Things I Miss, Part III

There's really no point in trying to hide it -- or at least the enormity of it. I'm a huge geek. Massive. Evidenced by my enduring love for The X-Files.



I saw a few episodes back in 1995 while my family was visiting Bev, my mom's college roommate. I was 12, and while the episode ("The Host") scared the hell out of me, I was intrigued. Who was this man, Fox Mulder, with the chiseled features and bedroom voice? And this Scully, a strong, red haired, sprightly woman always seemingly on the verge of tears (when she wasn't telling Mulder he was out of his mind)? I picked up the series in early 1997 for reasons I don't remember. All I know is that I jumped into the middle of season 4 (arguably the best season of the entire series) and was hooked. Hooked for every Sunday for the next six years.

When I first started watching, I would watch it on the only other TV in the house -- the one in my parents bedroom. Armed with my pillow and my weekly lemon (yes, I like to eat raw lemons), I laid on my stomach, transfixed at the intricate plot lines, the Scully/Mulder chemistry, and their obvious yet unspoken love. I remember watching every episode from the remainder of the fourth season, and being swept up in every twist and turn, every tear and tantrum. I was truly an X-Phile, a title I would never relinquish. I even remember watching my very first new episode, called "Unrequited," which upon repeated viewing is actually one of my least favorite episodes of the series.

Eventually, I moved to our finished basement, which had been outfitted with two couches and a television after the remodeling of the upstairs sun room. It was well known in the house that Sunday nights at 9pm, one of the TVs in the house was mine. I was not to be disturbed or preempted. It was my show, and everyone respected that (though everyone knew that if they ever wanted to watch with me, I'd be more than happy to accommodate them).

I rarely missed an episode of the X-Files, and was always ready to defend it, even when it got silly and convoluted (seasons 7-9). I vowed to stay a fan when David Duchovny, who played Fox Mulder, left the show at the end of season 7 after settling a contract dispute. I was thrilled when he agreed to appear in 11 episodes of season 8. Though by the time he showed up, the new characters and plot lines for the season had already begun to get on my nerves (his appearance didn't really improve things). It was obvious at that point that my beloved show would soon be over, though creator Chris Carter was trying (through two new FBI agents, Doggett and Reyes) to extend the life of the show beyond the Mulder and Scully era. However, ratings continued to slip, story lines became less interesting, and no one liked the "replacements" for Mulder and Scully. Though there might be more stories to tell, no one wanted them told without Fox Mulder and Dana Scully.

The ninth and final season was mere background in my life, as it ended during my senior year in high school. I still watched on Sunday nights, though I was often accompanied by homework, reading, or the phone (on which I talked to my boyfriend). I felt nothing for the Doggett/Reyes romance that was being pursued, and couldn't muster a tear when Mulder and Scully's infant son, William, was given up for adoption in Mulder's absence. But as the series finale began to approach, I found myself rediscovering my X-Phile roots. I visited some of my favorite fan sites. Reread some of the X-Files books that my family had bought me. Rediscovered some of my favorite fan fiction. When the finale aired, I was glued to the TV, just like I used to be. Everything old was new again as they resolved past story lines and brought back many characters from the series' history. (Namely Alex Krycek, my all time favorite character, who had been killed off at the end of season 8.)

The finale was left open ended, leaving us X-Philes hoping for an eventual follow-up. It took six years to arrive, but it finally did. Or, will. This year on July 25 (my 25th birthday), the new movie "X-Files: I Want To Believe" will open. I honestly couldn't care less what it's about. Just to see the characters Mulder and Scully inhabited again, and to hear that iconic theme music, will be enough for me.

X-Files, I miss you.