Case 09, File 10: Providence

AKA: So It's About Rhode Island, Right?

At what point did The X-Files lose control of its storyline. Arguably it never had control, it is very clear in retrospect that the plan for the story was functionally nonexistent and they had been winging it long before everyone figured out they were. But that doesn't need to be a problem, lots of decent stories weren't written with a game plan in mind, and they can work out. No, I think that the problem is a lot stranger and more interesting than a simple lack of a long term plan.

Case 09, File 09: Provenance

AKA: It Cannot Be THAT Hard To Kill A Baby

Thus far most episodes of Season 9 have been surprisingly good, or at least not bad enough to justify getting upset about. The exceptions have mostly been the Myth Arc episodes; It's very clear that the series lost any control it had over the tv show's long term direction ages ago, and is spinning in circles trying to find a plotline that'll stick. The super soldier plotline has been pretty inconsistent so it turns out the best way to move the plot forward is to grab plots from like 3 seasons ago.

Case 09, File 08: Hellbound

 AKA: Wasn't That The Subtitle To Hellraiser 2?

While The X-Files is supposedly a horror show, it rarely has the desire to be horrific, so to speak. That doesn't make it not-a-horror-show, lots of horror movies and tv shows don't try to be horrific. The X-Files' vibe tends to hover more towards the spooky or creepy end of the horror spectrum, in keeping with its Twilight Zone roots. This makes the brief bouts where it does go directly horrific, like Home or Irresistible all the more notable.