Is it possible the dreadful new era of The X-Files turned a corner with Wednesday night's "Plus One" episode? We're now nine episodes into the return of one of my all-time favorite shows (consider my avatar at right), and this was the first time I mostly enjoyed the results. I think part of the reason for the success of this one is it felt like a deliberate attempt to be a standalone episode from the old X-Files. Consider the description:"A spate of deaths in which victims are plagued by their own doppelgangers leads Mulder and Scully to a pair of twins playing a dangerous game."
You could go back in time and tuck this into one of season two's long stretches of standalone episodes and no one would be the wiser.
Season 10 pretty much earned a pass for the novelty of having our old heroes back in the game; it was a joy to see them, even if the stories stunk. And boy, did they — the mythology episodes, most egregiously, seemed to openly crap on the mythology of the first nine seasons, leaving us to wonder why we bothered.
Based on some decent buzz, I was hoping for more from season 11, but it started off with two massive bombs, perhaps worse than any in season 10, and I was considering bailing out on the show altogether. The only thing I had liked before "Plus One" was the opening soliloquy of the season 11 premiere; having The Smoking Man bloviate about his legacy was an excellent touch.
Gillian Anderson has said she's done with the show now, and she may have the right idea. The disappointing storylines have got me thinking about all these shows that are coming back and whether trying to recapture the magic is a futile exercise. But I am nothing if not a nostalgia whore, and I'll likely be among those of a certain age who will come back for more.
UPDATE // After a dreadful start, season 11 made a turnaround, and I quite liked it. The comical fighting-everyday-technology episode was a classic, and I even liked the mythology ending. More, please.
No comments:
Post a Comment