X-Files: Mythology, Volume Three - Colonization
The third volume of theX-Files Mythologyseries picks up in the fifth season, when much of the series' alien-conspiracy themes begin to be revealed. The titleColonizationrefers to a secret plan, traced back to Roswell 1947, in which aliens will colonize the Earth and obliterate normal human life through the use of the black-oil virus and the infiltration of alien-human hybrids. Scully (Gillian Anderson) befriends a fellow abductee, Clarissa Spender (Veronica Cartwright), who also happens to be the mother of an FBI agent, Jeffery Spender (Chris Owens), who has another surprising family connection. And it's with Clarissa that Scully experiences one of the series' most memorable scenes, in which a group of abductees gathers on a bridge only to watch in horror as a band of faceless rebel aliens strike back at the colonizing aliens, burning them with torches. It turns out that the Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis) is part of a mysterious Syndicate that has been conspiring with the colonizing aliens. We know that the vile turncoat agent Krycek (Nicholas Lea) is involved, but what about a beautiful face from Mulder's past, Diana (Mimi Rogers)? And more truths about Mulder's family continue to emerge.This set of 16 episodes bridges the 1998 feature film and also the series' relocation from Vancouver, B.C., to Los Angeles to accommodate the newly married David Duchovny. And it's here that Duchovny began to phase himself out of the series. The iconic shot of Mulder's face being stretched and tested early at the beginning of season 8 coincides with the introduction of a new agent who's leading the search for him--Agent John Doggett, played by Robert Patrick (best known for his role as the T-1000 assassin android inTerminator 2). Patrick would later be joined by Annabeth Gish, and that team, with assistance from Scully, would go on to finish the series after its ninth season.The bonus features include four episodes with new commentary tracks. They're hit and miss, but on the second of his two tracks, producer Kim Manners is perked up considerably by the presence of Patrick (who says, "My vocabulary improved from this show. I had to keep a thesaurus in my trailer at all times."). There's also a 27 minute documentary, with behind-the-scenes info and the crew (but not cast) explaining the mythology.--David Horiuchi