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Essentially a cross between your average cop drama, the Twilight
Zone, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, creator Chris
Carter and his crew of writers and producers developed a groundbreaking
show that branched away from its cop drama roots and developed
his characters while expanding an increasingly convoluted
long term story arc.
The X-Files was a multifaceted show. Working on two levels,
it interspersed its mythology episodes between engaging, sometimes
self-effacing self-contained episodes. These episodes, usually
devoid of any insight into the mythos, worked as television
shows for the past fifty years have worked. They introduced
characters, storylines, etc. that only proved relevant for
a single episode, though they were often so engaging and entertaining
that one wishes some of these minor characters and story arcs
would be returned to and thoroughly vetted for more material.
The X-Files Mythology: Abduction, a new 4-disc box set recently
released by 20th Century Fox, compiles the first 15-episodes
of the mythology story arc for fans who are only interested
in the X-Files mythos, or for those unwilling to shill out
a pretty penny to pick up the costly full-season box sets.
Abduction, the first of four new Mythology box sets, kicks
off with the pilot episode, which introduces FBI agents Fox
Mulder and Dana Scully and foreshadows the things to come
in this complex, ever growing conspiracy.
Mulder has been assigned the x-files, a division of the FBI
that deals with unsolved—and often unexplained, or unexplainable—cases
and phenomena. Obsessed with the unknown and the possibility
of the existence of aliens since he was a teenager, when he
witnessed the abduction of his younger sister, Mulder is intent
on discovering the truth, and hopefully finding out what happened
to his missing sister, at all costs.
Dana Scully provides a contrast to Mulder’s obsessive
search for the truth. She has been assigned to the x-files
to report to the higher ups on Mulder, and to debunk his work
on unexplained cases. A doctor, she believes in science, and
is confident in the fact that it can explain everything, including
the unexplainable.
What is most shocking in a show such as this is the constant
development and arcs these characters, wonderfully played
by David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, experience throughout
the show’s nine-season run. Alternating between skepticism
and pragmatism, Scully and Mulder experience intense, often
irrational situations and incidents that cause them to dip
and rise, change positions, and switch allegiances.
While these flexible, seemingly flimsy character patterns
would have been unrealistic—and perhaps annoying—in
any other television show, the combination of the writing,
amongst the smartest television has ever seen, and the superb
performances anchor Mulder and Scully in a poignancy and realism
that transcends potential melodrama and roots these characters
in a world where everything is believable — including
their sometimes unbelievable character arcs.
Even presented without distracting self-contained episodes
and focusing solely on the mythos of the show, the X-Files
mythologies are still somewhat convoluted; conspiracies are
often complex and revealed through vague dialogue. So one
must put on one’s thinking cap while watching The X-Files
Mythology: Abduction to derive the potency of the extremely
complex mythos surrounding one of televisions greatest shows.
DVD Extras (Region 1 only)
This box set, which includes five audio commentaries and
a 26-minute documentary exploring the abduction thread of
the mythology, is essentially a repackage of episodes already
available on the full season box sets.
The transfers, both audio and video, appear to be the same
as the episodes from the season sets. For those who already
own the season sets, The X-Files Mythology: Abduction might
be a waste of time—you’ve already got all of the
episodes presented here.
Though for purists, the distillation of the mythos into four
singular sets, and the inclusion of new commentary tracks
and documentaries, will undoubtedly be a cause of joy. For
everyone else, those unfamiliar with The X-Files or those
who were nothing more than casual viewers when the show was
still on the air, this is a fantastic set that’s well
worth the retail price.
Conclusion: Movie 90% Extras: 75%
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