The X Files: Season 6 [DVD] [1994]

Still, there is plenty of merit to this set of 22 episodes that kicks off with the aptly titled "The Beginning" that picks up some of the threads from the 1998 theatrical movie "Fight the Future" while focussing more broadly on the story of last season's finale that the film bridges. Mimi Rogers returns in her role as Agent Diana Fowley (appearing in a total of four episodes), as does the thorn in Mulder's side turned ally - his half brother Agent Jeffrey Spender. This leads to the biggest change in direction of all as Mulder and Scully are denied reassignment to the X-Files unit and must instead report to Assistant Director Alvin Kersh (who features more prominently in Seasons Eight and Nine right up to the series finale).

This half-season long diversion doesn't affect the focus of the stories too much however, as we are dealt a whole load of comedy episodes. This leaves the second half of the season stocked with monster-of-the-week shows, all of which are fine (except maybe the dull "Alpha") but you can't help but think a little spacing out and mixing would have improved the finished article no end. As it is the balance is not quite right.

In one of the classics, "Triangle", Mulder gets caught up in the Bermuda Triangle and even more laughs come when he swaps bodies with your average man-in-black in the two-part tale "Dreamland". If that wasn't enough, the FBI duo get caught up in a haunted house on Christmas Eve in "How the Ghosts Stole Christmas" with comedy and satire a plenty.

This takes us into the quintessential mythology double "Two Fathers" and "One Son", one of the high points of the entire series. While it spells the unfortunate end for the old conspiracy arc, if it had to go then this was the way to do it. Further highlights include the beginning of an under-used Krycek/Skinner arc in "S.R. 819", the old time-loop plot of "Monday", the Lone Gunmen show "Three of a Kind", and "The Unnatural" written and directed by David Duchovny. All of these culminate in the season cliffhanger "Biogenesis" that leaves Scully standing over a buried spacecraft on the shores of the Ivory Coast.

Overall, Season Six is a good one yet not the very best. The indivudual stories are great for the most part, but the character development and ongoing themes are somewhat lacking. The attractive DVD box set includes every episode across 6 discs in anamorphic wide screen format, with plenty of special features including a brand new summary documentary, a character profile on the Cigarette-Smoking Man (taken directly from the "One Son" feature video), episode commentaries on "Triangle" by Chris Carter and "Milagro" by director Kim Manners, and plenty more of the usual format - TV spots, interview clips, a whole host of deleted scenes, et cetera.

A must buy for any fan of The X-Files, and enough stand-alones that make excellent viewing for others too.

What really makes season six work for me is the perfect balance between the mythology episodes, the comdey episodes and the down right brilliant stand alone episodes.
The season opens with the aptly titled "The Beginning" which is a continuasion of the Movie and answers a couple of questions the movie aroused.
Two Fathers\One Son wraps up the "Black oil/Syndicate" story(or thats what you think) that had ran since season 3 and these are amoung the best mythology episodes of the shows history, also nice to Krycheck back with a big role.
The seasons ends on a brilliant cliffhanger "Biogenisis" which would become the new mythology for the next season.

As far as the stand-alone episodes go they are among the best and most inventive The X Files have ever made. There are plenty of dark and scary episodes "Tithonus", "Agua Mala", "Alpha" and the strange "Milagro".
Theres also no lack of suspense, "Drive" with Bryan(Hal
from Malcolm from the middle)Cranston, "Terms of Endearment", "SR 819" and "Trevor" are fantastic.
The comedic episodes are excellent too, certainly up to par with the likes of BAD BLOOD, SMALL PATATOES, HOLLYWOOD AD and JOSE CHUNG FROM OUTER SPACE to name a few, the stand outs from this season for me are "Arcadia" where Mulder and Scully pose as a married couple and "Dreamland I and II" with Michael Mckean which will have you falling out of your chair laughing. Check out his and David's dance routine. BRILLIANT!!!!

Triangle is without question one of the most innovateive episodes in TV history. Set in 1939 with Mulder stuck in the Bermuda triangle and Nazi soldiers in control of the boat he now occupies, it's up to Scully to save the world from Nazi rule.
The camera work is what makes it really stand out though. It's shot in such a way that the camera is continuesly moving unlike anything that has been seen in Television for a very long time.

Classic television that nothing else can compare too, except maybe the other Eight Seasons of The X Files.

Episodes like Triangle, How the Ghosts Stole Christmas, Milagro, Dreamland I & II, Drive, Arcadia, Field Trip, Tithonus, Monday and The Unnatural were episodes that re-defined what the writers could do within a 45-minute episode, and the results are remarkable. The Unnatural deserves special mention. Writen and directed by David Duchovny, it tells the story of an alien, disguised as a human, who loves baseball but can't break into the big time for fear of being found by the Alien Bounty Hunter....sounds a little strange, but it is without doubt one of my favourite episodes.

The mythology in this season continues to get more complex, and for casual viewers, far too inpenetrable. The Beginning nicely ties up any loose strands from the film (but not all; this is The X-Files!) and sets out what will be the seasons main mythology focus; the origins of mankind and the coming alien invasion. This is explored more fully in the superb season finale, Biogenesis.

Two of The X-Files most important episodes are in this boxset; Two Fathers and One Son. This two-part story reveals the true identity of the Cigarette Smoking Man, reveals the full extent of the Syndicates plan....and provides closure to the first five seasons of mythology. Yep, we get answers, and the myth arc started in Season One largely comes to a close, leaving subsequent seasons to focus on the coming invasion. Personally, I think these episodes were very successful and highly entertaining.

Overall Season Six is a fantastic piece of televison. After a so-so fifth season and relocation to LA, the cast and crew proved that after six years The X-Files was still at the creative pinnacle of televsion making, not forgetting to be entertaining along the way.