Quinoa1984 Review of The X-Files

The X-Files (1993–2018)

even in its lulls, this was one of the best shows on prime-time TV

[10/10 · 17 May 2006]

The X-Files was, regrettably, not a show I was die-hard about when it was airing week after week in my youth/teen years. I would catch an episode here and there, be entertained, but also think 'this episode isn't TOO much different from the other ones'. The film that came out as the spin-off of the series did spark my interest more, however, as having a full arc even for someone as just a casual fan. Then as the series went in its latter days, I did tune out (thinking, 'why's Robert Patrick on the show, all this Scully baby-drama, etc'). However, as the show now goes on in syndication on the various cable channels, and I have refreshed my awareness of the first season as quasi-background, I've become rather addicted (minus the Patrick episodes, the lulls mentioned earlier). Sometimes what draws me in is the occasional, unexpected morbid humor. But mostly its in how the stories on the show, while of course sticking close to being 'TV', are the more engrossing the more you know about the characters. And there are some very inventive episodes regarding the unexplained, the bizarre human characters, and of course the UFO's and other assorted visitor folk. While I'm not as immersed in the show yet as with shows I've been watching since a youth (Seinfeld, Simpsons, South Park, Daily Show), part of the fun of getting further and further into the episodes is seeing the comparisons, of what's gotten better or worse, more intriguing or less. Much like the inspiration of the show- All the President's Men- the more you see of what can't be explained, the more you can't stop finding the truth. Hokey at times, sure, but also a cult-delight.