Customer Reviews

The X-Files Mythology, Vol. 4 - Super Soldiers

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

 

 

For some time now I have been of the opinion that we have in the past fifteen years entered a new Golden Age in television, with the quality and richness and depth of the best series approaching a level that was not previously seen. A number of series are responsible for this, but one of the most important was THE X-FILES. It was one of the first shows to bring a near cinematic quality to each episode, the first to develop a story arc that stretched over several seasons (as opposed to episode-to-episode consistency that you saw with other pioneering shows like HILL STREET BLUES, which despite the memory and consistency, didn't really have a story with a beginning, middle, and an end), and just in general tried to up the standards of what could be done on broadcast television. The seasons-long story arc was not always perfect. By the creators own admission they were often making things up as they went along, and the result was some internal tension in the mythology. For instance, though they wrap it up neatly at the end, during the course of the series they clearly are themselves (key X-FILES people like Kim Manners have confessed that they weren't sure who Mulder's father was, until they wrapped that up near the end, and they kept changing what had happened with Mulder's sister Samantha until they wrapped that up with an incredibly powerful two-part story in Season Seven). But even if the story arc was sometimes a tad inconsistent in Seasons 1-7, it was never, ever bad. Unfortunately, if there is one thing that virtually every X-FILE fan agrees on, the Super Soldiers plot of Seasons 8 and 9 was just awful.

In Season Six of show, they had wrapped up the alien colonization arc that dominated the mythology of the first six seasons, and with that much of the structure of the show had vanished. Then at the end of Season Six there were attempts to reintroduce alien themes, but so much of the infrastructure had disappeared. The Super Soldiers were introduced as super aliens who seemed to be close to invulnerable (unless you could get them near certain minerals that act more or less as their form of kryptonite). But that was about all the show's creators did to make them interesting. They were defined pretty much exclusively in terms of certain extreme qualities--invulnerability, undetectability (unless you could check out the base of their neck), and tremendous physical skills. And there was a certain sense that they were everywhere. But there was never a compelling backstory like the one that was developed so marvelously in the first seasons of the show with the colonization arc. To be honest, the entire Super Soldier arc just felt tacked on.

This is not to say that there weren't some great things in Seasons 8 and 9. Many fans of the show either hate or dismiss those two seasons. I personally loved Season 8, and felt that the appearance of John Doggett did a lot to revitalize the show. Many resented him because he was not Mulder, but I think Robert Patrick accomplished the near impossible in replacing half of what is arguably the most successful pair of characters in the history of TV. THE X-FILES simply IS Mulder and Scully, and Scully and Doggett (yes, creator Chris Carter is a diehard L.A. Dodgers fan). But the truth is that there were some absolutely outstanding episodes from those two years, many of them in large part because of what Doggett brought to the show. Even some of the Super Soldiers episodes were excellent. But none of them were excellent because they furthered the Super Soldier story arc; they were excellent despite it.

This set is the inevitable weak point of executing the interesting plan to release all the episodes in the overall story arc on DVD. The truth is that the mythology ended with the end of the colonization arc, and the super soldiers was a painful reminder that that had come to a close. I will add that it did provide an opportunity for Adam Baldwin, a character actor I like a great deal (Jayne, in FIREFLY, for instance). For those who have watched THE O.C. and wondered where they had seen Alan Dale, who played Caleb Nichol, one answer is as Toothpick Man in Season Nine of THE X-FILES (though probably more known him from 24). In other words, this part of the mythology doesn't have nothing to offer, but neither is it part of what made THE X-FILES one of the great series in the history of TV. This set features many good episodes, but overall it diminishes rather than embellishes the mythology as a whole.

This repackaging of THE X FILES (1993-2002) according to the mythology arc has, no doubt, long been expected by most diehard fans of the now legendary television series. Having received the 4 volumes as a Christmas gift, this grateful recipient has not had time to peruse all 60 episodes + extras; however, a few observations do come to mind.

RE: THE X FILE MYTHOLOGY, VOL 1-4 ("Abduction"; "Black Oil"; "Colonization"; "Super Soldiers"):

Recommendations, divided into 4 categories of prospective buyers, are as follows:

1) FANATICS/COLLECTORS:

True fanatics or obsessive collectors will, irrespective of whether they own all 9 complete seasons, want to add these 4 volumes to their shelves. That there exists only a small amount of new material ( in terms of extras: audio commentary + documentary ) is really irrelevant to those who fall into this category. 5 STARS in terms of its appeal for this group of people.

2) "REGULAR" FANS:

"X-Philes" who exist on a lesser ( if saner ) plane of dedication may want to consider whether, possessing some ( if not, perhaps, all ) of the complete DVD sets, these repackaged sets actually add to their enjoyment. It seems indisputable that THE X FILES will never be understood on an aesthetic level by solely watching the myth arc episodes; therefore, it begs the question of why one would purchase the "complete" myth arc when it's possible to go the way the series did when it originally aired- i.e., by alternating between mythology and stand alone episodes. 2 STARS in terms of its appeal for this group of people.

3) CONFUSED BUT INTERESTED VIEWERS:

People with some familiarity with the show but who never quite watched with enough regularity ( or intensity ) to follow the intricacies of the mythology arc, may well consider purchasing these volumes. Presumably, those who fall ( more or less ) into this category will not have purchased the complete DVD seasons ( or at least not *all* of them ). It may well be financially (1/5 cost of 9 complete seasons) and aesthetically satisfying to purchase these 4 repackaged volumes and supplement ( by renting or borrowing ) selected stand alone ( "monster of the week" ) episodes. 4 STARS in terms of its appeal for this group of people.

4) NOVICES

For those who truly haven't watched THE X FILES, or at most, a few episodes, it seems a toss-up as to whether these sets are the right way to go. It is this reviewers suggestion that those in this category rent some episodes; specifically, the first 4 episodes of SEASON ONE in order to establish whether they find the show appealing. If they're hooked, and have the willingness to invest money through purchasing DVD's outright, it might be better to start purchasing all nine complete seasons over time ( most definitely *in order* ). The other option for beginners would be to purchase the 4 repackaged myth arc volumes ( again, paying attention to proper order ) and renting select stand alone episodes ( there are numerous books and websites which can guide one to the very best episodes ). 3 STARS in terms of its appeal for this group of people.

NOTE: The X FILES MOVIE ( "Fight the Future" ) is *not* included in this repackaging release. After viewing the first 3 episodes of Vol 3: "Colonization" (Patient X, The Red and the Black, The End), it is extremely advisable, for the sake of continuity and understanding, to buy ( or at least, watch ) the film *before* continuing with the remaining (Vol 3) episodes.


RE: THE X FILES MYTHOLOGY, VOL 4: "Super Soldiers":

The 14 episodes selected for inclusion in Vol 4, spanning Seasons 8 & 9, are representative of a unique period (David Duchovny's partial participation and consequent introduction of new characters). An unprecedented percentage (nearly half) of the episodes from Season 8 were devoted to the mythology arc; as a result, of all the volumes in the repackaging scheme, Volume 4 has the most claim to an artistic "raison d'etre". With composer Mark Snow's haunting "Scully theme" functioning as idée fixe, the mythology arc conveys a dramatic intensity ("Per Manum"/"This is Not Happening"/"DeadAlive"/"Three Words"/"Vienen" ) reminiscent of the THE X FILES dark Season 4. "Essence"/"Existence" reveals much of the series' philosophical (indeed, theological) underpinnings, scripts fashioned in such a way as to provide a satisfactory conclusion to both the 8th season and the series as a whole, should it have ended in 2001. As it turned out, many of its themes would be carried over into what would in actuality become the final year. The symbiotic partnership between Chris Carter & Frank Spotnitz continued with their co-writing of episodes airing in Season 9. The ambitious "Nothing Important Happened Today (I/II)" fuses the familiar "alien hybrid" concept with the newer element of "Supersoldiers". The Orwellian 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 Christian symbolism pervades "Provenance" & "Providence" while "William" is taut, dramatic episode creatively directed (& co-written) by Duchovny- the clever double twist ending has dramatic ramifications that extend backward and forward in time (Gillian Anderson putting forth a customarily moving performance). The series finale ("The Truth") penned by Carter exudes a special glow, starting out ("in media res") with Mulder's return, lagging a bit during the court-room trial scenes and ending with a fireworks flourish which 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".

I watched the X-Files pretty avidly for the first 5 or 6 seasons and never had too much interest in the later seasons because I heard they weren't that good. I have to say my opinion is completely changed after watching all 4 mythology sets. The writing and acting is excellent in seasons 8 and 9. With the exception of one plot point regarding Scully's baby that I didn't like, I was completely engrossed in each episode.

Yes, it was a bummer to have Mulder absent for most of the last season, but I really liked agents Doggett and Reyes far more than I expected. And Gillian Anderson is underrated as an actress. She held her own without David Duchovney very well. The finale cleared up most of the questions I had and left things open for a compelling story should they decide to make future movies (and I hope they do!)

Watching all of the mythology episodes in order was a fantastic experience and I highly recommend it. It was so hard to grasp the complex overall plot when it were interspersed with the stand alone episodes when the show first aired. So many outstanding episodes. Far better than anything on TV now, including Lost, which I really like. I am now going to start collecting the season sets to watch the stand alone episodes now that Fox is releasing them at reasonable prices.

I almost did not buy this Super Soldiers set given some of the reviews, but I just needed to see for myself.
This set is great and quite neatly continues the mythology episodes from the earlier seasons. It does not appear to me that there is some discontinuity or repetitiveness in this set. On the contrary, it neatly ties in with previous sets while at the same time presenting new characters and ideas.
Some good reasons to buy:
1. Extremely exciting episodes. I just couldn't believe it. Even more than the previous sets I found myself captivated by the story line.
2. The development of John Doggett as a character from a sceptic to a loyal friend of Scully.
3. Scully is completely different in this set. She seems more gloomy and fatalistic.
4. The baby story line is not ridiculous at all but adds new matieral to keep the story line vibrant throughout the episodes.

The fourth and final installment of the X-Files Mythology DVD series focuses around the Super Soldiers from the final two seasons of the show. These episodes introduce Scully's (Gillian Anderson) new partner John Dogget (Robert Patrick) as well as Agent Reyes (Annabeth Gish) and it features the return of the missing Mulder (David Duchovny). Throughout the 14 episodes collected here, the pregnant Scully is trying to figure out what these alien super soldiers (including Lucy "Xena" Lawless and Serenity/Firefly's Adam Baldwin) want with her child, as everything else comes to a head leading to the two hour series finale. As a previous reviewer mentioned, this arc really was the only real mis-step of an otherwise excellent series, but the way the final episode wraps things up almost makes up for it. Just like the previous three Mythology sets, this volume is no different and includes none of the great stand alone episodes and is scant on extras. However, with the re-release of cheaper priced full seasons of the series, there really is no reason to own any of these Mythology sets when for a little more you can get a full season. All in all, this is worth getting if you're a real casual fan of the series, but for all others, the full early seasons are the ones that are worth owning.

I cannot put into words the dissapoint I felt with the conclusion of the X-Files mythology. I'll keep it short and sweet by telling you that you'd be better off buying the first three mythology sets (abduction, black oil and colinization)and skipping this one; it will save you a huge dissapointment. Aside from the fact that Mulder is only in the final episode of season 9 (the same goes for the minute and a half of total screen time we get to see the smoking man) this chapter of the mythology is a total let down. Very little is addressed regarding colinization and the the aliens; instead they focus the remainder of the mythology on the "super soldier" concept, which becomes very tiresome after about 2 episodes. What was Chris Carter thinking?! As I said previously, my advice is to watch the the first 3 sets and leave the this fourth "Super Soldiers" installment where it belongs - on the shelf.

It's been interesting reading the reviews of the X-Files Mythology series. The die hard fans love it all. THe purists find fault in episodes not included. I was out of the country during the X-years and appreciate this whole set of 4 topic driven collections. I can watch the sets one at a time and get a good overview of the threads of the series. I think it's a good idea and will use this same review for each. bg

I have all 4 volumes of The X-Files Mythology. I also have the Seasons 1-9 set. Though The Mythology series has many of the same episodes, it is organized by topic.

In this final and worst installment of The X-Files Mythology series, one witnesses a huge shift in quality represented from each season. While the Mythology episodes from seasons 1 through 8 (the latter of which is mostly represented on the first third of this set) were among the best of each season, the episodes selected from Season 9 mark the worst of that season, which -- as a whole -- was not very good to begin with.

The Season 8 episodes "This Is Not Happening", "DeadAlive", and "Essence" are excellent, while the remainder of Season 8 Mythology episodes are decent, but not great. Starting with the 9th season premiere "Nothing Important Happened Today", it's all downhill, until the last disc, which is just alright, with only the finale holding some refreshing, nicely done dramatic moments between Scully and Mulder. Otherwise, Scully is just irritating and painful to watch in this season, and any moment away from her is a relief.

One of the risks of a long-running show, is that the themes, however talented the writers, grow repetitive. As I've written before, "the writers proved to be out of ideas. No longer able to create interest by revealing anything new, they were unable to write compelling stories. Instead, the characters moved through the dramatic motions in so formulaic a manner, lacking clear motivations, while the stories lacked real plot; scenes and dialogue felt stretched out on purpose. The mythology had become a caricature of itself, employing mystifying dialogue and pointless confrontation to put nothing substantial across, but to serve as ends in themselves."

On top of all of this, this DVD set gets a low rating because, beyond the considerable drop in episode quality, the special features are lacking. There are only 2 commentaries here. I would have expected much more from the writers and perhaps guest actors like Nicholas Lea (Krychek), if not the leading actors.

Unlike a vocal number of X-Files fans, I really, really enjoyed Season 8. Doggett is excellent, the writing is excellent, and overall the season is absolutely brilliant. But then came along the clunker that was Season 9, and with it a greater focus on the Super Soldiers. Even the name should tip you off that this ain't going to be pretty. These mythology sets are a concession to the less-than-passionate X-File fanatics who don't want to shell out hundreds and hundreds of dollars for the full set. I understand their purpose; I don't like them, but I get it.

But the fact that the entire focus of this box set is on a series of indestructible alien hybrids who can only be killed by a certain metal (Superman, anybody?), and the fact that Mulder is nary to be seen in Season 9 except for the last episode, makes for a very, very dull set of episodes. To be honest, they're simply not believable. I know this must sound ironic, given that we're talking about The X-Files, after all, but the Super Soldiers story arc just doesn't mesh with the rest of the show. "This Is Not Happening" is great, but the rest... well, I can't in all honesty recommend this boxset to anyone. I've got these episodes in my Seasons 1-9 box sets more for completion's sake than because I actually want them there. Unless you desperately want to complete your Mythology box sets, there's no reason to purchase this product - read the episode guide for season 9, find out what happened with the Super Soldiers, and save your money; it's not worth it. Two stars because it *is* X-Files, after all.