Aimée and I watch a lot of box sets. At the moment, we’re rewatching the X Files because – for the love of all that’s holy – it’s amazing.
Every time the opening titles start, Aimée tells the same lame joke and I laugh. She mispronounces David Duchovny’s name (Dutch-oven-y) and suddenly, the line ‘Government Denies Knowledge’ takes on an aspect of intestinal distress. I laugh every single time.
I used to watch the X Files with my mother. She was watching for David Duchovny. He was always handsome, in that lost little boy sort of way. I was obviously watching for Gillian Anderson. Because I’m not made of stone.
As I get older, I have more problems with early Mulder. Largely because he’s an arse. He never has a camera on him. He’s repeatedly alone when he encounters what might be considered alien life, and yet, he expects Scully to go along with his theories and stay on message. Yet, when Scully faces the threat of a terminal disease, the loss of several loved ones, and her own abduction, he scoffs at her belief in something higher. Because she’s a scientist and should, therefore, know better. How she didn’t twat him over the head repeatedly in those early years, I’ll never know.
Getting back to the series, the stories are A1. Exceptionally well-written, beautifully cast, visually stunning. The best ones were the episodes that were written or directed by David Duchovny or Gillian Anderson. They knew their characters so well and it really came through in the writing.
Lest we forget, Mulder and Scully, the song by Catatonia, is tremendous.
Here’s the link, enjoy.
Petrina Binney - Author 