Twenty-two years ago, The X-Files premiered on Fox. I was just 9 years old and it would be a few years down the road before my parents would let me watch the show. When I was finally deemed “old enough”, it quickly became one of my all-time favorite television shows. I stuck with the series until the very end, even through the mostly Mulder-less final few seasons.
With a six episode reboot on the horizon for 2016, I decided there would be no better time to begin re-watching the series. And even though I own all 9 seasons on DVD, I’ve opted to breeze through them on Netflix because well, it’s pretty convenient to have them all right there and not have to get up to change discs. #ThanksNetflix
Last night I wrapped up my season 1 re-watch. At first, it was funny to see how dated the show looks compared to today’s TV. Scully wears a lot of pant suits with shoulder pads, the computers look ancient and the cell phones have antennas! The actors hadn’t fully settled into their roles, and it took both Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny a few episodes to look comfortable playing their characters and develop into the Fox Mulder and Dana Scully we’re used to.
I’d also forgotten how often Mulder sticks weird substances in his mouth. Green sticky goo on the ground? Mulder sticks his finger in it and then puts it in his mouth. Strange, powdery substance left behind by some supernatural being? Mulder will taste that too. It’s a wonder he didn’t get seriously sick or die from all the unusual things he ingested.
Once you get used to living in the early 90s again, you’ll realize that even after 20+ years, the show is still very relevant. Plot wise, nothing Mulder and Scully encounter seems out of date and it really says a lot about the show’s writing and the vision of Chris Carter that a show could remain timeless like The X-Files does.
One thing remains the same though – the monster of the week episodes are still much more enjoyable (to me anyway) than the alien conspiracy episodes that run throughout the entire series. I still LOVE the Lone Gunman even though they could never carry their own TV show and the Cigarette Smoking Man is still one of the best nemesis of the series.
I’m off to begin re-watching season two, but before I do, I’ll leave you with a few of the best, must watch episodes of season 1:
* Episode 1 – Pilot
* Episode 2 – Deep Throat
* Episode 4 – The Jersey Devil
* Episode 8 – Space
* Episode 10 – Eve
* Episode 13 – Gender Bender
* Episode 16 – E.B.E.
* Episode 19 – Darkness Falls
* Episode 23 – The Erlenmeyer Flask