2023/10/20

For years there were rumors about a new X-Files movie or a limited series and in 2016 we finally got something new in the X- Files universe! Initially a limited series with only six episodes. I didn’t care it were only six episodes. Of course, I wanted more but I just was so happy we got to see these two iconic characters again on our TV screens, even if would only be for a handful of episodes. You cannot deny that Mulder and Scully arguably are the most popular and successful characters in TV history. Their relationship was fleshed out more and more, ultimately, they became a couple, broke-up and finally became a couple again. Their chemistry together is undeniable, and I even would welcome a season twelve, although I am fairly certain it won’t come to that, at least not with these two characters driving the show. Perhaps Chris Carter, or someone else, at one point, with backing obviously, decide to reboot the show.

The 10^th season isn’t a fantastic one, but it surely is entertaining and 4 out of these 6 episodes aren’t mythological episodes. The first and the last ones are. Again, the mythological storyline is changed, a different truth so to say, which I thought was a bit of a shame. Mulder is now convinced that all these years he has been lied to, it was the government all the time using alien tech. Still, I do enjoy the mythological episodes, even though it has come a bit messy perhaps. But I like the stakes of such an episode, plus they do look a bit like a feature film. I really did like episode 3, “Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster”, where Mulder questions his faith in the unexplained. He is struggling a bit and is searching for proof and yes, Mulder now has a smart phone. He deals not with a man who becomes another strange creature, but a creature who becomes a human. Real silly but fun episode with Tyler Labine guest-starring like he did on the original series. Also, an ode to Kim Manners and Jack Hardy in the cemetery scene.

Episode 4 is also interesting, “Home Again”, there were rumors before it aired that this was sort of a sequel to the season 4 episode “Home”, but this turned out not to be the case, but it was just as filthy but on a different level. B-story for me, is more interesting, Scully’s mum has a heart attack, and she slips into a coma. Before she slipped into a coma she was asking for Scully’s estranged brother. When he calls her, Scully’s mum wakes up for a moment and tells Mulder she also has a child called William! “Babylon” is another silly episode, silly but fun, at least that is how I experienced it. We meet potentially two new agents who could become the lead characters of a follow-up show: Agent Einstein (Lauren Ambrose) and Agent Miller (Robbie Amell). They work together with Mulder and Scully to find a method to question a terrorist who currently is lying in a coma. Laura Ambrose’s character Einstein does not hide her distaste for Mulder’s way of working and thinking. The most fun I had this episode was Mulder who takes some mushrooms because he is convinced that is the way to communicate with the terrorist. A few hilarious minutes follow where Mulder dances on a country song and we see some cameos of The Lone Gunmen.

The final episode of season 10 “My Struggle” Part two is a follow-up episode of the first episode which is called “My Struggle” Part one. It is an exciting story, both Agents Einstein and Miller are there too. Cancer man is back from the dead and threatens to unleash a virus. Annabeth Gish reprises her role as Monica Reyes, and she is now linked to the cigarette smoking man. The episode ends with a wide-open cliff-hanger, and I believe at that time it hadn't been officially renewed for an 11^th season. Luckily, we did get it.

The 11^th season did come, even though the ratings weren’t stellar over the course of the whole 6 episodes. Still Fox brought The X-Files back for what now seems the final season. Like season 10, season 11 also is a mixture of SCI-FI, monster of the week, silly episodes. With any other TV shows this might have annoyed me, but this was typical for The X-Files, also in its original run. The seasons opens where last season ended, called “My Struggle” part 3. What we saw in the final moments of season 10 actually was a vision of Scully, who is lying in a hospital. In fact, it is her son William who tries to make contact with her. CSM tells Monica Reyes that not Mulder, but he is the father of William and he is also convinced that Scully will survive the alien invasion because she has alien DNA. Scully is attacked in the hospital; Mulder is there to save her! My favorite episode is the 2^nd one called “This” where Mulder receives messages on his telephone from Langley from The Lone Gunmen, who is dead for 16+ years or so. He asks Mulder if he is dead. Suddenly Mulder’s house is surrounded with armed men and he and Scully must fight to stay alive. Mulder and Scully find out that Langley appears to have his mind uploaded to a digital platform but is being mis-used by the rich. In the final moments we see Langley again in agony, a man comes into the frame who has been trying to kill Mulder and Scully. Really loved this episode, but the story remains open!

“Plus One”, episode 3, is also an entertaining episode, a pair of fraternal twins playing a dangerous game telepathically. Some nice scenes in the hotel with Mulder and Scully, there still is some love there! As a long-time fan, these are the moments which makes an episode extra special. “The Lost Art of Forehead” is another silly but fun episode, where are they exploring the idea of The Mandela Effect, in which large groups of people remember an alternate history, Mulder and Scully find out how the X-Files themselves may really have originated. A guy named Reggie, supposedly was a partner of Mulder and Scully, calling Scully ‘Sculls’!

In “Ghouli” a pair of teenage girls attack one another, they believe the other one is a monster. Mulder and Scully find out that this possible could lead back to their son William. Mulder doesn’t know CSM is the father of William. Scully has a connection with someone, which is William. In the final moments of the episode, she meets an Asian guy she met before, she has a feeling about him. When they check the camera footage, it turns out to be Jackson van de Kamp aka William. She had a nice talk, he said he thought she was a very nice lady. The 6^th episode is a Skinner episode called “Kitten”. Skinner goes AWOL when his past comes back to haunt him. A former mate from the military has killed in the past and is killing again. Kersh is convinced Mulder and Scully know about his whereabouts and tells them that because actions like this Skinner never became the head of the FBI.

“Rm9sbG93ZXJz” is a strange and oddly terrifying episode because it shows us what can happen when AI becomes more and more advanced. Yes, this is a TV show, but you cannot close your eyes that this actually could become a reality. Another nice moment in the end when Mulder and Scully are sitting in a regular lunch bar when Scully takes Mulder’s hand affectionally. “Familiar” was, I think, my least favorite of the season, still an okay episode where Mulder and Scully suspect that darker forces are at play as they investigate a brutal animal attack on a little boy in Connecticut. The one before last episode is another silly episode, but again, kinda fun. In “Nothing Last Forever” Group of people follow a former actress of whom husband has found a “cure” for the aging, they even get younger. Of course, other people have to be sacrificed and there is a lot of blood drinking!

The series finale, at least, as far as we know it is the series finale, “My Struggle” Part 4, the mythological thread is concluded more or less. William is somewhat central in this episode, he knows Mulder is not his father and he knows who is, he hates him. Because of his powers, William is chased by multiple people and organizations. Kersh is angry at Mulder and Scully and wants their badges. Skinner is supposed to fire Mulder and Scully but instead helps them. He kills Monica who is in the car with CSM but gets overrun by the car he was firing at, with the CSM grabbing the wheel. William, who can appear as anyone, disguises himself as Mulder and tries to warn his mum to let him (William) go. When William is running again, as Mulder, the CSM is waiting for him, he doesn’t know it is actually William and shoots him in the head. Mulder witnesses this and presumably kills the CSM…yeah you never know with this guy. Mulder, who still doesn’t know about him not being the father of William, tells Scully he no longer is a father but Scully, who takes his hand, places it on her belly, she doesn’t understand it either, because is supposed to be barren! Meanwhile…in the water, William’s head rises above the water, alive, with the bullet hole in his head!

Final Word:

Oh my, it took 1.5 years to rewatch The X-Files this time. This because I watched it with my partner, which means it automatically takes longer. But I don’t mind really, I’ve enjoyed it a lot, I also really enjoyed the last seasons as well as seasons 8 & 9, I really liked Doggett and Reyes. Mulder and Scully definitely belong to my all-time favorite characters on a TV show, this will never change and therefore I am confident that I will rewatch it again in 5 years or so. Again, I don’t know if we will ever see any follow-up seasons with these characters, if not, I am reasonably satisfied with the ending, a shame though we didn’t find out what happened to Skinner, is he dead or just wounded?

Screencaps taken from: The X-Files Archive