X-Files:S9

But I can't. No way.

Season 9 is actually quite good. A few episodes in particular are superb. "Release," for example, the episode in which Agent Doggett learns the truth about his son's death and puts the past behind him. My wife and I were stunned by that episode. It had "Wow Factor" written all over it. Great acting by Robert Patrick. Intriguing story line.

The final episode (titled "The Truth") was only so-so when I watched it on TV. But that was because I hadn't seen the rest of the season (or Seasons 7 and 8 leading up to it) in context. When I watched all of Season 9 back to back, I discovered "The Truth" to be a powerful way to end the series. It was great to have Fox Mulder back, but -- to be honest -- we didn't really consider the show to be about Mulder any more.

Blasphemy? Am I do for a tarring and feathering?

Don't think so. True, The X-Files started out as a show about Mulder and his partner Dana Scully. And the show endeared itself to millions of fans worldwide because of that pairing.

But when David Duchovny (Mulder) left the show at the end of Season 7, just appeared in a handful of episodes in Season 8, and only appeared in the final episode of Season 9, the show changed. But not necessarily for the worse. The other characters stepped up to the plate. Doggett and Monica Reyes were fascinating characters. Each brought depth and strength to the roles.

The X-Files was a show about the unexplained, the paranormal, the out-there-ness of Truth. As such, it was a show that was constantly filled with surprises, twists, turns and even dead-ends.

When people get hung up on keeping the show exactly the same -- with Mulder and Scully in every episode -- they fail to see the point of the series: the unexpected.

If the show would have gone downhill without Mulder, *then* I could see justification for all the bellyaching. But it didn't. The writers and directors rose to the challenge. Season 8 is one of the best of the series, in my opinion. And Season 9 is far from the worst.

One thing we noticed, however: there was a distinct lack of character continuity from episode to episode. Plus, it seems like one or the other of Doggett and Reyes was always hovering on the brink of death -- with the healthy partner watching, praying and hoping for a complete recovery. When the recovery happened, emotions ran high. It seemed like things would change. But, in the very next episode the characters were back to the way they were before the crisis.

In other words, when Reyes almost died in the hospital, Doggett was in tears. He felt deep emotion -- far beyond that felt for a partner in the FBI -- and couldn't wait until she recovered to tell her. But when she recovered, he didn't. Nothing changed.

Those kinds of inconsistencies hampered Season 9. If the writers were true to the characters, changes would have occured from crisis to crisis. They would have siezed the opportunity to get more involved emotionally.

Ditto for the episode in which Scully has to give up William for adoption. In that episode, she's racked with emotion. Yet, in the very next episode, she's composed and emotion-free. Like the adoption never happened. How is that possible? Scully lived for William in virtually every episode. Yet in the very next one after she gives him up for adoption, she doesn't shed a tear and, if memory serves, doesn't even mention him.

As large as those kinds of character consistencies seem, I don't think they completely derail Season 9. The build-up to the end -- combined with a few truly stellar episodes -- make Season 9 well worth having if you're an X-Files fan.

Oh, and let's not forget the bonus material. Two full DVDs of bonus material -- including a wonderful behind-the-scenes peek at the making of "The Truth."

My advice? Don't listen to the naysayers who slam Season 9 and call it the worst. There really isn't a "worst" when it comes to The X-Files. Every season is excellent in its own way.

That to me is what The X-Files was about. Mulder and Scullys relationship and their investigations into the paranormal.

I started watching this and to my surprise I was getting just as much enjoyment in this season as I was in the previous Seasons.

Some of my favorite episdoes were, Daemonicus, 4-D, John Doe, Trust No 1, Provenace/Providence, William (very good), and of course the finale The Truth (though I dont think much was accomplished in the finale... 1 hour of recapping the entire series, then 30 minutes of mulder showing scully the date of the final alien invasion.. Hopefully the next movie will wrap things up, though rumor has it that it will be a stand-alone story)

There is a couple that I didnt like, one being The Lord of the Flies. But there is always one or two that I didn't like very much in just about every season.

True, that the show has changed alot in the later seasons... Watch season 3 then watch season 7 or 8. Almost seems different.

In my opinion season 9 is a must-have for anyone that calls themselves an X-Files fan...

Season 9 was the beginning of a new X-Files. They could have continued with Dogget and Reyes.... Note I said that they could have, not that they should have.

Season 9 was a great season and I highly recommend it however there is one thing that should have happened...

The series should have ended after Season 7. So much happened in that season. Mulder found the truth about his sister. The syndicate was pretty much dismantled. Mulder and Scully shared their first kiss.

Then after ending season 7 they should have created one or two more movies to wrap things up. That would have been the smart thing in my opinion. I had trouble getting through Season 8, but I liked Season 9. Now that I watched Sesaon 9 just as eagerly as I did the rest of them, I may have to go back and give season 8 another chance.

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.