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The X-Files (S10E05) -- "Babylon" -- 2/15/16

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Old 02-15-16 | 09:55 PM
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Re: The X-Files (S10E05) -- "Babylon" -- 2/15/16

I wonder if Chris Carter knows that, even though he's the show's creator, he's the worst writer/director the show's had.
Old 02-15-16 | 11:37 PM
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Re: The X-Files (S10E05) -- "Babylon" -- 2/15/16

They should gotten Miley Cyrus to do a cameo during Achey-Breaky Heart.

Preferably with Frohike.
Old 02-16-16 | 01:06 AM
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Re: The X-Files (S10E05) -- "Babylon" -- 2/15/16

Originally Posted by astrochimp
Ambrose and that pretty dude would make a good X-Files reborn team.
I mentioned that to my wife. Not that it would be good, but that it felt like they could potentially be testing the waters on such a thing.
Old 02-16-16 | 01:10 AM
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Re: The X-Files (S10E05) -- "Babylon" -- 2/15/16

Jesus christ. that was fucking awful.
Old 02-16-16 | 06:15 AM
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Re: The X-Files (S10E05) -- "Babylon" -- 2/15/16

Loved it, fun episode with the alternate Mulder and Scully types.

Only problem was that Frohike, Byers, and Langly got literally 2 seconds of screen time and no dialogue. It was barely even a cameo.

Sort of random, but when Mulder was dancing and wearing a cowboy hat I thought Duchovny wouldn't have made a bad Indiana Jones replacement (not that anyone could replace a prime Harrison Ford, but if you had to, Duchovny has the look of that character).
Old 02-16-16 | 08:49 AM
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Re: The X-Files (S10E05) -- "Babylon" -- 2/15/16

Originally Posted by hdnmickey
As we both are.

My opinion is that it doesn't make a lot of sense to make statements about how this season is worthwhile (or not) compared to the others until we have seen all of it. YMMV.
Well I did use the qualifier "so far" and after seeing last night's episode, I stand by that opinion. Like the others this season, I thought this one had a lot of interesting ideas, and I even laughed out loud when Mulder made that comment about Scully being a mugwump (or whatever it was), but something is still missing. I just get the sense that the writers are trying to accomplish too much and cover too much ground in too short amount of time. As much promise as some of these episodes have had, they just don't seem to come together as a satisfactory whole in the end.

While the wild swings in tone aren't new to the X-Files, the balance is thrown way off in this short season. The wacky stuff (while fun) works much better when it's offering relief to the more intense episodes. The alternating intense/wacky pattern doesn't allow the show to achieve much of a flow. The budget issues don't help either (although this week seemed ok on that front) and I can't help but wonder how much time Duchovny and Anderson actually spent on set together. Anderson, in particular, feels like a glorified guest star at times.

I suppose I just had much higher expectations for the new season. If you're going to resurrect a show after 14 years, I want it to be worth the effort. I'm not saying that this hasn't been a relatively enjoyable diversion, but unless this was the necessary path to more episodes (and I think that may be the case), it ends up being a fairly forgettable experience.
Old 02-16-16 | 10:18 AM
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Re: The X-Files (S10E05) -- "Babylon" -- 2/15/16

What I got from last nights episode is that Einstein & Miller are gonna be the new Scully & Mulder for a next (probably a full run) season... we may not like it, but mark my words!
Old 02-16-16 | 10:19 AM
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Re: The X-Files (S10E05) -- "Babylon" -- 2/15/16

Originally Posted by rocket1312
Well I did use the qualifier "so far" and after seeing last night's episode, I stand by that opinion. Like the others this season, I thought this one had a lot of interesting ideas, and I even laughed out loud when Mulder made that comment about Scully being a mugwump (or whatever it was), but something is still missing. I just get the sense that the writers are trying to accomplish too much and cover too much ground in too short amount of time. As much promise as some of these episodes have had, they just don't seem to come together as a satisfactory whole in the end.

While the wild swings in tone aren't new to the X-Files, the balance is thrown way off in this short season. The wacky stuff (while fun) works much better when it's offering relief to the more intense episodes. The alternating intense/wacky pattern doesn't allow the show to achieve much of a flow. The budget issues don't help either (although this week seemed ok on that front) and I can't help but wonder how much time Duchovny and Anderson actually spent on set together. Anderson, in particular, feels like a glorified guest star at times.

I suppose I just had much higher expectations for the new season. If you're going to resurrect a show after 14 years, I want it to be worth the effort. I'm not saying that this hasn't been a relatively enjoyable diversion, but unless this was the necessary path to more episodes (and I think that may be the case), it ends up being a fairly forgettable experience.
Though I have enjoyed the revival, I think this is a fair and cogent analysis/critique. I do think the writers have been trying too hard to hit every classic X-Files theme and meme in a very short six episode window - as if almost checklisting them in each episode. To be fair, it is awfully difficult to recapture the "classic" feeling of nine seasons of a very epic show in six episodes. They might have been better served, story telling wise, in really just doing a single storyline over six episodes - as in a true "mini-series."

Hopefully, assuming there is another run of episodes, they will at least do something like a twelve episode season, and have enough room to build some story arcs and more consistent tone over a few episodes.
Old 02-16-16 | 10:24 AM
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Re: The X-Files (S10E05) -- "Babylon" -- 2/15/16

Originally Posted by boss429
What I got from last nights episode is that Einstein & Miller are gonna be the new Scully & Mulder for a next (probably a full run) season... we may not like it, but mark my words!
I liked the actress who played the surrogate Scully. I didn't think much of the actor they got to be the quasi-Mulder. He barely registered on screen, a big zero. I almost thought his casting was intended as some kind of satirical joke, he was that bad of a misfire.
Old 02-16-16 | 11:14 AM
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Re: The X-Files (S10E05) -- "Babylon" -- 2/15/16

Originally Posted by astrochimp
Ambrose and that pretty dude would make a good X-Files reborn team.
Originally Posted by boss429
What I got from last nights episode is that Einstein & Miller are gonna be the new Scully & Mulder for a next (probably a full run) season... we may not like it, but mark my words!
This is exactly what I thought when Amell and Ambrose walked into their office at the beginning; a new team for the reboot. A handing over of the reins, if you will.
Old 02-16-16 | 11:44 AM
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Re: The X-Files (S10E05) -- "Babylon" -- 2/15/16

Originally Posted by Jackskeleton
Jesus christ. that was fucking awful.
Yep. It was embarrassing.
Old 02-16-16 | 11:57 AM
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Re: The X-Files (S10E05) -- "Babylon" -- 2/15/16

I loved Mulder's hallucination and his line dancing to Achy Breaky Heart.

But, that Lone Gunman cameo was pointless. If you're going to bring them back for a goofy cameo, at least have them interact with Mulder.

Tonally, the episode was a little all over the place, but I found it entertaining nevertheless.

From the footage of next week, it looks like "My Struggle II" will be back to a more serious tone.

I've enjoyed these goofy episodes, but I get why a few here are disappointed. For such a short season, I think some here were expecting more of continuous narrative/arc than 4 standalone episodes mixing in comedy and 2 mythology episodes.
Old 02-16-16 | 12:14 PM
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Re: The X-Files (S10E05) -- "Babylon" -- 2/15/16

Fun sequence that's for sure. Decent episode overall, but that hallucination sequence was awesome!
Old 02-16-16 | 12:19 PM
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Re: The X-Files (S10E05) -- "Babylon" -- 2/15/16

I really loved the show so far, but this episode was by far the weakest. The only good thing was Mulder hallucinating, but that was enough for me because that was awesome.

I hope they don't do a new series with those 2 new characters. I was not impressed.
Old 02-16-16 | 01:03 PM
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Re: The X-Files (S10E05) -- "Babylon" -- 2/15/16

I loved, loved this episode. I can't believe the wildly differing reactions to Babylon but I guess people expected six ordinary, standalone monster-of-the-week cases from this run.

It's evident the writers decided to tackle the more ambitious strains of storytelling that always ran throughout the X-Files' popular years in these six episodes. Which is fine by me, there was no certainty this run was going to be a success and could have been the final word on the entire show. Aside from the miss of episode one, this has been a creatively successful return for the great show.

I thought the younger versions of Mulder and Scully were great in terms of parody. This was Chris Carter and staff poking fun at the idea of a new X-Files reboot with a younger cast.

If anything is off, Duchovny and the writers seem to have embraced the popular perception of Mulder as the wacky nutjob willing to experiment with and believe in anything paranormal. Which is more a parody of the original character seen the first nine seasons than how Mulder actually operated in practice. They've been giving Mulder too many long monologues.
Old 02-16-16 | 02:57 PM
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Re: The X-Files (S10E05) -- "Babylon" -- 2/15/16

Originally Posted by PhantomStranger
I loved, loved this episode. I can't believe the wildly differing reactions to Babylon but I guess people expected six ordinary, standalone monster-of-the-week cases from this run.
I can appreciate the ambition in the writing, I just wish they could have stuck the landing on a few of these episodes. Like each of the previous ones, last night's had a lot of interesting individual elements, but generally speaking it was all over the place, both in tone and in story ideas.
Old 02-16-16 | 03:08 PM
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Re: The X-Files (S10E05) -- "Babylon" -- 2/15/16

i think the episode would have been better with a better agent Miller. that guy or the character as written, was terrible.
Old 02-16-16 | 03:37 PM
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Re: The X-Files (S10E05) -- "Babylon" -- 2/15/16

Originally Posted by The Infidel
This is exactly what I thought when Amell and Ambrose walked into their office at the beginning; a new team for the reboot. A handing over of the reins, if you will.
They are not going to make that same fucking mistake twice. Come on.
Old 02-16-16 | 07:41 PM
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Re: The X-Files (S10E05) -- "Babylon" -- 2/15/16

Mulder's hallucination made me think of Hank Moody tripping balls.
Old 02-16-16 | 09:28 PM
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Re: The X-Files (S10E05) -- "Babylon" -- 2/15/16

Originally Posted by DJariya
But, that Lone Gunman cameo was pointless.
In the end, we find out that Mulder did have an experience connected to reality. Maybe they were trying to say something by putting The Lone Gunmen in there. Maybe next season?

Another great episode. I think this has been a great set of episodes.
Old 02-17-16 | 12:35 AM
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Re: The X-Files (S10E05) -- "Babylon" -- 2/15/16

Originally Posted by Troy Stiffler
In the end, we find out that Mulder did have an experience connected to reality. Maybe they were trying to say something by putting The Lone Gunmen in there. Maybe next season
The Cigarette Smoking Man was also in the dream, and we know that he's still alive even though Mulder probably assumes that he's dead.
Old 02-17-16 | 02:32 PM
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Re: The X-Files (S10E05) -- "Babylon" -- 2/15/16

Aside from the Mulder tripping scene, which was the highlight, I think the rest of this episode was a mess. Didn't see why deal with such a serious subject as Islamic terrorism for an otherwise whimsical episode. The resulting tone shifts in this episode were so drastic that it didn't work as a whole for me.

But I will say that Lauren Ambrose (aka agent Einstein) is the best faux-Scully that's ever been on the show.
Old 02-17-16 | 04:44 PM
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Re: The X-Files (S10E05) -- "Babylon" -- 2/15/16

I love reading the reaction to these episodes.

I HATED last week's show. I LOVED this week's show. Many of you feel the opposite.

So far, here's my ranking:

Were-monster
Babylon
Founder's Mutation
My Struggle Part 1
Home Again

BTW, Chris Carter stated in an interview that FOX wanted him to throw in a couple of young agents "just in case"...so that's where Miller/Einstein came from.
Old 02-18-16 | 10:11 PM
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Re: The X-Files (S10E05) -- "Babylon" -- 2/15/16

Originally Posted by stingermck
Great episode. I feel like every xfiles fan girl let out a collective yelp during that dance number.
Shit, I let out a goddamn yelp, too.

Old 02-18-16 | 11:12 PM
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Re: The X-Files (S10E05) -- "Babylon" -- 2/15/16

http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/the-...es-1201708816/

No plans yet to order another season. Although FOX is interested.


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