“I Want to Believe” that “The X-Files” reboot will confuse and delight a new generation of viewers just as it had in the ‘90s, but there is reasonable doubt. FOX kicked off the six-episode event with a two-part premiere Sunday and Monday nights, and the series is as confusing (and often delightful) as ever.
The genre of alien invasions is nearly as old as cinema itself. Gaining massive popularity in the ‘50s and ‘60s, stories of otherworldly beings quickly became a staple of American entertainment.
After telling these stories for so long, it seemed as though we ran out of new ideas. With the genre focusing primarily on alien abductions or crazy government theories, it began to grow monotonous. Although “The X-Files” features both of these tropes, it somehow feels fresh.
The writers impressively manage to take a painfully trite genre and breathe new air into it. Instead of the tired “aliens are among us” concept, we are presented with a more disturbing one that draws from current social trends.
The main conspiracy this season is that the U.S. government has been in possession of alien technology since the infamous Roswell “UFO crash” in 1947 and has been secretly using it to control the population and experiment by creating a new human-alien hybrid race. It is a compelling notion, and while it may seem like a crazy person’s ramblings on the street, that is what “The X-Files” is all about.
Showrunner Chris Carter is quite keen on making the show culturally relevant, as made clear by the unnecessary and out-of-place name-drops of Uber and Edward Snowden. These references and a few celebrity cameo appearances feel quite forced and were probably a decision made by FOX to appeal to a wider demographic.
Thankfully, the show still holds on to its classic roots, often playing heavily into fan service. The iconic title sequence is nearly the same as the original series, tapping into the nostalgia immediately. Along with this, notable characters make cameos and will play important roles in the series. The most notable of these characters is the Smoking Man, who has a very ominous presence in the end of the premiere.
Television, as a medium, has been steadily increasing in its scope and production value over the past decade, resulting in masterpieces like “Breaking Bad,” “Game of Thrones” and “True Detective.” Unfortunately, “The X-Files” does not fit on this list.
It is possible that a goal was to maintain the feel of the original series, but it seems as though the show is stuck in the ‘90s, and not in a good way. Everything except the story feels tired and unimaginative.
Seeing Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny back on screen feels incredibly nostalgic, but they seem painfully disinterested in the roles. There is never any notable expression from Anderson, and Duchovny is all over the place with his emotions, sometimes seeming asleep on screen and at other times fully engaged in the investigation.
The show features some intriguing and engaging storylines, which is a hallmark of “The X-Files.” The crazy events that transpired each episode were the most beloved parts of the original series, and Carter is able to maintain this sentiment with new and intriguing ideas featured in the first two episodes.
However, the main issue with this show is not the acting or far-fetched conspiracies, but the network on which it is hosted.
FOX is certainly not the worst network out there and its programming surprises on occasion, but the show severely suffers by being on this network. Network TV is limited in what it can do, and the networks will often tailor their content to fit the biggest demographic possible, usually sacrificing some creativity and artistic expression along the way.
The ideas and stories in “The X-Files” are so unique, and if the show was on a network such as HBO or Netflix (companies which are very laissez-faire in their involvement with their shows), the writers would be able to explore these ideas much deeper — probably leading to some crazy-cool content. Unfortunately, not every show can be a Netflix original. The reality of it is that the show is on FOX, so we’ll take what we can get.
Dad still likes Spooky Mulder 🙂