X-Files Season 9 SPECS! 5-11-04

[JoeAnuws]

May 11th: Complete 9th Season. This one includes 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfers and Dolby 2.0 surround tracks. Extras will include 10 deleted scenes (with optional commentary on Disc Six by Frank Sponitz and Chris Carter), international clips, several Special Effects featurettes by Matt Beck (with commentary by Paul Rabwin), audio commentary on Improbable by Chris Carter, audio commentary on Jump the Shark by Vince Gilligan, John Shiban and Frank Spotnitz, audio commentary on The Truth by Kim Manners, The Truth about Season 9 documentary (30 mins), The Making of The Truth documentary (90 mins), 4 X-Files Profiles featurettes (including Monica Reyes, Brad Follmer, Cake Cutting and On Location), 20 TV spots, the Secrets of the X-Files documentary (45 mins), the More Secrets of the X-Files documentary (45 mins), the Tribute to the X-Files featurette (20 mins) and DVD-ROM features including weblinks and The Truth interactive game. Retail will be a cool $99.95.

WHERE ARE THE BLOOPERS?

JOE-NJ

[Notoriousaurus]

Originally Posted by JoeAnuws

Retail will be a cool $99.95.

Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally? Cheaper then the other sets? Do I feel a price drop coming on? Hmmmmmm.

[MooglePorn]

As a complete X-Files nut of course this will me mine midnight on release date... can't wait

They're throwing in lots of Series long extras to get people who hated Season 9 to buy it, which makes sense. As for the price, I don't know where Joe got his info, but everything I have seen says it's the same price as always...

Oh, and the cover:

[newt]

The price info comes from right here, DVDFile's news page. I'm shocked this is listing lower!!! But I'm happy about it if it's true

[Scottish Punk]

Originally Posted by MooglePorn

As a complete X-Files nut of course this will me mine midnight on release date... can't wait

They're throwing in lots of Series long extras to get people who hated Season 9 to buy it, which makes sense. As for the price, I don't know where Joe got his info, but everything I have seen says it's the same price as always...

I have held off on buying season 8 and wasn't really planning on buying nine. I didn't like the new cast or plotline. You intrigued me however with the lots of series long extras. Have any specifics on this? That would get me to buy nine and of course I would have to buy eight to fill in the gap.

Edit: Just read the first post closer. Call it not waking up on a Monday yet.

[Bossplaya]

I like the lower price, same as the Sorpanos and Babylon 5, I believe. You know, that price says retail 99.95, which is really the same as before, so I don't know about the price, would be nice if that was MSRP.

Of the episodes I watched in Season 9, only 3 or so I actually enjoyed, and there were a few that were just aweful. The only season that I feel that way btw. I would not have even considered buying this if the series finale wasn't great, but it was, which gives me hope for the future that the second movie will be good. I had thought that they had lost the plot for a second there.

Now, I almost don't want Chris Carter to make another X-Files movie, because the fanbase has almost nearly turned on the franchise, much like how Star Trek fans have with their franchise. That constant, and loud anti-hype a new X-Files movie would generate would scare off most people and will surely bomb in the marketplace, like Nemesis (which will be a 5.50$ dvd in Walmart's bin within a year).

[Mikado]

I have Seasons 1-8 and the X-Files movie on dvd. I didn't like Season 9 at all, almost every episode had me rolling my eyes. There were a few that were interesting. The extras sound good. I'll end up buying it just because I'm a completist. Sad but true.

[mlemmond]

I read over on tvshowsondvd.com that on May 11 all seasons of the X-Files are dropping to $99.95 msrp. That's a better price but still high.

[Mikado]

Originally Posted by mlemmond

I read over on tvshowsondvd.com that on May 11 all seasons of the X-Files are dropping to $99.95 msrp. That's a better price but still high.

hmmmmmm.....So the MSRP is usually around what 149.99 or 129.99 and it usually sells for $99.99. So what do you think this will go for?

[Frank Gunn]

Hmmmmm... it's still ridiculous. The high price is the only reason I never picked up the first few seasons, and knocking $30 off probably won't be enough to change my mind.

Come on, '24' goes for, what, $50, tops? Isn't that reasonable for 'X-Files'?

[Mikado]

The X-Files sets are a lot better than the 24 sets. Tons more extras and better packaging. I'm a huge X-files fan so I don't mind the price. If it's not at a reduced price this time I might just wait and ask for it for Christmas.

[Frank Gunn]

Hey, '24's Season 2 set kicked all kinda ass. I think the only difference is that Fox is still trying to build viewership for '24', but the 'X-Files' fanbase is already established and easily milked.

[Scottish Punk]

Originally Posted by Frank Gunn

Hey, '24's Season 2 set kicked all kinda ass. I think the only difference is that Fox is still trying to build viewership for '24', but the 'X-Files' fanbase is already established and easily milked.

Bingo! X-Files has the same kind of loyal fanbase that star trek does. Consequently, both studios know they can charge a premium for there box sets and the sales won't drop that much. One could only assume that once fox feels the dedicated fanbase has purchased all the box sets then they can do discounts.

[Mike386]

Well, Amazon did have it up for pre-order last night for $70 bucks. I almost broke down and bought it since I've got a gift certificate, although I had promised myself I wasn't going to buy this final set. I didn't complete the order, and I see now it's missing from my shopping cart and is no longer listed at all after running a search. I enjoyed season 8 quite a bit, but found 9 to be really, really lacking in quality. I for one am hoping for a movie sequel though, if only under the guise that it will pick up the pieces the finale left and actually acomplish something story-wise instead of treading water. There were only a handful of episodes I liked, and didn't much care for the finale one way or another, except the last couple of minutes between Mulder and Scully. I just had a ton of problems with this final season story-wise, but I suppose if I can get it at a low price the completist in me will win out... Hopefully this means the eventual MillenniuM boxsets will be cheaper, preferably around 24 or Buffy/Angel style cheap.

[BrainofJ]

I'm glad they are finally lowering the price. I plan on finally picking up the ealier seasons now. Most places should have them for 69.99 or 79.99 that's not bad. Like someone said earlier the X-files season sets are stacked with extras.

[MooglePorn]

I'm glad for the price change, though I feel ripped for paying full price on eight sets...

Now we need the price of the freaking Star Trek sets to lower... $99.99 for 15 episodes of Star Trek Voyager??? Compared to $39.99 for 22 episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer??? Hah!

[MooglePorn]

Originally Posted by MooglePorn

As a complete X-Files nut of course this will me mine midnight on release date... can't wait

And it is. Sweet set, no packaging changes... very nice. Won't watch any until tomorrow though...

So who else is picking this up??

[starryeyes]

So who else is picking this up??[/quote]

I already received this set last Friday and watched all the episodes.
Oddly enough, I really enjoyed this season unlike when it was first
run on TV. The Doggett and Reyes characters grow on you.

There is also 2 discs of extras.

[Mikado]

Originally Posted by MooglePorn

And it is. Sweet set, no packaging changes... very nice. Won't watch any until tomorrow though...

So who else is picking this up??

I'm going on my lunch break to pick it up.
I can't wait to watch "Jump the Shark" that was a really good one. And I can't wait to check out the 2 discs of extras!!!

I also thought Daemonicus was a decent episode.

[MooglePorn]

Originally Posted by starryeyes

I already received this set last Friday and watched all the episodes.
Oddly enough, I really enjoyed this season unlike when it was first
run on TV. The Doggett and Reyes characters grow on you.

I liked them in Season 8, though no one replaces Mulder and Scully, they had a different "back to scary" feel that I appreciated... I hope that continues in Season 9.

[starryeyes]

Originally Posted by MooglePorn

I liked them in Season 8, though no one replaces Mulder and Scully, they had a different "back to scary" feel that I appreciated... I hope that continues in Season 9.

It does still have that feel. I agree with you about Mulder and Scully.
Mulder's quest and obsession in finding his sister was what made
the X-files for me. Even though he's gone in Season 9, his presence is
still felt in alot of the episodes.
My favourite episodes from that Season would be The Truth, Provenance
and Providence.

[MooglePorn]

Yeah... I'm gonna start watching them tonight and I usually comment on the eps as I go... can't wait!

[drudo-182]

Which season was it where it had the small man on a little board with wheels that he used to get around?

-drew-

[dvdrcha]

Originally Posted by drudo-182

Which season was it where it had the small man on a little board with wheels that he used to get around?

-drew-

That was in season 8, the episode's name is "Badlaa".

[MooglePorn]

Originally Posted by dvdrcha

That was in season 8, the episode's name is "Badlaa".

Worst of the season? I thought so...

[dvdrcha]

Originally Posted by MooglePorn

Worst of the season? I thought so...

I kinda dug it, that weird looking dude on that board really creeped me out.

[Mike386]

Back when it first aired, I was not at all impressed with this season. Just got the DVD set from Amazon today; bought it with a $25 coupon which really made it a nice, cheap buy to complete the collection. Looking through the booklet, I realized that this year isn't as bad as I remembered. I had liked a good number of the episodes upon airing, like 4-D, Providence and Provinance, Improbable, and really most of the others. I remember not being able to sit through all of "Lord of the Flies," which was so bad during the few opening minutes I turned it off. I remember being vastly underwhelmed with the finale "The Truth," but digging the Mulder and Scully stuff during the close-out. I remember at the end thinking this was the worst season, that they should have stopped after year 8, or at least dropped Scully and let Doggett and Reyes run the show and let our original crew retire with a happy, graceful exit. Getting some reminders on what these episodes actually were, I can't help but wonder just how far off the mark I was with this season. Back in '01-'02, did the show suffer for me because of raised expectations, or is it working more for me now two years later because of vastly lowered expectations? I know it wasn't nearly as bad as I had thought it was when it first aired, so this should be an interesting few days for me. Not having seen any of these eps since their original air dates, I'm expecting this to be a fun trip knowing most of them are good to decent (although looking through the episode booklet I was struck by the fact that I didn't find any to be great, as I had with previous years).

The next paragraph might be a bit spoilery to those who haven't seen these episodes, so skip if you want to stay totally unspoiled.

Just finished watching the two-part season opener, "Nothing Important Happened Today." Mulder is gone again, this time by choice rather than alien abduction. On this front, I am still of mixed emotions. I seem to recall this season being a late pickup when the fall schedule was being announced after Season 8 had concluded. The Duchov would not return, and Fox would not let Gillian Anderson out of her contract, so the writers had to come up with a reason for why Mulder was nowhere to be seen. The answer: his life is in danger. Right... I've watched since "The Pilot" and near as I can tell, his life has been in danger pretty much since day one. He has a son now, and he and Scully have their love out in the open. To me, these would all be reasons for him to stay. I believe that he would have acted exactly as Agent Doggett was throughout this two-parter, fighting the conspiracy to find the truth, and butting heads with everybody in order to get to the bottom of the case. But that was obviously not an option and the writer's were hamstrung into letting it be known that Mulder left because Scully made him. It's an okay concession, one that I've made peace with in the intervening years since I last saw these episodes. The story was decent enough, further deepening the conspiracy as several whistleblowers from the EPA are being murdered in an effort to keep the lid on the super-soldier project. It was a decent outing, and Scully's desperation during the climax of part II was nicely acted. My recollections on the conspiracy arc are a bit fuzzy at the moment. The super-soldiers are essentially the next step in alien colonization right? They're amped-up alien/human hybrids now in control of the higher echelons of power now that the Consortium is gone, and are helping to prepare to unleash the infection of black oil upon the populace. Or am I way off here?

There's two more eps to go on Disc 1, which I won't be watching tonight. Deamonicis is up next, and I remember my huge problem with this episode involving the climax and resolution, but maybe time has appeased my views on this as well.

I am actually looking forward to sitting down and working my way through the rest of these episodes, even though three years ago I was wishing X-Files should have stopped at the close of year 8. There's some good eps coming up over the next couple discs, even though this season does not hold a candle to the preceding years.

A note on the packaging: I loved how they added images spanning all nine years in a thin band wrapping around the interior panels of the digi-pack. Maybe I'm just a sap, but I was actually touched by this. It's a terrific tribute to the series for this final set. The cardboard may not be the most durable packaging, but damn, the artists do these sets with a ton of style.

[MooglePorn]

Ok, it's MooglePorn's huge X-Files Season 9 wrap-up... here we go...

All in all I was mostly dissapointed. I liked Season 8, despite what a lot of people thought. Mulder being gone a few ep's was sort of refreshing, and since he was coming back the "search" made sense. Doggett worked as a SIDE character, and the conspiracy wasn't horrid yet.

Season 9 is a whole new story. After the pretty good Season 8 finale
they needed to let Mulder and Scully be, and let Reyes and Doggett fully take over. If you have Gillian Anderson under contract then sure, make her guest star a little bit as an advisor or something, but DON'T make up stupid reasons for Mulder to leave and keep Scully around full time. The good ending of Mulder and Scully's story is ruined, and Doggett and Reyes aren't given the room they need to make it work.

I really think if it was all Doggett and Reyes (and Cary Elwes) the season could have worked. Give them their own conspiracy, and let Mulder and Scully rest. The way they did it ruined the pretty good season 8 ending for our beloved characters and instead gave us the crappy new ending The Truth.

Episode comments:

Nothing Important Happened Today (I/II) - The Conspiracy for season 9, and for season 8 as well really, is the weakest part. The Super-Soldiers idea is lame at this point, and the "Mulder is in danger" shit just makes it worse. That said, I like the Cary Elwes character Brad Follmer, and if the interntion was to make him the "new Skinner" for the new leads, I would have enjoyed that.

Daemonicus - Now this is more like it. A good and classic scary X-Files story with the new leads performing admirably. Good episode all around.

4-D - Another pretty good episode... though the start of a bad trend. Why all these "big tragic event" stories and barely any X-Files?

Lord of the Flies - I agree that the start of this episode was horrible, but if you watch the whole think it's actually not that bad. It's a less than serious "quirky" episode, which feels like it's missing something without Mulder, as his humor really fit these stories. Still, I found a good bit of entertainment in it.

Trust No 1 - Here's where things go downhill. As I will explain later, all these "Mulder" storylines when there is no Mulder ruin the season. Plus the way you kill a Super-Soldier is just plain dumb as fuck. F-

John Doe - The bad trend I mentioned earlier? Still going... see earlier.

Hellbound - An average episode... I liked it.

Provenance/Providence - I hate Hate HATE the conspiracy this season.. Just blah... more detail earlier.

Audrey Pauley - The worst non-conspiracy episode of the season. I just got bored... dunno why exactly.

Underneath - Average scary episode... enjoyred it.

Improbable - Excellent. Loved it. It had an interesting premise, an interesting guest character, and I loved the musical episode. In the 5th season, this would have been a top ten of the series... without Mulder it still ranks in my top 25 or so.

Scary Monsters - Slightly above-average scary episode... I liked it. Bad CGI though.

Jump the Shark - I have a feeling I would have enjoyed this ALOT more if I had watched The Lone Gunmen. After doing so (when it comes to DVD) I'll be sure to watch this again.

William - Yeah... whatever... more conspiracy garbage and a really stupid "brought back from the dead" thing... blah. Also, the ending completely seemed out of character... I don't care what anyone says.

Release - I liked it pretty much... the "twist" at the end felt wrong however, but I can see what they were going for.

Sunshine Days - First Half = Cool. Ending = Much less cool. Still, a standout.

The Truth - Hmmm... No, I didn't like it. Season 8's final ep was a lot better closure for Mulder and Scully... and where the hell were Skinner, Doggett, and Reyes at the end? They just sort of... dissapeared. Blah.

[Velvet G]

Season 9 is $64 at BJ's Wholesale. I picked it up Saturday.