The X-Files...back this summer

[bbmike]

Or his bank account had gotten lower.

[Sir Slash]

I remember really liking all the non-alien episodes. The last one was just lame. The Truth is out there, and it is Mulder & Scully should move-on.

[Nefaro]

I remember really liking all the non-alien episodes. The last one was just lame. The Truth is out there, and it is Mulder & Scully should move-on.

QFT

[JasonPratt]

galvanized by alien research this thread arises from the dead.

also, that was meant to be written in humorous all caps, but then I realized all lowcaps reflected my mood better.

Anyway, those 6 eps will apparently now be regarded as Season 10, and "Season 11" is on the way.

They blew their chance with me last summer. Even the non-mytharc eps were occasionally insulting to the fans; the mytharc eps were worse. But here we go.

[Sir Slash]

This season Mulder and Scully search for the aliens that abducted their careers. I'll watch it cause Scully's still hot.

[bbmike]

This season Mulder and Scully search for the aliens that abducted their careers. I'll watch it cause Scully's still hot.

You'd watch it if Phyllis Diller was Mulder's partner.  <:-)

[Sir Slash]

Not in her present condition, no. But if she was Scully's room mate.....

[BanzaiCat]

Never watched the X-Files. I think the episodes are on Netflix. Is it worth it now? Do the old episodes hold up, do you think?

[ghostryder]

X-files is an odd ball. Back then it was an edgy show- but now it's more cheesy of a show trying to edgy. The 'New" series that I watched is nothing like the old- they don't even try to be convincing. There's literally an episode where Mueller- who is supposed to be the true believer next to the doubter scully- pokes fun at all his previous cases--and the whole episode is full of one liners about chasing bigfoot carrying Elvis. It plays like a bad comedy--and worse it looks intentional. It doesn't even try to take the show's premise seriously, so whatever juice the show once had was purposely lost.

The xfiles is one of those shows that are akin to other horror movies- be it the Wolfman or vampire or even Freddy Krueger. At the time they worked--but watching them now they don't- to the level of cheese you rewatch them for the cheese. After the Exorcist and alien the bar was raised so much it's almost now about the Drama if you want it to work-say The Walking dead- instead of the scares- which seem very hard to pull off.

[trailrunner]

Never watched the X-Files. I think the episodes are on Netflix. Is it worth it now? Do the old episodes hold up, do you think?

I liked the show in 1990s.  I got tired of the arc about the government-conspiracy-to-hide-the-aliens because it never really went anywhere -- Just a lot of coverups, Mulder wanting to believe, and the chain smoking man lurking around.  The self-contained episodes that explored a different type of creature or paranormal effect were pretty good, but they could only do so many of these before they eventually ran out of ideas.

I tried to watch the new series that was release last year, but could only watch two episodes before I gave up.  I thought it was terrible.

[Sir Slash]

I've always liked the X-Files, even last years regurgitation. It's still at it's best when it's doing the Mulder/Scully investigating some weird, paranormal murder or such. The whole alien conspiracy story line is getting really old and far-fetched. Some of the earlier episodes can still hold-up today I bet if you've never seen them though they probably look very dated by now.

[JasonPratt]

I think the show still holds up as well as it ever did (with all caveats implied there), although nowadays it looks inexpensive. The DVD sets from several years ago (there were two major releases, and a third release that gathered all the "mytharc" eps together), were absolute dross in the video transfer however, dozens of times worse than the old VHS tapes with which the series helped kick off collectable series tape sets, and even worse than old broadcasts recorded on VHS off air. (The sound transfer might have been okay; I can't recall with all the hideous visual transfers blacking out my memory.)

I should watch a few eps on Netflix while they're still available, to see if the video transfer is better now. From what I recall hearing, the Blue Ray set (I think there's only one) remastered the visual transfer from scratch and recovered the gorgeous visuals.

[Sir Slash]

Scully's hot in any format. Remember the X-Files episode where the crazy serial killer drugged Scully and then gave her a bath. And all he could think to do was her nails?  :wow:

[JasonPratt]

I still haven't checked the Netflix quality (which in any case will depend on one's internet connection), but I thought I would create a 1st Season Critical Ep list for BanzaiCat (and anyone else looking to check out the series).

This list focuses on (1) episodes dealing significantly with the overarching mytharc plot; (2) eps dealing significantly with the lives of Mulder, Scully, and the secondary cast; and (3) otherwise high quality Monster of the Week eps.

There is a good argument that once the seasons are condensed to critical eps, then Season One really ends in the first quarter of Season Two, and that finales to season cliffhanger endings should count for the prior season. As it happens, Season One doesn't feature a cliffhanger finale, but these will become normal for the series.

Ep 1: The X-Files (aka the Pilot)
Ep 2: Deep Throat (which really ought to have been called "The Pilot" as a production joke ;) )
Ep 3: Squeeze (the first MoW ep)
Ep 4: Conduit
Ep 7: Ice (MoW, strong homage to Carpenter's Thing without being that plot)
Ep 9: Fallen Angel
Ep 10: Eve (MoW with some Mytharc connections)
Ep 12: Beyond the Sea (MoW)
Ep 16: E.B.E. (ends up being of no real importance, but I'd feel remiss if I left it off -- despite its weaknesses it remains one of my favorites)
Ep 19: Darkness Falls (MoW)
Ep 20: Tooms (MoW with some important Mytharc connections)
Ep 23: The Erlenmeyer Flask (official season finale)

In what I like to call the Critical Edge list, eps on the fringe of critical for various sometimes notorious reasons:

Ep 4: Jersey Devil (MoW, introduces Mulder's character trait of watching porn, and arguably introduces the first romance elements between M&S)
Ep 13: Genderbender (MoW, seems like it should be Mytharc for many reasons but probably isn't? Also introduces, and kills off, an actor who will return in a much different and far more important role early in Season Two. Partly beloved by some fans for a Scully orgasm scene.)
Ep 17: "Miracle Man" (MoW, the first episode to involve Scully's Catholic faith in a major way. Too bad it's in a self-indulgent medicore filler ep that tries to be relevant by wedging in references to Mulder's sister Samantha.)
Ep 18: Shapes (MoW, not a bad take on werewolves, and often underlooked by fans)

[bbmike]

I've never watched the entire series. I'm tempted to order the complete set. I liked most of what I did see. I even liked the Doggett character.