The X-Files

:

Season 2
  • Network: FOX
  • Series Premiere Date: Sep 10, 1993
Season #: 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 85 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 79 out of 85
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 85
  3. Negative: 3 out of 85
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User Reviews

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  1. drlowdon
    Dec 22, 2016
    8
    The second season of the X-Files is where, following Scully's abduction, the shows mythology really took off. At the time Scully's absence from the show did prove a bit of a problem as the central pairs chemistry was always a key component in the show’s success but episodes such as "Colony" and "End Game" were able to do a fantastic job of setting everything up for the events to follow inThe second season of the X-Files is where, following Scully's abduction, the shows mythology really took off. At the time Scully's absence from the show did prove a bit of a problem as the central pairs chemistry was always a key component in the show’s success but episodes such as "Colony" and "End Game" were able to do a fantastic job of setting everything up for the events to follow in subsequent seasons.

    The stand-alone episodes were also very good this season and showed for the first time that The X-Files was capable of humour ("Humbug") and drama ("Irresistible”) as well as its usual supernatural plots. Season two is still not The X-Files at its very best but it this was another very good year for the sci-fi classic.    … Expand
  2. Lokathor
    Sep 18, 2014
    4
    I didn't like how Season 2 started off very much. In fact, I wouldn't say that this was a very strong season. At one point when watching I took a long break, and even when I came back to the show I only watched one episode at a time for quite a while until things started to pick back up in season 3.
  3. bsmith
    Jul 6, 2014
    8
    The second season introduces more of the mythology that makes the series so grand, and it does so in a potent manner, exceeding expectations and soaring past its predecessor by having the ability to surprise more often than not.
  4. MorbidPig
    Aug 17, 2014
    8
    The second season introduces more of the mythology that makes the series so grand, and it does so in a potent manner, exceeding expectations and soaring past its predecessor by having the ability to surprise more often than not.
  5. fbtimes
    Mar 30, 2015
    9
    The second season introduces more of the mythology that makes the series so grand, and it does so in a potent manner, exceeding expectations and soaring past its predecessor by having the ability to surprise more often than not.
  6. fbtimesofficial
    Sep 1, 2015
    9
    The second season introduces more of the mythology that makes the series so grand, and it does so in a potent manner, exceeding expectations by having the ability to surprise more often than not.
  7. bsmith94
    Dec 15, 2015
    9
    The second season introduces more of the mythology that makes the series so grand, and it does so in a potent manner, exceeding expectations by having the ability to surprise more often than not.
  8. MovieMasterEd
    Mar 22, 2016
    8
    The first few seasons of a television show are very much about defining the show – figuring out what works and what doesn’t, and what form the show will take. After all, a lot of discussion and planning takes place during development, but all of that is on paper. It’s only once you’ve worked with the cast and had a chance to gauge audience response that it is possible to truly understand aThe first few seasons of a television show are very much about defining the show – figuring out what works and what doesn’t, and what form the show will take. After all, a lot of discussion and planning takes place during development, but all of that is on paper. It’s only once you’ve worked with the cast and had a chance to gauge audience response that it is possible to truly understand a television show.

    The first two seasons of The X-Files seem like an attempt to map out the show, to mark the boundaries and do some fine calibration. The show had been a sleeper hit in its first season, popular enough to secure a second season on Fox. However, the second season had seen the series become a breakout hit. It climbed rather dramatically in the ratings, and the show would continue that ascent through to the fifth season in the lead-in to the feature film. However, the second season still feels like it’s a learning curve.

    There are exceptional episodes in the second season. The season provides a wealth of classic stories. Fresh Bones and Our Town stand out as two of the best monster-of-the-week stories that the show had done by this point in its life-cycle. Even outside of that, there are classics like One Breath or Humbug or The Host or F. Emasculata. However, there are also quite a few misfires like Fearful Symmetry or Excelsis Dei or 3.

    There are a lot of points in the second season where it feels like The X-Files is experimenting, trying new things that would ultimately become part of the show’s unique identity. Not all of these elements worked, but that is the luxury of a second season. It allows the production team to do that sort of experimentation so they might find their groove.

    Gillian Anderson’s pregnancy forced the team to keep the X-Files closed for the first eight episodes of the year, constructing a rather tight long-form story. Die Hand Die Verletzt and Humbug demonstrated that comedy could work within the confines of the show. Colony and End Game suggested a truly epic mythology. Irresistible and F. Emasculata demonstrated that the series could venture outside the paranormal for good stories.

    At the same time, there were ideas that didn’t quite work. In particular, Scully’s absence caused a bit of a challenge for the show. The series wasn’t sure how to write an episode without Scully, resulting in the mess that was 3. As soon as Gillian Anderson returned, the series launched right back into monster-of-the-week stories like Firewalker without any real exploration of what had happened to one of our two lead characters.

    The character of Scully seemed to pose a bit of a problem for the show in the second season as a whole. Her limited availability in the first run of episodes reduced her to a supporting character in Mulder’s quest. Little Green Men, The Host, Blood and Sleepless were all driven by Mulder. Scully would play a minimal role in those stories. In Ascension, Scully was abducted. She was returned in One Breath.

    However, even outside of that, Scully seemed to spend a disproportionate amount of time as a victim. Scully was abducted as leverage against Mulder in both of the big two-parters of the season.

    There were other problems. The show took on a distinctly science-fiction bent with episodes like Fearful Symmetry, Død Kälm and Soft Light trying to tell more high-concept stories – these stories felt a little too abstract and too conventionally “sci-fi” for the show. The series had difficulty managing its portrayal of other cultures. Fresh Bones and Our Town handled potentially problematic subjects very well, but they were offset against shows like Excelsis Dei or The Calusari.

    There is an uncomfortable sense that the show is trying to set Mulder up as a “chosen one”, suggesting that he is the archetypal hero. David Duchovny earned his first story credits on the second season, on episodes that developed Mulder as a character and expanded upon his family life. It feels like episodes like End Game and Anasazi are suggesting that Mulder is somehow an important figure in this epic conspiracy drama.

    The X-Files always felt strongest when Mulder and Scully were simply witnesses to the unknown, observers exploring and uncovering dark and terrible secrets. Making Mulder a “chosen one” feels only a few steps removed from putting him on the archetypal hero’s journey. With its alien civil war and hints at a complex back story, Colony and End Game feel like they owe enough to Star Wars without turning Mulder into Luke Skywalker.

    The second season of The X-Files is not the show’s strongest season. However, it is a season that does a lot of the groundwork for what lies ahead. It moves the show into a very strong starting position for the following season.    … Expand
  9. ForReals13
    Apr 7, 2018
    9
    Little Green Men B+. The Host B+. Blood B-. Sleepless B.
    Duane Barry A. Ascension A. 3 C-. One Breath A-.
    Firewalker C+. Red Museum B. Excelsis Dei C+. Aubrey B-.
    Irresistible B+. Die Hand Die Verletzt B+. Fresh Bones C+.
    Colony A. End Game A. Fearful Symmetry C-. Dod Kalm B-.
    Humbug A. The Calusari B-. F. Emasculata B+. Soft Light B.
    Our Town B+. Anasazi A.
  10. Onlyclassicvg1
    Jun 3, 2022
    9
    surprised that this didn't recieve a better score than it did. A huge majority of the reviews that I've read say how 'terrible' the film is because it has no huge forward motion into action or anything.