X Files: Season 8 [DVD]

So, David Duchovny signs out with season 8 - a season where his cameo appearances through the first half reminded us of how much we loved him - and his partnerdhip with Scully. Then he came back, and all was good - until he left again, in preperation for a season 9 without him at all. The season gets under way with Mulder abducted and a fantastic new character added. John Doggett, head of the search for Mulder then assigned to the c-files with Scully, is an absorbing character. Sure, he'll never be able to replace Mulder, but he is different in a way that makes him new and exciting to keep the chair warm. And i realise many fans argued that Mulder's dissappearance was the end and season 8 was dragged and uneccesary, but they never gave it a chance in my opinion. Anyway, dont listen to them and try the new characters, and you'll find its much the same. I adnit some of the StandAlone episodes without that brilliant Mulder-Scully chemistry were a bit dull, but the Mythology played a bigger part than ever and Scully's pregnancy and Gillian Anderson's fantastic performances kept the excitement levels up.

The season gets under way in typically unexplained fashion, with Doggett and his cronies searching for Mulder on earth, whilst Scully and Skinner try and explain otherwise. Then the Standalone episodes kick in, and whilst they aren't as good as the ones with Mulder and Scully, they regained a dark atmosphere the show lost in seasons 6&7. For those Mulder fans or shippers, 'Per Manum' is a fine episode to prepare us for Mulder's return, with a story that makes Scully question how her pregnancy came to be, and flashbacks to her touching and *romantic* efforts to enlist Mulder as her sperm donor years before. Then comes Mulder's return, an event handled pretty well on the whole, with the reserrection being very touching in Deadalive, even if we know hes coming back to life, Andersons acting as a heartbroken Scully still knocked the stuffing out of me. Once Mulder was back, there were some excellent mythology episodes (Three Words, Vienen, Alone) which introduced the intriguing Agent Reyes, and explore the unintentionally amusing relationship between Mulder and Doggett. Then...there's Existence. Scully's baby is born, and the mystery surrounding its conceiving is to be resolved with the long awaited and superbly acted and soooo romantic and soooo touching......KISS. A fantastic moment in the x-files, for me no doubt the highlight of the season. Kim Manners tells us on the commentary that David and Gillian stood there holding each other for 5 minutes after shooting, in preparation for that scene being the last ever one they ever shot together. Thankfully, David came back for 'The Truth' at the end of season 9 (phew).

In the end, you should buy this and try this. Many will like it and maybe some will resent it. Personally, i feel that it was a fine continuing, especially considering the circumstances. Give it a go!

A lot of people dismiss the eighth year of the X-Files, but despite Mulder's abscence this is a series full of good storylines and Robert Patrick is excellent as Doggett, a character which grows and becomes more likeable as the series progresses.
Every series of the X-Files has one or two duff episodes and this is no exception, but the overall quality of the writing and acting is superb here and this box set has some good extras for fans of the show.

If you ask any X-Files fan when they thought the show 'jumped the shark', they'd probably say season 8. Not me though. The opening two-part episodes Within and Without are perhaps two of the best mythology arc related episodes in the series, picking up events from season 7 cliffhanger Requiem and introducing new regular character John Doggett (played by Robert Patrick).

The first half of the season deals with Doggett's introduction to the X-Files, becoming the skeptic, while Scully is now the believer. It's also interesting to note that this season uses the mythology arc more than any other in the series, which is both a strength (for long-term fans) and a weakness (for casual viewers).

The season really picks up in the second half, when Mulder returns to the mix, investigating a number of cases with new characters Doggett and Monica Reyes (played by Annabeth Gish), as well as a continuing relationship with Scully. All events culminate into the fantastic season finale Essence and Existance, which could have made a great series finale if not for season 9, which turns out much weaker as a whole.