The X-Files: The Complete Fifth Season

Redux - {mythology} - Last seasons "Gethsemane" ended with Fox Mulder appearing to be dead from a self inflicted shotgun blast. Mulder is able to obtain an ID that allows him access to a DOD complex where the CSM allows him to escape with the cure for Scully's cancer.

Redux II - {mythology} - This is the outstanding conclusion to the mini trilogy. The CSM offers Mulder all the answers. Scully's cancer is finally in remission thanks to the device that Mulder found. Mulder weeds out the FBI mole, who is shortly thereafter assassinated. The big news, the CSM is shot in his own apartment, yet no body is found. With episodes like these first two, season five continues to prove what an excellent experience The X-Files is.

Unusual Suspects - {mythology} - A beautifully well scripted episode detailing the events in 1989 that brought the "Lone Gunmen" together. This episode also includes a surprise appearance by "X" as well. Surprisingly enough, the events of this episode are what put Mulder and the Lone Gunmen on the quest that they are all on.

Detour - Another well written episode where Scully and Mulder are stuck having to go to team building retreat with a married pair of agents. Fortunately for Mulder's sanity, they have to stop along the way because of a police road block. They find out that people were coming up missing in the woods in a strange way. This episode has some very touching scenes belying the relationship that is building between Mulder and Scully.

The Post-Modern Prometheus - This episode is an absolutely wonderful, campy black & white episode where The X-Files once again proves that they can lighten up and have a little fun. Jerry Springer stars as himself in the background as Mulder and Scully find themselves in a town full of die hard Springer fans and a monster in "The Mutato."

Christmas Carol & Emily - {mythology} - Simply stated, these are two of the finest, touching and most heartfelt episodes of not only the season but the entire series! Scully is on Christmas vacation with her family in California and receives what seems to be a phone call from her sister, who was killed in an earlier season. This phone call leads to the discovery of a little girl that Dana believes to be the daughter of her sister! "Emily" brings Mulder into the picture and the real "mythology" aspects of these two spectacular episodes kicks in! These two episodes alone make the entire season!

Kitsunegari - Déjà vu', Robert Modell from the third season episode "Pusher" is back. He's survived the bullet that Mulder put in his head and he's back to "pushing" people into what he wants them to do. This episode is one of the most intriguing of the season.

Schizogeny - This is a particularly intriguing episode about child abuse and the way one woman dealt with her abuse.

Chinga - Written by Stephen King and Chris Carter. This episode certainly qualifies as one of the best of the season and the entire nine year run as producer Chris Carter welcomes the "King of Horror" in Stephen King as a co-writer. This episode has everything that one can expect from King, suspense and horror in full measure. This is certainly a classic X-Files episode that is not to be missed.

Kill Switch - This is a superb episode in both its setup and execution as The X-Files explores Artificial Intelligence in the best way that only they can. This is a perfect "Lone Gunmen" style episode.

Bad Blood - This is another outstandingly funny, yet scary episode that the producers have proven their superiority at. Mulder and Scully find themselves in Texas looking for a vampire and ultimately find much more than they bargained for. The banter between them just keeps getting better and better.

Patient X & The Red and the Black - {mythology} - Two outstanding episodes that serve extremely well to further the mythology of "The X-Files." Mulder's lost faith is quite prominent as Scully gains faith in the possibility of aliens. Some of the "facts" that die hard fans have been waiting several years for are beginning to slip from Chris Carter finally. This is also the episode that introduces Agent Spinder, CSM's son.

Travelers - {part mythology} Travelers is a brilliant prequel episode that first takes us back to 1990, before Mulder's taking the X-Files, then takes us to a case going back to 50's and his father working for the State Department.

Mind's Eye - A beautifully well written episode that is both touching and heartwarming. It is about a woman, blind from birth who has been accused of a brutal murder.

All Souls - This is another breathtaking episode where The X-Files explores Scully's faith in God.

The Pine Bluff Variant - Agent Mulder finds himself undercover and in the midst of one of the very government conspiracies that he seeks to expose, but finds the truth too shocking to reveal.

Folie a deux - This episode contains the best one liner to date in the series. Mulder is sent to Chicago to discover who is threatening an office with terrorism and finds that he is seeing the same thing that the "madman" was seeing.

The End - {mythology} Another outstanding season finale that leads up to the movie. CSM is back and in full force and doing his thing. This is the episode that introduces Gibson, the child who, born with alien DNA is capable of reading minds. CSM succeeds in having The X-Files closed.

Extra Features - Just as it was with the first four seasons, the special features disk for season five is outstanding. This one finally includes some blooper scenes.

The thing that I probably enjoyed the most about season five, is that Mulder and Scully switch roles. Based on what he learns at the end of season four, Mulder turns somewhat skeptical and comes to think that everything he believed in was a lie, while Scully starts to become more of a believer based on things she discovers about her abduction. The fifth season offers so many wonderful episodes, it is hard to choose a favorite. The first two episodes "Redux" and "Redux II" offer a wonderful conclusion to the season four cliffhanger. One of my favorite episodes "Unusual Suspects" goes into how the Lone Gunmen came to be. "The Post-Modern Prometheus" is loosely based on the Frankenstien monster, and is shot in black and white. This was definately one of the best episodes I have seen so far. Everything from the writing and cinematography, to the music used was fantastic. "Bad Blood" is the funniest and most entertaining episode of The X-Files that I have ever seen, and will probably go down as being my favorite episode of the entire show. "The End" is the best season finale of the show that I have seen so far, and is definately on my top ten list for best episodes.

Overall, the fifth season of The X-Files is the best season I have seen so far. While there were only 20 episodes, each one managed to be fantastic. The fifth season would be worth owning for the episodes alone. However, the DVD package is great. This was the first DVD set to offer the episodes in widescreen! The extras are very good as well. My favorite feature was the 45 minute "Inside the X-Files" featurette. It was very in-depth and featured tons of great information. You also get deleted scenes with commentary from series creator Chris Carter, commentary on the episodes "The Post-Modern Prometheus" and "The Pine Bluff Variant" from the writer of those particular episodes, and more.

A solid 5 stars...