Reviews: The X-Files (2016) Episode 1 - My Struggle

After an 8 year wait, Mulder and Scully continue their search for the truth. But is it still out there?

Too bad you never guest starred on
Californication. We could've given
the fans what they REALLY wanted. 

As with many fans, we watched The X-Files religiously every Sunday night for years. Through thick and thin, through ups and downs, and through the fog of the final couple seasons, we stuck by waiting for a proper conclusion. We saw the first movie and still had questions. We watched the second cinematic release and wondered why they bothered. Still, the mythology of The X-Files continues to pose questions and answers about government cover ups, the existence of aliens, and the dramatic relationship between two of the genre's favorite characters.


Well tonight, fans of Mulder, Scully, and their gripping sci-fi search for answers finally gets a revitalized return to form in a short run series. This six episode event brings all our favorite mysterious characters back and hints at continuing the conspiratorial story arc that was never given a proper burial. It's been 8 years since the team up of Mulder and Scully was put to bed in the underwhelming I Want To Believe sequel. Will we finally get closure for our characters with this episodic tale or does Chris Carter have intentions of bringing these two back full time? From what we've seen from tonight's episode, Carter and his team of stars still have the magical touch to make another run of this classic show. Plus, the more cinematic look blended with today's better looking visual elements will not only satisfy die hard fans but will definitely reel in a whole new audience. 

Tonight, the fight for the future collides with The X-Files mythology in a sharp and intelligent reset that will hopefully drive Mulder and Scully into new undiscovered territory. Using the same intro, a similar shooting style, and the same color palette, The X-Files relaunch will service our need for nostalgia as well as our desire for good televised sci-fi on a higher budget. Taking us right back to the Roswell origins, Chris Carter's more grizzled looking Mulder and a beautifully aging Scully are nearly perfect renditions of their future selves. With very little back story filling the blanks between the show's final episode over a decade ago and the newly televised present, not much has changed. Mulder still seeks the answer at all costs as Scully remains the skeptical science based counterpart. In typical fashion, the two characters round each other out, playing yin to each other's yang as the elements around them conspire an evil plot. 

Mulder, did you get that jacket
at Wal-Mart? I told you that
place was run by aliens. 

With little trepidation, it's easy to say that this feels like a natural continuation without seeming forced or too contrived. Modernizing the themes of the original run, this new series takes the old school X-Files and brings it into the politically charged, social media driven age with an intelligent spin on the alien abduction stories that played out in numerous chapters over the course of the original series. Adding an element of Alex Jones style propaganda mixed with the fear of a hostile government takeover, Carter's dedication to originality is on full display here. Always one to take chances, he doesn't hesitate to nearly rewrite the show's entire back dated mythology in the course of one hour. Some fans may revolt. But others will love that he's not fearful of change. 

With the chemistry between our two "heroes" still a tangible force, this episode one feels like they never left us. If Carter and crew can remain focused and back this pilot episode with five continuous weeks of great storytelling, I'd be hard pressed to imagine there won't be more in store for us. After all, great characters like Mulder and Scully are hard to come by these days. We might not squeeze another ten years out of them, but a couple more 12-14 episode seasons would be completely bad ass. Bring it on. I'm ready. 


Score


-CG

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