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

I imagine that if you’re interested in buying an X Files season on DVD, you’ve already decided you like the show so I’ll skip the more general details. If you don’t remember season 6 that much it’s when Spender and Fowley are given the X Files while Mulder and Scully are reassigned to AD Kersh, the syndicate falls apart, the new mythology is introduced, and is the follow-up to the movie. My X Files reviews contain a lot of the same information since the format for the different seasons is kept the same. For those of you that have read the info below on another review already the only real differences between this and season 5 are the color scheme and a slight change in the folder layout (not counting the episodes themselves or the extras, of course). I’ll give some info on what you get in the package, then a very brief summary of each episode (no spoilers) to jog your memory about something you may have seen aired. For extensive, original plot summaries visit my web site www.stormpages.com/jackiechad

The audio is a nice 2.0 surround sound. 5.1 would have been better especially for the money you're going to shell out, but it doesn't keep me from wanting the collections. There are other spoken languages available plus English and foreign language subtitles. The picture tends to be dark (because of the atmosphere of the show) and appears grainy at times, but, for me at least, is a long way from ruining the viewing experience. This is the second season to be presented in anamorphic widescreen. The set includes 5 discs with 4 episodes each and 1 disc with 2 episodes and the majority of the extras.

The packaging is pretty nice consisting of glossy cardboard and clear plastic. There is an outer box so that the DVD folder doesn’t just flop open. There is a sheet attached to the outside of the box kind of like what is on the back of most DVD cases (consumer info and such). Having it on a removable sheet like that keeps the box looking very nice. I was able to carefully remove the sheet and all security devices without leaving a mark on the box itself. Inside the box is a folder. When opened at every joint it lays flat with 6 trays. Whereas previous collections have an extra flap for the info book, this one has a slot on the back of the last tray shortening the folder size. Each tray has a picture that corresponds with its DVD. Artwork lines the back of the folder as well. The info book has chapter stops and other information for all episodes. The artwork is done in an earthy brown fitting with the theme of the space ship and relics found in the final episode.

The menus are very nice and well laid out. They are in keeping with the layout of previous seasons, so once you get used to getting around, you don’t have to readjust for the new collection. There is some animation, but it’s kept to a minimum. You can chapter skip all the warnings, logos, animation sequences, etc. to get right to the menu. There is a music bed that is different for each menu on a disc so that you’re not listening to the same thing over and over. However, the piece of the theme song that plays on the main menu loops too soon and does get old pretty quick. You won’t spend a lot of time on that one, though. It just takes you to the episode and special features menus. The background images are simple giving a professional, subdued feel to the menus. Very much in keeping with the feel of the show. There is an additional DVD-ROM menu that pops up automatically in a PC for most but not all discs in the set. It has some decent animation, but doesn’t offer much and is annoying since it keeps my DVD player program from automatically starting when I insert the disc. Navigation is easy if you pay attention to which link you’re about to select.

The extras won’t bring tears of gratefulness to your eyes, but there are some great enhancements to the show. Every episode has a cast list and 2 TV promo spots. There is also a DVD-ROM plot summary for all the episodes up through this season. The other DVD-ROM feature is a game. What I’ve played is quite fun and a great improvement over Season 5’s game, but, despite my old PC meeting all the requirements, the program kept crashing. My new PC (AMD Athelon 3000, IE 6) runs it just fine. It's mostly a puzzle type game. There are 2 commentaries. I would have liked more especially since the 2 included are for 2 of my least favorite episodes. However, these do deepen my appreciation for their episodes and may have been chosen for that very reason. There is the behind the scenes feature The Truth About Season 6. It’s pretty long and touches on many episodes and aspects of the season. It’s quite well done. The other feature is short and feels like nothing more than a long promo spot. There are 24 international clip in sets of 4 for 6 episodes. One set is interesting, but the same languages are offered in each set and become boring. There are 13 special effects commentaries for 9 episodes. They range from thorough and interesting to short and rushed. There are 15 deleted scenes for 8 episodes. Some of them are particularly good having been cut from their respective episodes only for time considerations. The scenes can be viewed by themselves with a little lead in and out so you know where it fits in the episode and with an optional commentary, or they can be viewed as you watch the episode. Unfortunately after activating the feature, you then have to watch for and select an icon that appears when the scene is to be played. That’s a little annoying and keeps me from watching the scenes in that way. Besides that, not all of the scenes fit well into their episodes. That goes for some of the most interesting scenes. 2 pairs of scenes compare 2 different actors in the same role using the exact same material. Since the original actor fell ill, the scenes had to be re-shot and this offers a chance to see just how much a particular actor’s own style can greatly affect a character. The final extra feature is a character profile of Cigarette Smoking Man. There is a good bit of info on the episode 1 Son included as well, with comments on the character and interviews with Bill Davis. It’s so interesting I wish it were longer.

Of the 22 episodes 4 are mythology, 16 are stand-alone, and 2 are borderline (technically stand-alone but with mythology ties). There are 2 two-parters plus the follow-up from the movie and the continuation to season 7. Some other episodes of note are a sequel to a season 5 episode and a Christmas show. I’m not going to critique the episodes since likes and dislikes vary so much. I will say that Agua Mala, Arcadia, and Field Trip were among my most desired episodes when considering which season to buy.

The Beginning: Tying in to the movie, Mulder is hunting down an alien created by the black oil even though he’s been pulled from the X Files. Gibson is used by the syndicate to track the same creature while Scully investigates the boy’s DNA. Sci Fi with some action.

Drive: A man must move West at high speeds or his head will explode. He hijacks Mulder’s car. Scully tries to figure out if it’s a disease or something else causing the condition. Drama with a touch of suspense.

Triangle: Mulder boards a ghost ship in the Bermuda Triangle and is transported through time. He is pitted against WWII Nazis many of whom have familiar faces. Drama with a little action.

Dreamland 1&2: A wave in the space-time continuum causes Mulder to swap bodies with an Area 51 agent. He’s got to convince Scully he is who he says he is and get back to his own life. Plenty of Sci Fi action. The 2 parts are on 2 different DVD's.

How The Ghosts Stole Christmas: Mulder and Scully investigate a haunted house on Christmas Eve. Spooky drama/ light horror.

Terms Of Endearment: A woman’s unborn baby is stolen by a demon. Mulder thinks the husband is the culprit. Drama with some suspense.

Rain King: A small town & surrounding areas are experiencing a terrible drought. Rain seems to follow a particular man who sells it. The area is know for its strange weather behavior. Is it because someone is controlling weather conditions? Light-hearted drama. Valentine's Day episode.

SR819: Skinner may have been poisoned. Mulder and Scully race to uncover the plot against their former supervisor and save his life. Suspense with a little Sci Fi.

Tithonus: An old man takes pictures of the dead and dying. He’s being investigated because some of his photographs prove he was on the scene before police. Does he have something to do with the deaths? He’s definitely hiding something. Drama with a little suspense.

2 Fathers/1 Son: Cassandra Spender is found in a train car with the bodies of burned scientists all around her. She is the first successful alien-human hybrid which means the alien invasion is slated to begin soon. Spender faces off against his father and is introduced to world of conspiracy with aliens. Suspenseful Sci Fi.

Agua Mala: Some kind of water creature is causing people to disappear during a hurricane. Arthur Dales calls in Mulder to investigate. Horror/suspense.

Monday: A woman is doomed to relive the day her boyfriend blows up a bank (with Mulder and Scully in it) until Mulder gets it right. Drama/Suspense.

Arcadia: Mulder & Scully go undercover as a couple buying a house to investigate the disappearances of families in a planned community. Suspense with a touch of horror.

Alpha: A dog seems to be killing people except that it seems to be able to open and close doors and have a human-level intelligence. Mulder seeks help from an animal behaviorist who may have an ulterior motive. She seems to be infatuated with him. Suspense.

Trevor: A prison inmate gains the ability to pass through solid objects. Now he’s looking for his ex-girlfriend who stole the money that he pilfered. Drama with a bit of suspense and action.

Milagro: A writer is obsessed with Scully and follows her around. Meanwhile people are killed by having their hearts removed without any mark or incision. To make the case stranger the writer seems to be writing those events in his novel with incredible accuracy. Drama with a bit of suspense.

The Unnatural: Mulder finds a strange picture which sends him looking for Arthur Dales. It turns out to be Arthur’s brother who had a strange experience with an alien posing as a baseball player. Drama with a hint of Sci Fi.

3 Of A Kind: The Lone Gunmen discover a conspiracy at a tekkie convention. There is a drug that makes people very susceptible to suggestion. Byers runs into his old girlfriend Suzanne, very much alive, who may be involved with the creation of the drug. Drama with Sci Fi and suspense.

Field Trip: Hikers go missing for a couple of days to have their skeletal remains turn up in a field. They haven’t had time to decompose and they haven’t been eaten. Now Mulder is missing and events don’t make sense. Are aliens placing false skeletons to cover up abductions? Suspense with a bit of mystery.

Biogenesis: Strange relics are found and lead to an alien spacecraft that has been grounded and mostly buried. Mulder seems to be losing his mind and Scully can’t deny the existence of the flying saucer. This introduces the new mythology. Lots and lots of Sci Fi.


Recommended: Yes

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