Ever since the first episode aired, I’ve been a huge fan of TheX-Files, watching it religiously from week to week, always
wondering what strange and twisted path Chris Carter (the creator) was going
to lead us down next. Even when David Duchovny left the show at the end of the
7th season, I stayed with the series, hoping and praying that they could still
make something out of it. And they did, for two more rather entertaining seasons.
So, here we have The X-Files: Season 8. A six disc set featuring
all the episodes and a number of special features. This is a decent release;
one that fans of the show will surely enjoy, but if you’re just a casual
watcher, and are looking for something amazing with unbelievable extras, you’re
going to have to keep shopping. The season itself I would have to rate as average,
with a few episodes shining more than others. And the special features are just
as average. It contains the usual commentaries, deleted scenes, and promo spots,
along with a few other extras including a DVD-ROM interactive game. I’ll
give the extras a more focused review in a bit.
Season 8 finds the absence of Fox Mulder (David Duchovny),
and the addition of a new character, John Doggett (Robert Patrick). Many of
you may remember Patrick from Terminator 2: Judgment Day as
the liquid metal T1000 Terminator sent back to try to kill John Connor. Though
his overall character was changed, he still remains a determined person, only
this time with the FBI. I find that he is a decent addition to the show, but
in no way a replacement for Mulder. Most X-Files fans probably
didn't like the addition of his character, and I didn't initially, but I think
that was only because of whom he was replacing. In the end, everything turned
out okay. Scully’s character is still as strong as ever, but still in
a way begins to take a backseat to another female character: Monica Reyes, who
is played by Annabeth Gish. With these new characters, we find that Doggett
is more like Scully, and Reyes more like Mulder. The skeptic and believer roles
have switched genders. But the chemistry is still top notch. Back in 2000, I
thought they were acceptable additions, and I still stand by that decision.
As I stated earlier, this is a solid season from my standpoint, with the continuing
story of Mulder’s disappearance being explored, as well as a remarkable
finale with the birth of Scully’s baby. Woven into the fabric of that
storyline are the season’s other episodes, some more notable than others,
but you’ll find that in any television series. Some specific ones to make
sure not to miss are: “Badlaa,” “Surekill,” “Roadrunners,”
“Via Negativa,” “Vienen,” and “Salvage.”
During “Salvage,” an episode about a man made of metal; make sure
you look for Robert Patrick’s wink to the camera regarding his former
involvement with being a metal man. These episodes, coupled with the continuing
Mulder storyline make for a pretty good season. As an X-Files
fan, I was pleased.
To go along with the 21 episodes are a decent amount of special features. However,
just because there are a lot doesn’t automatically mean they are great.
This is an above average offering, but below amazing or exceptional. Interesting
to watch, but not “trample the people in front of you to grab a set”
great. Here’s a more thorough rundown:
-Documentary – The Truth About Season 8: Take a tour through the thoughts
of the producers of the show, as well as get an explanation as to how the season
took shape. Some of your questions about the overall “Why,” can
probably be found here. I rather enjoyed this little documentary. The addition
and transition of the Doggett & Reyes characters are also addressed.
-X-Files Profiles: Here are 3 quasi-in-depth looks at some of the shows main
characters: Gibson Praise, John Doggett, and Alex Krycek. There is commentary
both with the actors that played the characters, as well as with the creators
and producers of the show. I really enjoyed the look at Gibson Praise, and Krycek.
Praise is one of those key characters in the entire series, and Krycek is one
of my favorite bad guys.
-Promo Spots: Like trailers? View the television promos/commercials that were
aired for each episode of the season – available in 10, and 20-second
spots.
-Special Effects by Mat Beck w/ Commentary: Ever wonder how they did some of
those gross body shots, or filmed a UFO? This is a neat look at some of the
special effects used in Season 8. Downright cool. Watch.
-Deleted Scenes: This is your typical array of deleted scenes from many different
episodes. There is an optional commentary to turn on so you can hear the reasoning
behind the scenes, and why they were dropped. Watch if you want to know what
wasn’t good enough to show!
-DVD-ROM Interactive Game: I popped Disc 6 into my DVD drive and this immediately
came up. I played around with it for a while. It’s actually quite deep
and engrossing for something on a Television DVD collection. More so than I
expected anyway. In order to successfully navigate this challenge, you’ll
have to have a lot of knowledge about the series and the stories. Good luck!
I hope you do better than I did.
The X-Files Season 8 box set is an excellent addition to any X-Files
fan’s collection. And if you’ve bought the first seven seasons,
why stop now? The casual fans will enjoy being able to watch the episodes again,
while the die-hards will be able to thoroughly enjoy the special features in
addition to the episodes again. In the end, this is just another brick in the
series’ collector’s wall. It’s nothing amazing that would
entail everyone in the world wanting one, but for its target audience, this
6-disc set will suffice nicely.
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