My Struggle (2015) User Reviews (37)

They've re-opened the x-files

[Sanpaco13 · 9/10 · 24 January 2016]

I am a happy camper tonight if only for the fact that I have just watched original content for the x-files since the movie "I Want To Believe" and while I truly enjoyed the movie, unlike many, it didn't stay true to the feel of the TV show. As soon as this episode began however, I felt like I had come home. It was true to the feel, the style, the production, everything I have come to associate with the show. It felt like The X- Files.

The episode starts with a voice over of Mulder describing the history of UFO phenomena, accompanied by clips and video footage of UFOs and different historical events involving the government and mass public witnessing and affirming the existence of UFOs. I don't know how much of this was taken from real reports and how many were fabricated but it's evident that not all of them are real. One of the things I've always liked about The X-Files is how it ties real conspiracy theories into its own purposes of an alien conspiracy.

Parts of the episode consist of flashbacks to the crash at Roswell and the appearance of some doctor whose identity is not revealed, and a man in a black suit, must be the original man in black. The UFO crash site is one of the most incredible sets I've seen on the show to date.

Similar to IWTB, the episode starts by someone trying to find Mulder and doing so through Scully. Scully encourages Mulder to "get out of his little house" so he does and when he actually becomes involved in the investigation she immediately jumps in arguing with him about the dangers of becoming involved, etc. Scully's character never ceases to frustrate.

The mythology moves forward in a somewhat concerning way and is the only reason I have rated this episode a 9 instead of a 10. I'm very concerned about the direction the mythology has taken by saying that there never was an alien conspiracy but that it is a government conspiracy and the aliens are a hoax. This doesn't mesh with several things from the mythology that are already pretty well established, namely the alien bounty hunters, the rebel faceless aliens, and the black oil virus. Granted they aren't positing that aliens don't exist at all, but they seem to imply that the involvement of aliens was simply one of visiting our planet out of concern for our existence after the use of the A bomb, and since then all the UFOs have simply been a cover by our own government as a way to perform tests on its citizens. When Mulder has the conversation with the Old Man, he seems to imply that the faceless rebels are all part of the hoax, calling it "nonsense". This would imply that the black oil, and everything else is all part of the hoax. I'm not buying it and it bugs me that Mulder is buying it. Especially when the thing that seems to suddenly convince him is when Sveta tells him its men who took her. Its not like this is the first time we've seen men working under the guise of alien abductions. Part of the original mythology is that the syndicate was working under the guise to do human tests to find a cure for the alien virus by creating an alien human hybrid. Its not the first time Mulder has been led to believe that everything has been a hoax and he was proved wrong the last time so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Two questions I'm left with at the end of the episode are about who certain characters are in relation to the previous series. Sveta and the Old Man both indicate that they have had previous contact with Mulder but I don't remember either of them from the original episodes.

Tad O'Malley is an interesting character and I look forward to seeing more of his character.

A few observations: - The pencils are still there! :) - Mulder ruined his poster :( - CSM is still alive so does that mean that TLG are still alive too? (they are on the cast list for Babylon) - Scully has a Nexus 6 #nexusmasterrace - Who was helping CSM smoke through his neck? Wasn't the old Indian lady from before... - The countdown began in 2012 but no one knew, so is this how they are explaining the Dec 21, 2012 thing from the finale?

The X-Files = Mr. ReBoot

[mrei-72418 · 8/10 · 25 January 2016]

The X-Files: Rejuvenated!

Pros:

1) I think I'll speak for all "X-Philes" out there when I say I would watch Mulder and Scully talk about and do nearly any wildest thing if it meant they actually grace my television with their incredible chemistry. A flawless actor-->actress relationship like Duchovny's and Anderson's is hard to come by. Glad to see their banter resurrected not for the first, or second (Mulder's returns in s8, and s9), and not for a 3rd (the absolute trash that was 2008's I Want to Believe) but a fourth time! This show/media franchise, like the entire human race facing imminent threat within the show's universe, refuses to die!

2) Luckily, we have additions who seem more than prepared to share screen time with our 90s TV ace pairing. Joel McHale, in a role he seems born to play, as Tad O'Malley, a conspiracy theorist TV Show Host who Mulder humorously compares to Bill O'Reilly. O'Malley is quick to spin the humor right back in Mulder's face, remarking, "What Bill O'Reilly knows about the truth could fill an eyedropper." Excellent! I'm interested to see what becomes of this new character, an unprecedented opportunity and vice Scully and Mulder have seemingly associated with, as O'Malley is adamant about exposing "The Truth" to the American Public, On-Air.

and 3) Anyone else who was pleased with the heavy voice-over sequence conducted by Duchovny when he brings up things such as the Post 9/11 electronic surveillance of The American people, can thank this year's Golden Globe Award Winner for Best TV Drama, Mr. Robot, as big inspiration Chris Carter clearly drew from. I also read in an expose preview for the show that once the Edward Snowden news broke, Carter had an epiphany of sorts, and was already implementing his efforts into future plot lines, just in case the show was ever to be revived. That, combined with the montage of shots showing George Bush, and crowds of massive American citizens, add just the right flair of new wave and critique of capitalism and materialism, drawing in the fans who felt focusing mainly on the alien conspiracy themes alone simply just wouldn't cut it any longer.

Cons:

1) Mulder seems to be dancing in circles again. In s5 of the original series, you can recall after talking with Kritschgeu (or however you say his name), that Mulder became a real skeptic for a little bit, believing all the truths he came to discover were an Elaborately constructed "smoke screen," designed to throw him off and believe aliens existed, when they in fact didn't. But there was just too much proof which kept throwing itself back in Mulder and everyone else's faces, that he ultimately caved and became a full-fledged believer again. Now, it appears he's spent the past 8 years since putting to rest his short-lived "bromance" with a convicted pedophile psychic priest ("I Want to Believe" that movie was just a figment of my imagination) just waiting for that next phone call about an event, classifiable as an X-File, just so he could play square dance with his own emotions again. Obviously, we've got five more episodes to go, and with the visual explosion "My Struggle" offered us, I certainly hold faith in the overwhelmingly relieved Carter and the rest of the writing staff to bring more clarity to why Mulder's faith is being tested again. Frankly, I just think the guy's been through too much, more since s5 when he first started doubting then ever before, to just drop the truth, solely cause he has been stopped at a red light for X amount of years, waiting for it turn green so he could be enabled to discover the more important truths that are still out there for him to discover.

2) Reyes and Doggett (and William) disappeared. The agents faced tough scrutiny from an entire fan base because of their role as the "replacements" in seasons 8 and 9, but Reyes and Doggett were solid characters who were dealt the most daunting task, and did it with the utmost professionalism. Much credit to their real-life counterparts, Annabeth Gish and Robert Patrick, as well, whose struggle mirrored their own characters' struggles, trying to fit in in a truth-seeking world built for Mulder and Scully. I read Gish is set to return, I just wish the two characters were given more closure, if only just one sentence, explaining what came of them after The X-Files were closed in '02. I also read Mulder and Scully's son, who was put up for adoption in season 9 for his own protection against the, dare I say, Supersoldiers (sorry for contaminating this review with mention of such blasphemy), will return at some point, so I am not too concerned. But still, I feel like if he could have handled the "William -arc" better back when the original series was still airing, he would have.

3) Three words. The Smoking Man. How the f$*k is this man alive? I'm genuinely annoyed. Because it's one thing to push a dying man down stairs in s7 finale just to hold out for his return in a big but not too shocking reveal in s9 finale, but his face was burned clean off in his "death" scene. And I loathe the fact that I just sandwiched death in between two quotations. I see he's signed on for two more episodes. He better have more freaking lines, and explain how he has become The X-File's version of Richard Alpert (immortal "LOST" character).

All in all, this episode was a better "Re-pilot" than any of us ever could have anticipated. I usually give out 9's for outstanding achievement, and very few 10's. So I gave "My Struggle" an 8, because I'm saving my 9 for "My Struggle II," if it successfully fills in all the blanks this episode failed to.

She's shot men with less provocation

[Muldernscully · 8/10 · 25 January 2016]

After a 14-year hiatus not counting the second movie, the X-Files returns to the small screen. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson reprise their iconic roles as our favorite FBI agents, Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. While not completely blowing us away, their return is strong and makes us look forward to what is to come.

The teaser is a typical dialogue-laden teaser common to mythology episodes and especially needed this time around to catch the casual fan back up as well as to introduce the show to (hopefully) a new generation of fans. Then the opening credits roll and I got chills. I love how they kept the original intro but with adding Mitch Pileggi in from the beginning. However, the font of their names seems to have changed. Just something I noticed.

Then, the show starts to bounce back and forth between Roswell, New Mexico, 1947, and present day. I was impressed with the special effects for the flashback scenes. Obviously, CGI technology as improved but it appears the X-Files got a larger budget this time around, based on past success. In present day, Mulder and Scully are no longer a couple as last shown in the second movie, but I think the explanation is a good one. It's sad, but I think it will work well for the show going forward.

The crux of this episode is Tad O'Malley's "new" conspiracy theory. It is that aliens did crash here, but a group of men have been using the alien technology to stage "alien abductions", not working with the aliens to assist them in colonization. Instead, this group of men's ultimate goal is to overthrow the United States of America. What is kind of surprising is that Mulder jumps headfirst into this new conspiracy, like he did with Kritschgau back in 1997, despite all the evidence to the contrary. I am very interested to see where Chris Carter, the show's creator, is going with this, as I just don't see him totally discounting everything we've seen the first nine seasons.

Finally, the mysterious shutting down of O'Malley's show along with the disappearance of a key multiple abductee, propels Mulder and Scully to jointly decide to wholeheartedly jump back into the fray at Skinner's invitation. The X-Files is reopened, an old oxygen-challenged friend reappears, and I couldn't be more excited that the truth is still out there.

Back with a new found energy.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 8 February 2016]

I must be honest and admit that I went from being X-Files obsessed until Series 6, to losing interest from there on in. However, the anticipation I've had for watching this series has been huge.

I got a bit of a chill when I heard the theme tune, and then saw they'd happily left the opening credits unchanged.

Special effects that you'd expect in a big budget movie, this episode packed a huge punch, it boasted a great story, it was brilliantly acted, the nostalgia I felt was beaten by the sheer quality of the episode.

How well are both of them maturing, he's as handsome as ever, and she is looking sensational, such an attractive woman. They make as good a duo now as they did back in the day.

Great opening episode, cracking story, if the rest of the series goes the same way I'll be glued, loved it. 8/10

Starts out a little stilted, but ultimately an exciting and worthwhile continuation.

[TouchTheGarlicProduction · 8/10 · 24 January 2016]

At the first, the actors feel like they are just going through the motions. The dialogue is very exposition heavy and it doesn't sound natural. But as the episode chugs along, they start to get back into it. The performances and writing feel more and more natural. The second half of the episode more than makes up for the first half. It starts to build some momentum, ending with a series of great twists that leave me excited for more. In the end, this is by no means a perfect episode, but it ended up accomplishing what it was trying to accomplish and more. There's a real sense of everyone getting back into it after a long break, and that's okay. The rest of the episodes should be great, it really felt like they got their groove going by the end of the episode.

However, a lot of the modern references in the mythology sections felt forced. There was actually a scene near the end of the episode that was going way too far on that front for me. Luckily, they discarded it as too paranoid.

Awesome pilot for the reboot! Wow oh Wow!

[Ed-Shullivan · 10/10 · 24 January 2016]

Scully says to Mulder "You want to believe, you so badly want to believe". Mulder responds "I do believe". This simple exchange between Mulder and Scully re-ignites that age old question..."Is their life on other planets and are there actual alien abductions of humans?" It was this intense exchange between the two main characters that draws you right back in to the success of the original 1993 ground breaking Science Fiction series. Are we witnessing a bigger conspiracy than the Manhattan project? What was the outcome of the Manhattan project? Was this the cause of the initial entry of aliens to earth that the government kept secret for the past 70 years?

There is so much information that Mulder and Scully are provided by the new rich guy Tad O'Malley (played by Joel McHale) that we the audience may start to believe that our own government is the biggest conspirator of hidden agendas and that the government would actually blame the cataclysmic outcome on our neighboring nations that would result in World War III. Or worse is there a global warming theory that has the elitist heading to another planet as the world is destroyed? I just loved that the great character actor Rance Howard was provided a part in the pilot episode as he divulges critical information to Mulder.

It is a great start for the re-boot. Too bad it will be limited to only 6 episodes.

It's like there never was a 14 year gap

[XweAponX · 10/10 · 25 January 2016]

Chris Carter is a Genius. He takes all of the typical conservative obsessions and merely reverses the label by calling them "Liberal" - Ergo his "Conservative Talk Show Host" 'Tad O'Malley' is actually conservative in name only and his agendas are all actually more like what Jon Stewart would come up with, with Aliens added of course. Or are there really any aliens? That's the question posed to Mulder.

I agree with most of Spanpaco13's (And MulderNscully's - I salute you both) points, except for the film "I want to believe not really feeling like The X Files", which I disagree, it felt a lot like "Grotesque" or other of the few pure crime X-Files episodes. And of course, one of the most important things that happened in that film was that Skully had told Mulder, "I can't look into the dark with you any longer" - And that really felt like the end of the X-Files forever. In that film her medical job seemed a lot more important than the job she is doing in this first installment, which is putting new ears on kids who look a bit Grayish.

The Fox Network gave Carter 6 episodes, and I was very upset with that. Until I saw this, 6 episodes, but with Fox's full backing, both in production value and time slots, not being hidden at 9:00 on Friday Night when Nobody will tune in, even in they wanted to. The Friday Night Death slot has killed many good shows. But we really do have the band back together with the involvement of Morgan/Wong and Morgan's brother Darin. This is less of a reboot than a reunion tour, so I'll take the 6 shows and hopefully Fox will realize this show can run another 9 years and keep a large amount of people happy on Sunday Nights. Because there are so many new, juicy conspiracy Theories floating about, at least 500 of them if you want to include the ones that Obama is allegedly part of.

There was one thing, Gardiner Millar is a bald man, in a black suit wearing a Fedora Hat. In fact, he wore much the same outfit in another show Darin Morgan worked on that was also on Fox, which constantly referred to The X-Files, so I'm glad Carter gave "Fringe" a nod by including an "Observer" in this episode.

I do agree it felt like home, I really haven't gotten involved with any new shows since Fringe went off the air. I'll say this, 2008 was not a good year for an X-Files movie, especially a non-Mythos one. The Political Climate from 2001 to 2008 was not conducive for The X-Files or shows like The X-Files. But right now is the perfect time, an election year where we have yet another white billionaire trying to buy his way into the white house. At times like these we ask "do our voices really count?" It had always been Mulder and Skully against the world, and they did manage to make a huge dent in at least one conspiracy. Can two people once again stand against the world and take on, the corporations this time, now that they have been given rights superseding the rights of the individual? I am hoping that our voices do count and we can Fight the Future, if there are enough decent people in the world who want a better future, and The X-Files is part of that hope. The fact that fans alone caused Fox to take the show out of Mothballs is a sign that maybe there is hope.

well, this review is for those who weren't a strict followers of the Original series or just watched a couple of episodes before ;) watch it.

[Aktham_Tashtush · 7/10 · 29 January 2016]

As a guy who has never followed the original X-files but i watched more than a bunch before, I'd say the Pilot in here went really fine and surprisingly so much better than i expected.

The story and the plot is easily followable even if it is your first time watching the show, they explain everything with a fast yet organized throwback, the script seems to really having a great potentials with new story each episode (like most Sci-Fi shows) and mysterious new faces with new secrets.

I'v noticed a couple of times in the pilot that Mulder Maybe is trying to make it clear that forget about the last seasons this something new, this is a new conspiracy, which is good for me again as i didn't follow the last series that much but i don't know how the show "lovers" would feel about it ;)

As for the cast, well lets be honest David Duchovny is more than 13 years older than the last time we've seen him on the show, and for me i was used to seeing him with that witty, careless, snarky character in Californication so here he's well the total opposite but still he has that factor of "follow me , and keep it up" so you can't stop yourself waiting for his next move... Gillian Anderson is back too .. and generally the whole cast look original and fit the story of the "X-files" perfectly.

also if you noticed too, the special effects are much better than 13 years ago ;) so that was noticeable in the cinematography part, so we'd expect a much more realistic freaks and much more thrilling explosions.

Finally as a "new series" overall i am down with it and already going to follow it week by week as it has shown so much potentials and it reminded me of "Fringe" which was also a big hit.

so good luck for Fox, even though they don't need it , they're not new at this :D

Brought back in a Great Way!

[aesculf · 10/10 · 27 January 2016]

This episode had the feel of the past and was updated for the times! As a fan of the series I was worried it might be messed up but it wasn't. The creators and actors did a great job for all the changes that had taken place. I'm very happy that the four actors are back also, I don't think it would have been the same unless they radically changed things. On something completely unrelated to the x-files is the stupid policy of IMDb because my review didn't contain "10 lines of text". That is a huge complaint I have about the news is using a lot of words that don't do anything but modify the facts. I said everything that was needed. "Your review does not contain enough lines - the minimum length for reviews is 10 lines of text. Please see the guidelines. Attempts to pad the comment with junk words can result in your account being blocked from future submissions." Well then don't force people to put crap in their reviews this is why I don't read these things!

Looking forward to the next episode

[radamanthe · 7/10 · 25 January 2016]

Well the actors may have aged, but when you hear after so many years that eerie theme music again you are transported back in time to your adolescence. This reboot doesn't offer anything original, it uses the same old tropes all X-Files fans know by now, and incorporates new elements of contemporary conspiracy mongers.I am eager to see the direction they will go with this. Even though the dialogue feels a little too predictable and stilted, the story line provides enough to pique one's interest, especially since an old acquaintance makes an appearance during the final scene of the episode. This episode provided an adequate introduction to the rebooted show by trying to give some background to our old main characters and introducing new ones. My vote is seven.

Classic X Files

[kathrynfraser-29590 · 9/10 · 26 January 2016]

Wow. One of the biggest shows ever is back in a big way. The opening episode has everything you would expect from The X Files- conspiracies, alien abductions/ visitations, government cover ups, and of course, the tension/ chemistry between Scully and Mulder. I had tingles down my spine when I heard the theme music. The storyline was underway straight away, as were Scully and Mulder. It was like no time had passed at all since we had last seen those two together. But it looks as though times have been tough for Mulder while Scully has been getting on with her medical career. Skinner doesn't look any older. Has he been kept in suspended animation somewhere? This first episode of the new season has really got me excited for what else is to come. I can't wait!

Not bad after a long absence, but some plot issues

[derangedxzombie · 7/10 · 10 May 2023]

Some people are giving this a 1* which is silly, there are many worse monster of the week episodes from the past, 'improbable' from season 9 comes to mind.

It's a fairly standard mythology episode that follows the main story arc set out from the pilot (aliens and their existence or purpose) and the reuniting of a separated Mulder & Scully. But my only real gripes are:

1) The story ignores where season 9 ended. What happened to the super soldiers, apparently being in the government, in the FBI etc? The aliens were supposed to invade earth on 22 December 2012, this was the main revelation from the final episode. They kinda glossed over this, without mentioning it, an annoying continuity error.

2) The revelation in this episode, though feasible seems to come out of nowhere with little to explain why Mulder would be drawn to this conclusion, the catalyst for this unexplained conclusion also seems to go against the vast wealth of knowledge the viewer and surely Mulder has from past episodes. This is a shame as past x-files episodes always worked hard to have intelligent or as realistic as possible explanations for even the most unlikely of scenarios, they were quite detailed. There's really not much meat on the bone here. Maybe it was rushed or less experienced writers helped?

The acting is ok but being the first episode after so long, can feel a tad stiff and may take a few episodes to get the gears oiled again.

Overall not a terrible return by any means, but more thought and better pacing that doesn't rush revelations with weak explanation, could've made this first episode even more solid. From reviews I've seen it does get much better after 2-3 episodes so will continue watching.

This was painful to watch

[JaydoDre · 4/10 · 27 January 2016]

About 60% through the episode, I actually felt physical discomfort with an intense wish to leave my chair. I found myself trying to breath this episode out of my lungs as much as I could, covering my eyes.

The old X-Files show with Duchovny and Anderson was far from perfect, with the quality varying considerably from episode to episode, but the thing that made that show special (at least early on) was a calm and intelligent subtlety. This gave the show a sense of mystery and tension and that sense was more palpable because of a certain level of realism in characters and environments. The setting felt realistic, so the supernatural elements felt more realistic and therefore more thrilling.

...I dreamed off about the fun I had watching the original X-files...Sorry, what was I trying to say? Oh yes, this episode, on the other hand, is so blunt, so formulaic and piles up so much unnecessary conspiracy that it felt like a mockery of conspiracy theorists, and by extension, of the show itself. At the end of the episode, I expected Mulder and Scully to turn towards the viewer and say, "Gotcha!" and then laugh heartily.

The show tries once again to pull the "all we experienced was a lie" twist on us, which already felt old back in the 90s, and this episode delivers this twist with such bluntness that I was struggling not to laugh. Also, you can't use this twist on anyone who remembers certain details from the old show, unless you pretend that they never happened.

On top of this all, the acting...Oh dear Lord...look, it is great to see these two characters back together, but Duchovny sounds like he hasn't slept for a couple of days and was asked to act in something he has long lost interest in, but agreed to do it anyway for the paycheck. I also wanted to punch Joel McHale in the face. Ok, time to wrap up because I don't want to waste any more time on this wreck.

In conclusion, the painful dialogue, botched conspiracy shtick and tired acting makes me lose hope for future episodes. It would have been better off if the creators introduced new main characters and a new storyline, or just left this property alone altogether. I hated this so much, I was nauseous.

Oh God! 2022

[rickthereviewmaster · 10/10 · 11 September 2022]

I was a huge X Files freak back in the 90s, but I completely missed round 2 with an aging Mulder & Scully, until today.

This episode and the following episode (that I have yet to find the name), FREAKED ME THE HELL OUT!!!!

This is the entire scamdemic and textbook case of what's going on in the world right now.

It's like Klaus Scwab told Chris Carter EXACTLY what was going to happen.

I'm STILL weirded out.

If you haven't seen the two successive episodes with "Tad O'Malley," and tell me you can't see the connection.

Did Carter know???? Honestly. DID HE KNOW????

Vaccines? Immune system manipulation? ARVs?

DNA manipulation? No aliens, but Evil Humans?

AWE C'MON!!! Tell me you can't see it!!!!

Wake Up - Latest XFiles Conspiracy Hits Home Too Real

[verdin-45730 · 10/10 · 25 January 2016]

SPOILER - the X-Files' conspiracy touts just about every modern conspiracy driving American's fears and the clearly evidenced and continuing run on gun stores and ammo stockpiling across the nation. From the false-flag 9/11, to the recent unexplained and silent actions by FEMA to drive prices up on prepper goods by their actions to drain national suppliers of emergency trailers and emergency food stocks on a colossal scale. Things that hit the papers driving fear of Texas invasion by national forces... and everything in between. Frankly, this first episode was a summary of everything everyone has feared for many years, and was disturbing on a grand level to hear it summarized. We also know the stealth fighter technology was developed and manufactured going back to the '70s before the military had any rhyme or reason to possess such technology, and many credible sources (Lear jet founder, et al) citing first hand knowledge of the source of that technology. Big brother that's evolved around us - by so called need - as the people slumber and play with their gadgets and toys, and cite one- liner rhetoric to keep us fighting amongst ourselves in a pointless 2- party system of inaction and lack of progress as a nation or Mankind. Frankly, we just had every fear thrown in our face wrapped in a cause, and doesn't surprise me that government's best friend, the media, slams down on the messenger in their reviews. Scary times.

"We have a small problem. They've reopened the X-Files."

[classicsoncall · 8/10 · 1 September 2017]

Well buckle up fans, here we go again. After fourteen years, Scully and Mulder are back together after a TV talk show host dabbling in conspiracy theories intends to launch on the government in order to expose it's complicity in hiding the truth from every day Americans. Tad O'Malley (Joel McHale) offers up an alien abductee in the person of a young woman named Sveta (Annet Mahendru), and the technology gleaned from sixty years of studying alien science that produced an ARV, an alien replica vehicle.

But then things get murky when a doctor (Giacome Baessato) who was present at the Roswell crash cautions Mulder (David Duchovny) that he's being deceived. In true X-Files fashion, the show offers up conflicting information to keep the viewer off balance, not to mention Mulder switching his position once again to somehow consider that aliens don't exist.

Followers of the original nine season series will be able to pick up on some continuity issues as this story moves along. For one, just as in the 2006 movie "I Want to Believe", reference is made to Scully's sister having been abducted by aliens, when it was revealed later on that the military and the government were behind it. And because I just finished a marathon re-watch of the entire series, it's still fresh in my mind that when The X-Files were disbanded in the series ender 'The Truth', Agent John Doggett (Robert Patrick) rolled up Mulder's 'I Want To Believe' poster and took it with him. In this story, when Mulder first enters his old FBI office, he sees it on the ground and with some measure of disgust, kicks at and tears it.

As for the principals, one would expect that Duchovny and Gillian Anderson show their age since the prior series, and that's true enough. Scully's face appears thinner and more angular, Mulder looks like he put on a few pounds in addition to the facial hair making him look older at the beginning of the story. Same story with Mitch Pileggi reprising his Skinner character. All three actors appear a bit tired, although that could be chalked up to the direction of writer Chris Carter.

It probably shouldn't be surprising that the Scully/Mulder relationship hit the rocks during the intervening years, what with Mulder's obsession and forced seclusion at play. Reference is made to the baby Scully gave up for adoption, and one wonders if the child might turn up in a future episode. That would be something, wouldn't it? An interesting tidbit thrown out to the viewer was Tad O'Malley's mention that he wanted to see Scully again, suggesting that there's some sort of relationship in the past.

Speaking of continuity issues, here's one more. When the doctor in the story picks up the dead alien in the 1947 Roswell flashback scene, the body of the alien is stiff in rigor mortis. However when he turns around and carries the body off, it's limp in his arms. I Want To Believe that that was a pretty obvious mistake.

A bleak return

[duottdaenur · 2 February 2016]

Just watched the X-Files S10E01 (the first episode of the new mythology arc). Well... the picture has been pretty bleak so far. The 9th season, if you remember, ended, after much buildup, on a very anticlimactic note. The new season attempts to continue, 14 years later, where the last one left off, even with the same nostalgic intro. The supposed plot twist (human conspiracy instead of alien conspiracy) could have been promising, presenting the whole story from a completely different angle, but, as portrayed here, it seems forced and has what appears to be a very loose connection with the preceding arcs, from Abduction to Super Soldiers. Moreover, the actors' behavior and the mood in general is one of exhaustion (as Scully bluntly puts forward at the end of the episode), with an unlikely appearance by Joel McHale as a conspiracy-fighting media figure (why no Alison Brie as an alien abductee, if we're in the Community territory? ;) Mulder talks in a monotonous voice, Scully looks jaded, and Skinner has words "What am I even doing here?" written all over his face. Then there's the new story that Tad O'Malley and Mulder pitch to Scully (for some reason, talking in a tabloid fashion), throwing in everything from an H-Bomb to an accidental photo of Edward Snowden. "Explosions acting as transducers, drawing alien life forms through wormholes in spaceships using electrogravitic propulsion"... right. I don't think throwing in as much scientific-looking words as possible en-chances the credibility either. "Fearmongering claptrap, isolationist techno- paranoia" is Scully's verdict, and I can't help but agree. Why haven't Mulder, Scully and Skinner been assassinated yet? Why 'mislead' them for decades, instead of simply eliminating the danger? Does the Now-Smoking-Cigarette-through-the-Throat man still have a sweet spot for Mulder after all those years? How does a government conspiracy correspond with the black oil or virus-carrying bees from the previous seasons? If the past experience is any indication, these questions may be left unanswered in the next mythology episode, S10E06.

updated : « I believe » ... now in a 3rd movie or a 11th season ! (tv)

[leplatypus · 10/10 · 11 March 2016]

For me, the waiting was less than 3 years because i watched all my 10 seasons DVD between September 2012 and May 2013. As this show was extraordinary memories all along the 90s and even if the 2008 movie was not that great, it was great to rejoice again with my friends for this mini season. Sure a lot of things have happened since the last time, mostly because America isn't the same. All the new episodes clearly show this shift : more technological, more homeless, more surveillance, more sexual practices, more incorporated science, more faith ! As i have already written in my previous reviews, X-files is the best show ever because they deliver one movie each week : this year, they still prove that : horror, funny comedy, dark supernatural, conspiracy and aliens ! Chris Carter is really in top form as writer and director and he really brings back the family production as well : Agent Reyes, Scully's mother, Cancer Man, the Lone Gunmen, late Kim Manners, Darin Morgan, Mark Snow and a lot of others that i surely forget ! And for sure, David and Gilian are really a fantastic duo : They get more age lines, more pounds too but their chemistry is exceptional as their characters opposition is so complementary ! Their next generation looks promising too.

I picked this 1st new episode not because it's the best but it was such a great evening to put on the TV this 25th February : it was long expected and nearly unreal to come back ! Sure Scully is always in a hospital room and gives the light on Mulder, sure the conspiracy is still unexplainable, sure we wonder about the aliens and there is not much original ideas but the high quality is still here ! With such a good result, i wish we will have the ending of the cliffhanger soon and i also wait now its cousin show because « twin peaks » Season 3 must be as good !

At times exciting, but a misstep for the mythology

[mattiasflgrtll6 · 6/10 · 23 May 2019]

After 14 years of The X-Files' shutdown, Mulder and Scully are re-united. Will they finally find the truth this time?

The episode starts off very strongly. Scully tells Mulder about a conspiracy theorist who claims to be looking for proof of alien existence just like him, and Ted O'Malley introduce them to an abductee. While you can tell it's been a long time, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson do a solid job as their title characters. The interaction between the two of them is still fun to watch. Even if I could have done without the now somewhat clichéd "You don't know what you're getting yourself into" rant.

The flashback scenes on this show have always been eerie, and this is no exception. When Sveta recalls her experiences the brutal images shown in quick succession are very creepy. There are also other nice shots such as the UFO crashing into the hillside, and Sveta getting abducted at the end.

About 20 minutes in however, writer Chris Carter makes a huge mistake: he expects the audience to believe the last 9 years with countless evidence of extraterrestials and alien abductions have all been staged. Not only doesn't this make any sense considering how many people were killed for uncovering alien conspiracies, but it makes you feel stupid for trying to make sense of all the plot development all these years only for it to turn out to be a waste of time. There have been supersoldiers walking around, for Christ's sake!

So due to that unfortunate direction I'll have to give this episode a middling rating. While I still hold out hope for the rest of the season, I do so with a tinge of skepticism.

Entertaining and a little disappointing

[nick.johnson · 7/10 · 26 January 2016]

The first episode of the X-Files 2016 was a fun ride. There were many familiar and enjoyable elements for fans of the series, but I felt there were some major problems with the plot that took me out of the story.

Spoilers here:

1. "Alien" abductions are done by humans:

It's not believable that Mulder would not have heard about claims of MILABS abductions before; these claims have been around for a long time. Learning of the possibility of humans, rather than aliens, being the abductors should have prompted Mulder to launch into a monologue about what he already knows about such claims, including whether it's true or whether the memory of humans being involved is really just a "screen memory" to avoid even more trauma to the abductees.

I thought Mulder was always most entertaining when he knew just enough about something to know that he didn't understand it fully. It seemed out of character for him to dive in completely with just a piece of an explanation and act like he finally understands everything. Even when another character asked about a fundamental part of his "understanding" (why the genetic experiments / embryo harvesting), he admits that he doesn't understand that part, yet he keeps acting like it all makes sense. This part of the episode seemed so wrong for the character that I felt I was just watching Duchovny acting (and struggling) rather than Mulder explaining.

2. The alien DNA test:

Scully comments that the Sveta's alien DNA test came back negative....Right, like there's a checkbox on the form at every lab to run that standard test to look for alien DNA in the sample. Any medical professional or anyone who's ever considered the question of detecting alien DNA (e.g. Google Lloyd Pye's Starchild Skull) would know that it isn't believable that anyone could find alien DNA in a sample or two until you've already seen it elsewhere. OK, so Scully did a complete DNA sequence of the genome for both Sveta and herself, in a couple days, and also analyzed the results and determined that she an Sveta aren't totally human (I think that's what she said). It's conceivable that a team of experts could sequence two complete genomes in several weeks or months, and then conclude that there's something anomalous in that DNA. It's absurd that one, non-expert, could accomplish that task in a few days, and then also conclude what that anomaly means.

3. So...what happened in Roswell again?

The nicely-produced flashbacks of Roswell showed us that a saucer crashed there in 1947 and that there was at least one very alien- looking survivor of the crash. After Mulder's "realization", he concluded that "Roswell was a smokescreen". This episode also included a statement like "Roswell was a Russian ARV". Which is it?

I guess it is typical of the series to ask more questions than it answers, but it seemed sloppy to include three different, conflicting "conclusions" of the same event....OK, so maybe we're supposed to be seeing that Mulder's conclusions were wrong, or else the flashback scenes were not Roswell?

Not bad

[fil-nik09 · 7/10 · 20 February 2016]

I did download this episode a day after it aired but watched it yesterday and ...

Well, it is X files for sure. I did not feel weird because of the time gap between the last season and this first episode as I was preparing myself with old episodes ( though I arrived at the season 3, episode 4 ).

I liked the introduction and the UFO down. Though at one point I thought that they made a mistake with that doctor coming to the site of the crush.

My biggest disappointment or call it what you want is Scully's face. Don't know if she used too much botox or whatever, but her face is 'alien' :) too much like a mask.

All in all, not a bad episode. Looking forward to other ones.

The thing I liked most is the title sequence

[paulinesh · 1/10 · 26 January 2016]

As a hardcore x-files fan in the past I was so excited about this new series. And I had my share of WOW effect at the very beginning - the title sequence, the Roswell crash... and then... I tried so hard to like it, at least a little bit... To find something that I used to love in the old days. But no. There was no Mulder and Scully. Just some people pretending to be them.

The plot is poorly written, - so hectic, so illogical. The scenes are poorly timed – too many long shots of Scully in the hospital, rather repeating one another and fairly boring, split with some explosions and hasty dialogs. The roles poorly acted by both tired Anderson and Duchovny. Hectic dialogs are so misplaced and emotionally irrational that leave you constantly wondering what this was about. Looks like some lines were introduced specifically to recite the relationships between the characters. But why? This is not aimed at any new audience. New people won't understand any of that. And the old fandom knows the characters perfectly. True Skinner would never tell Mulder that he was looking out for him. It was delivered by his actions over the period of time. And true Scully didn't need to tell Mulder she cared about him, cos it was clear from her look and her actions.

I really hope the next episode won't be such a disappointment. So far it's the worst episode of the X-files I've seen.

Was a bit disappointed, the second episode was a lot better

[rlaine · 7/10 · 27 January 2016]

Huge fan of the original series, altho I still haven't watched the last few seasons. I have all seasons on DVD and often plan on sitting through the final 7-9, but always prefer restarting from season one and going through the first seasons. I've always liked the "monster of the week" episodes better than the mythology and most of the best episodes are from seasons 1-3.

I read about this new mini series (altho seems to have been "promoted" to season 10 last night) when it was announced, but didn't have any idea what it would be about and kind of forgot it since. I was caught a bit off guard a week ago that the new episodes were actually coming out already so I had no time to build up any expectations.

Episode one is continuation to the mythology storyline. I'm quite sure it would've helped to have watched the seasons 7-9 properly, but to me it felt a lot had happened to the characters that I didn't know about. There are kind of two plots here, the relationship between Mulder and Scully and the newly introduced mythology that is partly introduced with flashbacks from the Roswell incident in the forties.

It was nice seeing the good old characters and the episode is passable, but the further it went the more concerned I was about the overall quality of the new episodes. Everything seemed a bit rushed and forced and while the new mythology twist was sort of interesting, it wasn't played out very well. A lot of times the pace is very off in this episode. The dialogues are abrupt, especially one important scene between Mulder and Scully. The script, direction and editing would all have needed some polishing. It feels like the episode was thrown together a bit too hastily.

Then there are quite a few times when they "google" stuff or watch "youtube", but they aren't google nor youtube, but something they just made up (?). That doesn't work on a show that tries to touch real issues about our society today. On the other hand they talk about Snowden and Assange etc who are very real and have quite a few news footage clips edited in which also feel a bit underliney and out of place.

I'm just gonna quickly say that the episode two was a lot better. It was a MOTW episode and very true to old X-files style, very nostalgic. They touch some mythology issues in episode two also, but in a way it's quite a jump from episode one and that too was a but distracting.

I'm quite curious how they're gonna wrap this new season as there's only six episodes and they basically rebooted the whole storyline. All in all I'd say S10 hasn't been a bullseye so far, but not a total disaster either. The remaining episodes will hopefully be a bit more even in quality, but I'll definitely be watching with great interest.

Talking to much

[craig_nwa · 7/10 · 21 November 2020]

Not the start I expect bit boring sometimes and painful more talking than actual action

Beyond unbelievably terrible

[chumgriffin · 1/10 · 1 February 2016]

Terrible dialog, terrible direction, I feel sorry for the actors who must be so embarrassed by the sheer awful program they now find themselves in. Think George lucas and the last starwars garbage he created and you will not be even close to how bad a job chris carter has done. This is the most disappointing revival of what could have been such a triumphal return. There are some modern references occasionally to suggest this show has moved on but it is so clichéd, so badly acted, so badly directed, so badly produced it seems like it was made in the sixties by a very uncreative teenager. Do not watch it, it will ruin your memory of what was once an iconic show. This is abysmal