The X-Files - The Complete Fourth Season (Slim Set)

I love The X-Files. It's a fantastic show. Season 4 is a huge let down. I gave season 4 one and a half stars out of pity. The acting is ok and a few episodes are interesting. Most of the episodes are more like something you'd see from the show Tales From The Crypt. They substitute plot for gore and blood. A lack of imagination, lame plots, no humor, lack of creatures, and redundant themes make up Season 4 of The X-Files.

Season 1 was good. Season 2 really good. Season 3 average. Season 5 average. Season 6 awesome. Season 7 fantastic.

I wasn't aware of the x-files while it twas on the air, so I'm reliving them thru DVD. This is one of my favorite seasons so far.

Despite the loss of fine writer Darin Morgan, this may have been the best season of this very underappreciated series? Honestly, I think this season & season five are tied as the best two of the entire series. At least Twenty of the Twenty Four episodes were excellent. After moving from Friday night to Sunday night the X-Files placed in the top Nielsen Twenty & often the top Ten on a regular basis. It was Fox's top rated show.

For me this season had the most imagination, action, suspense, fine acting, & special effects. The following exchange between the two main characters beliefs in episode "Herrenfolk" were the "soul of the series." Mulder{David Duchovny}, "You put such faith in your science, Scully{Gillian Anderson}, but... the things I've seen science provides no place to start." Scully: "Nothing happens in contradiction to nature; only in contradiction to what we know of it. So, that's a place to start. That's where the hope is." Season Fours "Mythology" episodes continued the storyline that was the heart of the series. It created new questions which added more depth since many of the old questions were often left unanswered as loosends.

This season saw more clones, shapeshifting aliens, black oil aliens, & Mulder's old enemy, Alex Krycek. The newest plot thread was Scully's battle with Cancer, which was a side effect of her season two abduction. The soul searching angst brought out the best in both the actors & characters as their bond grew. Gillian Anderson certainly deserved her Emmy award.

The most Classic episodes of this season were, "Home"- Mulder & Scully try to unravel the mystery of a deformed infant. This had some fun moments despite it's grisly subject matter. "Tunguska"- A Martian Meteorite gives the agents plenty of clues about the Black oil, while Krycek leads Mulder on a chase in Russia. "Paper Hearts"- a serial killer with the ability to influence dreams leads Mulder to question his memories about his sisters abduction. David Duchovny should have won the Emmy for this one. "Memento Mori"- Scully finds out that she has inoperable Cancer, as do other women who were abducted. While she undergoes an experimental treatment, Mulder hunts to find a cure & answers. "Small Potatoes"- A series of bizarre pregnancies lead Mulder & Scully to investigate a man who can change his appearance. This episode was included in TV Guide as one of the top one hundred greatest episodes of all time, I agree. "Demons"- Mulder has blackouts & memory loss while being accused of a double-murder. Did he do it, or will he be cleared? "Gethsemane"- Scully fights her Cancer, while Mulder fights to protect what he feels is undeniable proof of alien life. The tearful climax was worth the wait. This season should get nine out of ten stars.

I bought this for my neighbor/friend because she is a huge X-files fan although she has not received it yet there is no doubt in my mind that she will like it if not love it. She already know it is coming and she is looking forward to it arriving.

I'll admit that I never watched the X-Files at all on television save one episode (El Mundo Gira) during its initial run. I had figured it would be a lot of conspiracy-dialog drivel. While covertness does play a part in the whole scheme of the show, little did I realize the wide spectrum this show covers. Chris Carter and FOX respectfully handles the material with smarts, wit and production that thankfully more than meets what it needs to make it work.
I picked up Season 4 first because I remembered the aforementioned episode and I read online reviews that cite this season as its pinnacle. Wow, were they right. Action, drama, humor, aliens and all things non-explainable keeps the viewer glued to the screen at all times. And now on DVD, I can imagine the stories work better without the annoying commercial breaks and interruptions. If I had to choose a few favorite episodes I would take HOME, the TEMPUS FUGIT-MAX storyline, UNRUHE and SMALL POTATOES. But the there is never a real lapse of quality writing throughout. The performances flesh out the scripts and keeps the suspense plausible.
The 1.33:1 ratio transfer is beautiful to look at and must be better than the picture the TV I had at the time would've offered. The sound was crisp and offered perfect atmosphere where it was called for.
At around $35, you get 24 first class episodes that rival and often surpass the entertainment you find in the theaters these days. A value anyday, in my opinion. A must for those seeking "outside-the-box" programming.