Support NeoGAF

[Goldrush]

Shows like Fringe, Supernatural, and Torchwood were billed as the successor to X-Files, but all left me a bit disappointed despite generally liking each. All three adopted the general story structure of the X-Files, but none of them embraced the horror aspect that defines the show.

 

[Poimandres]

The alien stuff is nonsense. Aliens aren't scary, the government hiding them isn't interesting, and the mere mention of them isn't as exciting as the show seems to think it is. You can also tell that the show has no god damn idea where they are going with it all with it's vague nonsense and who-gives-a-shit mystery mongering. Why should I care if the government is hiding the existence of extra-terrestrials from the people? What would we even do with that information? Also, why the hell are they tying Native American culture to aliens all of a sudden? In what universe could that create compelling story telling?

See, I totally disagree! Alien abductions are terrifying, and stuff like Duane Barry was very well handled. I think it was bloated and obviously executed on the fly, but the central idea of an alien invasion with shadowy government figures in cahoots is awesome. X-Files remains the definitive piece of media on that particular topic, and despite seeming "over played" there are depressingly few films and TV shows that actually take a proper stab at it.

 

[TheVampire]

 

[Platy]

The Funny episodes are awesome ... even the ones that are not that funny but joking about something, like that COPS episode

 

[MulderYuffie]

It's really great like the best show ever.

 

[Hades Hotgun]

The X-Files was great when focusing on the quirkiness of Mulder and the straightness of Scully. The best episodes were those that were darkly comical or horror themed.

But it SUCKED when dealing with the utter shit show that was the "main" plot of Mulder's family and stupid ass conspiracy theory garbage. They didn't know what the hell they were doing and just made shit up a long the way to string it out forever.

Shit, they did a soft reboot in like season 2 or 3 to put the whole mystery back in the box because they completely blew their wad over and over again in the early episodes and it made no sense for Scully to doubt the aliens or the conspiracy were real.

Scully: "Yo Mulder, it was Nazis."
Mulder: "That makes no sense. I am looking at an alien right now and you have seen them several times yourself. "
Scully: "Nope. It was Nazis."
Mulder: "Scully, how the fuck does Nazis explain anyth..."
Scully: "NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNAZIS."

 

[Goodstyle]

The X-Files was great when focusing on the quirkiness of Mulder and the straightness of Scully. The best episodes were those that were darkly comical or horror themed.

But it SUCKED when dealing with the utter shit show that was the "main" plot of Mulder's family and stupid ass conspiracy theory garbage. They didn't know what the hell they were doing and just made shit up a long the way to string it out forever.

Shit, they did a soft reboot in like season 2 or 3 to put the whole mystery back in the box because they completely blew their wad over and over again in the early episodes and it made no sense for Scully to doubt the aliens or the conspiracy were real.

Scully: "Yo Mulder, it was Nazis."
Mulder: "That makes no sense. I am looking at an alien right now and you have seen them several times yourself. "
Scully: "Nope. It was Nazis."
Mulder: "Scully, how the fuck does Nazis explain anyth..."
Scully: "NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNAZIS."

Yup. They did the TV Show writer equivalent and bluff with that arc. Not even finished the show, and I know they have no clue at all where they're going with this shit. Even so, I know there are legitimate masterpieces scattered ahead, so I must forge on.

 

[Fox Mulder]

It had the right amount of comedy. Those episodes stood out in contrast to the serious stuff and was great for it.

This last season had some amazing lighter episodes too.

 

[Hindenblewp]

The Funny episodes are awesome ... even the ones that are not that funny but joking about something, like that COPS episode

X-Cops is an amazing episode.

I think Bad Blood is my most watched comedy episode; it's just so fucking good. Mulder singing the Shaft theme is glorious.

 

[Lonewolf_92]

3 seasons in, and the problem I'm having with the show is that it takes itself way, way, way too seriously at times. The best episodes I find are the ones that mix horror with comedy and honest self-reflection. By far (BY FAR) the best episodes of the series are "Humbug" (where they investigate a freak show) and this really amazing one I just watched "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose". It's about a guy that can see future, but only when it comes to when someone is going to die, which is both incredibly sad and incredibly funny. It's basically everything I was hoping I'd get from watching the show and more.

50% of the episodes are cheesy and forgettable, 25% are god damn awful, 20% are pretty great, and another 5% are transcendent. These aren't great numbers IMO. If the show focused less on empty government conspiracies and more on poignant and funny little stories about oddities happening in places around the world it would be much more consistent.

The alien stuff is nonsense. Aliens aren't scary, the government hiding them isn't interesting, and the mere mention of them isn't as exciting as the show seems to think it is. You can also tell that the show has no god damn idea where they are going with it all with it's vague nonsense and who-gives-a-shit mystery mongering. Why should I care if the government is hiding the existence of extra-terrestrials from the people? What would we even do with that information? Also, why the hell are they tying Native American culture to aliens all of a sudden? In what universe could that create compelling story telling?

Mulder's thirst for the truth is grounded in the trauma involving his sister, and that could have worked if it were more of the focus, but the execution is shaky and the show does little to dissuade the notion that aliens are inherently lame. Mulder also comes across as an enormously smug jackass. For example, there's a case where a woman claims to have been raped and brutalized by a ghost (yes the show went there), and his immediate response is "lol, sure thing lady. I bet she's lying to screw over her employers". If you would see what this joker routinely immediately takes at face value, you'd see how much of a ridiculous douchebag he's being, but the show doesn't even follow up on it or call him out. I've noticed that the better episodes are the ones where he's taken down a peg, while the very worst ones tend to treat him as this messiah figure.

Scully on the other hand is the most interesting character on the show, but she's weighed down with her unconvincing disbelief in all things paranormal. I'm willing to overlook that though, because episodes that focus on her tend to be more grounded and less annoyingly self-important. Also her obvious crush on Mulder is adorable in its own way, given how completely different they are as people. It's also interesting to have her be the more emotionally stable and strong one of the pairing, I didn't expect that going into the show due to its age.

I'm not saying the show should never create serious episodes. "Ice" and "Irresistible" are incredibly dark and are some of my favourites, but they feel grounded in character drama and conflicts, and less interested in empty paranoia and conspiracies that the writers assume we'll care about because "ALIENS". I just wish it would mix that darkness with more of an acknowledgement that it is a ridiculous and pulpy show with oddball leads.

TL;DR X-Files would be a great show if it was written with more self-awareness and humour in its cases of the week, and less focus on "mythology".

Sounds like you would've liked the spinoff The Lone Gunmen which was more comedy based. It only lasted one season though, compared to X-Files' 10.

 

[TheSeks]

http://i.imgur.com/vhDCtgW.gif

I don't care what anyone says. Mulder tripping balls is the best thing in Season 10.

 

[Goodstyle]

It's not like I want the show to never have any darkness in them. Even some of the show's funnier episodes managed to be dark as hell. But you can't tell me Mulder's dialogue about aliens and "the truth" aren't the most maudlin fucking thing on TV. A little levity goes a long way in counteracting that. I am hearing some very interesting things in this thread though.

Could have been good? How dare you. No.

Go watch Warehouse 13.

Dude, Skinner's got like, one character arc that gets repeated every damn time he shows up. He acts like an uptight authority figure at first, but then he comes through for Mulder at the end after a brief crisis of conscience.

Do something else with him show!

Spoiler

His Vietnam speech was fantastic though.

 

[20cent]

K.

 

[HomerSimpson-Man]

The Funny episodes are awesome ... even the ones that are not that funny but joking about something, like that COPS episode

That Cops episode was so awesome. Easily one of my favorites.

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

I watched every episode of Buffy and its spin-off Angel. They are 2 of my favourite shows ever. I started X-Files hoping for more of the same.

I think we figured out why you didn't like it.

And not liking it is fine. Honestly, this is one of the tamer "I didn't like it" threads on GAF.

TXF is def not a "hyper" show like those two.

Hence X-Files' sister show, Millennium, which was dark as fuck right from the get-go.

Yup.

Why the fuck is in not on NetFlix?

 

[Aselith]

The show is very funny it just has a dry humor that I guess today's audiences aren't prepared for. I always felt like the show had one of the best balances of being jokey to being serious that I've seen on TV.

Its like that new Lethal Weapon shows trailer where there is no straight man anymore because everyone wants to be the wacky guy. The great thing about X-Files is that Mulder and Scully would trade straightmanning back and forth rather than trying to be the wacky one all the time (though Mulder has a much larger proportion of the wacky stuff due to who his character is)

 

[DeadlyParasite]

The serious episodes were the best part, and part of the reason why seasons 1-5 are the height of the show. Things started off goofy from the get-go in season 6 and that's when the show immediately went downhill.

Deepthroat, X, Smoking Man, everything was awesome in the serious parts.

 

[Trojita]

Mods just delete this thread. This opinion should have never been born on this universe.

 

[aerts1js]

Could have been good? The show is goddamn iconic.

 

[mrkgoo]

I think what made the show great was that it did have those serious and dark episodes mixed with the light. And all the mythology and standalone.

There was something for everyone to like, and you never knew what you were going to get.

IF it were any one of the mix, THEN the show would've been even more niche and unfun.

 

[Aselith]

I don't see how you can say a show that seeds one of it's main characters as a porn fiend throughout the series is taking itself too seriously.

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

I don't see how you can say a show that seeds one of it's main characters as a porn fiend throughout the series is taking itself too seriously.

Mulder is actually really human and flawed.

We only are led to believe that this is the tone of the show because Mulder is the main character. And Scully, for the most part, is also a believer. But a believer in science.

Everyone else in the show thinks Mulder is a fucking embarrassment. This is especially clear in season one when they still focused on the FBI as a whole.

An X-Files remake done by the Mr. Robot people would be amazeballs.

 

[Goodstyle]

OK, so I saw the mythology episode "731" and it's the first one that I loved from beginning to end. In fact, it was the only one I legitimately liked so far really. When the government conspiracy stuff veers into believable atrocities the government would commit, it starts to get enjoyable, and Mulder's bomb plot was seriously tense. I also loved Scully's involvement in the episode and her own hunt for the truth, one that ironically led to far more interesting conclusions.

My only gripe is that the "human-alien" hybrid stuff is stupid, and the person trapped in the train car should have unambiguously be portrayed as just a normal human that was heavily experimented on with diseases. That would have been so much more engaging, would have made Scully's continued insistence that aliens don't exist far more rational, and Mulder's thirst for the truth more desperate and engaging. Ah well, what I saw there was definitely a step in the right direction.

Side note: The character of "X" is a much better informant than "Deep Throat" ever was. It feels like he has motivations and interests that go beyond the bland little plot device DT was, although he too is mired transparently empty "vague" dialogue.