Season 11 Spoilers and Spoiled Speculation

[nightwing877]

Well if the reviews are really great and Gillian is leaving. Best to end on a high. I think ending the show this season might be the best move. Unless they plan on one third and final film to wrap it up in time for the 30th anniversary in the next 5 years. 

[baileythedog]

10 minutes ago, EUROTRASH said:

You can buy and watch the season 11 premiere right now on Amazon video or iTunes. Don't know why they released it earlier. But since it's coming on in half an hour live, I personally don't see a reason to buy it. Just wanted to let you guys know though.

Are you in the US? 

I already bought the season pass from Amazon--so far the only episode they published was the "101" which is just a teaser for the season.  I also don't see the full episode on iTunes yet.  That would be a pretty significant publishing error for either Amazon or iTunes to publish before midnight which is standard. 

[Taryn74]

31 minutes ago, baileythedog said:

Are you in the US? 

I already bought the season pass from Amazon--so far the only episode they published was the "101" which is just a teaser for the season.  I also don't see the full episode on iTunes yet.  That would be a pretty significant publishing error for either Amazon or iTunes to publish before midnight which is standard. 

Yeah, I bought the season pass as well, did the same last year for S10 and I always had to wait until the next morning to watch the episodes.  I'm in the US and it's just the preview available for now.

Don't think I didn't run to check though.  Bahahahaha.

[cleo]

I read the positive reviews of Season 11 but this is beyond bad. They should just amp up some humour and call it a spoof of itself. X Files: The farce is out there

Edited January 4, 2018 by cleo

[janeta]

Wow.  That was... terrible.

[bethy]

Alan Sepinwall said this first episode is the worst of the lot and that it gets better next week. I wish I'd skipped this episode like he suggested, though, because it was just... ugh.

[EUROTRASH]

1 hour ago, baileythedog said:

Are you in the US? 

I already bought the season pass from Amazon--so far the only episode they published was the "101" which is just a teaser for the season.  I also don't see the full episode on iTunes yet.  That would be a pretty significant publishing error for either Amazon or iTunes to publish before midnight which is standard. 

I'm in Germany, they were actually available earlier here. Not the "101", but the actual episode. Don't ask me how/why. I wouldn't have known if other people hadn't told me on Haven. First a person said it's only available in Germany, and then someone else said the same goes for the US, but it appears to have been only for Germany.

BTW, this is Vividism from IMDb. We know each other. ;)

Edited January 4, 2018 by EUROTRASH

[baileythedog]

12 hours ago, EUROTRASH said:

 

BTW, this is Vividism from IMDb. We know each other. ;)

Oh hi!

 

Posting more favorable S11 from Matt Zoller Zeitz at Vulture.

http://www.vulture.com/2018/01/the-x-files-season-11-review.html

[Italian Ice]

Looks like William will be played by Susan Sarandon's son, Miles Robbins. William's adoptive name is Jackson Van De Kamp:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0730428/

Edited January 4, 2018 by Italian Ice

[Bastet]

26 minutes ago, Italian Ice said:

Looks like William will be played by Susan Sarandon's son, Miles Robbins. William's adoptive name is Jackson Van De Kamp:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0730428/

The actor playing Jackson's mom, Robyn Bradley, looks familiar to me, but I haven't seen anything listed in her credits, so I've either seen her on stage or I'm confusing her with someone else.

It looks like Jackson (Jack?) has a sister.

(Assuming any of the IMDb info is accurate, of course; a lot of stuff that's filled in ahead of time turns out not to be true.)

Hopefully he's had a nice life with his family, and they're not about to blow it all up.

[Italian Ice]

26 minutes ago, Bastet said:

The actor playing Jackson's mom, Robyn Bradley, looks familiar to me, but I haven't seen anything listed in her credits, so I've either seen her on stage or I'm confusing her with someone else.

It looks like Jackson (Jack?) has a sister.

(Assuming any of the IMDb info is accurate, of course; a lot of stuff that's filled in ahead of time turns out not to be true.)

Hopefully he's had a nice life with his family, and they're not about to blow it all up.

We see bits and pieces of William in MSIII, and it looks like he's in a dark room in bed all the time? Even when it's daytime outside. I dunno. I do wonder why he's reaching out to Scully now, or how he even knows of her existence and his connection to her, if he had a closed adoption. Also weirdly enough, Jackson's sister in the series is also named Emily, which is the same name of Scully's other child of medical rape (calling a spade a spade)

Edited January 4, 2018 by Italian Ice

[baileythedog]

59 minutes ago, Italian Ice said:

Looks like William will be played by Susan Sarandon's son, Miles Robbins. William's adoptive name is Jackson Van De Kamp:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0730428/

 

Is it common in adoption where a baby that is already named and 9-11 months old would have his first name changed by his adoptive family? Babies aren't puppies, after all, and they recognize their own names by then. Arguably this could be just another feature of keeping William's identity/whereabouts secret, but he's literally introduced to his adoptive parents as "William" by the social worker. 

Edited January 4, 2018 by baileythedog

[bethy]

2 hours ago, baileythedog said:

 

Is it common in adoption where a baby that is already named and 9-11 months old would have his first name changed by his adoptive family? Babies aren't puppies, after all, and they recognize their own names by then. Arguably this could be just another feature of keeping William's identity/whereabouts secret, but he's literally introduced to his adoptive parents as "William" by the social worker. 

I don’t know if it’s “common” but I’ve known of more than one adoptive family that has changed a name at that age or even a little older. 

[Italian Ice]

I wonder if the way they kinda sorta resolve the "WHO WILL SCULLY CHOOSE TO SAVE...MULDER OR HER SON!?!?" and the possible Gillian exit, is that she chooses neither. She sacrifices herself to save them, but alas, Scully is immortal, so she can always be brought back if need be.

[Shaynaa]

11 hours ago, Italian Ice said:

We see bits and pieces of William in MSIII, and it looks like he's in a dark room in bed all the time? Even when it's daytime outside. I dunno. I do wonder why he's reaching out to Scully now, or how he even knows of her existence and his connection to her, if he had a closed adoption. Also weirdly enough, Jackson's sister in the series is also named Emily, which is the same name of Scully's other child of medical rape (calling a spade a spade)

There is a press release with casting info for the ep that came out a while ago.  That actress is in the episode but her character name is "Angel", not Emily.  Hell, I don't think CC even remembers Emily existed.

[Italian Ice]

Here's some screencaps from a preview video. You can see Scully in William's room, reading his journal/diary. I love that William had a space shuttle in his room, which was (IMO) a nod to S10's vision of William and Mulder together, and if I'm not mistaken, the illustration in his diary looks a lot like a scene from Moby Dick, which would be a nod to Scully.

 

[Neptune]

I’ve been trying to stay away from X-Files spoilers, but I need a little bit of scoop… just a bit! —Martha
According to TVLine’s resident X-pert, Kim Roots, Mulder/Scully ‘shippers will be very happy with Episode 3 of the new season, which is titled “Plus One.” The same hour also makes creative use of an actress familiar to longtime fans.

http://tvline.com/2018/01/02/lucifer-season-3-spoilers-deckerstar-pierce-love-triangle/

 

The X-Files (Fox)

Premieres: Tuesday, Jan. 3 at 8/7c

Where We Left Off: Mulder (David Duchovny) was dying from the Spartan virus and a UFO set its beam on Scully (Gillian Anderson).

The Scoop: The season premiere will find our heroes swapping places, with Scully now in the hospital and a healthy Mulder watching over her. The episode will quickly explain the switch, but trust us when we say you'll never predict the reason behind this exchange of fates. The surprising answer will also set the stage for Mulder and Scully's new adventure, one that weaves together their old nemesis the Cigarette Smoking Man, their son William and a dangerous new organization run by Barbara Hershey's Erika Price.

But in between confrontations with a world-destroying new threat, Mulder and Scully will also have time to investigate many monster-of-the-week cases, including deadly doppelgangers, alternate histories and monstrous teens. One episode will also dive into Skinner's (Mitch Pileggi) backstory, something that has hereto remained a mystery to X-Files fans.

And after Mulder and Scully's breakup ahead of the revival's first season, creator Chris Carter revealed that this season will see the two get "kissing close." So if you're hoping for a romantic reconciliation, you may finally get your wish! Chances of Mulder and Scully getting back together are especially high because Anderson has said this is likely her final turn as Dana Scully, and we can't imagine Scully riding off into the sunset without Mulder by her side.

http://www.tvguide.com/news/winter-tv-2018-spoilers/

[AntiBeeSpray]

Can I hit CC over the head with the words 'interesting' and 'kissing close'? :D Please?

That aside, I'm looking forward to the next 4 episodes.

[Italian Ice]

Not really sure if this is a spoiler, but I found a new promo on YT. It has a few new scenes and dialogue in it. 

 

[EUROTRASH]

17 hours ago, Italian Ice said:

Not really sure if this is a spoiler, but I found a new promo on YT. It has a few new scenes and dialogue in it. 

 

Nope, that one is not new. It's been circulating online prior to the premiere airing, and also aired live after the premiere.

This one, however, is new:

[Italian Ice]

Thank you for the vid! So... Mulder and Scully are living together again? Skinner knew Langley was somehow alive this whole time? I can't help but think of the Amazon full X-Files cast audiobook that just came out, where The Lone Gunmen were actually alive in a bunker directly below their gravestones in Arlington Cemetary. This seems ripped directly from the audiobook. 

[baileythedog]

Apparently the first three minutes of tomorrow's episode have been teased and posted?  I'm going to remain spoiler-free, but putting this here for those who want to watch:  

https://www.tvinsider.com/657634/x-files-season-11-episode-2-preview/

[Bastet]

Who is after them?  Between watching this on my computer and how dark XF always is, I can't see.  Even though it's a different car, for some reason seeing it made me immediately think of the Peacock brothers. 

[Italian Ice]

It's hard to tell, but what was interesting was that they're apparently living together again? Either the entire last season was a figment of Scully's imagination/visions, or they've patched things up. It was all very badass though. Very cool. 

[EUROTRASH]

19 hours ago, Italian Ice said:

It's hard to tell, but what was interesting was that they're apparently living together again? Either the entire last season was a figment of Scully's imagination/visions, or they've patched things up. It was all very badass though. Very cool. 

No. Only "MS2" didn't happen. The rest happened. Various S11 reviews indicated they're still not completely together, but they're in a better place and actively discuss their relationship, whatever that means.

[baileythedog]

A (very little) bit about the Skinner-centric episode and a screen shot of Haley Joel Osment with Mitch Pileggi:

 

http://ew.com/tv/2018/01/10/x-files-haley-joel-osment/

[baileythedog]

Some interesting tweets today from Anne Simon (science advisor to TXF / Friend of CC)

[Taryn74]

Oh that is interesting!!!

One thing I have always, always, ALWAYS loved about TXF is they're not afraid to not "dumb down" their stories just to stay on top of the tide of pop culture and popular opinion.  That's exactly why I can go back and watch this whole damn show from Episode 1.01 on and enjoy it for more than just nostalgic reasons.  IT HOLDS UP.  (Except maybe for a few episodes here and there....heh.... Teso Dos Bichos, I'm looking at you.)

[baileythedog]

And from today's TCA conference, GA reiterates that she is out.  (And also out of American Gods, for that matter.)

 

http://deadline.com/2018/01/x-files-gillian-anderson-swan-song-1202240309/

[Neptune]

AN INVESTIGATION MAY LEAD MULDER & SCULLY TO THEIR LONG-LOST SON, WILLIAM ON AN ALL-NEW "THE X-FILES" WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, ON FOX

Episode Written and Directed by James Wong

When a pair of teenage girls attack one another, each believing the other to be a monster, Mulder and Scully find that their investigation could possibly lead back to their long-lost son, William, in the all-new "Ghouli" episode of THE X-FILES airing Wednesday, Jan. 31 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), on FOX. (XF-1105) (TV-14 D, L, V)

https://www.spoilertv.com/2018/01/the-x-files-episode-1105-ghouli-press.html

[Neptune]

Episode 7 sounds like a winner, and we mean “sounds” figuratively because it seems like there won’t be much sound to hear in it at all.

“It probably has 15, 20 lines of dialogue in the whole episode,” Duchovny said. “It was really a ballsy move on everybody’s part. I think putting up an hour of television on a network that has maybe 20 lines in it and still be riveting, I’m sure not all of us believed it. It’s one of our more special episodes that we’ve done in a long time.”

Anderson said she still wants the X-Files episode to feel modern, even with minimal dialogue.

“It’s really interesting as an actor to work on something that has no dialogue, because you don’t want to end up miming what you would say were you to have dialogue,” Anderson said. “It was a fascinating challenge to not end up just being Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton in the way that we were communicating to each other.”

Morgan said that silent episode also has no supporting cast.

“Show seven is only David and Gillian,” Morgan said. “They’re the only people in it.”

There is a reason why Scully and Mulder only speak to each other a handful of times.

“Technology is doing more talking than we are,” Morgan hinted.

https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/x-files-stars-gillian-anderson-david-duchovny-on-final-season/

[Taryn74]

5 hours ago, Neptune said:

“It probably has 15, 20 lines of dialogue in the whole episode,” Duchovny said.

 

5 hours ago, Neptune said:

“Show seven is only David and Gillian,” Morgan said. “They’re the only people in it.”

 

Wow.  I'm intrigued!!

[baileythedog]

5 minutes ago, Taryn74 said:

 

 

Wow.  I'm intrigued!!

Me, too.  The couple of shows that have pulled this type of thing off well have been masterpieces:  Buffy's "Hush" and, more recently, Bojack Horseman's "Fish Out of Water."

[Italian Ice]

There's lots of spoilers about specific episodes on Twitter right now, the veracity of which I cannot vouch for but here's what I've got. 

 

Also, I read that the finale entails us learning that Mulder  is indeed William's biological father (but CSM helped somehow), and Scully does not die, but she does leave the FBI for good. 

 

 

[EUROTRASH]

Huge ratings drop for episode two. To put things into perspective:

My Struggle: 16.19
Founder's Mutation: 9.67
Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster: 8.37
Home Again: 8.31
Babylon: 7.07
My Struggle II: 7.60
My Struggle III: 5.15
This: 3.95 (wow!)

If it continues like this, it's totally irrelevant whether GA wants to come back or not. The Live +3 ratings for MS3 placed The X-Files barely in the top 25 list, in the 24th position.

Sadly, neither FOX nor CC took fan complaints from S10 seriously. They only relied on the great ratings, and disregarded the massive outrage everywhere online. I'm talking about massive, specific complaints, practically everywhere. Not to mention the critical reviews of MS1 and MS2. The fact that so many people who have seen MS1 did not want to tune in to see MS2 should've been a big warning sign right there.

The reality is, many dissatisfied fans kept watching S10 because they were hoping things would get better, with many of them ended up being devastated after the finale and losing all hope. Those with some hope gave the S11 premiere a chance, and, yeah... I'd say the current ratings are the result of that.

I also wouldn't put too much thought into the alternate universe stuff. Anne Simon is a great person but she has, in the past, also said things that did not turn out true, which was most likely unintentional, her being told to say things. They are obviously aware of all the massive blunders and are trying to salvage things. It wouldn't surprise me if they pull something like that in the final episode. Depending how far they go with it, and what exactly they do, it could render the revival almost pointless to those who consider it canon. I mean, if you're going to repair Mulder and Scully's relationship and bring them fully back together this season, have shippers cheering, and then at the end reveal it's not the same universe as the real show, or a different universe than S10, then what the hell was the point? Where are the real Mulder and Scully? What's really going on with the mythology? What's with William? So far, the only episode that might explore alternate universes is Darin's episode, and I wouldn't rely on a comedy episode to really tie into the whole season with some important revelation.

As of right now though, blunders such as CSM's appearance and many other things indicate a disregard for continuity and general sloppiness, rather than a complex/deep alternate universe plot. Unless there is specific content in the episodes that indicates alternate universes in play, I have no reason to believe in such a scenario until I see it. And even if there are alternate universes, it wouldn't salvage everything that's wrong. It could potentially make things even more convoluted.

Let's wait and see what happens.

[baileythedog]

1 hour ago, EUROTRASH said:

Huge ratings drop for episode two. To put things into perspective:

My Struggle: 16.19
Founder's Mutation: 9.67
Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster: 8.37
Home Again: 8.31
Babylon: 7.07
My Struggle II: 7.60
My Struggle III: 5.15
This: 3.95 (wow!)

If it continues like this, it's totally irrelevant whether GA wants to come back or not. The Live +3 ratings for MS3 placed The X-Files barely in the top 25 list, in the 24th position.

Sadly, neither FOX nor CC took fan complaints from S10 seriously. They only relied on the great ratings, and disregarded the massive outrage everywhere online. I'm talking about massive, specific complaints, practically everywhere. Not to mention the critical reviews of MS1 and MS2. The fact that so many people who have seen MS1 did not want to tune in to see MS2 should've been a big warning sign right there.

The reality is, many dissatisfied fans kept watching S10 because they were hoping things would get better, with many of them ended up being devastated after the finale and losing all hope. Those with some hope gave the S11 premiere a chance, and, yeah... I'd say the current ratings are the result of that.

I also wouldn't put too much thought into the alternate universe stuff. Anne Simon is a great person but she has, in the past, also said things that did not turn out true, which was most likely unintentional, her being told to say things. They are obviously aware of all the massive blunders and are trying to salvage things. It wouldn't surprise me if they pull something like that in the final episode. Depending how far they go with it, and what exactly they do, it could render the revival almost pointless to those who consider it canon. I mean, if you're going to repair Mulder and Scully's relationship and bring them fully back together this season, have shippers cheering, and then at the end reveal it's not the same universe as the real show, or a different universe than S10, then what the hell was the point? Where are the real Mulder and Scully? What's really going on with the mythology? What's with William? So far, the only episode that might explore alternate universes is Darin's episode, and I wouldn't rely on a comedy episode to really tie into the whole season with some important revelation.

As of right now though, blunders such as CSM's appearance and many other things indicate a disregard for continuity and general sloppiness, rather than a complex/deep alternate universe plot. Unless there is specific content in the episodes that indicates alternate universes in play, I have no reason to believe in such a scenario until I see it. And even if there are alternate universes, it wouldn't salvage everything that's wrong. It could potentially make things even more convoluted.

Let's wait and see what happens.

Honestly, the time to be concerned or worried about ratings is long past over. I believe with every fibre of my being that this is it, whether ratings are good, bad, astronomical, or in the gutter. They were given the time for proper closer and it sounds like to me from all parties involved that they feel like they achieved it. I'm certain neither GA (especially) or DD want to return to this--they've both got lots of other projects on the burners. 

 

Other than present advertising revenue, and, perhaps as lead-in to that underwhelming 911 show, I doubt anyone at Fox is overly concerned by what TXF is pulling in for this event series. They'll make their money off of it and retire the series permanently. I assume that's why they were comfortable enough to schedule the show with such a minimal effort in promotion, slotting it in right after Xmas. Almost all promotion has been done via social media and reliance upon the great reviews they've gotten from critics. 

CC has never cared what this group thought or that group thought. Comes across with interviews from cast as well. No reason for them to start now.

[Italian Ice]

14 minutes ago, baileythedog said:

Honestly, the time to be concerned or worried about ratings is long past over. I believe with every fibre of my being that this is it, whether ratings are good, bad, astronomical, or in the gutter. They were given the time for proper closer and it sounds like to me from all parties involved that they feel like they achieved it. I'm certain neither GA (especially) or DD want to return to this--they've both got lots of other projects on the burners. 

 

Other than present advertising revenue, and, perhaps as lead-in to that underwhelming 911 show, I doubt anyone at Fox is overly concerned by what TXF is pulling in for this event series. They'll make their money off of it and retire the series permanently. I assume that's why they were comfortable enough to schedule the show with such a minimal effort in promotion, slotting it in right after Xmas. Almost all promotion has been done via social media and reliance upon the great reviews they've gotten from critics. 

CC has never cared what this group thought or that group thought. Comes across with interviews from cast as well. No reason for them to start now.

Agreed. The entire feel of this season vs S10 is way, way different. There was FAR more aggressive promo, heavy advertising, and prime premiere positioning last season. This season was barely a fraction of what it got last season as far as that. I'm not surprised with the ratings, especially after how uneven S10 was, and the massive outcry over the rape controversy of the premiere, which turned off a LOT of viewers. 

[EUROTRASH]

1 hour ago, baileythedog said:

Honestly, the time to be concerned or worried about ratings is long past over. I believe with every fibre of my being that this is it, whether ratings are good, bad, astronomical, or in the gutter. They were given the time for proper closer and it sounds like to me from all parties involved that they feel like they achieved it. I'm certain neither GA (especially) or DD want to return to this--they've both got lots of other projects on the burners. 

 

Other than present advertising revenue, and, perhaps as lead-in to that underwhelming 911 show, I doubt anyone at Fox is overly concerned by what TXF is pulling in for this event series. They'll make their money off of it and retire the series permanently. I assume that's why they were comfortable enough to schedule the show with such a minimal effort in promotion, slotting it in right after Xmas. Almost all promotion has been done via social media and reliance upon the great reviews they've gotten from critics. 

CC has never cared what this group thought or that group thought. Comes across with interviews from cast as well. No reason for them to start now.

I disagree that they don't care. Good ratings are always better than bad ratings, no matter what, Photos from the recent TCA shows them looking like they came to a funeral. While GA is definitely out, I have no doubt that both CC and DD would come back for more. CC would be willing to do season 15, 16, 17, if given the opportunity to do so. And DD recently suggested a William spin-off. Good luck with that idea if the ratings continue dropping.

I'll agree with you that CC never cared about what fans think. The thing is, I liked almost everything he did on the original series, even S8 and S9. I never really complained until the revival.

About closure, I wouldn't bet on it. And there are several aspects of closure. From a mythology perspective, many mythology fans (including myself) consider the mythology a lost cause, and don't accept the revival as canon because of that. Hardcore shippers want to see M&S in a true romantic relationship with no ifs and buts, and will accept no other scenario. Those who just watch for "scary stories" are probably easiest to please.

Interestingly, GA was asked whether she's satisfied with how Scully is handled in the finale, and she said she has to think about it. CC actually wanted a cliffhanger at first, according to Anne Simon's tweets, and also a comment he himself had made. He also spoke of "vertical corners" and "sacrifices" in regards to the finale. So, the final episode certainly has the potential to be an absolute train wreck.

I'm just glad I have the original series on Blu-ray to enjoy. The revival I can't take seriously.

[baileythedog]

20 minutes ago, EUROTRASH said:

I disagree that they don't care. Good ratings are always better than bad ratings, no matter what, Photos from the recent TCA shows them looking like they came to a funeral. While GA is definitely out, I have no doubt that both CC and DD would come back for more. CC would be willing to do season 15, 16, 17, if given the opportunity to do so. And DD recently suggested a William spin-off. Good luck with that idea if the ratings continue dropping.

 

I read DD's comments as being quite facetious. Or a way to say that he's done but conceivably there's this other route, sans him and GA. 

The ratings, for now, only matter for whatever current advertising they've sold. They're not trying for another season. Otherwise--unlike last revival---we wouldn't have the news front and center that GA is done and that CC won't do without GA.  Any syndication deals will include the two event series, no matter what. They'll make their money.  

TCA didn't seem "like a funeral" to me in the sense that anyone was glum about ratings or not going on. If anything, it solidified the very obvious point that no one wants to go further with this under any circumstance.  And that is that.  Therefore, Fox cares little about ratings at this point. 

 

Quote

I'm just glad I have the original series on Blu-ray to enjoy. The revival I can't take seriously.

 

Okay. 

[AntiBeeSpray]

6 hours ago, Italian Ice said:

There's lots of spoilers about specific episodes on Twitter right now, the veracity of which I cannot vouch for but here's what I've got. 

 

Also, I read that the finale entails us learning that Mulder  is indeed William's biological father (but CSM helped somehow), and Scully does not die, but she does leave the FBI for good. 

 

 

That is from Reddit originally.

Source: https://en.reddit.com/r/XFiles/comments/7p0p8n/im_not_a_tv_critic_im_a_fan_ive_seen_the_first_5/

Big thanks to the person there who answered our questions.

I asked the one on the bottom about talking.

Edited January 15, 2018 by AntiBeeSpray

[EUROTRASH]

18 hours ago, baileythedog said:

I read DD's comments as being quite facetious. Or a way to say that he's done but conceivably there's this other route, sans him and GA. 

The ratings, for now, only matter for whatever current advertising they've sold. They're not trying for another season. Otherwise--unlike last revival---we wouldn't have the news front and center that GA is done and that CC won't do without GA.  Any syndication deals will include the two event series, no matter what. They'll make their money.  

TCA didn't seem "like a funeral" to me in the sense that anyone was glum about ratings or not going on. If anything, it solidified the very obvious point that no one wants to go further with this under any circumstance.  And that is that.  Therefore, Fox cares little about ratings at this point. 

 

 

Okay. 

You're not wrong, but I'm not speaking strictly financially though. Sure, they will make money off of the revival, especially when you look at S10 and S11 combined, but success is so much more than just monetary gain for the people involved. I'm talking about the ratings as an indicator of how things are going, in connection to fan complaints and critical reviews, and most importantly, how different everything could've (and should've) been in competent hands. Are there folks who are satisfied? Sure, I'm not denying that, but it's safe to say that the majority at this point are the hardcore fans watching. While ratings don't reflect the quality of a particular episode, the quality of that episode affects the ratings of the episode that follows it. The X-Files deserved and is capable of much, much better than what has been delivered with the revival. You are correct that FOX doesn't "need" better ratings for S11, but there's much more to it than that, and they sure as hell wouldn't be proud (especially CC) if it continues like this and even declines further. To claim otherwise, I think, would be sugar-coating.

I don't interpret DD's comments as facetious. Some theorize that the casting of Miles Robbins as William was intentionally done with an eye for the future. And there's IMO really nothing to indicate that they would've stopped with S11 if GA had been willing to continue. Quite to the contrary, I think they would've milked the hell out of it.

To each their own.

For what it's worth, many thought they looked truly miserable at the TCA, lol.

[baileythedog]

10 minutes ago, EUROTRASH said:

You're not wrong, but I'm not speaking strictly financially though. Sure, they will make money off of the revival, especially when you look at S10 and S11 combined, but success is so much more than just monetary gain for the people involved. I'm talking about the ratings as an indicator of how things are going, in connection to fan complaints and critical reviews, and most importantly, how different everything could've (and should've) been in competent hands. Are there folks who are satisfied? Sure, I'm not denying that, but it's safe to say that the majority at this point are the hardcore fans watching. While ratings don't reflect the quality of a particular episode, the quality of that episode affects the ratings of the episode that follows it. The X-Files deserved and is capable of much, much better than what has been delivered with the revival. You are correct that FOX doesn't "need" better ratings for S11, but there's much more to it than that, and they sure as hell wouldn't be proud (especially CC) if it continues like this and even declines further. To claim otherwise, I think, would be sugar-coating.

I don't interpret DD's comments as facetious. Some theorize that the casting of Miles Robbins as William was intentionally done with an eye for the future. And there's IMO really nothing to indicate that they would've stopped with S11 if GA had been willing to continue. Quite to the contrary, I think they would've milked the hell out of it.

To each their own.

For what it's worth, many thought they looked truly miserable at the TCA, lol.

I'm sorry you think it's been in incompetent hands.  People that make their living writing critical reviews for television tell me they feel differently. My own experiences tell me differently. Nothing that I've seen from anyone involved in the series indicates they are anything less than proud of what they put together.  

Your concerns still drips with how this will effect the future. There is no future for this show. Enjoy the ride now. That's what everyone else is doing. Besides that, since you are certain CC is wildly incompetent, why do you care whether or not he gets another series or not?  And while I'm thinking about it, why would Miles Robbins' casting suggest a future spin-off? Because he has such a high profile and experience leading a show? Given his work experience, his casting looks like a favor to him, not a stake in a future series. 

[EUROTRASH]

4 hours ago, baileythedog said:

I'm sorry you think it's been in incompetent hands.  People that make their living writing critical reviews for television tell me they feel differently. My own experiences tell me differently. Nothing that I've seen from anyone involved in the series indicates they are anything less than proud of what they put together.  

Your concerns still drips with how this will effect the future. There is no future for this show. Enjoy the ride now. That's what everyone else is doing. Besides that, since you are certain CC is wildly incompetent, why do you care whether or not he gets another series or not?  And while I'm thinking about it, why would Miles Robbins' casting suggest a future spin-off? Because he has such a high profile and experience leading a show? Given his work experience, his casting looks like a favor to him, not a stake in a future series. 

I don't think this is an accurate representation at all. Total opposite, in fact. The critical reception of the revival has been overwhelmingly negative, beyond any doubt. Of course you can cherry pick some good comments and reviews, but you can do that with practically anything. The fact of the matter is that CC's "Struggle" episodes have been universally slammed in the worst possible manner, by the vast majority of reviewers. Most fans despise these episodes and consider them a masterclass on how to ruin the mythology and the characters.

You're aware that the IMDb board, where both of us used to post, was full of outrage and negativity. Reddit has also been overwhelmingly negative. Same with Haven, which used to be the largest X-Files board ever. And the same goes for the Tumblr X-Files community. Most fans are very, very pissed off.

The S11 premiere MS3 has been called everything from a "travesty" to the "worst episode" ever, by critics. Sure, you will find positive reviews like the one from Vulture, but that's taking things completely out of context. What is the general consensus? How is it overwhelmingly? A quick Google search gives us some examples:

• Den of the Geek: 2.5/5
• Indiewire: C-
• Tracking board: F
• Bloody Disgusting: 1.5/5
• AV Club: C+
• EW Recap: C

Look at various comment sections on sites like SpoilerTV and elsewhere, in which X-Files fans are commenting about the revival. It's just huge disappointment all over.

But more importantly, something that is much more significant, is that you know things are terribly wrong when even the loyalists/apologists, or others who have been "extremely kind" in the past, are totally disappointed. Some examples:

• Sarah Stegall, big-time fan who was, despite some criticisms, quite generous with S10, gives MS3 one out of five.
• Staff of XFilesNews, the officially sanctioned fan-site (!), destroys MS3 in a podcast, saying they thought it might've been better if the show had never returned.
• Kimon/Orodromeus of Eat-The-Corn, dissects MS3 in a mini-thesis, and labels it a bad hour of television.
• Mo Ryan, huge fan, decides not to even review the episodes this time around, despite screener access, due to S10 disappointment.
• Chris Knowles, co-author of "The Complete X-Files", generous with S10, makes fun of MS3 in a podcast. (something I personally never thought possible)

... among many others.

Look, it's one thing to say "I enjoy the revival personally", or "not everyone hates the revival". That's fine. But sugar-coating things and saying how it's a success, how reception is overwhelmingly positive, how most fans love it, and similar things, really, and I say this with all due respect, has nothing to do with reality. We all have internet access so it is pretty easy to verify these things. Even Alan Sepinwall, critic and also X-Files fan who, so far, enjoys S11 much more than he did S10, says that CC's approach has become the show's biggest problem.

To be fair, while CC's revival episodes are generally reviled (both S10 and S11), the other episodes are getting much better reviews, even praise. Unfortunately, this is not enough to salvage things, and the ratings dropping are the perfect indicator. It is all sad in a way, because it wasn't hard at all to do things right. An episode like "This", which is, in terms of plot, nothing that great, is seen as a masterpiece compared to MS3, and has fans rejoicing on Twitter. This is very telling. It is getting praise mainly because of the M&S interaction/banter, and shows you that it's not very difficult to please fans, it's just CC whose story-telling decisions in the revival have been a complete failure starting with the S10 premiere. His mythology direction and what he chose to do with the characters relationship wise, have left a horrible taste in people's mouths, even as they watch stand-alones that are much better.

MS3 aside, S11 as a season, at least the first half, has received better reviews than S10. I'm not denying that. But many people who had hope throughout S10 obviously don't have it anymore. That said, there's a possibility the ratings might improve, but not much I think.

About the ratings, I'm not sure what you're saying. Knowing CC's history, his behavior and comments, it is mind-boggling how anyone could think that he would end the show with S11, had GA's decision, and these current ratings, been different.

To some of your other points...

- Miles Robbins' casting is significant because they could've chosen an actor that is visually much closer to what people would expect William to look like. Visually, the casting of Miles is very odd, and he is also much older than present-day William. Instead of someone closer both visually and age-wise, they chose the son of a celebrity couple. I believe this indicates they're thinking about the future. Not that any of that matters if the ratings continue like this.

- I don't expect anyone involved, especially CC, to admit that they've done something wrong. It's weird that you think they would say anything other than being proud of what they put together. In terms of the ratings, CC will probably it on the "take a knee" movement that DD&GA participated in, and other irrelevant things. But various analyses of his approach in the revival, and fan reception, is more important than anything FOX or CC have to say on the matter.

- Regarding your words about me believing CC is "wildly incompetent"... as I've said before, I despise CC's decisions in the revival only. I love his work on the original series and would never be the X-Files fan I am if it weren't for his episodes. Whenever someone slams his work on the original series, I'll always take issue with that.

Try not to take offense, because I don't mean it. I don't really care when someone says they love the revival. I have a good friend who loves it. But I do care when someone claims that most fans love it, because it is simply not true. Even most of those viewers who were driving the S10 ratings did not watch because they loved it, but because they hoped things would get better. The S11 ratings are proof of that. So again, no offense. Maybe I even misunderstood what you were trying to say.

On a more positive note, I'm truly excited for Wednesday and think I'll enjoy "Plus One". (srs)

Edited January 16, 2018 by EUROTRASH

[Neptune]

[Bastet]

43 minutes ago, EUROTRASH said:

Sarah Stegall, big-time fan who was, despite some criticisms, quite generous with S10, gives MS3 one out of five.

The Sound of Windchimes (fanfic) author?  That's funny.

I wasn't disappointed with season ten as a whole, although the My Struggle bookends were bad and Babylon was just awful, because of the other MOTW episodes.  With critics saying the MOTW episodes this time around (at least the half they've seen) are better, I'm enjoying this second season of the revival, but I truly dread how it's going to end.  I'd like the franchise to go out on a high note, but I just don't think CC can ever get out of his own way to do that.  We'll find out.

I think that episode with almost no dialogue sounds very interesting.  Potential to go embarrassingly wrong, certainly, but for some reason I think it will be cool.

Edited January 16, 2018 by Bastet

[EUROTRASH]

6 minutes ago, Bastet said:

The Sound of Windchimes (fanfic) author?  That's funny.

I wasn't disappointed with season ten as a whole, although the My Struggle bookends were bad and Babylon was just awful, because of the other MOTW episodes.  With critics saying the MOTW episodes this time around (at least the half they've seen) are better, I'm enjoying this second season of the revival, but I truly dread how it's going to end.  I'd like the franchise to go out on a high note, but I just don't think CC can ever get out of his own way to do that.  We'll find out.

I think that episode with almost no dialogue sounds very interesting.  Potential to go embarrassingly wrong, certainly, but for some reason I think it will be cool.

I don't read fanfic but yes, that's the one.

Yeah, I understand what you're saying. The revival did have some good moments even to those who generally despise it, including myself. And I think there are worse episodes on the original series than Babylon.

The S11 finale has the potential to be a complete train wreck. That said, I have high hopes for episode 5, and I'm very interested in episode 8 because it's supposed to be a very disturbing one.

Episode 6 (the Skinner-centric one) I'm not excited for at all. Skinner has been explored more than enough already through episodes like Avatar, Zero Sum, SR819.

Edited January 16, 2018 by EUROTRASH

[AntiBeeSpray]

22 hours ago, baileythedog said:

I read DD's comments as being quite facetious. Or a way to say that he's done but conceivably there's this other route, sans him and GA. 

The ratings, for now, only matter for whatever current advertising they've sold. They're not trying for another season. Otherwise--unlike last revival---we wouldn't have the news front and center that GA is done and that CC won't do without GA.  Any syndication deals will include the two event series, no matter what. They'll make their money.  

TCA didn't seem "like a funeral" to me in the sense that anyone was glum about ratings or not going on. If anything, it solidified the very obvious point that no one wants to go further with this under any circumstance.  And that is that.  Therefore, Fox cares little about ratings at this point. 

 

 

Okay. 

I kind of viewed it as such too, but to be fair, there was no video of the event, so we do not know the complete context to things. Only XFN's transcript.

We do know that GA was harangued by questions about her leaving and my money is on that is when they took that picture. It would explain a lot.

They seem to be on pretty good terms with one another else wise (meaning DD's comments to her at the WOF event, etc.).

[Bastet]

6 minutes ago, EUROTRASH said:

Episode 6 (the Skinner-centric one) I'm not excited for at all. Skinner has been explored more than enough already through episodes like Avatar, Zero Sum, SR819.

I'm not either, because I didn't like any of those episodes; I like Skinner, but as very much a secondary character.  I don't care about his backstory.  When they did that with CSM or the Gunmen, I didn't like those, either.  They're like the Miss DiPesto episodes of Moonlighting - not what I'm here for.

So that one may well wind up being a miss for me, but if I like the rest of the stand-alones, including love the Darin Morgan one (as I always do), and maybe really like another one or two, then, hey, this was all worth it for me -- pending, of course what CC does with the end.  Because I quit trusting him a very, very long time ago, and wish FOX would ban him from his own show.

I'm curious to see what I think of the stand-alone he wrote this season, because while I've liked some of his (unlike most of his mytharc episodes), I've also really disliked some. 

[EUROTRASH]

37 minutes ago, Bastet said:

I'm not either, because I didn't like any of those episodes; I like Skinner, but as very much a secondary character.  I don't care about his backstory.  When they did that with CSM or the Gunmen, I didn't like those, either.  They're like the Miss DiPesto episodes of Moonlighting - not what I'm here for.

So that one may well wind up being a miss for me, but if I like the rest of the stand-alones, including love the Darin Morgan one (as I always do), and maybe really like another one or two, then, hey, this was all worth it for me -- pending, of course what CC does with the end.  Because I quit trusting him a very, very long time ago, and wish FOX would ban him from his own show.

I'm curious to see what I think of the stand-alone he wrote this season, because while I've liked some of his (unlike most of his mytharc episodes), I've also really disliked some. 

CC said we've never really explored the character of Skinner, which is... not true. But then again he also said we're not used to Scully looking at UFOs or Mulder being at death's door.

Look, even though I was angry after MS1, I gave him the benefit of the doubt. After MS2 I was extremely angry but calmed down later, and expected MS3 would turn things around. I can't give him the benefit of the doubt after MS3. Most people can't.

"Plus One" could be a good episode because he won't be running the mythology further into the ground with this episode. As far as I understand it is a complete standalone. And Kevin Hooks is directing, which is probably a good idea, considering the directing of MS3.

Edited January 16, 2018 by EUROTRASH

[Taryn74]

1 hour ago, EUROTRASH said:

But then again he also said we're not used to Scully looking at UFOs or Mulder being at death's door.

I literally LOL'd and said "What?" at that point in the promo.  When are we NOT used to seeing Mulder at death's door?  Heh.