
Itâs something of a surprise that âThisâ tries to blend a standalone concept with serialization. For most of its run, The X-Files kept its monster of the week episodes and mythology episodes distinct from one another. Itâs one of the reasons that MOTW entries retained their shine long after the mythology fell into its own ass; there are arguably just as many bad one-offs in the original show as there are installments of The Saga That Never Made Any Damn Sense, but because the worst monsters werenât connected to or building off anything, they were that much easier to forget.
Apparently season 11 has decided to double down on its ongoing storyline, which should make you nervous even if you liked the premiere more than I did. But hereâs an even bigger surprise: where âMy Struggle IIIâ was often a well-intentioned slog, âThisâ makes a pretty good case for itself. The plotting takes a few shortcuts that seem questionable in retrospect, but itâs a lot of fun to watch, aided by good pacing, sharp direction, and Mulder and Scully being allowed to do what they do best: investigate X-files, kick a surprising amount of ass, and banter. Oh, the banter is so very choice.
It also helps that even with the shortcuts, the story here makes basic sense. Hell, thatâs one of the reasons I didnât dislike the premiere as much as it probably deserved; sure, the show was once again attempting to retcon itself, but to be fair, there werenât a lot of other options on the table. Recentering the mythology in the present political situation and providing a small group of charismatic villains isnât the most imaginative move, and yes, if you squint we are once again moving around the same handful of pieces the show has been moving around since its first seasonâbut this is a credible foundation.
âThisâ is where that credibility really starts to pay-off. Instead of putting our heroes back in their old office (a trick they tried last season, which was good for a nostalgia boost but still felt unearned), we find Mulder and Scully on the run from one of their many, many enemies; this time itâs Price (Barbara Hershey, who is such a smart casting choice) and her American owned, Russian-headquartered private security force. The episode goes to work establishing what itâs like to be Scully and Mulder in a post-Trump world, and the results are surprisingly credible.
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Rather than coming across as a cheap play for topicality, the references to the FBIâs current lousy standing, the aforementioned Russia connections, and even Mulderâs comment about the world being a more complicated place feel like a reasonable fit, the confusion and terror of our modern world enhancing both the showâs perpetual sense of dread and its humor. A good portion of âThisâ is dedicated to Mulder and Scully kicking ass and being clever and resourceful and funny. That wouldâve been fun to watch regardless, but the persistent sense of legitimate stakes makes it all the more entertaining.
And I havenât even gotten to the plot yet. In addition to being chased by various smug-and-creepy dudes, Mulder also starts getting phone messages for Langley. The episode pretty much confirms that, despite an attempted comic book retcon, the Lone Gunmen are still dead, but a copy of Langleyâs consciousness was uploaded to a private server where he, along with a bunch of other dead geniuses hang out in a sterile virtual reality paradise, doing brain work for the bad guys in exchange for endless Ramones concerts and a perpetually unwinning New England Patriots. But Faux-Langley wants out, and heâs begging Mulder to destroy the system.
Itâs a premise that wouldnât be out of place on another science fiction series about the dangers of technology; hell, âcopying your consciousness into a computerâ is the premise of half a dozen Black Mirror episodes, and itâs arguable if âThisâ really does much new with the concept. The episodeâs biggest flaw is that it needs to spend so much time getting us used to a new status quo that the Langley sections ultimately feel a bit short-changed. Apparently he had a love interest? And not just a girlfriend, but someone he was so committed to that a big motivation for signing on for the brain-copying project was the chance to spend forever with her?
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Part of âThisâ feel a bit like a standalone episode edited down to fit into a mythology entry, which can be frustrating. And yet the more I think about it, the more I appreciate what it achieves. While thereâs still a certain narrowness to the showâs focus (itâs about the end of the world, but itâs hard to shake the sense that thereâs only, like, fifteen people in this world), the direction and setpieces were cinematic enough to make that easy to overlook. Context, coherency, and great character work all combine to offer something that feels like more than a stunt or a nostalgia hack, and while I never forgot that what I was watching was a revival, there were times when it seemed like ârevivalâ might not be such a bad word after all.
Stray observations
- Loved the absurd, vaguely National Treasure-esque riff when Mulder and Scully visit the Lone Gunmen graves in Arlington.
- Another downside to this is that the Gunmenâs death is still as canon as ever, and man was that a lousy way for them to go.
- Nice Network nod in the scene where Price and Mulder chat.
- âFrohike looked 57 the day he was born.â -Scully
- This episode also does a better job of playing up Skinnerâs divided loyalties. Itâs like being friends with someone you donât agree with politically; there are lines you know you shouldnât cross.
- âEverything we feared came to pass. How the hell did that happen?â -Mulder (I mean⌠not everything. But thematically, itâs a good line.)
- âWhy do you operate so well with your hands cuffed behind your back?â âAs if you didnât know.â Really, the banter throughout the hour is quality stuff.
- I canât entirely parse the logic of the final scareâin particular, I donât really get why Creepy Thug got his brain copiedâbut itâs a terrific visual, and the âItâs over! ...or is it?â conclusion has long been a hallmark of the series. (And hell, it makes a bit for just how easy it for Scully and Mulder to scam their way into Titanpointe.)
- After youâve finished enjoying the review, hereâs a fine essay on what might come next by our own Erik Adams.
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