6
(Christian characters, supernatural, voodoo magic, satanism, demons)
6
(violence, mild gore, disturbing concepts, mild sexuality)
8
(there is none better)
The X-Files got off to a great start in its first season, but the mythology that became the series' calling card wasn't established, only the characters and basis were. Season 2 offers up a real life drama story that laid the path to the storyline of which most people tend to think when the subject of X Files arises.
While the “monster of the week” episodes usually stand up as self-contained stories, the mythology requires viewing in the proper order, and missing one of those can make a world of difference in understanding the story. When I had the opportunity to watch the entire series on TVD I came to appreciate how missing just a few key mythology episodes made a huge difference in my understanding of the whole story.
The progressive storyline began because Gillian Anderson got pregnant, and even after a single season Scully was far too beloved to be replaced. The answer was to write a story that encompassed her condition which also birthed the conspiratorial involvement in the lives and investigations of our heroes. While the conspiracy story has its drawbacks down the line, I think an episodic progression of story added a level to the series that it would not otherwise have had.
Introduced this season is Alex Krycek, perhaps the most vital character of the series not introduced in season 1. The roles of the other supporting characters increase much to the pleasure of the fans; the likes of the Lone Gunmen and Cigarette Smoking Man (CSM) prove they won’t be limited to their first season appearances.
Season 2 is perhaps darker than its predecessor. With murders connected to a Satanic cult, a death fetishist, Voodoo and dark magic, and other such concepts, there is more focus on elements of horror (not that werewolves, liver-eating mutants, and such weren’t pretty scary in season 1). In fact some of these episodes are arguably among the most disturbing of the entire series and may very well be too much to handle for those sensitive to such things.
If “Shapes” got me interested in the series “Die Hand Die Verletzt” and “Humbug” (the first experiment with using humor throughout an episode rather than just as comic relief) set X Files on the fast path to becoming my favorite TV show ever to be shown on a TV. The excitement over what happens with Scully didn’t hurt, either. These are weird concepts for TV episodes and done in such a way that morbid curiosity if nothing else ought to make them worth watching.
I guess if there’s anything truly different between these first two seasons it’s that the effects have improved. Not that they were bad to begin with, not at all, but neither were they perfect. Season 2 provides more eye candy with greater believability. Some of the things in the X Files still look better than effects in other, more current shows despite the better technology of today. And X Files doesn’t shy away from getting into some strange looking visuals.
Acting is terrific. Nobody else could possibly be Mulder, Scully, or any of the other major characters. The actors ARE the characters. Likewise the series got off to a great start with guest actors. I mean come on, how great was Doug Hutchison as Tooms? The likes of Tony Todd, Steve Railsback, and Nick Chinlund keep that bar high with great characters.
Writing is not as tight as some shows like Lost; there are some inconsistencies and weak moments throughout the life of the X Files that bug me. In particular, Season 2 has a few episodes with endings that could stand some improvement. The downfall of trying to be vague and ambiguous is that it can lead to unsatisfying wrap-ups and so I must offer a little criticism. By and large, though, this series remains my favorite of them all, and season 2 is a gripping addition to it.
Morality
Most of the episodes are going to have a little bit of strong language, but it's typically mild and infrequent.
The subject matter can be dark, weird, and morbid. “The Host” may be one of the grossest this season. We spend time with a slimy monster that likes the sewers and see the bloody results of people being infected by its parasitic larvae. Vampires drink blood, a woman is raped by an invisible force (we see the beginning of the attack as she is smacked around), and various people are stabbed and shot.
“Irresistible” focuses on a death fetishist. This one is particularly dark with some intense moments of the villain terrorizing his victims. Scully performs an autopsy on an elephant and we see her standing inside the corpse handling its organs. Another episode deals with cannibalism, and while it's not especially graphic visually it involves some gruesome concepts.
Sexuality is generally mild. “3” involves vampires who lure victims with sex, and a couple of the scenes with them boarder on steamy. Mulder gets involved with a suspect which leads to some sensual, though not really sexual, scenes. In “Red Museum” we are introduced to a guy who peeps in on people in the bathroom. We don't see much of what he sees, but the idea is still creepy.
Spirituality
Religion and spirituality permeate the entire X Files series. Sometimes this is an excuse to have a story involving the supernatural, sometimes it is something deeper. “Excelsis Dei” involves ghosts in a horror movie kind of way. While the series as a whole occasionally puts forth the idea that God is real, episodes like this one have the souls of people remaining on Earth rather than crossing over into Heaven or Hell.
Donnie Pfaster is presented as demonic. We are never told that he actually is a demon, but even if not, he is so evil that when people look at him his form sometimes shifts into something hellish.
“Die Hand Die Verletzt” deals a lot with satanism and occult practices. The villain here is presumably a demon called forth in a ritual, and the members of the cult plan to offer human sacrifices to save themselves. The demon is not beaten by the power of Christ, but then again, if you'll forgive a slight spoiler, it's not really beaten at all; it finishes the job it came to do and leaves in a shroud of foreboding.
“Fresh Bones” deals with voodoo practices that may be herbal and may be magical – you decide.
“The Calusari” involves a different kind of ritualistic magic that includes a child being possessed by an evil force. The ritual is supposed to be a sort of “exorcism” though it involves more voodoo type magic than claiming power over demons in the name of Jesus.
I guess it's fair to say that X Files more or less takes the stance that all things are true: Christianity, voodoo, folklore, crazy superstitious mysticism from far-away lands, and whatnot. While trying to reconcile all of those elements when looking at the series as a whole makes my brain start to melt I at least appreciate that God is not left out as He so often is in these kinds of things.
Scully is portrayed as a Christian (though she seems on the lukewarm side to me for most of the series), and the priests in her life are portrayed as positive influences rather than overbearing religious nuts (though there are plenty of those, too). Scully wears a cross as a symbol of her faith. That cross becomes a symbol of hope for Mulder when she is abducted. While the symbol has no religious meaning for him, he draws strength from Scully's faith. It helps him believe that the search for Scully is not futile which is ultimately rewarded.
Final Thoughts
Though a few episodes in this second season are weak none are actually bad. The number of outstanding ones more than makes up for the weaker ones. If you like dark drama, spooky suspense, or odd stories with great storytelling then The X Files is a series you really need to check out.
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