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What's up with The X-files seasons 8 and 9?

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Not Spaceghost

Spaceghost
What happppeeennnnneeeddddddddd?????👎 👎👎 👎 🚫 👎???!!??!?👎 👎👎 👎 🚫 👎??!

Oh my god how did they let this happen, I've heard so much contributed to the downfall of this glorious show.

They've literally blamed 9/11 as a reason why the show tanked in popularity and therefore quality but honestly I just don't know what happened here.

I guess spoilers ahead if you're gonna watch this.

The biggest failure of the last two seasons was that there was a clear story to resolve, the series creators even said the show was plot driven not character driven yet everything in the last 2 seasons betrays that notion completely since the mythos story takes a back seat and they just desperately try to play up the two new agents.

The baby William story arch was a complete disaster, I wouldn't be surprised if that's why the show's rating tanked because the show could have worked without Mulder as a principle character however that would have heavily depended on how Doggett's would have been received and unfortunately for him his character never becomes likable. Reyes also never becomes likable, they feel like role reversals for Scully and Mulder except they're both extremes of Mulder and Scully. Reyes will believe almost anything and Doggett refuses to believe anything at all.

Not to mention the deputy director was a garbage character that ended up having the absolute most garbage pay off I've ever seen. Turns out he was an asshole but he was jsut trying to help by being completely useless and constantly screwing over the main cast, he should have been reveled to have been a super solider or something.

Speaking of reveals, the series finale reveals nothing and accomplishes nothing it's called the truth but the truth is basically just a fucking buzzword at that point because the audience knows the truth there is nothing left that hasn't been revealed to the audience. Instead the series finale is about Mulder coming to terms with the truth but that isn't accomplished in any satisfactory way, the episode even had multiple chances to EXPOSE the truth to the very people who could have done something about it.

I am guessing season 10 takes advantage of this fact and probably plays up the alien invasion because it was literally not stopped at all, not a single countermeasure was done to prevent recolonization, the alien super soldiers are in the government and everything seemingly will happen according to plan, unless baby William is a godlike messiah who just radiates alien killing light or something.

Also there are some insultingly awful episodes like the one where they kill off the lone gunmen.

Honestly it's hard to say if there is anything good at all about s8 and 9 other than maybe Skinner becoming great for a little bit and kycek finally dying. The super soldiers were dreadful antagonists and a far cry from anything the series has used before.

It's all just so disappointing because I loved the other 7 seasons. Is season 10 worth watching?
 

Manu

Member
Huh, I thought S8 was an improvement over S7, which was legit bad.

Doggett was like a breath of fresh air for the show.

And judging by this thread... yeah, stay away from S10.
 

Not Spaceghost

Spaceghost
Huh, I thought S8 was an improvement over S7, which was legit bad.

Doggett was like a breath of fresh air for the show.

And judging by this thread... yeah, stay away from S10.

S8 focused way too much on the baby William story for my taste, the monster of the week episodes were definitely better from your average season 7 episode so I supposed in that regard you're right it was an improvement.

My big issue with Doggett was that started off fine but I just never grew to like him and towards the end I was getting really tired of him and Reyes, they just lacked the charm and unique-ness that Mulder and Scully had.
 

Vamphuntr

Member
The William plotline is continued in season 10 so if you hated it you probably won't like it much better. If you are a big fan I would still suggest to watch it. Even if there is very few episodes I felt they were still hit or miss.
 

BFIB

Member
Fox fucked with the show from day one. After season 5 when the movie was released, Fox realized the ratings they had, and the following the show had. The main cast was signed through 7 seasons, but Duchovny told Carter after season 6 he was done after the 7th season. Fox extended the show out, and he left. Some of the writing staff left as well.

But honestly, by that point, Carter pretty much lost focus on the show anyway. After they moved to LA for filming, it seemed like the entire show suffered for it. As for season 10, watch the Were-Monster episode. It really is the perfect send off story, as its one of the best standalones ever.
 

Not Spaceghost

Spaceghost
Fox fucked with the show from day one. After season 5 when the movie was released, Fox realized the ratings they had, and the following the show had. The main cast was signed through 7 seasons, but Duchovny told Carter after season 6 he was done after the 7th season. Fox extended the show out, and he left. Some of the writing staff left as well.

Oh wow I had no idea that fox pushed the show past the main casts contract dates. I was looking at the ratings for the show and they were incredibly strong for 60% of the shows duration, until it just started dying out but even "dying out" they were still pretty strong up till the end.

But I guess I'll give season 10 a shot, I suppose I do owe it to myself to see this whole thing through.
 

dEvAnGeL

Member
scully cant have kids, scully gets magically pregnant, scully gives kid in adoption, that sums up the 10 seasons of the x-files
 

bwahhhhh

Member
Huh, I thought S8 was an improvement over S7, which was legit bad.

Doggett was like a breath of fresh air for the show.

Yeah, I thought 8 was a definite improvement over 7, but I always watched the show mostly for the MoTW episodes.

I liked Doggett well enough. (I really liked Doggett and Mulder working together, wish we had gotten more Dulder opportunities)

9 was a step down. I never really liked Reyes, mostly because unlike Mulder who made connections in a case due to extreme open mindedness, an encyclopedic knowledge of folklore, and deductive leaps of logic, Reyes made connections because of feelings and visions.
 

Goldrush

Member
Thought Season 8 was one of the better season of the show. Doggett brought the skeptic role back that was lost after seven years of crazy shit. Doggett's skepticism paired with Scully's paranormal acceptance was great for the MOTW episodes.

Reyes was an absolute loon though.
 

Not Spaceghost

Spaceghost
Doggett as a skeptic was fine but honestly I think the reason I dislike him so much is due to season 9.

I think his reveal and his entry into season 8 was solid fun. When they're trying to find mulder and he's pretending he's an old friend but scully catches on, that was a great way to introduce the character.

What sucked for me was him by the end of the series.

Also I've always been the opposite I always watched for the mythos episodes lol :p
 
I didn't mind them. There was definitely a quality drop off, but the show was still pretty good through those seasons.

There were more misses than usual, though.
 
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