X-Files - The Complete First Season

The X-Files Show was one of the strangest ever to be put on television. It certainly was different from the traditional dramas, and stupid sitcoms that seem to lower America's collective IQ on a daily basis. For some reason I can't stand the opening music to this series, and find it annoying, but I can live with it to see decent television. For those not familiar with the series, it aired for quite a few years during the 1990's, with the beginning of it in 1993. For several years it "was the show," and millions of people anxiously awaited the next episode, that would be on the following week. Fox was able to climb up the ratings chart compared to the old standby's such as NBC and CBS because of this, and there have been a couple of movies spawned from it.

As a fan I was delighted to get Season 1 for $9.99. You can't beat a six DVD set, that has 1089 minutes of viewing material for that cost. It has brought back a lot of good memories, and although it took me about a month and a half to watch this, it wasn't because of boredom, but rather having a busy schedule. If I could have three days off to do nothing but watch this, I would have made it a marathon session of X-Files. Its simply that good, and along with 24 episodes, you get a couple of extra features as well. Sadly, these are just a few production clips of a few episodes, but you are buying this set to see the shows, and that's only a minor disappointment.

The reason this show is above the rest, is because of the acting talents of Fox Mulder(David Duchovony) and Dana Scully.(Gillian Anderson) Sure, the phenomena such as ghosts and UFO's will get your attention, but this wouldn't be worth a damn if it wasn't for their talent. You really can see the chemistry between them, which is interesting considering Duchovony recently went into sex addiction treatment, and Anderson is smoking hot. In addition to their abilities in playing FBI agents investigating paranormal activities, there are a host of supporting characters, such as Anderson's old partner, and a "Deepthroat" type of person who's in the government "somewhere." He's one of my favorite characters, as he tries to warn Mulder of dangers, while also feeding him crumbs to investigate.

The special effects in here, by today's standards, are a bit cheesy. This being the first season, they didn't spend a lot of money either, and were able to improve over the following years in this department. Expect a lot of improvised lighting for these effects, with nothing that's going to make you jump up and say, "That has got to be real!" Unfortunately, later in the series there was too much of a emphasis on this, which took away from the acting talents of Anderson and Duchovony. For those who are interested in storylines and mystery, the first season takes the cake for this category.

Winning Episodes

Deep Throat
This is about a test pilot who disappears, and as FBI agents, Mulder and Scully investigate. A frantic wife is upset about this, and as the "onion is peeled," the agents discover that the base they are at is used for "futuristic aircraft." There's a belief from a lot of residents that this is used for testing alien UFO's, and so the energetic agents go well past breaking the law to discover the truth of this. It is one intense episode, with a lot of unforseen twists and turns, and the ending will have you completely shocked. This is a lot like the old Twilight Zone shows, in that it will have you guessing, and your mind will be active throughout.

Ice

This one still creeps me out, and it is probably my favorite of all time. A parasitic creature is killing scientists in Alaska, turning them into vicious, homicidal maniacs. Mulder and Scully go to this research compound, with a couple of scientists, and its a "Who Done It?" type of thriller. There's several scenes that grossed me out, including where this parasite worm is working its way through a person's back and neck. This is almost like watching the movie Clue with an extra special guest, and riveting throughout.

Eve

This is for once not involving parasites or UFO's, but rather a strange story involving murdered fathers. It appears to be a regular criminal case, but soon turns into something more sinister. It appears there's some biological work being done by one particular woman, who has plenty of copies of herself. These "copies" have terrible tempers, and are vicious as they grow older, from the little girls they appear to be. The acting in this one is incredible, because even though I got lost during several parts, the story is tied up beautifully at the end. This is one of the best episodes that doesn't involve what appears to be X-Files type of phenomena, and is a classic of the series.

E.B.E.

Here there are several abduction like stories, and Mulder and Scully go on a "wild goose chase." Mulder is obsessed about aliens, since his sister was taken by them, and Scully provides a healthy bit of skepticsm here. Yet as they move along, Scully's eyes open to a phenomena that's not understood, and believes that there could be alien life forms that are kept in government locations. This is a lot of running around, but its worth it, as you are rewarded to proof of our government's attempts to keep this a secret. Conspiracy theorists will really love this, but even for the somewhat skeptical person, there's a lot to ponder about.

And Some Losers Unfortunately


The Jersey Devil

This show is dedicated to some creature that kills innocent people in the forests of New Jersey. Personally, I think Newark is good enough at this alone without some "Chupacabra" type of animal. This is really cheesy, and perhaps the worst episode of all seasons. Mulder and Scully go to the Garden State, and search through homeless encampments, trying to find this creature that's slaughtering people left and right. The idea itself wasn't horrible, but the execution of it was, as I nearly dozed off several times. Totally boring, but everyone's allowed to miss on occasion.

Fire

This is about a guy who kills British aristocrats with fire. Gee, how exciting that is! The guy who plays the "fireman", is ridiculous with over the top acting, that might be seen in a high school production. There's a sexy British agent who had a past history with Mulder, that tries to make the show a bit tantalizing, but nothing can save it. Some of the fire scenes looked also high school grade, which made this even more ridiculous. The storyline had more holes than swiss cheese, although I would like to be able to light my cigars with my fingertips. That would be pretty cool.

Final Thoughts

This is a fine way to start a television show, as we learn about the two prime characters, and see how it affects their investigative skills. Mulder's still hurt about the alien abduction of his little sister, and Scully has doubts about her work in the FBI, as she has a medical background. The episode with her father passing away gives the show a lot of heart, and I have to admit that after this scene, the show moves at full speed investigating ghosts, possessions, UFO's, and all kinds of other assorted strangeness. For those who haven't had a chance to see this, or watch the entire full series, be sure to buy this. Its affordable entertainment.

Sure, the music is going to bother you at the beginning. Yet, "the truth is out there," and there's some cases in here that reflect our curiousity with the unknown. Several of these episodes are based on mystical legends that most know, which gives it a bit of relevance, even though some of the shows really go out on a limb. Thankfully, due to the strong character development, acting, and storylines, its well worth a bit of silliness. Sure, you don't have to believe any of this to enjoy it, but sometimes it makes you wonder. Are we really alone, do you want to believe?