Description

The complete first season of Rod Serling's classic, groundbreaking series exploring the fantastic and the frightening. ... Read more

Amazon.com

While the first season of The X-Files introduced us to Scully and Mulder, the second season finds the show confidently hitting its stride. Building on its earlier success, the show evolves, and in these 25 episodes, a glimpse is shown of a longer-running story line (which will continue through subsequent seasons) that is woven into the usual stand-alone episodes of the paranormal. These so-called mythology episodes hint at a global conspiracy involving sinister government agents, UFOs, alien abductions, genetic engineering, the ever-lurking Cigarette Smoking Man, and Fox Mulder's father. Season 2 fleshes out Mulder's family history, including the childhood abduction of his sister Samantha, an event that would shape him for life. Actress Gillian Anderson (Scully) became unexpectedly pregnant during season 2, but series creator Chris Carter managed to dance nimbly around her absence and even integrate it into the show. As in season 1, Mulder and Scully are surrounded by a strong supporting cast, which adds a suspicious new agent named Alex Krycek, an informant named X, and a seemingly indestructible alien bounty hunter.

The seven-disc boxed set includes some interesting background material, but again, the heart of the set is the episodes themselves. Among them are standouts such as "The Host," "Duane Barry/Ascension," "Humbug," "Dod Kalm," "Colony/End Game," and "Anasazi." These episodes are a powerful reminder that The X-Files, like no other show on television, can span horror, suspense, mystery, romance, drama, and comedy, sometimes all in the same episode, and always with the production values of a major feature film. --Eugene Wei ... Read more

Reviews (84)

Great episodes - disappointing extra features
Unfortunately, Fox hasnt understood it yet that DVDs are here to offer some real extra features. What we do get on this otherwise fantastisc DVD collection is a mere disappointment:

1) Fox TV episode trailers: they are so short it takes you more time to click through the menue to get to the trailer than to watch it. Whats good about that? Why would i care to watch the trailer anyway, if I have the whole episode on DVD?

2) Deleted Scenes: There arent many of them and they are terribly short. Some are simply pointless and thats exactly the reason why there were deleted. Only interesting were to discover that X was in the first reason a woman and an additional funny scene from "Humbug".

3) Special effects: Ouch! 3 of them and one shorter than the next. If I remember well, Carter has exactly the time for one sentence until the the special effects clip is over. A disappointment. X-Files would have so much to offeron that ground.

4) Behind the Scenes elements: Yeah, well, the one with Gillian Anderson chewing an insect was funny, the rest useless.

5) 15-minutes documentary: quite ok, but nothing really new.

6) Behind the Truth elements: well, copied from the TV, not really spectacular

7) Comments by Chris Carter: they were already on the Video collections by Fox available in Europe.

I give it a four star because after all, the main elements are the episodes themselves which of course are great and worth the price! There is absolutely nothing to complain about those.

Maybe in the 3rd season collection we will finally find some really decent special features!

Can't wait for season 3
Fox is doing an excellent job bringing us the X-Files on DVD. I like having a complete season in one box and not to buy every other episode separately (which is the case with Star Trek...).

Anyway, in the 2nd season, the X-Files really got going with the big arc story of the big conspiracy hiding the truth about aliens (which is also used in order to handle Gillian Andersons pregnancy at the start of the season, she gets abducted... nevertheless Gillian looks quite different before and after giving birth). This makes for the really good two-parters of the season "Duane Barry/ Ascension", "Colony / End Game" and the cliff-hangar "Anasazi" (can't wait for Season 3!).

The extras on disc 7 are nice in itself, especially the commentaries by Chris Carter. Would have been nice if these were a little bit longer.

A must buy for every fan of the X-Files, go and buy it!

Holy Crap
Did the X files ever get a budget boost in this season. The show looks great all of a sudden. this series really starts to lay the ground work for later seasons, more so than the first. They develope the characters and story arcs much fuller in this series. Great series, but still better seasons to come. Buy this.

The season that really started it...
As great as season one was and as much as I love it, season 2 is the one that really jump starts this show. Season 2 is where an actuall mythology really gets developed and used throughout the entire season that helps link episodes together and get an ultimate story underway. This season also starts the use of comedy in the series (ex. 'Humbug') and contains, my favorite episode of the x-files 'Duane Berry'.
The DVD set packs quite a few extras and is better quality then youll get on TNT or SCI-FI, and you can watch all your episodes in order. If you were only going to buy one season of the x-files I'd recommend season 3, but if you were going to buy two seasons, I'd recommend seasons 2 and 3.

The first of a string of exceptional seasons
With the second season "The X-Files" raised the bar and managed to maintain a series of excellent seasons through the sixth. After that, the distraction from the production of the movie and Carter's other lesser series ("Millenium" which borrowed the look and texture of "Seven")began to take its toll. Nevertheless, even season seven was far above average.

The story arc involving the alien conspiracy kicks into high gear and all the major players are in place by the time of the second season. Season two starts off with "The X-Files" closed down. Mulder and Scully have been reassigned nevertheless, "X" is Mulder's friend inside the FBI. Eventually, the X-Files are reopened and Mulder & Scully discover far deeper mysteries than they ever imagined during season one. The highlight of season two, for me, is "Duane Barry" and "Ascension". Production values are up as well during this season which means that the effects and sets improved. It's clear that Fox released they had a hit on their hands.

We get all the original broadcast episodes with the addition of Chris Carter's commentary on nearly half of the season. There's also international clips (which are always good for a chuckle)and also a number of great extras. What matters is whether or not the set is worth it based on A) The quality of the episodes and B) The quality of the transfers.

A) The writing establihed a benchmark that all other series (from "CSI" to "Buffy")benefited from. While Carter may have been inspired by "The Night Stalker" television series, he way beyond that series with drama that could hold its own with the best of mainstream television.
B)The transfer by Universal Studios is quite good. The compression technlogy used to create the DVDs does suffer a bit from all the dark sequences. The picture isn't always as clear as it could be but, again, we've got nearly 4 hours of complex images on one dual layer disc.

The set comes with a twelve page booklet that details every episode and gives the general production info. It also includes a picture from these which, if you're like me, helps because I can never remember the title of many of my favorite episodes.
While I didn't like the accordian style presentation of the DVDs at first, they're pretty well put together and, when compared to those for other sets, are well designed with a great deal of care put into the art direction. Overall, it's a classy package and the price has never been better. ... Read more

Amazon.com

With the original conspiracy plot arc having fallen into a muddle ofloose ends, once-hungry lead actors on the verge of big-screen careers andmaking demands for more time off or shots at writing and directing, and theinitial wish list of monsters-of-the-week long exhausted, it's a miracle that byits seventh season The X-Files was still making its airdates, let alonemanaging something pretty good every other show and something outstanding atleast once every four episodes. The season opens with a dreary two-parter("Sixth Extinction" and "Amor Fati") and winds up with the traditionalincomprehensible cliffhanger ("Requiem"), but along the way includes a clutch ofepisodes that may not match the originality of earlier seasons but stilleffortlessly equal any other fantasy-horror sci-fi on television.

The highlights: "Hungry," a brain-eating mutant story told from the point ofview of a monster who tries to control his appetite by going to eating disorderself-help groups; "The Goldberg Variation," a crime comedy about a weaselylittle man who has the gift of incredible good luck, which means Wile E.Coyote-style doom for anyone who crosses him; "The Amazing Maleeni," guest-starringRicky Jay in a rare nonfantastic crime story about a feud between stagemagicians that turns out to be a cover for a heist; "X-Cops," a brilliant skiton the TV docusoap Cops with Mulder and Scully caught on camera as theytrack an apparent werewolf in Los Angeles (season-best acting from DavidDuchovny and Gillian Anderson); "Theef," a complex revenge drama with gauntBilly Drago as a hillbilly medicine man stalking a slick doctor; "Brand X," ahorror-comic tale of corruption in the tobacco industry; "Hollywood AD" (writtenand directed by Duchovny), in which Tea Leoni (Duchovny's wife) and GarryShandling are cast as Scully and Mulder in a crass movie version of a real-lifeX-file; and "Je Souhaite," a deadpan comedy about a wry, cynical genie at themercy of trailer-trash masters who haven't an idea what to wish for. --KimNewman ... Read more

Reviews (43)

The last of the true classic X Files Seasons!!!
...P>Mulder and Scully were still together for this, their last season as the two leading characters of one of the best dramatic series in television history.

After the movie, the move to L.A. and the predominance of humorous episodes throughout the Sixth Season and the incredible resolution of the original mythology, the seventh season started with a bang but not with a little anxiety on the fans' side because this was the much rumored final season. ...

Myth Episodes:

The Seventh Season starts with the two parts of a new mythology that started with the last episode of Season Six called Biogenesis.
The Sixth Extinction and The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati (Wich translated means "Love Of Fate")carry on with the theory that Mulder might be a succesful Human - Alien Hybrid!!!

It's extremely important that you don't miss the Two Parter:
Sein Und Zeit (Wich means "Being and Time") and Closure wich puts to rest, in an extremely precious form, the Samantha Mulder mistery giving the Fox Character one of his few moments of rest throughout the whole series.

And Requiem... The best of the best in Season Finale's. Although it would ultimately lead the series into only God knows what.

Stand Alone Episodes (Or Monster of the Week):

Orison:
Witnesses the return of a villain that appeared before in earlier seasons. Great script by Chip Johanessen (Former collaborator of Beverly Hills 90210 and Millenium).

The Amazing Maleeni:
Actually not an X File, but an excellent proof that the series still had a lot of fuel. Excellent Turn of Screw at the end!!!

X Cops:
Cops, The X Files and Vince Gilligan... What's not to like?

Theef:
Voodoo. Nuff Said!!!

Chimera:
David Amann at his best!!!

En Ami (Wich means "One Friend", although its a play on words wich in english can be understood as "enemy"):

Written by the CSM himself (William B. Davis)!!!

All Things:
Written and Directed by Gillian Anderson. Not the best, but the teaser (considered one of the most controversials in the whole series' existence) is worth the whole package.

Je Souhaite (I Wish):
Written and directed by Vince Gilligan.

After this, the series was transformed into a mix up that even Chris Carter didn't understand at all. Don't get me wrong. I don't hate Robert Patrick's character or even Annabeth Gish's but John Dogget and Monica Reyes didn't achieve to give the series that feeling we all know very well. That X FILES feeling.

I'm so sorry that David Duchovny got transformed into such an egotistical person. The series would have been succesful with him in it. You can see him act like a Zombie (Check out Chimera)and he already looks tired. Maybe the series would've finished here and continue in a new movie. Heck! The series could've even ended with Season Eight, but no! Fox had to continue exploiting fans. And we gladly let them... But not for long.

Hope you enjoy having the only and real seven seasons of what can be called the television phenomenon of the last century.

I WILL buy the las two seasons, only to feed my collectionist's hunger, and because the movie will start where the last episode of the Ninth (and worst season) left off.

Long Live the X Files!!!
Long Live the X Philes!!!

Wishing to encounter you all again in a dark cinema room.
Enrique Aguilar.
A Mexican X Phile.

Changing of the guard 4 1/2 stars
If season 6 was the high point for "The X-Files" (and many fans feel it is), than season 7 catches the series at the top of the other side. While some of the episodes play a bit flat, the bulk of season 7 is, contrary to other reviews, worthwhile picking up on DVD. The first two episodes of season 7 "The Sixth Extinction" immediately grabs your attention with a strong two parter that relates directly to the mythology episodes of previous seasons. We also have a conclusion, of sorts, to the running narrative about Mulder's search for his sister. The mythology episodes really isn't what the seventh season is about; it's the experimentation. Season 7 featured the most experimental, on the edge and downright strange episodes of the entire run. Running the gaumont from satire ("Hollywood A.D.") to melodrama with spiritual overtones ("all things")to traditional X-Files horror and a sympathetic look at a "monster" ("Hungry"), the series continued to push the envelope as to what was acceptable for the show.

Sure, there were some missteps. The "Millenium" episode where the two television series meet to resolve the cancelled series featuring Lance Henrinksen seems a bit out of place here. It's not a bad episode, it just doesn't really fit the series. Then again, it's part of the "risk" factor that happened during season 7. The comedic "The Goldberg Variations" where a man literally has great luck that leads to very, very bad luck also works quite well. Likewise, "X-Cops" with its satire on faux reality shows pushes the envelope of the series as well ditching the traditional filmic quality of the series in favor of the look of the show it satirizes--"Cops".

It's clear from the season ending cliff hanger and much of the latter part of the season that Carter, Spotnitz, Gilligan and the other main writers weren't quite sure if season 7 was the end. They set up a story that could have been resolved in a couple of two hour movies. The thing to keep in mind about season 7 is many of the episodes that are comdemmed as subpar actually are edgy, risk taking fare that doesn't fit into the more "traditional" types of stories that "The X-Files" told.

The extras are pretty good here. We get audio commentary including one from Gillian Anderson about the episode she wrote and directed ("all things") although Duchovny is curiously absent from the ones he wrote, co-wrote and/or directed as far as commentary tracks. There's also a fine featurette that discusses the direction of the series and the difficulties Carter and crew faced with Duchovny leaving.

Picture and sound quality are top-notch although I have noticed a lot of these boxed sets with episodes that are flawed with sound problems. The drop in the price of the sets are a welcome sight for fans who hadn't purchased the series on DVD (I was still watching my VHS and homemade DVD's before the price break). Frankly, I wish that Paramount and other studios would follow suit for these expensive boxed sets. The extras are nice but, really, you could record the stuff off TV so the price break is welcome.

In reality, with season 8 the series began anew with new characters and new story arcs. While the series had already peaked, it still had a very strong solid season or two of life left in it.

This is my least favorite season
I just couldn't get into Season 7 of The X-Files.

It's not from lack of trying, though. My wife and I watched each episode faithfully every night (sometimes two episodes per night) until they were all gone

Yet, despite the fact that we're huge X-Files fans, our conclusion is that Episode 7 is lackluster at best. The stories were one-offs (and weak ones at that), the monsters were ho-hum, the action wasn't gripping, and it seemed as if everyone was just walking through his/her part. Sleep walking, that is.

I think the lack of aliens and conspiracy villians really took a toll on The X-Files. Without the overarching threat of either alien invasion or government cover-ups, nothing much really goes on in the lives of Mulder and Scully.

The only hint that something cool *could* happen is when Mulder and Scully got closer emotionally and physically. Their relationship is a truly great one already (one of the best on television), but we wanted to see it taken to the next level. Alas, that was not to be.

We've watched Seasons 1-8 so far and I have to say Season 7 is the weakest of the bunch. Season 8 (see my other review), which receives a lot of grief because of Mulder's absence and Scully's emotionalism (hey, she's pregnant; give her a break!), is far superior to Season 7.

You can read other reviews to get a play-by-play of each episode in Season 7. All I want to do in this review is provide my two cents worth.

My advice: Unless you're a completist who needs to have every season, I'd skip Season 7 and go right into Season 8. You won't miss anything -- except for a lot of uneventful episodes.

Dissapointing
I was looking foward to seeing this series and from all of the episode synopsis I found on the internet it sounded like one of the best seasons. But the only good episodes are the ones that deal with the core of The X-Files and not the monster-of-the-week episodes. So here they are: the good (the 6th extinction 1 and 2, Orison, Sein and Zeit-very good with wonderful acting and a beautiful conclusion to the end of the search for Mulder's sister-Closure, En Ami, all things, and Requiem), the average (Orison, Brand X, The Amazing Maleeni, X-Cops, Rush, Theef, Millennium, Hungry, 1st Person Shooter, The Goldberg Variation, Chimera, and Je Souhaite-the only thing that keeps me from making this a bad episode is the comedy from the genie) and the ugly (Signs and Wonders, Hollywood A.D.-this episode would be funny if it didn't have the dead tango at the end, and, the worst episode of the series in my opinion, Fight Club. There is nothing good about this episode). Only get this if you are a die hard fan and want to see some good episodes that are pivital to the series, but not if you are a simple-minded fan.

Not the best, but still good
IMHO, this is the weakest season of The X-Files. The alien conspiracy we were following for six years ended in the middle of season 6, and was taken to a different direction by the end. So season 7 started dealing with the plot of aliens creating human beings, and then "resolved" the plot of Mulder's sister's abduction, and ended with a pretty good cliffhanger that took the show in an even more different direction in the next season.

[Spoilers]

The resolution to the plot of Mulder's sister wasn't satisfying to me. I think I speak for most X-Fans when I say that we wanted Mulder to find his sister alive, and have her be a part of his life again. Instead, we find out she's been dead since 1987! So this whole time Mulder's looking for her ends up just being a waste. All those years of us following this story ends up not really being worth following. Ok, so Mulder can end his quest. He's free. Fine. But couldn't that happen with his sister actually being alive?!

[End Spoilers]

Other weak points in the series were a couple of stand-alone episodes that were just rancid in my opinion. "Hollywood A.D." and "Fight Club." What the heck were they thinking when they wrote these episodes?! I have to admit though, the reference to Plan 9 From Outerspace in "Hollywood A.D." was cool though. But both of these episodes were just too absurd for what The X-Files was known for. This show always had humorous happenings throughout its run, but these two episodes were just too over the top.

But aside from the plot of Mulder's sister, and the two not-so-good stand-alone episodes mentioned above, I found this season to be pretty good. But I also thought since this was David Duchovny's last full season, that they kind of wasted his character. But the show ended with a band, which lead it into an interesting new direction for the show's next season.

Good season, great DVD. ... Read more

Amazon.com

By its third season, The X-Files had grown from a cult hit to a global phenomenon, becoming the most popular show in many countries outside the U.S. Armed with the knowledge that the show was here to stay, series creator Chris Carter expanded its mythology, and the 24 episodes in this boxed set represent arguably the strongest of all the X-Files seasons. As usual, stand-alone episodes explored the paranormal and sometimes terrifying possibilities in mythology, pop culture, and religion. Darin Morgan helps the show to mature by expanding its use of humor, directing classic episodes such as "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" (featuring a fabulous performance from Peter Boyle) and "Jose Chung's 'From Outer Space.'" Meanwhile, two-part episodes continue to delve into the X-Files own mythology, introducing the alien black oil, the implant in Scully's neck, the mysterious Agent X, and the shape-shifting Jeremiah Smith. But following the complex mythology is not crucial to enjoying the show. The strength of the X-Files lies not in resolution but in feeding the paranoia of its rabid audience by revealing conspiracies that linger in the mind as unanswered questions. Series creator Carter realized wisely that fans did not look to the X-Files to explain the unexplained, but to question that which they thought they understood. The third season was effective because it hinted that while the truth was out there, it was more complex, sinister, and amazing than even Mulder had imagined.

Commentaries and deleted scenes are available for some of the 24 episodes, and the last disc in the set contains numerous TV spots and interviews with the creators about the filming of the third season. --Eugene Wei ... Read more

Reviews (63)

Tied for the single best season
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.

X-Files Season Three.. The Search Continues
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.

Tv doesnt get much better than this
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.

The best season so far...
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...

Top-league stuff from the best TV series ever...
You ask any X-files die-hard fan about which is the best season of the series and they will readily answer either the third or the fourth. This is no coincidence, and i would totally agree with them.
In this third season all the elements of the series come of age: the two main protagonists are at the top of their game giving very high quality performances and cementing the legendary characters of Mulder and Scully. While in the first 2 seasons these two characters were essentially still being constructed and the relationship between them two still being built up, in the 3rd installment this has all fallen into place making it a very solid, very well put together dram-plot, equal of which you'd have to search hard to find in TV history.

But even better than that, the script-writting hits masterpiece levels, not in a few episodes, but rather all and throughout. In fact, as far as season 3 is concerned, any "weak" episode would still be considered top-level stuff for any other TV series. But the overall level of the storylines introduced here is so high that your expectations rise as you move along from episode to episode. This is basically a season that made anyone that watched it at the very least more suspicious (do a simple search on google on some of the storylines and you'll understand what i mean) or simply a more intelligent viewer and thinker alltogether.

Another important factor introduced in Season 3 is that certain plotlines were here to stay, that is, they were stories to be extended and interweaved in following seasons as well, stories that were among the very best the X-files have offered us.

Big time fans of the series (and man, there are many) cherish this season for mega-classic episodes such as :
"Paperclip",
"Nisei",
"731",
"War of the Coprophages",
"Grotesque",
"Apocrypha",
"Jose Chung's "From Outer Space"
"Wetwired" and
"Talitha Cumi"....

But watch anything at random from the 6 DVDs with episodes and the chances are very high you'll be in for a major cerebral treat.

The success of this tremendous series is not only on the artistic achievements but even more so on the fact that most of the dramaturgy involved in the X-files is tied with multiple leads to realities most people are absolutely unaware of, in certain cases even X-Files fans themselves. This is a feat only achieved to a similar degree in that other TV classic from the 60s, the Twilight Zone.

If you're not very familiar with the series i wouldn't reccommend you to start at Season 3, mainly because you simply need to watch the characters develop from the very beginning, at Season 1. What i am saying though, and that with emphasis, is that having watched all of the seasons involving Mulder and Scully, Season 3 and Season 4 are beyond any doubt stunning. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The midpoint of what would be a nine-season show, the fifth season of The X-Files (the first to be put on DVD in anamorphic widescreen format) gives fans a heavy heaping of what they love. For the mythology buffs, riveting episodes from the season bookends "Redux" and "The End" to several episodes in between tease with new revelations about the vast government conspiracies and alien invasion plot lines sketched in earlier seasons. But enough questions are left unanswered for the theatrical X-Files movie, which was released the subsequent summer, and the seasons that followed. Supporting characters like the Lone Gunmen, Agent Krycek, the Pusher Robert Modell, and Fox's father and sister Bill and Samantha Mulder are flushed out in more detail in several episodes that occasionally jump back in time to cover the prehistory of the X-files. New chess pieces are introduced, each raising new questions: the clairvoyant child Gibson Praise, Agent Spender, faceless alien resistance fighters with pyromaniacal tendencies, a child who may be Scully's, and Mulder's old flame, agent Diana Fowley (Mimi Rogers). All the time, no one knows who will be assassinated next, who is or isn't dead, just who isn't potentially a child of the Cigarette Smoking Man, and why the base of the neck is everyone's vulnerable spot. The creature feature stand-alone episodes vary in quality, but all are redeemed by the outrageously funny self-parody episode "Bad Blood," a fan favorite that guest stars Luke Wilson as a small-town sheriff who catches Scully's eye.

Finally, "shippers" (fans who would love nothing better than to see Mulder and Scully act upon their feelings for each other) get a heavy dose of the usual sexual innuendo and lingering, tender glances between the attractive costars. Mimi Rogers and Luke Wilson incite palpable jealousy between the leads; the appearance of a wedding band on Mulder's hand in a back story hints at stories not told; and the usual extreme and dimly lit crises illustrate just how far Mulder and Scully will go for each other. In the end, the complexities of their relationship may be the most tense and intriguing of all the mysteries explored by this epic television series. --Eugene Wei ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Halfway through the show, The X-Files reaches its peak
Season 5 of The X-Files is definitely the best season from the show's nine-year run, in my opinion. Season 5 is where the mythology arc of the show really takes over, resulting in a superb season finale before finally leading to box-office glory in the summer of 1998 with The X-Files Movie: Fight The Future. Season 5 was actually filmed after the movie, despite the movie coming out after Season 5! This brilliant season of The X-Files contains a mere 20 episodes - the movie was Chris Carter's excuse as the concluding "episode/s" to the season. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as FBI Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully respectively are surprisingly not at their best, acting-wise in Season 5.

As previously stated, Season 5 is where the mythology arc of the show really takes over. These conspiracy episodes are the best from any season in The X-Files, and made Season 5 more epic than any other. Season 5 begins with the great episode Unusual Suspects. In a flash back scene from 1989, the Lone Gunmen meet for the first time and join forces with Mulder to stop a covert government experiment that may be targeted at the American public, after been contacted by a distraught woman. We finally catch up with what happened at the end of Season 4 in the first two-parter of Season 5; Redux/Redux II. Mulder was presumed dead at the end of the previous season, yet the agents play the game better and are one step ahead of everyone else - I won't spoil it for you, but it's truly an amazing two-parter, definitely one of the best in the show's history. The next two-parter we receive from Season 5 is Christmas Carol/Emily. In the former, a mysterious phone call leads Scully to investigate a woman's suicide and a young girl who may be the daughter of her deceased sister, Melissa. In the latter, Scully attempts to adopt three year old Emily Sim, only to discover that the girl has developed a disturbing illness that may be the by-product of a sinister conspiracy. The next in a long list of Season 5 two-parters is Patient X/The Red And The Black. In the former - after a group of alien abductees are burned alive by faceless assailants - Mulder and Scully uncover proof that the event is linked to alien colonisation. In the latter, the agents discover more evidence of the planned alien colonisation of Earth and set out to preserve what may be humanity's last remaining link to freedom. Since the beginning of Season 5, Mulder's opinions on what he believes have been severely challenged. We see an extremely sceptical Mulder in this two-parter, not willing to believe anything without proof. The fans aren't used to this, so it's just as glad he reverts to his normal self soon. The Season 5 finale - The End - is another absolutely stunning episode in which Mulder and Scully discover a 12-year-old clairvoyant whose life may be in danger due to his gifted ability to solve all the unexplained phenomena in the X-Files. The Ciagrette-Smoking Man really gets involved in this finale, arriving back with full force - intent on complicating things more than they could be and, of course, covering up the truth.

The stand-alone episodes of Season 5 are amongst the best the show has ever produced. While containing some superb ones such as Kitsunegari, Schizogeny, Kill Switch, Mind's Eye, All Souls, The Pine Bluff Variant and Folie A Deux, it also contains one atrocious one - Travelers. This is just a rubbish episode, which I turned off between the first viewing. One of the best episodes of Season 5 is Detour. In the episode, Mulder and Scully are stalked by an ancient legion of lethal beings while out in the woods investigating a boy's claims that he was attacked by an invisible creature. The striking and rich greens of the trees in the forest make this one of the most memorable episodes in X-Files history. The Post Modern Prometheus is a special episode, filmed entirely in black and white. While investigating the appearance of a freakish creature in a rural town, the agents uncover a dangerous genetic experiment that has spun wildly out of control. The comedy scenes (Mulder and Scully suddenly appearing from behind a door-frame to quiz a suspect is hilarious) make for a much-loved episode. Chinga (called Bunghoney from a few sources for some strange reason) is another one of the season's highlights. Rumours of witchcraft and sorcery surrounding a bizarre murder lead Scully to a little girl and a cursed doll that may be hiding a murderous secret. The episode was co-written by horror story legend Stephen King and contains some truly scary moments - such as the supermarket one...and watch out for the "I want more cherries!" scene! Bad Blood has to be the funniest episode of The X-Files you will ever see. While exploring the deaths of cattle killed by a series of blood extractions, the agents uncover a cult of vampires residing in a small Texas town. Both Mulder and Scully offer their sides of the story on what happened in flashback scenes. At one point, the agents become so annoyed with each other that when Scully explains what location they were at (with that trademark writing appearing at the bottom of the screen), Mulder cuts in and believes Scully to have got the location wrong! The writing at the bottom of the screen then changes to what Mulder believes it to be! Very funny stuff!

OVERALL GRADE: 10/10

Season 5 of The X-Files is one of the best seasons of any TV show I have ever seen - only Seasons 3 and 5 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer tops it! The season contains many different characters such as Cigarette-Smoking Man, Alex Krycek, the Lone Gunmen, Maria Covarrubias, Diana Fowley and The Bounty Hunter which only add to the season's quality. Be a part of The X-Files legend and own Season 5 on DVD today!

The Greatest Science Fiction Show Hits Season 5
If you are reading this, you are proabbly a very big X-Files fan like me. If you are not a fan, you have no idea what great stuff you are missing. So here is the lowdown. As most of us nerds know, X-Files Season 5 was the first season to be filmed in anamorphic widescreen, but it was broadcast in fullscreen.Fox has announced though that the DVD's (Thank You Jesus!)will be presented in their originall anamorphic widescreen! Now for the episodes...
Disc 1: Unusual Suspects, Redux, ReduxII and Detour
Disc 2: Christmas Carol, Post-Modern Prometheus, Emily and Kitsunegari
Disc 3: Schizogeny, Chinga, Kill Switch and Bad Blood
Disc 4: Patient X, The Red and the Black, Travelers and Mind's Eye
Disc 5: All Souls, The Pine Bluff Variant, Folie a Deux and The End
Disc 6: Supplemental Materials.
And for the special features...
The audio will be presented in Dolby Surround 2.0. There will also be international clips for several episodes, deleted scenes from The Post-Modern Prometheus, Christmas Carol, The Red and the Black and All Souls, audio commentaries for The Post-Modern Prometheus and The Pine Bluff Variant, a thirty minute documentary - The Truth About Season Five, Behind the Truth Spots, special effects clips with commentary, a two minute featurette from the FX network, tv spots, and a DVD-ROM game.
I hope this helps ... and remember THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE!

Incredible season.. Best I have seen yet
Up until recently, I never watched a single episode of the X-Files. Now that the DVD sets have been reduced in price, I had the opportunity to start watching the show. After watching the first four seasons on DVD I have become a huge fan, and in my opinion The X-Files is one of the most addictive and well done science fiction shows ever created. However, the only five star season that was great from start to finish, was the third season. Going into season five, I never expected to see a season of The X-Files that could manage to overcome season three in terms of storytelling and episode quality. I was wrong. The fifth season was absolutely amazing. I enjoyed every single episode, and I doubt that any season for the rest of the show will be able to top it.

The thing that I probably enjoyed the most about season five, is that Mulder and Scully switch roles. Based on what he learns at the end of season four, Mulder turns somewhat skeptical and comes to think that everything he believed in was a lie, while Scully starts to become more of a believer based on things she discovers about her abduction. The fifth season offers so many wonderful episodes, it is hard to choose a favorite. The first two episodes "Redux" and "Redux II" offer a wonderful conclusion to the season four cliffhanger. One of my favorite episodes "Unusual Suspects" goes into how the Lone Gunmen came to be. "The Post-Modern Prometheus" is loosely based on the Frankenstien monster, and is shot in black and white. This was definately one of the best episodes I have seen so far. Everything from the writing and cinematography, to the music used was fantastic. "Bad Blood" is the funniest and most entertaining episode of The X-Files that I have ever seen, and will probably go down as being my favorite episode of the entire show. "The End" is the best season finale of the show that I have seen so far, and is definately on my top ten list for best episodes.

Overall, the fifth season of The X-Files is the best season I have seen so far. While there were only 20 episodes, each one managed to be fantastic. The fifth season would be worth owning for the episodes alone. However, the DVD package is great. This was the first DVD set to offer the episodes in widescreen! The extras are very good as well. My favorite feature was the 45 minute "Inside the X-Files" featurette. It was very in-depth and featured tons of great information. You also get deleted scenes with commentary from series creator Chris Carter, commentary on the episodes "The Post-Modern Prometheus" and "The Pine Bluff Variant" from the writer of those particular episodes, and more.

A solid 5 stars...

End of Vancouver
This season marks the last season that was shot in Vancouver. After that, they moved to L.A. Amidst all of that, as well as writting an entire season to lead up to the movie, this season proved to be really great.

[Spoilers]

As usual, the conspiracy deepens with the season premier, and we get a cure for Scully's cancer, an answer to Mulder's supposed death, and a new monkey wrench thrown into the Syndicate's plans: Mulder and Scully discover a boy that can read minds, which in turn could expose the syndicate.

[End Spoilers]

This season had great stand alone episodes as well as mythology episodes. It proved that The X-Files still had a lot going for it.

This season ended with a pretty good season finale, but wasn't as good as Season 4's. However, this didn't matter, because the REAL season finale was the movie "The X-Files: Fight the Future" that was released a few weeks later in theaters.

Overall, a great season and a great setup for the movie and future seasons.

Great season, great DVD.

End of Vancouver...
For the first five seasons of the show, they filmed in Vancouver. After that, they moved to LA. Even through all that, the show remains incredibly well done.

In this season, we have a cure for Scully's cancer, we find out what really happened in the Season Four finale episode, and we learn just how deep the conspiracy goes. We also learn more about what happened when Scully was abducted in "Christmas Carol/Emily," and more in "Patient X/The Red and the Black." The latter two-parter also expands more into what the aliens are really up to.

The season ends with a decent finale, although not as good as last season's. But that's ok, because a month later we got the movie!

Great season, great DVD. ... Read more

Description

Rod Serling's classic TV exploration of the uncanny, the unknown, and the unforgettable takes you beyond the deepest realms of imagination! Filled with twists, turns, and compelling characters, this legendary series has remained continuously on the air since its initial run and remains as fascinating, frightening, and thoroughly entertaining for viewers today. Each set contains nine DVDs; Collection #4 features Volumes 28-36, 28 episodes to tingle your spine including "Little Girl Lost," "Jess-Belle," "Miniature" and "A Penny for Your Thoughts." So pull up a seat and brace yourself for a fantastic voyage into...The Twilight Zone! ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Twilight Zone - One Of My Favorite Shows
If you buy one of these TZ Box Sets, you might as well buy the other four. Each set has nine volumes (sans the documentary Rod Serling - Submitted For Your Approval). My favorite episodes deal with Time Travel (No Time Like The Past, Back There, Walking Distance, Static, The Seventh Is Made Up Of Phantoms), Old Age (Kick The Can, Nothing In The Dark, The Trade-Ins, One For The Angels), The Civil War (The Passerby, An Occurrance At Owl Creek Bridge, Still Valley), and Paranoia (The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street, The Shelter, 4:00). My other favorites are the four by Jack Klugman (A Passage For Trumpet, A Game Of Pool, In Praise Of Pip, Death Ship) and Burgess Meredith (Time Enough At Last, Mr Dingle Mr Strong, The Obsolete Man, Printer's Devil). If you are new to the show, watch these episodes first. They are the creme de la creme of the show.

The series is excellent. However, it's deliberate attempts at humor are often misfires (The Whole Truth, The Bewitching Pool, I Dream Of Genie). The episode A Short Drink From A Certain Fountain is the "Spock's Brain" on the series, meaning it's the worst. The ending is bad; what were they thinking??? No wonder it didn't make the syndication package.

The Sound Quality varies from each DVD. Some have two channel mono while others have HIFI mono. Closed Captioned doesn't work for any of the DVD's. There's usually only 3 or 4 episodes per DVD, unlike other Box Sets that fit 8 per DVD, thus lowering the price. This is a minor beef, because the show is worth the money.

You will also notice that 3 episodes (Where Is Everybody, The Encounter, The Eye Of The Beholder) appear twice if you buy all five. Again, a minor beef since The Encounter is the only one of the three to be exactly the same on both separate DVD's.

These Box Sets are now a bargain compared to when each volume is sold separately. I never tire of watching the episodes and reading the notes. I also recommend Rod Serling's Submitted For Your Approval. It gives insight to Rod Serling and his creation as told by friends, relatives and co-workers.

Excellent as always, though oriented toward die-hard fans
Like the first 3 collections, this one has a great variety of episodes, and its fair share of A+ ones which are as fine as anything that has ever been shown on TV. Unlike the first 3 collections, this one has several rarely seen and/or double length episodes, and is even more of an acquired taste. Die-hard fans and collectors will want to own this set. Those exploring TZ might try one of the other 3 collections first. If you like, read my reviews of those as well.

The best show, now on DVD
This is hands-down my favorite television series, and now it's on DVD in superlative form. You can't go wrong with any of the five collections.

Now Entering...The Nostalgia Zone
Having had a partial collection on video for many years now, I anxiously awaited the release on DVD. Finally! The complete series (156 episodes) has finally received the treatment it truly deserves. This series has held up well for 40+ years, and I have no doubt it will make it for at least another half century. Television writing was at its peak with this show, and the evolution of television filming (and videotaping) techniques is obvious over the course of this series. And the trademark twists at the end of each episode still take me by surprise!

Technically, the digital remastering to DVD has brought new life to Rod Serling's brainchild. The video presentation is crisp and well defined, bringing out the subtle details so well, that you will find yourself completely absorbed in the nuances of Serling's vision, and the outstanding production values for this early 60's series (just keep in mind that this is pre-Computer Generation era). The audio was clear, and blissfully noise free, but a bit low on the volume when compared to the title and menu audio tracks (both on the geyeballh version of the earlier disks, and the intro sequences on the later disks). The shows are presented in their original format, so no widescreen version is necessary. And television always translates well to...well, television. Although the extras include a Rod Serling bio, a brief synopsis of each of the 5 seasons that the series ran, and a Twilight Zone history, these features are identical on each disc. The true gem of the extra features is the episode synopsis and review. Each disc is unique in this respect, with a plot summary and some background "inside info". Although mostly taken from the book "The Twilight Zone Companion," I found this feature to be the most interesting.

Each collection has its ghitsh and gmissesh, but the series is, overall, a rewarding experience. The only "disappointments" that I found were the collection's lack of a subtitles option (which I really would have appreciated), and the fact that the episodes are not in order (which slightly detracts from observing the actual progression of growth within the series). That makes this more of a 4 1/2 star rating (but you can't do that, can you?). If you have ever enjoyed even one episode of this legendary series, you will not regret buying these collections. And if you've never seen it, give it a try...you'll be hooked.

Sound Problems from Collections 2-5
I am the world's biggest Twighlight Zone fan. Therefore, when the opportunity arrived to purchase all of the classic footage of this great series, I didn't hesitate. The problem that I'm having is that from Volume 13 on, which corresponds to the time Image Entertainment completely took over the DVD production, I am unable to play the sound from these DVD's through my TV or auxilliary speakers. The sound only comes through the speakers on the DVD itself. There weren't any sound difficulties with the first 12 Volumes. I don't believe it's the DVD player either, (portable Panasonic LTV175). Has anyone else had this problem? ... Read more

Amazon.com

Though season 9 may not be the best period in a long line of groundbreaking television, it is still worthy of the X-Files name. Knowing this was the last season had many fans prematurely disgruntled, and the expectation for "going out with a bang" was extremely high. Lots of longtime issues came to a head (Scully's single motherhood, new X-files agents at the helm, Agent Skinner is now a believer, Mulder MIA, etc.), and many new issues and plots arose. Learning the facts of his son's death, Agent Doggett (Robert Patrick) seeks out the missing Agent Mulder (David Duchovny) to help him expose the corrupt Deputy Director Kersh (James Pickens Jr.). Knowing that her gifted son William is a target of a religious cult, Scully (Gillian Anderson) enlists the help of the Lone Gunmen for protection. The missing Mulder is finally located. Unfortunately, he is being held in custody by the military on murder charges, which leads to the grand finale: the trial, not for a man guilty of murder, but for a man guilty of seeking the the Truth.

The naysayers have plenty of valid complaints (particularly about the "Super Soldiers" segue), and many hated that the Mulder/Scully pairing was gone, but there are a few aspects that are universally positive, and there aren't many complaints about their replacements, Agent Doggett and Agent Reyes (Annabeth Gish). In fact, many feel that the show could have easily continued if the show's writing had been better. The final episode was more or less a 90-minute recap of the X-Files phenomenon. After "The Truth" ended, disappointed hardcore fans couldn't help but feel it was a set-up for an upcoming movie, but casual fans should find the episode very helpful in linking together the mythos that entranced and confused viewers for years. It may not be up to par with the first six seasons, but season 9 is still a lot better than most television shows.If you have the nerve to revisit this season, you will be pleasantly surprised. --Rob Bracco ... Read more

Reviews (60)

Underratted
Season 9 may not be the greatest season of The X Files ever but it is by no means as bad as some make it out to be.
Alot had changed this season, as apparant by the new and very cool title sequence, namely David Duchovny would only appear in the final feature length episode and Agents Doggett and Reyes now investigated the x files cases with Scully lending a helpful hand from her new position as a forensic's teacher with the FBI. Despite these big changes it was still very much The X Files at heart, Skinner and The Lone Gunmen were present but not as much as many fans would have wished, Kersh was his usual nasty self and the inclusion of Cary Elwes as A.D. Brad Follmer was a great addition to the cast.

The mythology this year revolved around the mysteries of Scully's baby, the "super-soilders", internal politics within the FBI and the question of whether Mulder was dead or alive. While these mythology story lines were no means the best Chris Carter and co. have ever come up with the episodes themeselves were still truly excellent. The season opened with the brilliant two-parter "Nothing Important Happened Today I & II" which aroused question for the coming year. "Trust no 1" dealt with Mulders dissapearance, the mid season two-parter "Provenance" and "Providence" were amongst the best two-part episodes the show has ever made, "William" brilliantly directed by David Duchovny was a real highlight of season 9 and then the final episode ever "The Truth". This episode marked Mulders retun and while there were quite a few things I didn't like about the episode it was an amazing ending to the greatest show to ever grace our screens.

The stand-alone episodes this season were just as good as any of the previous seasons with "Deaomonicus", "4-D", "John Doe", "Hellbound", "Audrey Pauley", "Improbable"(which guest starred Burt Reynolds) and my particular favourite "Release", which gave a fantastic resolution to the question of what had actually happenend to Doggett's son, being amongst the greatest stand-alones ever made. There were a few very good episodes in the shape of "Underneath", "Scary Monsters" and "Sunshine Days" but there were also a couple of absolute stinkers, "Lord of The Flies" and "Jump The Shark" were easily two of the worst episodes ever made.

Give season 9 a chance and you may well be surprised how truly excellent this final year was. The acting is, as always, superb especially from Robert Patrick and Gillian Anderson, production values and direction were second to none and as such the show has never looked better. The stand-alones were as good as any other year, the mytholgy was still very interesting and for a show in it's ninth year it looked incredibley fresh.
Plus with two discs worth of extras this Box Set is definetly worth a buy.
Here's to nine amazing years and Bring on the movies!

Loved it
i didn't get to see any of these episodes when it aired on TV... So when I bought this I was skeptical. Would this be any good? Mulder isnt here.

That to me is what The X-Files was about. Mulder and Scullys relationship and their investigations into the paranormal.

I started watching this and to my surprise I was getting just as much enjoyment in this season as I was in the previous Seasons.

Some of my favorite episdoes were, Daemonicus, 4-D, John Doe, Trust No 1, Provenace/Providence, William (very good), and of course the finale The Truth (though I dont think much was accomplished in the finale... 1 hour of recapping the entire series, then 30 minutes of mulder showing scully the date of the final alien invasion.. Hopefully the next movie will wrap things up, though rumor has it that it will be a stand-alone story)

There is a couple that I didnt like, one being The Lord of the Flies. But there is always one or two that I didn't like very much in just about every season.

True, that the show has changed alot in the later seasons... Watch season 3 then watch season 7 or 8. Almost seems different.

In my opinion season 9 is a must-have for anyone that calls themselves an X-Files fan...

Season 9 was the beginning of a new X-Files. They could have continued with Dogget and Reyes.... Note I said that they could have, not that they should have.

Season 9 was a great season and I highly recommend it however there is one thing that should have happened...

The series should have ended after Season 7. So much happened in that season. Mulder found the truth about his sister. The syndicate was pretty much dismantled. Mulder and Scully shared their first kiss.

Then after ending season 7 they should have created one or two more movies to wrap things up. That would have been the smart thing in my opinion. I had trouble getting through Season 8, but I liked Season 9. Now that I watched Sesaon 9 just as eagerly as I did the rest of them, I may have to go back and give season 8 another chance.

Give it a try - you won't be disappointed
I wish I could say season 9 was the best of the X-Files, but sadly it was not. Was it the worst? By far no. Hindsight is 20/20 and there was a great deal CC & FOX could have done to save this series, but alas they did not.

If you simply watched The X-Files because of David Duchovny then you will not enjoy season 9 - if you're open minded, then give this season a chance. Sure there are episodes that were lacking, but every season had an episode or two that was lacking.

Robert Patrick did a fine job and while Annabeth Gish tried her best, she wasn't as strong as Patrick, but then again she wasn't given very much to work with. She and Patrick worked very well together and I would have loved to have seen their partnership/friendship explored more thoroughly. Many feel their romance was forced or rushed and that may have been the case, but CC knew the show was ending and I think he decided to throw the DRR fans a bone. I must admit I grew to dislike Scully's character and her incessant whining about her son. The pregnancy storyline in season 8 and subsequently the introduction to William in season 9 was a big mistake and dumbed down Scully in my opinion. Truth be told Gillian Anderson wanted off the show and it was evident in her acting. FOX should have let her out of her contract and bid her farewell and focused on the Doggett & Reyes characters.

Some of the strong episodes were Hellbound, 4D, John Doe, Audrey Pauley & Release. The bonus material is very interesting and worth a view as well.

For a show that was meant to open your mind, many fans chose to close their minds and abandon the show after Duchovny left. I was sad at his departure, but understood his reasons and wished him well in his new endeavors. I don't feel many fans gave this season a fair shot and reading through many of the reviews that's evident. Give it a shot, you won't be disappointed and it's a hell of a lot better than "Reality TV." If you can't see spending the money on the DVD set then rent it at Blockbuster - it's worth it.

too bad
ok I am a huge x-files fan i love the show, but season nine was by far the worst. This season lost a lot of what had made the show great in the past, and i think that it was because of the writing and because Duchovny was gone(ok so am a girl and i think he's hot but that has very little to do with this). With Duchovny gone for the second season in a row you lost a lot of the emontion that he(Molder) brought to the show we lost his passion to find the truth. so yes i did buy this but only because i love this show to much not to own every season but if you are not like me ( and lets hope you aren't) do not buy this season if you are a fan of the early ones.

The Bitter End
Season 9 was by far the least satisfying of all the X-Files seasons due to the formulaic and prosaic writing. Although Robert Patrick's Agent Doggett worked quite well in this series, I felt Annabeth Gish's Monica Reyes was very weak. She is a mediocre actress at best, insipid at worst. She served the series best as eye candy, as she was mostly seen in tight leather jackets and sleeveless blouses. She was mostly expressionless throughout the series and seems better suited to soap operas.

Some very good episodes appeared, including "Lord of the Flies," "Release," and "Sunshine Days." The final episode, "The Truth," was a let down. The set-up, in a military Kangaroo court, was preposterous. The only good thing about the episode was the summation of all the confusing "alien conspiracy/mythology" episodes.

David Duchovney was sorely missed throughout the season, but I would have preferred Doggett and Scully, as in season 8, than the insipid Reyes.

The season is worth seeing to complete all the seasons, but it's not really a keeper. ... Read more

Description

The complete third season of Rod Serling’s classic, groundbreaking series exploring the fantastic and the frightening. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

5 for the boxset, 4 for the eps.
Season 3 and the episodes from this classic series have once again been given the whole super-duper treatment. Good work guys!!

By now the Zone's quality had slipped a little. Still,eps like "Nothing in the Dark", "The Dummy", "To Serve Man" and "Five Characters in Search of an Exit" remain unforgettable and still influence tv/ movies today.

Features in this package include:
-commentaries from William Windom, Leonard Nimoy, Cliff Robertson, Lois Nettleton, and Billy Mumy.
- teasers for next week's shows
- isolated soundtracks
- audio recollections from a bunch of contributors
- Serling's Night Gallery previews for next week's eps

It's all good and dare I say it...gets better with Season 4 and the hour long episodes.

RELEASE DATES FOR SEASONS 4 AND 5 OF THE ORIGINAL SERIES
Season 4 - 10/18/2005
Season 5 - 12/27/2005

Another Exciting TZ Season!
I'm totally enjoying the remastered "Definitive Season" releases with all the included bonus features.#3 here looks like another winner!I believe the remaining seasons will be out by years end.Meanwhile, I've got a stack of 3-4 episode DVD's and 2 episode VHS copies looking mighty lonely.For everyone in this situation, I think a good home might be a local library or even better a senior living centre.That would be a good demographic to donate to. ... Read more

Description

Rod Serling's classic TV exploration of the uncanny, the unknown, and the unforgettable takes you beyond the deepest realms of imagination! Filled with twists, turns, and compelling characters, this legendary series has remained continuously on the air since its initial run and remains as fascinating, frightening, and thoroughly entertaining for viewers today. Each set contains nine DVDs; Collection #3 features Volumes 19-27, 33 episodes including such fan favorites as "Mirror Image," "Night Call," "The Big Tall Wish" and "Long Live Walter Jameson." So pull up a seat and brace yourself for a fantastic voyage into...The Twilight Zone! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Twilight Zone - One Of My Favorite Shows
If you buy one of these TZ Box Sets, you might as well buy the other four. Each set has nine volumes (sans the documentary Rod Serling - Submitted For Your Approval). My favorite episodes deal with Time Travel (No Time Like The Past, Back There, Walking Distance, Static, The Seventh Is Made Up Of Phantoms), Old Age (Kick The Can, Nothing In The Dark, The Trade-Ins, One For The Angels), The Civil War (The Passerby, An Occurrance At Owl Creek Bridge, Still Valley), and Paranoia (The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street, The Shelter, 4:00). My other favorites are the four by Jack Klugman (A Passage For Trumpet, A Game Of Pool, In Praise Of Pip, Death Ship) and Burgess Meredith (Time Enough At Last, Mr Dingle Mr Strong, The Obsolete Man, Printer's Devil). If you are new to the show, watch these episodes first. They are the creme de la creme of the show.

The series is excellent. However, it's deliberate attempts at humor are often misfires (The Whole Truth, The Bewitching Pool, I Dream Of Genie). The episode A Short Drink From A Certain Fountain is the "Spock's Brain" on the series, meaning it's the worst. The ending is bad; what were they thinking??? No wonder it didn't make the syndication package.

The Sound Quality varies from each DVD. Some have two channel mono while others have HIFI mono. Closed Captioned doesn't work for any of the DVD's. There's usually only 3 or 4 episodes per DVD, unlike other Box Sets that fit 8 per DVD, thus lowering the price. This is a minor beef, because the show is worth the money.

You will also notice that 3 episodes (Where Is Everybody, The Encounter, The Eye Of The Beholder) appear twice if you buy all five. Again, a minor beef since The Encounter is the only one of the three to be exactly the same on both separate DVD's.

These Box Sets are now a bargain compared to when each volume is sold separately. I never tire of watching the episodes and reading the notes. I also recommend Rod Serling's Submitted For Your Approval. It gives insight to Rod Serling and his creation as told by friends, relatives and co-workers.

As excellent as the other Twilight Zone collections
The streak of brilliance that turned depictions of the paranormal to explain man to himself into a true American classic is as evident in this collection as in the others. The excellent DVD reproductions enhance the pleasure of watching it. TZ is uncanny in many ways, including in its ability to focus one minute on the distinctive bond between man and dog, and the next on the danger, ever present then as now, of nuclear annihilation. Seriously consider this item as a gift for those who "have everything" or are hard to buy for. If you like, see also my further comments on TZ collection 1 as they apply here, too.

The best show, now on DVD
This is hands-down my favorite television series, and now it's on DVD in superlative form. You can't go wrong with any of the five collections.

Now Entering...The Nostalgia Zone
Having had a partial collection on video for many years now, I anxiously awaited the release on DVD. Finally! The complete series (156 episodes) has finally received the treatment it truly deserves. This series has held up well for 40+ years, and I have no doubt it will make it for at least another half century. Television writing was at its peak with this show, and the evolution of television filming (and videotaping) techniques is obvious over the course of this series. And the trademark twists at the end of each episode still take me by surprise!

Technically, the digital remastering to DVD has brought new life to Rod Serling's brainchild. The video presentation is crisp and well defined, bringing out the subtle details so well, that you will find yourself completely absorbed in the nuances of Serling's vision, and the outstanding production values for this early 60's series (just keep in mind that this is pre-Computer Generation era). The audio was clear, and blissfully noise free, but a bit low on the volume when compared to the title and menu audio tracks (both on the 'geyeball'h version of the earlier disks, and the intro sequences on the later disks). The shows are presented in their original format, so no widescreen version is necessary. And television always translates well to...well, television. Although the extras include a Rod Serling bio, a brief synopsis of each of the 5 seasons that the series ran, and a Twilight Zone history, these features are identical on each disc. The true gem of the extra features is the episode synopsis and review. Each disc is unique in this respect, with a plot summary and some background "inside info". Although mostly taken from the book "The Twilight Zone Companion," I found this feature to be the most interesting.

Each collection has its 'ghits'h and 'gmisses'h, but the series is, overall, a rewarding experience. The only "disappointments" that I found were the collection's lack of a subtitles option (which I really would have appreciated), and the fact that the episodes are not in order (which slightly detracts from observing the actual progression of growth within the series). That makes this more of a 4 1/2 star rating (but you can't do that, can you?). If you have ever enjoyed even one episode of this legendary series, you will not regret buying these collections. And if you've never seen it, give it a try...you'll be hooked.

Essential to Your TZ DVD Collection!
The 3rd and 4th installments of Image Entertainment's Twilight Zone DVD "Collections" hit the shelves January 7th, with the 5th and final one due February 25th. In case you are wondering about cost you figure to save by purchasing these over the individually-sold volumes. But for the casual fan who only wants certain episodes, individuals are still the way to go.

Collection 3 contains 9 more volumes of the original DVD releases (this time Vols. 19-27 are collected) in more compact and efficient (but also cool) cases. These are housed in a keepsake box that makes for easy storage. The stand-outs from Collection 3 include...

--A Most Unusual Camera: A camera that snaps pictures of the future? Certainly qualifies as unusual...

--Five Characters In Search of An Exit: Why have five characters (a soldier, a jester and a ballerina, among them) awoken to find themselves in an empty room with no doors or windows??? One of the single coolest episodes in the series!

--People Are Alike All Over: Roddy McDowall plays an astronaut who, while stranded on an unknown planet, learns just how much this episode's title rings true!

--Elegy: Indescribably cool!

This Collection, does however, contain many of the episodes that fans universally consider to be clunkers (namely Black Leather Jackets, He's Alive, Spur of the Moment and The Big Tall Wish), but this doesn't harm the overall quality of the Collection. It is as essential, in my book, as the other four. ... Read more

Description

Rod Serling's classic TV exploration of the uncanny, the unknown, and the unforgettable takes you beyond the deepest realms of imagination! Filled with twists, turns, and compelling characters, this legendary series has remained continuously on the air since its initial run and remains as fascinating, frightening, and thoroughly entertaining for viewers today. Each set contains nine DVDs; Collection #5 features Volumes 37-43 plus "Treasures..." and "More Treasures of The Twilight Zone," 29 classic episodes including "The Eye of the Beholder," "The Howling Man," "The Masks," "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," and many more! So pull up a seat and brace yourself for a fantastic voyage into... The Twilight Zone! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Twilight Zone - One Of My Favorite Shows
If you buy one of these TZ Box Sets, you might as well buy the other four. Each set has nine volumes (sans the documentary Rod Serling - Submitted For Your Approval). My favorite episodes deal with Time Travel (No Time Like The Past, Back There, Walking Distance, Static, The Seventh Is Made Up Of Phantoms), Old Age (Kick The Can, Nothing In The Dark, The Trade-Ins, One For The Angels), The Civil War (The Passerby, An Occurrance At Owl Creek Bridge, Still Valley), and Paranoia (The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street, The Shelter, 4:00). My other favorites are the four by Jack Klugman (A Passage For Trumpet, A Game Of Pool, In Praise Of Pip, Death Ship) and Burgess Meredith (Time Enough At Last, Mr Dingle Mr Strong, The Obsolete Man, Printer's Devil). If you are new to the show, watch these episodes first. They are the creme de la creme of the show.

The series is excellent. However, it's deliberate attempts at humor are often misfires (The Whole Truth, The Bewitching Pool, I Dream Of Genie). The episode A Short Drink From A Certain Fountain is the "Spock's Brain" on the series, meaning it's the worst. The ending is bad; what were they thinking??? No wonder it didn't make the syndication package.

The Sound Quality varies from each DVD. Some have two channel mono while others have HIFI mono. Closed Captioned doesn't work for any of the DVD's. There's usually only 3 or 4 episodes per DVD, unlike other Box Sets that fit 8 per DVD, thus lowering the price. This is a minor beef, because the show is worth the money.

You will also notice that 3 episodes (Where Is Everybody, The Encounter, The Eye Of The Beholder) appear twice if you buy all five. Again, a minor beef since The Encounter is the only one of the three to be exactly the same on both separate DVD's.

These Box Sets are now a bargain compared to when each volume is sold separately. I never tire of watching the episodes and reading the notes. I also recommend Rod Serling's Submitted For Your Approval. It gives insight to Rod Serling and his creation as told by friends, relatives and co-workers.

La creme de la creme
This collection is in many respects similar to the other 4. But it contains more than its share of the very best episodes, as well as an interview of Rod Serling conducted by Mike Wallace just before TZ began its highly successful run. The interview frankly addresses the practical issues of using TV as a medium of serious expression. Even more disturbing, in my own view, is Serling's chain smoking as a manifestation of the stress inherent in being a creative artist in a society that neither understands nor warmly receives them.

In any case, this collection is excellent for TZ aficionados, for new fans sampling it, and for those on your gift lists who are hard to buy for. If you like, see also my reviews of the 4 previous collections.

The best show, now on DVD
This is hands-down my favorite television series, and now it's on DVD in superlative form. You can't go wrong with any of the five collections.

Now Entering...The Nostalgia Zone
Having had a partial collection on video for many years now, I anxiously awaited the release on DVD. Finally! The complete series (156 episodes) has finally received the treatment it truly deserves. This series has held up well for 40+ years, and I have no doubt it will make it for at least another half century. Television writing was at its peak with this show, and the evolution of television filming (and videotaping) techniques is obvious over the course of this series. And the trademark twists at the end of each episode still take me by surprise!

Technically, the digital remastering to DVD has brought new life to Rod Serling's brainchild. The video presentation is crisp and well defined, bringing out the subtle details so well, that you will find yourself completely absorbed in the nuances of Serling's vision, and the outstanding production values for this early 60's series (just keep in mind that this is pre-Computer Generation era). The audio was clear, and blissfully noise free, but a bit low on the volume when compared to the title and menu audio tracks (both on the geyeballh version of the earlier disks, and the intro sequences on the later disks). The shows are presented in their original format, so no widescreen version is necessary. And television always translates well to...well, television. Although the extras include a Rod Serling bio, a brief synopsis of each of the 5 seasons that the series ran, and a Twilight Zone history, these features are identical on each disc. The true gem of the extra features is the episode synopsis and review. Each disc is unique in this respect, with a plot summary and some background "inside info". Although mostly taken from the book "The Twilight Zone Companion," I found this feature to be the most interesting.

Each collection has its ghitsh and gmissesh, but the series is, overall, a rewarding experience. The only "disappointments" that I found were the collection's lack of a subtitles option (which I really would have appreciated), and the fact that the episodes are not in order (which slightly detracts from observing the actual progression of growth within the series). That makes this more of a 4 1/2 star rating (but you can't do that, can you?). If you have ever enjoyed even one episode of this legendary series, you will not regret buying these collections. And if you've never seen it, give it a try...you'll be hooked.

Now entering...The Nostalgia Zone
Having had a partial collection on video for many years now, I anxiously awaited the release on DVD. Finally! The complete series (156 episodes) has finally received the treatment it truly deserves. This series has held up well for 40+ years, and I have no doubt it will make it for at least another half century. Television writing was at its peak with this show, and the evolution of television filming (and videotaping) techniques is obvious over the course of this series. And the trademark twists at the end of each episode still take me by surprise!

Technically, the digital remastering to DVD has brought new life to Rod Serling's brainchild. The video presentation is crisp and well defined, bringing out the subtle details so well, that you will find yourself completely absorbed in the nuances of Serling's vision, and