Reviews & Ratings for
"The X-Files" Redux (1997)"The X Files" Redux (original title)

17 out of 21 people found the following review useful:
Keep Going FBI Woman, 27 September 2006

Author: Muldernscully from Washington Terrace, Utah

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

With the suspenseful ending of season 4, leading us to believe that Mulder is dead, Redux quickly gives us relief, letting us know that Mulder is indeed alive. We find out that Mulder killed the man in self-defense and that he asks Scully to pretend that the dead man is him. We already know that Gillian Anderson is a good actress. What we find out in this episode is that Dana Scully has a future in Hollywood. First, she is able to tearfully confirm Mulder's body. Then, she goes in front of an FBI panel and reconfirms Mulder death, all choked up. It was interesting to see a reappearance of Holly, Skinner's secretary from Pusher. Apparently, she got reassigned after beating up Skinner. The strong point of this episode is its story and its visuals. The story is very interesting, as the plot behind the deception of Mulder and Scully begins to unravel. The strong visuals of tables of fake alien bodies and secret experimentations also keep it interesting. What brings this episode down a couple of points is the stock footage used while Kritschgau explains everything to Mulder, which depending on the person, might be better than just watching them walk down the hall. But the big thing about this episode is the amount of voice-overs. Mulder and Scully are doing voice-overs left and right which really slows the episode down. But, like I said, the strong visuals that are shown while the voice-overs are happening, help keep my interest. I still like Redux a lot for its intriguing story, it just could've gone lighter on the voice-over work.

2 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
I've seen aliens. I've witnessed these things., 17 November 2009

Author: Sanpaco13 from Sandy, UT, United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I find this episode to be a slightly better than Gethsemane. I think its actually kind of interesting how these three episodes (Gethsemane, Redux, and Redux II) all seem to center around that little dim room and that one scene with Scully announcing Mulder's death. We see this scene like three times at least, yet each time we get a little bit more of the story. It is kind of interesting. We were left at the end of Season 4 with an insane cliffhanger of Scully announcing Mulder's death. This episode wastes no time in giving out more details. We see Mulder in his apartment, seemingly contemplating suicide as he is realizing he has been believing a lie all these years. He soon receives a call however, and is tipped off about a man upstairs watching him. A gun goes off and we now have a dead body and a Mulder in hiding. He waits for Scully in her apartment and lets her in on what is going on, and tells her she has to lie to him until he can figure out who in the FBI ordered surveillance on him. From here the story gets a little drawn out, with a lot of voice overs as Scully does ambiguous chemistry stuff on the alien DNA trying to match it to her cancer cells, and Mulder wanders around mischievously in the DoD level 4 halls, looking for a cure for Scully's cancer. Mulder finds a small tube of de-ionized water and Scully gets a nose bleed right before accusing Skinner of being a mole, and the episode ends. All in all, a pretty decent episode, the story drags a little bit with and all the voice overs while somewhat annoying at first, are actually quite beneficial to trying to help actually explain the mythology a little bit. I enjoy some amazing little things Mulder runs into in the Pentagon also like the big room of alien corpses and the scenes when he is getting "chased" around the halls by the army guys. The episode does a good job in keeping the story going forward and I think it leads nicely into Redux II. I give the episode a 9 out of 10.

3 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
After a while I only could hear blahblahblah, 10 January 2009

Author: SleepTight666 from Netherlands

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

A suspenseful, wonderful looking, brilliantly acted and absolutely well done episode that unfortunately has cringe-worthy, frustrating and repetitive dialog.

I'm a big fan of voice-overs, and I think that they were very well done in this episode. But after a while I only could hear blahblahblah, they kept talking about how they were led to believe in a lie, which feels insulting to go there to begin with. I mean, this show has gone on for five years, is there ANYONE who actually believed that it was all a hoax? It was nothing but frustrating and time wasting.

The worst part is that once again, SKINNER was made to be a suspect. How many times has he proved to be one of the good guys? It's just really insulting and the repeated scenes did not make it any better.

I'm giving this episode THREE stars because it was a quality episode in everything BUT the dialog.

1 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Yes A Boring Episode Indeed, 19 July 2009

Author: ddeboer from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Another reviewer had posted that this episode was boring. The same reviewer, like me, is also watching the X Files on DVD from beginning to end in sequential order. I suspect that this is one of those episodes that held up well when it first came out but hasn't stood the test of time for those like me who are revisiting each episode. Like so many of the arc/mythology episodes the success of this episode seems to rely more on the excitement around the theme rather than anything that actually happens. You know it is bad when you watch Gethsemane and Redux I in a row and see the same scene repeated 4 times (Scully's testimony). Scully testifying again..... Mulder getting out of a pinch somehow yet again.... Implausible occurrences.... plot holes... and too many damn voice overs all with that slow, depressing and monotonous drivel. I am convinced that this episode was great when it first came out on TV and you had to wait a whole week to find out what really happened. Without the element of cliff hanger there isn't much going on here. A lot of it feels like filler.

3 out of 23 people found the following review useful:
What a terrible episode..., 18 May 2008

Author: andtherobotsighed from United Kingdom

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I'm currently watching the X-files on DVD from beginning to end and I must say this is the most excruciatingly boring episode so far.

The endless voice overs left nothing to the imagination and towards the end were insulting to the viewer's intelligence.

The story was filled with suspense and revelations, the closest the viewer has got to the 'truth' so far, it should have been exciting... much more exciting than it was... instead, we have endless wandering though corridors, over explanation and those wretched voice overs which remind me of the Harrison Ford voice-over from Blade Runner.

The way CSM seemed sad to see the evidence of Mulder's demise was the episode highlight for me, giving a tentative glimpse of more to their relationship than I first suspected.

Other than that, the episode should be the dictionary definition of anticlimactic... if that was the intent, then 10 out of 10. I suppose Redux 2 will probably redeem it, but why should one episode have to be so bad in order to make the next redemptive?

Add another review

Related Links