Personal Experience Of The X-files.

[Raven Wolf]

I'll have a think about it but seeing as how you've said what Seasons you like in order Raven, why don't you clue us in on why you thought they were good/bad?

Cheers.

Who, ME? I don't know what I'm saying half the time!

Actualy, those wern't so much in order of favorites as in numerical order, starting with my first fav. season. By season 3, The X Files seemed to realy have it's feet on the ground. With such classics as "Grotesque" "The Blessing Way" and "Paper Clip" (following season 2's classic "Anasazi"), how can you go wrong? Season 7 is another peak, in my openion, with episodes like "All Things", "Je Souhaite", "Fight Club" (funny, you've got to admit), and "Requiem". Even "Theef", I have to admit, is pretty engaging whenever it comes on, though I have to leave the room when that guy does vodoo on Scully's eyes! (I have a real "thing" about eyes! ) Even seasons 8 and 9 had their moments, with G. Anderson's great perfomance on "This Is Not Happening" in season 8, and while season 9 started off slow, it picked up during the season with my personal favorite of the season "Improbable".

Is that kinda what you were asking?

[Guest A Stranger]

Season 4 is probably the best season. I think it found the balance of creepiness/comedy/mythology and drama more than any other year. "Paper Hearts" is proably my favorite episode of all time. The Scully's cancer arc was very dramatic was nicely flowed from mythology to stand alone episodes. There was so much going on in that year and it was commercially the show's peak, I believe. Looking back it seems very dense and great.

Worst season is unquestionably 9. It was a failure on every single level. I really cannot see any redeeming value and I should say I was from the very beginning, still am, and at the time was a huge X-Files fan and I could barely force myself to watch the show week after week. But I just had to to tune it just to see how far they could go in destroying the show!

I thought season 7 was pretty weak all around. I liked 6 a lot actaully. It was very differnt but still, in my opinion, the same quality. But in 7 it just fizzled. The comedies weren't funny and the mytholgy was horrible. I won't go into "Closure." The show got too cozy, with their reliance on the Mulder and Scully relationship. It started to be the foundation of the episodes and the stories suffered because of it. It had it's moments. What are normaly seen as "filler" episodes in season 7 were probably the best of that year like "Theef" and "Rush." But "Requiem" was really good.

I don't think season 8 is nearly as bad as 9 and actaully kind of like it better than 7. It was so much darker! And I thought Doggett was pretty good and the mytholgy was so much better in terms of the stories. I think Carter ruined a prefectly good oppurtunity for the show to got out in a bang when he used Duchovny's abscence as a way to keep the show going instead of winding it down.

The Mulder/Scully relationship was horribly destoryed in Carter's half-assed attmepts to belittle the importance of Mulder though. Mulder dying and not telling Scully about it? Mulder and Scully having a child together but it never being mentioned expect in flashbacks?! I had always loved the Mulder/Scully relationship but the fact that they couldn't simply tell us they took this HUGE step in their relationship simply because they have always liked to keep the audience guessing is HORRIBLE writing. They might as well have said they've been sleeping together from the Pilot but never brought it up and never showed it on screen. The nature of their relationship was always an issue to them as much as the audience so never actaully adressing it on screen was lame and embarassing.

The mythology is definatly made up as it went along. I think around season four/five Carter had a good idea and it become more consistent becuase of the film. The thing that I think made those episodes and maybe the show work were the fact that each new chapter of the mythology could be viewed seperatly and work to the casual viewer.

Off course, I like all the seasons. I've already written enough for now though!

[Guest A Stranger]

For my money, Seasons 6, 7 and 8 are all fairly good, just not as good as the early Seasons. They are still worth watching, just don't expect such classics as 'Beyond the Sea'  etc. I wasn't trying to get on your case amnesic - it's just that S5 was such a huge letdown for me and I do consider it by far the weakest of all the 8 Seasons I have seen. So how about summing up the Seasons in terms of what you did and didn't like about them? I'll have a think about it but seeing as how you've said what Seasons you like in order Raven, why don't you clue us in on why you thought they were good/bad?

Cheers.

See, I think there are many classics in season 6. I think the comediac element was very refreshing. Off the top of my head I would say "Tithonus" or "Milagro" are of the "Beyond the Sea" calibre.

I liked season 5 a lot too. I really can't think of what I don't like about it, anyway. Well, I think "Redux" is one of the most boring openers ever right next to "The Sixth Extinction" but "Redux II" makes up for it. That's probably one of the best mythology episodes in the entire series. The show sometimes has a hard time balancing realistic drama with the aliens and conspricacy stuff and "Redux II" is an excellent example of when it works.

[Guest Pencil Machine Operator]

                      See, I think there are many classics in season 6. I think the comediac element was very refreshing. Off the top of my head I would say "Tithonus" or

                      "Milagro" are of the "Beyond the Sea" calibre.

yeah, absolutely. Milagro is definitely one of my favourites of any season. So different from anything else on TV, and where else do you hear people say "Hegelian self-justification"? Great acting all round, great direction... just a stunning episode.

But still, I'm not a big fan of s6, despite all the great episodes. Perhaps its because it started on such a, IMO, bum note with The Beginning. And also I found myself just shrugging really, when I saw a lot of the MOTW episodes like Terms of Endearment, and Trevor.

Episodes like Drive, Monday and Triangle, though enjoyable, seemed like they were conceived in a board-room.

Every season has its classics and its turkeys, so, personally I find it hard to explain what, for me, constitutes a 'bad' season. But, for some reason, season 6 definitely sticks out for me as a poor one (and definitely worse than 5, IMO).

[Raven Wolf]

I keep reading all these posts, and trying to come up with a least fav. season, and I just can't do it! Yeah, there were some stikers in every season, but there are some days, weeks, and even YEARS that stink in LIFE, and we shouldn't just cancell it for that! So, why expect a freaking TV-show to be perfect? Nobody's perfect!

[Guest A Stranger]

I keep reading all these posts, and trying to come up with a least fav. season, and I just can't do it!  Yeah, there were some stikers in every season, but there are some days, weeks, and even YEARS that stink in LIFE, and we shouldn't just cancell it for that!   So, why expect a freaking TV-show to be perfect?  Nobody's perfect!  

I'll help you come up with a least favorite. Hint: it's season 9. I just can't excuse it. And the X-Files isn't life! :grin2:

Edited May 2, 2004 by A Stranger

[Guest amnesic]

For my money, Seasons 6, 7 and 8 are all fairly good, just not as good as the early Seasons. They are still worth watching, just don't expect such classics as 'Beyond the Sea'  etc. I wasn't trying to get on your case amnesic - it's just that S5 was such a huge letdown for me and I do consider it by far the weakest of all the 8 Seasons I have seen. So how about summing up the Seasons in terms of what you did and didn't like about them? I'll have a think about it but seeing as how you've said what Seasons you like in order Raven, why don't you clue us in on why you thought they were good/bad?

Cheers.

other than the S5 eps i named i don't even know what the other eps where. i've only seen the season once. i'm assuming i didn't like them as i don't have them on tape. didn't S5 have the other pusher ep in it as well? i liked that one, think i have it on tape somewhere

[Raven Wolf]

I'll help you come up with a least favorite. Hint: it's season 9. I just can't excuse it. And the X-Files isn't life! :grin2:

I wavered between seasons 8 & 9...but even though there are a lot of weak episodes, there are still some realy good ones. Like season 9s "DAEOMONICUS", that one was realy cool!

Yeah, X Files isn't life! That's my point!

[Guest A Stranger]

I wavered between seasons 8 & 9...but even though there are a lot of weak episodes, there are still some realy good ones. Like season 9s "DAEOMONICUS", that one was realy cool!

Yeah, X Files isn't life! That's my point!

I didn't really like "Deamonicus." To me it seemed like it was thrown together by all the different writers in a board room piecing together old episodes. The directing was interesting at some instances but really lame at others too. It just seemed like a really patched together episodes.

The only episode I could say REALLY liked in season 9 was "John Doe." I also liked "Release." John Doggett was a pretty interesting character and well portrayed by Patrick but his involvement with the mytholgy just never made sense and the only times I thought he really worked were in the ones that involved his own mythology, which unfortuanly didn't fit with the alien plotline. He just felt like an outisider kind of saying "I don't know, guys..." in the mytholgy episodes, which is what he would say because he had no reason to be interested in, or believe the things he was in charge of investigating. And there's another reason I didn't like "Deamonicus," the idea that the only reason Doggett hangs around the X-files basement is because of Scully!? I mean, I can understand but I am really glad they dropped that potential plotline!

Season 9 had complelty lost it's focus. Carter had always said the show was about a sceptic and a believer investigating the paranormal, which is true but I don't think it's as simple as that because that premise obviously does not esnure the show's success. Duchovny and Anderson as well as Mulder and Scully togher were so important to the show's success both commercially and artistically. I understand what they were trying to do with Doggett and Reyes but trying to duplicate what they had created (the characters) and stumbled into (the on-screen chemsitry) to me just seems greedy or like they didn't even know what they were doing. Carter is infamous for his massive ego and I really think he thought he could write himself out of any situation. I think when the main character leaves the show after EIGHT YEARS it's okay to call it quits.

[Raven Wolf]

Ooooo! Yes! I LOVED "John Doe"! Very cool. And, I thought it was a weird coincidence that, shortly after that came out, that short-lived show NAMED "John Doe" came out!