It appears Chris Carter wrapped up 'The X-Files' the best way he could (at least for the original nine season run), with an impressive trip down memory lane to furnish some of the highlights from the series. A way was found to bring back virtually every important character in the X-Files universe, be they dead or alive. I was confused at first with the appearance of Alex Krycek (Nicholas Lea), but it wasn't difficult to figure out that Mulder's ghosts from the past would be on hand to lend some resonance to the story. In true X-Files fashion, we also come to learn that the deaths of former characters were greatly exaggerated, like those of the Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis) and Jeffrey Spender (Chris Owens).
The basis for the show though, the trial of Fox Mulder for murder, never really played out as a murder trial in actuality, as it all came down to proving the government's involvement in a conspiracy to hide what it knew about an alien takeover of Earth and the aftermath of that failed attempt. Funny, but no one, including Mulder himself, ever came up with a self defense strategy. After all, those thirty witnesses the government said it had would have observed the struggle at the top of the Mt. Weather facility.
The most impressive part about that trial for me was how Agent Reyes rose to the occasion and lambasted everyone for their lies and cover ups. That was the most solid effort Annabeth Gish put into her role in the two seasons she worked on The X-Files. And speaking of Agent Reyes, and her new relationship with Doggett, it was clever the way they appeared to be living together when they first found out about Mulder. One didn't have to be hit over the head to figure that out.
But in true X-Files fashion, the show also did some abrupt U-turns to keep the viewer off balance, like Deputy Director Kersh's (James Pickens Jr.) sudden turn at the end, and Cigarette Smoking Man still alive and living secluded in the New Mexico desert. I also wondered why Gibson Praise didn't become a target again once he made his reappearance. And of course, Gibson's outing of an alien on the board opposing Mulder in his trial went unanswered, so you had some loose ends left to deal with, that of course, won't be dealt with.
All in all though, it was a cool nine year run that made 'The X-Files' my second favorite show of all time. Sorry folks, my Number One, is, and probably will always remain, Rod Serling's 'Twilight Zone'. Too bad their eras were so far apart, it would have been neat to see Serling and Chris Carter collaborate with each other for some really weird stuff.
The basis for the show though, the trial of Fox Mulder for murder, never really played out as a murder trial in actuality, as it all came down to proving the government's involvement in a conspiracy to hide what it knew about an alien takeover of Earth and the aftermath of that failed attempt. Funny, but no one, including Mulder himself, ever came up with a self defense strategy. After all, those thirty witnesses the government said it had would have observed the struggle at the top of the Mt. Weather facility.
The most impressive part about that trial for me was how Agent Reyes rose to the occasion and lambasted everyone for their lies and cover ups. That was the most solid effort Annabeth Gish put into her role in the two seasons she worked on The X-Files. And speaking of Agent Reyes, and her new relationship with Doggett, it was clever the way they appeared to be living together when they first found out about Mulder. One didn't have to be hit over the head to figure that out.
But in true X-Files fashion, the show also did some abrupt U-turns to keep the viewer off balance, like Deputy Director Kersh's (James Pickens Jr.) sudden turn at the end, and Cigarette Smoking Man still alive and living secluded in the New Mexico desert. I also wondered why Gibson Praise didn't become a target again once he made his reappearance. And of course, Gibson's outing of an alien on the board opposing Mulder in his trial went unanswered, so you had some loose ends left to deal with, that of course, won't be dealt with.
All in all though, it was a cool nine year run that made 'The X-Files' my second favorite show of all time. Sorry folks, my Number One, is, and probably will always remain, Rod Serling's 'Twilight Zone'. Too bad their eras were so far apart, it would have been neat to see Serling and Chris Carter collaborate with each other for some really weird stuff.