Season 8 (21 episodes airing 2000-2001) was the most atypical of
all nine years of THE X FILES for several reasons:
1. Much of the season makes due without the services of David
Duchovny.
2. New characters, assuming key roles, are introduced.
3. An unprecedented percentage (nearly half) of the episodes are
devoted to the mythology arc.
There is a noticeable, almost "symphonic", symmetry to the season
(composer Mark Snow's haunting "Scully theme" functioning as "idee
fixe") with the mythology arc divided into several well-defined
sections: an opening 2-part prelude, massive 5-part mid season
"adagio" and grand 2-part finale.
The loss of David Duchovny's full participation actually had the
effect of re-focusing THE X FILES. Chris Carter and company were put
to the test in coming up with an interesting and (somewhat) cohesive
storyline that would work around the practical ( business related )
realities they faced behind the scenes. Though not without missteps,
Season 8 succeeded both in revitalizing the dramatic intensity of
the myth arc and maintaining the shows inexorable momentum toward a
conclusion revealing much of Chris Carter's longstanding underground
project.
In Season 8 Gillian Anderson became the lynchpin of THE X FILES,
continuing to summon up her considerable skills in service to the
show. The casting of Robert Patrick as Agent John Doggett was a
stroke of genius; Doggett was written and acted in complete
distinction to Mulder. This well-planned strategy allowed the
imaginative landscape of THE X FILES to be viewed through the fresh
eyes of a new character; in the process, some of the excitement of
the show's early years was regained for longtime aficionados.
Additionally, a measure of stability and strength is found in the
season-long emphasis of producing truly serious scripts. The result
is a consistently "dark" mood, similar to the melancholia found
throughout Season 4. In fact, only in a short midseason slump did
the show exhibit signs of true weakness.
The "stand alone" scripts, while certainly not the main emphasis of
Season 8, were noticeable improvements over the previous season:
Vince Gilligan's ultra-violent "Roadrunners" (his only contribution
in Season 8) is the single finest "stand alone" of the year, a
savage parody of a religious sect ( barely disguised ) combined with
an homage to the sci-fi classic "Invasion of the Body Snatchers".
This is the first episode (aired early in the season) in which it is
apparent that Gillian Anderson and Robert Patrick really "click" as
a team; a most fortunate happenstance as the fate of the remaining
two years depend in large part on their convincing onscreen
chemistry. THE X FILES would never have maintained its integrity had
the (platonic) Scully/Doggett partnership failed onscreen.
David Amann's moving "Invocation" is the first of several episodes
over the course of the final 2 seasons that deal with the past event
that most shaped Agent Doggett: the kidnapping and murder of his son
("Empedocles" was the other script so featured in Season 8).
Longtime staff writer Frank Spotnitz has a very prominent role in
shaping Season 8; in addition to co-writing several episodes with
Chris Carter, Spotnitz penned several solo scripts:
The excellent "Via Negativa", in addition to being superior on its
own terms, has the additional virtue (shared with "Invocation") of
allowing Robert Patrick to flesh out his character (David Lynch
style cinematography adds a visually disturbing element to the
storyline).
"The Gift" is one of the strangest X FILES episodes ever produced, a
hallucinatory combination of "stand alone" and "mythology", all the
more bizarre for the flashbacks which (purportedly) explain Mulder's
pre-abduction illness.
"Alone" (aired late in the season) is essentially written for the
elegiac touches of its final minutes, with Scully and Mulder
humorously yet touchingly "passing the torch" on to a young and
admiring FBI agent, the latter character symbolic of the legions of
loyal (and often demanding) "X-Philes".
Regarding the failures in Season 8:
"Salvage", "Sure kill" and especially the execrable "Baddlea" should
never have been aired. One of the most valuable aspects of this
complete DVD set will be to allow the viewer to bypass inferior
episodes and concentrate on the otherwise laudable unity
demonstrated throughout Season 8.
Regarding the mythology arc:
The aforementioned symphonic structure of the season begins with
Chris Carter's two-parter ("Within"/"Without"), which has the
pregnant Scully searching for an abducted Mulder.
Carter and Spotnitz collaborate on the pivotal mid season block of
mythology episodes dealing with the death and resurrection of Fox
Mulder. One cannot help but notice the debt owed to the 2nd/3rd
season trilogy ("Anasazi" / "The Blessing Way" / "Paper Clip" ).
Chris Carter wrote the season finale ("Essence"/"Existence"), which
is the mirror image (in terms of title and plot) of the season
opener. The series' philosophical (indeed, theological)
underpinnings, while by no means hidden in previous seasons, are
laid bare with allusions and typological references to the New
Testament (as well as the metaphysics of Aquinas reflected in the
episode titles).
While "Essence"/"Existence" was fashioned in such a way as to
provide a satisfactory conclusion to both the 8th season and the
series as a whole (should it have ended in 2001), it turned out that
many of its themes would be carried over into what would in
actuality become the final year. THE X FILES would eventually
complete its long (9 year) run in artistic and spiritual unity; a
testimony to the integrity of cast, writers, crew and (above all)
creative vision of Chris Carter.
Newly-promoted Deputy Director Kersh assigns
pragmatic Agent
John Doggett to head up the task force searching for
Mulder. Meanwhile, an increasingly defiant Skinner assists
Scully as they search for the alien ship, which is
systematically removing evidence of alien existence... and
is next headed to the deserts of
Arizona, and Gibson Praise.
At a remote school in the Arizona desert,
Doggett, Scully, Gibson and Skinner - as well as a host of
students and agents - don’t know who to trust as the bounty
hunter works among them; and - in a spaceship close by -
Mulder is tested on.
Having been assigned to the X-Files, Doggett
joins Scully on a series of gruesome murders where they
learn that their investigative techniques are less than
similar.
Working alone, Scully pursues a cult that
worship a slug-like organism; but in her efforts to save an
injured stranger, she discovers she’s in over her head.
Having been kidnapped for ten years, a little
boy mysteriously reappears but hasn’t aged one bit. While
the case stirs up painful memories for Doggett, suspicion
stirs that the boy isn’t all he seems.
Doggett and Skinner work to avert the
murderous spree of a religious cult leader, while Scully
takes time off to deal with the early stages of her
pregnancy.
The fatal shooting of a realtor while alone
in a cinderblock jail cell has Doggett hoping motive will
yield more than method, but they soon learn that there is
more to this case than meets the eye.
Doggett and Scully encounter a dead man who
is still living - only somewhat changed. What they discover
is a man made of metal, enacting vengeance on those he
believes created him.
When a mystic smuggles himself out of
India, Scully and Doggett give chase as his murderous
spree starts terrorising two families in suburban
Washington, D.C. But Scully soon comes upon a crisis of
faith when she realises how dissimilar her techniques are
from Mulder, even as she tries to be the believer.
Doggett comes upon an old case about a
professed ‘soul-eater’ that Mulder kept secret from Scully,
which he hopes will ultimately prove the truth behind
Mulder’s abduction.
A string of bizarre deaths in the tunnels of
the
Boston
subway system sees Doggett join a team of professionals
underground to investigate; while Scully has to defy the
train authorities above land, who are determined to get the
trains up and running within hours.
When a mysterious man claims his wife was
fertilised with an alien baby, and then killed and the baby
stolen; Doggett is skeptical, while Scully realises that the
woman’s story is similar to her own. While Doggett attempts
to understand the motives of his friend and government
contact
Knowle Rohrer, Scully questions her own pregnancy and
its conception.
Doggett calls on another agent,
Monica Reyes, to assist in the Mulder case, but Scully’s
fears about finding him come to a head with the sudden
recovery of abductees seized at the same time.
Three months after Mulder’s funeral, a former
abductee awakens from the dead and Scully pins her hopes on
resurrecting her partner; while Skinner is offered a
loathsome deal by Krycek.
Mulder secretly conducts his own
investigation after a man is gunned down on the
White House lawn attempting to inform the President of a
planned alien invasion. However, he is soon in over his head
as he tries to expose further evidence of colonization.
Reyes enlists Mulder’s help investigating a
killer’s connection to the unsolved murder of Doggett’s son
but Mulder soon finds himself clashing with Doggett.
Mulder and Doggett are asked to investigate
several deaths aboard an oil rig, but Mulder is convinced
the rig is carrying an alien black oil; meanwhile a heavily
pregnant Scully attempts to protect Mulder in absentia.
With Scully on maternity leave, Doggett is
paired with an enthusiastic young agent who knows everything
about the X-Files, and her apotheosis of Mulder and Scully
leads to him learning a thing or two. But when Harrison and
Doggett disappear, Mulder defies orders in an attempt to
find them.
Mulder, Skinner and Doggett come up against
the horrible consequences of the Syndicate’s pact with the
aliens, as a hybrid attempts to erase all evidence of the
tests - including Scully’s soon-to-be-born baby. The men
call on Reyes, and - reluctantly - Alex Krycek to help
them.
Mulder, Doggett and Skinner face off with the
alien replicants as they desperately try to expose the
conspiracy within the FBI. Meanwhile Scully goes into labour
in a remote location, but Reyes soon learns they may be no
safer there.
"Also Starring"
Mitch Pileggi: Assistant Director
Walter S. Skinner
