The X-Files Season 5

Tags

1990's, David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, John Neville, Laurie Holden, Mitch Pileggi, Nicholas Lea, The X-Files, The X-Files Season 5, Veronica Cartwright, William B. Davis

Season 4 of The X-Files was stellar television and Season 5 continues in that vein, containing fantastic episodes, good switches in tone and mixture of genres. Season 5 finds the show at probably its most popular and most creative and I am so grateful to it for that. Mystery, humour, tension and emotional drama collide in what promises to be an eventful and extremely memorable season. Warning, some spoilers will follow during the review.

We begin where Season 4 left off with it appearing that Mulder(David Duchovny) had committed suicide after he was given evidence that everything he believed was true about aliens and conspiracy was fake and as a cover for something else. Mulder does not kill himself when he realises that there is a mole in the FBI who has been orchestrating cover ups and passing covert information to The Syndicate. Faking his death with the help of loyal Scully(Gillian Anderson) who puts her job and health on the line, Mulder manages to uncover the traitor as the man who initially assigned Scully to The X-Files and discover a chip, thanks to the unlikely help of Cigarette Smoking Man(William B. Davis) that could help Scully’s cancer. After getting the chip to Scully, her cancer goes into remission and she returns to work. Also, Cigarette Smoking Man is having his own disruptions within The Syndicate due to his difference of opinion and he appears to be shot, but somehow vanishes yet survives in the most peculiar fashion. There are more hints dropped at a closeness between Mulder and CSM that prove most interesting. Mulder’s faith in something out there is now at a nadir. Scully attempts to break through to Mulder after discovering that there is some truth in extraterrestrial life forms, but in seems in vain. Thankfully, Mulder eventually returns to his old self later on as the strange cases mount up again. And the cases and conspiracy that is in fact very much true continue to unravel once Mulder gets his groove back and he and Scully venture into darker and more complicated terrain than ever before. Scully discovers that during her abduction she was impregnated and finds the child born as a result of it. Tragically the girl named Emily dies due to sickness. Meanwhile, a group of alien rebels who are against the plans for colonization begin to target former abductees and fight back in an attempt to destroy the nefarious plans the Syndicate and the other aliens has for the Earth. A woman named Cassandra Spender(an excellent guest star in Veronica Cartwright) says she was abducted and Scully becomes curious as she is starting to believe in the idea of something out there, which culminates in Cassandra eventually being abducted again. Mulder finds some way of getting Scully to remember parts of  the abduction through hypnosis as a war begins brewing. Also throw in the re-emergence of Black Oil,  The Syndicate’s attempts to control it with a vaccine and returning of slippery Krycek(Nicholas Lea), and you have an inventive and intriguing season.

In terms of quality, Season 5 is up there with the best. Everything has the feeling of expansion to it, as more mysteries open up and questions slowly get answered in cryptic fashion. And the visuals are once more a high point within the season, seriously they are absolutely marvellous. Credit to the effects department too who have created some terrifying evils that Mulder and Scully encounter, many of which will induce nightmares. Season 5 is shorter in comparison to other seasons( mainly due to the face that filming of the feature film was in production) but this doesn’t hamper proceedings. It in turn brings a striking immediacy to the fold and lets the writers explore the mythology as well as the personal dramas that affect both Mulder and Scully, whether together or apart. The arc of Mulder becoming disillusioned with the belief in extraterrestrials is fascinating as it really flips the formula. It gives the chance to see Scully becoming more convinced in alien life where as she is normally the one to think of something scientific to discredit it. The arc thankfully doesn’t go on for a long time, because if it did I think people would be getting annoyed because it is Mulder we are talking about here. And you got to hand to everyone involved for throwing in curve balls that add significantly to the mystery of the show.

There are many episodes within Season 5 that deserve a whole lot of praise for the themes they present and visual style. The two-part opener of Redux and Redux II is extremely tense and filled with drama as Mulder unearths the mole, and before this we are led to believe that it could be Skinner(Mitch Pileggi) and then manages to save Scully from a certain death. The atmospheric Detour features the duo stumbling on a seemingly unusual entity that appears to have been once human but has adapted to become part of the woods it lives in. I must say this episode is very well done and the theme of survival is observed with style. One showstopper of Season 5 is The Post-Modern Prometheus; a wonderfully done episode filmed in black and white and serves as an homage to old horror movies. In the episode, Mulder and Scully investigate claims that a creature impregnated a woman. It transpires that the creature is actually the result of an experiment who wanted to have someone to love. The being is in reality a very gentle person who the townspeople think is a freak, but in the end he is probably more human than any of them. The themes of acceptance and what makes a person human come into play in touching fashion as everyone comes to see that the deformed creature is actually just a lonely soul in want of company. There is Chinga, penned by Stephen King that is somewhat of a point of contention with fans but an episode I found supremely creepy as a china doll influences those around it to mutilate themselves. And a big favourite of mine and so far one of the best episodes in the history of the show is the humour and horror of Bad Blood. In this episode, Mulder kills what he believes to be a vampire, but then seems to be just a young man, or is it? The humour from this episode is derived from watching Mulder and Scully’s differing view points on what actually transpired and the way they both in turn observe each other. The blend of witty writing, dark humour and horror results in a classic episode. And when the alien rebels arc arrives and the two-part saga of ‘Patient X’ and ‘The Red and the Black’ comes around, a whole lot of action and mystery is to be found as it builds nearer to the climax.

Once more, the principal stars of the show David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are on hand to deliver outstanding work as the duo of Mulder and Scully. Duchovny brings a level of weariness to Mulder this time around as he feels betrayed and his beliefs are conflicted. I liked how Duchovny brought out this side to Mulder, and then eventually showcased his immersion back into the role of believer once more. As the audience, as we know ourselves that he has been lied to and that there is something out there, we all feel something of a relief when Mulder regains his old determined mojo. Gillian Anderson is on stellar form as Scully, who is at her most emotional and less skeptical this season, as she grows closer to fully believing after rejecting other possibilities for so long. Anderson imbues Scully with a level of personal detachment that withers as everything around her gets more intense and personal. Anderson really showcases both Scully’s strengths and weaknesses this season to marvellous effect. The growing relationship between the pair is of a fine quality with it being one of trust and care. There are hints of possibly more to their relationship, but these are subtle and never in your face. Mitch Pileggi is suitably authoritative as Skinner, who finds himself drawn into more unusual cases than before. William B. Davis continues his impressive run as Cigarette Smoking Man, who this time around is manipulating from the sidelines after his skirmish with The Syndicate. John Neville is featured a bit more than usual as Well Manicured Man whose gentlemanly charm and seeming niceness mask the fact that he’s a very dark person indeed. Nicholas Lea is back once more as Krycek, who sides with anyone who can be of use and Laurie Holden is used a lot better as Marita, who pays the price for going against her nefarious colleagues. Plus, special mention has to go to the wonderful Veronica Cartwright in her role as the alien abductee Cassandra.

1. Redux – A
2. Redux II – A+
3. Unusual Suspects – B+
4. Detour – A
5. The Post-Modern Prometheus – A+
6. Christmas Carol – C+
7. Emily – B+
8. Kitsunegari – B+
9. Shizogeny – D-
10. Chinga – A
11. Kill Switch – A+
12. Bad Blood – A+
13. Patient X – A
14. The Red and the Black – A+
15. Travelers – B
16. Mind’s Eye – B
17. All Souls – B+
18. The Pine Bluff Variant – A
19. Folie à Deux – A
20. The End – A

All I have left to say is that Season 5 is a thrilling ride if ever there was one in The X-Files. It is the show at the height of its powers and has me very excited for what will arrive next.

The X-Files Season 4

Tags

1990's, David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Laurie Holden, Mitch Pileggi, Nicholas Lea, The X-Files, The X-Files Season 4, William B. Davis

The last season of The X-Files was my favourite of the show so far, so I was wondering how Season 4 would turn out. Thankfully, I can happily report that Season 4 is just as good as Season 3 and is full of emotion, horror and mystery that continues to grow. Be warned readers, spoilers will follow in my overview of the fourth season.

We begin where Season 3 left off as Mulder(David Duchovny) is trying to protect the healer Jeremiah Smith from the Alien Bounty Hunter. Jeremiah manages to get some information to Mulder about the Syndicate’s motives, which somehow links to the idea of alien colonization. Mulder is also shown various clones of his sister rekindles his determination and is also relieved when his mother begins to recover from her stroke. Jeremiah eventually runs away and escapes from the bounty hunter, but his bits of information have made an impact on Mulder in a big way. Meanwhile Scully(Gillian Anderson) has her own difficulties to contend with. She is diagnosed with terminal cancer, which Mulder comes to believe is due to her abduction in Season 2. With her health in the balance and her future uncertain, Scully continues with her work not knowing how long she will be able to. The Syndicate becomes aware of X’s betrayal and he is subsequently killed, but not before managing to point Mulder in the direction of a new informant. The new informant is Marita Covarrubias(Laurie Holden), who supplies Mulder with necessary information but keeps a distance. The Cigarette Smoking Man(William B. Davis) is still looming large with his own plans, as well as the slimy Krycek(Nicholas Lea) who pulls Mulder into one of his dangerous schemes. With more avenues of answers beginning to open regarding the alien conspiracy and many twists that get very personal for all of those involved, it’s up to Mulder and Scully to continue the search for the elusive truth, aided by the helpful Skinner(Mitch Pileggi) that could be closer than any of them think and will lead to a whole lot of danger.

Like with the visuals of Season 3, Season 4 is amazing in capturing a real sense of atmosphere and emotion that is closely tied to the stories told. There is real sharpness to the cinematography that generates some striking images and haunting ambience. Creepiness and dangerous events abound in this season, and the ante is upped to a higher level which is always good for a show like this. The scripts are top-notch. Aside from the paranoia and science fiction, there is welcome drama that is handled well and elicits strong emotions. Mordant humour can also be found in many episodes, showing how the writers, producers and directors know how to blend all these elements together to create quality television. And I can’t forget the continuing brilliance of composer Mark Snow, whose music is spellbinding and spine chilling.

One of the central highlight episodes from this season is the extremely disturbing ‘Home’. No discussion of Season 4 would be complete without covering this episode. It truly is one of the best episodes of the show so far and really lingers long in the memory. In the episode, Mulder and Scully are called into a quiet small town in Pennsylvania to investigate the unearthing of a baby that was buried alive and sported multitudes of birth defects. The trace for answers leads to the Peacock family; three brothers who live in a house without modern amenities and are shut ins. The episode gets a whole lot more disturbing as it is revealed that the brothers are the products of incest and inbreeding. And to make matters even more horrifying, their amputee mother is the one who has been impregnated many times by her sons. Violent imagery like the booby-trapped residence of the brothers, unnerving contrasts between light and dark and a lot of themes, chief among them the startling dismantlement of the American Dream, ‘Home’ is a brutal hour of television that once seen will never leave you. ‘Home’ may be the main highlight but there are a whole lot of other episodes that are of excellent quality. The haunting and gory ‘Sanguinarium’ examines the horrors of cosmetic surgery tinged with sorcery and magic. A dark mordant humour and unreliable narrator is effectively used in ‘Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man’ as the past of the villain is revealed, or is it? The tense two parts of ‘Tunguska’ and ‘Terma’ boast striking visuals and intriguing stories about the reappearance of Black Oil, along with Krycek dragging Mulder into his own revenge plan. A lot of credit must go to the chilling ‘Paper Hearts’ in which Mulder confronts an imprisoned serial killer who claims that his sister was one of his victims many years before. We watch as Mulder is drawn into the mind games of this man and how he is left to figure out what exactly did happen to his sister. It’s a spooky and atmospheric episode that does well at tapping into the psyche of Mulder and how haunting the disappearance of his sister is for him. There is the emotional ‘Memento Mori’ when Scully is diagnosed and we watch her process this information, try to remain strong but in the end be devastated and then inspired to fight it, with Mulder doing everything he can to draw lines between her abduction and her cancer. On the other end of the spectrum of emotions is humour found in ‘Small Potatoes’ in which a shape shifting man causes havoc by impersonating different men, including Mulder. This episode really shows how funny the show can be.

David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are really allowed to strut their emotional stuff this season and they do it excellently. Duchovny excels at projecting the torments of Mulder and how his desire for the truth puts him in danger that he often doesn’t stop to think about. We relate to Mulder’s quest because he is so dedicated to it, yet we like Scully, can see that it can cloud his judgement. Mulder can be a flawed character who won’t listen to reason, but Duchovny makes him an excellent character to watch as he unfolds and is put through an emotional tailspin. Gillian Anderson is no less impressive as Scully, who goes through the wringer of feelings here. We sympathise with Scully and her devastating news and get to see her let her guard down and be human. Scully always prides herself on always having the answers, but when something is this close to her, Anderson reveals Scully’s fears and insecurities and makes them palpable. Mulder and Scully have continued to grow as a pair over the past three seasons, and it is here in Season 4 when we see how really close they are. The chemistry is there but there is a deep connection formed that compliments the other and reveals how each would do anything for the other, even in the most dire circumstances. It’s wonderful to see Skinner develop more as he becomes more involved. Mitch Pileggi excellently exudes authority and graveness as he is forced to make many deals with the devil to ensure the safety of Mulder and Scully. He has truly become a very valuable ally to the duo’s quest. I enjoyed the expansion on Cigarette Smoking Man, who is played with evil relish by William B. Davis. He just has that wicked presence that you can’t help but feel unnerved by. You couldn’t have asked for a better person to portray the character because no one could come close to Davis. Nicholas Lea is back as the slithering Krycek, out for himself and no one else as he plots his own revenge against The Syndicate. New to the cast is Laurie Holden as the new contact for Mulder. While she is quite good at playing Marita as mysterious, helpful and a little distant, she doesn’t quite have the snap of Deep Throat or X. It’s not that she’s bad, she just can’t measure up to the stature of Mulder’s past informants.

1. Herrenvolk – A
2. Home – A+
3. Teliko – B-
4. Unruhe – B+
5. The Field Where I Died – D-
6. Sanguinarium – A
7. Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man – A+
8. Tunguska – A
9. Terma – B+
10. Paper Hearts – A+
11. El Mundo Gira – D
12. Leonard Betts – A
13. Never Again – B
14. Memento Mori – A
15. Kaddish – C+
16. Unrequited – C
17. Tempus Fugit – B+
18. Max – B+
19. Synchrony – C
20. Small Potatoes – A+
21. Zero Sum – B+
22. Elegy – A
23. Demons – B+
24. Gethsemane – A

Season 4 is an emotional and excellent season of The X-Files that is very much on par with Season 3 in terms of quality, mystery and depth.

Silent Hill

Tags

2000's, Alice Krige, Christophe Gans, Deborah Kara Unger, Horror, Jodelle Ferland, Kim Coates, Laurie Holden, Radha Mitchell, Sean Bean, Silent Hill, Tanya Allen

Film Title

Silent Hill

Director

Christophe Gans

Starring

• Radha Mitchell as Rose Da Silva
• Sean Bean as Christopher Da Silva
• Laurie Holden as Cybil Bennett
• Jodelle Ferland as Sharon Da Silva
• Deborah Kara Unger as Dahlia Gillespie
• Kim Coates as Officer Thomas Gucci
• Tanya Allen as Anna
• Alice Krige as Christabella

For all its creepy visuals, well-designed sets and competent direction, Silent Hill falls surprisingly flat of the potential it could have reached. What could have been a truly terrifying and riveting adaptation of the video game is let down by a weak script and slow pace.

Rose Da Silva is concerned for the safety and health of her adopted daughter Sharon. For a long time, the young girl has experienced nightmares while sleepwalking, ending in her shouting the name of a town “Silent Hill”. While Rose’s husband Christopher wants to have the girl tested for psychological help, Rose doesn’t agree with this and takes drastic action. Taking Sharon with her after researching the town, she drives towards it in a quest for answers and truth. But on the way to it, Rose gets in a car accident and is knocked unconscious. When she wakes up, Sharon has disappeared. Rose then enters Silent Hill, which is covered in falling ash from a fire of long ago that devastated the town. Assisting her is cop Cybil Bennett, who witnessed Rose’s desperate attempts to reach the town. But as Rose ventures deeper into the town, the sinister past begins to emerge and the hellish depths of the place, which included religious fanaticism and witchcraft burning begin to engulf her. Meanwhile, Christopher frantically searches for his wife and daughter, and comes across the town only to find it to be an abandoned ghost town.

I must say that if Silent Hill was purely based on its style and overall visuals, I would declare it to be a masterwork. Christophe Gans confidently directs the film with panache, ratcheting up the creepy factor at every opportunity. And the fantastic sets of gloomy buildings that populate the eponymous town, filled with mutilated beings and bowels of hell are stomach churning at the very least. But as I’m judging the whole film, I really can’t step away from the flaws that riddle the film. I just feel that the technical aspects that at least make Silent Hill watchable can not save it from being a failure. The main issues I have with Silent Hill are the script, running time and the fact that it throws so many ideas at you without thinking about it. The script at times just feels lazily done, which results in some really bad dialogue. This also has a bad effect on the ideas it throws at you. Many of them have potential, but are not given enough meat on their bones to fully register. I also feel that if the running time had been toned down and given an injection of pace, I would have enjoyed it more. At least there is an unusual score to back up some of the suspense of the horror that occurs along the way.

At least, despite her character being sketchily written, Radha Mitchell shines in the role of Rose. She imbues her with a terrified core that is not going to be shaken as she goes head first into the pits of hell to retrieve her child. It may be something of a thankless role, but at least Radha Mitchell gives it something else. The same can be said of both Sean Bean and Laurie Holden, whose roles are not drawn well enough but they somehow manage to give that little bit extra to them. Holden especially gives her part her all and works well alongside Mitchell. Thank goodness we have these two actresses doing their level best when being given such poorly written and misguided material. Jodelle Ferland as the little girl whose dreams start the whole story is seen too infrequently during the film to really be memorable. Deborah Kara Unger, wrapped in grey sheets and scraggy hair, adds to the strangeness of the piece while Kim Coates is very bland as an officer who knows the history of Silent Hill. In small roles, Tanya Allen as a disturbed fanatic who babbles like a child and Alice Krige as the cult leader, add dashes of menace and malice to proceedings. Krige, although her role is small, makes the most of it and steals all the scenes in which she is present.

So to summarise, Silent Hill may be appropriately unusual and well designed, but is lacking in other departments which drags it down in estimations.