Television The X-Files 30th Anniversary complete rewatch thread

[shinobimusashi]

I started watching it one episode on Sunday nights back last year 2023 on every episode's 30 year anniversary. I never realized how big of a gap there was in between episodes. Sometimes you would go 6-8 week stretches with only 2-3 episodes airing sporadically. That was pretty sweet to watch the Squeeze episode and talk about how he only comes out every 30 years, if they don't catch him they won't get another chance until the year 2023. They all really missed the big opportunity to cash in on that they should have made a full movie even if only on streaming somewhere. It's like the last few Friday 13th's that landed in October how do you not crank out a Jason movie to cash in on that? Crazy.

But god I love season 1 all the way through. My favorite batch of episodes. The corny ones are even great because of the early 90's feel.

First half of season 2 was not good did not like it. The Duane Barry stuff was drawn out, Scully in a coma zzzz. But it gets great in the back half with the prime X-Files episodes, the devil cult teachers, circus freaks episode, Anasazi finale. Season 3 was prime X-Files through and through, peak of the show but on this watch through I got to put season 4 up there on that same level, the show was still running hot and had an even bigger budget feel to me. There were a few bad episodes but I REALLY loved the Max two parter.

Some episodes I caught on this go around that never appreciated before. 2Shy, about a creep on online dating sites targeting women to kill. This was such a great episode and I was so impressed with the final fight scene with the villain vs Scully in the small bathroom I thought that was a great little fight scene for a TV show, whole episode was movie quality. Can't remember which season that was from maybe 3?

Killswitch episode from one of the middle seasons about uploading your consciousness into artificial intelligence so you can live on forever. I think this was from like 1997 or 1998 season so thought that concept was pretty ahead of it's time, corny episode but still cool idea.

Season 5 to me is where the mythology of the series and the series overall is a mess. It starts to go downhill here for me. This is the shorter season that leads up to the movie that came out 1998, it's only 20 episodes when most other seasons where 24-25 if not more I can't remember exactly. But I thought it was so odd how the main arc storyline had so little to do with the movie, like several characters just thrown in there the little chess kid I can't stand, the lady agent that tries to get in between Mulder and Scully, then neither of them are even mentioned in the movie at all? But this still had some good episodes and moments, the show was still good but odd writing there.

Season 6 to me is where the show goes off the rails. Not a fan of the point where it stops taking itself seriously and is just a gag parody of itself. Hated the traingle episode, then the 2 part dreamland goof off. This is also the point where the main storyline arc really kind of ends to me, the rogue alien faction kills off the entire syndicate torching them and their families there in the end of Two Fathers/One Son two part. After that there is a huge stretch of episodes that have nothing to do with that main story.

Season 7 to me has more of some of the worst episodes, the terrible writing off of the Samantha storyline, the one story that really made the show stand out to me. Also there is one episode about Scully the one with the Moby music, it is the most god awful episode there is of this show.

Honestly that is where every watch through I've tries fades out. I've never been able to make it through season 8. I'm going to try to do it this time.

 

[shinobimusashi]

Always did love the movie, think about how off the rails people are with conspiracy theories and all the technology now how much deeper this show gets with time, I mean they suggest there is a group of old guys running the world that had MLK and Kennedy killed and rigged the Rodney King trial/LA Riots, that's pretty fucking deep.

 

[Jack Reacheround]

When fox was fbi agent it was fun show when other guy took over not that exiting episodes i mean

I think I like the episodes with Robert Patrick the most. At least, I like them much more consistently. There were some great, great episodes with Duchovny. But there were also a ton of episodes with Duchovny. So they were bound to hit the mark some number of times. But every episode with Robert Patrick was a banger.

 

[fica]

Two best episodes were to me insect boss and neat neigboorhood where everytbing needs to be clean or dirt monster comes to you.

 

[Protectandserve]

Been going through it again since I was really young when the show was in its prime.

Still holds up on rewatch. I’m enjoying it

 

[puppybird]

Hi, here's a fun fact, my 3rd wife hasn't yet been conceived

Player alert

 

[fica]

I think I like the episodes with Robert Patrick the most. At least, I like them much more consistently. There were some great, great episodes with Duchovny. But there were also a ton of episodes with Duchovny. So they were bound to hit the mark some number of times. But every episode with Robert Patrick was a banger.

That insect in back of a head with sect that smash the scull and sculy having it in her was good i am watching it on channel 2 he has interesting shows

 

[Jack Reacheround]

That insect in back of a head with sect that smash the scull and sculy having it in her was good i am watching it on channel 2 he has interesting shows

Roadrunner. I just watched that last night. It’s one of my favorites.

 

[Bullitt68]

insect boss

Just watched this one last night. @shinobimusashi, you're nuts hating on Season 5. "Detour," "Schizogeny," "Chinga," "Kill Switch," "Bad Blood," "Travelers," "Mind's Eye," "All Souls," "The Pine Bluff Variant," and "Folie à Deux." All Season 5 episodes and all B+ or better. Season 5 is remarkably consistent with its high-level episodes, very much still the prime of the show IMO.

 

[fica]

Is kill switch satelite AI and van in middle of nowhere tjat has at that time 1000mg internet cable

 

[BearGrounds]

Just watched this one last night. @shinobimusashi, you're nuts hating on Season 5. "Detour," "Schizogeny," "Chinga," "Kill Switch," "Bad Blood," "Travelers," "Mind's Eye," "All Souls," "The Pine Bluff Variant," and "Folie à Deux." All Season 5 episodes and all B+ or better. Season 5 is remarkably consistent with its high-level episodes, very much still the prime of the show IMO.

Detour is the GOAT monster of the week episode. Super creative idea for a "monster". Forest setting was Predator esque. Solid television.

 

[streets ahead]

Rewatching now and the commentary about the government is much less outlandish to me than when I was a kid. Wish Hulu had the movies though. I

 

[Jack Reacheround]

Detour is the GOAT monster of the week episode. Super creative idea for a "monster". Forest setting was Predator esque. Solid television.

I love that episode, but the science is a little thin on that. It would take more than 500 years for a group of humans to evolve such that their skin could change color like a chameleon’s. Much more than 500 years. But still, great episode.

 

[BearGrounds]

I love that episode, but the science is a little thin on that. It would take more than 500 years for a group of humans to evolve such that their skin could change color like a chameleon’s. Much more than 500 years. But still, great episode.

For sure. Still love the episode despite that flaw, I just pretend that the fountain also accelerated their adaptations. It's a creative concept, and I like how they tied in a historical narrative.

 

[The_Renaissance]

Detour is the GOAT monster of the week episode. Super creative idea for a "monster". Forest setting was Predator esque. Solid television.

Yeah, class MOTW episode, that. I still remember the trailer vividly and being like 'fuck yeah, cannot wait til next Sunday'.

 

[jimbob27]

The episode "First Person Shooter" has the best costumes.

 

[moreorless87]

I'm rewatching it right now. Nice timing. Last night, I watched the classic Rashomon-esque vampire episode Bad Blood. In the spirit of The Twilight Zone, if you go episode-by-episode, there are some really strong individual stories. They also did a great job at genuinely disturbing you, both psychologically and physically. I can count on one hand the number of times I've been as physically repulsed as I am when I watch "The Host" (that fluke is quite possibly the most hideously disturbing fictional creation in the history of film and television, I almost can't look at the fucking thing) or "Travelers" (poor Garret Dillahunt with the weird organ-sucking spider thing living in his stomach and that comes out of his mouth, fucking sickening), which is extremely impressive for a '90s TV show to be able to boast.

Also, people have talked about the Bryan Cranston episode for the Vince Gilligan connection, but let's not forget possibly the GOAT episode and possibly the GOAT guest star/character: Peter Boyle as the psychic Clyde Bruckman in "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose." That's the only time where it felt like an "outside" actor/character took over the show. That episode is 100% the Peter Boyle show, and he crushes that character so hard while the episode manages to be at turns funny, scary, sad, uplifting, and profound. He also might have the best line in the entire series, and it's only two words:

In a life full of death, he loves Scully so much because she allows him to see only life, and the way that his eyes light up at her question because he finally gets to think about and say something that doesn't involve death...that's poetry.

Yeah probably my favourite episode as well and I do think an exellent example of how the quirkier side of the show could very often deliver great dramatic depth.

Rewatching in these days I think thats actually one of the things which stands out most for me, yeah there are loads of great monster of the week episodes BUT its also often such a warm show compared to a lot of more modern sci fi/fantasy which can IMHO plays a bit too much to the geek market which demands seriousness above all and ends up feeling a bit childish. The X-files humour really allows its characters to be humanised and given that much more depth.

 

[Jack Reacheround]

The episode "First Person Shooter" has the best costumes.

I couldn’t do it. I had to skip it. I tried. But 15 minutes in I could take no more.

That one and Schozogeny are the only episodes I just can’t watch because they suck so bad.

 

[moreorless87]

Schozogeny you could argue the premise doesnt make a lot of sense but I think is still very well made and atmospheric were as First Person Shooter is just not very good and pretty dated. Killswitch I do still enjoy a good deal though even with the 90's goth hacker girl cliches, does have a nice atmosphere to it.

 

[Jack Reacheround]

Schozogeny you could argue the premise doesnt make a lot of sense but I think is still very well made and atmospheric were as First Person Shooter is just not very good and pretty dated. Killswitch I do still enjoy a good deal though even with the 90's goth hacker girl cliches, does have a nice atmosphere to it.

I do love Killswitch. I think that’s a great episode. It’s not like the movie Hackers where they clearly had no clue how the internet worked. I mean, how do you hack into the school’s fire suppression system in the 90s? Shit like that wasn’t computerized much less online until like a decade ago.