Alien frequencies.
By Matt Fowler
More than a decade after their iconic 200+-episode run on FOX (the forgettable 2008 movie, notwithstanding), David Duchovny’s Fox Mulder and Gillian Anderson’s Dana Scully are back on TV on January 24th. Fighting for both their lives, and sanity, amidst a new avalanche of alien conspiracies designed to sort of awkwardly encapsulate the show’s original mythology while also spinning it off in a new class-warfare/Oligarchical direction. And in this is the era of miraculous TV returns, who better to creep back into our lives than the spooky bunch over at the FBI’s shunned paranormal annex?
We want to hear it.
“My Struggle” is the first hour of The X-Files’ two-night premiere (it airs Sunday, January 24th, second episode airs the 25th) and – well – it’s got some explaining to do. Not only as to where Mulder and Scully have been, but also a “catch up” preamble containing a big over-arching recap of the TV events so far along with a quick rundown of some of the more notable moments in alien conspiracy history. All to shakily bring us up to speed while also giving those unfamiliar with The X-Files a primer for this new miniseries (200 episodes is a lot to ask people to binge beforehand).
The episode also has a lot to explain – outside of the story – with regards to why it feels so damn drab and stagnant. Perhaps it’s just time whiplash. Maybe this show has always sort of operated on somewhat subdued, low-energy performances and it’s just more apparent now that it’s been way for so long. But the end result here, in this very first hour, is somewhat underwhelming.
We want to hear it.
As this is an advance review, I won’t go into full spoilers. I’ll keep it vague enough. And it’s not hard to as there isn’t too much here to spoil. Most of “My Struggle” involves Mulder being sucked back into the world of secret government plots and ploys while Scully reluctantly tags along. The usual dynamic, sure, though somehow you want more from these two now. And you want it to happen faster. But it is what it is. A lot of exciting stuff happens right toward the very end, creating a lot of opportunities for the second episode and beyond, but this first installment is rather plodding.
Specifically, the sort of forced “redux” feeling you get from certain scenes. Ones designed to include just about every catch phrase. “You want to believe!” Scully will shout while Mulder responds with “The truth is out there!” It’s not the greatest, to say the least. Even though it’s these moments that seem to shake the characters out of their doldrums. I don’t know. It’s hard to watch Mulder and Scully as hollowed-out, depressed characters when they were already rather dejected to begin with. As I said, with any hope the events at the tail end of “My Struggle” will launch them forward into more interesting territory.
We want to hear it.
Old, mysterious faces from the past do show up here, to add a bit of spice to the mix. I won’t give them away here, though you all know Skinner’s back. He’s no surprise since he was also a part of the I Want to Believe movie that effectively ended the manhunt for Mulder. He also doesn’t do much here. More importantly, on the fresh face front, Joel McHale and Annet Mahendru join the craziness as, respectively, a popular TV conspiracy nut and a decades-long abduction victim.
We want to hear it.
McHale is energetic and dutifully in “conspiracy mode,” but it’s Mahendru who really fits in the best. And – most importantly – helps this new incarnation of the series feel tethered to the alien stories it told in the ’90s. Even more so, perhaps, than the two headlining stars. She’s very good, and her presence helps open up the mythology into new areas and arenas. Ones more specifically tied to – well – every conspiracy theory there is involving the government. Aliens, weather warfare, surveillance, Bilderberg Group-style elites out to control everything – the works. So when the episode goes big, it does go big.
Don’t get me wrong. Despite going a bit overboard on set-up, “My Struggle” does have effective moments. In the end, after the dust settles, it is nice to see these characters back. And to have this world back in our lives. Even if its heyday has come and gone.
When everyone gets in one room and starts ruminating about black helicopters and dastardly plots dating back 70 years, the needle definitely moves. As if the show, as well as the characters, feed off the rumors and theories like fuel. Until that happens though, things are a bit languid.
The X-Files premieres Sunday, January 24th on FOX.
