The X-Files six-episode miniseries has come and gone, after last Monday’s finale left the franchise on yet another cliffhanger. To say that reaction to the finale has been mixed is being generous. Not every episode of the miniseries has been beloved, but that finale is particularly hated by a very vocal group of X-Files fans.
While FX’s John Landgraf likes to say that we’re in the era of “Peak TV,” the revival of The X-Files, Twin Peaks, Prison Break, 24, Fuller House, and more classic series suggest that we’re actually living in the era of “Nostalgia TV,” where nearly any canceled show could come back…except Firefly.
X-Files creator Chris Carter went out of his way to make the miniseries emulate the original formula of the show in its shortened six-episode season. But the problem with doing only two bookend mythology episodes and four monster-of-the-week episodes is that the miniseries lost its momentum almost from the very beginning. This isn’t the ‘90s anymore, and an X-Files rehash just isn’t going to cut it for everyone.
Related: The X-Files Creator Says The Series Will Return To Fox
Although the subsequent episodes of The X-Files miniseries couldn’t match the blockbuster ratings of the premiere, there’s a good chance that The X-Files will return. Carter has already gone on the record about that. But from the content of his recent interviews, Carter appears to be giving a blind eye to the faults of the revival series, which means that he’ll likely make the same mistakes again and again.
None of which is to say that there weren’t bright spots in The X-Files miniseries. Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny were both very good as their characters, Dana Scully and Fox Mulder, and honestly…fans still love them. Some of The X-Files miniseries episodes were also very strong, especially when the focus was on Mulder and Scully, as well as the son they left behind. One of the episodes was even an undeniable X-Files classic.
CraveOnline has assembled a list of the six episodes from The X-Files miniseries from worst to best. But your opinions may vary, so feel free to share your picks in the comment section below!
Photo Credits: Fox
The X-Files Revival Miniseries | From Worst To Best
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6. My Struggle II
The finale of The X-Files miniseries was disappointing on several levels. Instead of wrapping up the event with any sense of closure, Carter ended with a cliffhanger that was more of a "WTF?!" moment than a riveting conclusion.
Where to start on the rest? The complete failure to execute the scope of the story? The return of the CWish doppelganger agents? The complete betrayal of Monica Reyes' character? The shitty writing? The dull and lifeless direction?
The sad part is that Carter seems to be pretty satisfied with the finale. But he couldn't be more wrong.
Photo Credit: Fox
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5. Babylon
"Babylon" actually had some intriguing ideas about human communication and other levels of reality. But in execution, it failed badly.
The biggest problem was the way that "Babylon" kept jumping in tone from a comedy episode to a heavy handed drama. The Lone Gunmen's cameo was a waste, and the Mulder and Scully clones, Miller and Einstein acted like they escaped from the CW. And one of them did!
This felt like Carter's attempt to do a Darin Morgan style comedic episode. But perhaps he should leave the comedy to Morgan. Or better yet, leave everything to Morgan.
Photo Credit: Fox
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4. My Struggle I
As the first episode of The X-Files revival, "My Struggle I" had a lot of audience good will, especially when it brought Mulder and Scully back together.
However, the new mythology introduced in this episode managed to be even more convoluted than the original series when it tried to claim that "a conspiracy of men" had displaced the alien colonists from the original series. Mulder even seemed to think that aliens had never been a part of the conspiracy!
"My Struggle I" had its moments, but it's the least worst episode written by Carter in the revival.
Photo Credit: Fox
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3. Founder's Mutation
In any regular season of The X-Files, Founder's Mutation probably would have been one of the worst episodes of the year. It's not even really a bad episode, but it did get boring at times.
The problem with jumping from the mythology episodes back to "monster-of-the-week" is that it robbed the new story arc of any sense of urgency. Plus the mutated kids were surprisingly dull.
The strongest aspects of this episode came when Scully had to deal with her lingering guilt about giving up William, the son she had with Mulder.
Photo Credit: Fox
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2. Home Again
While "the Trash Man" will likely never be anyone's favorite X-Files creation, "Home Again" featured terrific performances by Anderson and Duchovny as they dealt with the sudden coma and death of Scully's mother and the guilt of letting their son go years before.
Those raw emotions gave "Home Again" more heart than the rest of the miniseries combined.
Photo Credit: Fox
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1. Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster
Surprisingly, there are X-Files fans who hate "Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster" with a passion. But it's easily the best episode of the revival, and by far the funniest.
Darin Morgan reportedly reworked this episode from an unproduced episode of The Night Stalker revival series. Somehow, I doubt that it would have been as good as it was with Mulder and Scully.
Rhys Darby was also terrific as Guy Mann, the monster cursed to be man who inadvertently reawakened Mulder's passion for the unexplained phenomena that make up The X-Files. This was an instant classic, and one of the few episodes this year to live up to the original series.
Photo Credit: Fox
