Rating: 
Summary: Another great season...
Review: This DVD set beautifully presents what is quite possibly my favorite season of the X-Files. Excellent mythology episodes, highly entertaining behind-the-scenes footage and all of the additional extras make this set worth owning if you are a fan of the show. I won't list all my favorites here, as it'd be an unnecessarily long list and other reviewers have covered this well enough, I will share my thoughts on an episode that most fans will agree was not the best.Though the dubiously titled "Teso Dos Bichos" is often called one of the worst episodes ever (it's the first episode I remember watching, and I can't totally agree with most people's hatred of it because of the nostalgia factor), the story of the special effects behind the episode is my favorite story on the extras disc. Without spoiling the episode too much, I'll just say that in the episode's defense, the cats were hilarious (how DOES one train a cat?) and poor Gillian Anderson was VERY allergic which I suppose contributed to the overall sub-par quality of the episode's effects. Assuming you've purchased the last two seasons, this one is very much the same in quality of picture, sound, etc. I will agree with another reviewer who said the discs are hard to pry out. My only wish for this set is that they would put the discs in standard DVD boxes. The package is beautiful, but not very practical at all. I've had trouble holding the packaging open long enough to try to dig a DVD out of its holder (I'm afraid my arms aren't that long!) and would love to transfer these to a proper case! This isn't enough to deter me from future purchases, but it's just a thought. All in all though, I can honestly say I'm VERY pleased with this set. I look forward to buying future seasons.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Season - okay DVD
Review: From the outset, Season 3 established THE X-FILES as one of the most interesting television shows ever. With the two-part denoument of the season 2 cliffhanger, TXF completed its first 3-part epic, and gave notice that the mythic themes (of which investigation into the "paranormal" becomes emblematic) would henceforth be developed on a much larger canvass. The 3-part opening salvo begun with the previous season's ANASAZI and continued in THE BLESSING WAY-PAPER CLIP (my favorite episodes in the whole series) features the nothing less than the Heroes death, descent into Hell, and resurrection, in the context of an ever more cosmic confrontation of Freedom vs. Tyranny, Truth vs. The Lie, and Life vs. Death. The cinematic 2-parter, NISSEI-731, sets up the heroic quest as an extension of the Grail myth -- you can even hear strains of Lohengrin and Parsifal in the scoring -- with Mulder and Scully as the chaste knights whose heroic virtue stands in stark contrast to the sinister "black ops" forces that would keep hidden the Truth That Is "Out There." The mytharc continues with a third double episode, PIPER MARU-APOCRYPHA, in which the Black Oil is introduced and the wily Krycek establishes himself as an independant antagonist whose agenda remains mysterious. The season concludes with the great cliffhanger TALITHA CUMI, an episode that is so nerve-wracking, you may want to put off watching it till Season 4 is released. Stand alone episodes in this season, especially CLYDE BRUCKMAN'S FINAL REPOSE, PUSHER, AND JOSE CHUNG'S "FROM OUTER SPACE," raised the bar for network television and, as nutty as it sounds, seem to be unimaginable on any other network than Fox. The set lost a star for one reason: the quality of the image is just too grainy in places. That doesn't mean that it's unwatchable -- far from it. It's just that, by DVD standards, this could have been better. The sound is fine and the extras are pretty good. Especially entertaining are the international clips where you can watch Mulder and Scully scream at each other in Japanese, for instance. Overall, the set is highly recommended with the one reservation. Of course, X-Philes will want it anyway, and will forgive the drawback.
Rating:
Summary: Best season ever
Review: This is the ultimate collection, because the 3rd season is by far the pinnacle of the X-Files. Standout episodes include Pusher, Clyde Bruckman and War of the Corporphages. A must buy for any fan of great television. Fantastic DVD package, though the discs are a bit hard to pry out.
Rating:
Summary: Beyond praise.
Review: It's difficult not to praise these seven discs. If you are a serious fan of the X-Files you have here the entire third season; unlike the video release of some years ago where one could complain certain episodes were missing, here they are all present. But I would point out certain episodes I feel are worthy of special note. "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" might well be the best episode of the entire series to date. "Oubliette" is a vastly underrated masterpiece. "2Shy" is just as good as any of the classic "Monster of the Week" episodes like "Squeeze" or, more recently, "Hungry". "Syzygy" and "Grotesque", and especially "Avatar", are other gems. All television show distributors should heed the fine example of Fox in releasing X-Files season-by-season. As for extras (as if we really need more than every single episode of the season) these are the best available: all episode promos, several deleted scenes, all the video-release Chris Carter interviews, all the Fox Cable Channel extras, etc. Beyond praise.
Rating:
Summary: It Keeps Getting Better
Review: I feel so priviledged! I saw this puppy on the shelf at Best Buy on the first (a week before it was supposed to be released) and snatched it up quick. Sure enough, it's gone now. Much like the UFOs that Mulder finds, it was gone without a trace a few days later. What I can say, though, is that this is an AMAZING set. Not only are there 24 of the series' best episodes (well... 22 if you get real and admit that "Teso Dos Bichos" and "Quagmire" sucked), but there are some amazing extras. The standard "The Truth behind Season 3", original TV trailers, and the 12 "Conversation with Chris Carter" segments (lifted from the VHS releases) are here, but the deleted scenes, special effects clips, and the episode commentaries take teh cake. I wish there were more commentaries, but hearing Darin Morgan and Rob Bowman talk about "Jose Chung" was enough. The only complaints I had were that (still) the episode trailers aren't on the discs with the episode, but on their own, and that some of the "FX Behind the Truth" segments have already appeared on the previous discs (the Toby Lindala and Scully's Apartment clips were on Season 1). All in all, an amazing advancement in releasing these seasons that makes them well worth the hundred bucks spent. I can't wait for season 4... to see Memento Mori, Musings of a Cigarette-Smoking Man, Small Potatoes, and all the others. Seeing these episodes reminds me why I stuck with the series after the abysmal start of the current season.
Rating:
Summary: Why no Spanish subtitles?
Review: I have looked for an adddress to write the releasing company of The X Files about this situation. Both the first and second season have Spanish subtitles. This is important to me because I have family in Mexico who enjoy this show and they are still enjoying the first and second season on DVD. I doubt Amazon.com will post this note, if they do and you know whom I may right about this severe omission please e-mail me. Thank you. Bill Helmick
Rating:
Summary: Tied for the single best season
Review: Season 3 has got to be the best season in terms of the complexity displayed. The knowledge that The X-Files wasn't another run of the mill tv show with a tiny cult following enabled Chris Carter to expand the mythology episodes to, well, mythic proportions. The third season also gave Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny a chance to do yeoman work, and each came up strong performances. The third season was nominated for a 8 emmy awards, and won five (though both the show and Anderson were overlooked, and Duchovny wasn't nominated!). The Best episodes (I see no point in limiting myself when there are many of equal quality). ---The Blessing Way/Paper Clip: A Brilliant conclusion to the cliffhanger that Anasazi was in Season 2. Not only a very good wrapping up, this became the episodes that truly (in my mind) kicked off the complex mythology episodes. ---Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose: Take a very funny Peter Boyle, mix in two bemused FBI agents, an outlandishly hilarious plot, and a superb technical team and what does one get. Merely one of the best episodes period. And that is high praise indeed folks. ---Nisei/731: The episode that introduces the chip in the neck. Anderson and Duchovny are marvelous when apart, but their scenes together are sheer brilliance, something vital to the life of the series. ---Revelations: Sheer beauty. The technical team deserves credit for fashioning this episode, from the brilliant shots, to the Snow score, everything here is dazzling, especially Anderson. ---Piper Maru/Apocrypha: David Duchovny is incredible. The black oil introduced becomes very important later, but it's commencement was another complexity in the mythology. ---Pusher: Another great stand alone. This one is a cut above the rest. My personal favourite of season 3, Pusher gives us what many movies can't: realistic characters, a thrilling set-up, a nail biting climax, all while re-imagining the limits of television. As brilliant as any episode in later shows, I highly recommend one watches this in conjunction to Season 4's Paper Hearts. Two brilliant guest actors give magnificent performances. Gillian Anderson is simply luminous. ---Jose Chung's Aliens from Outer Space: Thought Clyde Bruckman was outlandish. Watch this episode. It defines outlandish, while allowing everyone to be in on the fun. ---Talitha Cumi: Though it pales to the previous year's Anasazi, or the next year's Gethsemane, this is an episode to catch. All are episodes to catch, and I highly recommend you get this as soon as possible.
Rating:
Summary: DVD is the way to go with this Cult Classic
Review: I have been watching the X-Files from the beginning,eight years ago.I missed a few episodes because of work but I am happy I will be able to fill in those missing episodes(pieces),this DVD set is the way to go especially if you don't get the X-Files in syndication every weeknight on the F/X cable network.X-Files and Kolchek The Night Stalker DVD go hand in hand.
Rating:
Summary: Return to the glory days...
Review: With the current lacklustre season of the X-Files (largely sans Mulder) screening here in Australia, it is good to know we can return to the glory days of the X-Files on DVD. I agree with the previous reviews in that this was the best season of the X-Files, prior to it being all consumed with the "mythology" episodes and sheer stupdity at times. On average, season 3 had a good balance between these types of episodes and the one-off 'monster of the week' episodes (which are much more fun if you ask me). By the time this season was playing here in Australia, The X Files had reached the mega-hype level, and deservedly so. It is a shame that the X-Files has almost become a mockery of the great show that this set clearly proves it once was. It was for sets such as this that I first bought a DVD player - now I can watch my fave episodes as many times as I like. Highlights from this season include: The Blessing Way, Paper Clip, Piper Maru, Apocrypha, Jose Chung's "From Outer Space", Talitha Cumi. This DVD set also has the distinct advantage of providing an audio commentary (presumably from Chris Carter), which the previous sets have not done. All in all, Season 3 on DVD looks like a must buy for both fans and those with a passing interest in the series.
Rating:
Summary: DVDs are Great Way to Watch this Series
Review: I have only recently become a fan of the X-Files, having first seen the movie, then the available videotapes (24 in total for 48 episodes), and finally the Series 1 and Series 2 DVD sets. I have really enjoyed the DVD sets for a number of reasons, the least of which is no commercials! X-Files productions are generally of very high quality in terms of their photgraphy and look more like a movie than a standard TV show. This aspect of the series, along with the good use of sound effects and music, really makes the DVDs more valuable than they would be for most TV series. There are a few bonuses that come with the sets, incliding some interviews with Chris Carter and others involved with the series. The first two sets contained a nice 20-minute retrospective of the series that they covered -- this one will have one too. In earlier sets, there were a small number of deleted scenes. Everyone is going to have their favorite episodes, but I thought that the third series had some of the best I've seen -- My favorites (seen from the tapes and a few reruns) included out of the 24 on this set are the Blessing Way, Paper Clip, Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose, Nisei, Piper Maru, Apocrypha, Jose Chung's "From Outer Space", Avatar, and Talitha Cumi. Many these fill out the conspiracy plot, and I am looking forward to watching through the full set. This is a fairly pricy set of DVDs with 7 disks, but my recommendation if you like the series is to buy it and enjoy each episode at about $4-$5 a pop. You can always invite your X-Files friends over for a cheap evening at home!
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