MovieChat Forums > The X Files (1993) Discussion > Chris Carter was NEVER going to give us ...

Chris Carter was NEVER going to give us closure.

posted 5 years ago by Snoopy828 (496)
44 replies | jump to latest

It just really sucks to say the least. One of my all time favorite shows. This guy had sooooooo many chances to end this baby, and end it with dignity. Instead he seemed more content just spinning the wheels.

The show had it's finale in 2002. He botched that, as he did with the entirety of Season 9 turning the episode into a silly clip show. OK. Fine it happens. Whatever.

He gets another chance in 2008 with the second movie. Now he only got to make that film because of the writers strike. First thing they announce is that it's NOT going to be about the 2012 invasion, but instead it'll be a monster of the week. OK. Fine but then at least make it a good monster of the week. Again fail.

Next we get the revival series. On a whim. Like an idiot I'm thinking ok here's his third and probably last chance to do this right. But once again NOT gonna happen. It occurred to me during the first revival season, and then all throughout the second revival season that this guy never had any intention of ever giving us closure. This guy only wanted to keep the party going for as long as possible.

Carter is like the guy at the party who stays until 6 in the morning. Everyone is gone, everyone has either passed out or went home, and this guy is roaming around like a drunken imbecile oblivious to the fact that it's OVER. I mean it's common knowledge that Vince Gilligan of breaking bad worked on the X files, and him and Carter are good friends. You'd think he'd take a look at his buddy, and his BB success and say to himself "oh man Vince did it right." "You know audience members want a definitive ending, they want you to end when the show is on top. Well it's too late for that, but maybe I can give them closure once and for all." No but I won't, I'll just drag this thing out for as long as humanly possible until the most die hard of X Files fans hate me for ruining this once great series." To say I'm frustrated with this man would be a massive understatement.

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[–] Starman (412) 4 years ago

[deleted]

[–] BlackMass (696) 3 years ago

The "mytharc" has been rendered worthless: it's all about the "Monster-of-the-Week" episodes. Several of them stand up really well as short(-ish) films.

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[–] WhoToTrust (977) 3 years ago

Do you have a link to your personal fan fic where you provided the "good", dignified, closure/"definitive-ending" you speak of?

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[–] Snoopy828 (496) 3 years ago

Would you like me cap out some fanfiction for you because I can. Don't be a fanboy. X-Files is my favorite show of all time. When it's great I praise it, when it's bad I trash it

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[–] WhoToTrust (977) 3 years ago

So what you're saying is that you haven't. Don't bother, I get it. Much easier to be a critic from the sideline than to actually put yourself out there and have the world critique you...as you've just proven you can't take when it happens to you.

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[–] Snoopy828 (496) 3 years ago

Oh stop would you. You sound like a small child. Chris Carter has a net worth of almost 200 million dollars. Do you honestly think he gives a crap what I think. And no I don't partake in writing fanfiction because it's not my characters, not my creation. If I'm going to write I'm going to write my OWN material. And guess what if I were to put my own material out there I'd be ready for any and all critiques/criticisms coming my way because its what I'm paid to do, and goes with the territory.

As for being a critic from the sidelines please man stop it. EVERYONE does it. But to play by your logic I guess your saying that only ACCOMPLISHED artists can critique a painting. Only sports fans who have actually PLAYED on the professional level can only critique their teams when they play poorly. Only writers who have PUBLISHED works are allowed to critique novels they've read. Only people who have actually WORKED in the political field are allowed to badmouth the current political climate we are living in. What are your credentials other then being a butthurt fanboy? Please share your resume with the class

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[–] WhoToTrust (977) 3 years ago

Funny that you suggest I'm acting like a small child when it's only you who has been so defensive.

You're the person who suggested Chris Carter couldn't come up with a "good, dignified, definitive-ending, closure" for The X-Files, but when asked what your idea of that would be...you can't...and instead...have to resort to trying to change the subject with childish name-calling like calling me a fanboy.

If there's anyone here who has illustrated they're butthurt over anything X-Files...it's you. ;)

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[–] Snoopy828 (496) 3 years ago

Nice deflection there guy. You are the one being defensive because I said something bad about Carter. I was agitated at you for acting like a comment troll. Difference.

As I said below to nightwriter below I'll just copy/paste since you failed to read. I personally loved the first 8 seasons of the show (even 7 which was weaker). If they were never going to resolve the mythology, then I still think the show should have ended with the Season 8 finale Existence. It honestly wrapped it all up nicely if you ask me with leaving very little undone. Mulder out of the FBI (that job did a number on the mans stress levels), Mulder/Scully end up together with the baby, the Lone Gunmen ALIVE, Skinner offing Krycheck, Doggett going after Kersh, and Doggett/Reyes heading up the X Files. To me that would have at least given all our beloved character closure.

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[–] Snoopy828 (496) 3 years ago

Funny you didn't respond to my point about the sideline critic because you prob know I'm right. And for the record that's what fandom is. Fandom is discussing both the good and the bad in regards to whatever artform you are discussing. We are taught in middle school as we read and analyze literary texts and write papers on them. We are taught to do the same in film class (if you've ever taken one)

So as a fan I prefer the Breaking Bad model of going into a show, and having a definitive ending. Unlike procedural shows that are destined to run forever like Grey's, or Law and Order SVU. And since Gilligan was not only one of the better x-files writers, but still a close friend of Carter's I figured once the revival hit Carter would want to bring resolution to a beloved show that fans have LOYALLY followed for over a decade (myself included).

You are butthurt because you think I'm attacking Carter, merely venting my frustrations is all. X Files is my favorite show, and as such I have a right to critique it when it's bad.

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[–] WhoToTrust (977) 3 years ago

I understand that you "believe" you're proving it's not you who initially illustrated yourself to be butthurt over the way that...in your opinion... the X-Files was concluded without a "good, dignified, closure/definitive-ending"...which caused you to come here and act like a comic-book-guy/troll...which you've een trying to deflect attention away from ever since...but I can assure you....you're not.

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[–] Snoopy828 (496) 3 years ago

No no no once again nice try. A troll is someone, or online troll, is someone who purposely says something controversial in order to get a rise out of other users. Which if you read my original post, you would know was not my intent. Clearly I got a rise out of you because you keep on deflecting all my points, and you were obviously very butthurt by what I had to say. I guess the guy who created a post "least favorite episodes" is also a troll by your definition.

I'm a regular poster on the X Files board. Although more so when it was the imdb boards. So that would make me a fan, and not a troll. A fan who comes here to discuss the show, all things good and bad. Once again venting ones frustrations hardly makes them a troll. You want to call me comic-book guy, fine guilty as charged. But don't use the word troll because you clearly don't know the meaning of the word. Otherwise all the people who hated the endings of Dexter, Lost, Sopranos, HIMYM, ect....are also trolls by your logic.....

Whatever I'm done talking to you....your the troll...go away now

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[–] WhoToTrust (977) 3 years ago

I'm curious, were all of these long-winded, deflection-based, red-herring diatribes about The X-Files not ending the way YOU wanted them to supposed to be illustrating how you AREN'T still butthurt that The X-Files didn't end the way you wanted it to? ;)

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[–] Snoopy828 (496) 3 years ago

Go away troll I'm done talking to you. I've attempted to have a conversation with you, but you're too content being a troll. Go away now

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[–] WhoToTrust (977) 3 years ago

You mean like you were "done" LAST time?

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[–] Snoopy828 (496) 3 years ago

Goodbye

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[–] WhoToTrust (977) 3 years ago

Just so I have this straight, your own definition of a troll is "someone, or online troll, is someone who purposely says something controversial in order to get a rise out of other users."

And YOU came to an internet X-Files message board to basically say that The X-Files ended as an undignified, unresolved, piece of $#!+.

And YOU are suggesting that I am the troll in this scenario?

Good luck getting closure on THAT one. ; )

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[–] Snoopy828 (496) 3 years ago

Goodbye.

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[–] WhoToTrust (977) 3 years ago

Are you still here? LOL

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[–] Snoopy828 (496) 3 years ago

Goodbye

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[–] WhoToTrust (977) 3 years ago

So what you're saying is that you STILL can't provide a link to YOUR personal fan fic where YOU provide the "good", dignified, closure/"definitive-ending" you spoke of?

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[–] Snoopy828 (496) 3 years ago

Goodbye

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[–] WhoToTrust (977) 3 years ago

So what you're saying is that you STILL can't provide a link to YOUR personal fan fic where YOU provide the "good", dignified, closure/"definitive-ending" you spoke of....other than the few items you've thrown at the wall here to see if they'd stick....even though you've now had over a week now to put your idea of a "good, dignified, closure/"definitive-ending" in writing...?

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[–] Snoopy828 (496) 3 years ago

Okay I've tried having an adult back and forth with you several times now and you evade my points. I've even told you in the same thread HOW and WHEN i think the show should have ended. But since you can't have an adult back and forth I'm going to ask you to go sit at the children's table.

And don't bother replying anymore because you've been put on ignore.

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[–] WhoToTrust (977) 3 years ago

So what you're saying is that you STILL can't provide a link to YOUR personal fan fic where YOU provide the "good", dignified, closure/"definitive-ending" you spoke of....other than the few items you've thrown at the wall here to see if they'd stick....even though you've now had over a week now to put your idea of a "good, dignified, closure/"definitive-ending" in writing...?

FYI - At this point - That was of course a rhetorical question.

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[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

To be fair to Carter, the series was conceived in the era where TV shows weren't plotted out from start to finish the way that is common today. As long as a series was doing well, the networks insisted on keeping them going. That forced many, many series -- going back as far as the 60s -- to end with no firm conclusion when the ratings dropped and they were unceremoniously cancelled.

The X-Files invented the formula of episode-of-the-week show with an overarching storyline, but it was still constrained by the old idea that you kept series going as long as you could milk the cash cow. By S6, the alien invasion storyline was stale, so Carter switched to the 'super-soldier' storyline.

This is the formula used by many network drama/ sci-fi/ action shows because it gives them the best chance to 'sort of' wrap things up at the end of a season, but it's still not a perfect solution.

LOST was probably the first series to negotiate a definitive end date so as to give the showrunners time to draw things to a proper conclusion. And they still screwed it up badly. It's still rare today for series to have definitive end dates with firm conclusions.

Carter re-worked the alien invasion storyline for the updated series while calling back to elements of the original series. For me though, many of the fun elements of the original series were long gone. The shape shifting bounty hunter, Roy Thinnes, Krycek, Deep Throat... In particular, the Lone Gunmen were missed. (I always maintain that Carter killed off these beloved characters out of spite as a FU to the fans who didn't support their standalone series.)

So, I sort of endured the conspiracy eps for the sake of the better MOTW eps. Some of these were as good as any in the original series. In fact, after all these years, the MOTW eps have aged better than the mythology eps for most fans.

That all said, I thought it ended fine. Everyone's story came to a definite conclusion and it left open the door a crack for future adventures if the demand is there.

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[–] Snoopy828 (496) 3 years ago

I see where you are going with your first point. But as I had stated TV has certainly evolved past that. Like you said with Lost showrunners now plan their endings out in advance, or like to map out an end date at the very least. Def agree Lost screwed it up badly, but I respect the effort for trying to map out an end.

I love both the Mythology and MOTW episodes. As you recall, or I'm assuming you've read Carter has intended the 3rd movie to be the alien invasion of 2012. But after the second movie bombed we weren't getting a third movie. So when the revival was announced I honestly would have preferred they had just made a limited series 2012 wrap up. Again like I said the man is still friends with Vince Gilligan, you think he would have taken a page from his book. Some of the revival episodes were entertaining but overall I just felt like Chris spent more time undoing things from the past that didn't needed to be undone.

I personally loved the first 8 seasons of the show (even 7 which was weaker). If you ask me if you were never going to resolve the mythology, then I still think the show should have ended with the Season 8 finale Existence. It honestly wrapped it all up nicely if you ask me with leaving very little undone. Mulder out of the FBI (that job did a number on the mans stress levels), Mulder/Scully end up together with the baby, the Lone Gunmen ALIVE, Skinner offing Krycheck, Doggett going after Kersh, and Doggett/Reyes heading up the X Files. To me that would have at least given all our beloved character closure.

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[–] Iffy762 (1331) 3 years ago

But I think another factor is still there, which is that it is in the interests of the people working on the show that the show go on for as long as possible because that is a steady job for them. So even if the series ends, they don't necessarily want to close things off completely, because they want to be able to come back to that world and those characters later and, basically, make more money.

So I think one of the basic problems for viewers is that the interests of the audience are not exactly the same as the interests of the people making the show. We, the audience, want a tv show to be great art with a satisfying beginning, middle, and end. The people making the show want to keep us slightly dissatisfied in specific ways for as long as they can get away with it, and then some.

Like you, I feel like the people making these shows can miscalculate at times. I stopped watching the X-files somewhere around season 5 because I just felt like they were never going anywhere with this. If they had a good ending with good closure, maybe I would go back and binge it from beginning to end. But, knowing that the ending was unsatisfying, I won't bother.

I think shows that depend upon a mystery probably suffer more from this problem. The idea of a mystery includes that you want it to be solved. (e.g. What happened to Kara Thrace on BSG?). If the showrunners never give you the solution, then what is the point of the mystery? Why would I even begin watching, knowing that I'll never know the answer? I think shows that depend on a romantic couple and a "will-they-won't-they" also have this problem. At some point, either they will, or they won't. If two people get through about five seasons (years) of knowing each other and haven't gotten together, then the answer is "they won't", not that "they might...later." In the real world, people move on to someone willing to engage in a relationship.

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[–] Iffy762 (1331) 3 years ago

TV series were designed to avoid ever giving the viewer closure. In order to produce a series that could go for an indefinite number of seasons, they were built around a central dilemma that was impossible to resolve. That dilemma would provide the conflict and mystery that drove audience interest in the show. They were financed in such a way that even a hit series could not earn back, in its first run, the money spent to create it. If it went to five seasons then it could be syndicated and earn that investment back with repeats. That incentivized never quite solving the central dilemma that drove the tv show, so that audiences would be interested in watching again and again (albeit never at quite the same intensity of the first run). But also, because the core dilemma was designed to be irreconcilable, there really wouldn't be a way to completely resolve things at the end. It would be incompatible with the internal "reality" of the show.

Syndication has become much less a part of how tv is made now, I think (google "fin-syn rule" for more on this), which means there is less benefit for shows to have an open ending. I think streaming has also changed the whole model of tv because people now tend to more binge one show from start to finish and they expect a closed end. Whereas, in the past, new audiences would be exposed to a show with the episodes out of order, now they can watch everything in the originally planned sequence.

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[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

Good points all.

I grew up always wondering if the original Robinsons made it back to Earth, along with the crew of the Spindrift, and if Doug and Tony ever made escaped The Time Tunnel.

David Banner's journey as the Hulk finished via a made-for-TV a few years after the series ended. This is the only example of finishing a series via a movie that I know of.

Sidebar: The five year mission of Star Trek: TOS was "finished" via a fan based series. The final ep nicely bridges to the first of the theatrical movies.

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[–] Iffy762 (1331) 3 years ago

Me too! I always found it so frustrating that I never knew how things turned out for all the characters on shows that I liked. I actually went looking for all this information on how tv series are designed because I was trying to figure out what was the intended outcome for a particular show that I liked. Only to find there likely was no planned outcome, not because the show didn't get there "yet" but because it's all designed that way. They were never going to get there no matter how long the show went on! At least now I understand why tv is so frustrating, but it also made me feel like tv shows are designed to disappoint me and that annoys me. I'm hoping that streaming tv changes all of this, but we'll see.

At the same time, I do sympathise with the idea of the people creating the show who want to remain in the world of the show for as long as they can make money off of it. I just think, when they're ready to end it, please let us know if the guy made it back to Earth or whatever. Don't leave us hanging.

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[–] Iffy762 (1331) 3 years ago

Also, I loved The Hulk

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[–] Sidha108 (2364) 2 years ago

Ending on a cliffhanger intentionally can work out well if done right like the cliffhanger ending of Season 2 of Twin Peaks which was the chronological ending of the series until the 3rd season 25 years later, but the way the X-Files currently ends doesn’t seem like it can have a direct continuation nor does it seem to be able to stand on its own as a final testament.

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