By Brendan Cauvel ’16 | Copy Editor
For those who haven’t heard of or seen “The X-Files,” I can’t say I blame you. To many, it sits as just another science fiction show from the ‘90. Those who have seen it, however, know that it’s one of the most successful, entertaining, and longest running sci-fi shows of all time.
The series follows FBI special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) investigating paranormal activity cold cases. Although they work well together, Mulder often dives into the paranormal aspects of cases while Scully takes a more practical approach. “The X-Files” ran into the early 2000s, and after nine , the show has returned for a six-episode run.
Out with the old
Although the show aired before my time, I grew up watching “X-Files” reruns with my mother, one eye squinting at the screen in suspense with the other covered by a shaking blanket. The show wasn’t meant to be horrifying, but it changed my seven-year-old idea of what goes bump in the night, from the boogeyman in the closet to extraterrestrials living among us.
Structurally, the show was always similar to many of today’s shows. Each episode bringing about a new case with an overarching storyline threading through. As Scully and Mulder work to learn more about what Mulder calls “the truth,” they reveal more and more about the possibility that the government could be covering up the existence of extraterrestrial life on our planet.
The old “X-Files” brought joy to millions of viewers through the relationship between Scully and Mulder, interesting side characters and tons of enveloping new cases. Although we know what we’re viewing is fake, some of the cases could make anybody stop to think about conspiracies and the possibility of other creatures living among us.
Old “X-Files” episodes are available for streaming on Fox network’s website, and also on Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime.
In with the new
Unlike other modern adaptations of old shows, “The X-Files” returned with Duchovny and Anderson reclaiming their roles as Scully and Mulder looking for adventure with a new set of side agents at their disposal.
New versions of old shows often leave original fans disappointed with the lack of congruency and clinging to any added element of nostalgia incorporated into the new series. With the new “X-Files,” however, after watching the entire season, I found myself feeling as if the show had never taken a 14-year hiatus.
Their suits used to fit a lot better, and they now struggle to catch perpetrators on foot, but the older pair still manages to get the job done, making sense of the extraterrestrial, the demonic and the mythological. While the structure of the show remains the same, the deeper storyline within the series has renewed, allowing new viewers to sift through the relationship between Scully, Mulder and their jobs without feeling as though they’ve missed out on information from a decade ago.
Whether you like it or not, the show still has its cheesy moments, cringe worthy one-liners and awkward situations, but long-term fans can find a way to look past all of that.
As the sci-fi community’s favorite agents dive into a new set of investigations, they come across an intricate government plot to distribute alien genetics to the populous through vaccinations.
Heading into a second season, Scully and Mulder are hot on the trail of suspicious government activity in an investigation anyone would enjoy, whether you’ve been watching since the beginning or not.
The new episodes air on Monday nights at 8 for any who seek to escape our world of limitations and explore the extraterrestrial.
