Case 03, File 02: Paperclip

AKA: Oh, So That's Where All The Plot Went

I said in the last couple reviews that a lot of my estimation of the previous two episodes depends on how it resolves. That wasn't me being facetious for the sake of my own amusement, several details about the resolution to this little trilogy had escaped my memory. I am not perfect, and as I've indicated several times, the Mythology Episodes aren't usually the ones that make this my favorite show of all time, so they sometimes fade a bit. Which is a shame, because some of them are legitimately awesome.

Case 03, File 01: The Blessing Way

AKA: That...That Doesn't Mean Anything Right?

Seasons 3, 4 and 5 of The X-Files are generally considered the series' golden age, the time when the series really adapted to what it wanted to be. It was also the time when the series realized it was completely insulated from being cancelled, since it was one of only a handful of shows Fox that was consistently successful. And each of the seasons handled their newfound freedom in different ways. Season 5 went big, with high concepts and big names, even behind the scenes. Season 4 went dark, with bleaker storylines and more horrifying content. But Season 3...Season 3 went weird.

Case 02, File 25: Anasazi

AKA: No, No, No, Anansi Is The African Spider God

Ah, the X-Files cliffhanger finale. At this point The X-Files figured out it was safe from being cancelled and started writing their finales with their planned season premiers in mind, rather than as possible series finales as well. So with that in mind, they began planning increasingly elaborate finales and premiers, often multi-part epics with big impacts on the plot and characters going forward. And with us about to hit the third season, big impacts are just what we need.