The X-Files Season 7 (1999)
…………………………………………………
The X-Files Season 7 Review
The seventh season of The X-Files is more of the same. It is pretty much on par with its predecessor with some great episodes, but most are far from it.
………………………………………………….
“I’ll show you my theory if you show me yours“
…………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………..
This season has 22 episodes. The first one is The Sixth Extinction. It’s a solid opening, but the second part of the story The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati fares better as it concludes effectively and it features an excellent role for the Cigarette Smoking Man. It was also great seeing Alex Krycek again, but it’s a shame that most of the rest of this season would dispose of these important mythology episodes.
Hungry is pretty good. It is not great or anything like that, but it does have an excellent central villain and terrific prosthetics work done on him. Millennium is utterly forgettable while Rush is your standard weak episode starring teenagers. This was by far the weakest stretch for this season.
The Goldberg Variation is a very odd, different kind of episode that has a sort of joyous tone to it that differentiates it from countless other X-Files stories. It is almost too lightweight, but it is difficult not to get invested in the story of the luckiest man in the world played so charmingly by Willie Garson.
As for Orison, it is absolutely incredible. It brings back Pfaster, who is one of the show’s best and most memorable villains. But it also introduces a religious subplot to the proceedings that really worked. The highlight, though, is the ending where Scully shoots him dead and has to deal with that supposedly problematic action. It was the deepest and most powerful arc for Scully this season.
…………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………..
The Amazing Maleeni is a strange episode that doesn’t quite work. It’s too odd and silly, though the magician premise had some promise. Signs and Wonders is a pretty good episode that brings back the religious storyline that too many of the show’s episodes have, but it elevates it by introducing snakes to the proceedings, leading to one of the scariest and most effective snake sequences that I’ve seen in media.
Sein und Zeit and Closure are highly important for finally ending the Mulder’s sister arc. It was ended in an unexpectedly quick, but still emotionally powerful manner. The final scene is very touching. X-Cops is one of those experimental episodes that don’t work and are in fact annoying. I did not watch the show that it parodies and the meta elements were very frustrating to me. First Person Shooter has an excellent premise, but only solid execution. More could have been done with this one.
Theef is forgettable while En Ami has another fine Cigarette Smoking Man appearance, though the plot is far from interesting. Chimera is also a mediocre episode whereas all things was an interesting experiment directed by Gillian Anderson herself, but it is too uneventful to make more of an impact. Brand X has an odd cigarette-centered that really failed to connect.
Hollywood A.D. has that annoying actors acting as Scully and Mulder storyline that many older shows did at one point, but it was still pleasingly lightweight and charming in the dynamic between the two protagonists. Fight Club, however, is anything but charming. It was insufferably bad and terribly executed.
…………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………..
Je Souhaite deals with a genie granting wishes to two idiotic brothers, resulting in a lot of mayhem around town. This is one of those comedic episodes, but actually this one is effective and a guilty pleasure for me as it was extremely entertaining and even funny at times. Requiem is the return of canon episodes and the most important installment in this entire season. It ended it on a very high note with a terrific cliffhanger and it was just a thrilling, intriguing ride throughout.
Overall, the seventh season of The X-Files is pretty much on par with the previous one. It has its fair share of either forgettable or downright bad episodes, but those that work are pretty strong and a couple are even excellent. It started and ended on a very high note while the mid section was mediocre.
Worst Episodes: Rush, X-Cops, Brand X and Fight Club.
Best Episodes: The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati, Orison, Closure and Requiem.
