After falling into the depths of a forgotten SQL server for what seems like years (it probably was), the X Files Chronicles has been made available once again. Unfortunately it doesn't include season 10. I did watch it, but I'm still trying to make sense of how it all fits together! So who knows? Maybe I'll include it someday (for completeness, if anything).
Updated December 2020. There's still a few formatting issues but all the content is back up.
I have always loved the X-Files and used to watch it as much as I could. However, like with most things, I lost touch with the show towards the end of its run, leaving large gaps and questions. Too curious to let it rest, I needed to know how the story ends, hence why I started watching every episode ever made. It's going to take time (and caffeine), but I wanted to document certain things.
The following is a paragraph per episode (hence why this is a massive document), each detailing not so much the specifics of each episode, but more rather the bigger picture – main characters coming and going, important events in the X-Files legacy, how many times Scully gets her gun out, when the pair actually witness strange phenomena and more importantly, when they share 'special' moments together.
Season 1 saw the rise and fall of Deep Throat, introduced into the second episode, and killed in cold blood at the last. His help proved useful to Mulder and Scully, and his intentions seemed just. He wanted to expose the truth as much as Mulder, but could not do it alone. He gave only as much information as he could, and leaked more in response to the governments clean up operations. Lastly, we started Season 1 with the mysterious smoking man... always in the background, looking over Skinners shoulder, and we know he has ties with the pentagon.
This last scene of the first episode sees him place the small unknown object removed from a victims nose into a warehouse full of evidence. Similarly, in the last episode of this season, we see the small baby with the peculiar head, placed into the same warehouse. Something tells us that we've not seen the last of the smoking man. We've also been introduced to the lone gunmen, three nerds Mulder believes in to lend a hand every now and then. They seem to have connections in every part of the government (unofficially of course!), and always come in handy.
Season 2 saw major developments in the alien\UFO existence story, starting with 'Little Green Men', and ending in 'Anasazi'. It's quite an eventful season for Scully, getting kidnapped, without an explanation as to what happened to her during captivity, and Duane Barry's unusual death didn't help matters either.
She continues to rely on Mulder to get her out of trouble, which no doubt strengthened their relationship, but the most pivotal moments are the truths they each witness, notably the introduction of the Bounty Hunter, a mysterious man most likely sent from the heavens to clean up alien mess. Mulder also manages to break off contact with Mr X (aka Deep Throat's replacement), and also manages to find\loose his sister, and loose his father.
Season 3 really helped us build up a picture of the Smoking man, and his involvement with the Mulder's' family. He used to know Mulder's mother, worked with Bill, his father, and also has Mr X reporting to him – though does not know Mr X is talking to Mulder. Krycek has been left in a missile silo bunker with no recollection of why, though we know it's down to being a carrier for the black oil wanting to return to it's space ship. We also see the death of Bill Mulder, and Melissa Scully, Bill because he had involvement in the smoking man's work, and Melissa was simply a case of mistaken identity. Mulder's trust in Mr X took several dips, ending with the all low of 'your dead', but not is all lost since season 3 saw the funniest, most tongue in cheek episode yet – Jose Chung's “From Outer Space” wont be forgotten any time soon.
The secret society establish themselves a little more when we learn of their involvement in almost anything alien related, and Mulder has meet with two of their members now, Smoking man and well-manicured man. Though it's unlikely he knows they work together. Skinner also plays more important roles when he realises he is just a small cog in the works, and has become a target himself thanks to Mulder and Scully's investigations. After loosing his wife, and almost loosing his career, he's earned a lot more respect for the two agents, were hoping to see a lot more cooperation coming from them. Very little happened in terms of Mulder and Scully's relationship growing, though rumours have started about why this may be, ranging from brother\sister theories to memory loss at the end (!?), still, season 4 might see a kiss or two!
Season 4 saw many interesting developments, however it also did slip towards the middle, with a rather large amount of 'dumb' episodes which didn't really do a lot, and all got a little similar.
However we ended on an absolute killer episode which saw connections being made with the Smoking man and Mulder's family, as well as possible hope for Scully's crazy Cancer. Still, with Mulder now supposedly dead... the truth may start to come out.
Season 5 helped develop a lot of truths between Mulder and the conspiracies at work. The most crucial moments being Mulder's recovery from the dead, and the introduction of Michael Kritcroft – the DOD employee who defects from the side of evil to bring out the truth. Or is it?
Perhaps the most important moment for Mulder was his loss of faith due to believing everything Michael told him. Season 5 saw a role reversal of Mulder looking at things with a scientific eye, and due to Scully's loss of her daughter Emily – her mind becomes more open to paranormal ideas.
Smoking apparently dies at the beginning of Season 5, only to return at the end because Krycek, and the fellow council needed his help, we also see the introduction of multiple-abductee Cassandra Spender... Agent Spender's mother, who were quite sure will have a more significant role in Season 6.
Season 6 saw the rise and fall of the great colonization conspiracy. We learnt (almost all in one episode) that aliens want the planet, and which aliens are doing what. Cassandra Spender played a big part in updating us all of their intentions, and Agent Spenders death – which went rather unnoticed ended a string of conspiracies, as did the death of the security council (with the exception of Cigarette Smoking Man).
Things took a dip after all that and nothing interesting happened for a while, that is until a couple of old guests came in to say hello, but it's the new conspiracy that's got us all intrigued, and Mulder certainly didn't finish the season in a fit shape. It's up to Scully now for season 7 to find out what's happened.
Diana seems more then willing to lend a hand, though we know now she's working with the Smoking Man, and Krycek – who was once loyal to Well Manicured man, who is now dead, has no one to work for, and seems to have gone rouge. We certainly know he's no friends with C.G.B Spender.
Season 7 had four massive plot turns. Samantha's case is resolved, Mulder goes missing, Scully is pregnant and CGB Spender dies! It's hard to keep up with all the other deaths etc, and we also see the first on screen kiss with Mulder and Scully. This probably was the last true X-Files season, but time will tell as we move into season 8.
With every season that passes it seems more and more is crammed into it. Season 8 saw the return of Mulder, the death of Krycek and the birth of William. We also got introduced to Monica Reyes, Doggett's friend, and the relationship between them strengthen. Mulder got straight back to work, only to be fired for destroying an oil rig, so spends the rest of the season tagging along – even though he's pretty much two steps ahead of everyone.
Knowle plays an increasing part and Billy Miles returns as the complete opposite to when he first started. Then of course, there's Skinner who's basically become a full time member of the X-Files team. Though he slowly becomes more open to extreme possibilities when his life is endangered, he still chickens out at the beginning of Season 9. Read on to find out how it all ends!
It's now becoming slowly clear that the X-Files has three possible endings. I''m going to take a leap of faith now and suggest the three ideas, but first, lets look over some facts which may help in these ideas:
Now for my ideas!
The bounty hunters and human replacements (Billy Miles) could well be aliens intent on taking over the earth, should this happen, only Scully's baby can stop them, thanks to Williams unique DNA, similar to that of Gibson. Doggett and Scully's efforts were attempted to be side tracked by the lights of Knowle and Shannon – other alien replacements, by feeding them some fake story of super soldiers. I hope this is the winner.
Or maybe this super solders story is true. Billy Miles and the like are indeed super soldiers created by Knowle's friends in the Military. They have been bread to prevent the alien invasion, or to possibly take over the world for some unknown reason.
I know, it's vague. But lately there have been some rather scary suggestions and references to William being some kind of messiah like character with god-like abilities. This would be a rather crap ending to the X-Files, and I hope it doesn't come to this, but it's a possibility non the less.
And finally we come to the end...