Customer Reviews

The X-Files - The Complete Ninth Season

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4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(28)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

Sure, the ninth and final season of The X-Files was its weakest season, but The X-Files at its worst is much better than most TV shows out there today. This season retained excpetionally high production values and looking back, actually had some standout episodes, including the spectacular 2-hour finale that could never satisfactorily wrap up such a long-running series but did have a feel of the classic mythology episodes from the show's glory days.

This season tries to pass the baton to Agents Doggett and Reyes, a partnership that is very solid but would never have the appeal of Mulder and Scully. I think Doggett is a very underrated character. Robert Patrick is truly excellent in the role, he's a great actor and makes the character his own. Scully is present all season but is relegated to an advisory role, only really stepping into the spotlight near the end of the season.

David Duchovny's return for the 2-hour finale isn't handled perfectly, but it's so satisfying to see David and Gillian together on screen that you can all but forgive the fact that he left.

The DVD presentation is simply superb, as we have come to expect from this show. Spread over 7 discs as opposed to the 6-disc sets of recent seasons, this set has fantastic extras. The real gem on this set is the hour long documentary, The Making of The Truth. Ever since the show started I've wanted to see something like this. It takes you into the production meetings, location scouts and then the production itself, and it gives you a real sense of how hard working every member of the crew was and how much they loved working on it. It's an extremely thorough making of, not the usual puff-piece you see on DVDs.

Another little treat is "Reflections on The X-Files", in which various guest stars discuss in new interviews what it was like to be a part of the show. Cher, Seth Green, Ed Asner, the Dust Brothers, Burt Reynolds are some of the participants.

Other behind the scenes documentaries include Secrets of The X-Files and More Secrets of The X-Files, two shallow 45-minute shows from the heydey of the show. Nothing special but they do take you back to when the show was omnipresent. Also included are the usual promo spots, and a couple of decent new documentaries on Season 9 as a whole and also "Reflections on The Truth", which features key crew members talking about working on the last episodes. It's nice that the show's editors get a voice here.

There are a couple of commentaries, one from Chris Carter on the episode "Improbable". They're interesting and frank.

One thing I cannot forgive about this season is the fact that even though the show's producers knew this was the last season well before the end, they did not use the last, say, 5 or 6 episodes to wrap up the show. Instead they wrapped up a couple of plot points quickly in one (good) episode (directed by David Duchovny), and then give us some mediocre stand alone episodes. And the biggest slap in the face is that the penultimate episode ever is wasted on a silly story involving the Brady Bunch. Oh well, too late now. The show has passed up so many opportunities for true geatness in its nine-year run, but like I said before, it remains one of the best TV shows ever.

It feels great to put this up there with the previous eight seasons and see the entire collection on one shelf. It's hard not to get all warm and fuzzy inside knowing you own every episode of this groundbreaking series. And you can't argue with the price for this beautiful set!

The 9th (and final) season of THE X FILES (2001-02) stands, along with Season 6, as the most consistent of all the years filmed in Los Angeles and exhibits a number of unique qualities.

First and foremost, the loss of David Duchovny's participation created the necessity to play off (as in Season 8) his absence. While the (not insignificant) feeling of contrivance concerning yet another Mulder disappearance was unfortunate, the writers made full creative use of this (business related) circumstance. Specifically, through scripts (mostly "stand alone") that fleshed out new characters (Agents John Doggett & Monica Reyes) and through the mythology arc, in which themes from the previous year (and the series as a whole) were developed.

Secondly, the show regained a sense of equilibrium, its structure a throwback to the Vancouver years, where the (uniformly interesting) "mythology" episodes were aired at specific points: early, mid, and late season. This well-planned strategy mitigated the effect of some of the more routine "stand alone" efforts while moving inexorably towards a conclusion illuminating much of Chris Carter's "underground project".

STAND ALONE EPISODES:

There were several efforts by writers ( relatively ) new to THE X FILES:

An ambitious attempt to marry characterization to storyline appears in two of Steven Meada's scripts: both "4-D" and "Audrey Pauley" share similar sci-fi plots against a backdrop of (implied) romantic affection shared by Agents Doggett and Reyes. "Audrey Pauley" in particular, benefits from excellent writing as well as fine performances from the principles (esp Annabeth Gish) and guests (the actress playing Audrey was previously seen in the 3rd Season masterpiece "Oubliette").

Writer Thomas Schnauz also turned in two scripts: "Lord of the Flies" (the season's only overtly comedic take) is a clever but at times strained affair. The main attraction is really for diehard X-philes, since the episode is full of playful allusions to writer Darin Morgan's classic 3rd season script "War of the Copraphages". More effective is Schnauz' "Scary Monsters"; while its surface story is purposely borrowed from THE TWILIGHT ZONE, the whimsical "Mulder vs Doggett" subplot is a fun spoof. Agent Scully's impromptu "kitchen autopsy" is also a great bit, harkening back to the classic comedy of the series' golden years.

Three more scripts, in what could be termed the "Exorcist File" vein, were seen in Season 9:

"Daemonicus" (written & directed by Frank Spotnitz) features some eerily creative camera work and a "Hannibal Lechter" type villain while adding further details to the character of Agent Doggett. The graphically violent "Hellbound" outlines writer David Amann's deliberately odd theological juxtaposition: Calvinist predestination and Buddhist reincarnation. John Shiban's "Underneath" is a disaster; easily the worst episode of the season.

Chris Carter wrote and directed the superb "Improbable", the latest in a long line of quirkily humerous yet serious scripts (a la Darin Morgan) that deal with perennial philosophical issues (free will/determinism good/evil, et al ). The episode features an excellent performance by Burt Reynolds; the brilliantly shot street scenes (and music) are a Carterian homage to Italian "cinema dell'arte".

Longtime staff writer Vince Gilligan's two contributions are mixed affairs: the sepia-tone cinematography of "John Doe", coupled with Robert Patrick's fine acting make this episode enjoyable up until the oddly strained "crash and bang" finale. "Sunshine Days" is one of Gilligan's rare missteps; a re-tread of his "Je Souhaite" (Season 7) with an unfortunate undercurrent of saccharine sentimentality.

The ongoing subplot (treated in various episodes of Seasons 8-9) relating to Agent Doggett's personal tragedy was resolved in "Release" ( particularly beautiful music by Mark Snow ). It is a testament to the quality of THE X FILES that in their last season the staff writers (John Shiban & David Amann) would prepare so properly respectful a vehicle for Robert Patrick, whose performances were so vitally important for the series in its final years.

"Jump the Shark" was neither the best nor worst treatment that could have been prepared as the swan song of the beloved Lone Gunmen. However flawed the script, the heroic efforts of the three misfits in this episode were a necessary correction to the idiotic mischaracterization that shot through the (mercifully short-lived) series (Spring 2001) that bore their name. In "Jump the Shark" some of the eccentric nobility of the Lone Gunmen was restored.

MYTHOLOGY EPISODES:

The symbiotic partnership between Chris Carter & Frank Spotnitz continued with their co-writing of 6 of the 7 myth arc episodes airing in Season 9 (the finale was penned by Carter alone).

The ambitious 2-part opener ("Nothing Important Happened Today I/II") fuses the familiar "alien hybrid" concept with the newer (logically consistent) element of "supersoldiers".

The Orwellian/Kafkaesque atmosphere of "Trust No1" is a compellingly well-framed continuation of the myth arc as well as a dark commentary on certain governmental strictures enacted in the wake of 9/11.

An extraordinary degree of openly religious (Christian) symbolism (in terms of plot, dialogue and cinematography) pervades the mid season 2-parter titled "Provenance/Providence".

"William" is taut episode creatively directed (and co-written) by David Duchovny; the clever double twist ending has dramatic ramifications that extend backward and forward in time. Gillian Anderson puts forth a customarily moving performance emphasizing Scully's unique qualities of nobility and loving self-sacrifice.

The grand 2 hour finale ("The Truth") exudes a special glow, starting out ("in media res") with the return of Mulder, lagging a bit during the lengthy court-room trial scenes and ending with a fireworks flourish in which director Kim Manners pulls out all the stops. The final scene of THE X FILES is a quiet coda; a truly beautiful moment between Mulder and Scully as they share their mutual belief that, in spite of all appearances, hope is not lost and that "the light shines in the darkness" .

The 9th season of "The X-Files" was announced as the last and, as such, Chris Carter, Frank Spotnitz, Vince Gilligan and Kim Manners tried to imbue the last season with the top notch writing quality that had been a hallmark of the first 6 seasons. Unfortunately, the series didn't quite live up to its potential during the 9th season. With the fate of Mulder, Scully and their baby still hanging along with too many loose ends from the mythology arc (and a new mythology arc that was begun during season 8)the show had to juggle too many balls with too few hands. Still, the last season had some diamonds in the rough and a strong cast to polish them. The show looks extremely good in this DVD set and the boxed set is a lot smaller than the previous set because of the use of the thinpak holders.

"Underneath", "Scary Monsters" (an interesting variation on the same themes and material as Jerome Bixby's story "It's a Good Life"), "4-D", Sunshine Days" and most of the stand alone episodes are better than many of the mythology arc episodes particularly the finale "The Truth" which crams the previous seasons loose ends into a mishmash that doesn't quite work. "The Truth" in fact feels like it was setting us up for a sequel that has yet to be made (although Carter is reportedly working on a screenplay for a film)particularly since William disappears from the lives of Scully and Mulder for his safety. "Release" is a pivotal episode from this season and provides Robert Patrick with an opportunity to shine as well as Cary Elwes and Annabeth Gish.

Carter and his crew would have done better to play wrap up the season over five or six episodes and dropping some of the weaker episodes in the season. "Jump the Shark" where the Lone Gunmen meet their fate is either brave or incredibly stupid depending upon which fan you talk to. It also ticked off a lot of fans that these quirky and enjoyable characters finally meet (SPOILER)


their end.

The thinpak boxed set has all 19 episodes. Despite comments to the contrary some extras ARE included for this set including the commentary track for "Improbable" by Carter, writers Gilligan, John Shiban and Spotnitz on "Jump the Shark" and director Kim Manners on "The Truth". Deleted scenes are also included for episodes and can be reintegrated through the main menu (a small X will appear in the corner noting which are deleted scenes). The shows are presented in anamorphic widescreen with exceptional transfers. During some of the darker scenes in a couple of episodes the transfer turns murky for a brief period of time but that's few and far between. The Dolby Digital Surround tracks are nicely used to create atmosphere and add to the tension for the best episodes.

What's missing? The documentary on the making of "The Truth", the deleted scenes that were grouped together on the last discs, the profiles, featurettes and the DVD-ROM game "The Truth". While it would have been nice to have these on this set they are hardly essential for fans that want the shows themselves.

Personally I felt that the show could have continued if they had eased out Mulder and Scully in season 8 as the characters of Doggett (Robert Patrick) with his hardnosed approach and Reyes (Annabeth Gish)with her new age, quirky personality would have made for an interesting series by itself. Perhaps they should have kept the characters for a spin-off outside of "The X-Files" either way the two actors had nice chemistry together and Patrick had a dynamic screen presence that would have insured an intersting show. Deputy Director Kersh (James Pickens Jr) and Cary Elwes' Brad Folmer made gret foils/allies during this season. Elwes' Forlmer was a complex villian and he does a terrific job of keeping the character intersting throughout the season. Either way it was time for Carter to wrap up the tattered ends of the mythology and the relationship for Scully, Mulder and William their baby William.

Despite its problems, I will always insist that Season 9 is just as good as past seasons, but in a very different way. There are a few stinkers, namely Lord of the Flies and Underneath, but despite being nine years old the creative team managed to come up with great episodes.

The likes of John Doe, 4-D, Improbable and Audrey Pauley are strikingly different to other X-Files episodes, and this approach should be applauded. Rather than complain that the show isn't what it was, surely people should welcome a fresh perspective on the X-Files? All four of these episodes, as well as Release, Hellbound, and Daemonicus compare very favourably with past episodes. William and Jump The Shark, although controversial, are good dramatic episodes. Scary Monsters is a pretty average episode, whilst Lord of the Flies and Underneath are plain terrible.

The mythology this season is a mixed bag. Nothing Important Happened Today I&II and Provenance/Providence were both written before the decision was made to end the show this year. As such, they offer few answers and raise more questions to fuel a potential myth arc for the next couple of seasons. As such, NIHT is pretty poor, and P/P are excellent episodes but serve little purpose. The Truth, the final episode, is great - but not as great as it could have been. It recaps the show's mythology, but relies too heavily on this. The final half-hour is as good as ever, with the final scene being the only imagineable way to end the series - with Mulder and Scully together.

There will be people who will never take Season 9 seriously, and I admit, it does seem to be something of an acquired taste. However, that won't stop me from singing its praises.

Season Nine of the X-Files was perhaps the most embattled of all the seasons. If the series was to take on new life and new direction that was injected into it at the conclusion of Season Eight, this was to be the big transition year. As had been planned, Scully would have bowed out at the conclusion of the season (hence her reduced role) and Doggett and Reyes would control the reigns (hence their prominence this season). Some sketchy stand-alone episodes and a new conspiracy mythology frought with apparent continuity errors prevented this transition from succeeding.

This season is worth owning for the simple fact that this ultimately became the series conclusion. The final episode "The Truth" wraps up nearly all the plots left dangling. Despite much reconciliation, the fates of our heroes and foes is left uncertain at the end (I won't spoil the premise). The other mythology episodes: "Nothing Important Happened Today I and II", "Trust No1", "Provenance", and "Providence" do not contribute much to the series conclusion since the decision had not yet been made to end the series. As such, these scripts further the conspiracy arc in ways that would never receive much resolution. "Trust No1" stands out as a particularly excellent episode that introduces fan favorite Terry O'Quinn (billed as Terrance Quinn) as the Shadowman (what could have become a Cancerman substitute). "Provenance" and "Providence" also introduce a shadowy figure that never had a chance to grow, though he's believed to not be human. Much of the secondary characters are given episodes to conclude their personal stories: The Lone Gunmen, AD Brad Follmer, and Jeffrey Spender. Other former favorites will return as well.

In the end, I will buy this boxset for two reasons: 1) I own all the others, so I feel I should have it for completeness; and 2) I am very curious to see some of the behind-the-scenes dialogue on how this final season played out.

Potential buyers should note that this is not the best season of the X-Files. It's not the worst either (as some reviewers would suggest). It clearly struggled, but to some extent, it is forgiveable since the ultimate fate of the series hung in the balance for much of the season. Give it a chance. Agents Doggett and Reyes are worthy successors to the legacy of Agents Mulder and Scully. And the much reduced SRP for this DVD boxset makes it a worthy purchase for any X-Files fan.

This was the worst season for 2 reasons: First, it's the shortest [only 19 episodes] and second, Mulder is only in one of them. Even so, it is still better than most other shows of its era. Mulder's absence led to more development in the characters of Doggett, Reyes, and the introduction of Brad Follmer, and Lucy Lawless in the incredible role of Shannon McMahon. The mythology episodes are excellent, especially the sequels to the episodes "Biogenesis, The Sixth Extinction, and The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati," which are called "Providence," and "Promenance." The crossover Lone Gunmen episode "Jump the Shark" ties up the loose ends from that series, and Burt Reynolds is hillarious in "Improbable." "Lord of the Flies" is a funny spoof of "Jackass." "The Truth" nicely wraps up the show, and throughout the season, old characters return and some die. The special features are also the best of any of the seasons.The X Files is 201 episodes of television history. Having all seasons of it on DVD should tide us over until the next movie. I only hope that they release the one and only season of "The Lone Gunmen" on DVD. They should, since they're doing the same for "Millennium" and "Harsh Realm." By the way, for those of you who reviewed this product before it even came out, I highly suggest that you actually view an item before you go around criticizing it.

The new slimpack releases of Seasons 7 through 9-which are essentially the original sets with the extras disc removed as well as many other special features-will complete the entire rerelease of all the X-FILES in affordable editions. I've been disappointed to find many of the special features missing in the first six volumes, but given that I couldn't afford the original editions, I'm all in all delighted to finally own my own copies, instead of relying on video stores and Netflix.

Even great things must come to an end. After nine marvelous seasons, in which the series managed to establish new benchmarks in quality television, THE X-FILES wrapped up its run with what is unquestionably its most controversial and reviled season. Although Season Nine has come in for a vast amount of criticism, I firmly believe that much or most of it is undeserved. Many of its critics have obviously not seen all or even most or perhaps even any of it. For instance, if one scrolls down to the reviewer from Sweden, they complain that Scully spends the season crying over the fate of poor William. Actually, she spends very little time during the season crying, and she doesn't cry any at all in the two episodes that immediately follow her decision to put William up for adoption. She does cry briefly when telling Mulder in the series finale about having to give up William, but that hardly justifies the claim that she spends all of her time crying. One finds literally dozens of inane comments on the season like that one. All in all, Season Nine is a worthy successor to the eight that preceded it. It remained to the very end one of the finest series on all of television.

My own belief is that Season Nine was more often criticized than watched, and that those who did watch and still criticized did so mainly because it no longer felt as familiar has it had been in the past. Many hated Doggett and Reyes primarily because they were not Mulder and Scully. Many hated the fact that while Scully was back, she was no longer officially on the X-Files, though she spent so much time helping Doggett and Reyes-and vice versa-that the distinction in the end was a bit meaningless. But for those willing to get past the fact that Mulder was no longer there and Scully only unofficially part of the X-Files, Season Nine was yet another season filled with riches. The show was always split between stand-alone episodes and mythology episodes. I will be the first to admit that this year's mythology episodes left a lot to be desired. Though I think criticism of Robert Patrick and Annabeth Gish, who I both thought did marvelous jobs and should definitely play roles in future X-FILE movies, was simply wrong-headed, I will be the first to agree that the Super Soldiers story arc simply sucked. It lacked originality, passion, and the power to fire the imagination of the show's viewers. There were despite this some good moments, especially Terrance Quinn's (aka Terry O'Quinn, who went on to a great year as a regular on ALIAS in that show's Season Two and currently is superb on LOST as former paraplegic and resident knife-throwing badass John Locke) appearance as a Super Soldier, by and large this arc was an utter mistake. But the stand-alone episodes were absolutely first rate, with several as good as anything seen in any previous season. The season opening two-parter, "Nothing Important Happened Today," had some great moments, many of them thanks to Lucy Lawless, who had just departed XENA. "Hellbound" was not merely one of the most haunting episodes in X-FILES history, but the point where Monica Reyes became integrated into the show. "Lord of the Flies" was simultaneously one of the funniest episodes of the season, and one of the most transcendently weird, as Doggett, Reyes, and Scully (aided by a self-smitten scientist who insisted on being called "Rocky") investigate a boy who has the ability to manipulate flies. "John Doe" is truly as good as any stand-alone episode in X-FILE history, as John Doggett wakes up in Mexico with no memory of who he is. "Trust No 1" is one of a couple of great Scully episodes, where she discovers that she has been the focus of the attention of a nebulous secret governmental organization. And for those who had hoped for the blossoming of a Mulder/Scully romance, her e-mail to Mulder in the episode confirmed that that had finally taken place, even if after Mulder had left the show (but meaning that he could not return without the romance being fullblown). "Underneath" was a great episode about a Jekyll and Hyde personality, another great episode worthy of the X-FILE name. "Provenance" and "Providence" formed an excellent two-parter that developed William's story to a greater extent. "Scary Monsters" was a solid if unspectacular episode about a boy with the power to create monsters with his mind, while "Audrey Pauley" was an absolutely stunning episode about coma-victims, of whom Monica Reyes was one, who exist in a kind of limbo, but which a mentally impaired woman was able to visit. Up to this point there had been no truly bad episodes during the whole season, even if some of the Super Soldiers arc had not been especially stellar. But then the show turned it up a notch with Burt Reynolds supplying one of the best guest appearances in the run of the series in the great episode "Improbable." After this, however, the show did stumble for a few episodes, though even then they were not completely without interest. "Jump the Shark" saw the show saying farewell to the Lone Gunmen, with a demise that was dramatically flat. It was a terrible way to say good-bye to some of the show's most beloved characters. "Release" had some fine moments as one of Scully's students at the Academy displayed an uncanny ability to analyze the corpses of murder victims, but it failed at some crucial moments. "William," on the other hand, was very nearly a great episode, when a horribly disfigured man who seemed genetically similar to Mulder appears in the office of the X-Files. It slipped a bit with a lack of explanation of the emotional process that Scully went through to put William up for adoption. Nonetheless, a very fine episode. Many seem to like the episode "Sunshine Days," where a man with remarkable mental powers recreates the inside of his house as the Brady Bunch home, but apart from that gimmick I don't think it did very much. But the show went out marvelously with the final two-parter that formed the finale of both the season and the series, "The Truth." It also imposed order on previous seasons that in truth were not as clear as this episode would make them appear. For instance, it really wasn't crystal clear that the Cigarette Smoking Man was Mulder's father (there had been some clues that would suggest that he was lying to Mulder), or which account of what happened to Mulder's sister was true, or other details in the overarching mythology. I believe the final episode imposed an order that the show did not in fact possess. Nonetheless, they managed to provide something approaching a narrative of what the previous nine years had been about (more of this in a second). But the great thing for the episode for me was seeing Scully get Mulder back, for them finally to be able to affirm and admit openly what they meant to each other, and for the foundations for future movies to be laid down, as Scully asserts to Mulder that her goals are the same as his, and their implied joint assertion to continue the search for the truth.

Now, the reason I think that the final two-parter was a bit of a cheat was the fact that in a variety of places the writers and producers admit that they were pretty much making up the mythology as they went along. Frequently they tried things that were not truly compatible with what had gone before. A couple of times they painted themselves into corners. And on a few occasions they killed off characters with no very clear idea of why they were doing it (Krycek, the death of The Well-Manicured Man in the film, the first two deaths of the Cigarette Smoking Man, and the death of the Lone Gunmen are merely a few examples). Contrast this with BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, where Joss Whedon would plant hints of events that would occur a couple of years later, e.g., in Season Three where Faith mentioned something to Buffy in a dream sequence that would take place in exactly two years-what happened was Buffy died). But credit must be laid where it is due: the multi-season consistency that we saw in BUFFY was in large part made possible by the multi-season inconsistency of THE X-FILES. With THE X-FILES, it became possible for shows to develop long story arcs that would take years to tell, and in that way, among others, it has made a permanent mark on television. My own feeling is that THE X-FILES produced the greatest stand-alone episodes since THE TWILIGHT ZONE, but that its even greater influence could be in making it OK for shows like BUFFY to develop long, multi-season story arcs. The value of this can't be overstated. In the early 1990s I read an article by a television critic who argued that television, often considered the poor sister of the movies, actually had more potential for extended narrative than did film. I absolutely agree with this, and would insist that the two shows that most fully developed and confirmed the potential of TV are THE X-FILES and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. Jointly they established the range of what television was capable of. In the wake of those two shows, it is impossible to imagine cinema ever developing story lines anywhere near as complex, or character analyses as rich and sustained as is possible in television. For instance, in THE X-FILES we gradually become sensible of the enormous contradictions in Scully's personality, a remarkably gifted and talented woman who has considerable personal achievements, who nonetheless has the self-realization that she has a fascination with charismatic males, and we see her over several seasons struggle with the way she feels drawn to Mulder for this reason and her attempts to keep herself apart from him. Or the two or three seasons during which Scully feels that she has no life because of the X-Files, and often manifests hostility towards Mulder as a result. No movie provides the opportunity to develop the host of character nuances that we observe in Scully over the years.

This was not the best season for THE X-FILES, but it was still great, great television, and an essential part of the X-File saga. I strongly recommend it to anyone open-minded enough to give it a chance.

Season 9 may not be the greatest season of The X Files ever but it is by no means as bad as some make it out to be.
Alot had changed this season, as apparant by the new and very cool title sequence, namely David Duchovny would only appear in the final feature length episode and Agents Doggett and Reyes now investigated the x files cases with Scully lending a helpful hand from her new position as a forensic's teacher with the FBI. Despite these big changes it was still very much The X Files at heart, Skinner and The Lone Gunmen were present but not as much as many fans would have wished, Kersh was his usual nasty self and the inclusion of Cary Elwes as A.D. Brad Follmer was a great addition to the cast.

The mythology this year revolved around the mysteries of Scully's baby, the "super-soilders", internal politics within the FBI and the question of whether Mulder was dead or alive. While these mythology story lines were no means the best Chris Carter and co. have ever come up with the episodes themeselves were still truly excellent. The season opened with the brilliant two-parter "Nothing Important Happened Today I & II" which aroused question for the coming year. "Trust no 1" dealt with Mulders dissapearance, the mid season two-parter "Provenance" and "Providence" were amongst the best two-part episodes the show has ever made, "William" brilliantly directed by David Duchovny was a real highlight of season 9 and then the final episode ever "The Truth". This episode marked Mulders retun and while there were quite a few things I didn't like about the episode it was an amazing ending to the greatest show to ever grace our screens.

The stand-alone episodes this season were just as good as any of the previous seasons with "Deaomonicus", "4-D", "John Doe", "Hellbound", "Audrey Pauley", "Improbable"(which guest starred Burt Reynolds) and my particular favourite "Release", which gave a fantastic resolution to the question of what had actually happenend to Doggett's son, being amongst the greatest stand-alones ever made. There were a few very good episodes in the shape of "Underneath", "Scary Monsters" and "Sunshine Days" but there were also a couple of absolute stinkers, "Lord of The Flies" and "Jump The Shark" were easily two of the worst episodes ever made.

Give season 9 a chance and you may well be surprised how truly excellent this final year was. The acting is, as always, superb especially from Robert Patrick and Gillian Anderson, production values and direction were second to none and as such the show has never looked better. The stand-alones were as good as any other year, the mytholgy was still very interesting and for a show in it's ninth year it looked incredibley fresh.
Plus with two discs worth of extras this Box Set is definetly worth a buy.
Here's to nine amazing years and Bring on the movies!

Hey, come on now people. Even though season 9 may not be the best season of the X-files, it's still THE X-FILES. It was always much better then any show out there, and as far as I'm concerned, it still is. Even season 9, which veered away from the Mulder/Scully aspect, and delved into other territories, still packed a punch every week that left me speechless every time. It still has that same aura to it on the dvd. It tied up loose ends, and left me with this satisfying feeling that there was still so much more to know. It didn't matter that it was over, the journey was worth it. Please give season 9 a chance, don't listen to the nay sayers. The characters of Agent Reyes and Agent Doggett had HUGE shoes to fill, but they did above and beyond what i ever could have expected. Overall, season 9 is very enjoyable and poignant. Give it a chance. Those that can't spell MULDER should not be allowed to say such horrible things about a show that is so close to so many people's hearts.

First off, I am a Scully/Mulder fan myself so the title for this review is not a criticism of them. But I think most people did not give season 8 or 9 of the show a chance simply b/c the original duo was no longer together. Just ordered the set and have not received it so I can't comment on the dvd set itself, but from what I remember of the shows when they aired, there were a number that were quite good, Trust No One, Daemonicus, William, Provenance and Providence, Improbable (the Burt Reynolds show) 4-D and a Reyes centered episode (the Underneath?) wherein one man was skinned alive come immediately to mind. Granted some of the shows were a little quirky, but it was the last season and I expect the producers were in an experimental frame of mind at times. I am a fan of Annabeth Gish so was glad to see her added to the cast. I think, she, Gillian Anderson and Robert Patrick had very good chemistry and I especially liked the interaction between Scully and Reyes. I think Scully gained a confidante in Monica Reyes which she lost when Mulder was absent, but it was also interesting to see Scully interacting w/another female agent on a regular basis.

Because it took so long for Fox to release this set, in comparison to the other box sets, I was anticipating the release of season 9 more than any of the others.

For those fans who can view the x-files without the Scully/Mulder pairing on screen, I would recommend this season simply for the stories told.