The X-Files 20 years on

bellinter · 25-10-2013 4:41pm

with the recent 20 year anniversary and the publicity that has come with it, I've started re-watching random episodes. Just the standalone ones, I plan on hopefuly watching all the mytharc episodes in order soon, some of those really were brilliant, even when I was never quite sure what was happening (was anyone?!). It really was an outstanding show. Yes, the standard did drop but even later seasons have excellent epsiodes (one I watched the other night, The Goldberg Variation from season 7 is an example. I also thought X-Cops was really good, mainly because of how Scully kept trying to avoid the camera!)

Even now, I dont think the chemistry between two leads has been bettered, particularly in those early days before the stakes became quite so high.

Favourite episodes? Beyond the Sea, Pusher, Small Potatoes, Momento Mori... I could probably name 30.

Right thats it I'm just starting from the Pilot tonight!

The Black Oil · 25-10-2013 4:53pm

At the time, up to a certain point late on in the show, I knew the mytharc pretty much inside out. Don't ask me to recount it now, though. :P

A couple of sites that are pretty well known in the community.

http://www.insidethex.co.uk

http://www.redwolf.com.au/xfiles/

P.Walnuts · 25-10-2013 10:26pm

Least favourite episode anyone?

I think any of the fungus/parasite (except Ice obviously) one's weren't great or any possession epsidoes. The one where Scully gets off with the guy with the talking tattoo was pretty poor also

Most underrated?

I liked Blood (technology telling people to kill) ended in a very creepy manner with Mulder getting the text message.

bellinter · 25-10-2013 10:34pm

Worst has to be 'Space' from season 1. Think it's worse than anything season 8 & 9 produced, though expectation is a lot lower at that point.

I thought the final episode was decent too. Not the satisfying conclusion we were hoping for around season 5/6 time but still ok for me, definitely underrated.

P.Walnuts · 25-10-2013 10:41pm

bellinter wrote: »

Worst has to be 'Space' from season 1. Think it's worse than anything season 8 & 9 produced, though expectation is a lot lower at that point.

I thought the final episode was decent too. Not the satisfying conclusion we were hoping for around season 5/6 time but still ok for me, definitely underrated.

Really enjoyed Acradia come to think of it, one of the best from Season 6

Add any Voodoo epsiodes to the crap pile

Tomk1 · 26-10-2013 10:27pm

I maybe on my own but I really liked Doggett, a breath of fresh air, thought they should've of wrote Scully out, by leaving the FBI to take care of her child, & due to Mulder missing.

I never was a fan of the neverending Alien/Human conspiracy theme.

Just Doggett/Reyes as the leads could have been a fresh new show, they had chemistry, but the story kept digging up the past with Scully pining for Mulder became more a soap-opera.

S9-11 Audrey Pauley: "Awakening in a surreal hospital - which a companion believes to be Death's Waiting Room - after being hit by a car, a comatose Reyes struggles to wake herself up before her organ donor card is acted upon" was great like a Twilight-zone episode.

S9-18 Sunshine Days "Doggett, Reyes, Scully and Skinner stumble on to a bizarre murder case where the main suspect is Oliver Martin (Michael Emerson), a man with an unusual obsession with The Brady Bunch."
another great & fun episode.

S9 was way better than S8 (more good than bad episodes), its a pity it didn't make it to S10

Anyway hope they release Blu-ray & do a revamp but assume JJ has enough on his plate.

The Black Oil · 26-10-2013 10:34pm

I liked Doggett, too.

JJ Abrams didn't have a hand in the series.

Tomk1 · 26-10-2013 10:41pm

Deleted User wrote: »

So this must mean that the spin-off show Millennium, which I still can't spell without a spell-checker, is also nearly 20 years old. That was a great show, from what I remember.

Never seen it, I liked the x-files crossover episode.
Will add this to my wish list.

Mr.Nice Guy · 27-10-2013 12:50am

I liked the feel-good ones like the one with the guy who has almost a superpower in that he's incredibly lucky. At the start of the episode he survives being thrown off a building.

Also liked the one with the lovesick man who could change the weather depending on his mood.

DazMarz · 27-10-2013 11:49am

Can't believe nobody mentioned how kick-ass the main theme (Materia Primoris; to give it its full title) is. Or maybe we all just know. But here's a full version of it. Do not listen while alone at night.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5hB4hBKngg

The Black Oil · 31-10-2013 11:00pm

You're right. Mark Snow's work was another character in the show.

FlawedGenius · 31-10-2013 11:38pm

Great show. Mad to think they worked at it for 9 years :eek: Couldnt see any series going that long nowadays.

Scully just got better and better looking as the seasons went on. She wasnt great in the first season or 2 imo, anyone agree or did she just grow on me??

I'm only at the start of season 7 and I happened to see someone saying it wasn't the same when Moulder left

willl find it hard to watch it without him.

I think its season 6 episodes 2-5 they basically just took the piss, episode where they were on an old ship(Queen something) where Moulder had gone back in tiime to world war 2 and the ship was full of germans. Next one was a goverment ufo man had switched bodys with Moulder, lots of attempts at humour and it was more of a comedy or a mock of the x files.

I had heard that after series 5 it goes downhill but it got its act together again but its like the producers got bored and lazy.

The Black Oil · 31-10-2013 11:43pm

The comedy tradition sprang from Humbug in season 2.

David and Gillian did a couple of panels recently. Good fun!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tojlsX9DZck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y07jbp9iY4o

P.Walnuts · 31-10-2013 11:51pm

Didn't really like the funny ones myself..

For me it was all about the eerie atmosphere that made it so enjoyable

Another underrated epsiode that I enjoyed was Folie a Deax, I really wished they got that thing in the end!

01-11-2013 12:44am

The Black Oil wrote: »

The comedy tradition sprang from Humbug in season 2.

David and Gillian did a couple of panels recently. Good fun!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tojlsX9DZck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y07jbp9iY4o

Well that was a pretty terrible Q&A with some of the least interesting questions that I have ever heard. I suppose though that if you really want an insightful Q&A you really want the writers present but at the very least you would expect the people in attendance to ask something a little more insightful than "would either or you separate or together work with Vince Gilligan again?"

What answer did they expect, "No, neither of us wants to work with one of the most celebrated and respected writers working today".

The Black Oil · 01-11-2013 12:53am

I thought the host's questions were worse (these things often have terrible moderators), in the first one anyway. The same stuff they've been asked 100 times. I think that's why they were goofing around not taking it seriously, that and they don't remember a lot, not that you could blame them. There are various sub sets of X Files fans, though, and some are a bit odd. I met Frank Spotnitz in Galway earlier this month, I didn't ask him anything X Files related and likely wouldn't if I met any of the cast.

01-11-2013 12:54am

LiamKK1982 wrote: »

People these days always mention The Wire, Breaking Bad or The Sopranos as the greatest shows ever, yet they pale in comparison to The X Files, the show was pure genius.

Depends on whether you are more inclined to go for Science Fiction over your fact based dramas (or non sci-fi). Like the OP i used love the standalone off the wall xfiles episodes. the bigger plot was pretty tedious and sh*te to be honest. You got the feeling they were never going to get to the bottom of it.

catallus · 01-11-2013 12:56am

I really liked the funny X-files episodes: the one where the story is told from Mulder's and Scully's separate perspectives was hilarious.

01-11-2013 12:57am

The Black Oil wrote: »

I thought the host's questions were worse (these things often have terrible moderators), in the first one anyway. The same stuff they've been asked 100 times. I think that's why they were goofing around not taking it seriously, that and they don't remember a lot, not that you could blame them. There are various sub sets of X Files fans, though, and some are a bit odd. I met Frank Spotnitz in Galway earlier this month, I didn't ask him anything X Files related and likely wouldn't if I met any of the cast.

When I met Gillian Anderson I asked her a few things about the X-Files but generally it was just a normal conversation. I had hoped to go to the Frank Spotnitz talk and the Vince Gilligan one a few years back but sadly at both times I was short of funds and couldn't attend. The problem with these talks and in fact, any Q&A is that most people are morons. They ask the most banal and obvious questions. I could pick Gilligan's brain for weeks and barely touch upon the X-Files or Breaking Bad.

The Black Oil · 01-11-2013 1:09am

If I see another video asking an actor 'so did you have any idea _________ was going to be so successful?' Ask a real question, please.

It was a 2+ hour Q & A, the moderator guy was OK, but generally had done his homework across the full range of Frank's work. Only a handful of questions at the end, surprisingly most were X Files related (no one was wearing an X Files t-shirt!) - it was a film/TV writing student audience, so I expected the questions to focus on writing in general.

Frank was very humble when I spoke to him, just a bit about internet reaction to Breaking Bad, American and European styles of making TV. I have no real desire to ask X Files questions as part of the mystery is to make up my own mind or yap about it online. I'd probably just thank Gillian and be sure to mention Bleak House, too.

01-11-2013 1:16am

The Black Oil wrote: »

It was a 2+ hour Q & A, the moderator guy was OK, but generally had done his homework across the full range of Frank's work. Only a handful of questions at the end, surprisingly most were X Files related (no one was wearing an X Files t-shirt!) - it was a film/TV writing student audience, so I expected the questions to focus on writing in general.

With an audience like that you expect a few insightful questions, something along the lines of "how does writing an ongoing series differ from one which is more episodic and mystery of the week?" but what you usually get is, "OMG I love (insert popular show). What was it like working with (insert attractive star)?"

The Black Oil · 01-11-2013 1:20am

Here's a better audience with Frank. Pretty much goes through the whole process, how he set the writers' room (for Hunted) to reflect alternate point of views because he wanted arguments and passion to lead to good work.

Dice75 · 22-12-2013 1:26pm

Found a channel called Lifetime (UPC 218) showing some episodes at the moment

The Black Oil · 24-01-2014 8:33pm

Tomorrow marks 5 years since the passing of Kim Manners. A great director who really left his mark on the show, and indeed on Supernatural.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jc3dGBOS1gs

LiamKK1982 · 28-02-2014 2:56am

I was just looking at the X Files wikipedia page, and it says that work on the blu ray version was rumoured to have started in late 2013. Fingers crossed although I'm not looking forward to the price, I think it's safe to say it would be at least €100! The truth is out there..........in HD

The X-Files 20 years on

Comments