The X Files : Series 7 [1994]

Amazon.co.uk Review

As with earlier releases, The X-Files: Providence splices together two episodes, "Provenance" and "Providence", into a pseudo-movie. Again, the results fall way below the series average as the long-dead alien conspiracy business is flogged, with a lot of running around and ominous rumbling still not adding up to anything like an actual story. FBI agent Neal McDonaugh (of Minority Report) inexplicably survives a flaming motorcycle crash, leaving behind brass rubbings taken from an alien spaceship, then shows up and tries to murder Scully's psychokinetic baby, who is promptly kidnapped by a UFO cult.

In Part 2, Scully (Gillian Anderson) and Reyes (Annabeth Gish) fend off enemies and friends within the bureau as they track down the cultists, who are having trouble with a spaceship they've dug up, and a typical pointless climax has things happen without the characters doing anything to contribute. Even at this late, post-Duchovny stage in the game, The X-Files has turned out some fine stand-alone episodes, but these dreary wallowings go a long way towards explaining why only diehards are still watching. After the child says "I made this" at the end of the credits, it's becoming very hard not to shout "well, clean it up then".

On the DVD: The X-Files: Providence, as with Nothing Important Happened Today, arrives in a great-looking anamorphic widescreen transfer. There are two slight promotional "featurettes"--three-minute clips/talking heads promos focusing on the episode "Providence" and actor Cary Elwes' character. --Kim Newman

Customer Reviews:

Not the best but OK.......2005-09-09

***

This has been slated by some reviewers and each is entitled to their opinion. Mine is that this is a worthwhile addition to the X Files, no better than the best and no worse than the worst.

The series itself can't have every episode mind blowing even though the series is a true classic.

If you are an X files fan, then you need this if only because you are an X files fan.

***

a shame to begin season 9.......2004-05-14

this was an o.k episode, one of the average type ones you saw more in season 7, when some bad or moderate directing was displayed. whilst it remained a little interesting, and certainly a strange performance from lucy lawless, i felt the lack of mulder really let it down. i mean what happened after the kiss!? he just up and left! with monica and john dashing around back and forth complaining about a erased tape. i wasnt hooked.

Ridiculous.......2004-05-04

The earlier episodes of the x files were by far the best. Towards the end it got a bit to hard to believe. The truth was so far fetched even the die hard believers of the alien phenomenon would find it hard to believe. At the end of the day i was really disappointed. Thank god for X Files repeats on Sky One!

Another X-Cellent Year.......2004-04-20

Season 4 is kind of a season of two-halves, the mythology is fantasticthroughout while the stand-alones, when their good they are at a higherquality the most other seasons but there also seems to be a higher amountof poor episodes, El Mundo Gira and Synchrony should definetly beavoided.
The year kicks of exactly to the point where Season 3 ended with thebrilliant if not confusing Herrenvolk, although Zero Sum later on in theseason clears alot of things up. Tunguska/Terma delves deeper into themysteries surrounding the black oil and shows us that a cold war of sortsis underway to create a vaccine for the alien virus. In Memento Mori wesee Scully facing her terrible illness, Mulders search for a cure andSkinner making a deal with the devil. Tempus Fugit and Max serve no realpurpous to the on-going mythology rather they seem to simply be a showcaseof how "big" The X Files had become. Finally in Gethsemene Scully's healthdeterirates and Mulder hears a shocking revalation that leads to one ofthe most sensational cliffhangers ever.
Some of the finest stand-alones this season that are worth a mentioninclude, "Home", the stroy of an incestuos family whom Mulder and Scullyinvestigate when a severly deformed baby is found to have been buriedalive, this episode is worth the money alone. "Unruhe" is a terrifing andamazingly intellegent episode, "Paper Hearts" sees Mulder tormented by aserial killer he caught years before who claims that his sister was one ofhis many unkown victims, "Unrequited", when a top ranking general ismuredered inside his locked limosine Mulder and Scully are called in tofind a killer who seems to be able to vanish into thin air and "SmallPatatoes", an hilarious case involving a janitor with the ability todiguise himself as anyone, even Mulder!
This is a truly x-cellent year, from the ongoing mythology includingScullys cancer acr, the most contrversial episode in TV histroy - Home andclassic comedy in one of the funniest episodes ever- Small Patatoes. Thisbox-set has a surprisingly large amount of extras including a 30 minutedocumentary, TV-Spots, deleted sences, interviews, behind the sencesfottage and episode commentaries that make this well worth a buy.

A fantastic season.......2004-03-14

An all round great season made better as it's the last 'real' full X-Files season, as season 8 sees the disappearence of Mulder. Stand out episodes include All Things, a fabulously gorgeous and intelligent episode written by and diricted by Gillian, finally giving Scully a chance to choose the life she leads, a very important character development. The Amazing Maleeni sees some very funny and intelligent moments. X-Cops is a great spoof documentary giving some light hearted relief. Hungry is a classic monster of the week episode about eating brains. The Sixth Extinction, Amor Fati, Millennium, Rush, The Goldberg Variation, Orison, Je Souhaite and Requiem are the other standouts, whilst Hollywood AD is the only disapointing episode with only a few worthwhile moments.

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