The third season of the X-Files is widely regarded as the best season of the show at seamlessly showcasing the three areas in which the X-Files came to be known for:
1. First, this season kept progressing the show's "mythology" in fascinating fashion. From the introduction of the shadowy Syndicate (of which the Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis is a member) to the continued betrayal of Alex "Ratboy" Krychek (Nicholas Lea), the myth-arc episodes were some of the best in the show's history. A different interpretation of Scully's (Gillian Anderson) earlier abduction is also touched on, as well as a strange alien substance brought up from the depths of the ocean.
2. This season also continued the high-quality "stand-alone" X-File case episodes. "Revelations" probes the religous differences between Agents Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully, "Pusher" introduces a psychologically-terrifying villain, and "Avatar" explores the personal life of A.D. Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi).
3. Finally, three comedic episodes are featured in this season, providing a much-appreciated breath of fresh air to a show that regularly delves into some very serious content. "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" pays tribute to the silent films of yesteryear, "War of the Coprophages" is full of witty Mulder-isms, and "Jose Chung's 'From Outer Space'" is considered the ultimate comedic X-File to this day.
To conclude, the Third Season of the X-Files does a remarkable job of blending an over-arching mythology with single-hour paranormal excursions and short doses of comedy to keep things fresh.
Update (12/2015) -After a re-watch of this season, I actually felt the need to drop the star rating down from five to four. A big reason for this was because the comedy episodes aren't nearly as good in retrospect as they were closer to the live airing. "War of the Coprophages" and "Jose Chung's From Outer Space" just seem odd now instead of inventive. There are also some really strange standalones, as the writers really seemed to branch out into uncharted territory. Still a strong season overall, but I was a bit let down coming off the astounding Season Two.
1. First, this season kept progressing the show's "mythology" in fascinating fashion. From the introduction of the shadowy Syndicate (of which the Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis is a member) to the continued betrayal of Alex "Ratboy" Krychek (Nicholas Lea), the myth-arc episodes were some of the best in the show's history. A different interpretation of Scully's (Gillian Anderson) earlier abduction is also touched on, as well as a strange alien substance brought up from the depths of the ocean.
2. This season also continued the high-quality "stand-alone" X-File case episodes. "Revelations" probes the religous differences between Agents Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully, "Pusher" introduces a psychologically-terrifying villain, and "Avatar" explores the personal life of A.D. Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi).
3. Finally, three comedic episodes are featured in this season, providing a much-appreciated breath of fresh air to a show that regularly delves into some very serious content. "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" pays tribute to the silent films of yesteryear, "War of the Coprophages" is full of witty Mulder-isms, and "Jose Chung's 'From Outer Space'" is considered the ultimate comedic X-File to this day.
To conclude, the Third Season of the X-Files does a remarkable job of blending an over-arching mythology with single-hour paranormal excursions and short doses of comedy to keep things fresh.
Update (12/2015) -After a re-watch of this season, I actually felt the need to drop the star rating down from five to four. A big reason for this was because the comedy episodes aren't nearly as good in retrospect as they were closer to the live airing. "War of the Coprophages" and "Jose Chung's From Outer Space" just seem odd now instead of inventive. There are also some really strange standalones, as the writers really seemed to branch out into uncharted territory. Still a strong season overall, but I was a bit let down coming off the astounding Season Two.