Regular readers know that over last year, I binge-watched the entire X-Files series, because I had completely missed the phenomenon the first go-round. I watched a lot of it myself, but then, for fun, I reached out to my friend Keith Uhlich, film critic, TV critic, and the biggest X-Files fan I know, to see if he wanted to binge-watch with me. And so began the great Binge-Watch project of 2015. I would go over to his place every other week, practically, and we’d sit in the dark living room and watch sometimes up to 10 episodes a day. He was a great guide – but better than that – he is a great fan. Not uncritical (Keith is a critic, with a GREAT eye), but also interested in what any given episode was trying to DO, outside of what HE wanted from it.
I seemed to click into the series on the same frequency that Keith did: for me, the series was about emotion and human connection and the Scully/Mulder relationship, how fragile it is, how important it is. That “feeling” didn’t click in for me until the first episode of Season 2, when Scully and Mulder were separated, and had to sneak around to meet up in parking garages or whatever. That first episode of Season 2 was filled with the sense of LONGING that I think is the true theme/mood of X-Files. It’s not about what HAPPENS, or what the TRUTH actually IS: the truth still remains “out there”. It cannot be grasped and pinned down. It can’t, actually, be known. Or, even if you do know it, it ends up not mattering. All we know is what we long for. I mean, the whole TV series didn’t end with a bang, but a “whimper,” Mulder and Scully curled up in one anothers’ arms in a motel room. As paranoid as Chris Carter is, that fragile intimacy of two people (skeptics and believers) seemed to be what he was after all along.
If you’re an X-Files fan, you might have seen the Paley Center 2012 interview with David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson (the entirety is on Youtube). My friend Keith was the one who did that great interview. I wrote about it here. The “what the fuck is magnetite” moment has become notorious enough to become a “gif”, and so my friend Keith is the only one among my friends (that I am aware of) who is now a GIF. (I actually have been wanting to link to this for a while: Here’s Keith’s review of Michael Mann’s Blackhat – a film I also loved. Keith digs into it deep.)
So anyway, Keith and I had a blast with the binge-watch. You can’t binge-watch with just anyone. It takes a certain KIND of person to do a joint binge-watch. We’ve continued on into a binge-watch of Millennium now, and eventually we may get to Supernatural, which he hasn’t seen, but there’s a lot of cross-over, at least in terms of cast/crew/location, etc. Supernatural often looks like an X-Files reunion. (And if you want to know just how good an actor Mitch Pileggi really is – watch any given episode of X-Files, and then watch any episode from Season 6 of Supernatural, in which he appears. Except for the sense of harassed authenticity … it is two totally different characters. 100% believable in both.)
I started to binge-watch because I wanted to participate in … what is happening now. The resurrection of The X-Files as a 6-episode 2016 mini-series.
Advance word from critics on the 1st episode was that it was “bad.” Keith and I watched it about a month ago (he had already seen it), and I have no idea what these critics were talking about. I suppose, like any good show, The X-Files is many different things to different people. (Supernatural is like that too. There’s an epic archetypal quality to the events and the style, so it can TAKE lots of different emotional projections and interpretations.)
Keith will be re-capping the whole thing for Vulture, and his first re-cap is up.
He’s one of the best writers I know, his style elegant, thoughtful, rich, but even more than that: watch how he observes things, and then contextualizes what he has observed. In other words, it’s not a book report. This is analysis.
The X-Files Premiere Recap: Fiction Masquerading as Fact, by Keith Uhlich
OMG, so many thoughts I have, and no time to discuss! I am glad to hear you disagree with the naysayers, though – because I didn’t know what they were talking about either (although I have my suspicions). Perhaps I’ll be able to carve out some time in the next couple days to discuss. (Here, and over at Folsom Prison Blues! I did get to finish reading that, at least!)
Natalie – would love it if you carved out some time – but I understand totally needing the TIME to delve into these things!!
// I didn’t know what they were talking about either (although I have my suspicions). //
Would love to hear your thoughts!
This was so lovely to see. Thank you, Sheila, for writing about me and my work in this way. Binge-watching partners for life!
My pleasure, as always, friend!
Can’t wait to keep going – with X-Files and Millennium!!
I love binge watching! Perhaps too much. I’m one of those who preferred the “Monster of the Week” shows to the main story. Probably because I kept forgetting key details. Probably because I should have binge-watched them in the first place. Instead I watched in real time.
I wasn’t feeling this show, but as I kept falling asleep during the airing, perhaps I didn’t give it a chance. Now, I’m thinking I’ll save all the episodes and binge watch them together.
This blizzard afforded me the opportunity to binge watch the first two seasons of Orphan Black, which I absolutely adore. I don’t know if you’ve seen it, or if you even want to see it, but I’d love to hear your take on it when and if that happens.
Rachel –
Yeah I think the binge-watching vs. watching-in-real-time thing is really interesting! I can’t imagine what it must have been like to watch X-Files in real time over 9 years!! That’s how my friend Keith did it.
So I think my perspective is definitely different due to the insane binge-watch factor.
I never really got into the “mythology” part of it – although I love the paranoid atmosphere of the show.
I love the Monsters of the Week too – and the Scully/Mulder dynamic – plus Skinner. :) Sometimes I totally lost track of the main Arc – and I still get confused when I think about it!
I’m interested to see more of the episodes. Maybe a binge-watch would help, yeah – it wouldn’t surprise me if Chris Carter wrote them for a binge-watch especially.
I haven’t seen Orphan Black, I keep meaning to catch up on it – everyone tells me I have to see it!
I have found myself sucked into Jessica Jones – I had heard enough interesting chatter about it that I decided to check it out. I REALLY am liking it – I am actually kind of surprised at how much I like it, since super-heroes are not my thing at all. But it’s very deep I think, and very smart about trauma, and I love how everyone is a total mess. So far so good!
Binge watching may be a product of our alien overlords; it’s a perfect tool for them take over the world while we’re not paying attention. Agent Mulder: call your office!
I’ve heard good things about Jessica Jones, too. One of these days. In the meantime, I heartily recommend Orphan Jones. It’s funny, camp, suspenseful and bizarre all at once. And I’d love to know what you think of Tatiana Maslany.
Finally got a chance to catch up on the first two eps and I can see exactly what you said before that if you were a fan before, you’ll love it. It felt so comfortable, like someone dropped me back into S3 again with the voice overs, the urgency behind every action (wait, why do they have to do this right now? Oh ok, I’ll just go with it) and the recognizable guest stars (Joel McHale WTH? And then halfway through, I’m digging on it). Maybe it’s all a leap of faith and I’m willing to make that.
I echo what you say about Jessica Jones which was a great watch, such unexpected intimacy for a super hero story. Same could be said for Daredevil. I went into binge watching that one kicking and screaming. Now five eps in, I am invested. To think Matt Murdock lives in the same neighborhood as Jessica but they haven’t met yet? The references to “the incident” throughout both series and the emotional fallout for normal people make it like another 9/11 for them and they certainly don’t love the Avengers for it.