The X-Files Revival: The Truth is in Here

[Bastet]

It's what I know about Babylon that isn't in the preview that makes think it's going to be a big ball of WTF.  Introducing clones of M&S (which was shown in the preview) doesn't bother me at all (for now); it comes across as a wink/nod to the audience - in CC's usual ham-fisted way - of who M&S used to be, rather than some sort of back-door pilot for a reboot.  Don't get me wrong; the studio will do anything that can make a buck, so they have no connection, and ultimately CC may cash his check for the rights to the characters, but he's not going to currently set up a reboot scenario; that will come when DD and GA pull the plug.  I think the characters are a one-off, and if CC's humorous writing is more Syzygy than Humbug, it can work.  The rest of it, though ... we'll see.

 

Good lord, I'm feeling charitable towards CC.  Clearly, I had one drink too many.

[Guest]

I think the characters are a one-off

Man, I hope you're right but considering those new characters appear in two upcoming episodes (according to IMDB) I have a fear they're here to stay and, worse case scenario, since the ratings have been good, they're gonna reboot the show with those two. In which case, I'm out. The X-Files are Mulder and Scully to me -- not the girl from Six Feet Under and random cute boy I've never heard of.

[Tardislass]

Man, I hope you're right but considering those new characters appear in two upcoming episodes (according to IMDB) I have a fear they're here to stay and, worse case scenario, since the ratings have been good, they're gonna reboot the show with those two. In which case, I'm out. The X-Files are Mulder and Scully to me -- not the girl from Six Feet Under and random cute boy I've never heard of.

This. Doesn't help that EW had a whole story dedicated to them. For me that means these two are here to stay. I'll be happy to be wrong. OTOH, the network must know that there'd be a massive exodus if M&S aren't front and center so ??

[Bastet]

Man, I hope you're right but considering those new characters appear in two upcoming episodes (according to IMDB)

 

Oh, crap - I didn't know they were going to be in the finale, too.  Well, there goes my one-off theory; I should have known better than to give CC the benefit of the doubt.

[Tardislass]

Oh, crap - I didn't know they were going to be in the finale, too. Well, there goes my one-off theory; I should have known better than to give CC the benefit of the doubt.

as I said I think we are stuck with them-especially as it seems the young male agent is the eye-candy now. I just fear that the agents will be Mary Sues- with Mulder & Scully constantly impressed with them. Aka "Poochie"-Simpson reference.

[Guest]

This. Doesn't help that EW had a whole story dedicated to them.

Oh, nooooooooooo! Yeah, that definitely points to a whole new X-Files: the Only Thing Missing Now is the Mystery Machine series.

No thank you, Chris Carter.

[JWalker]

For me Mulder and Scully are the X-Files. Not "Copy Cat" versions of them. Have no plans really in investing a lot of time on that approach. Having said that I wouldn't mind seeing Doggett and Ryes if they can get the original actors.

[AntiBeeSpray]

A new clip... for Babylon.

 

Source: trustnno1 and justholdinghandsok via tumblr

[Bastet]

This hallucination stuff is either going to be hilarious or so bad I have to watch it through my fingers.

[baileythedog]

This hallucination stuff is either going to be hilarious or so bad I have to watch it through my fingers.

 

Honestly? I trust DD with comedy, I really do.  I think it will work out okay. 

[Tardislass]

Honestly? I trust DD with comedy, I really do.  I think it will work out okay. 

The actors are doing their best with the scripts, it's just that CC's comedy is a crapshoot. Let's hope it's the Synergy comedy instead of Fight Club.

 

I can tell already that this episode is going to divide opinions. But it has dancingSkinner! and the LGM so it can't all be bad. And it's a quasi comedy so hopefully a break from all the William anvils.

[Bastet]

Oh, it's not the acting I'm worried about.

[HalcyonDays]

TVLine - The X-Files Revival - 19 Easter Eggs

 

Some you guys already mentioned, some I didn't know (or forgot about)!

[baileythedog]

The actors are doing their best with the scripts, it's just that CC's comedy is a crapshoot. Let's hope it's the Synergy comedy instead of Fight Club.

 

I can tell already that this episode is going to divide opinions. But it has dancingSkinner! and the LGM so it can't all be bad. And it's a quasi comedy so hopefully a break from all the William anvils.

 

Well I agree with you on the Syzygy thoughts; I've always considered that one an overlooked gem.  So many things to like about it including the high school named "Grover Cleveland Alexander", a school name which exists only to mock DD's failure on Celebrity Jeopardy. Although having said that---and here is something I never thought I'd say---but I'd take Fight Club over almost anything in S9. And I loathe Kathy Griffin with the white hot heat of a thousand burning suns. 

[Frozendiva]

I believe that Fox owns the X Files and its characters. CC cashed his cheque years ago - was it under Chernin?

[Italian Ice]

For what it's worth, according to another source, the original plan *was* to continue the X-Files with the new characters as the main characters, but that is no longer the plan.

 

Also, it seems the only true holdout is Gillian, and it's because she lives in the UK. Honestly, can they not do a few episodes in the UK? I think if that's what it took to make her happy, they should do that

 

One last thing, if they want to continue the series, they can't wait another 5-10 years to do it. Mulder and Scully (and Skinner!) are already pushing mandatory retirement age by the FBI. 

 

FOX Upfronts are May 16th this year, so they have about 3 months exactly to hammer out contract details

Edited February 10, 2016 by Italian Ice

[Tardislass]

For what it's worth, according to another source, the original plan *was* to continue the X-Files with the new characters as the main characters, but that is no longer the plan.

 

Also, it seems the only true holdout is Gillian, and it's because she lives in the UK. Honestly, can they not do a few episodes in the UK? I think if that's what it took to make her happy, they should do that

 

One last thing, if they want to continue the series, they can't wait another 5-10 years to do it. Mulder and Scully (and Skinner!) are already pushing mandatory retirement age by the FBI. 

 

FOX Upfronts are May 16th this year, so they have about 3 months exactly to hammer out contract details

In the BTS interviews with CC before the revival aired, he mentioned that the young agents were added to originally continue the series-however he did state that that idea was off the table now. I can see them returning to fill the episodes if GA doesn't want to do another six. However, I will speculate as one who has a distant relative on TV, that the stories about celebs and their contract negotiations are not always the truth, and are more often that not used for leverage. So who knows? But if they don't do the next show within the next year or so, interest will wane again and yes..the cast is getting on in years.  

 

I'm sure we will get some kind of announcement after the show has aired world-wide. Honestly, they don't have a lot of other popular shows right now.

 

Oh, and I'm slowly warming up to those previews of Babylon-at least the humor pieces with DD.

[JWalker]

I got the impression early on that David and Gillian weren't looking to get into any kind of long term commitment. Hopefully we arent left dangling after the six episodes.

[SparklesBitch]

I'm with the person who said somewhere (this thread or another one) that they should move the whole production to the UK (she lives in London, right?) to shoot around GA's schedule/ family life for once. They moved the whole show to LA for DD once upon a time, after all.

Of course, I have no idea if that's even possible or what the logistics of that would be, but if they want her to sign badly enough, maybe they could swing it for six episodes....=)

[Tardislass]

I'm with the person who said somewhere (this thread or another one) that they should move the whole production to the UK (she lives in London, right?) to shoot around GA's schedule/ family life for once. They moved the whole show to LA for DD once upon a time, after all.

Of course, I have no idea if that's even possible or what the logistics of that would be, but if they want her to sign badly enough, maybe they could swing it for six episodes....=)

But it's damn expensive to film in the UK, maybe Cardiff is a bit cheaper-though probably not. I believe the reason they film in Vancouver is because of the cost and tax benefits. Personally I don't think either actor is "owed" moving near to where they live. I didn't like it when DD made a fuss about it either.

 

Keeping this on topic. Everyone who's seen the finale says that it will be "one of the more talked about episodes", ie. something big happens. I can't see it being William, as CC has stated that we won't see him..I think he see their son more like Samantha, more of an idea than a person. I'm thinking it either has to do with Scully or more than likely something to do with CSM, since they made such a big deal about his return and we haven't see him much.

 

Or unless the lethal virus spreading is actually the aliens colonizing 4 years after plan.

Edited February 10, 2016 by Tardislass

[Frozendiva]

This sort of 'revival' of an older show is new. History may not always repeat well. Many old TV shows are long-gone for a reason.

 

People may be curious and nostalgic and watch for a few episodes - a short 'season'. Will people tune in for a longer period of time? Unknown. Too much of a good thing could be very damaging to the 'brand'. A rem-make/re-imagining may not have the zeitgeist of the original. Another handful of episodes or a mini-season next year may work.

[HalcyonDays]

I'm with the person who said somewhere (this thread or another one) that they should move the whole production to the UK (she lives in London, right?) to shoot around GA's schedule/ family life for once. They moved the whole show to LA for DD once upon a time, after all.

 

No! Always Vancouver. The show must be shot in Vancouver!! *stompsfeet*   :')

 

Actually it really should be Vancouver or somewhere similar. Something about the pine forests and overcast skies lends well to the spooky/creepy vibe of The X-Files. When the original production moved to LA, it lost a little of that atmosphere I think. Plus, filming tax credits.

[Tardislass]

Two sneak peeks from Babylon from Spoiler TV

 

http://www.spoilertv.com/2016/01/the-x-files-episode-1005-babylon-press.html

 

Nice call back on the pilot from Scully. Not sure how I feel about the two young agents yet but it looks like we have some humor. And hopefully more Skinner.

 

Young male agent reminds me of Krychek for some reason. Poor misunderstood Krychek.:)

[Italian Ice]

Another clip from Babylon. Kinda sweet, and the first time I actually like the two new agents:

 

 

Also, I KNEW this plot sounded familiar. It's based on a real event that happened here in Texas where I live:

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/05/03/at-least-2-shot-outside-muhammad-art-exhibit-in-texas/26849897/http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/05/03/at-least-2-shot-outside-muhammad-art-exhibit-in-texas/26849897/

Edited February 13, 2016 by Italian Ice

[madam magpie]

I'm with the person who said somewhere (this thread or another one) that they should move the whole production to the UK (she lives in London, right?) to shoot around GA's schedule/ family life for once. They moved the whole show to LA for DD once upon a time, after all.

Of course, I have no idea if that's even possible or what the logistics of that would be, but if they want her to sign badly enough, maybe they could swing it for six episodes....=)

Maybe if the network offered to pay her up front what she's worth she'd be more amenable?

I can't decide how I feel about the new agents. I really like Lauren Ambrose, though the guy seems fairly bland. But by mirroring Mulder and Scully in tone and personality, they're begging for comparisons in which they'll come up short. You can't replace Mulder and Scully. You could add to them and broaden the story, but replace with almost-clones? Naw.

Edited February 13, 2016 by madam magpie

[baileythedog]

I'm curious about the ominous warnings by some reviewers who have said that some fans would really hate the second half of "Babylon."  I'm wondering if that just means the dream sequence? Or does something really unexpected happen like Scully hooking up with Miller / Mulder hooking up with Einstein?  Any other theories as to what would make people so upset?

[Italian Ice]

I dunno, but Scully and Mulder look closer than ever in this clip. Are they meditating together, holding hands? What? 

 

Here's an Italian TV promo for the episode. I don't speak rapid fire, fluent Italian, but there's new clips in there we haven't seen:

 

Edited February 13, 2016 by Italian Ice

[sharinlilbit]

There is absolutely no hooking up of Mulder and Scully with anyone else in Babylon.  The hallucination part is so tremendously dumb and second-hand embarrassing, however, that that's reason enough alone for fans to hate it.  

 

(Hulu mistakenly put Babylon up on their site early for a few hours tonight... I and quite a few others managed to watch it before they wised up.)

[Italian Ice]

There is absolutely no hooking up of Mulder and Scully with anyone else in Babylon.  The hallucination part is so tremendously dumb and second-hand embarrassing, however, that that's reason enough alone for fans to hate it.  

 

(Hulu mistakenly put Babylon up on their site early for a few hours tonight... I and quite a few others managed to watch it before they wised up.)

 

 

So..what did you think? :) 

[baileythedog]

There is absolutely no hooking up of Mulder and Scully with anyone else in Babylon.  The hallucination part is so tremendously dumb and second-hand embarrassing, however, that that's reason enough alone for fans to hate it.  

 

(Hulu mistakenly put Babylon up on their site early for a few hours tonight... I and quite a few others managed to watch it before they wised up.)

 

Ah. I've spent years working on digital entertainment platforms. Accidentally publishing content early -- that there is the stuff of nightmares.

 

So without completely spoiling people, is the hallucination dumb b/c it doesn't jive with the overall story? Or because the things that happen within the hallucination are dumb? Or both?

[sharinlilbit]

There were a few scenes that, IMO, will warrant re-watching, particularly the last one, but only if you watch it on mute because Chris Carter should have his keyboard taken away from him.  Oy.  He needs to never write about religion -- anybody's -- ever.  It's nothing in the least bit damaging to the MSR, if that floats your boat.  The last scene, with Mulder and Scully smiling a lot and holding hands is great, but CC's dialogue hurts my ears and addles my brain.  HOWEVER, the song right at the end  put a stupid grin on my face.  I'm not spoiling that though.  

 

Miller and Einstein are fine -- no threat to the MSR and frankly, no threat to be the new agents, IMO.  Lauren Ambrose was good, but Robbie Armell, bless his heart, reminded me of a little boy dressed up in his father's suit.  

 

HATED the hallucination stuff... seriously dumb.  

 

So, basically there was a fun M&S scene at the beginning and a great one for the eyes at the end, not so much the ears.  Please, CC, pass the keyboard to the next writer in line.  

So without completely spoiling people, is the hallucination dumb b/c it doesn't jive with the overall story? Or because the things that happen within the hallucination are dumb? Or both?

 

There is one scene in the hallucination that ties into the overall story.  The rest I'm fairly certain is due to CC smoking something and wondering how many close ups of shapely butts he can fit in there. 

[baileythedog]

There were a few scenes that, IMO, will warrant re-watching, particularly the last one, but only if you watch it on mute because Chris Carter should have his keyboard taken away from him.  Oy.  He needs to never write about religion -- anybody's -- ever.  It's nothing in the least bit damaging to the MSR, if that floats your boat.  The last scene, with Mulder and Scully smiling a lot and holding hands is great, but CC's dialogue hurts my ears and addles my brain.  HOWEVER, the song right at the end  put a stupid grin on my face.  I'm not spoiling that though.  

 

Miller and Einstein are fine -- no threat to the MSR and frankly, no threat to be the new agents, IMO.  Lauren Ambrose was good, but Robbie Armell, bless his heart, reminded me of a little boy dressed up in his father's suit.  

 

HATED the hallucination stuff... seriously dumb.  

 

So, basically there was a fun M&S scene at the beginning and a great one for the eyes at the end, not so much the ears.  Please, CC, pass the keyboard to the next writer in line.  

 

There is one scene in the hallucination that ties into the overall story.  The rest I'm fairly certain is due to CC smoking something and wondering how many close ups of shapely butts he can fit in there. 

 

Coolio.

 

FWIW, I'm looking forward to Lauren Ambrose.  She's obviously worked since the conclusion of "Six Feet Under" but she isn't particularly high profile.  She's a really great actress as far as I'm concerned.  

 

I was really just puzzled by the comment that some fans were really going to hate something about the second half of the episode. "Hate" being such a strong word, I'll assume it has something to do with the clunky religious commentary.  Then again, some of these same critics were also losing their mind over "Home Again," saying it was the best episode ever and I'm not sure I agree with that assessment.  Alas, I'm still enjoying the ride, so will wait to see for myself. 

[sharinlilbit]

Yeah, I don't know what they were talking about there.  Hate CC's nonsensical writing?  Okay, sure.  But hey, we ought to be used to that by now.  ;)  If it was a jab at shippers, then yeah, don't know what they would be talking about, but that's just me.  

[Tardislass]

He needs to never write about religion --

 

I'm wondering if this is what some critics hated..and that's one thing I did hate about the original show. Some of it I could overlook-like when the UFO in the Sixth Extinction had some Biblical writing on it(sure okay). But CC's insistence in some episodes of having Scully being the embodiment of the Virgin Mary? No.  That's why disliked the Emily/Christmas Carol storyline-I think there was even a shot of Scully in a pose similar to Mary's. YMMV

 

But one knows it's truly an X-File revival when CC starts churning out the purple prose.

[Bastet]

He needs to never write about religion -- anybody's -- ever.

 

Truth.

 

(I haven't seen Babylon, but any time he got near religion in the original series, I hated it.) 

[AntiBeeSpray]

Truth.

 

(I haven't seen Babylon, but any time he got near religion in the original series, I hated it.) 

 

I usually agree. Ironically enough, he actually did half way decent here. Some things should have been looked at more (meaning clarifying), but it wasn't as purple prosy as I thought it would be.

There were a few scenes that, IMO, will warrant re-watching, particularly the last one, but only if you watch it on mute because Chris Carter should have his keyboard taken away from him.  Oy.  He needs to never write about religion -- anybody's -- ever.  It's nothing in the least bit damaging to the MSR, if that floats your boat.  The last scene, with Mulder and Scully smiling a lot and holding hands is great, but CC's dialogue hurts my ears and addles my brain.  HOWEVER, the song right at the end  put a stupid grin on my face.  I'm not spoiling that though.  

 

Miller and Einstein are fine -- no threat to the MSR and frankly, no threat to be the new agents, IMO.  Lauren Ambrose was good, but Robbie Armell, bless his heart, reminded me of a little boy dressed up in his father's suit.  

 

HATED the hallucination stuff... seriously dumb.  

 

So, basically there was a fun M&S scene at the beginning and a great one for the eyes at the end, not so much the ears.  Please, CC, pass the keyboard to the next writer in line.  

 

There is one scene in the hallucination that ties into the overall story.  The rest I'm fairly certain is due to CC smoking something and wondering how many close ups of shapely butts he can fit in there. 

 

That last scene... I actually kind of got. Surprisingly. Thought it would be far more word salad-y, but it wasn't.

 

Agreed. He wasn't trying to hurt the MSR at all here. Only thing I don't get is the break up. So far, outside of comments in interviews and such... we know it was connected to Mulder's depression and obsession. Other than that, nada. It still seems so pointless.

 

Lmao XD. So true. Some of that stuff made me go O_o. 

[Finis Terre]

But it's damn expensive to film in the UK, maybe Cardiff is a bit cheaper-though probably not. I believe the reason they film in Vancouver is because of the cost and tax benefits. Personally I don't think either actor is "owed" moving near to where they live. I didn't like it when DD made a fuss about it either.

 

 

 

Quite apart from what would satisfy the actors, I would like to see some episodes happening on the European continent. Such a rich tradition of all things occult, secret societies, crop circles, places of geomantic power: what's not to love!

Edited February 14, 2016 by Finis Terre

[eleanorofaquitaine]

In season 8 the focus was different and some aspects of the writing didn't make all that much sense to me at the time. The adoption of William in season 9 was one of these writing choices that didn't feel true to the character of Scully (given everything she  knew). If the story had made more sense back then and William hadn't felt like a plot device they needed to get rid of, I'm sure I'd feel differently about it now and could relate to Mulder's and Scully's pain much more. Unfortunately, I can't get past it, for whatever reason, which is too bad.

 

 

 

I can totally believe that there were some major missteps when it came to the William plotline as originally written but I am having a hard time understanding why that should impact your ability to connect with Mulder and Scully's struggle with dealing with the aftermath now.  So long as the current writing holds together and makes sense now (which, to me, it does), then I don't see how what happened in season 8 really matters.  At its core, the story is about two people who loved each other who felt that they had to give up their child due to circumstances they couldn't really control.  Whether or not they played a lot of games regarding William's conception or if Scully's reasons for giving William up didn't make sense at that time (to be honest, I actually think that given the level of fear that Mulder and Scully were in constantly, it made sense that Scully would make the decision to send William away), I don't think that should impact perceptions of how they are writing the story now.

 

My feeling is that dealing with William has given this limited run of episodes the emotional weight that the season needed.  William is a hugely important part of Mulder and Scully's history, and he is the person that they actually share (besides each other, of course).  So while they may have screwed it up the first time around, I feel like (so far), they may have redeemed the plot with what they've done with these past episodes.

[ksb]

I actually think that given the level of fear that Mulder and Scully were in constantly, it made sense that Scully would make the decision to send William away

 

 

 

Agree to disagree. William was special, quite a few people were after him. Scully knew from personal experience what these people were up to and that they had infiltrated practically every governmental and non-governmental organisation. I can't remember how many of Scully's doctors turned out to be up to no good and in the Emily arc it was also established that adoption records had been tampered with. How she could be convinced that they wouldn't get to him right away wasn't addressed at all and didn't make sense to me.

 

I don't think that should impact perceptions of how they are writing the story now.

 

 

You're probably right that it shouldn't, and I certainly don't force myself to see it this way, it just happened.

 

William is a hugely important part of Mulder and Scully's history

 

Theoretically speaking, yes, of course. And I'm aware, what I'm supposed to feel, but I just don't, no matter how much I try to rationalise it.  I could feel for both Mulder and Scully in their dream sequences, but once they start talking about how 'they' had to give him up - when Mulder was not even consulted - everything feels hollow to me. But maybe there is hope once they stop talking about the act itself.

[HalcyonDays]

The X-Files - Episode 10.05 - Babylon - Sneak Peeks, Promo, Press Release & Promotional Photos.

[Tardislass]

Yeah to seeing the Lone Gunmen and Skinner again!

[Italian Ice]

So, going by the preview tonight, the aliens are initiating some sort of worldwide sickness, which Scully and Mulder seem to be immune to, because they're both abductees, and presumably both have alien DNA. It also looks like Agent Einstein probably knows that, and is trying to find out how to use Scully's DNA to save mankind. 

[HalcyonDays]

The X-Files - Episode 10.06 - My Struggle II (Season Finale) - Promotional Photos, Promo & Press Release *Updated*

[Italian Ice]

New preview of the Finale:

 

https://www.facebook.com/foxfinland/videos/10153931403697838/

[madam magpie]

This finale looks so good!

[Tardislass]

This finale looks so good!

I wish I could say the same but every promo picture has Scully with either Einstein or Miller. I'm sensing another M/S separate finale with young agents front and center. I've come to realize I just don't like CC's writing anymore. But it's the finale so I will be watching no matter what.

[madam magpie]

I wish I could say the same but every promo picture has Scully with either Einstein or Miller. I'm sensing another M/S separate finale with young agents front and center. I've come to realize I just don't like CC's writing anymore. But it's the finale so I will be watching no matter what.

If they're interesting and not nasty for no reason, I don't mind the new agents, though I definitely prefer Mulder and Scully. The finale looks like a good story from the preview.

[AntiBeeSpray]

I wish I could say the same but every promo picture has Scully with either Einstein or Miller. I'm sensing another M/S separate finale with young agents front and center. I've come to realize I just don't like CC's writing anymore. But it's the finale so I will be watching no matter what.

 

That's me as well. I like watching shows that have a show bible and a sense of continuity. I've gotten tired of CC's refusal to have either. But that's neither here nor there... I'll be watching too.

 

A new CC interview

 

Source: tvinsider.com

[Tardislass]

In looking at the Twitter pics GA has posted today of the extra covered in scales, I'm wondering if there still will be an alien invasion-except it's the unleashed virus that is turning people into some pseudo highbred.  Watching the sneak peak it looks like that is what is happening that the alien DNA is "turned on." Other bits: the Mulder home still looks like he's on a quest..so no moving in for Scully, I take it.

 

Amazingly, only 6 weeks have passed since the first episode. So Mulder and Scully really have only worked the cases we've seen. Okaaay.

 

Finally, we know Scully has scenes with Tad, Monica, Agent Miller and Agent Einstein. Yep, it's a good ole fashion CC finale. Sigh. Hopefully, he can at least have M&S together for the final scene seeing that we probably won't see them again for a few years.

Edited February 19, 2016 by Tardislass

[JWalker]

I don't think we will see to many episodes with David and Gillian in them. Don't seem to be to interested in the idea of new agents. Looking forward to seeing Annabeth Gish though.