Introduction

"Sorry! Nobody down here except for the F.B.I.'s most unwanted!"

You may have heard of a show called the X-Files, no? Created by Chris Carter; starring David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, the X-Files originally aired for nine seasons from 1993 to 2002. The X-Files became a hit because of its subject matter ranging from government conspiracy to Monster of the Week stories that explored the mythos of urban legends such as the Jersey Devil and created such original horrors as Eugene Victor Tooms; a horrifying age-defying murderer that could contort his body to squeeze into vents and other tight areas to reach his victims. While fan and critical response are generally positive for the first seven seasons, consensus opinion is that the quality of the show drastically drops off following Duchovny's departure at the end of season seven. 

For reference, interest in the show peaked in seasons 4 & 5: reaching 19.2 and 19.8 million viewers avg. respectively. These numbers coincide with the release of the first film X-Files: Fight for the Future which was released on June 19, 1998 and brought in 189.2 million at the box office. Suffice to say, X-Files was a pretty big deal in the 90s. 

As someone who grew up on the show I'm excited to begin this project. I've been contemplating taking on a project like this with a number of other shows but I landed on the X-Files because of what the show means to me. As some background I've seen the first few seasons multiple times but I'll try to not jump the gun on story arcs if I can help it. 

So for everyone interested in the X-Files, this is for you, the Spooky and Unwanted. 

Remember...






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

S1 E5: Jersey Devil

Image
The premise of this episode is Mulder goes to investigate attacks on the outskirts of Atlantic City, New Jersey that stir up rumblings about the Jersey Devil urban legends.  As far as positives goes for this episode there is some fun stuff involving Scully going on a date with a man who winds up being more interested in Mulder's work. Poor Scully. While Scully is trying to have a social life, Mulder is hitting the streets of Atlantic City trying to get information about the homeless man who was supposedly attacked by the Jersey Devil. This episode isn't subtle in its messaging about the police/city brass seeing the homeless population as monstrous as the beast preying on them.  Notorious fun-haver Richard Dawkins once critiqued that X-Files using pseudo-scientific analysis to explain the show's phenomena is "insidious". While I think critiques like that are a bit silly considering X-Files makes it clear from the beginning that this show leans hard into sc
Read more

S1 E2: Deep Throat

Image
"Mr. Mulder, why are those like yourself, who believe in the existence of extraterrestrial life on Earth, not entirely dissuaded by all the evidence to the contrary?"  "Because...all the evidence to the contrary is not entirely dissuasive."  In this episode Mulder and Scully make their way to Ellens Air Base in Idaho to investigate a possible cover-up involving test pilots flying experimental aircraft. However before they leave Mulder is confronted by a mysterious man who warns Mulder to drop the case. (Look out for the Seth Green cameo, too!) This is the episode where X-Files truly kicks off. Pilot did a sufficient job in setting up some important elements but Deep Throat really hammers home what the show is all about: trust no one. The introduction of Deep Throat -- a high ranking government official that aids Mulder -- adds so much to not only the scale of which Mulder and Scully are up against but the stakes as well. Everything is set up so well and is b
Read more

S1 E7: Ghost in the Machine

Image
The C.O.S. (Central Operating System), a super computer located at the headquarters of a software company begins a murderous rampage in the name of self-preservation after concerns of its ability begin within the company. It's up to the agents to destroy it before it falls into the wrong hands. Let's take a trip back to 1993. The anxieties about technology chronicled in shows like Black Mirror are much, much different than what was being presented in an era before smartphones and widespread access to the internet. Technology changes in the blink of an eye. As a result plenty of beloved films and TV shows become time capsules of a bygone era. X-Files is no exception here with Ghost in the Machine. Invasive technology as a concept is as relevant as ever. However the writers of this episode admit they weren't the most tech savvy so the concept is half-baked at best. The episode has far too many threads that don't pay off in any meaningful way. Mulder and Scully are bro
Read more