'The X-Files' Review: "My Struggle" and "Founder’s Mutation"
Jessica Morris ‘19 / Emertainment Monthly TV Staff Writer
The revival premiere that aired this past Sunday on January 24th, “My Struggle”, took in 13.7 million viewers. It should also be considered that the premiere was delayed nearly a half-hour due to the NFC championship post-game, yet fans stuck around.
The episode begins with a classic-Mulder monologue, in which he gives an overview of the X-Files, his missing sister, Samantha, and his relationship with Scully. This opening functions as an effective reintroduction to the series. “My Struggle” includes a guest-appearance by Joel McHale in the role of Tad O’Malley, an online newscaster who believes heavily in exposing the “truth”. FBI Assistant Director Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) contacts Mulder and requests that he meet with O’Malley. Soon, both Mulder and Scully are reunited (and are revealed to have broken up/gotten divorced) and are taken by Tad to meet a woman named Sveta, who claims to be an alien abductee. After meeting with a doctor from Roswell, Mulder begins to believe that the true secret to be uncovered is not the existence of alien-life, but governments planning to use alien technology in order to exert control and dominate Earth. Scully reveals to Mulder that she has alien DNA, just as Sveta did. The biggest shock of the episode comes at the end, with the reveal that the Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis) is still alive.
The episode also references William, Mulder and Scully’s son who they were forced to give up for adoption, multiple times. Both Mulder and Scully reminisce about their son and what could have been had they had the opportunity to raise him. Overall, the episode is touching, thrilling, and feels more like an authentic episode of The X-Files then “My Struggle” does. Furthermore, for many fans, a greater resolution to the William storyline is exactly what they want and expect from this season. Given the events of this episode, it’s apparent more William-related scenes are to come. “Founder’s Mutation” proves that the revival series has the potential to be great, and that more seasons of the show are welcome.
Just as the characters of Mulder and Scully have been updated for the revival, so has the rest of the show. One of the most impressive aspects of the revival so far is how the show has been effectively updated for 2016 viewers. It’s still The X-Files, but Mulder and Scully are no longer trapped in the nineties anymore. There are frequent references to today’s controversies in regards to privacy and the like. By referencing real-world events of today, the show is able to intrigue a modern audience that is more vocal and interested in conspiracies and government corruption than viewers of any previous generation.