[FRENCH] Podcast suite et fin. Il faut bien traiter de la saison 11 après avoir fait tout le parcours de la série jusqu’ici. Comme souvent, j’aurais des remarques positives à faire sur plusieurs épisodes pour contrebalancer la pensée de groupe qui les descend en flèche — par exemple la conclusion de Ghouli qui aurait très bien pu être la fin de l’histoire de William, ou la photographie bien meilleure qu’en saison 10. Mais même cela étant dit, le sentiment d’ensemble est d’un gros gâchis qui aurait pu être mieux géré.
Carter aura toujours des idées pour la suite : je ne pense pas qu’il avait en tête My Struggle V & VI, plutôt juste des fils à poursuivre. Chez Carter il y a cette richesse de références et thématiques mais une totale incapacité à raconter une histoire, et ça ne s’améliorera pas vu qu’il n’a fait presque rien depuis 20 ans et est entouré de personnes qui ne lui donnent aucun feedback. Donc vu l’état de la mythologie après ces deux saisons de revival, il vaudrait mieux en rester là.
Ils auraient mieux fait de nous laisser sur notre faim avec nos souvenirs du passé, comme le sous-entend la fin de l’excellent épisode de Darin Morgan.
Ryan Coogler, out promoting his new supernatural horror movie “Sinners”, mentions that The X-Files will be his immediate next project. He has talked to GA about it, he hopes that there will be some scary episodes, and that old fans as well as new fans will be happy. About 27:30 in the April 16 episode of The Last Podcast on the Left:
“I’m working on X-Files. That’s what’s immediately next. I’ve been excited about that for a long time and I’m fired up to get back to it. Some of those episodes, if we do our jobs right, will be really fucking scary. I’ve spoken to the great Gillian Anderson, yes, she’s amazing, she’s incredible, fingers crossed there. I can’t wait to see her on Tron [Ares]. When I spoke to her she was finishing that up. We’re going to try to make something really great and really make something for the real X-Files fans and maybe find some new ones.”
So the rumours launched by Chris Carter already two years ago are true! (See March 2023, April 2023, February 2024, April 2024) This is the first time this is directly discussed by Coogler, and so much time has passed that many of us were doubting there was anything of substance happening. According to IMDb, filming on Tron wrapped on May 1 2024, so it’s probably been a while since he talked to Anderson. Parent company Disney has not commented yet, but given how careful big companies are with their image nowadays, I’d expect an announcement long into pre-production, when many things will have been decided.
Since talks are going on with Anderson, we can put aside the option that this will be a hard reboot. No details yet about whether the focus will be on Mulder and Scully, or — much more likely I think — focus on new characters with guest appearances by the old guard. If this indeed happens we could expect a 2026 release at best: some 8 years since season 11 already, which is as long as the gap between “I Want To Believe” and the revival season 10! If as much time passes in-universe, Mulder will be 65 and Scully 62, and their child about 7 years old. Frank Black will be 85. It has to be a “next generation” sort of continuation.
I wish Coogler luck! It will be a tough job, following up on 200+ episodes while being fresh, bringing something new to an entertainment business oversaturated with “content” fighting for our attention, saying something of substance when conspiracy theories have gone mainstream and the US is shifting even further into authoritarianism. What’s more, with today’s TV landscape it will already be very difficult for this to get actually made, and then go beyond just one season. It will be challenging for it to have any sort of cultural impact, few revivals have produced something interesting, but it could turn out…good? To be continued…
[FRENCH] Podcast sur la saison 10 de The X-Files. Que dire sur cette continuation qui désormais approche 10 ans d’âge ? La distance permet d’être un peu plus objectif, sans l’excitation initiale et avec le savoir de ce qui va faire suite (ou, dans le cas de la mythologie, de ce qui n’aura pas de suite), ce qui permet d’être plus clément sur certains épisodes mais aussi moins patient avec des défauts flagrants. En tout cas, c’est intéressant de découvrir des podcasts francophones et anglophones : les uns ne mâchent pas leurs mots avec une baisse de qualité indéniable, tandis que les autres ont tendance à voir du positif partout, peut-être parce qu’ils passent plus de temps à analyser les détails. Bonne écoute !
This Lego set based on The X-Files is very, very cool, filled with in-jokes, is made up of 2000+ pieces, and it has a high chance of being officially commercialized, if fans vote for it. And if rights issues get resolved — but Lego already produces Disney-licensed products.
Lego takes ideas for certain new sets among submissions. This creator, Brent Waller / WetWired, submitted a TXF-themed set to Lego before (set, promo video, on the set of the revival with Duchovny & Anderson). But at the time Lego did not choose it, justifying this by saying it was considered too violent and not on-brand for the company. Times have changed, and now this updated set is up against just four other submissions in a specifically 90s-themed competition.
Now, I’m not much of a fan of “collectibles” — Funko Pops, figurines, and other creative ways capitalism consumes more plastic — but… I *am* partial to Legos! I mean look at it!
Since we are on the topic of The X-Files music, here is a fun piece. This electro funk tune from the UK uses samples from the series: the main theme, Mulder from the 1X79: Pilot and Mulder from 1X09: Fallen Angel.
This is Jedi Knights (a collaboration between Mark Pritchard and Tom Middleton), it’s from their 1996 album “New School Science”, track “The Truth”, and it is very 90s. Enjoy!
Today, an analysis video of some of Mark Snow’s score for The X-Files. Now this is something that there should be more of! Such soundtrack breakdown videos have become more common, especially on monuments like John Williams or Howard Shore, but it’s rare that video-makers take the time to delve into the music of episodic television.
This musician, Darren Rampton, did a transcription of some tracks, music sheet and all, recreates it on his synth, and provides commentary.
What are the exact elements in Snow’s music that create the series’ unique melancholy atmosphere? There’s all the instruments-on-synths — strings, harp, piano — and there’s the technical vocabulary of musicology — keys, minor scales, chords, chromaticism, dissonance, atonality, Penderecki plucking, figures and motifs, etc.
The video examines the main theme as well as music from 1X01: Deep Throat, 1X20: Tooms, 1X22: Roland and 2X07: 3. He even identifies a reference to the main theme in “3“!
He promises for more but there’s only been this video for now. Plus, this video where he recreated a track from 3X14: Grotesque. Enjoy!
