So I know the X-Files is an extremely popular show. I’ve never actually seen it before (not one episode, not even a bit of any episodes) and figured it’s time to give it a try.
I know almost nothing about the show, other than the bare facts: Two agents, investigating paranormal things, one is a skeptic and the other believes in that stuff.
Oh, and I know that there’s a character called “The Smoking Man”, but other than his name, I don’t know anything else about him.
And other than that, I don’t know anything about the show.
So I was thinking of making this topic because of past topics of people watching shows for the first time (example: Buffy the Vampire Slayer) seemed to be pretty popular.
I know this is probably obvious, but: No spoilers, please. Or hide them under spoiler boxes if you want to talk with other X-Files people who have seen them all.
I’ll try to watch an episode a day or, at least, every other day. Maybe 2 if I have the time.
Yes, that will probably make this a long ongoing topic, but I’m not going to bump it up after every episode, maybe just every 5-8.
Lastly, if this seems popular, I wouldn’t be opposed to doing it a few more times with other shows that I’ve never seen but that are extremely popular, for example: The Wire. Never seen any of those and may do a thread on that once I’m done with the X-Files.
Have fun! I really loved this show, and rewatch a favorite episode every couple months on Netflix. Sometimes it seems a bit amateurish, but that can be part of the charm.
I’d like to tell you something that shouldn’t be spoilery, because I would have been much less confused had I known early on. There are two types of episodes: the first type has some continuity of story and fleshes out the politics and intrigue of the main characters’ career, and the second type are stand-alone “weird case of the week” episodes, that are rarely referred back to.
Anyway, I’ll be checking in to see what you think of it.
I watched the first three seasons. The series got a little too complicated/weird and I lost interest. There are some great episodes in those early seasons.
Just a reminder: The first movie, 1998’s The X-Files, actually takes place **between **seasons five and six. You won’t be lost if you skip it, but it was a good film (saw it in the theater) so there’s no reason to…
I loved this series. I didn’t watch it from the very beginning, so I had a friend being me up to speed on all the background weirdness, but then I really got into it. I thought Gillian Anderson was absolutely gorgeous, and I (and about a zillion other people) liked the will-they-won’t-they sexual tension between them.
X-Files started off GREAT, and then it started to wander off here and there, and then it went off onto a few oddball tangents, and then it just got fuckin’ stupid.
We hung in there until the bitter end, but like many shows (LOST being a prime example), I think the writers never really had an idea where the show was going and just sort of meandered their way to the end.
There’s a lot about it to love. A lot to be frustrated with too, but I find binge watching will often lessen that factor, as you don’t dwell on speculation as much.
Good start. I like how one is a natural believer in things and one plays the hardcore skeptic. It seems to be building up (already) to an eventual moment where the skeptic believes (somewhat), but no idea how far off that is yet (or to what extent it will be).
I loved the first 4 or so seasons. I’d go so far as to say the X-files was one of the harbingers of the more complicated T.V. show that’s the defining feature of the Golden Age of TV that started with The Sopranos.
Sadly it’s also a precursor to the line of ‘great series initially that lost itself in it’s own convoluted story arcs’ as well.
The “standalone” episodes are almost always better than the “myth-arc” ones. In fact, IMO, the episode “Home” is probably the best episode of the entire series. It certainly is the most disturbing.
You do need to watch the series BEFORE you attempt to watch the films. If you don’t you’ll be lost. You’ll be lost anyway as neither of the films were very good; but if you don’t watch the series, you’ll really have no idea what they are talking about in the films.
We’re into the third season on Netflix, and I’m loving seeing all the cameos of people before they were famous (or “famous”). Hey, that’s Gabrielle Miller (Lacey from “Corner Gas”)!
