Kentucky Kernel -- January 28, 1997

<BODY BGCOLOR=#FFFFFF LINK=#0066ff ALINK=#0066ff VLINK=#660000> <BLOCKQUOTE>    <CENTER> <FONT SIZE=6> <B>Fox's real show came after the Super Bowl</B><P> </FONT> </CENTER>    <TABLE CELLPADDING=0 CELLSPACING=0 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT> <TR> <TD> <IMG SRC="/art/97/spacer.gif" ALT="" HEIGHT=1 WIDTH=20><BR CLEAR> </TD> <TD> <IMG SRC="xfile.gif" ALT="Photo" WIDTH=230 HEIGHT=167 BORDER=1><BR CLEAR><P> </TD> </TR> </TABLE>    <FONT SIZE=4><B>By Josh Herr</B><BR></FONT>Staff Writer <HR> Sunday night I breathed a great sigh of relief. A good "X-Files" episode graced the airways for the first time this season.<P> Let's face it, folks, even the most rabid of fans, such as I, have to admit the show has been on shaky ground this season. For once truth in advertising prevailed, as throughout the Super Bowl the ads swore this was the episode to see. They were actually right.The fact "The X-Files" has become a cult classic is an unexplainable phenomenon worthy of study by its photogenic heroes. The show is completely unlike the genial, sunny sitcoms and traditionalist dramas that fill the TV screen from day to day. <P> It is the first show to incorporate the post-modern expressionism of films such as Blade Runner, the Alien films and Seven into a weekly series, and viewers believe every second of it could really happen. As those who have seen more than a few episodes can attest, it's as addictive as a pound of crack. <P> Until this season's numerous, marginal imitators, never has there been anything quite like it on TV. It is moody, almost to the point of depression; it displays a supreme distrust of the government in every form; though you could crush cars with the tension between the leads, there is almost no sex to be found. <P> It lacks the heavy-handed moralization that plagued "The Twilight Zone" and the cheese factor that always hampered "The Outer Limits." Insiders will cite the 70s series "Kolchak" as creator Chris Carter's influence, but anyone who has ever seen both shows will realize the similarities do not outweigh the differences. <P> The show is also one of the first to cherish its writers. Carter, a writer himself, makes sure that the directors always respect the scripts and that the writers are on-hand during filming to help preserve their vision. As a result, "The X-Files" exhibits an intelligence that does not condescend to its audience, and that is something rarely seen on TV. (Now, if only feature films would follow his example.) <P> And now, in the fourth season, all of us die-hard fans can't help but wonder if the show is running out of steam. Sure, the first season was bumpy, as the show struggled to find its rhythm. The writers had to realize that glimpses into the private lives of Mulder and Scully were unnecessary, since the two were consumed by their jobs. <P> But a few jewels managed to shine through, showing the promise of what the show could be. The brilliantly claustrophobic "Ice," the ultra-tense "Beyond the Sea," both of the episodes with mutant murderer Tooms ("Squeeze" and "Tooms"), and the germination of the continuing conspiracy, all revealed a show that could sizzle and pop when it wanted to. <P> The second and third seasons were thrilling rides that threw out only the occasional clunker. The conspiracy deepened, introducing us to new characters for us to love and hate. The stand-alones, on the other hand, gave us monsters to check under our beds for; from flukemen to satanic substitute teachers, the fun never stopped. <P> A sense of humor was also found during this time, particularly through the work of writer Darren Morgan. His episodes contained a wonderful sense of the absurd that was usually otherwise ignored in the show. From circus freaks to psychic insurence salesman to killer alien cockroaches, Morgan wrote stories that made viewers shake their heads in wonder and joy. Probably the best of his works is the wonderfully surreal "Jose Chung's from Outer Space," with its subjective narrative and constant in-jokes, combined with real human emotions. It is the must-see episode for true connesiurs. <P> This troublesome fourth season has had me worried. With the exception of the outstandingly intense "Home" and the mid-season double-header conspiracy episode, the show has been lackluster and in some cases just plain bad. As Carter has dealt with his new show, "Millenium," he has tried to break in a new pool of writers who lacked the rhythm of the characters. <P> As a result the show suffered - until last Sunday. With "Leonard Betts" the show got back to the tension that made it great. Giving us a new monster to shudder at, letting Scully actually save herself with some impressive Kung-Fu fighting, and bringing back a forgotten thread in the show's mythology, all worked to remind loyal followers why they watch the show in the first place. <P> Next week looks like it could be promising. Penned by veteran writers Glen Morgan and James Wong, who have given the show some of its best moments (but, unfortunately, this season's worst episode), and featuring a guest contribution by actress Jodie Foster, it at least has the potential to be great. With "Leonard Betts" on Sunday, Carter proved that his show hasn't had its swan song just yet. Now let's just hope they can keep it up. <P>    <HR> <B>Photo: </B><b>X-TRA CREEPY</b> 'X-Files' stars Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny gave their best work of the season Sunday. <FONT SIZE=2> <B>Photo furnished</B> <BR> </FONT>       <HR> <P> <CENTER> <FONT SIZE=5> [ <A HREF="welcome.html">Contents</A> | <a href="http://www.kykernel.com">Home</A> | <A HREF="/archive.html">Archives</A> | <A HREF="/feed.html">Feedback</A> ]<BR> </FONT> <P> <B>© Copyright 1997, Kernel Press Inc. All Rights Reserved</B><BR>  </BLOCKQUOTE> </BODY>