Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

The Show:

In the X-Files fourth season 20th Century Fox knew that they had a hit on their hands. The show had been nominated for and/or won awards in every category, and the stars and their characters were household names. So Fox decided to take a chance -- move the show from it's beloved but viewer-challenged Friday night time slot into a more prestigious and viewer-friendly time on Sunday night. Although the long-time fans protested, Fox moved the X-Files after airing a few episodes in the old time-slot -- and struck ratings gold. After moving to Sunday nights the X-Files consistently placed in the top 20 shows in the Nielsens, usually breaking into the top 10! The X-Files was consistently Fox's top rated show.

The X-Files television show followed the investigations of FBI Agents Fox Mulder (played by David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson). The X-Files were cases that could not be solved by conventional means -- cases that the FBI had given up upon. Mulder investigated the cases with a view toward the paranormal, Scully with a view toward the scientific. The writing was clever and intelligent, the characters unique and endearing. The show received mountains of critical acclaim (a first for a show of the "Sci-Fi" genre) and ultimately became part of our pop-culture. The show lasted for 9 seasons (although it should have ended after season 7 -- but I digress).

The Fourth Season:

Mulder: "The only thing that will destroy this man is the truth."
Krycek: "The truth, the truth... There is no truth. These men just make it up as they go along.
- Tunguska

So what makes the fourth season so special? It continued the excellent story telling from the previous seasons -- managing to seem fresh and entertaining while remaining true to the characters we had grown to love. Many long-time fans consider season four to be the last truly great season of the show's long run (I personally disagree -- I'm in the camp that thinks Season 5 is the last great season).

Season four's "Mythology" episodes (which make up the continuing storyline that forms the backbone of the show) continued to pose new questions -- something that was starting to upset many long-time fans. What with all the new directions, some of the old questions were being forgotten about, and loose ends were not being tied up. We did get to see some answers though -- such as seeing more of the shape-shifting aliens and more clones. The black-oil aliens (affectionately called "oiliens") also make an appearance, as does Mulder's old nemesis, Alex Krycek.

The biggest new plot thread in Season Four was Scully's battle with cancer. A side effect of her abduction in Season Two, Scully's fight to survive gave the show's writers plenty of opportunities for angst and soul-searching amongst the show's lead characters.

Although the show lost one of its most beloved writers, Darin Morgan, in season three, other writers stepped up to fill the void and gave us more fantastic and memorable shows. Vince Gilligan, in particular, shone through as a writer who could consistently provide touching and chilling drama (in episodes such as "Paper Hearts"), as well as fill Darin's comedic shoes with the outstanding "Small Potatoes" (which featured Darin in a guest-starring role). The writing team of Glen Morgan (yes, Darin's brother) and James Wong returned for a short stint in Season Four. Morgan and Wong had written many of the show's best scripts in seasons One and Two, and are frequently credited with taking creator Chris Carter's characters and shaping them into the Mulder and Scully that everyone loves. They provided one of the most shocking shows ever seen in prime-time television ("Home" - which was ultimately banned by Fox and was not allowed to air during the summer re-runs). Some of Morgan and Wong's experimentation with Mulder and Scully divided the fan base with two "you either love them or you hate them" episodes ("The Field Where I Died" and "Never Again").

As with the first 3 seasons, Season Four includes many "Classic" episodes ("Home", "Paper Hearts", "Tunguska/Terma", "Memento Mori", "Small Potatoes"), as well as its share of the forgettable (Teliko, Unrequited, Synchrony), and few clunkers ("El Mundo Gira" has been nicknamed "El Mundo Yukko").

Fourth Season Awards:
~ In its Fourth Season The X-Files was nominated for an amazing total of 12 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series, Lead Actor, Lead Actress, Writing (for Memento Mori), Directing, and a bevy of technical awards. The X-Files won 3 Emmys, including Gillian Anderson's win for Outstanding Lead Actress.
~ The X-Files SWEPT the Golden Globes, winning for Best Television Series, Best Actor, and Best Actress!!
~ The X-Files was also well-represented in the Screen Actors Guild Awards, nominated for Best Male Actor and Best Ensemble Cast, and Gillian Anderson won for Best Female Actor (see -- I told you that cancer thing gave them lots of opportunities to emote).
~ Among other rewards, The X-Files won a Peabody Award for Excellence in Entertainment, and was nominated for a People's Choice Award for favorite Dramatic Series.

DVD Technical Specs:

Scully: "Mulder, if you had to do without a cell phone for two minutes you'd lapse into catatonic schizophrenia."
- Home

This set includes 7 single-sided, dual-layered discs.

6 discs contain 4 episodes apiece (along with deleted scenes and international clips) in original airing order, the 7th disc contains bonus features.

The bonus features can also be accessed while watching the episodes they come from by selecting the "X" that appears at the bottom of the screen (like the "Follow the white rabbit" scenes from the Matrix DVD).

The discs run for approximately 1152 minutes (that's 24 episodes at 48 minutes apiece).

The episodes have 15 chapters per episode.

English and French audio tracks are in Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo surround. Subtitles are in English and Spanish.

The video quality is wonderful (it certainly puts my videotaped copies of the episodes to shame). The episodes were not filmed in high-definition back then (the HDTV aspect ratio was not used until season six), however the images are crisp and crystal clear. The surround sound quality is very good as well.

The packaging is very clever (when introduced with the first-season set it won an award). A slip-cover holds the gate-fold packaging closed, with X-Files images and quotes decorate every available inch of space required to hold all 7 discs. You can see a graphic of the packaging if you follow the official Season 4 DVD Set link at the bottom of this review.

A "collector's edition" booklet is also included with the discs, listing episode titles and chapter stops, as well as titles and air-dates for the first eight seasons.

The Discs:

Mulder: "Aside from the need for corrective lenses and the tendency to be abducted by extraterrestrials involved in an international governmental conspiracy, the Mulder family passes genetic muster."
- Home

~~Disc One:

Herrenvolk (4x01) - Mulder must choose between saving his mother and finding out what happened to his sister - all while avoiding an alien assassin. (MizGnomer's Episode Rating: B+)

Home (4x03) - Mulder and Scully attempt to unravel the mystery of a deformed infant and the unusual family it came from. The episode aired originally with a parental advisory, and was ultimately pulled from the repeat-schedule by Fox (who announced that they "banned" the episode) -- they ultimately reversed their decision and aired it on Halloween (if memory serves) a few years later. Full of light-hearted and fun moments, despite it's grotesque subject-matter. (My grade: A+)

Teliko (4x04) - Something strange is killing several African-American males and robbing them of their color. The episode's culprit is a bit too much like the infamous baddie from Season One's Squeeze/Tooms. (My Grade: C)

Unruhe (4x02) - A series of women are abducted and returned after being lobotomized. The only clues left behind are odd photographs. (My grade: A)

~~Disc Two:

The Field Where I Died (4x05) - Mulder's investigation of a cult in a civil war era compound uncovers a mystery of multiple personalities and past lives. (My grade: B)

Sanguinarium (4x06) - A series of patients are murdered while undergoing plastic surgery procedures, and Mulder suspects a magical connection. (My grade: B-)

Musings of a Cigarette-Smoking Man (4x07) - A story told almost entirely from the point-of-view of the X-Files leading bad-guy, The Cigarette Smoking Man. (My grade: B+)

Tunguska (4x09) - A mysterious Martian meteorite gives the agents more clues about the Black Oil, and Krycek leads Mulder on a chase to Russia. (My grade: A)

~~Disc Three:

Terma (4x10) - The continuation of "Tunguska" finds Mulder attempting to escape Black-Oil experiments in a Russian prison camp, Scully hauled before a Senate Sub-Committee, and Krycek loses an appendage. (My grade: A)

Paper Hearts (4x08) - One of my all-time favorite episodes - a serial killer with the ability to influence dreams leads Mulder to question his memories concerning the abduction of his sister. Powerful performances by David Duchovny and guest-star Tom Noonan (of Manhunter fame). (My grade: A+)

El Mundo Gira (4x11) - Deadly rain in a Mexican migrant camp lead Mulder and Scully to investigate the mythical "El Chupacabra". (My grade: C-)

Leonard Betts (4x14) - When a headless body apparently gets up and walks out of the morgue, Mulder and Scully investigate a man who needs cancer to survive. Airing after the superbowl, this is the mostly highly watched X-Files episode in the show's history. The episode features Paul McCrane (of ER fame) as the creepy Leonard. (My grade: A)

~~Disc Four:

Never Again (4x13) - Agent Scully reluctantly pursues one of Mulder's cases alone, and finds trouble when she becomes involved with a man who sports a new, deadly tattoo. Academy Award winning actress Jodie Foster provides the voice of the tattoo. (My grade: A-)

Memento Mori (4x15) - Scully's test results show that she has a deadly and inoperable form of cancer, as do other women who were abducted. Mulder begins a hunt to find a cure and some answers, while Scully begins to undergo an experimental treatment. (My grade: A+)

Kaddish (4x12) - A Jewish man is murdered in a hate crime, but later his killers are murdered one-by-one. Mulder and Scully investigate to determine who is exacting their vengeance. (My grade: B-)

Unrequited (4x16) - When a series of high-ranking military officials are killed by an invisible assassin, Mulder and Scully investigate both the killer and his reasons for seeing revenge. (My grade: C)

~~Disc Five:

Tempus Fugit (4x17) - The agents investigate the crash of a commercial airliner when it is discovered that the victims include a well-known alien abductee. A fan-favorite character from Season One, Max Fenig, appears in this episode. The footage of the downed airliner is disturbing and very well-done. (My grade: A)

Max (4x18) - A continuation of the episode "Tempus Fugit", Mulder and Scully work (against the military) to uncover what really caused the plane to crash, and uncover more proof of the existence of extra-terrestrials. Good story, however the deaths of a couple of fan-favorite minor characters make this two-parter leave a sad after-taste. (My grade: A)

Synchrony (4x19) - An episode that attempts to tackle time-travel. An okay story, but somewhat lacking. (My grade: C)

Small Potatoes (4x20) - A wonderful episode! A series of bizarre pregnancies (including a woman who claims the father of her baby is an alien -- named Luke Skywalker) lead Mulder and Scully to investigate a man who can change his appearance. Fantastic acting by David Duchovny, who gets to stretch his acting muscles playing a "Faux" Mulder. Extremely clever Vince Gilligan script. This episode was honored by TV-Guide as one of television's "Top 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time". (My grade: A+)

~~Disc Six:

Zero Sum (4x21) - Agents Mulder and Scully work to exonerate a man accused of a gruesome murder -- the accused is their boss, Assistant Director Skinner. (My grade: B-)

Elegy (4x22) - A strange series of deaths seem to have only one link -- many victims see a ghostly-girl shortly before they die. Things get more interesting when Scully, still stricken with cancer, sees one of the ghosts for herself. (My grade: B+)

Demons (4x23) - Mulder struggles with bouts of memory loss and blackouts while standing accused of a double-homicide. Can the agents put the pieces of the puzzle together and clear Mulder's name -- or did he really commit the crime? (My grade: A)

Gethsemane (4x24) - Mulder gets his hands on what might be undeniable proof of alien life, and Scully continues to come to terms with her cancer. Mulder fights to protect his evidence, and a rather believable informant gives Mulder proof that his entire investigation of aliens is a sham, perpetrated by the government. The season-ending cliffhanger culminates in a top-level FBI meeting where Agent Scully tearfully reveals that Agent Mulder died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. (My grade: A-)

~~Disc Seven (and the other extras):

The Truth About Season Four:
This is an all-new, 15-minute documentary. Featuring interviews with creator Chris Carter and many of the writers (Vince Gilligan, Frank Spotnitz, etc), various crew, and some cast members (William B. Davis, Mitch Pileggi, Dean Haglund, and former writer Darin Morgan), it is a great behind-the-scenes look at many of the episodes.

12 Interview Clips:
Each clip is approximately 3 minutes long
~ "Herrenvolk" with Frank Spotnitz
~ "Home" with James Wong
~ "Unruhe" with Vince Gilligan
~ "Paper Hearts" with Vince Gilligan
~ "Tunguska" with Chris Carter

13 Behind the Truth Segments:
These are behind-the-scenes specials, each approximately a minute long, that aired before the episodes when the series began running in syndication on FX. I wish I had known that these clips would be available someday, as I spent a lot of time trying to catch all of the spots on video when they first aired on FX. I'm a huge behind-the-scenes junkie, so I absolutely love these short specials.
The clips in this set are: Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man, Where writers get their ideas (part 2), Home, Leonard Betts, Demons, Tempus Fugit, Wardrobe Tags w/ Rob Bowman, Alex Krycek, X, Mulder, the Ice Cave, Eddie Van Blundht

Deleted Scenes:
Most of the deleted scenes are accompanied by an optional commentary track by Chris Carter, who explains why the scenes were cut (usually due to time constraints).
~ Unruhe - Scully asks about Mulder's Mother
~ Home - the infamous "is that a flashlight in your pocket?" cut dialog
~ The Field Where I Died - more of Melissa's multiple personalities
~ Tunguska - Scully elaborates to Skinner (on what they were doing with Krycek)
~ Tunguska - Cigarette Smoking Man confronts the Well Manicured Man
~ Paper Hearts - Roche kidnaps Caitlin
~ Memento Mori - Scully's Mom and her brother Bill visit
~ Memento Mori - Mulder and Scully's unscripted kiss
~ Max - Scully waits to see Mulder (who has been detained by the military)

Special Effects Clips:
Each clip contains commentary by Producer Paul Rabwin.
~ Herrenvolk - twin boys (clones) effects
~ Leonard Betts - Betts regenerating himself
~ Memento Mori - more clone effects
~ Memento Mori - how they did the "candlelight" effect at the opening of the episode
~ Unrequited - how to turn 200 people into a cast of thousands
~ Max - the triangular UFO effect
~ Max - sucking people out of the plane
~ Synchrony - the ice-hand effect

48 TV Commercials:
For each episode there are two commercials (one promo-spot is 10 seconds long, the other is 20 seconds).

DVD ROM features:
Similar to the games on the previous seasons' DVD Boxed Sets, this time called "Urbs Tertia". The game is part trivia quiz, part puzzle, and part episode guide. Players can investigate Mulder and Scully's multimedia case files. The game requires a DVD-ROM drive and Windows 95 or higher.

"International" Clips (available only on the episodic discs):
These are episode clips with the voices dubbed in Japanese, German, and Castilian Spanish. The featured episodes are Home, Tunguska, Paper Hearts, Memento Mori, Tempus Fugit, and Gethsemane

Optional Commentary Tracks (available only on the episodic discs):
~~ Memento Mori - commentary by Frank Spotnitz. Spotnitz mainly talks about what went into the production and filming aspects of this episode.
~~ Small Potatoes - commentary by writer Vince Gilligan. Fun commentary - mostly because the episode is pretty funny itself.

Alternate Teaser Audio (available on disc 1 only):
Contains extra sounds from Home's original introduction -- the sounds were edited out of the final release because it was too disturbing.

Cast/Crew Listings (available only on the episodic discs):
Each disc contains a special listing of the cast and crew for the episodes on that disc.

Final Thoughts:

Mulder: "You put such faith in your science, Scully, but... the things I've seen science provides no place to start."
Scully: "Nothing happens in contradiction to nature; only in contradiction to what we know of it. So that's a place to start. That's where the hope is."
- Herrenvolk

The only negative I can come up with on this DVD set is that I wish there were even more extras! While this set has more extras than the Season One and Season Two sets (I'd say it is on-par with Season Three's set), most rabid X-Philes are still longing for the wonderful gag-reels, and know about other deleted scenes that would have been absolutely fabulous additions to this already fantastic set.

While this DVD set is an absolute must for any obsessed X-Phile, it is also a great way for casual fans or those who came to the show in later seasons to get caught up with the characters and the show's "mythology". You can't count on re-runs -- both the Sci-Fi channel and TNT cut out pieces of the episodes so they can air more commercials. I highly recommend this set to anyone (although newbies to the show might want to get the season one, two, and three DVD sets first).

Web sites of interest:
Official X-Files Website: http://www.thex-files.com
Official Season 4 DVD Site: http://www.x-filesseason4dvd.com

Related X-Files DVD Set Reviews:
First Season
Second Season
Third Season
Fifth Season
Sixth Season
Seventh Season
Eighth Season

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older