The X-Files Season 3 Review

Episode Guide

The Blessing Way
Paperclip
D.P.O
Clyde Bruckman’s Final Reprose
The List
2Shy
The Walk
Oubliette
Nisei
731
Revelations
War Of The Coprophages
Syzygy
Grotesque
Piper Maru
Apocrypha
Pusher
Teso Dos Bichos
Hell Money
Jose Chung’s ‘From Outta Space’
Avatar
Quagmire
Wetwired
Talitha Cumi

With more cohesiveness given to the show’s mythology and an engrossing storyline around finding alien “black goo”, the third season of The X-Files is arguably the strongest since the show came on air. The relationship between Scully (Gillian Anderson) and Mulder (David Duchovny) is as good as its every been too, with a perfect balance of scepticism and believing and their chemistry helps to drive the show forward.

Following the dramatic events that transpired at the end of season 2, the third season of The X-Files picks up where it left off last year with Scully searching for Mulder after The Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davies) dramatically sets the bunker on fire. As the show settles back into a rhythm with its “monster of the week” episodes, the show’s pair reunite. The story takes a further twist mid-season with a more prominent role for FBI agent Alex Krycek (Nicholas Lea) and the inclusion of a mysterious black goo. It’s here that the story really starts to take on a more sinister and complicated role but its handled well, with some good pacing throughout.

With a more complicated story and further layers of the conspiracy covered up by the government revealed, season 3 so easily could have become convoluted or lose some of its appeal unnecessarily. Thankfully, the episode quality is very good throughout the season and the right balance is struck between the mythological episodes that drive the show forward and the episodic structure of the cases.

Some of the best episodes in the show’s history occur this season too, with one in particular, Jose Chung’s ‘From Outta Space’, so well scripted and produced, it deserves to be watched even as a stand alone episode. The way the episode effortlessly produces an intriguing plot, sprinkles of humour and some thought provocative themes around trustworthy sources is very well realized and one of the biggest highlights this season alongside some of the bigger plot developments.

The supporting cast are given much more prominent roles this time around too, with some episodes focusing specifically on each of the key characters. It really helps to bring some much-needed variety to the series and helps it to solidify itself as a solid character driven thriller in its own right. Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) and The Cigarette Smoking Man are both the stands out from the established supporting cast but the new faces that join the cast this time around are equally as endearing.

It’s hard to fault season 3 of The X-Files. The episodes are well paced, the mythological stories some of the best since the show begun and the twists along the way handled very well. Mulder and Scully are outstanding again, with great chemistry throughout and their relationship along with some solid writing help to drive the show forward. There really is nothing else like The X-Files and this season in particular really shows just why its such a cult phenomenon.