Rating: 
Summary: 14
Review: This set of 24 episodes from the third year of the X FILES represents what I think is the best overall season to date. Of course, when discussing a television show of the unprecedented high quality of the X FILES, "best" certainly is a qualified term. Every season, with the possible exception of the current one ( the jury is still out ) has maintained a high level of artistry and craftsmanship. In fact, I believe the X FILES is the single greatest show ever to be aired on television. In so many areas, whether it be writing, acting or the shear beauty of the production, this show is truly a miracle occurring in medium which, in truth, doesn't often rise above mediocrity. The credit for this phenomenon is shared amongst many dedicated individuals, most working behind the scenes ( Chris Carter obviously deserves special mention, as the creator of the show). For many seasons Carter maintained the integrity of an artistic vision that the Fox executives were smart enough to take a gamble on. Given the "franchise" nature of the X FILES, their gamble certainly paid off. And, if parts of the last 2 seasons have been rough ( a portent that the show will not necessarily fade gloriously into the sunset ) that does not take away from Carter and company's magnificent achievement. Although a casual awareness of the X FILES may bring to mind government conspiracy, aliens, "spooky" supernatural phenomenon, the core issues in the show are that of truth, faith, love, good and evil; those issues that have captivated mankind's imagination for as long as it has had the capacity to record its artistic, philosophical and revelatory reactions. Another very strong part of the X FILES' appeal is obviously the complex relationship between Fox Mulder and Dana Scully; one needn't be "married" ( pardon the pun ) to the notion that the show revolves COMPLETELY around some sort of nascent romantic relationship; it's sufficient to acknowledge the respect, camaraderie and genuine love ( whether it's romantic or platonic ) the two share. Mulder and Scully, two deeply serious ( however witty ) people help "ground" each other in their respective "quest" (s). As good as the actors and production team are, the writers are the bedrock of the X FILES. And, if irony constitutes one of the primary elements in the work of great writers, the core writing staff can at least be described as striving for greatness. The self-reflexive humor constantly on display in the central characters of Mulder and Scully, superbly acted by Duchovny and Anderson, fleshes out the nuances appropriate to the background of these committed and eccentric personalities. Also, the 1013 team delights in a playful, "embedded" concepts that recur time and time again in the background of the show. Without going into ridiculous detail ( which others can document better than I can ) there is a certain archetypal X FILES "iconography", which has developed more and more with each successive season. A fondness for neon lights or flashing sirens of ambulances and police cars; a humorously morbid fascination with the bathroom as a crime scene ( etc. ). One of the true beauties of the X FILES is that it so "layered" that one can appreciate it on any one of a number of levels. This is why it's possible to watch these episodes over and over again and not be bored. As far as this DVD box is concerned, the 3rd season's consistency episode to episode is magnificent. The "mythology" two-parters are tightly written, beautifully produced ( amazing stunts and cinematography ). "NISEI / 731" and "PIPER MARU/APOCRYPHA" are really "mini movies". I'm still flabbergasted that these episodes could actually be prepared for television. The "stand alone" ( or "monster of the week" ) episodes are equally well done. "OUBLIETTE" has a tremendously strong performance from David Duchovny and the guest actress; a real heartbreaker, this superior episode strikes me as a precursor to the more acclaimed 4th season "PAPER HEARTS". The ongoing exploration of Scully's conflicted inner feelings ( manifested in her two "contesting" traits, scientific rationalism and religious faith )are nicely portrayed in "REVELATIONS". "PUSHER" deserves its reputation as one of the most popular "stand alone" episodes. Its famous villain, Robert Patrick Modell, has a favored place among the most memorable evil characters from the show ( Eugene Victor Tooms and Donnie Pfaster also come to mind ). "QUAGMIRE" fits into a sort of outdoor or "forest" X FILES sub-genre ( first seen in Season 1's "DARKNESS FALLS" and continuing in Season 5's "DETOUR" ). All these "forest" episodes were hellishly difficult to film in Vancouver's rainy woods but the results are yet another of the series' delights; the location shooting is spectacular. In particular, the scene in "QUAGMIRE" with the "stranded" Mulder and Scully is priceless. Then there are writer Darin Morgan's three masterpieces, quirky and self-mocking yet at the same time strangely touching. In particular, "CLYDE BRUCKMAN'S FINAL REPOSE" and "JOSE CHUNG'S 'FROM OUTER SPACE' are two of the finest individual episodes in the entire history of the X FILES. Inevitably, even in such a strong season, there are "clunkers". To a certain degree, "DPO" and "2 SHY" fit this category but I consider "HELL MONEY and especially "TESO DOS BICHOS" as the worst of the 3rd season ( however, these two episodes, judged by the standards of other television programs, would be graded more leniently ). The season closing cliffhanger,. "TALITHA CUMI", displays the type of writing, acting and production strengths exhibited throughout most of the glorious third season. This was from a time when the myth arc was fresh and excitement among fans at a fever pitch waiting through the summer for the next developments. Fnally, while it is legitimate to argue that Season 4 offered more opportunities for Gillian Anderson to develop the character of Dana Scully, Season 3 still ranks at the top for me. I'm partial to the variety and freshness of the stand alone episodes and the excitement of the mythology arc was never topped.
Rating:
Summary: The best season
Review: Others may disagree, but I think this is the best season of the X-Files by far. Although it lacks the drama of the cancer arc from Season 4, the episodes in this collection consistently feature on my and most fan's lists of the best episodes ever. Blessing Way/Paper Clip, Piper Maru/ Apocrypha, and Nisei/731 showed how to do a multi-part episode the right way, the three Darin Morgan penned episodes are undeniable classics, and Pusher and Wetwired feature on many fan's fave list (including mine). By the numbers, Season 3 hit way more times than it missed.
Rating:
Summary: The best season so far...
Review: Up until recently, I never watched a single episode of the X-Files. However, now that the DVD sets have been reduced in price, I had the opportunity to start watching the show. The first two seasons of the X-Files made me become an instant fan of the show, and my only complaint so far has been the lack of consistancy brought on by the 6-8 boring episodes per season. After watching the third season of X-Files, I can finally say that there was a season that deserves a 5 star rating by being great from start to finish. By the end of the third season, the X-Files really becomes established as one of the best and most addictive sci-fi shows ever created. The third season only featured two bad episodes, which means that 22 out of 24 episodes were fantastic. The third season offers some of the best stand alone episodes of the show like "Clyde Bruckman's Final Response", "Pusher", "Quagmire", "War of the Coprophages", "2Shy", "Hellmoney", and "Wetwired". The mythology episodes - "The Blessing Way", "Paper Clip", "Nisei", "731", "Piper Maru", "Apocrypha", and "Talitha Cumi" do a very good job on expanding the overall conspiracy of the show by introducing a powerful group of men called "The Syndicate" which are connected to the conspiracy and the Cigarette Smoking Man. There is also a few things that are revealed about Mulder's source "Mr. X" as well. The third season of X-Files on DVD also continues the tradition of offering a fantastic set filled with wonderful extras and wonderful picture/sound quality. As with the previous two sets, series creator Chris Carter takes you through the best 12 episodes from season three and talks about each episode. There is also a great documentary that covers season 3 as a whole. If there was one season of the X-Files that you should buy, it is definately the third season. The season is amazing from start to finish, and the DVD extras are great. A solid 5 stars...
Rating:
Summary: X-Files Season Three.. The Search Continues
Review: What can i say? I think we should all give fox a round of applause on they brilliant treatment the have given our favourite show. Both the series one and two discs had exceptional picture and sound quality which i'm sure were as close to the high-quality film source as possible. i can without a doubt say that season 3 will be worth the money if you have not seen any of the previous disc sets. in terms of the storyline, season 3 is when the ball was truly in motion. expect to be treated to some classic episodes such as The Blessing Way, Paper Chip, Clyde Bruckman's Final Response, Jose Chung's "From Outer Space", Talitha Cumi and many more. These episodes are simply selections from the series, there are many more gems. in terms of extra features what more could you want? promos for all the episodes (i believe both the 20 and 30 second versions), documentaries (i believe the "truth about" ones are made specifically for dvd, although i may be mistaken), deleted scenes etc. you can also expect english and spanish subtitles, english and french audio. the only french subtitles that have been on previous series is a translation of text on the screen (such as the location writing). please note that x-files did not feature dolby digital surround (5.1ch) and widescreen video until season six, but you can still expect excellent prologic surround-encoded audio tracks. just as a bit of a side note, the x-files dvd sets have previously come in fold-out boxes which expand to a large size and become annoying if you simply want one disc. because of this i have created some high-quality printable inserts for the season 1 and 2 dvd sets to be used in normal dvd cases. these feature an attractive, consistent design including disc number on spine, chapter stops on back, and episode names for the specific disc on the front. please note these covers are a completely non-profit fan based project provided as an alternative for people who don't like the box the discs come in... ...anyway, do yourself a favor and buy/preorder this awesome set.. you won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Tv doesnt get much better than this
Review: If this isnt the best season of X files, it must be at least equal. they didnt step a foot wrong here, the pacing of the one shot stories mixing with the on going story arc (which is fully flowing by this season)is amazing. Also great character development and great mix of dark and funny episodes (not unlike Buffy and Angel). This season is a must.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent season!!
Review: This is an excellent season for the X-Files. Here things get more intense than in the first two seasons. Here you get to see how badly Mulder's enemies want to eliminate him. It becomes a personal battle when both Mulder and Scully lose their loved ones in their quest to expose the truth. This season also has some wonderful stand-alone classics: Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose, 2Shy, War of the Coprophages, Grotesque, Pusher, Teso Dos Bichos, Hell Money, and Jose Chung's "From Outer Space". They're all highly recommended. Kudos to the actors, directors, producers, and others behind the making of X-Files Season 3. Here, they are at the top of their form.
Rating:
Summary: A season that exceeded even the two previous ones
Review: Season Three was, in many ways, the pivotal season in the development of THE X-FILES. Though the show would continue to develop and evolve, there was beginning this season a self-consciousness about the show that hadn't previously existed, a self-consciousness that expressed itself brilliantly in several episodes that are among some of the finest instances of self-parody that has ever been witnessed on television. In engaging in self-parody, the show learned to laugh at itself and not take itself so seriously, while at the same time continuing with some very serious plot lines. I have to confess that the shows that were essentially comic are unquestionably my favorite among the stand alone episodes. One can precisely pinpoint the moment that THE X-FILES developed a sense of humor. Mulder becomes involved in an investigation in which humans are apparently being killed by cockroaches. One's initial reaction upon seeing this is that it is the most stupid idea in the history of TV, until the realization kicks in that this is supposed to be absurd, that it is all a big joke. After that, it is all laughs, including Mulder working, to Scully's great and unexpected jealousy, with a entomologist improbably named Bambi. Later in the season people become endangered by gangs of killer feral kitty cats, and in a superb parody, we see an X-File investigation through the eyes of folks unfamiliar with Scully and Mulder, and see them hysterically transformed into sinister and threatening Men in Black.
My favorite episodes during the course of the season are always the ones that link two or three episodes together, and there are some spectacular such sequences. But I think that during this season the stand alone episodes were sharper than ever. Many of the most famous shows of the series appeared in this season, and only rarely was there a weak episode. We get gradual hints as to the expanse of Cancer Man's responsibilities and to whom he answers. Skinner comes to be a more integral part of the show, and begins siding more openly with Mulder and Scully. Although Seasons One and Two were both fabulous, this surpassed both.
This is also the season where some of the systemic problems that eventually afflicted the show's overall structure started appearing. This is a difficult issue, but perhaps it can best be explained by contrasting THE X-FILES with another show. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER over the course of seven seasons had many stellar seasons, but apart from the internal coherence of each season, they also related marvelously to each other. The writers created a worldview and mythology that created structures around which all of the individual seasons could relate. For instance, we are told repeatedly that only a girl can become the Slayer, and in Season 7 the reason for that is explained. The show would bring forth ideas, and then manage to relate them to all of the other elements of the show. On THE X-FILES, however, a continually increasing number of elements were being introduced in each season, without them being clearly related to any of the other aspects of the show. No doubt some of this was due to the producer wanting to inculcate a sense of a mystery and conspiracy that was so vast and unfathomable that it was impossible to make complete sense of it. But as the show went along, this felt less like paranoia than like they were simply making it up as they went along. Any great show-and by any standard THE X-FILES was a very great show indeed, despite this structural failing-needs when it ends either to have made some sense of all its disparate elements or at least leave the impression that this could have been done had the show gone on a bit longer (e.g., DARK ANGEL ended with many loose ends, but it is clear they could have tied them up). The result of this weakness in the show is that THE X-FILES, unlike BUFFY or FARSCAPE, is best enjoyed in bits and pieces, rather than in huge swathes. BUFFY is like reading a novel, while THE X-FILES is more like a series of short stories with the same characters. Or, BUFFY is to albums what THE X-FILES is to singles. I enjoy watching Season Five or Season Three of BUFFY; I like watching individual episodes of THE X-FILES.
Rating:
Summary: The breakthrough season
Review: This season was when the X-Files was still on on Fridays, and people (like me) would have watching parties. "Jose Chung's 'From Outer Space'" was like a lightning bolt when it aired. I recall trying to tell a late-arriving friend about the opening to that episode, he was like, "What??"
This is a DVD set must have for those times when you're ill, stuck in a strange house, or it's late at night and want to chill (or for a low-key date). The X-Files was a great show, really "1990s," and you should totally pick up a few of these DVDs.
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorites
Review: Another great season. The episode titled, "Jose Chung's 'From Outer Space'" on Disc 5 is in my top 2 X-Files episodes ever! The other one being the one about the carny town from a previous season. The 'From Outer Space' episode is extremely funny, witty, cheesy, and original; makes the whole season even better.
Rating:
Summary: Maybe the most consistent season of the nine
Review: Of all nine seasons of THE X-FILES, I would not call Season 3 my personal favorite---I'll always have a soft spot for Season 2, being the season during which I discovered the show. Still, it must be said that of this season's 24 episodes, not one of them is a flat-out dud, making it arguably the most consistent season of the nine (and especially more consistent than the first two seasons).
If the first two seasons' mythology episodes mostly set the groundwork, establishing and defining key players and throwing out shadowy hints of a vast government conspiracy at work, the two-part epics of Season 3 expanded the breadth of the mythology and started providing some possible answers. "Nisei"/"731" is the most revelatory in this regard: perhaps Mulder isn't really chasing after aliens at all, but simply disfigured human guinea pigs for horrible government tests of some sort. Then there is "Piper Maru"/"Apocrypha", which introduces the malevolent black oil into the mix, some kind of alien being that transports itself via diesel oil and jumps from host to host, HIDDEN-style. I dunno; it was always kind of a silly idea to begin with, but at least the episodes are reasonably suspenseful, and it certainly gives the special-effects crew a chance to pull off some marvelous visual effects (particularly the "misty-eyed" effects).
Any review would be remiss if it didn't mention the three contributions of writer Darin Morgan, who puts his wonderful sense of the absurd---so effective in Season 2's "Humbug"---to good use in "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose," "War of the Coprophages," and "Jose Chung's 'From Outer Space'". Of the three, "Clyde Bruckman" is the best of them, with a touching Emmy-winning performance by Peter Boyle as the reluctant psychic who would rather die than live with his "curse." If the later two episodes become a little too self-consciously wacky, "Clyde Bruckman" manages to skillfully balance both humor and pathos. It is, I daresay, perhaps the best episode of the season. "'From Outer Space'" also has its funny moments too, being a paranormal-comic reworking of the basic idea of RASHOMON. Once you get onto Morgan's far-out wavelength, it becomes a silly slice of lighthearted comic heaven.
As for the remaining standalone episodes: all of them range from suitably spooky to genuinely haunting; there are no dull episodes like Season 1's "Lazarus" here. My personal favorite is "Grotesque," in which Mulder goes to the edge of madness in trying to catch a supernatural killer. It is a powerful study of how even detectives can go a little mad sometimes even while trying to keep their cool when dealing with the worst of mankind. Other notable standalone thrillers include "2Shy," "Oubliette," "Revelations," "Pusher," "Hell Money," and "Quagmire." But really, there is not a dud in the bunch, and the best of them deal personally with the characters of Mulder and Scully one way or another. (I would also feel remiss if I didn't put in a defense of the much-maligned "Syzygy": it might not be pleasant to watch our two heroes act so mean to each other, but it is logically consistent with the supernatural astral phenomena writer Chris Carter explores; and on a whole it must be said that, on its own twisted terms, "Syzygy" is highly effective, and certainly never boring. There's nothing technically the matter with it, even if you might not like the concept of M & S at disgusted odds with each other.)
Mulder and Scully's tenuous relationship is certainly put to the test time and time again throughout the season. In some episodes the tension between them is palpable; but I'd rather see a little bit of tension instead of allowing the relationship to fall into amiable predictability. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson still manage to work well together (although the freshness of their initial encounters has long subsided), and quite a few of the episodes really allow them to explore their characters more in-depth, giving the actors plenty to work with. Anderson always amazes with her commitment and skill, while Duchovny remains the smooth underplayer, who still has a witty way with a cheesy one-liner.
All in all, Season 3 is yet another accomplished season in the early years of THE X-FILES, more consistent than the previous two, more prone to go to the depths with their characters (although Season 4 goes a lot deeper). The mythology episodes still retain its down-to-earth freshness, and the standalone episodes are no less impressive for its character depths as much as for its freaky intrigue. In short, it's sci-fi television at its best. Highly recommended.
|
