X-Files: Endgameby Wolfen MoonsgetReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Network
Credits Grade: 8 Well, it's finally over. I should be sad, but I feel that, like the Cigarette Smoking Man, this is a show that wouldn't die. All in all, as series finales go, I've seen worse. In fact, I can't really think of any better series ender, at the moment. But it wasn't one of the show's best episodes of The X-files either.So let's look at the bad first, so we can end this review on a happy note (my being the big believer in happy endings that I am). Where were all the answers we were supposed to get? I didn't see anything that we hadn't already known. Or rather, all that I saw was just slightly different form what I thought I knew already, and for what was changed, how is it they themselves know it now, but didn't before? Well, I'm guessing these things might have been learned while I had stopped watching the show, after the season premiere, which had bored me to tears, and before I started watching again, two episodes ago. I'm disappointed because the two episodes I did manage to see were ones I would count among the show's all-time best, and I expected more of the same for this one. But this one just seemed a bit rambling. Why bother with the trial, guys? You know the panel isn't going to listen. Trust no one — you should expect that they were all in on the conspiracy, even if they aren't. Just break Mulder out and be done with it. And if they are trying to prove their testimony, why did no one offer to do under a lie detector? Put them all under, and how much of a lie would it seem then? If nothing else, they could claim mass hysteria, and then Mulder should get off for insanity. And what's with the sudden change of heart with Kersh? If I were them, I wouldn't have believed he was there to help. Some points of the exposition had me confused as well. Was William Mulder's child or not?!? I never really did understand why the super-soldiers chased Scully and then did nothing. As for CSM, you can't get me to believe that all this was just his sadistic way of making Mulder suffer. For what? What had Mulder done in the beginning? And why the hell would the Anasazi be protecing him? And lastly, that goodbye was rather anti-climactic. Wasn't much of a goobye with Skinner, or anyone else who helped them. I know I shouldn't expect an ending, but I wanted some sense of closure, and that wasn't even close. Ideally, there's two ways I felt it should have ended. I wanted the truth to get out at the beginning of this season, and Mulder and Scully to lead humanity against the alien invasion, as one possibility. But then, you couldn't exactly have another movie. But oh, wait, they said the next movie wouldn't be about the alien conspiracy, but would be a stand-alone story, much like the non-mythos episodes. Which is actually the kind of episode I prefer! So that would be perfectly fine! The other possibility would be for them to once again go back to their stalemate with the conspiracy, the show ending much as it began in that Mulder and Scully would once again be investigating the paranormal, this time with Dogget and Reyes by their side, only now with the knowledge of what's going on and the angst of being powerless to stop it, like a good horror sci-fi. Which would also lead well into another movie, in that they at least be established in the X-files. Where the hell are they now? Now on to the good. While the trial itself doesn't really work, it was an excellent story-telling device. It was a plausible reason for exposition, without being boring. The ghosts actually worked for me too, allowing us one final visit with old friends. I like that Scully has reached a point where she can not only accept the possibility, but embraces it. It continues with the notion they'd brushed upon from time to time that reality is more than physicality, and that in the end, nothing the aliens do is lasting because they can't do it to a soul. And the other thing that has me jumping for joy, of course, is the Mulder/Scully 'ship. True, they had finally set the 'ship sailing last year, but that was at the very last second, and I had felt cheated. We were told that Mulder and Scully had confessed their love after the fact, and not been allowed to see any of the resolution of it till now. If nothing else, that was reason enough for me to have one last season, even if all I really got was two hours. Those Mulder/Scully moments in that two hours were just beautiful, and for once a 'shipdom is allowed to be happy. All complaints aside, that was what I had ultimately hoped for, and Carter was kind enough to deliver. Many thanks to him and the writers and directors for nine years of great sci-fi/horror/fantasy/mysteries. Many thanks also to Anderson and Duchovny, for giving us nine wonderful years of extraordinary acting — and great chemistry. Now bring on the movies! And don't skimp on the humor! Written: May 20, 2002
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