The X-Files Season 9 Review

Episode Guide

Nothing Important Happened Today
Nothing Important Happened Today II
Dæmonicus
4-D
Lord Of The Flies
Trust No 1
John Doe
Hellbound
Provenance
Providence
Audrey Pauley
Underneath
Improbable
Scary Monsters
Jump The Shark
William
Release
Sunshine Days
The Truth

With the ninth and final season of The X-Files upon us, its a shame that the show ends on a whimper rather than a roar. With the show’s format changed to introduce another FBI agent to work alongside Doggett (Robert Patrick) in Reyes (Annabeth Gish) the entire dynamic of the show changes and not for the better. Although Scully (Gillian Anderson) makes fleeting appearances and Mulder (David Duchovny) shows up toward the end too, its clear that The X-Files has simply run out of steam with a season that’s the weakest in the show’s history.

The X File’s mythology and conspiracy theories have really been the driving forces for the show over all these years. While the show ends with a lot of unanswered questions that may annoy some people, the stand alone episodes are generally of very high quality throughout the season. The story this time sees Scully taking care of her baby and with a new FBI agent taking her place. This new dynamic between Reyes and Doggett never quite works, with a lack of chemistry to drive the show forward. Whilst they were never going to be able to replicate the chemistry between Scully and Mulder, its a shame then that when the two original agents do show up in this season, their performances lack conviction. You really get a feeling this year that the two actors have simply lost interest.

The one plus this year, as I mentioned earlier, are the stand alone episodes. This year in particular the writers seem intent on trying to end the show on a high, despite the wonky dynamics between a lot of the characters that drag it down. Its just a shame then that there are so few of them this year. With an emphasis on trying to answer the questions raised over the years, Scully’s character is effectively destroyed in the process. A lot of her character’s charm over the years has been her scientific rationale and her strength to overcome obstacles. This is completely lost this season, and with Mulder only showing up for a finale that, whilst stylistically presented, doesn’t quite do the show justice in giving a satisfying conclusion the show’s mythology.

Overall then, the ninth season of The X-Files is a bit of a let down. More so than last year, The X-Files feels like a show that’s simply run out of steam. The stand alone episodes are generally of very high quality though and help to reinforce just why this sci-fi phenomenon is so well regarded around the world. The mythological episodes and character writing is a let down this year though, which is surprising considering this has always been one of the show’s strengths over the years. Its a shame that the show ends on a low rather than a high. With what’s essentially a montage episode for the 90 minute finale, in some ways it works well to reflect what a great ride the show has been over all these years but it also emphasises the downfalls this year too. If you’ve made it this far you’ll undoubtedly want to see how it ends, but the truth remains out there with a season that emphasises how fatigued the show has become.