The X-Files is one of the great TV series ever to appear on American Television. I don't usually point to the TV when I am defining artforms to someone. Mostly, it is because TV is full of crap and is one of the most destructive influences in society today. It molds the neuron development patterns of children by exposing them to advertising shots are that acutely brief (usually under 3 seconds), thereby contributing to "attention deficit disorder." It reinforces the psychological posture among adults that "thinking" is unimportant. Just sit there in your easy chair and mindlessly let the worthless images dance about your slowly stagnating skull.
You get the idea.
I'm sort of akin to "The Cigarette Smoking Man," I'd rather read a bad book than see the best TV has to offer. Generally speaking, of course. There are moments when TV is exceptional. Through the years "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", "All in the Family", "MASH", "Hill Street Blues", and "Northern Exposure" come to mind. These shows do two things. One, they push the standard of the television art to a higher level. Two, the higher level they reach is worthy of the effort. (Series that have gone to a different level - as opposed to a "higher" one - include the original "Star Trek" and, more recently, "Twin Peaks." Both were interesting programs, but I wouldn't classify them as "art" because the standards they achieved weren't all that important to the development of TV as a whole.)
The X-Files is. What's more, XF manages to reach the new standards it has established for television and consistently push them to higher levels. That makes it a truly unique and rewarding experience.
It is also one of the most difficult series to follow. Many are turned off by it because "it's too hard to understand" or "it's too weird, I don't like sci-fi stuff anyway." Fine. Your loss. As for the "too difficult to understand" crowd...well...you just sit there and keep letting those easy images dance about in your otherwise passively engaged brain.
XF requires alittle effort. Something called "p-a-r-t-i-c-i-p-a-t-i-o-n." As with all art, XF naturally engages you, or you just tune it out. Anyway, this page is devoted to the X-Files. I hope all you Phile's out there enjoy it.
Copyright © W. Keith Beason, 1999
Version 1.0
[Read my review of the Season Six episode "Triangle"]
[Read my review of the Season Six episode "Milagro"]
A series of original essays on the "primary" themes throughout six seasons (and a film) of the X-Files. Stay tuned.
The Official Site: From the Fox Network.
Tiny Dancer's X-Files Site: One of the best "hybrid" phile sites around. Lots of good information including transcripts from ALL episodes (and then some). A nice message board administered by yours truly.
The Ultimate X-Files Information Complex: The name speaks for itself.
The X-Philes: A site featuring some interesting reviews and insights on X-episodes from the beginning of season 4. I like this cyberwriter's style.
Spoilerville: For advanced word on what's in the works for upcoming episodes.
