Notes From "The X-Files"

• I've been going through "The X-Files" on Netflix of late.  I haven't seen any of it before, so it's been an interesting experience.  Naturally, started with Season 1, and I'm up to Episode 11 of that season so far.  Granted, this is from 1993, but some of it is comically dated or just plain silly.

• Let's start with the opening titles.  It's pretty clear that the producers had no idea of the hit it would become, because the title cards look less like professional TV and more like public access at 1 AM.  I refuse to believe that even in 1993, this was the best they could do.

• As an overarching theme, the series thus far has an extremely pessimistic view of both humanity and the universe at large.  There's never any sort of happy ending or reconciliation.  Either something Else wants us to die horribly, or we're trying to kill It in some brutal fashion.  Usually one or both of these aims are successful.

• Agent Scully, we're 11 episodes in.  You've seen some really frickin' bizarre shit in just these few weeks.  Why, then, are you persistently refusing to even consider any of what's in front of your face?  For Christ's sake, I'm a devout atheist, but if a goddamn angel showed up in my living room once a week for most of a year, I'd consider reevaluating my beliefs or lack thereof.

• The gender roles are interesting, too.  Poor Scully is generally wrong.  Wrong, or easily persuaded by Mulder.  God I love the media.

• On the one hand, Mulder and Scully actually get shit done.  That's something to admire in a federal agency.  On the other hand, I sincerely hope there's absolutely nothing realistic about their methods, because good gods.  The due process, it does nothing.

• There's one episode about an evil computer artificial intelligence.  "Funny" doesn't begin to do it justice.  The "interface" is a bunch of red blinking numerals and a screen with psychedelic patterns.  It also built itself a voice synthesizer.  But… but… I remember computers in 1993.  They were more advanced than that.  One would suspect that a hyperadvanced, sentient AI would have at least cutting-edge technology.  It's nice to know, however, that the media's appalling lack of understanding of technology isn't just from the internet age.

• The "government connection" Mulder has is totally the model for Half-Life's G-Man.

• I'm getting the hint that at least this first season was done on an exceptionally low budget.  Apparently they could only afford one pair of glasses, which had to be rotated amongst the actors as needed.

• David Duchovny is exceptionally good at looking haunted.  Probably why they cast him.  He's also good at standing helplessly around while other people die or are dragged off to Neptune.

• The alien-hunter squads the military apparently runs are singularly ill-equipped.  Sure, they get some flak jackets, but they're carrying pistols.  Pistols.  The regular Army gets assault rifles, the elite squad gets peashooters.  They're also not carrying any of the good toys like night vision goggles or helmets.  Nope!  The only conclusion I can draw is that their security clearances have a limited shelf life and it's simpler to replace the casualties than it is to make sure these guys don't get a book deal.

• I can sum up the entire series in the words of a wise accomplice of mine:

• THAT'S NOT SCIENCE!