NEW Vol. 2-black Oil (DVD)

The first episode used in this compilation comes from mid-third season. The two part story "Nisei" and "731" provides Scully with additional insights to her abduction and also ties in what Mulder believes is proof of extraterrestrial life, which comes in the form of an alien-human hybrid. The hybrid is an important development to understanding of the overall conspiracy story arc and how the abductions introduced in the first volume tie in. In the next episodes the black oil begins to surface in the two part story "Piper Maru" and "Apocrypha". There are some important truths revealed about the origin of the black oil in this story, as well as how the pursuit of the truth affects Skinner. The season three finale "Talitha Cumi" is the first half of a two part story. This first part unveils a past relationship between the Cigarette Smoking Man and Mulder's mother that he wishes weren't true. The story continues with the second part of the story and season four premiere episode "Herrenvolk". This is when Marita Covarrubias is first introduced. Her minor role becomes important to later episodes as a pseudo-informant to Mulder. Additionally "Talitha Cumi" and "Herrenvolk" introduces the concept of rebel aliens who opposes colonization.

In "Tunguska" and "Terma", the conspiracy story arc continues to focus on the black oil and ties in its origin to Tunguska, Russia. Both Mulder and Krycek get caught up in the mess, as well as Scully and Skinner become the center of attention with the Senate Select Subcommittee on Intelligence and Terrorism. "Momento Mori" is about Scully learning more about her abduction and this episode introduces her illness, brain cancer. In the two part story "Tempus Fugit" and "Max", Max Fenig from the season one episode "Fallen Angel" returns. In this story Mulder and Scully try to unravel the truth behind a Military cover up of the plane crash of civilian Flight 549. Of all the episodes included, this two part story adds the least to the overall conspiracy story arc.

The next episode "Zero-Sum" is an awesome episode. In this story Skinner is coerced into working for the Cigarette Smoking Man. What makes this episode great is Skinner getting down and dirty by doing some cloak and dagger type stuff. As an episode, there are some subtle, yet important details revealed about colonization. The last three episodes included in this set feature the season four finale "Gethsemane" and the first two episodes from season five "Redux" and "Redux II". This last story for the black oil box set proposes a few important advancements for the conspiracy story arc. The most important is the understanding Mulder obtains in the episode "Gethsemane". With the help of a man from the Pentagon's research division, Michael Kritschgau, Mulder and Scully learn that not everything is what it seems. The story continues in "Redux" and "Redux II" and our favorite F.B.I. agents learn more about how they have been pawns in a much larger picture.

Overall I enjoyed the watching the exclusive mythology episodes back to back. The conspiracy story arc driving the series is certainly one of the most interesting things about the show. Despite it is missing a few details in characters and whatnot, the episodes flow pretty well together. This is a great addition for fans or casual viewers interested in just the conspiracy episodes.

DVD Detailed Episode Guide (in order, and by season)

1. "Nisei", Season 3, Episode 9
2. "731", Season 3, Episode 10
3. "Piper Maru", Season 3, Episode 15
4. "Apocrypha", Season 3, Episode 16
5. "Talitha Cumi", Season 3, Episode 24
6. "Herrenvolk", Season 4, Episode 1
7. "Tunguska", Season 4, Episode 8
8. "Terma", Season 4, Episode 9
9. "Momento Mori", Season 4, Episode 14
10. "Tempus Fugit", Season 4, Episode 17
11. "Max", Season 4, Episode 18
12. "Zero-Sum", Season 4, Episode 21
13. "Gethsemane", Season 4, Episode 24
14. "Redux", Season 5, Episode 1
15. "Redux II", Season 5, Episode 2

The second volume in the X-Files Mythology series focuses on the Black Oil aspect of the series. Compiling 15 episodes from seasons 3 to 5, this volume is mainly features episodes about the parasitic, black colored oil like alien substance that can infect humans. The episodes included here: Nisei, 731, Piper Maru, Apocrypha, Talitha Cumi, Herrenvolk, Tunguska, Terma, Memento Mori, Tempus Fugit, Max, Zero-Sum, Gethsemane, Redux, and Redux II, are all excellent and just about classic X-Files episodes that are compiled here for a cheap price, which is what makes the X-Files Mythology series worth owning for casual X-Files fans who don't want to shell out the money for complete season sets. If you are a die hard X-phille, you're better off with the season sets which include all the great stand alone episodes (where as the Mythology sets revolve around the series' single storyarc), but other than that, this is a solid deal for casual X-fans.

As any devoted X-Phile will tell you, the idea of a collection devoted exclusively to the "mythology" episodes alone is a somewhat dodgy idea, with many attendant problems. First of all, much of the show's ineffable charm was found in the balance of standalone/comedic/MOTW ("monster-of-the-week") episodes vs. the heavier mythology episodes - watching all of these tangled, knotty mytharc episodes can be a suffocating experience. Secondly, the overarching character development of both Mulder and Scully (as well as the secondary characters) was rarely restricted to the mythology episodes; someone who only knows the X-Files through these four mythology-only boxed sets will miss the introduction of Skinner and Cigarette Smoking Man's first speaking role ("Tooms"), the introduction of Alex Krycek and Mr. X ("Sleepless"), and the revelation that Scully has cancer ("Leonard Betts"), among other things.

Finally, there is some dispute as to what constitutes a "mythology" episode in the first place. For example, Volume 1 ("Abduction") of this four volume set has drawn a lot of justifiable criticism for excluding a pivotal early first season episode called "Conduit," where the depths of Mulder's obsession about his abducted sister Samantha are first explored. (The fact that "Conduit" is arguably one of the ten finest episodes in the history of the series, both eerie and poignant, only makes its omission that much more painful.) "Musings Of A Cigarette Smoking Man," concerning the secret history of Mulder's nemesis, is also a mythology episode, as is the excellent late Season Four installment "Demons." Some of the decisions made in what to include or exclude seem arbitrary.

This last point is important because it DOESN'T address the inexcusable omission of a major mythology two-parter from this set: "Christmas Carol" and "Emily." Their omission can't be explained by an arbitrary "is it mythology or isn't it?" judgment call: these two episodes are directly on-point with the larger mytharc, complete with questions about Scully's abduction, the harvesting of her ova, alien-human hybrids, green-blooded shape-changing bounty hunters, and government conspiracies. What's more, they're very good episodes, ones which I would place in the upper echelon of X-Files mythology installments.

The most surprising question, then, is: why hasn't anyone noticed they're missing? My theory: these episodes came chronologically after "Redux" and "Redux II," which conclude this set, and before "Patient X" and "The Red And The Black," which open Volume 3. The compilers must have thought nobody would notice their absence, I guess (a suspicion furthered by the fact that the "Mythology Timelines" included with these sets conveniently omit any reference to these episodes, even as they namecheck other episodes which aren't included in these packages). The reason I'm TRULY steamed, however, is because there's absolutely no reason why they couldn't have been included here. Each DVD can hold, at the very least, five full episodes (see disc 6 of the Complete Season Two boxed set), and the final disc of this set only holds three. This wasn't an issue of limited space and painful decisions needing to be made, it was simple laziness.

There have been a number of X-Files mythology episodes that were either badly written or irrelevant to the larger conspiracy. (For an example of the former, see the atrocious "Per Manum" or the Season Nine two-parter "Nothing Important Happened Today." For an example of the latter, see "Fallen Angel" and "Tempus Fugit"/"Max": all three of these are excellent, and in fact the latter - included on this set - may be my favorite two-parter in series history, but none of them have anything to do with the greater conspiracy.) "Christmas Carol" and "Emily" are neither of these, and their unexplained disappearance in these sets is therefore inexcusable. It comes close to invalidating the entire raison d'etre of this package in the first place.

This may seem like a bit of a rant, but the mistake/intentional oversight in this case is so inexcusable, and the loss so great, that it seriously damages the value of the "Black Oil" set. Unless you buy/rent/have already seen these missing Season Five episodes, you're missing a huge part of the story. Additionally, the Black Oil set is light on useful extras: there are only three commentaries (and R.W. Goodwin is soporific as always on "Talitha Cumi"), and the documentary is skimpy and inessential.

Ultimately, these mythology boxed sets are most useful for fans who want to follow the continuing storyline through the last few dodgy seasons without buying the complete seasons. In that sense Volumes 3 and 4 are the ones to get, while Volumes 1 and 2 are less so since you're much better off purchasing the new reduced-price editions of the first five or six seasons. (Also, there's far less confusion in Seasons 7-9 over what does or does not constitute a "mythology" episode - you won't be missing anything crucial with the later boxed sets like you are with the first two.)

I'm giving "Black Oil" two starts as opposed to only one because there's no denying the objective quality of most of the installments found here. "Nisei"/"731" ("Scully, let me tell you, you haven't seen America until you've seen it from a train"), "Piper Maru"/"Apocrypha," "Memento Mori," "Tempus Fugit"/"Max" - these are series highlights. But for reasons explained above this set was already a questionable investment; the omission of a major (and high-quality) mythology two-parter merely ices it.