So...
The X-Files is over. At least the television phase anyway.
In all honesty, I didn't think "The Truth" was a bad episode. It was generally well written, it flowed, and--shocking--revelation actually occured.
That said, however, it's not so much the episode itself that I have a problem with, but the implications. Um, hi. Do you KNOW how many loose ends we're left with here?
Just for the record, I'll list them:
1. What happened to Skinner? Or even Kersh for that matter? They disappeared into Kersh's office with that alien dude who probably now has their life in his hands?
2. What happened to Gibson Praise?
3. What happened to Doggett and Reyes? Obviously they're targets now because they're no longer neutral figures--they're too intricately entwined in the X-Files and too close to Mulder--but we're left hanging in terms of their fates. They drove off into the sunset in their SUV with supersoldiers and government officials on their tail. What is to become of them? I sure as hell want to know.
4. Mulder is still a wanted man on death row and on the lam; Scully is guilty by association and is probably facing a life prison term if apprehended. How they gonna fix dis?
5. William is still out there. Does anyone care?
6. The world is going to end in ten years. Is anybody going to try to stop it?
7. Oh yeah. And how is it that Mulder is suddenly able to see dead people? *whispering* "I see dead people."
Anyhoo, I certainly wasn't anticipating closure with the finale; not in the least. The X-Files has never been about closure. But what I didn't expect, however, were these new loose ends... or at least not the sheer number of them. I expected one big cliffhanger--something that would necessitate and therefore set-up a future film (for instance the William plot or colonization)--but nothing like this. Frankly, I'm a little confused as to why Chris Carter would want to leave so much open when the potential for resolution doesn't necessarily exist. Probably there is a movie(s) on the horizon, but for one film to attempt to tackle what Chris Carter has left unresolved would be a handful in itself; likely an impossible undertaking for a 2 hour feature (and that's considering that all the characters will return for such an event; ie: Doggett, Reyes, Skinner, Kersch, Krycek, etc). I guess I just wasn't expecting a whole new can of worms to be thrown at us in the finale; well, at least not like this.
That said, though, in terms of the episode itself, it wasn't bad. The shippery stuff went a little overboard for me (and as I've said many times, I was once a shipper), but at least it wasn't sappy to the point of nausea. I was a little disappointed that Doggett and Skinner were downplayed and didn't really get a "send off" of their own, but that really ties into the whole "lack of closure" issue I mentioned earlier, so I won't bother to go there. It's just a shame that two central characters were almost skimmed over in the finale.
But, there were some good things about this one: tension, suspense, Krycek and Doggett in blue jeans... Oh, and I did like the revisiting of "Pilot" in the hotel room, with Mulder and Scully in nearly the exact positions they were in when they had their first real conversation.
Oh, and one more thing; what actually really impressed me in this episode was Reyes (yes, honest). When she stood up in court and gave her little speech, I was floored. It's the most she's said in two freaking seasons. Now why the hell couldn't she have done that sooner?
Anyway, that's pretty much the gist of it for me. As an episode, I liked it. As a SERIES finale, I'm not so sure there was anything so final about it.
But whatever. The X-Files is the X-Files. It's had it's ups and downs, its highs and lows, its comebacks and its fadeouts. It's given me a lot of things... cool concepts to ponder, friends to chat with, simple entertainment, and a screename that I've never been able to shake in more than 5 years. Anyway, in the end, as a 9 year fan and viewer of the show, nothing really surprises me.
Robert Patrick, thanks for the last 2 seasons and for a great character in John Doggett. If there's ever a petition to get you in an X-Files film, I'll sign it.
So maybe the quote isn't "The Truth Is Out There" anymore, but rather "We Found the Truth. Now what the hell are we going to do with it?"
I guess that's it.
~Sarah aka spookysquall
Rating: hmm... as an episode, I probably would have give this one an 8+. But the fact that this episode is the finale makes me want to drop the rating somewhat, because as I said, there was hardly anything "final" about it. In that case, I'd give it a 7. In total, though, I'll give in an 8/10. It is a good ep, and I can't overlook that.
Aired January 13th, 2002
Another one for which I had to throw in my two cents.
Screw everything else. Just give me an hour of dirty, beaten, sweaty, confused, angst-ridden John Doggett and you'll have me staring gape-jawed and transfixed at the TV, hailing the X-Files as one of the grandest shows ever.
I loved the camera work in this one; everything surreal and confused, purposely vague, the colour drained, just as Doggett's memories were drained. Nice effect, especially Doggett stepping out into the sunlight at the beginning, blinded by the sudden flash of brightness, and overwhelmed by what he saw and felt. Indeed, we were intended to be as confused as Doggett in this one. The bright, almost blinding scenes and the piecemeal revelation of events left us groping for answers just as much as Doggett was groping. Definitely a great effect, which adds to the artistic brilliance of this episode.
And then of course, the wonderful crowning moment, Doggett breaking down when his memories returned... I think I nearly died :) Plus, it's about damn time we had a little more insight into Doggett's past. I have to say I'm rather impressed.
Anyway gang, the rest is self-explanatory. All I have to say is, I'm ecstatic.
*siiiggh* I cast my vote for the John Doggett show. Mulder who? That's what I thought.
la la la la....
AKA: My disgust in reaction to Trust No One (aired January 6th, 2002).
*irritated sigh*
Ok. Just when they line up a couple of good episodes (Daemonicus, 4-D), they have to come along and throw in another sappy, corny, stupid, lame-ass myth ep that doesn't make any sort of sense whatsoever. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Why can't they just DROP the mythology all together? Long gone are the days when we lived for the mythology eps. They reached their peak in season 4, then became schizophrenic and erratic shortly thereafter. My keypoint? When it comes to the mytharcs, nobody cares.
Main reasons that mytharcs suck:
1. Aforementioned fact: they don't stick to one clear-cut, intelligible theme, or even to one genre, and therefore they don't make sense.
2. Mytharcs make me want to throw Scully out of a moving train (pardon the pun). She becomes all weepy and teary-eyed and needy and naive and irritating. Get some prozac, lady. Sheesh. I'm a shipper and everything yeah, but this is just TOO much.
3. How many times must we be reminded that "William is special?" Please, abduct this child.
4. Let's see how many times we can say the name "Mulder" in one ep--you know, just in case some viewers out there forgot about him during that 30 second interlude in which he was not mentioned.
5. If you think you're feeding the shippers' appetites; give it up. Shippers everywhere believe that Mulder and Scully have been banging each other since season 1. All that Trust No One confirmed is that at least one of their encounters was caught on video-tape. For shippers, this "revelation" is hardly tell-all, and hardly a big deal (NB: the MS fornication tape is up for auction on ebay as we speak. Hurry and place your bids!). It seems to me as if CC is trying to leave a trail of candy for shippers to follow. What for? Viewers aren't that dumb.
My suggestions? Either fix Scully or lose her, and please, stop focusing so intently on a character who is not physically present, at the expense of the characters who are present (ie: Robert Patrick and Annabeth Gish are wonderful resources. USE them). Mulder will always be a part of the show, but give it a rest already. At this point, I would prefer it greatly if the series chose to focus only on Doggett. I have to say this character carried me through season 8, and he is the reason I keep tuning in. After all, isn't it ironic that the best episodes from season 8 and 9 have been the ones that centred on John Doggett and the development of his character? (Via Negativa, The Gift, Daemonicus, 4-D, Empedocles, etc, are cases in point). Work with it.
Long live John Doggett. You are the island in the sea of mediocrity, and probably the one reason why X-Files viewers such as myself--people who have watched the show for 9 long years--continue to tune in every week. The future of the series lies with this character.
Anyway. I'm a bitch, but don't I feel better!
Aired December 9th, 2001
Well, I had to put my two cents in for this one. What a fantastic episode. This is probably the best episode I have seen in quite some time, for many reasons. Those of you who know me are well aware of the fact that I have a certain bias for plotlines that play with reality/dreams/time/parallel universes, etc. Needless to say, 4-D was right up my alley in the "theme department," and was definitely one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much.
More than this, though, 4-D shines because it draws you into the plot, and draws you into the characters. Some X-Files episodes are guilty of being too high on plot/too low on character development and vice versa, and this is the reason why many episodes aren't necessarily as good as they could be. With 4-D, however, you are just as drawn into the characters as are into the plot; it strikes a nice balance between the two and thus sets itself up perfectly.
That said, I have to note that this is the first episode where I felt any sort of sympathy for Reyes' character. I really liked her in this ep, and I enjoyed the fact that the plot focused on her. Even after being on the show for several months, I still find we haven't really gotten a feel for her. With 4-D, however, we are really beginning to see an interesting character emerge, and I have to say I'm finally starting to like what I see.
Finally, I have to comment on Doggett in this one. I'm sorry gang, I still love this guy. He's just a fantastic character, hands down.
Anyway, I have a lot more to say about this ep, but time is of the essence. I like what I see here.
So, season 9. I have to say I really did not like the opening two-parter, Nothing Important Happened Today/Nothing Important Happened Today II. Again, it appears that the mythology has had a bizarre switch from aliens to goverment conspiracies and now to so-called super-soldiers. What's going on? Anyway. I was also disappointed in some character inconsistencies, mainly with Skinner an Scully. Not liking the baby too much either. Beyond that, I don't really care to elaborate. These two eps were very lack-lustre, and disappointing as season openers. Let's just say I'm not impressed.
I did, however, like Daemonicus.. The theme was most certainly borrowed from the first season episode Beyond the Sea--in this case, Doggett is put on the spot for his beliefs, much like Scully was put on the spot for her beliefs in the former. Both characters are tested, their most vulnerable points confronted and brought to the surface by a person who is a virtual stranger to them. For Scully, it was the death of her father. For Doggett, the loss of his son. Also, the idea of Cobalt projecting and channeling from his cell is very similar to Boggs' projecting in Beyond the Sea. Finally, in both episodes, the agents are forced to trust a man whom they suspect may be involved in the crime.
This parallel between past and present episodes is not a criticism of Daemonicus; actually I happen to like the Doggett/Scully mirroring.
The camera-work in this one was also spectacular. Very impressive imagery and transition shots; the clouds, the melding of scenes, the chess board which signifies entrapment in a game. A nice feel for the show.
Finally, I found Reyes easier to tolerate in Daemonicus than in past episodes. Hopefully this will continue for future episodes.
So for this point in season 9? Well again, the premiere left much to be desired, but if future episodes pick up the feel of Daemonicus, there is hope.