X-Files, The: The Complete Seasons 1-9 (Blu-ray Review)

• Reviewed by: Bill Hunt
• Review Date: Jan 13, 2016
• Format: Blu-ray Disc
• 

Director

Chris Carter, Rob Bowman, Kim Manners, various

Release Date(s)

1993-2002 (December 8, 2015)

Studio(s)

Ten Thirteen/20th Century Fox Television (Fox Home Entertainment)

• Film/Program Grade: A-
• Video Grade: B
• Audio Grade: B
• Extras Grade: A-
• Overall Grade: B

Review

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The Complete Season 3 is a 6-disc set that includes all 24 episodes, plus audio commentary on Apocrypha by Kim Manners and Chris Carter, audio commentary on Jose Chung’s “From Outer Space” by Rob Bowman and Darin Morgan, audio commentary on Talitha Cumi by R.W. Goodwin, introduction by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz (for Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose), 12 Chris Carter Talks About Season 3 clips (including The Blessing Way, Paper Clip, Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose, Nisei, 731, War of the Coprophages, Piper Maru, Apocrypha, Pusher, Jose Chung’s “From Outer Space”, Wetwired, and Talitha Cumi), deleted scenes (with optional commentary by Chris Carter, including 1 from The Blessing Way, 1 from Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose, 1 from The List, 1 from Revelations, and 1 from Avatar), deleted scene (with no commentary, including 1 from Avatar), international clips (4 from Paper Clip, 4 from The Walk, 4 from War of the Coprophages, 4 from Piper Maru, 4 from Pusher, and 4 from Talitha Cumi), special effects clips (with commentary by Mat Beck, including 1 from Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose, 1 from The Walk, 1 from 731, 1 from Apocrypha, 1 from Teso Dos Bichos, 1 from Jose Chung’s “From Outer Space”, and 1 from Quagmire), the featurette The Truth About Season 3 (21:18), the Threads of Mythology: Abduction featurette (27:29), 17 FX: Behind the Truth clips (Teso Dos Bichos, Maggots, Jose Chung, Toby Lindala, War of the Coprophages, Scully’s Apartment, The Walk, Piper Maru, Clyde Bruckman, Episode Names, DPs, Stupendous Yappi, Lord Kinbote, Ideas, Pusher, X-Food, and Script Supervisor), and 46 TV spots (:10 for Wetwired and Apocrypha, plus :10 & :20 for the rest of the episodes).

The Complete Season 4 is a 6-disc set that includes all 24 episodes, plus audio commentary on Memento Mori by Frank Spotnitz, audio commentary on Memento Mori by Rob Bowman, audio commentary on Max by Kim Manners, audio commentary on Small Potatoes by Vince Gilligan, introduction by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz (for Memento Mori), interview clips (Herrenvolk with Frank Spotnitz, Home with James Wong, Unruhe with Vince Gilligan, Tunguska with Chris Carter, and Paper Hearts with Vince Gilligan), deleted scenes (with optional commentary by Chris Carter, including 2 from Tunguska, 1 from Paper Hearts, 2 from Memento Mori, and 1 from Max), deleted scenes (with no commentary – 1 from Home, 1 from Unruhe, and 1 from The Field Where I Died), alternate audio clips (1 from Home), international clips (3 from Home, 3 from Tunguska, 3 from Paper Hearts, 3 from Memento Mori, 3 from Tempus Fugit, and 3 from Gethsemane), special effects clips (with commentary by Paul Rabwin, including 1 from Herrenvolk, 1 from Leonard Betts, 2 from Memento Mori, 1 from Unrequited, 2 from Max, and 1 from Synchrony), the featurette The Truth About Season 4 (23:55), 13 FX: Behind the Truth clips (Musings of a Cigarette-Smoking Man, Ideas: Part 2, Home, Leonard Betts, Demons, Tempus Fugit, Wardrobe, Tags – Rob Bowman, Alex Krycek – Rat Boy, X-Family/Fun, XXX Mulder, Ice Cave, and Eddie Van Blundht), and 48 TV spots (:10 & :20 for each episode).

The Complete Season 5 is a 6-disc set that includes all 20 episodes, plus audio commentary on The Post-Modern Prometheus by Chris Carter, audio commentary on Patient X by Kim Manners, audio commentary on The Red and the Black by Chris Carter, audio commentary on The Pine Bluff Variant by John Shiban, introductions by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz (for The Post-Modern Prometheus and Bad Blood), deleted scenes (with optional commentary by Chris Carter, including 2 from The Post-Modern Prometheus, 1 from Christmas Carol, 1 from The Red and the Black, and 2 from All Souls), international clips (4 from Redux, 4 from Christmas Carol, 4 from Kill Switch, 4 from Patient X, and 4 from The End), special effects clips (with commentary by Paul Rabwin, including 1 from Emily, 2 from Chinga, 1 from Patient X, 1 from The Red and the Black, 1 from Travelers, 1 from All Souls, and 1 from Folie à Deux), the featurette The Truth About Season 5 (19:23), the Threads of Mythology: Black Oil featurette (31:40), the TV special Inside the X-Files (45:29), FX Season 5 featurette (1:54), 11 FX: Behind the Truth clips (Bad Blood, Elder, Mutato, Lee Smith, Kill Switch, Laurie Holden, Usual Suspects, Alien FX, Casting Tidbits, Michael Kritschagau, and Hair Stylist), and 40 TV spots (:10 & :20 for each episode).

The Complete Season 6 is a 6-disc set that includes all 22 episodes, plus audio commentary on Triangle by Chris Carter, audio commentary on Two Fathers by Kim Manners, audio commentary on One Son by Frank Spotnitz, audio commentary on Milagro by Kim Manners, introduction by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz (for Milagro), deleted scenes (with optional commentary by Frank Spotnitz, including 3 from Tithonus, 2 from Two Fathers, 2 from One Son, 1 from Arcadia, 1 from Alpha, 1 from Milagro, 4 from The Unnatural, and 1 from Biogenesis), international clips (4 from The Beginning, 4 from Dreamland II, 4 from Two Fathers, 4 from Arcadia, 4 from Three of a Kind, and 4 from Biogenesis), special effects clips (with commentary by Paul Rabwin, including 1 from Triangle, 2 from Dreamland, 1 from Dreamland II, 1 from How the Ghosts Stole Christmas, 1 from Terms of Endearment, 4 from The Rain King, 1 from Two Fathers, 1 from Trevor, and 1 from The Unnatural), the featurette The Truth About Season 6 (20:58), a Season 6 featurette (2:01), the X-Files Profiles: Cigarette-Smoking Man featurette (6:07), and 44 TV spots (:10 & :20 for each episode).

The Complete Season 7 is a 6-disc set that includes all 22 episodes, plus audio commentary on Closure by Kim Manners, audio commentary on First Person Shooter by Chris Carter, audio commentary on All Things by Gillian Anderson, audio commentary on Je Souhaite by Vince Gilligan, deleted scenes (with optional commentary by Chris Carter, including 1 from The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati, 1 from Orison, 1 from Signs & Wonders, 1 from Closure, 1 from Theef, 3 from En Ami, and 2 from Requiem), international clips (4 from The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati, 4 from The Amazing Maleeni, 4 from Closure, 4 from En Ami, 3 from Hollywood A.D., and 3 from Requiem), special effects clips (with commentary by Paul Rabwin, including 1 from The Sixth Extinction, 1 from The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati, 1 from Millennium, 2 from Rush, 1 from The Goldberg Variation, 2 from Signs & Wonders, 1 from First Person Shooter, 1 from All Things, 2 from Je Souhaite, and 1 from Requiem), the featurette The Truth About Season 7 (19:57), the X-Files Profiles: A.D. Skinner featurette (6:15), the X-Files Profiles: Samantha Mulder featurette (5:12), and 44 TV spots (:20 for Hollywood A.D. and :10 & :20 for the rest of the episodes).

The Complete Season 8 is a 6-disc set that includes all 21 episodes, plus audio commentary on Within by Kim Manners and Robert Patrick, audio commentary on DeadAlive by Frank Spotnitz, audio commentary on Vienen by Rod Hardy, audio commentary on Alone by Frank Spotnitz, audio commentary on Existence by Kim Manners, deleted scenes (with optional commentary by Frank Spotnitz and John Shiban, including 1 from Surekill, 1 from Badlaa, 1 from Per Manum, 1 from Empedolces, and 3 from Existence), international clips (3 from Within, 3 from Via Negativa, 3 from The Gift, 3 from Three Words, 3 from Essence, and 3 from Existence), special effects clips (with commentary by Paul Rabwin, including 1 from Without, 1 from Salvage, 1 from This Is Not Happening, 1 from Empedolces, 1 from Vienen, 1 from Alone, and 1 from Existence), the featurette The Truth About Season 8 (23:12), the Threads of Mythology: Colonization featurette (27:15), the X-Files Profiles: Gibson Praise featurette (6:02), the X-Files Profiles: John Doggett featurette (6:22), the X-Files Profiles: Alex Krycek featurette (6:23), and 42 TV spots (:10 & :20 for each episode).

Finally, The Complete Season 9 is a 6-disc set that includes all 20 episodes, plus 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, deleted scenes (with optional commentary by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz, including 1 from Nothing Important Happened Today, 1 from Nothing Important Happened Today II, 2 from 4-D, 1 from Lord of the Flies, 1 from Provenance, 1 from Jump the Shark, and 3 from The Truth), international clips (3 from Nothing Important Happened Today II, 3 from Trust No 1, 3 from Provenance, 3 from William, and 3 from The Truth), special effects clips (with commentary by Paul Rabwin, including 1 from 4-D, 1 from Lord of the Flies, 1 from John Doe, 1 from Provenance, 1 from Audrey Pauley, 1 from Improbable, 1 from Sunshine Days, and 2 from The Truth), the featurette The Truth About Season 9 (20:44), the documentary The Making of The Truth (1:07:45), the Secrets of The X-Files TV special (42:58), the More Secrets of The X-Files TV special (45:05), the Reflections on The Truth featurette (13:12), the Reflections on The X-Files featurette (17:42), the WonderCon Panel 2008 featurette (26:48), the Threads of Mythology: Super Soldiers featurette (26:59), the X-Files Profiles: Monica Reyes featurette (6:46), the X-Files Profiles: Brad Follmer featurette (7:46), 38 TV spots (including :10, :20 & :30 spots for various episodes).

In terms of presentation quality, all of the legacy extras are in SD in their original aspect ratio (sometimes 1.33:1, sometimes 1.78:1). Occasionally, when you go to view each clip, it actually starts playing a few seconds in, but you can easily skip back to the beginning to see the whole clip.

As far as packaging, each individual season comes in a standard multi-disc Blu-ray keepcase. The complete series set is packaged in a large cardboard “drop” box, if you will, into which all of the keepcases slide vertically. This box then slides horizontally into a cardboard slipcover. The drop box holds all 9 seasons, but has a removable cardboard insert that can be discarded – when you do, the box has room to include the upcoming 6-episode “revival” Season 10 on Blu-ray, when it’s released in a few months (it begins airing on the Fox network on 1/24 – it’s worth noting that each season includes a paper insert promoting this). There have been some complaints that the set doesn’t include room for the two X-Files feature films, but here’s the thing: The U.S. version of the drop box includes a second cardboard insert that’s actually glued into the box. If you remove this (carefully!) you can include the movies too – all you have to do is put them together in another multi-disc keepcase and there you go.

One final note: There is nothing added into The Complete Seasons 1-9 set that isn’t already included in the individual season sets other than the box to hold them all. Given the Amazon pricing for the individual seasons, it’s actually cheaper to buy the series that way. For this reason, I’ve included packaging links to order each season on Blu-ray earlier in this review.

The X-Files: The Complete Seasons 1-9 is far from a perfect Blu-ray set, and if you’re looking for things to complain about, you’ll certainly find them. But on the whole, I think it’s pretty good. And the simple fact is, given the wait and Fox’s history with TV on Blu-ray of late, I think those of us who’ve long wanted this series on Blu-ray should count ourselves lucky to have it. When this series was great, it was damn great. And even when it wasn’t great, it was still worth watching. I, for one, am thrilled to see it finally returning to TV. Fingers crossed, Chris Carter and company finally sort out the series’ convoluted mythology in such a way that it actually makes sense. Meanwhile, the series’ Blu-ray release is a terrific way to get yourself back up to speed.

As it ever was, the truth is still out there.

- Bill Hunt

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