EXaminations: An Unauthorized Look at Seasons 6-9 of "The X-Files," Featuring the reviews of Unbound I [Paperback]

Tom Kessenich (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 6, 2006

This book is a journey through the final four seasons of "The X-Files." Featuring interviews with members of the show's creative team and its diverse fan base, the book also includes my episode reviews and essays, which hopefully will provide additional insight into the show and the powerful impact it had on the millions of fans it touched.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tom Kessenich is an award-winning reporter and author who has written in-depth reviews, analysis and feature articles about "The X-Files" for the past five years. His episode reviews and essays about the show have appeared on numerous Web sites devoted to the long-running television series.

Kessenich has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin and has been a reporter for the past 16 years. He spent 10 of those years as an NFL beat reporter, covering the Green Bay Packers in Wisconsin. During that time, he won several journalistic awards and co-wrote a book about the team's rise to prominence in the 1990s ("Return To Glory"). He currently works as a sportswriter and magazine editor for Krause Publications, one of the nation's leading publishers of sports collectibles and sports hobby publications.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction

The year was 1993. Bill Clinton was the President, the Dallas Cowboys were still "America's Team," Whitney Houston was promising to "Always Love You," and Steven Spielberg was painting an exquisite picture of a horrifying period in mankind's history with his cinematic masterpiece, "Schindler's List."

Meanwhile, a television series called "The X-Files" was about to leave an imprint on me - and millions of others - that would last a lifetime.

I was a sportswriter for a newspaper in Wisconsin at the time and when I wasn't busy chronicling the Green Bay Packers' return to prominence, I was working the sports desk on Friday nights, proofreading stories and putting the sports section to bed. Long after work had ended and before I was prepared to call it a night, there was one weekly ritual left to accomplish to make the night complete.

Watching the latest episode of "The X-Files."

I had become hooked on the show immediately. With its unique blend of UFOs and the paranormal, plus the fascinating relationship between the two lead characters, it was a show unlike any other I had seen on television. And it soon became a show I refused to miss.

In the middle of the show's fifth season, I discovered the world of online fandom. Before long, I found newsgroups and message boards where other X-Philes (as fans of the show were called) were gathering. They broke down each episode's content, discussing such things as the potency of the mytharc, the true nature of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully's relationship and their ever-changing hairstyles.

The fan base featured many parts. There were the relationshippers whose focus was on Mulder and Scully's relationship, or the MSR as it was called (with a possible emphasis on romance). There were the noromos, who opposed a romance of any kind between the two lead characters, believing it would lead to the show's downfall. And there were fans who preferred one character over the other, ones who believed Mulder would never be good enough for Scully and those who believed Scully was a shrew who constantly held Mulder back.

In other words, this was one giant family. And when they welcomed me with open arms, I felt as if I had found an online home.

Excerpt from the review of "The Truth"

Perhaps "The Truth" we're meant to take from this finale is that the mytharc stopped making sense years ago and the only thing that really matters anymore is that through it all, Mulder and Scully will always remain together. They shall persevere.

Romance wasn't vital, but it arrived and they embraced it as powerfully as they embraced everything else they have confronted along the way. It has become another vital element in their quest, one that has served to further strengthen their collective resolve.

Ultimately, "The Truth" told us nothing of significance about the big picture, but did serve as a reminder of why many of us have cared so much about this series. We care about Mulder and Scully's journey because we care about them no matter how much silliness goes on around them.

For me, the Mulder and Scully relationship was never about sex, so I'm not terribly disappointed we didn't get a love scene at the end. What we did get was an incredibly intimate moment, likely a prelude to sex, that showed us how devoted these two characters are to one another in a deeply moving and significant way.

It was an exquisite Mulder-Scully moment.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing (July 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1553698126
• ISBN-13: 978-1553698128
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,329,940 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very Disappointing - Much too biased in his commentary, December 13, 2004

By 

xphan (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: EXaminations: An Unauthorized Look at Seasons 6-9 of "The X-Files," Featuring the reviews of Unbound I (Paperback)

I was so looking forward to this book, and the insight into seasons 8 and 9, especially since there are no other books out there that cover these two specific seasons. Instead, I got a load of crap. The author should have forewarned his readers of his blatant bias and overtly narrow-minded opinions on the Mulder/Scully Dynamic (which is still quite debatable among the most hardcore of fans - were they, or weren't they?) and his horrendous interpretations of John Doggett and Monica Reyes. I thought I was reading the work of a small homophobic child with his insistence on referring to the Monica Reyes character as a lesbian. Absurd. Simply absurd. She was never considered a lesbian. I guess he forgot about her former relationship with AD Brad Follmer. She was not on the make for Scully. She was Scully's friend, as was Doggett. The book was supposed to be about season 6 through season 9. He gives us much insight with seasons 6 and 7, then explains for the last half of the book why there should have never been a season 8 or 9. Why make the claim that it was an objective, informative view of all four seasons? Instead, the reader is given one fan's own biased opinion of only two of them. Not worth the time, money or effort for someone that is legitimately interested in an objective, well-informed discussion on the last four seasons of the show, and especially the last two.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Misleading Title - Very disappointed, August 19, 2005

By 

Fan of All 9 Seasons (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: EXaminations: An Unauthorized Look at Seasons 6-9 of "The X-Files," Featuring the reviews of Unbound I (Paperback)

Well. I would have to agree with the two last reviewers there. Bad book for seasons 8 and 9. And it had such potential. But the author was too busy explaining why there never should have been a season 8 or 9. How sad. Someone should have helped him with his hype and title about this book being one that would take an honest look at ALL of the last four seasons, without all of the biased b.s. towards seasons 8 and 9. Believe it or not, there are a lot of fans out there that LOVED seasons 8 and 9, and enjoyed seeing Scully come into her own those last two years without Mulder. Very nice change of pace. And I would agree that the author showed much adolescent, childish behaviour in the way that he slurred Reyes' character all the time with his childish remarks. I would have expected a little more professionalism out of a "professional" writer. Again - sad. So, I would recommend maybe checking it out of the library or something, but for those that want a true account of the last four seasons (and seasons 8 , 9 Doggett and Reyes) please don't waste your money on this load of .... Yeah...

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Analysis of the Last Four Seasons, June 19, 2004

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: EXaminations: An Unauthorized Look at Seasons 6-9 of "The X-Files," Featuring the reviews of Unbound I (Paperback)

I found Unbound 1's book to be a detailed look at key episodes from the last four seasons of the show, and one that is written with a definite fan bias and not much objectivity. But as a fan, that's the only way it could be written.

Unbound 1 analyzes the episodes with an emphasis on the Scully/Mulder relationship, which was a key aspect of the show to fans like myself, so I did appreciate his comments in that area. I also appreciated his dissatisfaction with plot and character in the last two seasons.

In some cases I think Unbound 1 went too far, as in his constant references to the Monica Reyes character as a "lesbian," which the character was not. It's not so much that Unbound 1 labels her as one, but that he uses the term as a slur because he doesn't like her character. I found that to be a bit adolescent for someone who is a professional writer.

Overall, I enjoyed EXaminations, since there is not much in print about the last few seasons, and I do agree with many of the points Unbound 1 made in his book. This is a book that truly demonstrates how fans analyze and connect emotionally to their TV shows. And believe me, there are many of us out there.