The X-Files - First Time Watching

[selina]

I started to watch Millenium when it first aired, but never liked it. Although I agree, it shows some X-Files influence.

I never thought the portrayal of Mulder watching porn was sad. After all he is obsessed with his work and has practically no private life, no romantic relationship ... and obviously no sex life. Under this circumstances I'm not surprised that they made the character watch porn. As strange as it may seem, I always thought it would be fitting.

 

[Robbiesan]

I started to watch Millenium when it first aired, but never liked it. Although I agree, it shows some X-Files influence.

I never thought the portrayal of Mulder watching porn was sad. After all he is obsessed with his work and has practically no private life, no romantic relationship ... and obviously no sex life. Under this circumstances I'm not surprised that they made the character watch porn. As strange as it may seem, I always thought it would be fitting.

What was tragic was art imitating life imitating art. Duchovny actually had a problem with sexual addiction, one that damaged his marriage, and yet that was an aspect of both series.
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment...-sex-addiction-blame-strife/story?id=13970246

 

[Forbin]

"You know, there are worse ways to go, but I can't think of a more undignified way than autoerotic asphyxiation."

- Clyde Bruckman

 

[tomalak301]

The Erlenmeyer Flask - Season 1 Finale

I said I would probably only talk about episodes that get me excited or maybe even really bad episodes, and HOLY CRAP that episode rocked.

That's how you do a finale if you don't want to do a cliffhanger or have "to be continued" to end the season. I had kind of read spoilers about Deep Throat's death already, but to watch it happen and understand the context was shocking all the same. That, and shutting down the X-Files, and we saw the same room of UFO evidence that we saw from the Pilot episode, and I'm excited to see where the series goes from here. Yeah, I know this series is 20 years old, but for a first timer, so far it's been excellent sci fi drama. Looking forward to more of it in season 2. I will say that I was wondering when Scully and Deep Throat would me. After the fact, it feels obvious that it was in the finale.

 

[Robbiesan]

Yes that episode was stunning to me when I saw it the first time all those years ago. You're lucky to have the chance to watch them back to back as we had to wait for them to come out and with repeats in between or rescheduled for other things. Heck not everyone had a video tape recorder in those days and sometimes folks scrambled to get someone to "tape it" or to reschedule things as some of us would end up working when it aired.

Not even tempted to say why the episode surprised you...even with a spoiler?

 

[tomalak301]

Yes that episode was stunning to me when I saw it the first time all those years ago. You're lucky to have the chance to watch them back to back as we had to wait for them to come out and with repeats in between or rescheduled for other things. Heck not everyone had a video tape recorder in those days and sometimes folks scrambled to get someone to "tape it" or to reschedule things as some of us would end up working when it aired.

Not even tempted to say why the episode surprised you...even with a spoiler?

It was the slow build leading up to those wild and crazy final 10 minutes. When you watch a season in a short period of time, you almost feel like you get more out of the show, like you're taking the journey with the characters and everything builds to a cresendo. This episode was the sum of the entire first season, and it kept building and building and then you're just beaten over the head (in a good way) by the Shock and Awe. What surprised me was this is the first season of this show, and I don't recall many first seasons that have an ending like this. Heck, I think I can recall maybe two shows I've watched ever where I had this same reaction, Battlestar Galactica and Orange is the New Black (No, Orphan Black had a good finale, but I actually thought the ending could have been better).

This episode had like 3 endings, and they all made sense in the building of the arc and where the series goes from here. They could have ended it with Deep Throat saying "Trust No One", they could have ended with Mulder telling Scully they've shut down the X-Files, but they added a third layer to it and it sets up the series direction quite well. For being the first season, this was a finale that felt like the show was ending it's third or fourth, and that is quite an accomplishment.

 

[Robbiesan]

Yes. That scene with the cannister. blew me away. I didn't think they come right out and use that kind of visual until far later. It made me excited as to where the series would go from there.

The whole point of Scully's character was that she was originally designed to be the voice of reason, science, skepticism and potential love-interest all roled into one. After the cannister scene, I thought..."OK, what now regarding skepticism???"

 

[tomalak301]

Little Green Men - Season 2 Premiere

I'm still not talking about every episode, but I kind of have to talk about the Premier to season 2, especially after the events of "Flask."

One of the things about premiere episodes is they tend to undo the stuff that came before. I mean you have this great cliffhanger episode, and then the first few minutes of the premiere you get the sense (Or at least I do) that the wait for the new season might not have been worth it.

Well here it's pretty much a continuation of Flask. The X-Files are still closed, Mulder is depressed, paranoid, and the Government are still after Mulder and Scully. This episode takes "Trust No One" and expands on it greatly, even to the point where we get a wonderful character moment at the end where Mulder says "I still have my work, me, and I've still got you." These characters have grown so much in the last season that that line at the end makes me think it was right then and there where Mulder and Scully became pop culture Icons, even being parodied in DS9 in "Trials and Tribble-ations". Duchovny and Anderson's chemistry is so strong that you're rooting for them to be together, even if it's just a working relationship.

I guess the last thing I will mention is Skinner, the Cigarette Smoking Man, and that scene at the end. Man if one would think all three didn't have a unique agenda, that scene should change your mind. That was great how Skinner kicked out CSM, bringing in a bit of a fake job thinking he was talking to Mulder.

Overall, I like sci fi, I like conspiracy, and I like Paranoia and the themes that go with it. In the last two episodes, I got that and then some. It's been so fun to watch and I can't believe there are 8 more seasons left of this, or so I think.

 

[Robbiesan]

Ms Anderson actually has/had a bawdy sense of humor. Sometime watch the gag reel from those seasons and you'll see a hysterical gag she and Mulder cooked up in an elevator. I don't think I can get away with a youtube clip of it as it's really naughty.

In real life, it's obvious that their friendship goes deep...so much that they might be dating.

 

[RoJoHen]

Yeah, David and Gillian have some of the best onscreen chemistry of any two actors I've ever seen, and I think that's the reason their characters are so fantastic. Watching them take the journey together is absolutely wonderful.

I'm jealous you're getting to do this for the first time. It's such a fun ride.

 

[Pingfah]

The show just gets better and better. It doesn't even hint at a decline until they are into Season 6, and even then there's lots of great episodes going forward.

 

[selina]

Yes. That scene with the cannister. blew me away. I didn't think they come right out and use that kind of visual until far later. It made me excited as to where the series would go from there.

The whole point of Scully's character was that she was originally designed to be the voice of reason, science, skepticism and potential love-interest all roled into one. After the cannister scene, I thought..."OK, what now regarding skepticism???"

It's true that Scully with her skepticism and constant need for scientific proof was Mulder's - the believer - counterpart. This way the audience could relate to the one world view or the other. And while it's also true that Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny have a strong chemestry, series creator Chris Carter was very much against a romantic relationship between those two characters. Scully was never meant to be a love interest for Mulder. Carter had a platonic relationship for them in mind.
"Putting them together would have been the death of their relationship". I remember it vividly, because the whole world wanted them to be together - except for him. However, he - and everyone else involved - really did a terrific job with their relationship.

There's a spoilerfree interview with him on youtube about Mulder's and Scully's relationship.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h14l0RIX9gs&noredirect=1

 

[The Laughing Vulcan]

I actually started rewatching The X-Files late last summer. I kind of space the discs apart so I don't overdose, watch about 4 episodes a week. So far I'm two discs from the end of Season 5, and I have newly purchased Blu-rays of the movies to watch after that. Didn't want to mention any of the episodes I had recently seen for fear of spoilers.

Actually, last autumn, Amazon had a sale on the X-Files, and were shifting boxsets for £10 each. When I bought the first five series back in 2000, I paid close to £100 for them! I didn't get the last four sets as I recall the quality of the series going down towards the end, but at £10 each, it was hard to refuse. So I didn't. I'll be watching seasons 6-9 again for the first time since they were broadcast, before I get to the second movie.

 

[tomalak301]

The movies are going to be somewhat difficult to get. I have actually seen the first movie, but I haven't seen the second and I don't know if either is streaming any place or not. Also, when should I watch the movies. I'm assuming since the first came out in 1998, I should watch up to Season 6 and then see the movie. As for the second, does that take place after the series ends?

I still have a way to go yet as I only just started season 2, but I have been thinking about the movies recently.

 

[The Laughing Vulcan]

Fight the Future is set after season 5 and for me is the peak of the conspiracy arc (although that might change after I rewatch S6). The second film is a stand alone, a feature length X-File and it's set well after season 9.

 

[tomalak301]

Is X-Files supposed to gross me out sometimes? I ask because tonight I got back into it and watched "The Host" and while it was Nasty, especially the Shower scene, it didn't really "gross" me out that much. Actually, seeing the little worm go back into the sewer system was kind of cool.

Also, Episode 2 of Season 1 we met Deep Throat. Episode 2 of Season 2 we met this anonymous guy I will call Deep Throat II. Am I sensing a pattern?

 

[sojourner]

Not grossed out yet? To quote Yoda, "You will be, you will be."

 

[The Laughing Vulcan]

Is X-Files supposed to gross me out sometimes? I ask because tonight I got back into it and watched "The Host" and while it was Nasty, especially the Shower scene, it didn't really "gross" me out that much. Actually, seeing the little worm go back into the sewer system was kind of cool.

Also, Episode 2 of Season 1 we met Deep Throat. Episode 2 of Season 2 we met this anonymous guy I will call Deep Throat II. Am I sensing a pattern?

Wait till you get to the season 4 episode, Home.

 

[selina]

^ Yeah, that was definitely the grossest one, at least for me.

An interesting detail about "The Host" is, that the giant worm was portrayed by Darin Morgan, who also wrote a few X-Files episodes and made another guest appearance in the episode "Small Potatoes" (Season 4).

 

[Forbin]

The wife and I just watch Home a few weeks ago.
Yeah. Yikes.