Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

       View All       Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

      Season 8 – The X-Files

      2000 Drama Sci-Fi List
      67% 9 Reviews Tomatometer 73% 100+ Ratings Audience Score In one of the longest-running science fiction series in network TV history, FBI special agents investigate unexplained, mind-bending cases known as "X-Files." Though the government is convinced that the outlandish reports are false, conspiracy theorist Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and realist Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), for most of the series, stop at nothing to prove that "the truth is out there." Series creator Chris Carter also serves as executive producer of the thrilling pop-culture phenomenon. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered Feb 02 Buy Now

      Where to Watch

      The X-Files — Season 8

      Fandango at Home Hulu Prime Video Apple TV

      Watch The X-Files — Season 8 with a subscription on Hulu, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

      Audience Reviews

      View All (15) audience reviews
      Sebastian L The first half of season 8 is really just The X-Files on life support. It's too easy to give Patrick a hard time for not being Mulder, and it's unfair to his performance. Rather, the problem is that his and Anderson's chemistry is missing and that two uninspired characters is a bad way to lead a series. Things shape up towards the end, but it's still just a shadow of what the show was in its prime. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/14/24 Full Review Andrey V One of the best seasons for me. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/25/23 Full Review tom m Delightful. Interesting. Well done. Entertaining. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Credit where credit's due, the eighth season of The X-Files is nowhere near the dumpster fire I was expecting. Mulder's absence from half the season stung, the dark, humourless tone for the first half really showed just how much levity his and Scully's banter brought to the show, even back in the equally dark fourth season and a majority of the MOTW episodes were unsatisfying and forgettable. Sure enough, my preferred MOTW episode was the one where new character John Doggett (how considerate of Chris Carter that the first thing that happens to him when Scully meets him, upon noticing his badge, is splash a cup of water in his face then, when Mulder returns, have the first thing Fox does to John is shove him back in his seat) and Scully were almost complete no-shows, instead having the protagonist be a one-off character played by Miles Dyson from Terminator 2. Things took a turn for the better once Mulder returned though I was disappointed that the search never really succeeded. The aliens just handed him back to the FBI on a silver platter once they were done with him. At a price, but it wouldn't have been a very dignified send-off if it stuck. Then again, these mythology episodes don't allow the heroes to have any major victories, no matter what the changes to the status quo are, because otherwise we don't get any MOTW episodes. Chris Carter really wants to have his cake and eat it too. At least the consistent positive qualities remained such: the terrific performances, the awesome production values, Mark Snow's amazing score, cinematography from an extremely talented DP and Mulder's wisecracks are quite amusing. Some of Scully's angst about having children (she's pregnant this season) could perhaps come off as misogynistic but I doubt Chris Carter hates women. Of course, I'm not an expert so what do I know what heterosexual women angst about? Seems odd that she, in flashbacks set sometime during Season 4, I'm guessing, would confide in this to Mulder. I can understand her mother but to Mulder? Hmm. Were it not for some events from season 9 I've read about, the final scene would've provided a pretty fitting sendoff for Mulder and Scully as the torch gets passed to two new characters. Doggett has his moments but Reyes seems a bit bland, if friendly. Wasn't the role reversal of "skeptic and believer" one of the main selling points of the show? Wow, this eighth season left me with a ton of conflicting feelings. My review went all over the damn place. Maybe I shouldn't've gone on hiatus after season 6, especially since it lasted longer than expected. Nevertheless, while I believe the eighth season might have been a bad omen that, even without 9/11 pushing conspiracy culture out of the spotlight, The X-Files wasn't going to survive in the 21st-century (Really makes me feel bad for Chris Carter; once one of the biggest names on television but now might as well have been abducted by aliens, given how anytime we actually hear something about him, it's his constant attempts to reanimate the show's corpse...and the one time he tried to do something unrelated to The X-Files, it never made it past the pilot episode due to old habits dying hard, from what I've read) but I was shocked that it wasn't a TV atrocity. The ninth season on the other hand? Guess I'l find out soon enough if I should "be afraid...be very afraid" of the major writing problems. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/09/23 Full Review Tim L The season does what it can without Mulder. The show is still entertaining. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/11/21 Full Review Audience Member I love the cleverness and it's cool Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/09/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

      Cast & Crew

      Show Less Cast & Crew Show More Cast & Crew

      Episodes

      Episode 1 Aired Nov 5, 2000 Within While Scully desperately searches for her missing partner, she is joined by a skeptical new associate, John Doggett, who warily joins her search. Details Episode 2 Aired Nov 12, 2000 Without Scully and Doggett continue the search for Mulder, while undeniable evidence challenges Doggett's skepticism about the paranormal. Details Episode 3 Aired Nov 19, 2000 Patience Scully and Doggett (Gillian Anderson, Robert Patrick) investigate a series of small-town murders linked to a bat-like creature. Details Episode 4 Aired Nov 26, 2000 Roadrunners When Scully stumbles upon a dangerous cult in a desert town, she must rely on Doggett to track her down and save her life. Details Episode 5 Aired Dec 3, 2000 Invocation Scully and Doggett investigate the reappearance of a boy who has not aged since the day he was kidnapped 10 years ago. Details Episode 6 Aired Dec 10, 2000 Redrum Agents Scully and Doggett investigate the case of a man who is accused of murdering his wife but cannot remember committing the crime. Details Episode 7 Aired Dec 17, 2000 Via Negativa While Scully is in the hospital for undisclosed reasons, Doggett investigates the identical deaths of 20 cult members and two FBI agents. Details Episode 8 Aired Jan 7, 2001 SureKill When Scully and Doggett investigate a series of unbelievable murders, they unearth a suspect with a weird medical anomaly. Details Episode 9 Aired Jan 14, 2001 Salvage Scully and Doggett delve into a series of bizarre deaths in a Midwestern town, but their prime suspect is pushing up daisies. Details Episode 10 Aired Jan 21, 2001 Badlaa Scully and Doggett investigate a series of murders linked to an Indian mystic who lodges inside his victims' bodies. Details Episode 11 Aired Feb 4, 2001 The Gift A case Mulder kept secret from Scully surfaces when Doggett investigates circumstances related to Mulder's unexplained disappearance. Details Episode 12 Aired Feb 11, 2001 Medusa Scully and Doggett (Gillian Anderson, Robert Patrick) race to find a flesh-eating monster terrorizing the Boston subway system. Details Episode 13 Aired Feb 18, 2001 Per Manum Scully must decide whether to reveal her pregnancy to Doggett as the agents investigate reports of human test subjects being impregnated by aliens. Details Episode 14 Aired Feb 25, 2001 This Is Not Happening Scully and Doggett lock horns about how to find Mulder, and Doggett brings on a new agent to help with the case; Scully comes face to face with Mulder. Details Episode 15 Aired Apr 1, 2001 Deadalive The reappearance of an alien abductee prompts Scully and Doggett to reopen the investigation into Fox Mulder's death; Doggett is offered a transfer. Details Episode 16 Aired Apr 8, 2001 Three Words Mulder conducts a secret investigation after the shooting of a man who tried to inform the president about a planned alien invasion. Details Episode 17 Aired Apr 22, 2001 Empedocles Agents Mulder, Scully, Doggett and Reyes investigate a killer's connection to the murder of Doggett's son. Details Episode 18 Aired Apr 29, 2001 Vienen Agents Mulder and Doggett work together to investigate bizarre deaths on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Details Episode 19 Aired May 6, 2001 Alone Scully and Mulder rush to the rescue after Doggett and a new FBI agent get in trouble while pursuing a deadly reptilian creature. Details Episode 20 Aired May 13, 2001 Essence Mulder, Doggett and Skinner try to protect Scully and her unborn child from the rampage of an alien/human hybrid. Details Episode 21 Aired May 20, 2001 Existence Mulder and the other agents shield Scully and her unborn child, while delving into a possible link between her pregnancy and an extraterrestrial conspiracy. Details

      Discover

      Popular TV on Streaming

      View All Popular TV on Streaming
      100% 83% Baby Reindeer TRAILER for Baby Reindeer 93% 88% Fallout TRAILER for Fallout 84% 79% Under the Bridge TRAILER for Under the Bridge 87% 79% The Sympathizer TRAILER for The Sympathizer 99% 91% Shōgun TRAILER for Shōgun 86% 81% Ripley TRAILER for Ripley 100% 81% Parasyte: The Grey TRAILER for Parasyte: The Grey 91% 78% Conan O'Brien Must Go TRAILER for Conan O'Brien Must Go 81% 70% Sugar TRAILER for Sugar 80% 78% 3 Body Problem TRAILER for 3 Body Problem Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

      TV News & Guides

      View All TV News & Guides

      This show is featured in the following articles.

      Definitive Gillian Anderson Roles As Animated GIFs 10 TV Shows You Should Binge-Watch This January

      Photos

      View All The X-Files — Season 8 photos

      The X-Files — Season 8

      The X-Files The X-Files The X-Files View more photos

      Critics Reviews

      View All (9) Critics Reviews
      Eric Mink New York Daily News Sunday's eighth-season premiere and next week's followup episode are doozies. Rated: 3.5/5 Oct 25, 2017 Full Review Ken Tucker Entertainment Weekly You've got to hand it to creator Chris Carter: There's no dust gathering on The X-Files. Rated: A- Jan 5, 2015 Full Review Emily St. James AV Club The simplicity is a godsend in a show that at times seemed to have its head so far up its ass that it would never see the daylight again. Rated: B+ Jan 5, 2015 Full Review Grace Duffy The Mary Sue So much of this season felt like trudging through muck in search of diamonds. Sep 27, 2017 Full Review Mike Lipton People Magazine Even true-blue fans, I suspect, will come away disappointed by the glacially paced plot and the tiresome reappearance of an old fiend, that shape-shifting, green-blooded, alien bounty hunter. Jan 26, 2015 Full Review Tracy McLoone PopMatters I've invested so many years in watching The X-Files, that I'm not about to give it up easily. With even a slight promise of something actually happening on the series, I will check it out next week. Jan 23, 2015 Full Review Read all reviews

      Season Info

      Director
      Richard Compton, Chris Carter, Terrence O'Hara, Peter Markle, Barry K. Thomas, Frank Spotnitz, Kim Manners, Tony Wharmby, Rod Hardy
      Executive Producer
      Chris Carter, Gregory McClatchy
      Screenwriter
      Chris Carter, Vince Gilligan, Greg Walker, Steven Maeda, David Amann, Jeffrey Bell, John Shiban, Frank Spotnitz, Daniel Arkin
      Network
      Fox
      Rating
      TV-14 (V)
      Genre
      Drama, Sci-Fi
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date
      Nov 5, 2000