X-FILES SEASON ONE

Credentials and Summary: I originally saw a few episodes from the later seasons, and some earlier ones in re-run; we are now buying them season by season (finished #1) to enjoy from the start. Recommended for those who like SF/Mystery/Suspense genre, with only a few minor concerns for the discerning, teen-age and older family audience. Bit too spooky for young kids and the more sensitive adults. Thought provoking, if at times absurd, for all. Certainly outshines virtually all other material on TV (faint praise?), and is much better to be watched straight through, without commercials and without waiting for each new season. Season One: I had only seen two episodes before (# 10, 21). Didn't realize virtually all themes and main characters present in first season. Conspiracy and aliens, science/skepticism vs. "believers" (The Truth Is Out There), Smoking Man and Assist. Director Skinner, The Lone Gunmen, Deep Throat, family issues of Scully and Mulder and even a pre-Krycek appearance by Nicholas Lea. The battle over the X-Files themselves is introduced in episode one and they get closed for the first time in the last episode. Package: We have the thin DVD set. Quality is just fine. We get more than enough just watching the episodes; I can't see spending a lot more for the extras in other versions. Episode Summaries (with Themes): X-cellent 1) The X-Files: Pilot (Intro, Conspiracy, Aliens) - Does well to sum it all up: Fox "Spooky" Mulder, Dana "The Skeptic Scientist" Scully , aliens, sinister government agents, typical plot (unexplained paranormal mystery, Fox sees it, Dana misses it, government covers it up). 2) Deep Throat (Conspiracy, Aliens) - Our favorite agents working against the government to find alien spacecraft. A secret government insider contact is first introduced, nicknamed Deep Throat. Features appearance by Buffy's werewolf ally. 3) Squeeze (Tooms, Creature) - Eugene Tooms' Gumby-like ability threatens every 30 years. Mulder's (poor) reputation for paranormal explanations is first exhibited. 4) Conduit (Alien, Character History) - Related alien abductions detected via boy who acts as conduit for their continuing communications. 10) Fallen Angel (Conspiracy, Aliens) - Mulder almost exposes cover-up of UFO crash. Max Fenig appears as a UFO enthusiast, and the first of various X-Files followers. 11) Eve (Urban Legend, Techno phobia) - Twin girls poison loved ones and fight to stay ahead of Mulder and Scully. Super-human clones gone wild? 13) Beyond the Sea (Paranormal, Character History) - Death Row psychic knows where the serial killer is and what Dana's recently deceased father is thinking. 16) Young at Heart (Techno phobia) - Can Mulder's former nemesis really be stalking him, even tho' dead? Must be a genetic experiment gone horribly right. Connected to Mulder's first case, which went horribly wrong. 17) E.B.E. (Alien, Conspiracy) - Deep Throat knows where the Extraterrestrial Biological Entity is; Mulder and Scully follow the clues, and the package, all the way to the empty containment facility. The Lone Gunmen (hackers and conspiracy theorists named for the official theory behind JFK assassination) help track the package. 21) Tooms (Tooms, Creature) - Tooms, released on parole, puts the squeeze on Mulder. Excellent scenes before judge and police investigators. 22) Born Again (Paranormal) - Mulder and Scully investigate link between young girl and string of murdered police. 24) The Erlenmeyer Flask (Alien, Conspiracy) - Alien viruses are being cloned, but Mulder and Scully lose the virus, the clone, the inside contact, and the key to the office. X Marks The Spot 5) The Jersey Devil (Urban Legend, Relationship) - Mulder's reputation within F.B.I. really is spooky and so is Scully's date. Wild man of the woods plot is cover for developing status of team within agency and the status of the X-Files. 6) Shadows (Paranormal) - Fox and Dana investigate revenge minded poltergeist. 7) Ghost in the Machine (Conspiracy, Urban Legend) - Our agents investigate killer computer. DoD wants the software! Sub-plot with Mulder's former partner. 8) Ice (Alien) - X-Files version of The Thing/Who Goes There? [SF fans?]. FBI sends our agents to investigate parasitic alien life form at remote Alaskan research station. Features appearance by future Desperate Housewife and C.T.U. agent. 14) Genderbender (Alien, Paranormal, Religion) - Gender changing murderer hiding out with religious sect is sent searching for a new sanctuary planet by the FBI. Agent Krycek makes brief appearance, apparently on a special, top-secret assignment. 15) Lazarus (Paranormal) - Dana`s turn with the ex, as co-agent who gets possessed by spirit of criminal. 19) Shapes (Urban Legend, Occult) - Mulder and Scully search for wolf/man Indian legend. 20) Darkness Falls (Paranormal) - Mulder and Scully avoid being cocooned by ancient insects released by unsuspecting loggers in the deep forest. 23) Roland (Paranormal, Techno phobia) - Mulder and Scully suspect autistic Roland in murders of aerospace scientists. A favorite of wind tunnel engineers. Roland later joins Bosnian rebels seeking revenge on Jack Bauer. X-Out 9) Space (Alien) - Mulder suspects Martian spirit is behind Space Shuttle sabotage. An alien thread not further pursued, and overall lower production values than typical. 12) Fire (Paranormal, Relationship) - Fox helps former British girlfriend investigate pyrokinetic man stalking the aristocracy. Early lame attempt to start developing Fox/Dana relationship. 18) Miracle Man (Paranormal, Religion) - Our agents investigate healing ministry, when more seem to be dying than living. A bit stereotypically paranoid. - - - - - - - - - - - -

One of the greatest Sci-Fi shows to ever be on TV. Great picture and you can't stop at one episode.

The discs come in folding cardboard and plastic contraptions. The discs play fine. The original The X-Files (1993-2002) has some brilliant episodes. I love the sci-fi alien and UFO episodes, but I decided to give the show four stars. The numerous shaky flashlight scenes get tedious after a while. There are way too many scenes of flashlights waving around in dark rooms and pointing at the camera. The other reason is the same problem I have with all the Twilight Zones and Outer Limits and X-Files shows and that is that the episodes are hit and miss. If you’re a science fiction fan who doesn’t appreciate horror you have to wade through a lot of horror episodes to get to the stuff you love, and often the series are incorrectly labeled by information sources. The X-Files is more of a horror and freak show than anything else, but the first genre label listed on Wikipedia for the show is sci-fi. I’ve learned to read more about a show than just looking at genre labels, which I often don’t agree with. For example, the original The Outer Limits is labeled as fantasy, horror and sci-fi on IMDb. The second The Outer Limits (1995-2002) is labeled as drama, fantasy, and horror on IMDb, with no mention of science fiction. Most of The Outer Limits (1995-2002) episodes are horror, but The Light Brigade (1996) episode is an example of outstanding sci-fi, but it’s incorrectly labeled as fantasy and horror on IMDb instead of sci-fi. Quality of Mercy (1995) is another example of a great sci-fi episode incorrectly labeled as fantasy and horror. Star Crossed (1999) is a third example of a sci-fi episode incorrectly labeled as fantasy and horror by IMDb. Wikipedia is usually a better source of genre information when looking at shows. If you’re looking for good stuff to watch consider miniseries like The Astronauts Wives Club (2015), Band of Brothers (2001), Frank Herbert’s Dune (2000), Frank Herbert’s Children of Dune (2003), Into the West (2005), Lonesome Dove (1989), Manhattan (2014-2015), Return to Lonesome Dove (1993), Pride and Prejudice (1995), Taken (2002) and The 10th Kingdom (2000), which are all terrific because they have clear beginnings that establish an objective, then strong middles and conclusive endings where the goal is achieved, like a good novel. Other shows I’ve really enjoyed include Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009), Breaking Bad (2008-2013), Cowboy Bebop (1998), Downton Abbey (2010-2015), Firefly (2002), Game of Thrones (2011-2019), Granite Flats (2013-2015), The IT Crowd (2006-2013), Jericho (2006-2008), Merlin (2008-2012), The Prisoner (1967-1968), Rome (2005-2007), Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (2011), Spartacus: Blood and Sand (2010), Stargate: SG-1 (1997-2007), Stargate: Atlantis (2004-2009), Star Trek (1966-1969), Star Trek Voyager (1995-2001), and The Tudors (2007-2010). I didn’t list any contemporary series I’m following that don’t have an end date yet, not conducive to binge watching from beginning to finish. If you like reading try some of my favorite fantasy and sci-fi authors: Richard Adams, Palo Bacigulupi, Suzanne Collins, Abe Evergreen, Diana Gabaldon, Hugh Howey, George Martin, Brandon Sanderson, John Scalzi, and Andy Weir.

If you are choosing to watch The X-files you definitely want to start with the first season. This sets you up for everything else that follows with regard to the re-occurring alien plot and all of its interesting characters. The show's producer, Chris Carter, credits 'The Twilight Zone' as the reason for The X-Files even being able to get to television. Certainly the special effects are much better but the stories echo it's predecessor and then pushes the envelope further. There is no doubt that The X-Files stands tall upon the shoulders of 'The Twilight Zone'. There is the main plot thread of alien abduction and alleged government complicity but knowing this would wear thin the writers would introduce other creepy, odd, supernatural, and sometime humorous episodes. Occasionally those episodes have an ending...and sometimes they do not. Some of the episodes are left open to conjecture. One piece the producer did use with good effect, I think, was the voice over. This was pulled from 'The Twilight Zone' and used to introduce the episode, and at the end, ask more questions or to comment on the human condition. Or both. Sometimes it was used like Deus Ex Machina to create closure on a particular episode. When this series was originally aired I chanced upon it and was immediately smitten with it's dark tone and near paranoiac approach. The Dana Scully character helps keep the plots grounded since she is a physician and supposed to be there to balance the protagonist, Fox Mulder, in his quest for the truth. This helps with the creative tension needed to keep propelling the alien abduction plot thread as well as the other unusual and eerie episodes. Of course the two start out in the first episode with different views on their reason for Scully's partnering with Mulder. The sound track is done in Dolby Digital and the series done in Full Frame (1.33:1). The Dolby soundtrack has 5.1 channels of discrete audio and the Surround contains up to 4 channels of encoded audio. You are also able to playback from your 2-channel DVD outputs as this season is compatible with the stereo and Dolby Pro Logic reproduction as well. If you can envelop yourself in the soundtrack with surround things will get spookier. If you are interested, the Special Features have deleted scenes from "Pilot" and some special effects clips from "Fallen Angel" episodes. Do yourself a favor and pick this season up, or stream it using Amazon Prime. I gave it Five Stars for it's creative writing, direction, art direction, and creepy quotient. Have fun and remember The Truth Is Out There...somewhere...in the future.

Since so much about The X-Files has already been written on this Web site, I won't add to the stockpile of reviews of what is arguably one of the greatest shows in television history. Instead, I will comment on the less expensive, albeit cheaply made, reissue of the show. Although the DVD cases in this edition are slim, they are inferior in quality. Made by Scanavo, these flimsy cases have sharp-edged hubs, so you must proceed with caution when attaching a disc, since a slip will guarantee a scratch or two. Moreover, the hubs have teeth that can easily break off. Don't confuse these cases with the superior Thinpak cases, made by Nexpak. The Thinpaks are far more durable than the Scanavo cases and have smooth push buttons, allowing the discs to be attached and removed effortlessly. The DVDs in these boxed sets also have flaws, but fortunately mostly cosmetic in nature. I have seasons one to six, and a handful of the discs have scratches or smudges. Granted, these defects are generally innocuous (so far no problems with the playback in season one), but who wants brand-new discs that look as though they've been thrown around a few times? One disc I received had a hairline crack in the center, so I returned the set (I can tolerate scratches but not cracks), which Amazon immediately replaced. These new sets cost less than the original ones, but you'll get few extra features and you'll get shoddy quality. Those who can't afford the preposterously overpriced original sets will have to settle for the cheap stuff. (Thanks Fox, again.) But I'll close on a good note. The most important aspect of any DVD is the playback quality, and in this respect the DVDs in season one reveal the truth: a good picture (generally), clean sound, a superlative show.