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The First Season of FOX's The X-Files
Date of Review: Apr 25, 2008
The Bottom Line: The first season of The X-Files really set the tone for what would be great dramatic television, and showed sci-fi fans everywhere that the imagination has no limits.
Debuting in 1993, The X-Files soon became a cult favorite for viewers that loved mysteries about the unknown. Dealing with topics such as government conspiracies, abnormal creatures, abductions, and of course the belief in extraterrestrials, the show brought a new flavor to television. Each episode of the first season delved into something new, bringing the audience face-to-face with urban myths, potential alien abductions, and nearly anything else that goes bump in the night. The intriguing arc of each story was what drew people into the show, and the weekly exploration of something no other show was dealing with made it a quick favorite of many. It was just the episodic nature of the show that made it last for so many seasons, but the way the creator and lead writer made the look and feel of each episode so gripping. It not only added to the overall drama of each storyline, but cemented most of in in a way that made it seem like you were watching something that could really happen.
The main character of the show is Fox Mulder, played by David Duchovny in a roll that really ended up making his career. Mulder is an FBI agent that has been working in a department in charge of the X-Files. This is where files of cases are sent where the case defies explanation, and where the material just doesn't make sense in the fashion of a normal crime or occurrence. Basically it is a dead end to most people that work in the FBI, but Mulder has a particular interest in some of case files that have to do with UFO sightings and alien abductions. He is of the firm belief that his sister was abducted when he was younger, and has placed himself on a lifelong quest to find out what has happened to her. Now he finds himself in the basement of an FBI building, given the nickname "Spooky" by co-workers, and basically finds himself being considered a joke of the institution. The catch though, is that he has begun to get close to unraveling some mysteries, and his superiors want someone to keep tabs on him. Enter Agent Dana Scully.
Gillian Anderson plays Scully, who a doctor by trade, but who has been placed to work with Mulder and report back to several people higher up in the FBI about what he is doing. At first it seems like she is just there to bring closure to the department, but she is swept up in the cases much as Mulder is in the end. The difference between Mulder and his belief that "the truth is out there", she brings a skeptical mind to everything she encounters. Together they have a really good balance as partners, and as the first season progresses, it is very interesting to watch as the characters both evolve and start to connect with one another. It's also quite evident that as the season moves along, that the two lead actors are becoming better at their "craft", and the audience quickly falls into a support for the both of them. Creator Chris Carter does an exemplary job of fleshing out the back-stories of both of them, and it really makes their stories that much more interesting.
The first season of The X-Files consists of 24 episodes on 7-discs. With the first season, the episodes are more succinct, presenting stories that are wrapped up nicely, but as the season moves forward, they start going into more far-reaching topics. The reason for the slow evolution in wide-topics, was that they didn't know if the show would make it to a second season, and Carter wanted to have tight stories to present. With following seasons, even more of the sub-plots would be fleshed out, but this inaugural season really set a lot of the groundwork for topics that would be covered in the following 8 seasons. The look and feel of The X-Files was like nothing on television at the time, and it still is a very strong show that both old fans and people new to show can really enjoy. In addition to the 24-episodes, some of the bonuses in this set include a documentary on the first season, some interviews with creator Chris Carter, and some looks behind some of the best episodes of the season. For any fan of science fiction, or for that person who might find themselves wondering "what's out there", this is a great show that is even better on DVD.
