X-Files = Love
Posted on 26 July 2008 by Jenni Hammitt
It was a was a pretty typical Friday night between football season and basketball season. I was fourteen, and none of my friends could drive. Of course, the fall had been full of football games and pep band would be starting shortly, so my social life would be picking back up soon. My little brother *had* to watch this Bruce Campbell show on FOX called “The Adventure’s of Briscoe County Jr.” I wasn’t impressed, so I left the room.
A little while later I returned to the family room and I found this new show playing. The thing that caught my eye was how it was shot. It was dark but clear…um yeah I guess that is the best way to explain it. The two lead characters really seemed to have chemistry. The next thing I knew my behind was plopped on that couch and I watched the whole episode. That was the night I began my love affair with the X-Files.
While the show stayed on Friday nights, it made it very hard to keep up. I was band geek, and I want a social life, and to be honest taping off the TV was not something my parents knew how to do if we weren’t home. (What did we do before DVR’s) Back in the day I was not the little technogeek I am now, so setting up the VCR timer was not in my repertoire. I loved each episode I did see. I loved Scully and Mulder.
I loved the story lines. Even when the producer’s idea of hiding Gillian Anderson’s very obvious pregnancy was using a huge trench coat, I suspended my disbelief. I was not so much of the Scullyless episode in season 2 (after Anderson had her baby) where Mulder hangs out that vampire chick (played my Duchovny’s girlfriend). Still, I stayed true to the cause.
Finally, The show was moved out of the “time slot of death” on Friday nights. It was moved to 9:00 on Sundays, and I was ecstatic. Now it was an every Sunday event. I would be watching X-Files no matter what. My love of the show continued through high school. I grew up watching Mulder and Scully, and each week their interactions were kept bringing me back. Okay, fine, yeah Skinner can be a nice guy, The Cigarette Smoking Man is creepy and quite evil. I was never sold on Agent Spender, but his character did end up having purpose. Even the Lone Gunmen grew on me.
My two favorite episodes were “Never Again” from season four and “Bad Blood” from season five. “Never Again” was a Scully centered episode where Jodie Foster was the voice of a young man’s tattoo. It was great to see Scully out on her own, and even better to see Mulder a little jealous. In “Bad Blood” the duo are investigating what appears to be a community of vampires. Each Agent tells Skinner about their perception of the happenings…but then again “the were drugged.”
This episode guest starred Luke Wilson. He was not well known at the time, but he still caught the fans’ attention (even with buck teeth).I kept watching in college, and finally in 1998 the first movie came out. Yes, I saw it in the theater. Yes it was everything I wanted it to be. I had big hopes for the following seasons. Seasons six and seven held up to that.
Season Six picked up where the movie left off, and season seven kept building those storylines. It also gave closure to some characters and storylines we had known since 1993. Seasons eight and nine were a bit disappointing. After a few episodes I started watching the show less and less. If I knew Mulder was going to be in the episode, I was sure to tune in, but out side of that no so much. Of course, I watched the episode where Scully gives birth to William. It isn’t that I do not like Robert Patrick (okay fine, I couldn’t look at him without thinking of Terminator 2) or Annabeth Gish (aka Julia Robert’s little sister in Mystic Pizza) , but it just wasn’t the same. Part of the reason I loved the show were the Scully and Mulder interactions. Without them, the show just didn’t hold my attention.
Admittedly the Brady Bunch house episode was fun, but that was part of the problem. It was just fun. The must watch draw was gone. On May 19, 2002 the final episode aired. I have actually not watched the whole episode. I’ve read recaps and I have seen parts and pieces of it, but you see I was on tour when the last episode aired. A certain member of my family was supposed to tape it “forgot” to. (Yes Mom, if you are reading this I *still* haven’t quite forgiven you.) However, I do know it was a cliffhanger, and it left the door wide open for a new movie.
After six years of rumors and speculation, the new movie is finally here. While I might not get to see it opening weekend, it is high up on my list of things to do. I am curious to see how they get Mulder and Scully back together, and to see how the story unfolds. It really is the first movie I’ve been really eager to see in years…well since Garden State. Now the question is: Will it live up to all my internal hype? I sure hope it does. I’ve gone six years with only being able to enjoy two of my favorite TV characters in reruns. I am very happy to have them back…even if it only in a movie.
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