10.01: My Struggle

[Dave]

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[Dave]

A web-TV show host approaches Mulder and Scully with a government conspiracy he believes he's uncovered; a possible alien abductee shares information that challenges all of Mulder's beliefs. Mulder begins to doubt his belief that aliens are the primary force behind the global conspiracy against humanity, but is instead a human group armed with alien technology attempting to subvert democracy and assume power over the United States and then the Earth.

 

[REBerg]

Found the first episode on demand, watched it, liked it. Hope to watch second episode before third airs.

Spoiler

Could have done without the reappearance of CSM. Evil never dies.

 

[ctg]

Spoiler: Reply to REBerg

Could have done without the reappearance of CSM. Evil never dies.

Keep watching. Truth is out there.

 

[Ste-Pe]

Finally it came on UK TV and, while I'd managed to avoid spoilers, the so-so reviews id heard had put me off a little. However, I still watched it and I loved it!
Was a super-fan back in the day, but stopped watching at the end of S8 and the second film was dire... But this is just like a typical x files episode, nostalgia level 10
Enjoyed the little touches too, like the sharpened pencils in the roof in mulder' office.
The only thing now though, way back when I always siding with Mulder, now I'm firmly in the Scully sceptic camp
Can't wait for ep 2

 

[Cli-Fi]

The only thing now though, way back when I always siding with Mulder, now I'm firmly in the Scully sceptic camp

It's interesting to see the crazy CT talk show host actually bring Mulder towards the middle and acting all skeptic like. Though, he agrees with O'Malley at the end, you'll see in other episodes he's still questioning all the work he does and how strange the things that goes bump in the night really are.

 

[Dan Jones]

The only thing now though, way back when I always siding with Mulder, now I'm firmly in the Scully sceptic camp

Yeah, I felt the same way about this, and I think it's clever writing. Back in the day the X-Files traded upon its ability to tread the fine line between the daffy silliness of the plot ideas, and the "hang on, what if, just maybe..." suspension of disbelief of its conspiracy-laden, largely Generation-X audience. Very much a product of the (oh-so innocent!) 90s.

These days TV audiences - and the public at large - are a gnarlier, more sceptical and grizzled bunch, and Mulder's "I Want To Believe" schtick might be overly twee, especially without the counterbalance of Scully's pragmatism. In the 90s the show worked because Scully's scepticism was the barrier to the Mulder's uncovering of The Truth. Whereas now, Scully's healthy scepticism is what enables the X-Files to remain relevant in today's TV market. We're all Scullys now.

I thought the episode worked ok, but let's see how the rest of the series pans out. Gillian Anderson was the star of the episode for me; her character has aged well, and seems to have grown from her past experiences. Contrarily, I wasn't entirely sure whether David Duchovny's wild-eyed loon angle was him chomping at the scenery or a symptom of Mulder's possible mania.

Also, Gillian Anderson is a gorgeous as she ever was. Mmmmm.

Oh, and apart from the silly grey beard around his chin, Mitch Pileggi has literally aged not one day in 14 years! There's your real X-File, people!

 

[Cli-Fi]

These days TV audiences - and the public at large - are a gnarlier, more sceptical and grizzled bunch, and Mulder's "I Want To Believe" schtick might be overly twee, especially without the counterbalance of Scully's pragmatism. Whereas now, Scully's healthy scepticism is what enables the X-Files to remain relevant in today's TV market. We're all Scullys now.

You and I must run in different circles. I am finding while the public has access to much more content/information then ever before, it doesn't necessarily mean that they are more skeptical. Or even that they go searching for more well-rounded "information". True they may say and believe that they are because they, as Mulder once said, "Question Everything." That doesn't mean that questioning everything is all too healthy choice for mental clarity or sanity.

I see the public finding more and more stuff that agrees with their world view, becoming more closed-minded and much more gullible than ever before, and it doesn't matter what the issue is! Especially when dealing with viral stuff and any news on social media which people tend to believe without a moment of hesitation.

Then again you have the people who don't care making reality TV crap their largest priority thus making that industry insanely, popular and profitable. :Shrugs:

 

[Dan Jones]

Hmm. Interesting take on things. Maybe what I should have written was: I'm gnarlier and more sceptical. At least, I think I am, and I do take it upon myself to "Question Everything" because it's easy to just take what's spoonfed.

I'm not so sure that people are more gullible. We're certainly not so naive. Part of The X-Files's thang in the 90s was the whole Government Conspiracy thing. Nowadays, we all know our Governments are a bunch of self-serving, corrupt cravens, and are voting for the "outsiders" who are Questioning what our established figures are doing. Politics is certainly becoming more partisan, though, which IMO is a bad thing, because it squashes scepticism and creates an "Us & Them" mentality, so perhaps you're right. What we can probably all agree on, however, is that people are much more distrusting of "The Establishment" (define that as you will), and sceptical to its means and ends.

Hence Trump, Sanders, UKIP, Le Front National, Syriza, Podemos, Brexit, Scottish Independence, etc etc.

 

[Cli-Fi]

I'm not so sure that people are more gullible. We're certainly not so naive. Part of The X-Files's thang in the 90s was the whole Government Conspiracy thing. Nowadays, we all know our Governments are a bunch of self-serving, corrupt cravens, and are voting for the "outsiders" who are Questioning what our established figures are doing.

It's still out there and I think much more prevalent after 9/11. Just think before 9/11 there were only like two people who thought of similar plots that would wreck havoc on the world. The pilot to the short-lived lone gunmen series and Joel C Rosenberg which 9/11 happened while he was writing that plot to one of his books! I'm just saying is that government conspiracy something we really know, or is it just the way things are and have been, and nothing anybody else does could change the machine?

 

[tinkerdan]

My one curiosity of this episode would have to be why they chose this title and if it has specific significance to the story beyond the possibility of it referring to Mulder's apparent crisis.

 

[T.J.Wolf]

Excellent as ever. Have to admit, this episode gave me goose bumps. It makes you realize how potentially great this revival can be. It opens the door to serious dramatic storytelling. Mulder and Scully are clearly up for it. Would love to have a new movie along this vein. Right now, hoping for a strong finish that keeps the mythology alive!

 

[Ste-Pe]

Oh, and apart from the silly grey beard around his chin, Mitch Pileggi has literally aged not one day in 14 years! There's your real X-File, people!

Yeah I love how it looks like it's just stuck on to make him look older