is pulled in too many directions of being a friend to the X-Files and still trying to keep his job.
Kersh is also creepy.
Lucy Lawless was, of course, mysterious, and menacing (how tall is she, anyway?).
------------------
PatCave; HT Pix; Gear; DIY Mains; DIY CC; Sunosub I + II + III; DVDs; Link Removed

 

[Mike St.Louis]

Sigh...I'm afraid the writing on the first episode of this season wasn't too good.

You were surprised by this?

 

[tyler O]

For the first time in memory I fell asleep watching the X-Files. I had to sit up in order to finish the episode.

Let us hope that they get sense, wind up the arc, and let it be done with. (Again, this is my interpretation and belief.) I was highly disappointed. The attempts at suspense and drama were too much and everything seemed so contrived... This really started around the middle to end of 5, and it got so bad I could call an episode, completely, by watching the opening segment. I fear it is only disintegrating further... This is like letting 24 go on for 48 episodes. You should know when to end it...
------------------
Share and Enjoy - The marketing division of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation.
The difference between 0 and 1 is infinite.
My DVDs

 

[Mark Pfeiffer]

Could someone summarize what happened last night? I was having trouble staying awake--a long work week, although perhaps it was the show itself?--and didn't exactly understand what was going on. Your help is appreciated...
------------------
Read my reviews at www.dvdmon.com
Most recent reviews: Bridget Jones's Diary, Withnail and I: The Criterion Collection