As one of the largest pop culture conventions approaches, my attention is grabbed by the flash and flavour of the inconsequential.
I’m a sucker for The X-Files! Part because of an alluring redhead, part due to a fascination with life beyond, and finally someone has approached the idea of a pituitary gland sucking monster! But truly, I had found a source for the type of entertainment that made me feel less weird. As the government conspiracy story progressed and the aliens in everyday life were exposed, I was increasingly fascinated. The Fight The Future movie was a pinnacle, and I showed up on premiere night to show my support. I bought into it with everything that I was. This fed into a couple more great seasons.
Then…
Mulder was abducted….and the show took twists and turns into the mundane and explainable. Aliens were actually a cover for a secret super-soldier program and Scully had a baby. Even the second film, I Want To Believe was lackluster, at best. And it all ended like so many Chris Carter projects, it just faded away.
A couple of years ago, Amazon started a campaign to premiere pilots of promising new shows. One out of each group would become an Amazon Original series. One of the pilots had a name emblazoned on the jpeg teaser, Chris Carter. I clicked on it faster than I had ever reacted to anything else on the web. It was titled, The After, and from minute one it had promise. It was meticulous and smart, with a wide range of characters. The ending was brilliantly creepy and mysterious. I watched the reviews spew praises and the stars on the rating scale multiplied. But nothing ever came of it.
Rumors circulated about another project, This one included a Carter alumni, but those of us geeks who knew our entertainment, knew that one of Carter’s favorite producers was already working on Man In The High Castle. There was just no way….The announcement came. Like a trumpeter from heaven, the X-Files was returning. Six episodes of Mulder, Scully, Skinner, and The Cigarette-Smoking-Man!
I wish that I could say that I was elated to hear the news. It’s not that I didn’t believe it. It was really happening. But you can see that I had been burnt a few times. I had no faith left. My “I Want To Believe” poster had been replaced by the clone club from Orphan Black and an american swastika from Man In The High Castle.
So the big day came and went and I eventually watched the first episode. Admittedly, it had all of the elements that I once loved and adored about the show. Even the old sexual tension turned cautious caring was intriguing. Each week, a sample of how the one-time sci-fi juggernaut had matured was ingested, and each bite was bittersweet.
After the finale, the only thought that could come to mind was, “I guess that’s it.”
Now, with FanX exactly one week away, and three of the cast members are slated to perform their marketing duties, I can’t help but feel cynical about it. I’m actually more excited to see a real moon-treading astronaut and the cast of zombie killers. (even though I hate zombie stories!)
I have my appointment set to meet Gillian and perhaps those lost longings will surface, again. But truth be told, I wish Chris Carter would show up so I can kick his ass.
Just a thought...
