S10.E01: My Struggle

[BkWurm1]

Well, fuckedity, fuck. Set dvr for an extra hour and it cut off right after Scully got her test results. Stupid football game! Would love to hear brief synopsis of ending, pretty please!

I ran into this problem too.  I was lucky and realized it was still on so I only missed about ten minutes in the middle but I have a feeling something worthy of seeing happened since when I came back, Scully was upset and in her car and then Tad knocked on her window and asked where she was going and then she goes inside and listens to all the crazy come spewing out of Mulder.  What was the scene before the break?  Was that the "porch scene"?  What did I miss? 

 

I suddenly miss the old days of just letting the VCR keep on taping for six hours.  Grrr football.  (Hey, my team got knocked out in the wildcard games) 

Edited January 25, 2016 by BkWurm1

[HolmesUltimateQu]

I loved it. I wasn't a die-hard fan growing up but I still really enjoyed the show. I caught up a lot over the years on tbs.

I love DD "overacting" (maybe that's how Mulder talks!), loved Scully.

I don't know how Mitch Pillegi looks like he's barely aged a day.

It was annoying though that Mulder was acting like he couldn't trust Skinner. Like, he's gone to bat for you so many times, Mulder. Pull it together.

I'm excited about tomorrow!

[HalcyonDays]

Aaaaaaaaargh! Tivo messed up due to the football game and I didn't get this ep at all and it's not showing as repeating at any point! How do I see it before watching ep 2 tomorrow? I have been looking forward to this evening for weeks! 

 

The football game ran into the X-Files broadcast by about 20 minutes. Which honestly was completely unsurprising. You needed to tape the next show that was airing on your channel, to get the entire episode. I knew it would happen, hence set up to tape the show after.

 

What throws me off is a) why would FOX put X-Files after NFL football, when they know it's late and maybe people don't watch. Answer: because a shitlload of people are watching football and they want the audience. But still. 10 pm? Then Monday night at 11pm? Just wrong......

[roctavia]

I thought it was fun... Nice to have Mulder and Scully back on my screen. DD will always have a piece of my teenage heart...

There was a lot of info being thrown around, and a clunky attempt to undo all the previous mythology. After watching the finale today, this "it's not actually aliens" sort of contradicts all the black oil super soldier alien colonization stuff... But I can let that slide a little.

Looking forward to some MOW cases... They were always the best episodes.

Edited January 25, 2016 by Jjrmt

[Bastet]

Then Monday night at 11pm? Just wrong......

 

It's not 11 pm Monday, it's 8 pm Monday - that's the regular time slot going forward.

[AntiBeeSpray]

Not well written. Horrible over-acting by Duchovny. If I wasn't such a fan of the early years, I would have turned it off fairly early. It's only a few episodes, so I will watch them all, but I seriously hopes it improves.

 

I didn't find his acting to be that bad. *shrug*

 

Thoughts on M & S being married, anyone? Tad's reaction to the for better for worse line was gold. Spoke volumes to me XD.

[DiabLOL]

I'm not a sports person so I didn't even know there would be a football game. I can't imagine waiting until Saturday and having the self control to not watching ep 2. I can't believe I'm paying over $200/mo for cable and having this happen. 

[catrox14]

I'm wondering if they'll re-air this episode because of the overrun from the football, like maybe next weekend?

[Bastet]

I doubt it, since "after the game" programming often starts late, and especially since the next episode airs tomorrow rather than next week, but that would be nice -- it sounds like a good number of people relied on their DVRs rather than going by the end of the game + 30 minutes for after-show to get the start time.

[GaT]

Boy, I sure wish I knew there was some stupid football game on beforehand. I would have set my DVR to go an hour later & gotten the whole show instead of just the 1/2 it recorded. Maybe it will be on OnDemand at midnight.

[Anela]

I wasn't a die-hard fan when it was on - I loved the first part of the first season, but we moved to a different State the following January, and I couldn't get the Fox channel in on our little TV with rabbit ears. God, it's so weird remembering that. I've watched episodes here and there on cable, over the years, and finally started to watch the whole series last Summer, on Netflix.

 

Anyway, I loved it tonight - once I got past football being the first half of my recording. I had to find it online, to watch the rest. I got goosebumps when it started, and I also liked seeing the opening credits. 

[Bec]

I haven't bothered to watch TV live in so long (Netflix and other online sources all the way!), and this preempted by sports BS is exactly why. Though at least these days we can go on twitter and collectively boo football off the stage. That was fun. Who knows if the tweets made any difference, really, but I like to think that FOX bent to our rage and cut the post-game short, even if it was only cut short by a little bit.

 

Back in the day, I loved the early X-Files cases of the week, tuned out when it got more convoluted later on. Not sure being so conspiracy-heavy is a great start to the revival. I zoned out every time Mulder started going on and on about some theory or other. Scully was the one to watch, though. Her eyerolls and looks of contempt were everything.

 

Ha, no kidding that the trouble with all this "shadowy group bent on world domination" stuff is that there already are people who own most of the world, no conspiracy required, simply capitalism. What would even be the point of cover-ups for super well-funded people? If they have money, they can already do whatever they want with impunity.

 

So this world domination theory is in the very first episode back because they're doing something else with it? Maybe?

 

I was surprised to see the smoking man. I thought he was dead. If he's here, no reason Krycek can't come back. What's Nicholas Lea doing these days?

[SnideAsides]

I was surprised to see the smoking man. I thought he was dead. If he's here, no reason Krycek can't come back. What's Nicholas Lea doing these days?

I believe he's an acting teacher in Vancouver. And he still turns up on basically any Vancouver-filmed sci-fi show that'll have him.

[Iguana]

It's great to have one of my all time favourite shows back again. Was the first ep of season 10 (ten! Who have thunk it??!) great? No. Did I love it anyway? Yep. Big time. Loved Scully, loved Mulder, loved Skinner. Hell, I even loved seeing CSM smoking away again.

With Mulder's new theory about a human conspiracy using alien technology replacing that impenetrably convoluted alien war arc from the last few seasons of the show, Carter has rather efficiently and (mostly) believably hit the reset button and returned the game pieces to their starting position. Woot!

[Happy Harpy]

I know now that I will watch GA and DD read the phonebook. Because I just watched them read the phonebook (or a kind of X-files WTF conspiracy 101 manual, whatever).

 

I'm Mulder and Scully's bitch. I've been since season 1, episode 1, and it will never change. They were on my screen again, they still have this incredible chemistry imo, and watching them was a joy (of course, good writing for everything else would be a definite, welcome plus). Their last scene had all my feels from 20 years ago come back with a vengeance. It's Mulder and Scully against the world again, baby! Bring on the nonsense, I don't care, I will eat it with a spoon because they are the love of my TV life.

 

The Skinner/Mulder scene was vintage cool. More Skinner? Would be a plus.

 

That's "the" Joel McHale? Color me (very) unimpressed. But well, he had a thankless role. I'm talking about the Conspiracy Exposition Fairy (not the champagne-totting seducer).

Did Chris Carter parody "My name is Oliver Queen" or do I watch too much Arrow?

 

[shipper talking/] Paradoxically, there would have been imo less "relationship" if they had simply let M/S be together instead of explaining throughout the episode how and why they had broken up. I stand by my pre-viewing opinion, I will never believe that Scully gave up on Mulder because he had depression. But I'm less disappointed than I thought because the looks, the banter, the closeness? They still have deep deep feelings for each other, obviously, so I'm fine with being back to UST -except if there's a Flirtation Of the Week. [/shipper talking]

 

Thoughts on M & S being married, anyone? Tad's reaction to the for better for worse line was gold. Spoke volumes to me XD.

I already thought they might be on IWTB, but I might have squeed. It was the best line of the episode, imo. If it turns out that they're just separated and didn't actually file for divorce, I will pop the champagne.

[AntiBeeSpray]

I know now that I will watch GA and DD read the phonebook. Because I just watched them read the phonebook (or a kind of X-files WTF conspiracy 101 manual, whatever).

 

I'm Mulder and Scully's bitch. I've been since season 1, episode 1, and it will never change. They were on my screen again, they still have this incredible chemistry imo, and watching them was a joy (of course, good writing for everything else would be a definite, welcome plus). Their last scene had all my feels from 20 years ago come back with a vengeance. It's Mulder and Scully against the world again, baby! Bring on the nonsense, I don't care, I will eat it with a spoon because they are the love of my TV life.

 

The Skinner/Mulder scene was vintage cool. More Skinner? Would be a plus.

 

That's "the" Joel McHale? Color me (very) unimpressed. But well, he had a thankless role. I'm talking about the Conspiracy Exposition Fairy (not the champagne-totting seducer).

Did Chris Carter parody "My name is Oliver Queen" or do I watch too much Arrow?

 

[shipper talking/] Paradoxically, there would have been imo less "relationship" if they had simply let M/S be together instead of explaining throughout the episode how and why they had broken up. I stand by my pre-viewing opinion, I will never believe that Scully gave up on Mulder because he had depression. But I'm less disappointed than I thought because the looks, the banter, the closeness? They still have deep deep feelings for each other, obviously, so I'm fine with being back to UST -except if there's a Flirtation Of the Week. [/shipper talking]

 

I already thought they might be on IWTB, but I might have squeed. It was the best line of the episode, imo. If it turns out that they're just separated and didn't actually file for divorce, I will pop the champagne.

 

Except it's NOT UST anymore. It's ST. Since they slept together.

 

Word. So will I, only it'll be root beer and not champagne.

 

Since it's a bump in the road/long road... I'm thinking it's a separation. Outside of David saying that they split the sheets. But that could mean separation and not just divorce.

 

The main meaning is divorce though... and I'd be ticked if that's the case. But I'm still thinking it's a separation, since the word is related to the term itself and it's the one that they've used over and over again.

[BkWurm1]

Boy, I sure wish I knew there was some stupid football game on beforehand. I would have set my DVR to go an hour later & gotten the whole show instead of just the 1/2 it recorded. Maybe it will be on OnDemand at midnight.

Whooo hooo!  It's up on line at Fox!  Off to go watch it to catch the parts I missed. 

 

http://www.fox.com/full-episodes?sort_by=field_air_date_value

[GaT]

Whooo hooo!  It's up on line at Fox!  Off to go watch it to catch the parts I missed. 

 

http://www.fox.com/full-episodes?sort_by=field_air_date_value

Thanks, I think I'll do the same.

[Lostinthehouse]

I thought it was stunning - just stunning!  Only one bad thing about seeing Gillian Anderson again:  how can I get the image of her as Mrs. Hannibal Lector out of my mind, because I kept comparing the two characters.  Ice Princess vs. Smirking Bitch Princess.  But so much good stuff to override that image.  Loved the old credits - I actually smiled during the entire opening.  And although I live alone, I actually said - out loud! - Wow - Smoking Man!  It just brought back so many great memories of the original show.  Can't wait to see the other episodes!

[norask]

I loved it but I can't be unbiased about this. All I care is that it's back. And when that title seqeunce started... it was such a wonderous feeling.

[CofCinci]

The reviewer was surprised that the Joel McHale character had money for a limo from an online show. When Alex Jones' divorce papers were leaked on Reddit a few months ago, he was making millions off his internet shows. It's possible.

[Tardislass]

The Good-the original credits.

-Mulder/Scully chemistry

-Skinner!

-1940s Roswell scenesThe saucer crash was amazing!

The bad-overheated/overwrought dialogue

-verbal diarrhea of conspiracy theory.

-Some ropy acting at times from DD & GA and JM

-As daughter of a nurse, would it kill Scully to use her name instead of nurse...!

The ugly-that whole conspiracy theory scene with ScullyMulder/McHale. I know critics LOL but it was so bad-like reading one of those far right websites. I honestly had to FF because I was so fed up. I'm now firmly in Team Scully camp. If I had to listen to yet another X is the key to everything speech..way to ruin a character, CC.

But it's over, the team is back together and monsters await! As Mulder would say-YeeHaw!

Edited January 25, 2016 by Tardislass

[shrewd.buddha]

... The porch scene with M & S was kinda painful. Overall I'm happy they're back on my tv, but I'm hoping the next ones are better.

The porch scene and the conspiracy ranting scene were pretty bad. Mulder, with his current unkempt style, comes off as an actual nut-job.

It doesn't help that they retconned history - - there's no way Mulder could believe humans used alien tech to do everything (we just re-watched the X-Files movie from 1998).

 

Sadly, it appears that CC and company do not have anything new to say. It just feels like a cash grab ... trotting out the same old things we've seen many times before. 

 

From the extended previews -- not only for the next episode -- it appeared as if FOX also thought the audience needed more incentive to return for more.

Edited January 25, 2016 by shrewd.buddha

[Tardislass]

 The porch scene and the conspiracy ranting scene were pretty bad. Mulder, with his current unkempt style, comes off as a actual nut-job.

 

That's what bugs me the most-how they have Mulder looking like a complete nutter. The writers have always played around with that fact-ie the nerve gas he's exposed to in The Unusual Suspects for example. But he's also an Oxford schooled Psychologist which has tended to balance him out. Meh, hopefully someone will restart Fan Fiction for these two so I can understand these characters motives.:)

 

If the X-Files does go on-and it's going to take more than a CC cliffhanger to guarantee it, I'd like to see someone else take over. Sort of like the George Lucas-to JJ Abrams Star Wars. Like Lucas, CC created some great characters but sadly can't good or believable dialogue or storylines. Wong, Morgan and Gillian seemed to have a better grasp of the show. 

 

Finally, I'm a bit miffed that Cancer Man can come back from being Flame-broiled by a missile, yet they won't resurrect the Lone Gunmen, who we never saw die.

[Pike Ludwell]

This was such an obvious PANDERING to certain (many) very far out real life wackos that I can't get into it. I'm out. it would just be too annoying to continue watching. But their idea here is simple ... if they get a lot those people to watch it's an easier path to good ratings, so why not go all in, whole hog on throwing candy to feed those folks' particular lunacies.

Edited January 25, 2016 by riverclown

[Kromm]

if they get a lot those people to watch it's an easier path to good ratings, so why not go all in, whole hog on that particular lunacy.

It is?  How?  If there are lets say... 10,000 rabid lunatic hardline conspiracy nuts out there, is the network broadcast expectation for viewer numbers SO skewed now that that's a big difference towards good ratings?  Heck, even 100,000 conspiracy nuts shouldn't change their viewership totals that much.

 

And really it could be just as easy to piss of 100,000 less lunatic viewers with writing that goes too far out on a limb and makes Mulder look like an idiot and lose them in trade.

[SimoneS]

I thought it was okay. I thought that Duchovny was horrible in some of the scenes though. The scene where he and the guy were going on about the conspiracy was so ridiculous. I felt bad that the actress who plays Nina on The Americans was killed so brutally.

[benteen]

So, did the show basically scrap their mythology so that Chris Carter could go on a rant about Republicans?

 

So the government is the evil behind everything...how original.  Do you know how the government really deals with these conspiracy theorists.  They ignore them and most of the public doesn't take them seriously.

 

DD and GA looked tired and sounded old.

 

I did like the Roswell scenes a lot though.  Nice to see Annet from The Americans appear in this episode.

[FormerMod-a1]

I thought I had read this season was going to be COTW/MOTW focused so I was so disappointed with all the gov't conspiracy stuff.  I'm glad to see here that the remainder will indeed be MOTW.

 

It makes sense to me that Mulder and Scully aren't together and I'm totally fine with it.  While their relationship is a big part of the story, it's not dependent on whether or not they are having sex or in love, for me.  They are working together, they have the same vibe.  It's what I expected, it's what I got.  It's good.  Plus the show is about so much more than whether or not they are boinking, I hated all the pre-show focus on it that I stopped reading articles and reactions LONG ago.

 

I look forward to seeing more of Skinner, CSM, and hope to see The Lone Gunmen, Krycek and anyone else.  

 

As for football pre-emption.  It only delayed it 20-30 minutes so I'm confused on how those that extended their recordings by an hour missed anything.  I feel for those that didn't know about football though.  I'm also confused about talk of need to wait until Sat to see it.  It's available OnDemand right now, I just watched it.  I'm sure it's online, too.  No need to wait a week.

[Pike Ludwell]

It is?  How?  If there are lets say... 10,000 rabid lunatic hardline conspiracy nuts out there, is the network broadcast expectation for viewer numbers SO skewed now that that's a big difference towards good ratings?  Heck, even 100,000 conspiracy nuts shouldn't change their viewership totals that much.

 

And really it could be just as easy to piss of 100,000 less lunatic viewers with writing that goes too far out on a limb and makes Mulder look like an idiot and lose them in trade.

 

I think we're talking about nearly 40% of the people. America is dumbed down. Of these 40% many spread the word around about the show to the others and it builds. There. I'm done. I stand by my post.

[Mrs OldManBalls]

OMG Smoking man, smoking through a tracheotomy! That was wild. 

 

I knew that it was possible to smoke that way but I'd never seen it. So gross. 

 

I believe he's an acting teacher in Vancouver. And he still turns up on basically any Vancouver-filmed sci-fi show that'll have him.

 

Has he ever been on Supernatural? 

 

I've only ever half watched a few episodes ( my husband is the true fan), so I didn't find the alien exposition stuff "been there, done that".  What really got me was the conspiracy theory stuff; are there really people who believe those things IRL? Am I that sheltered???? 

[Tardislass]

For those who were less than impressed with the episode, according to Vanity Fair, the next few episodes are entertaining. 

http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/01/x-files-my-struggle-recap-darin-morgan-gets-better

 

Warning-big spoilers for episode 3. But it looks like Carter wrote the last two episodes so expect more crackpot conspiracy theories and the key to everything!

[teddysmom]

Well, fuckedity, fuck. Set dvr for an extra hour and it cut off right after Scully got her test results. Stupid football game! Would love to hear brief synopsis of ending, pretty please!

I ran into this problem too.

 

I had the dvr set to record but I went in and manually set it to record the next two half hours because I knew this would happen. Why schedule the games like this if they know they won't end on time, and then we have to put up with everyone' blathering on about shit no one cares about. 

 

It makes sense to me that Mulder and Scully aren't together and I'm totally fine with it.  While their relationship is a big part of the story, it's not dependent on whether or not they are having sex or in love, for me.  They are working together, they have the same vibe.  It's what I expected, it's what I got.  It's good.  Plus the show is about so much more than whether or not they are boinking, I hated all the pre-show focus on it that I stopped reading articles and reactions LONG ago.

 

Me too.  We know they love each other, but his obsessions can wear a person down after a while, and she needs to have a life.   

[elzin]

Oh did anyone else get an "Observer" vibe from the man with the black Fedora in the 1947 flashback?

 

I totally did and it creeped me out. If it was done on purpose, well played, CC.

 

 

Has he ever been on Supernatural? 

I want to say he was but I can't remember which one. Mid to late episodes, I want to say.

[Princess Lucky]

I literally squealed when the theme started playing. So much nostalgia. I had a visceral reaction to the music, even though I've heard it a million times. Because this time it was attached to a new episode. Sigh.

 

Speaking of, I thought it was a perfectly serviceable episode. A lot of cliches, but what else is new. Like, of course the conspiracy could be a conspiracy (you know what I mean). And men using alien tech, also a classic trope, but I thought it was done well. Like, for this show, this was a sufficient "omg" moment. For the tone of The X-Files, for Mulder's quest, this is the kind of thing that would have him flipping out because he had been lied to (which, again, what else is new?). I was even feeling the speeches.

 

I actually thought Tad O'Malley was evil, by the way. When Mulder was all "omg Sveta humans took you using alien tech?" I thought "oh, just like the alien tech Tad O'Malley just showed Mulder?". I thought that was the conclusion Mulder had reached too, so when he was all "Scully, Tad O'Malley is a godsend" I was like "whaaaaa?"

 

I did think the entire episode was mostly predictable. Only two moments surprised me. When O'Malley was all "I'm taking you to meet some people who value secrecy" I legit thought he was taking Mulder to the Lone Gunmen. The ARV was a cool twist. And Sveta's fate(?) also surprised me (if it sticks). They set it up nicely, to look like an alien abduction or a military operation made to look like an alien abduction, so the explosion took me by surprise for sure. 

 

Acting-wise, Joel McHale was fine. He had some bad lines that he couldn't salvage but I was intrigued. Nina from The Americans did not fare as well, which was disappointing because I know the actress can do better.

 

Yeah that scene was pretty bad. At times, throughout the episode, the acting was not that great, especially from DD. But it's been awhile since he and GA have invoked these characters. They'll probably be fully settled back into the roles the next episode.

 

The porch scene fell flat for me too. But I actually "blame" GA. Whom I WORSHIP, by the way. I didn't see Scully when I watched her. Almost in any scene, except that amazing scene mentioned above, when Sveta told her she had no way of knowing what it's like to be abducted and we saw Scully's raw power as a human being. Oh wait, and the eyerolls, the eyerolls and the faces when Mulder was babbling, those were all Scully. But all the other scenes? Nothing. Just a doctor, or an agent, or, just... Not Scully.

 

Conversely, I thought DD was FABULOUS (for his significantly lower standards. He's never been a stellar actor, after all.). Like, that was Mulder. Straight-up. The way he handled those speeches, it was straight-up 90s Mulder. Even though he looked so different, even though there was nothing Mulder-like about his appearance (unlike GA), DD WAS Mulder. The cadence of his speech, the weary excitement. But it wasn't just 90s Mulder. DD managed to convey the added baggage. I truly felt that I really was watching Mulder 10+ years later. Isolated, depressed, disappointed.

 

I do think GA was trying to do the same (to give us the New Scully). When Scully said she had never felt so alive than when working at the X-Files, that explained GA's performance; she's been sucked into a "normal" life which, though fulfilling, bores her to death. She's lost her husband, basically, and she's almost sleepwalking. I got all that from GA's performance, I just didn't feel that it was Scully sleepwalking. It was just some random woman.

 

The ending twist killed me. As nonsensical as it is, I just loved seeing William B. Davis.

 

Lastly, THE SKINMAN! Mitch Pileggi looked amazing and I don't even care. I assume his career never went anywhere because of The X-Files (Skinner's career, not MP's, lol) so it's fitting that he's in the same position, all those years later.

 

So, The X-Files are re-opened. And I will be watching.

Edited January 25, 2016 by Princess Lucky

[JWalker]

Pretty much what I expected. 

Edited January 25, 2016 by JWalker

[Iguana]

Nicholas Lea was in "Time After Time" on Supernatural as a 1940's FBI agent.

In a more relevant comment, I'm sure we'll get more information about the current status of Mulder and Scully's relationship and how it got there dribbled out over the next five episodes. There was enough of an exposition dump in this episode regarding the new conspiracy that took priority.

[Prevailing Wind]

 

I look forward to seeing more of Skinner, CSM, and hope to see The Lone Gunmen, Krycek and anyone else.

I'd like to see Morris Fletcher again.

[Frost]

 

this "it's not actually aliens" sort of contradicts all the black oil super soldier alien colonization stuff... But I can let that slide a little.

 

I forgot about the black oil!  I still shudder when I think about Krycek getting his hand chopped off.  I always liked the MOTW more than the increasingly convoluted conspiracy/alien invasion stuff but I think they'd be able to work things like the black oil into the current version of the mythology.  It could be a substance found on the space ship or discovered when the doctor did an autopsy on the alien.  Weren't the Russians doing experiments with humans and the black oil during the original series?

[janestclair]

I'm still digesting, but overall I really liked it. It was about what I expected from the first episode. Mulder. Scully. Lots of exposition.  An opening Carter monologue.  9 years and 2 movies, we know what to expect. 

 

Even the relationship stuff made sense to me.  It's been a long time since the end of the series, and even since IWTB, so it would make sense that they're not in the same place relationship wise. I love me some Mulder, but dealing with him day in and day out has got to be exhausting, no matter how much they love each other and are meant to be together.  I think they are married but separated, not divorced, so we'll see how that all plays out.

 

My favorite scene was Scully drawing blood from Sveta.  When Sveta told her she had no idea what it was like to be abducted.  Gillian was amazing in that scene.  That and the conspiracy scene, with Scully just sitting there like, "Am I really sitting here listening to this bullshit, again?"  That saved that scene for me. 

 

Once again, the "key to everything" gets blown up/taken away/whatever.  Classic. How many people have been the key to everything?   Never change, show.  

 

Did they really just retcon the entire mythology?  I guess that makes more sense than trying to untangle that convoluted mess, even though the mythology only got convoluted to the point of being nonsensical when the super soldiers came in to it.

 

I will have to watch it on demand again before tonight. Overall, I'm just really glad Mulder and Scully are back on my TV, so I'm along for the ride.  I am pretty sure I squealed when they started the credits, and I loved that Skinner is included in them. 

[HalcyonDays]

The second episode is Monday at 8pm est.  I am not sure where you are getting 11pm from. Perhaps sports in your area bumps it.

 

Thanks to everyone who mentioned this. On on of my FOX HD channels (Canadian viewer) the X-Files episode tonight is ONLY airing at 11:00pm. But reading you guys' posts, I doublechecked and whew! Yup, 8:00 pm on the other FOX, channel and local affiliate.

 

I had scanned ahead a couple days ago setting up the taping, found the 11:00 pm one first, and thought that really late and strange time.

 

But no - Episode 2 airs tonight, 8:00 pm everyone!

 

Did they really just retcon the entire mythology?

 

I think they did. It did kinda throw me off, because it seemed like Mulder accepted the fact that the really was no alien comspiracy and abductions really quickly, after O'Malley spoke to him for only a few minutes. I do feel bad for Mulder, who just cannot be "happy" without chasing the truth about these government shady activities. And yeah, they did retcon, I mean, in the first movie, you had the aliens land on earth during caveman times and here we saw the black oil. What about the super soldiers, the green blooded aliens, etc. However, Scully DID say she and Sveta both had alien DNA so..I think episode 1 just scratched the surface and there is going to be so much more mythological craziness.

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it or your DVR cut off, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

The More The X-Files Change, The More They Stay The Same
Conspiracies, spacecraft, and assassinations, oh my!

[Tarasme]

So. This brought back awesome memories of the beginning of internet fandom (and it's position as the HI-larious great uncle of social media), traveling to an XF AOL fan convention where Stephen Williams was supposed to be in attendance but unable to make it, YEARS of VCR tapes, and a bunch of warm fuzzies. THEN, the opening credits ended. Sigh.

 

What the hell Chris? Do you not know this series is available on Netflix? That anyone that mastered their DVR to bridge the thirty minute delay posited by the NFL already knows all this tripe? The one good thing you did was blow the shit out of Sveta before end credits. I stayed away from as many spoilers as I could, just so that I could watch in wonder- with no preconceived notion of good or bad. I guess it's good I did or I'd have probably given up when the PRE-CREDIT VOICE OVER was stale and used verbatim dialogue from the golden years. In fact, I think a couple of sentences were actually from the frickin' pilot.

 

What a way to waste momentum. 

 

Of course, I'm going to watch the rest of the week, but I won't be excited about it. 

[Eyes High]

My verdict: meh (except for the use of the original credits, which was outstanding). I'm holding out for the Darin Morgan episode (10.E03). 

 

Even though I've had a while to become accustomed to it thanks to the articles floating around over the past few months, I'm way less outraged about Scully and Mulder being split up in the reboot than I thought I would be. Maybe there really is something to this Moonlighting curse business.

Edited January 25, 2016 by Eyes High

[Dagny]

My favorite moment, after the scene of Mulder and Scully on his front porch (ah, that chemistry), was Scully stabbing Steva with the needle without a warning.

 

As a person with slippery veins, I smirked at this one. You could jab at my veins like that and my veins would dodge that sucker like a humming bird. Even if you got it, you'd stab the back of the vein, causing it to coagulate and you'd get NOTHING! I've made phlebotomists cry (not really, but they've had to tap out after two tries).

 

I agree with the FBI ID's making them look like babies. They were so young.

[Frozendiva]

Thanks to everyone who mentioned this. On on of my FOX HD channels (Canadian viewer) the X-Files episode tonight is ONLY airing at 11:00pm. But reading you guys' posts, I doublechecked and whew! Yup, 8:00 pm on the other FOX, channel and local affiliate.

 

I had scanned ahead a couple days ago setting up the taping, found the 11:00 pm one first, and thought that really late and strange time.

 

But no - Episode 2 airs tonight, 8:00 pm everyone!

 

 

I think they did. It did kinda throw me off, because it seemed like Mulder accepted the fact that the really was no alien comspiracy and abductions really quickly, after O'Malley spoke to him for only a few minutes. I do feel bad for Mulder, who just cannot be "happy" without chasing the truth about these government shady activities. And yeah, they did retcon, I mean, in the first movie, you had the aliens land on earth during caveman times and here we saw the black oil. What about the super soldiers, the green blooded aliens, etc. However, Scully DID say she and Sveta both had alien DNA so..I think episode 1 just scratched the surface and there is going to be so much more mythological craziness.

 

Canada's Space channel will also be running the episodes - I think the first one is Friday at 9 pm EST/7 pm MST.

 

I'm lucky to get the Fox Rochester station, which has the show at 6 pm this evening my time. Record it and watch it later. And use the CTV feed at 9 pm as a backup.

[Shenanigan]

Did they really just retcon the entire mythology?  I guess that makes more sense than trying to untangle that convoluted mess, even though the mythology only got convoluted to the point of being nonsensical when the super soldiers came in to it.

 

 

Yeahhhhhh. Not a fan of this. In preparation for the reboot I watched the series finale earlier in the day (which, if you all recall, was basically just a retread/clip show of the entire series), so I was painfully aware of just how much mythology they were retconning. The shapshifting aliens? The aliens who were faceless to avoid being infected with the black oil? We're supposed to believe none of that was real now? I'm hoping that's not the case. The mythology eps were never my favorites, but trying to "take it all back" at this point will just irritate the living hell out of me. Also, we literally saw CSM's entire fucking skull when his face melted off in the blast, so his being alive was also a "flames...flames on the side of my face" moment for me. (But, apparently, not as much for him as we were led to believe.)

Edited January 25, 2016 by Shenanigan

[Bastet]

That and the conspiracy scene, with Scully just sitting there like, "Am I really sitting here listening to this bullshit, again?"  That saved that scene for me.

 

Same here.  So many times throughout the series, I feel like CC is trying to get me to root for Mulder, and I'm just sitting here side-eyeing with my gal Scully.  That has never been in fuller effect than with last night's grand conspiracy theory.

[Netfoot]

So, why is the episode called "My Struggle"?  At the very time that plans are being made to re-publish said book for the first time in 70 years?

 

Some sort of conspiracy, no doubt!

[uoflfan]

Hell, I'll take Mulder, Scully and Skinner any way i can get them. I absolutely loved that CC went back to the original credits, not the credits for the last couple of seasons. My question is how Skinner managed to look not a single day older. Maybe Mulder's and Scully's relationship has taken a toll on them while Skinner has been footloose and fancy free for the past 8 years since IWTB.