Featured image courtesy of Netflix, “The X-Files” season 2 episode 14, “Die Hand die Verletzt”
Again, we’re doing things a little different this time. Instead of a movie, it’s a show. Like the last installment, this is a show that I love. What they’ve done to it, however, is not okay.
A true gem of the ’90s, “The X-Files” stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. Scully, being a doctor and woman of science, is assigned to debunk “Spooky” Mulder who runs a small department in the Bureau’s basement dealing with paranormal anomalies that couldn’t be solved. Over the years, the two investigate cases of witchcraft, horrific genetic mutations, cannibal chicken farmers and creatures of myth and legend. All the while, they do what they can to subvert a conspiracy within the government by a syndicate in leagues with an alien race trying to colonize the earth: the same aliens that may be responsible for the abduction of Mulder’s younger sister as a child. The more the two work together, the more Scully believes.
Over the course of nine seasons (and two slightly unforgivable movies) we see the development and growth of Mulder and Scully’s indestructible chemistry. Mainly due to the amazing writing on behalf of Chris Carter and the rest of the team. I’ve laughed, I’ve cried and I’ve yelled watching this show as I joined the cult following. Hell, I even forced my parents to watch it with me from the beginning, and they’re obsessed as well. So much that we’ve been using Skype over the last six weeks to watch the six-episode revival together (the family that geeks together, stays together).
Expectations were high, to say the least. We were going back into Mulder and Scully’s life, excited to see where they left off in their relationship and their fight against the alien conspiracy. They were going to be older, wiser and hopefully more sardonic. After baited breath, as the credits rolled during last night’s revival finale cliffhanger, a single whinging thought ran through my mind.
What the hell happened to my show?
Where was the chemistry –the snappy back-and-forth we can always rely on? Where was the uvuncular tough-lough and wisdom of Assistant Director Skinner? Why were the cases so boring, and useless to the plot? They had six episodes to show, and in those six episodes we were promised a resolution to all the questions that were left hanging.
There were so many key components that make the show what it is. But they were nowhere to be found. And sure, I can understand that it’s basically been a century since it aired, and even longer since its prime, but when you make a promise you need to keep it. It’s not enough to just to use the same actors or screenwriters: if there’s no consistency, there’s no point.
Thankfully we had one glimmering ray of hope, and that was the third episode, “Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster.” If you’re going to watch any episode of the revival, I strongly encourage this one. In fact, make time for it. Guest starring Kumail Nanjani and Rhys Darby, Mulder and Scully investigate a possible lizard monster after a series of bodies are found with their throats ripped apart. Like “The Post-Modern Prometheus” (which made me sob with tears of joy) and “Bad Blood” before it, this monster of the week special was clever and just downright funny. The show, to me, has a great way of mixing human morality and existentialism with the most basic of forms slapstick comedy. So for that, they deserve some forgiveness.
The makers also faulted in trying to bring in new characters, rather than bring back the staples from the original series. That’s not to say that these characters don’t have potential, they just didn’t have enough time to really develop them. They bring in FBI agents Miller and Einstein (Robbie Amell and Lauren Ambrose) as the mini Mulder and Scully clones –I mean, they even look the same– as well as news pundit and conspiracy theorist Tad O’Malley (Joel McHale). Instead of trying to keep a well-rounded storyline (if any), these innocent characters are thrown at you causing an unnecessary distraction. They just didn’t have enough time to make them part of the plot.
The finale of this tenth season ended with a cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers, hinting at a few possibiities for the future. Maybe they’ll make a spinoff show for Miller and Einstein, or maybe in a year we’ll get another few mediorcre episodes. The powers that be at Fox have made no indication of going forth with either, but that could also be a media grab to gain interest. Whatever. Until they finally decide if they’re going to give the fans what we’ve been waiting for, I’m going to return to the first nine seasons. Those will never let me down.
