The X-Files have returned.
November 11, 2001 7:36 PM Subscribe
The X-Files have returned. Comments? Suggestions? Mulder? Xena?
I can't believe I forgot to watch it!
Was that child chess genius in it? Did the Cigarette Man come to life? Spoiler rich synopsis, please!
posted by djacobs at 8:33 PM on November 11, 2001
Was that child chess genius in it? Did the Cigarette Man come to life? Spoiler rich synopsis, please!
posted by djacobs at 8:33 PM on November 11, 2001
They should have let the baby's abilities be discovered by Scully a little later, next episode or the episode after that. Maybe with a little struggle with denial thrown in.
Carey Elwes is great. Annabeth Gish leaves me cold. Has anyone seen anything they liked her in? I'm thinking if she had a better-written role she could probably be interesting, but so far she's really not making an impression on me. If they keep the plot focused on the inter-office soap opera of the FBI, with just enough spooky stuff to keep the show's genre cred, it could be a good year.
posted by BGM at 8:35 PM on November 11, 2001
Carey Elwes is great. Annabeth Gish leaves me cold. Has anyone seen anything they liked her in? I'm thinking if she had a better-written role she could probably be interesting, but so far she's really not making an impression on me. If they keep the plot focused on the inter-office soap opera of the FBI, with just enough spooky stuff to keep the show's genre cred, it could be a good year.
posted by BGM at 8:35 PM on November 11, 2001
Alias She has won me over for now, same time slot on ABC.
posted by Voyageman at 8:37 PM on November 11, 2001
posted by Voyageman at 8:37 PM on November 11, 2001
new opening sequence + inflated cast - mulder - atmosphere = LA
(+ nobody remembers to watch it anymore. i've stopped taping.)
posted by elle at 9:07 PM on November 11, 2001
(+ nobody remembers to watch it anymore. i've stopped taping.)
posted by elle at 9:07 PM on November 11, 2001
x-files? That's still on? Have that added some new characters, like Scully's adorable precocious fat-cheeked 8-year old niece? Or maybe twins? Will they rebuild the chicken stand? Will Fonzie be ok?
posted by hotdoughnutsnow at 9:14 PM on November 11, 2001
posted by hotdoughnutsnow at 9:14 PM on November 11, 2001
jpaulous: "Must we discuss every show on tv?"
Yes, of course we do. What a silly question. =)
I caught I think the last five minutes. Carey Elwes? That was a bit of a shock. I have no idea what's going on with this show anymore and I don't feel motivated to figure it out.
It's like Richard Kimble being able to convince the world that there really is a one armed man. Everything else after that is kinda boring. Not that Mulder was ever able to convince anyone of anything really, but he's gone. And Scully's got a baby. And these new people come in who are a bunch of wankers. Skinner's still going bald. ..So?
It's as if Agatha Christie solved the crime in a Miss Marple mystery, and then just kept on writing for another two hundred pages. Who cares if Miss Marple gets on The Price Is Right, wins a trip to Mexico City, and gets stuck in a hotel room with Montezuma's Revenge?
posted by ZachsMind at 9:32 PM on November 11, 2001
Yes, of course we do. What a silly question. =)
I caught I think the last five minutes. Carey Elwes? That was a bit of a shock. I have no idea what's going on with this show anymore and I don't feel motivated to figure it out.
It's like Richard Kimble being able to convince the world that there really is a one armed man. Everything else after that is kinda boring. Not that Mulder was ever able to convince anyone of anything really, but he's gone. And Scully's got a baby. And these new people come in who are a bunch of wankers. Skinner's still going bald. ..So?
It's as if Agatha Christie solved the crime in a Miss Marple mystery, and then just kept on writing for another two hundred pages. Who cares if Miss Marple gets on The Price Is Right, wins a trip to Mexico City, and gets stuck in a hotel room with Montezuma's Revenge?
posted by ZachsMind at 9:32 PM on November 11, 2001
I used to be a big fan of the show.
Then last year when I watched it, I hoped that adding Robert Patrick to the cast would kick it up a notch.
Tonight, I watched the first 25 minutes of the show (on tape) and then just turned off the TV (and VCR). The show had absolutely NO hook to keep me watching. The "mythology" of the show is FAR to convoluted to be interesting, the birth of Scully's baby, the lack of any really good X-File stories...sigh.
Damn it! It's just like what happened to Moonlighting!
Though I do have to admit that I laughed when "The Lone Gunmen" appeared on the show and said "We've got nothing to do!", a sly referal by Chris Carter to their cancelled show of last year.
posted by Grum at 9:35 PM on November 11, 2001
Then last year when I watched it, I hoped that adding Robert Patrick to the cast would kick it up a notch.
Tonight, I watched the first 25 minutes of the show (on tape) and then just turned off the TV (and VCR). The show had absolutely NO hook to keep me watching. The "mythology" of the show is FAR to convoluted to be interesting, the birth of Scully's baby, the lack of any really good X-File stories...sigh.
Damn it! It's just like what happened to Moonlighting!
Though I do have to admit that I laughed when "The Lone Gunmen" appeared on the show and said "We've got nothing to do!", a sly referal by Chris Carter to their cancelled show of last year.
posted by Grum at 9:35 PM on November 11, 2001
It didn't feel like X-Files, I wasn't impressed. The show seems to have lost focus. All good things, I suppose.
posted by Nothing at 9:58 PM on November 11, 2001
posted by Nothing at 9:58 PM on November 11, 2001
What skallas said. I shut off the TV halfway through. Yawn.
posted by fujikosmurf at 10:28 PM on November 11, 2001
posted by fujikosmurf at 10:28 PM on November 11, 2001
Spoilers
X-FILES 9.1 FAQ by Herc at AICN...
I know I'll probably get my heart broken again, but I'm daring to hope. I was really sick of Mulder, and I think Duchovny's boredom with the part was dragging the series down. The new plotline, as laid out in this episode, has plenty of potential for interesting development and scenery chewing, and if they have the brains to give up on the ol' "skeptic vs. beliver" plot boilerplate on the bug hunt episodes, they have a shot at making a good show.
posted by BGM at 10:48 PM on November 11, 2001
X-FILES 9.1 FAQ by Herc at AICN...
I know I'll probably get my heart broken again, but I'm daring to hope. I was really sick of Mulder, and I think Duchovny's boredom with the part was dragging the series down. The new plotline, as laid out in this episode, has plenty of potential for interesting development and scenery chewing, and if they have the brains to give up on the ol' "skeptic vs. beliver" plot boilerplate on the bug hunt episodes, they have a shot at making a good show.
posted by BGM at 10:48 PM on November 11, 2001
Perhaps I can blame it on my media-saturated mind, but each time I see the new cast members and guest stars on X-files, I keep linking them back to their previous acting incarnations. I would actually prefer that they hire less well-known actors and spend their budget on some better writers instead. Besides the obvious benefits to a flagging plot, perhaps they could spare their viewers from having the equivalent of an Entertainment Tonight-inspired fit of deja vu.
In general, I'm quite bummed that the casting director of X-files felt the need to cast fairly famous/familiar actors like Robert Patrick, Lucy Lawless, Cary Elwes, and Annabeth Gish in order to generate some press for the show. It's a very transparent ploy which not only screams of desperation, but also ruins my ability to process the dodgy plot because my mind is wondering what the heck Xena has to do with the guy from Terminator, and WHY, for the love of god, is the Yale-bound sister from Mystic Pizza is messing around with the guy from Princess Bride/Liar Liar.
Although I'm quite pleased with Robert Patrick's performance, I continually expect Arnold to jump out at him from behind the elevator doors or something. I find Annabeth Gish to be very one-dimensional so far: she seems to suffer from an economy of emotion and reacts with the same worried/pained expression for all situations. And although I liked Cary Elwes in Princess Bride, he did such a fine job as the goober in Liar, Liar that I still see him as a dork...WHAT were they thinking casting him as an Assistant Director? I'll reserve judgement for Lucy Lawless until next week, when I'll hopefully be given a chance to see her act on the show (as opposed to just striking seductive poses, swimming in the pseudo-buff, flashing her cleavage at men, and strutting down FBI corridors in 4-inch heels).
posted by mosspink at 11:42 PM on November 11, 2001
In general, I'm quite bummed that the casting director of X-files felt the need to cast fairly famous/familiar actors like Robert Patrick, Lucy Lawless, Cary Elwes, and Annabeth Gish in order to generate some press for the show. It's a very transparent ploy which not only screams of desperation, but also ruins my ability to process the dodgy plot because my mind is wondering what the heck Xena has to do with the guy from Terminator, and WHY, for the love of god, is the Yale-bound sister from Mystic Pizza is messing around with the guy from Princess Bride/Liar Liar.
Although I'm quite pleased with Robert Patrick's performance, I continually expect Arnold to jump out at him from behind the elevator doors or something. I find Annabeth Gish to be very one-dimensional so far: she seems to suffer from an economy of emotion and reacts with the same worried/pained expression for all situations. And although I liked Cary Elwes in Princess Bride, he did such a fine job as the goober in Liar, Liar that I still see him as a dork...WHAT were they thinking casting him as an Assistant Director? I'll reserve judgement for Lucy Lawless until next week, when I'll hopefully be given a chance to see her act on the show (as opposed to just striking seductive poses, swimming in the pseudo-buff, flashing her cleavage at men, and strutting down FBI corridors in 4-inch heels).
posted by mosspink at 11:42 PM on November 11, 2001
i just like Doggett. *giggle* 'cause he's T-1000.
and yeah, it sucked.
Lone Gunmen!
posted by po at 11:48 PM on November 11, 2001
and yeah, it sucked.
Lone Gunmen!
posted by po at 11:48 PM on November 11, 2001
"Although I'm quite pleased with Robert Patrick's performance, I continually expect Arnold to jump out at him from behind the elevator doors or something."
The pitfalls of Hollywood typecasting. And people wonder why producers and directors are afraid to hire Brent Spiner. No matter how much makeup he hides behind, people will forever see him as Ol' Yellow Eyes. Most other actors who have found brief success on TV or film suffer similar problems for the rest of their lives. Duchovny and Anderson will sadly be no exception to this.
That being said, early this past summer I participated in an all-day marathon of Scully-based X-Files episodes on a big screen. It was an international effort; a benefit supporting NeuroFibromatosis Inc., which is a charity very close to Gillian Anderson's heart. It was a lot of fun. I met some new people. We threw change at the screen a lot.
Why? Whenever Scully did something that was uniquely Scully, we'd throw change at the buckets under the screen. It was a real blast. I had forgotten, but I happened to be wearing my MeFi shirt that day. I look like a hairless gorilla in that picture.
They had raffles and I won a CD player and other stuff. Great food. I bought a T-shirt and ordered this neat videotape of Scully highlights to treasure and drool over for years to come. Several of the best Scully-focused X-Files episodes ran back-to-back in rapid succession that day. A wonderful experience encompassing the best of almost a decade of work by Ten Thirteen et. al. I hope to do it again next year if I can.
My point is, the show X-Files has brought a lot of good into the world, in more ways than one can easily count.
I may not continue watching the series as it is now with the near religious fervor that I once did, because I agree it has jumped the shark, but I'm thankful for the many entertaining hours, and the good vibes the show has somehow instilled in a lot of people. Intelligent fluff. X-Files proved that intelligent fluff can be successful. And rewarding. Audiences don't have to be stupid to have a good time. And yeah people can make a difference if they're driven enough. Thank you Mr. Carter.
The truth is what you make of it.
posted by ZachsMind at 12:30 AM on November 12, 2001
The pitfalls of Hollywood typecasting. And people wonder why producers and directors are afraid to hire Brent Spiner. No matter how much makeup he hides behind, people will forever see him as Ol' Yellow Eyes. Most other actors who have found brief success on TV or film suffer similar problems for the rest of their lives. Duchovny and Anderson will sadly be no exception to this.
That being said, early this past summer I participated in an all-day marathon of Scully-based X-Files episodes on a big screen. It was an international effort; a benefit supporting NeuroFibromatosis Inc., which is a charity very close to Gillian Anderson's heart. It was a lot of fun. I met some new people. We threw change at the screen a lot.
Why? Whenever Scully did something that was uniquely Scully, we'd throw change at the buckets under the screen. It was a real blast. I had forgotten, but I happened to be wearing my MeFi shirt that day. I look like a hairless gorilla in that picture.
They had raffles and I won a CD player and other stuff. Great food. I bought a T-shirt and ordered this neat videotape of Scully highlights to treasure and drool over for years to come. Several of the best Scully-focused X-Files episodes ran back-to-back in rapid succession that day. A wonderful experience encompassing the best of almost a decade of work by Ten Thirteen et. al. I hope to do it again next year if I can.
My point is, the show X-Files has brought a lot of good into the world, in more ways than one can easily count.
I may not continue watching the series as it is now with the near religious fervor that I once did, because I agree it has jumped the shark, but I'm thankful for the many entertaining hours, and the good vibes the show has somehow instilled in a lot of people. Intelligent fluff. X-Files proved that intelligent fluff can be successful. And rewarding. Audiences don't have to be stupid to have a good time. And yeah people can make a difference if they're driven enough. Thank you Mr. Carter.
The truth is what you make of it.
posted by ZachsMind at 12:30 AM on November 12, 2001
Mrs. D and I actually kind of enjoyed it.
Reyes is still not quite fleshed out as a character, but assuming that she takes on some dimension, I think that the Reyes / Doggett team can be an interesting front-line for the "one-off" (i.e., non "mythology/conspiracy") episodes which comprise the bulk of the season, with Scully and Skinner comprising the command / advisory back-end.
After all, most of the really good episodes in the past n years have been the one-off episodes, where the writers can really focus on their narrative and not get so wrapped up in the portentuousness of the conspiracy and its continually-less-interesting iterations.
posted by MattD at 7:18 AM on November 12, 2001
Reyes is still not quite fleshed out as a character, but assuming that she takes on some dimension, I think that the Reyes / Doggett team can be an interesting front-line for the "one-off" (i.e., non "mythology/conspiracy") episodes which comprise the bulk of the season, with Scully and Skinner comprising the command / advisory back-end.
After all, most of the really good episodes in the past n years have been the one-off episodes, where the writers can really focus on their narrative and not get so wrapped up in the portentuousness of the conspiracy and its continually-less-interesting iterations.
posted by MattD at 7:18 AM on November 12, 2001
The Lone Gunman COULD have been good if the writers had been on the ball - but they made it into slapstick instead and never developed the storyline out of the first episode with the father. And they seemed to investigate anything BUT what seemed to belong in the paper - no big stories, just small stuff. *sigh* And X-Files - I think I have no motivation for watching it anymore because the characters don't seem to have any motivation. Why do any of them CARE about what's going on? Mulder had personal motivation and drive at least. Ahhh well. The episode seemed scattered and weird. And I caught Malcolm in the Middle before that and that was angsty, annoying, and REALLY scattered. And, although I know this is late but as I'm on a role with complaining *grin*, what the HELL happened to having a connecting subplot, cool 'camera' shots, and character-true storylines in the Simpsons? Okay - I'm done now. Apologies. ;-)
posted by thunder at 7:47 AM on November 12, 2001
posted by thunder at 7:47 AM on November 12, 2001
I haven't watched X-Files in years (you know, back when it was good) but ever since I saw the increasingly annoying "Her dreams have come true!" trailers for the premiere focusing on Scully's baby and it pans over to Annabeth Gish saying snottily "There's something wrong with your baby" I've had me a hankerin for some Mystic Pizza.
posted by evixir at 8:44 AM on November 12, 2001
posted by evixir at 8:44 AM on November 12, 2001
The show seems to have lost focus.
Is "focus" really a quality you would ever have ascribed to X-Files?
posted by rodii at 9:33 AM on November 12, 2001
Is "focus" really a quality you would ever have ascribed to X-Files?
posted by rodii at 9:33 AM on November 12, 2001
After all the hoohah in the X-Files movie, how could they ever go back to working cases? It was ludicrous. I watched about four shows after that, but after Mulder's big trip to Antarctica, every episode was a wtf moment dragged out over an hour.
posted by UncleFes at 2:33 PM on November 12, 2001
posted by UncleFes at 2:33 PM on November 12, 2001
X-Files is dead...long live Lone Gunmen!
easily the three [er, four] most interesting goofball characters created on televison in years :)
excellent adventure stuff :) highly entertaining and chock full of intellectual fluff!
posted by elphTeq at 1:30 AM on November 15, 2001
easily the three [er, four] most interesting goofball characters created on televison in years :)
excellent adventure stuff :) highly entertaining and chock full of intellectual fluff!
posted by elphTeq at 1:30 AM on November 15, 2001
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posted by jpoulos at 7:49 PM on November 11, 2001