The 90s were a weird time for conspiracies about the government, from real-life events like Ruby Ridge and the Branch Davidians to entertainment like JFK and all the oddball radio shows that existed back then (remember the craze with chupacabras?). I've always wondered how much the mythology of the X-Files and its fasciation with a small…
The 90s were a weird time for conspiracies about the government, from real-life events like Ruby Ridge and the Branch Davidians to entertainment like JFK and all the oddball radio shows that existed back then (remember the craze with chupacabras?). I've always wondered how much the mythology of the X-Files and its fasciation with a small pox vaccine being used as part of an elaborate, bizarre, utterly nonsensical government conspiracy laid the groundwork for anti-vaccine conspiracies of the past 20+ years. I wouldn't suggest its the X-Files' fault, but it was in the zeitgeist along with everything else and leaned heavily on that storyline. I loved the show but the mythology storylines were a great example of writers making up complex back story as they went along and eventually writing themselves into all sorts of stupid corners.
I think I read somewhere that Carter had a two-season plan for the mythology storyline (since he had no idea if he'd even get a 2nd season when it premiered), and it was such a hit that he had to keep stretching and stretching and streeeetching out the mythology stuff until it was stuffed with dead ends and red herrings and silly cul-de-sac stories. I was too young to watch it in the 90's, but I tried watching it ~a decade ago and I only got through about 5 and a half seasons or so until I couldn't take the mythology jerk-around BS any longer. I LOVED the MotW episodes. I'm considering going back and only watching those ones. I don't know if I can get through the long, drawn out mythology stuff without rolling my eyes so hard that they threaten to get stuck looking at my brain.
That's what it felt like. I watched it as it aired, all the mythology storylines started out really fun and intriguing and some of the early 2- and 3-parters were great television (the lost submarine ones that introduce the black oil was an incredible bit of storytelling). But by S5 it was clear the mythology storylines were a mess. The MotW eps definitely hold up much better.
The 90s were a weird time for conspiracies about the government, from real-life events like Ruby Ridge and the Branch Davidians to entertainment like JFK and all the oddball radio shows that existed back then (remember the craze with chupacabras?). I've always wondered how much the mythology of the X-Files and its fasciation with a small pox vaccine being used as part of an elaborate, bizarre, utterly nonsensical government conspiracy laid the groundwork for anti-vaccine conspiracies of the past 20+ years. I wouldn't suggest its the X-Files' fault, but it was in the zeitgeist along with everything else and leaned heavily on that storyline. I loved the show but the mythology storylines were a great example of writers making up complex back story as they went along and eventually writing themselves into all sorts of stupid corners.
Again, much of the revival was a mess, but I did appreciate Mulder outright saying that conspiracy theories didn't feel quite so fun anymore.
I think I read somewhere that Carter had a two-season plan for the mythology storyline (since he had no idea if he'd even get a 2nd season when it premiered), and it was such a hit that he had to keep stretching and stretching and streeeetching out the mythology stuff until it was stuffed with dead ends and red herrings and silly cul-de-sac stories. I was too young to watch it in the 90's, but I tried watching it ~a decade ago and I only got through about 5 and a half seasons or so until I couldn't take the mythology jerk-around BS any longer. I LOVED the MotW episodes. I'm considering going back and only watching those ones. I don't know if I can get through the long, drawn out mythology stuff without rolling my eyes so hard that they threaten to get stuck looking at my brain.
That's what it felt like. I watched it as it aired, all the mythology storylines started out really fun and intriguing and some of the early 2- and 3-parters were great television (the lost submarine ones that introduce the black oil was an incredible bit of storytelling). But by S5 it was clear the mythology storylines were a mess. The MotW eps definitely hold up much better.