The X-Files

[shapinglight]

So, I've been watching the new series of The X-Files, and mostly enjoying it. Older, careworn Mulder and Scully quite appeal to me, and I like the new dynamic between them. It's also somewhat of a marvel that Mitch Pileggi, as Skinner, doesn't seem to have aged at all.

However, I watched episode 5 last night, and I didn't like it. Didn't like it one bit. I don't know what they were trying to do there, and it's not as if sections of the plot weren't, sadly, quite plausible, but the whole thing has left a bad taste in my mouth.

In fact, yeurch!

Spoilers for ep 5 behind cut.



My dislike is founded on the all-too often repeated TV cliche about how, okay not all Muslims are terrorists, but the ones who aren't don't make good telly, so let's just show the ones who want to blow us up and kill us (who everyone in the TV/movie industry (hell, maybe not?) might even agree are only a minority, but showing the others would just be boring, so let's just reinforce everyone's prejudices yet again, shall we?).

I don't have an answer to how you present a more balanced view in such a context, btw. Events have shown us that there are plenty of people willing to do what the actual and would-be suicide bombers do in this episode, but there's no subtlety (because no, I don't call bringing in some woman in a headscarf who didn't even look to be from the same ethnic background as her supposed repentant terrorist son to weep and wail over him and say he was such a good boy, balance. I ended up finding the episode almost unwatchable, just like Homeland rapidly became unwatchable for me. It's just all so hamfisted.

Yeurch again.

Comments

[kazzy-cee.livejournal.com]

I'm avoiding the spoilers as I'm only up to episode 2 on the TV as we're not downloading it, but yes - I'm enjoying the dynamic of the two of them as well.

[felisblanco.livejournal.com]

Same. Do we really need to add on to all the islamophobia? Seriously? It was tasteless and cliche and just plain boring writing as well. I've been enjoying the new X-Files mostly because it's such a nostalgic feast and you can see they're having so much fun doing it but the writing hasn't been the best and this one definitely was the worst. I hardly managed to suffer through it (and only because I'm terribly anal about finishing what I've started).

Sorry, LJ decided to post this for me long before I was finished. *rolls eyes*

[shapinglight]

It is about the best thing in the series.

[shapinglight]

Same. Do we really need to add on to all the islamophobia? Seriously?

I daresay the program makers would claim their take on Muslims was balanced by the racist nurse who tried to kill the dying terrorist, but I don't agree. It was a mess. They should be ashamed of themselves - especially as the whole episode was full of ridiculous comedy - the younger versions of Mulder and Scully, the magic mushroom trip that wasn't etc, etc.

Meh! And yeurch! again.

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

Now you know why I felt so uneasy watching it.

A weird and badly mashed combination of comedy and not thought through drama.

And don't get me started on Mulders dream sequence which ended up imposing Christian imagery onto a Muslim mother and son??? Yes it was Mulders dream, but can't have steared clear of all that? I thought it was so badly judged.

[shapinglight]

I actually thought Mulder was meant to be Jewish, but obviously not. But yes, that was in quite bad taste (though the Muslims venerate Jesus as a prophet, and venerate Mary too). I think it would piss off people of both religions - though of course Chris Carter might say that was the point.

I fast-forwarded some of Mulder's dance routine. It went on, and on, and on.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Loved the were-monster ep. Darin Morgan always wrote the best episodes. Him and Vince Gillingham. Wish they could get him back too. Chris Carter was never a particularly good writer.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

It was terrible, it's such a shame that they wasted an episode on that when it was such a shortened season anyway. It's really colouring people's opinions towards season 10 now as well, there seemed to be a lot more positivity among most fans before, and now the general sentiment is pretty negative :( Hopefully the finale will end things on a strong note at least!

[shapinglight]

No, and in this episode he really hammered that home. I feel uncomfortable even thinking about it in retrospect. :(

[shapinglight]

Yeah, they hit the duffest duff note they could ever possibly have hit. I wish David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson had just walked off set and refused to do it.

But I suppose that was never going to happen.

Meh!

[caliente-uk.livejournal.com]

I've enjoyed the new series, mainly for the sense of nostalgia and my delight at seeing Mulder and Scully back on my TV screen again. But I'm right there with you on this ep. Really didn't like it at all!