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Monsters of the Week: The Complete Critical Companion to The X-Files
The complete critical companion to The X-Files
In Monsters of the The Complete Critical Companion to The X-Files , TV critics Zack Handlen and Emily Todd VanDerWerff look back at exactly what made the long-running cult series so groundbreaking. Packed with insightful reviews of every episode—including the tenth and eleventh seasons and both major motion pictures— Monsters of the Week leaves no mystery unsolved and no monster unexplained. This crucial collection includes a foreword by series creator Chris Carter as well as exclusive interviews with some of show’s stars and screenwriters, including Carter, Vince Gilligan, Mitch Pileggi, James Wong, Robert Patrick, Darin Morgan, and more. Monsters of the Week is the definitive guide to The X-Files —whether you’re a lifelong viewer or a new fan uncovering the conspiracy for the first time.
In Monsters of the The Complete Critical Companion to The X-Files , TV critics Zack Handlen and Emily Todd VanDerWerff look back at exactly what made the long-running cult series so groundbreaking. Packed with insightful reviews of every episode—including the tenth and eleventh seasons and both major motion pictures— Monsters of the Week leaves no mystery unsolved and no monster unexplained. This crucial collection includes a foreword by series creator Chris Carter as well as exclusive interviews with some of show’s stars and screenwriters, including Carter, Vince Gilligan, Mitch Pileggi, James Wong, Robert Patrick, Darin Morgan, and more. Monsters of the Week is the definitive guide to The X-Files —whether you’re a lifelong viewer or a new fan uncovering the conspiracy for the first time.
512 pages, Paperback
First published October 6, 2018
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2300 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
October 17, 2018
The first X-Files episode I clearly remember watching was Squeeze. I was wedged into a beanbag on the floor of a darkened lounge room. Behind me was an open door leading to the kitchen which, like the rest of the house, was dark and Eugene Tooms creeped me out enough that several times he had me looking over my shoulder. My love of the weird and the wonderful and all things spooky began that night and I’ve been an X-Phile ever since, collecting episodes on VHS and then DVD and an assortment of books and memorabilia.
As soon as I saw Monsters of the Week I knew I had to have it. I loved the picture of Mulder and Scully on the cover and the title called to me. I suspected immediately that reading this book would lead to an overwhelming urge to binge watch the entire series (again!) but the reason why I need to surprised me. I’d expected to binge read this book and then slowly reread it as I rewatched each episode but in my rush to get my hands on this book I somehow missed the critical part of the subtitle.
There was always going to be some disagreement between myself and the authors; you can’t be this invested in a series for so long and not have strong opinions about it. While the writers shredded some episodes that I count amongst my favourites, most of their comments were a fair balance of the good, the bad and the creepy. However, sometimes the criticism was so critical that it had me wondering at times if this pair even liked The X-Files. My stubborn has kicked in so my upcoming binge will now be about confirming to myself that the episodes I always loved are still worthy of my adoration.
I adored Patrick Leger’s cover artwork and the illustrations accompanying each section of the book. There are several of these that I’d love to have framed. I do appreciate how much time and effort has gone into this book. Besides watching or rewatching 11 series of TV and two movies between them, Zack Handlen and Todd VanDerWerff have tackled all of the monsters and mythology in a fair amount of detail; ranging from half a page to over three pages of commentary per episode. The authors also really like footnotes; most pages have several, ranging from really interesting extra information to seemingly random.
As a huge fan I wanted this read to feel as passionate about the series as I am and it was to a point. There were some quotes I loved:
I had some objections when criticisms were made based on what is or isn’t acceptable today without consideration for the time that the majority of this series was made, when we thought computers were going to do some really scary things once the clock stuck midnight at the end of 1999. In particular the embarrassment the writers supposedly felt by being two white men critiquing a TV show written predominantly by white men irked me. By focusing so much on the gender, racial and cultural inequalities of the show they missed the obvious; Scully, being such a strong lead, inspired so many women to study and go on to work in STEM.
If you’re not already a fan you probably won’t pick this book up anyway but if you are just beginning your journey to find the truth out there I’d definitely recommend watching each episode prior to reading the commentary about them to avoid spoilers.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Abrams Press for the opportunity to read this book.
As soon as I saw Monsters of the Week I knew I had to have it. I loved the picture of Mulder and Scully on the cover and the title called to me. I suspected immediately that reading this book would lead to an overwhelming urge to binge watch the entire series (again!) but the reason why I need to surprised me. I’d expected to binge read this book and then slowly reread it as I rewatched each episode but in my rush to get my hands on this book I somehow missed the critical part of the subtitle.
There was always going to be some disagreement between myself and the authors; you can’t be this invested in a series for so long and not have strong opinions about it. While the writers shredded some episodes that I count amongst my favourites, most of their comments were a fair balance of the good, the bad and the creepy. However, sometimes the criticism was so critical that it had me wondering at times if this pair even liked The X-Files. My stubborn has kicked in so my upcoming binge will now be about confirming to myself that the episodes I always loved are still worthy of my adoration.
I adored Patrick Leger’s cover artwork and the illustrations accompanying each section of the book. There are several of these that I’d love to have framed. I do appreciate how much time and effort has gone into this book. Besides watching or rewatching 11 series of TV and two movies between them, Zack Handlen and Todd VanDerWerff have tackled all of the monsters and mythology in a fair amount of detail; ranging from half a page to over three pages of commentary per episode. The authors also really like footnotes; most pages have several, ranging from really interesting extra information to seemingly random.
As a huge fan I wanted this read to feel as passionate about the series as I am and it was to a point. There were some quotes I loved:
Mulder’s defining trait is his willingness to charge headlong into danger if he thinks he will find the answers he seeks, and Scully’s defining trait is her willingness to ultimately trust her partner, even when she doesn’t believe him.While I loved most of their take on the first few seasons I found the book became a bit of a slog to get through towards the end as it became more focused on the negative when discussing the later seasons:
The X-Files is a cop show, yes, but it’s also one in which you could wake up in a safe, standard reality, then turn the wrong corner and end up becoming a thing that goes bump in the night. No one is safe, and any given door could lead to madness.
this isn’t a show about aliens as much as it is about our need to believe in something, lest the night become too dark and terrifying. There’s so much darkness in the night sky, but there are also so many stars. And maybe one of them is looking back at us.
If Deep Throat was a cheat code to the quest for the truth, X is a walkthrough written by somebody who doesn’t want to share his secrets, doesn’t like you, and might not even be playing the same game.
The mythology episodes would come to feel more and more poorly motivated, and eventually, you’d start to wonder how Mulder could believe in any of this bullshit.But then I’d find sentences like these and know they understood after all:
you won’t just be wondering why you decided to watch this episode; you’ll be wondering why you decided to watch a show that could produce an episode this bad at all.
Other people die, but those deaths don’t have any weight, and the point the episode tries to make is too unwelcome and backward to really care about.
Like nearly everything else in the episode, there’s no real joke here, just a joke-shaped hole where comedy could have theoretically existed.
The X-Files has been reheating its leftovers for several seasons now
The X-Files is frantically trying to find a new reason to justify its own existence as it circles the drain.
we wouldn’t still be talking about the series if it didn’t hit more than it missed.I acknowledge that had I written this book most reviewers would be commenting on how annoying it was to keep reading, “This is one of my favourite episodes!” almost every time they turned the page. It was a really nice trip down memory lane and it reminded me of so many episodes that shocked, horrified, intrigued and amazed me. I’d forgotten or maybe never realised that the Lone Gunmen made their appearance before Skinner did. I did keep waiting for the commentary about how each time Mulder pulls his gun on someone he loses it but sadly it never happened.
“The Sixth Extinction,” parts one and two, are ridiculous television, but dammit, they’re our ridiculous television.
I had some objections when criticisms were made based on what is or isn’t acceptable today without consideration for the time that the majority of this series was made, when we thought computers were going to do some really scary things once the clock stuck midnight at the end of 1999. In particular the embarrassment the writers supposedly felt by being two white men critiquing a TV show written predominantly by white men irked me. By focusing so much on the gender, racial and cultural inequalities of the show they missed the obvious; Scully, being such a strong lead, inspired so many women to study and go on to work in STEM.
If you’re not already a fan you probably won’t pick this book up anyway but if you are just beginning your journey to find the truth out there I’d definitely recommend watching each episode prior to reading the commentary about them to avoid spoilers.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Abrams Press for the opportunity to read this book.
March 16, 2019
I enjoyed the book very much, but bottom line is that these kind of extensive in-depth reviews could and still can be found all over internet for free, for pure joy of being a Phile and wanting to share your delight and frustrations and yes, critical opinion with the other Philes out there. Maybe there was a problem with my expectations - I expected to see more excerpts from interviews, bts information, something to tie in with the reviews, but there is so little of it. All those information are available online or in archives, more or less, but it would require more digging and I suppose the authors didn't want to invest that much.
However, it was great that the complete series is covered, with two reboot seasons and both films.
On top of that, the episode reviews are strong, arguments stand and even when I didn't agree I could see their point. Also, it was interesting for me to read the fresh look on the series from the POW of someone genuinely interested in the mythology and episode plots - for me the MSR always was prime motive for watching and enjoying the show all these years (and that's saying something because the first episode I saw and instantaneously got me hooked was pilot in the spring 1994). Pointing out some particulars of direction, production, process of choosing the scripts in the '90s and other let's say more technical and artistic things, was also a great fun to read and inspirational to look some of the episodes and details with fresh eyes (at least to me, regardless of previous 10000000 viewings).
However, it was great that the complete series is covered, with two reboot seasons and both films.
On top of that, the episode reviews are strong, arguments stand and even when I didn't agree I could see their point. Also, it was interesting for me to read the fresh look on the series from the POW of someone genuinely interested in the mythology and episode plots - for me the MSR always was prime motive for watching and enjoying the show all these years (and that's saying something because the first episode I saw and instantaneously got me hooked was pilot in the spring 1994). Pointing out some particulars of direction, production, process of choosing the scripts in the '90s and other let's say more technical and artistic things, was also a great fun to read and inspirational to look some of the episodes and details with fresh eyes (at least to me, regardless of previous 10000000 viewings).
March 18, 2020
Handlen and VanDerWerff (full disclosure: I tweet at both, and have for years) have crafted a really lovely book that is essential for both X-philes and, I think, TV historians.
Running throughout the whole volume is an understanding and championing of The X-Files as THE show of the 1990s, and I think both authors make a really strong and compelling case for that. (The revival seasons help to snap this into focus more, which is great.) It's arguably the most valuable contribution that the book makes. It's also great that they're given the opportunity to make that contribution as well.
(Each review also serves as a good jumping off point for classroom use, if you're teaching an episode here or there. It's good supplemental reading in that instance. Assigning the whole book would be mean, unless you're doing a whole course on the show.)
If there's one thing missing, a ridiculous thing to say after 490 pages of reviews, it's a kind of concluding essay at the end to tie up all the various threads VanDerWerff and Handlen spin. Perhaps it's just greedy to want all this tied together in a unified piece, however, but the book feels weirdly unfinished without it.
Running throughout the whole volume is an understanding and championing of The X-Files as THE show of the 1990s, and I think both authors make a really strong and compelling case for that. (The revival seasons help to snap this into focus more, which is great.) It's arguably the most valuable contribution that the book makes. It's also great that they're given the opportunity to make that contribution as well.
(Each review also serves as a good jumping off point for classroom use, if you're teaching an episode here or there. It's good supplemental reading in that instance. Assigning the whole book would be mean, unless you're doing a whole course on the show.)
If there's one thing missing, a ridiculous thing to say after 490 pages of reviews, it's a kind of concluding essay at the end to tie up all the various threads VanDerWerff and Handlen spin. Perhaps it's just greedy to want all this tied together in a unified piece, however, but the book feels weirdly unfinished without it.
November 13, 2018
Excellent, detailed information on The X-Files. My sister is a huge fan of the show, but I taught here some new things that I learned from this book! MONSTERS OF THE WEEK will thrill X-File fans!
February 17, 2019
I mostly enjoyed Monsters of the Week. I love the X-Files and it was great fun reliving the series. The reviews are honest and many times spot on about the issues with each episode. I do admit there are times when I absolutely did not agree with their assessment (Dreamland should just have been one part? As if!) but that was to be expected.
I dropped a star for two reasons. The first was because of the unevenness of the nerdy facts and information. I actually doubted one of the reviewers true fandom. (How had he not seen From Outer Space before doing it for a review! A travesty!). And the reviewers seemed to know a lot of info about what was going on behind the scenes and culturally but then left some questions unanswered (If Duchovny wanted to leave so badly and sue the company, then why did he come back to direct in Season 9?) I was also surprised that they left out Supernatural from the discussion at all. It both figurately and literally had X-Files to thank for its success.
The second biggest problem is that they reviewed everything through the 2018 Social Justice lens (only Seasons 10 & 11 should be treated to this kind of scrutiny; it was made in that time frame). While I understand pointing out what did not age well, the obsession with being PC takes away from some of the accomplishments. Yes, white men ran it. This was the '90s. Were cultures sometimes portrayed stereotypically? Yes, but at the same time, the myths and legends of these cultures were completely ignored by network tv. Often groundbreaking isn't always done right, but you need those to get to the truthful portrayal. The authors even make the "apology" of being two white guys writing the book trying to be self-aware. But a dozen pages later, they make a big deal of two episodes to be the first written by a woman and then go on to tell you how much they sucked.
I love The X-Files and I know it's strengths and weaknesses. I loved reading about the episodes and learning new tidbits. I did not enjoy the tone about being PC when the two men did not understand what they are talking about. (Criminal Minds is bad because it has an unbalanced portrayal of violence against women? Please tell that to the real life serial killers whose biggest pool are the vulnerable especially women!) I don't have the desire to read any of their other work, but I do thank thing for a great nostalgic trip through a show I love.
I received an ARC from the publisher; all opinions are my own.
I dropped a star for two reasons. The first was because of the unevenness of the nerdy facts and information. I actually doubted one of the reviewers true fandom. (How had he not seen From Outer Space before doing it for a review! A travesty!). And the reviewers seemed to know a lot of info about what was going on behind the scenes and culturally but then left some questions unanswered (If Duchovny wanted to leave so badly and sue the company, then why did he come back to direct in Season 9?) I was also surprised that they left out Supernatural from the discussion at all. It both figurately and literally had X-Files to thank for its success.
The second biggest problem is that they reviewed everything through the 2018 Social Justice lens (only Seasons 10 & 11 should be treated to this kind of scrutiny; it was made in that time frame). While I understand pointing out what did not age well, the obsession with being PC takes away from some of the accomplishments. Yes, white men ran it. This was the '90s. Were cultures sometimes portrayed stereotypically? Yes, but at the same time, the myths and legends of these cultures were completely ignored by network tv. Often groundbreaking isn't always done right, but you need those to get to the truthful portrayal. The authors even make the "apology" of being two white guys writing the book trying to be self-aware. But a dozen pages later, they make a big deal of two episodes to be the first written by a woman and then go on to tell you how much they sucked.
I love The X-Files and I know it's strengths and weaknesses. I loved reading about the episodes and learning new tidbits. I did not enjoy the tone about being PC when the two men did not understand what they are talking about. (Criminal Minds is bad because it has an unbalanced portrayal of violence against women? Please tell that to the real life serial killers whose biggest pool are the vulnerable especially women!) I don't have the desire to read any of their other work, but I do thank thing for a great nostalgic trip through a show I love.
I received an ARC from the publisher; all opinions are my own.
Read
September 1, 2019I can't really rate this, can I? It's a collection of critical essays examining every single episode of The X-Files, how can you possibly give one quantitative rating to that? If you can, more power to you, but I cannot. Regardless, I did have a very good time with it. Originally, I had picked it up only as something to page through, read the essays only on a couple episodes per season. Instead, once I started I ended up reading every single one. It took me a bit, and I usually would just sit down at the end of the day and read a couple, but I had a damn good time with it. The X-Files is one of my all-time favorite shows, and Emily VanDerWerff is one of my favorite TV critics, so it seemed like a match made in heaven. I was unaware with Zack's work, but I found his writing style just as engaging, and his points just as insightful. While I didn't agree with them on every episode, that wasn't the point of the book. I found what they had to say interesting, the behind the scenes interviews sprinkled throughout added something nice, and reliving a show I love felt like coming home. Needless to say, as I read I kept a running "rewatch list" and I will be starting on that list, immediately. I would definitely recommend this to anybody who also sits at the crossroads of enjoying media criticism and The X-Files.
Note- This is exactly what it says it is, a critical companion to the show, written by two professional critics. This is not a 500 page hug fest, proclaiming every episode a modern masterpiece. Even with the nostalgia glasses on, you have to admit there were some very bad episodes in the bunch. I saw some complaints that the book was too negative at points, but what this book is trying to do is right there in the name, and if you think these two people would go through all of this for a show they didn't, at the end of the day, love very much, then I don't know what to tell you. It's critical yes, but always in a productive way, and never coming from a place of spite or malice. But, I can see how some people may not want to read that in relation to a show they love. Which is perfectly fine, but don't fault the book for doing exactly what it said it was going to do.
Note- This is exactly what it says it is, a critical companion to the show, written by two professional critics. This is not a 500 page hug fest, proclaiming every episode a modern masterpiece. Even with the nostalgia glasses on, you have to admit there were some very bad episodes in the bunch. I saw some complaints that the book was too negative at points, but what this book is trying to do is right there in the name, and if you think these two people would go through all of this for a show they didn't, at the end of the day, love very much, then I don't know what to tell you. It's critical yes, but always in a productive way, and never coming from a place of spite or malice. But, I can see how some people may not want to read that in relation to a show they love. Which is perfectly fine, but don't fault the book for doing exactly what it said it was going to do.
October 5, 2018
Your very own aftershow in a Kindle!
(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through NetGalley/Edelweiss.)
"I went back, as I often do, to read some contemporaneous reviews of 'Pilot' (S1E1) from TV critics, and what struck me was how many of them insisted that UFOs were 'played out' as the subject matter for TV series. Even the positive ones - and there were many - were worried about The X-Files becoming just another UFO series."
- Todd, "Things That Go Bump"
I feel kind of silly reviewing a book I haven't read cover-to-cover but, since I plan on devouring Monsters of the Week: The Complete Critical Companion to The X-Files as part of an upcoming X-Files rewatch, it will likely be months before I actually finish it. So here goes nothing.
Monsters of the Week is a collection of the AV Club's X-Files recaps - originally published well after the original airing of the show - revised and updated for modern viewers, and with all the spoilery bits removed so that newbies can enjoy it too.
What you won't find here: point-by-point episode recaps. (If you're anything like me, you already purchased those books, in print form, as they were released in the late '90s and early aughts, well before e-readers were a thing.)
Instead, you'll find critical analyses and reviews of each episode, as well as interviews with the actors and writers. Again, I've only read a selection of the essays, but overall they seem insightful and engaging, and certainly amped up my excitement to rewatch the show. I guess my only complaint so far is that I wish each essay was a little longer, but at 480 pages that might be a little unreasonable. (Or not, because X-Philes gonna phile.)
Based on some other reviews - either praising or criticizing the authors' social justice bent - I have high hopes for this compendium.
http://www.easyvegan.info/2018/10/26/...
(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through NetGalley/Edelweiss.)
"I went back, as I often do, to read some contemporaneous reviews of 'Pilot' (S1E1) from TV critics, and what struck me was how many of them insisted that UFOs were 'played out' as the subject matter for TV series. Even the positive ones - and there were many - were worried about The X-Files becoming just another UFO series."
- Todd, "Things That Go Bump"
I feel kind of silly reviewing a book I haven't read cover-to-cover but, since I plan on devouring Monsters of the Week: The Complete Critical Companion to The X-Files as part of an upcoming X-Files rewatch, it will likely be months before I actually finish it. So here goes nothing.
Monsters of the Week is a collection of the AV Club's X-Files recaps - originally published well after the original airing of the show - revised and updated for modern viewers, and with all the spoilery bits removed so that newbies can enjoy it too.
What you won't find here: point-by-point episode recaps. (If you're anything like me, you already purchased those books, in print form, as they were released in the late '90s and early aughts, well before e-readers were a thing.)
Instead, you'll find critical analyses and reviews of each episode, as well as interviews with the actors and writers. Again, I've only read a selection of the essays, but overall they seem insightful and engaging, and certainly amped up my excitement to rewatch the show. I guess my only complaint so far is that I wish each essay was a little longer, but at 480 pages that might be a little unreasonable. (Or not, because X-Philes gonna phile.)
Based on some other reviews - either praising or criticizing the authors' social justice bent - I have high hopes for this compendium.
http://www.easyvegan.info/2018/10/26/...
May 8, 2020
I read this book while rewatching the entirety of the X-Files from start to finish, which is why it took so long. Honestly, I wasn't impressed with this book. I get that each entry is just that one guy's opinion, but there were several times I wondered if they even liked the show. Now, I'm not suggesting that every episode should be glowed over, but they were by far more negative than positive over the whole thing. Additionally, sometimes I thought they just interpreted things completely wrong or got the wrong impression about a statement or conversation. Some of their conclusions about plot points I thought were completely wrong, and sometimes were obvious that they missed a part and came to the opposite conclusion. I also thought that some of the episodes they loved were the stinkers and vice versa. Also, their commentary didn't add anything to the experience of watching the show, so I'm not really sure what the point of the book was. I should have stuck with reading the episode guides instead.
March 24, 2023
This was a great trip down memory lane of my all time favourite TV show The X-Files. They covered all 218 episodes and both feature films. It covered the great to the absolute garbage episodes. It definitely wasn't a perfect show but the great episodes are truly something to behold.
Glen Morgan, James Wong, Darin Morgan, and Vince Gilligan were responsible for my favourite part of the series - the monster of the week episodes. Show creator Chris Carter may have written my all time favourite episode titled Irresistible but the mythology episodes and what he did to my favourite character (Dana Scully) in the end well there's no coming back from that for me.
It was nice to hear how loved the character of Scully was with the writers. It showed with the scenes she was given.
It's definitely time to re-watch the series again 😁
Glen Morgan, James Wong, Darin Morgan, and Vince Gilligan were responsible for my favourite part of the series - the monster of the week episodes. Show creator Chris Carter may have written my all time favourite episode titled Irresistible but the mythology episodes and what he did to my favourite character (Dana Scully) in the end well there's no coming back from that for me.
It was nice to hear how loved the character of Scully was with the writers. It showed with the scenes she was given.
It's definitely time to re-watch the series again 😁
August 25, 2023
I can't believe my journey of rewatching the X-Files is complete, and I am so happy to have had Zack and Emily's insights along the way. I may not have always agreed with them - I definitely liked season 6 more than either of them - but it was always interesting reading.
May 23, 2023
He tardado más de 11 meses, pero finalmente puedo decir que he visto las 11 temporadas + las 2 películas de X-files. Y me alegro de haberlas visto, la verdad.
Este libro en si no me ha parecido lo mejor de la literatura, pero me ha servido para ir "comentando" los capítulos a medida que los iba leyendo, y a descubrir varias cosas que pasaron detrás de las cámaras que no hubiera sabido de otra manera. (Aunque algunas las hubiera googleado porque eran demasiado tochas para ignorar).
Este libro en si no me ha parecido lo mejor de la literatura, pero me ha servido para ir "comentando" los capítulos a medida que los iba leyendo, y a descubrir varias cosas que pasaron detrás de las cámaras que no hubiera sabido de otra manera. (Aunque algunas las hubiera googleado porque eran demasiado tochas para ignorar).
January 20, 2025
Coming fresh off of a rewatch of the series, as well as reading another recap centric book in The Sopranos Sessions, this was a sour experience that highlighted for me what worked about The Sopranos one - a sense that the writer understands and likes the show. Here, you get this internet-snark style writeup (not unexpected since the origin of the book was an AV recap blog) where the game is to insert some backhanded compliment or social/political commentary talking about how something is insensitive or wouldn't fly these days.
It's not that the X-files is some avantgarde critics darling beyond criticism, it's about the scope of the book and tone of the criticism. There are plenty of essay form media criticism books investigating some aspect of the show, but this is written up as an overview of the entire show, the revival and movies included. There's too many episodes to cover for the recaps to be deep dives, and you split that with the culture war politics and trying to further some commentary about the show's themes, acting, directing and writing; it's just a mess. It doesn't dig deeper than Can you believe a 30 year old show has outdated social commentary? Big yikes! And hasn’t Darkness Falls improved because of climate change? Capitalism! Cultural appropriation! Cultural invasion, and xenophobia! There's no value added by this; you know exactly what it sounds like and could write it in your sleep.
Unlike the Sopranos book, which has a dedicated section devoted to interviews with series creator David Chase, this books interweaves comments from cast and crew as part of the episode reviews. If that material had been a dedicated section you could have at least had the utility of skipping the bad recaps to get at some insider comments (and I'd probably have upped the score by a star because some of that material was interesting).
Not enough juice for the squeeze.
It's not that the X-files is some avantgarde critics darling beyond criticism, it's about the scope of the book and tone of the criticism. There are plenty of essay form media criticism books investigating some aspect of the show, but this is written up as an overview of the entire show, the revival and movies included. There's too many episodes to cover for the recaps to be deep dives, and you split that with the culture war politics and trying to further some commentary about the show's themes, acting, directing and writing; it's just a mess. It doesn't dig deeper than Can you believe a 30 year old show has outdated social commentary? Big yikes! And hasn’t Darkness Falls improved because of climate change? Capitalism! Cultural appropriation! Cultural invasion, and xenophobia! There's no value added by this; you know exactly what it sounds like and could write it in your sleep.
Unlike the Sopranos book, which has a dedicated section devoted to interviews with series creator David Chase, this books interweaves comments from cast and crew as part of the episode reviews. If that material had been a dedicated section you could have at least had the utility of skipping the bad recaps to get at some insider comments (and I'd probably have upped the score by a star because some of that material was interesting).
Not enough juice for the squeeze.
Read
September 15, 2018Propriety keeps me from writing a review of this, but I DID read it three times in 2018 (very closely!), so I want to make sure it gets added to my woefully-behind "reading challenge."
May 15, 2023
Back in the day, I wasn’t a fan of genre television, and aliens were the laughable photos on the cover of World Weekly News. I caught a couple less than stellar MOTW, and the one later mythology episode I saw went whooshing over my head. Hadn’t a clue what online fandom was until post S3 Buffy. So I’m belatedly watching (though I find it hard to binge) and this book is a great companion. I’m up to S4E18 and am thoroughly spoiled.
Have to say, damn … Spuffy who? And I swore I’d never ship again. I coulda been shipping Sculder all that time and expressing my deep scorn for CC’s “platonic” pronouncements.
Have to say, damn … Spuffy who? And I swore I’d never ship again. I coulda been shipping Sculder all that time and expressing my deep scorn for CC’s “platonic” pronouncements.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2018
Terrible
I'm of the belief that if one is Hong to critique anything, they should at least like it. One can do this without being slavishly positive about it (like some star trek fans who believe all star trek is good. I'm a fan and I don't believe that), but the authors of this book are so hard on the X-Files, as to make me believe they hated it. There's a lot of missing information - no synopses, cast listings, just page after page of what seemed to me is negative criticism. A real downer of a book that I wish I hadn't purchased.
I'm of the belief that if one is Hong to critique anything, they should at least like it. One can do this without being slavishly positive about it (like some star trek fans who believe all star trek is good. I'm a fan and I don't believe that), but the authors of this book are so hard on the X-Files, as to make me believe they hated it. There's a lot of missing information - no synopses, cast listings, just page after page of what seemed to me is negative criticism. A real downer of a book that I wish I hadn't purchased.
March 11, 2024
Di libri su The X-Files ne sono stati pubblicati a dozzine, e ci sono anche svariati siti online dedicati alla serie. Per esempio, rimane una grande miniera di informazioni il mitico Cherish the Past, che raccoglie aneddoti, notizie ed opinioni soprattutto sugli episodi delle prime stagioni della serie creata da Chris Carter.
Ma io, durante la mia visione rigorosamente cronologica cominciata durante il lockdown del 2020 e terminata sul finire del 2023, ogni volta che ho preparato un post su un episodio appena visto, dopo essermi documentato su Wikipedia, imdb, e, appunto, Cherish the Past, mi sono sempre messo a leggere la relativa recensione contenuta nel libro Monsters of the Week - The Complete Critical Companion to the X-Files di Zack Handlen e Emily Todd VanDerWerff (con introduzione di Chris Carter), due che quelle recensioni hanno cominciato a scriverle su un blog molti anni fa e che poi, dopo averle rimaneggiate e corrette, le hanno appunto pubblicate sotto forma di libro.
A proposito: il libro mi fu regalato dal mio amico Kimon, unico responsabile di quel gioiello di eatthecorn, miglior sito di tutto Internet per gli appassionati della mythology di The X-Files, visto che offre uno studio dettagliato degli episodi con la trama orizzontale (penserò sempre che Carter abbia fatto un errore a non offrirgli un incarico da consulente in vista del revival delle stagioni 10 e 11). Però quello non potevo consultarlo durante la visione perché è pieno di spoiler (per spiegare la mythology, Kimon fa quasi sempre riferimento sia ad episodi passati che successivi).
Tornando a Monsters of the Week, perché dopo aver messo nero su bianco i miei pensieri mi sono sempre divertito a scoprire cosa pensassero delle avventure di Mulder e Scully (e poi Doggett e Reyes) i buoni Zack e Emily? Perché anche se spesso e volentieri non condividevo i loro giudizi (positivi o negativi che fossero), i loro pensieri sugli episodi della serie sono sempre molto stimolanti. Nessuna delle recensioni episodio-per-episodio si perde a riportare fatti e nozioni facilmente acquisibili guardando l'episodio stesso (mentre da parte mia tento sempre di dedicare un po' di attenzione alla trama). Il libro contiene delle vere e proprie riflessioni basate sulla visione della serie, in cui a volte vengono anche riportati aneddoti sulla creazione dell'episodio in questione, sia riguardanti la produzione che le dichiarazioni successive di coloro che ci lavorarono.
Ad impreziosire il libro, ecco anche un po' di interviste ai vari Chris Carter, Vince Gilligan, Darin Morgan e Robert Patrick, che offrono interessanti spunti di riflessione sull'evoluzione della serie e sui vari cambi di stile e direzione per cui la serie stessa passò. Per esempio è buffo come Chris Carter incolpi l'11 settembre 2001 per il declino di popolarità della serie (la gente voleva pensare ad un governo amico, non ad uno che cospirasse contro i suoi cittadini), senza pensare al chiarissimo declino qualitativo a partire dalla sesta e specialmente dalla settima stagione.
Riguardo a Zack e Emily, mi ha incuriosito leggere le loro recensioni anche perché spesso mi hanno aiutato a capire il perché di certi episodi. Essendo The X-Files una serie creata da statunitensi per statunitensi, in molte occasioni a noi europei serve qualche elemento in più per comprendere al 100% le intenzioni degli autori.
Mi ha sorpreso leggere di come anche due appassionati così fedeli a The X-Files avessero lasciato perdere tutto intorno all'ottava, nona stagione, tanto che uno dei due non vide l'ultimo episodio (La verità) quando andò in onda per la prima volta, e l'altra lo vide ma dopo essersi persa la maggior parte del resto di quella che per molti anni restò l'ultima stagione della serie.
Se non si fosse già intuito, il libro contiene recensioni dei singoli episodi e dei due film Fight the Future e I Want to Believe, e se ve lo state chiedendo, la risposta è sì, sono incluse anche le stagioni dieci e undici, perché il libro uscì nel 2019. A volte la recensione è di Zack, a volte di Emily, e in occasioni speciali di entrambi. Ogni episodio arriva corredato da un titolo alternativo e una frase ad effetto che ne descrive il contenuto, e ad ogni stagione (e film) è associato un disegno di Patrick Leger, di cui apprezzo molto lo stile (si è occupato anche della copertina).
Se vi piace The X-Files e volete leggere qualcosa che esuli dal solito binomio trama/curiosità, Monsters of the Week fa per voi. Io mi sono divertito molto a leggerlo e in non poche occasioni mi ha fatto riflettere in modo non banale su quanto creato da Chris Carter e compagnia.
Ma io, durante la mia visione rigorosamente cronologica cominciata durante il lockdown del 2020 e terminata sul finire del 2023, ogni volta che ho preparato un post su un episodio appena visto, dopo essermi documentato su Wikipedia, imdb, e, appunto, Cherish the Past, mi sono sempre messo a leggere la relativa recensione contenuta nel libro Monsters of the Week - The Complete Critical Companion to the X-Files di Zack Handlen e Emily Todd VanDerWerff (con introduzione di Chris Carter), due che quelle recensioni hanno cominciato a scriverle su un blog molti anni fa e che poi, dopo averle rimaneggiate e corrette, le hanno appunto pubblicate sotto forma di libro.
A proposito: il libro mi fu regalato dal mio amico Kimon, unico responsabile di quel gioiello di eatthecorn, miglior sito di tutto Internet per gli appassionati della mythology di The X-Files, visto che offre uno studio dettagliato degli episodi con la trama orizzontale (penserò sempre che Carter abbia fatto un errore a non offrirgli un incarico da consulente in vista del revival delle stagioni 10 e 11). Però quello non potevo consultarlo durante la visione perché è pieno di spoiler (per spiegare la mythology, Kimon fa quasi sempre riferimento sia ad episodi passati che successivi).
Tornando a Monsters of the Week, perché dopo aver messo nero su bianco i miei pensieri mi sono sempre divertito a scoprire cosa pensassero delle avventure di Mulder e Scully (e poi Doggett e Reyes) i buoni Zack e Emily? Perché anche se spesso e volentieri non condividevo i loro giudizi (positivi o negativi che fossero), i loro pensieri sugli episodi della serie sono sempre molto stimolanti. Nessuna delle recensioni episodio-per-episodio si perde a riportare fatti e nozioni facilmente acquisibili guardando l'episodio stesso (mentre da parte mia tento sempre di dedicare un po' di attenzione alla trama). Il libro contiene delle vere e proprie riflessioni basate sulla visione della serie, in cui a volte vengono anche riportati aneddoti sulla creazione dell'episodio in questione, sia riguardanti la produzione che le dichiarazioni successive di coloro che ci lavorarono.
Ad impreziosire il libro, ecco anche un po' di interviste ai vari Chris Carter, Vince Gilligan, Darin Morgan e Robert Patrick, che offrono interessanti spunti di riflessione sull'evoluzione della serie e sui vari cambi di stile e direzione per cui la serie stessa passò. Per esempio è buffo come Chris Carter incolpi l'11 settembre 2001 per il declino di popolarità della serie (la gente voleva pensare ad un governo amico, non ad uno che cospirasse contro i suoi cittadini), senza pensare al chiarissimo declino qualitativo a partire dalla sesta e specialmente dalla settima stagione.
Riguardo a Zack e Emily, mi ha incuriosito leggere le loro recensioni anche perché spesso mi hanno aiutato a capire il perché di certi episodi. Essendo The X-Files una serie creata da statunitensi per statunitensi, in molte occasioni a noi europei serve qualche elemento in più per comprendere al 100% le intenzioni degli autori.
Mi ha sorpreso leggere di come anche due appassionati così fedeli a The X-Files avessero lasciato perdere tutto intorno all'ottava, nona stagione, tanto che uno dei due non vide l'ultimo episodio (La verità) quando andò in onda per la prima volta, e l'altra lo vide ma dopo essersi persa la maggior parte del resto di quella che per molti anni restò l'ultima stagione della serie.
Se non si fosse già intuito, il libro contiene recensioni dei singoli episodi e dei due film Fight the Future e I Want to Believe, e se ve lo state chiedendo, la risposta è sì, sono incluse anche le stagioni dieci e undici, perché il libro uscì nel 2019. A volte la recensione è di Zack, a volte di Emily, e in occasioni speciali di entrambi. Ogni episodio arriva corredato da un titolo alternativo e una frase ad effetto che ne descrive il contenuto, e ad ogni stagione (e film) è associato un disegno di Patrick Leger, di cui apprezzo molto lo stile (si è occupato anche della copertina).
Se vi piace The X-Files e volete leggere qualcosa che esuli dal solito binomio trama/curiosità, Monsters of the Week fa per voi. Io mi sono divertito molto a leggerlo e in non poche occasioni mi ha fatto riflettere in modo non banale su quanto creato da Chris Carter e compagnia.
did-not-finish
October 26, 2021DNF @ 8%
I hereby solemnly swear that I will never try to read another essay compilation for something I like, but especially not something I love. These essays may not be as arrogant or problematic as the ones about Supernatural and The Mortal Instruments in In the Hunt: Unauthorized Essays on Supernatural and Shadowhunters and Downworlders: A Mortal Instruments Reader, respectively, but they are unappealing in perhaps a worse way. Whereas those were too busy ass-kissing abusive characters and mocking other media, these essays are too busy trying to invent reasons to drag modern politics and morals into a show from the 1990s and tear it apart piece-by-piece.
Yes, the book is clear that these are critical essays, but I expected that to mean something more along the lines of reviews and not... whatever this hot mess is. Actually referring to an episode as "the first genuinely bad episode" is not critical, it's just being overly opinionated. And doing so in a book which claims to have been written with new viewers in mind...? Are you trying to scare them away?
I was already annoyed, but I just can't make it any further now that race has been unnecessarily dragged into it (protip: white men aren't the only ones who can be overprotective of women in their lives) and things which aren't sexist - in a show with plenty of prime examples which that argument could have been saved for - are being criticized with wild assumptions about the authorial intent... Nah, I can't do it. I would just be sitting here, seething at something I love being torn to shreds by people I am frankly not at all convinced actually even like the show.
Also how dare they act like the best part of Ghost In the Shell is the worst part.
I hereby solemnly swear that I will never try to read another essay compilation for something I like, but especially not something I love. These essays may not be as arrogant or problematic as the ones about Supernatural and The Mortal Instruments in In the Hunt: Unauthorized Essays on Supernatural and Shadowhunters and Downworlders: A Mortal Instruments Reader, respectively, but they are unappealing in perhaps a worse way. Whereas those were too busy ass-kissing abusive characters and mocking other media, these essays are too busy trying to invent reasons to drag modern politics and morals into a show from the 1990s and tear it apart piece-by-piece.
Yes, the book is clear that these are critical essays, but I expected that to mean something more along the lines of reviews and not... whatever this hot mess is. Actually referring to an episode as "the first genuinely bad episode" is not critical, it's just being overly opinionated. And doing so in a book which claims to have been written with new viewers in mind...? Are you trying to scare them away?
I was already annoyed, but I just can't make it any further now that race has been unnecessarily dragged into it (protip: white men aren't the only ones who can be overprotective of women in their lives) and things which aren't sexist - in a show with plenty of prime examples which that argument could have been saved for - are being criticized with wild assumptions about the authorial intent... Nah, I can't do it. I would just be sitting here, seething at something I love being torn to shreds by people I am frankly not at all convinced actually even like the show.
March 7, 2019
Well-written, detailed and as complete as such a tome can be, this book will be taking up permanent residence next to my TV chair and will be referred to each time I rewatch another episode of our beloved X-Files. That's all I really need to say, but this is Goodreads, so I shall expound still further...
"Monsters of the Week" (let's agree to call it MOTW) is the sort of thing that a show of this importance has needed for a very long time. Yes, there's several books out there; myself, I personally prefer "X-Files Confidential" among those but my copy is pretty dated now and only covers the first three seasons. MOTW covers EVERYTHING, including the last two seasons and even throws in some speculation on the Future (from no less than Chris Carter hisownself.) Each episode/film gets its own commentary, good and bad...I don't always agree with the remarks, but that's okay. Criticism can be like that. I cannot fault the content at all.
For that matter, I can't fault the package either. This book looks and feels like it was put together with great care and love. The covers and spine are wonderful, a sort of a flat-black color, with terrific graphics depicting various favorite (or not) bits from the show...personal fave, Susan Paddock, complete with snake. Awesome. The only downside, if any, is that there are a few--very few--copy editing errors, specifically in sentences/paragraphs ending and restarting on the next page, repeating a short bit. It's annoying to find this sort of thing on a book in 2019, especially when the cover price is $30...and yes, I did buy this at an indy book store, and paid full price, before you opine...anyway, there's only a few of them, so I can almost ignore those glitches.
Anyway. Those are very small complaints considering the overall quality of the volume. VanDerWerff and Handlen obviously love the subject, and it shows. MOTW is absolutely the best book ever compiled on the topic, and if you're an X-Phile, snagging a copy of should be a no-brainer. What are you waiting for?
"Monsters of the Week" (let's agree to call it MOTW) is the sort of thing that a show of this importance has needed for a very long time. Yes, there's several books out there; myself, I personally prefer "X-Files Confidential" among those but my copy is pretty dated now and only covers the first three seasons. MOTW covers EVERYTHING, including the last two seasons and even throws in some speculation on the Future (from no less than Chris Carter hisownself.) Each episode/film gets its own commentary, good and bad...I don't always agree with the remarks, but that's okay. Criticism can be like that. I cannot fault the content at all.
For that matter, I can't fault the package either. This book looks and feels like it was put together with great care and love. The covers and spine are wonderful, a sort of a flat-black color, with terrific graphics depicting various favorite (or not) bits from the show...personal fave, Susan Paddock, complete with snake. Awesome. The only downside, if any, is that there are a few--very few--copy editing errors, specifically in sentences/paragraphs ending and restarting on the next page, repeating a short bit. It's annoying to find this sort of thing on a book in 2019, especially when the cover price is $30...and yes, I did buy this at an indy book store, and paid full price, before you opine...anyway, there's only a few of them, so I can almost ignore those glitches.
Anyway. Those are very small complaints considering the overall quality of the volume. VanDerWerff and Handlen obviously love the subject, and it shows. MOTW is absolutely the best book ever compiled on the topic, and if you're an X-Phile, snagging a copy of should be a no-brainer. What are you waiting for?
August 24, 2019
I received a copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway under the pretense that I would read it and write an honest review for others.
My first thought on receiving the book was: “Wow, this is a bigger book than I thought it would be.” When they said complete companion, they weren’t kidding. It is 498 pages of small print. Styled as if reading a script. Clever. It starts with a forward written by Chris Carter, followed by two introductions -one from each co-author. Then, the book is an episode-by-episode critique of not only the monster involved, but the writing, producing, and acting as well.
When they said “critical,” they were serious. At first, I tried reading it like I would any book, but as I hadn’t watched the original episodes of X-Files in years, I had a difficult time connecting. Then, I started randomly flipping through the book and reading about episodes I very clearly remembered and was better able to enjoy the opinions of the authors, as well as the background information for the episode. While I disagreed with some assertions, I could definitely see their point of views.
Ultimately, I think this book is, as they refer to it, a great companion for fans of the X-Files. Personally, it’s been on my list to marathon the show again, because it’s been quite awhile and I do love the show. I plan on watching the episode and then read the companion book entry for that episode. That way, I can watch the show and remember my thoughts and feelings when watching it, and then read the critique with the episode fresh in my mind for more in depth info. I think this book is best used more in this way than reading as a stand-alone, but that’s just my take. I’m sure there are plenty of others who would feel totally comfortable reading the book cover-to-cover.
My first thought on receiving the book was: “Wow, this is a bigger book than I thought it would be.” When they said complete companion, they weren’t kidding. It is 498 pages of small print. Styled as if reading a script. Clever. It starts with a forward written by Chris Carter, followed by two introductions -one from each co-author. Then, the book is an episode-by-episode critique of not only the monster involved, but the writing, producing, and acting as well.
When they said “critical,” they were serious. At first, I tried reading it like I would any book, but as I hadn’t watched the original episodes of X-Files in years, I had a difficult time connecting. Then, I started randomly flipping through the book and reading about episodes I very clearly remembered and was better able to enjoy the opinions of the authors, as well as the background information for the episode. While I disagreed with some assertions, I could definitely see their point of views.
Ultimately, I think this book is, as they refer to it, a great companion for fans of the X-Files. Personally, it’s been on my list to marathon the show again, because it’s been quite awhile and I do love the show. I plan on watching the episode and then read the companion book entry for that episode. That way, I can watch the show and remember my thoughts and feelings when watching it, and then read the critique with the episode fresh in my mind for more in depth info. I think this book is best used more in this way than reading as a stand-alone, but that’s just my take. I’m sure there are plenty of others who would feel totally comfortable reading the book cover-to-cover.
February 23, 2025
Monsters of the Week by Zack Handlen and Emily Todd VanDerWerff is basically your favorite X-Files-obsessed friends geeking out with you over coffee—except they wrote it all down. This book lovingly (and hilariously) revisits every spooky episode, conspiracy twist, and questionable Mulder fashion choice across all seasons and both movies. Handlen and VanDerWerff's banter is witty, insightful, and packed with behind-the-scenes nuggets that even the biggest X-Philes might've missed. It's like finally getting answers to your wildest theories—or at least discovering you weren't alone in your confusion about certain plot points (looking at you, black oil).
What makes this companion shine is the deep dive into Mulder and Scully’s dynamic—arguably the greatest "will-they-won’t-they" duo in TV history (sorry, Ross and Rachel). From analyzing iconic monsters (hello, Flukeman!) to dissecting Chris Carter’s knack for leaving us both dazzled and utterly baffled, the authors bring humor and heart to every critique. And bonus: there's input from legends like Vince Gilligan and Darin Morgan, making the book feel less like a textbook and more like the most delightful X-Files panel you've ever attended.
At 4.5 stars, <Monsters of the Week isn’t just essential reading for die-hard fans—it’s also an approachable (and wildly entertaining) intro for anyone who's ever wondered why everyone was obsessed with aliens and trench coats in the '90s. It's fun, nostalgic, and confirms once and for all that even decades later, the truth is still out there... and yes, I'm still hopelessly obsessed.
What makes this companion shine is the deep dive into Mulder and Scully’s dynamic—arguably the greatest "will-they-won’t-they" duo in TV history (sorry, Ross and Rachel). From analyzing iconic monsters (hello, Flukeman!) to dissecting Chris Carter’s knack for leaving us both dazzled and utterly baffled, the authors bring humor and heart to every critique. And bonus: there's input from legends like Vince Gilligan and Darin Morgan, making the book feel less like a textbook and more like the most delightful X-Files panel you've ever attended.
At 4.5 stars, <Monsters of the Week isn’t just essential reading for die-hard fans—it’s also an approachable (and wildly entertaining) intro for anyone who's ever wondered why everyone was obsessed with aliens and trench coats in the '90s. It's fun, nostalgic, and confirms once and for all that even decades later, the truth is still out there... and yes, I'm still hopelessly obsessed.
November 3, 2018
I love The X-Files. It scared me to death as a kid, provided a nice couple of summers of bonding with my mom as an adult as we re-watched it, and filled in for my years of missing Lost when they decided to bring it back in 2016. So when Kumail Nanjiani tweeted about a book full of reviews of every episode and movie ever, I was sold.
The result is a nice collection of the history of the show, with some pretty good reviewing. Just like with the episodes of the show itself, there are flaws in this collection as well. Namely, for the authors to say they are huge fans of the show, there is a LOT of “this episode is terrible” commentary abounding. Sure, plenty episodes didn’t work, but come on guys. There’s also several reviews that hinge on “this plot is just not realistic” theses, which again, is ludicrous considering the show is ostensibly about ALIENS AND MONSTERS. Finally, the authors also find themselves seemingly forced to point out every sexist, insensitive, and borderline racist comment and story that happened during the show’s run, which definitely exist, but get bogged down in the argument about whether or not it’s okay for them to have happened because of the time period when they were written, but rather than take that approach, the authors simply point these instances out to make sure the book has “woke” cred and move on.
Despite all that, you do get the sense the authors were and are fans of the show, and the book is a labor of love. Maybe it’s fitting that the result is something that is both beautiful and flawed, just like The X-Files itself.
The result is a nice collection of the history of the show, with some pretty good reviewing. Just like with the episodes of the show itself, there are flaws in this collection as well. Namely, for the authors to say they are huge fans of the show, there is a LOT of “this episode is terrible” commentary abounding. Sure, plenty episodes didn’t work, but come on guys. There’s also several reviews that hinge on “this plot is just not realistic” theses, which again, is ludicrous considering the show is ostensibly about ALIENS AND MONSTERS. Finally, the authors also find themselves seemingly forced to point out every sexist, insensitive, and borderline racist comment and story that happened during the show’s run, which definitely exist, but get bogged down in the argument about whether or not it’s okay for them to have happened because of the time period when they were written, but rather than take that approach, the authors simply point these instances out to make sure the book has “woke” cred and move on.
Despite all that, you do get the sense the authors were and are fans of the show, and the book is a labor of love. Maybe it’s fitting that the result is something that is both beautiful and flawed, just like The X-Files itself.
February 9, 2021
I am currently one and a half seasons into The X-Files, and therefore 13% of the way through this book, but I’m reviewing it now because a) I think I’ve got a pretty good handle on what the book is all about, and b) I don’t want it clogging up my “currently reading” pile for several years while I work my way through the remaining nine seasons!
Monsters of the Week contains short essays about every episode of The X-Files, and makes an excellent companion for new viewers such as myself. I imagine that existing fans will find plenty to enjoy here too. This isn’t an academic book by any means - it’s very much a piece of pop culture criticism - but it’s hardly shallow either. Each review is just long enough to tease out the important themes of an episode without labouring the point. More room is devoted to significant episodes, and in some cases both authors contribute individual reviews. The essays as a whole contain enough behind-the-scenes information to paint a picture of how the show was put together, and to locate The X-Files within the broader pop cultural landscape.
Handlen and VanDerWerff are clearly fans of the show, but they don’t pull any punches when they think an episode is poorly executed or hadn’t aged well, which is an important quality in a piece of criticism. They also don’t shy away from pointing out when The X-Files has borrowed from other tv shows and films (Chris Carter was a huge Twin Peaks fan, and many of that shows actors had guest appearances on The X-Files; fan favourite Ice is basically a rewrite of John Carpenter’s The Thing). Even though you may not agree with their warts-and-all assessment of certain episodes, you have to respect them for calling it how they see it.
I am throughly enjoying “comparing notes” after I finish watching each episode, and Monsters of the Week is helping me to draw connections that I might otherwise have missed. All-in-all I think that Monsters of the Week is an excellent supplement to the show.
Monsters of the Week contains short essays about every episode of The X-Files, and makes an excellent companion for new viewers such as myself. I imagine that existing fans will find plenty to enjoy here too. This isn’t an academic book by any means - it’s very much a piece of pop culture criticism - but it’s hardly shallow either. Each review is just long enough to tease out the important themes of an episode without labouring the point. More room is devoted to significant episodes, and in some cases both authors contribute individual reviews. The essays as a whole contain enough behind-the-scenes information to paint a picture of how the show was put together, and to locate The X-Files within the broader pop cultural landscape.
Handlen and VanDerWerff are clearly fans of the show, but they don’t pull any punches when they think an episode is poorly executed or hadn’t aged well, which is an important quality in a piece of criticism. They also don’t shy away from pointing out when The X-Files has borrowed from other tv shows and films (Chris Carter was a huge Twin Peaks fan, and many of that shows actors had guest appearances on The X-Files; fan favourite Ice is basically a rewrite of John Carpenter’s The Thing). Even though you may not agree with their warts-and-all assessment of certain episodes, you have to respect them for calling it how they see it.
I am throughly enjoying “comparing notes” after I finish watching each episode, and Monsters of the Week is helping me to draw connections that I might otherwise have missed. All-in-all I think that Monsters of the Week is an excellent supplement to the show.
July 18, 2023
I've just finished a complete re-watch of the X-Files so I was able to read the authors' reviews with each episode fresh in my mind. They had some interesting takes on some eps, sometimes maybe seeing a bit more than was there (or that I saw) and often missing the bits I loved or hated it for. But every review was done with love and affection and a real desire that it be good, even when it stank. They clearly have more respect for Scully as a character and GA as an actor than Mulder/Duchovny (many asides about his sleepiness or boredom being evident, they're right) and while some reviews run to several pages, some barely rate half a page, especially in S9, which we all know was mostly awful. It was really nice to see someone else's take on the show, and get some interesting tidbits in the footnotes...like I didn't know the same guy whop played Spender also played the Great Mutato!
Just a lovely long, detailed trip down memory lane and while I have given 5 stars, if I could drop a half star it would be for giving acknowledgements to friends and family, editors, and all the writers and stars who gave interviews for the book, but they failed to include GA and DD for bringing the characters to life, and I feel that is just rude.
Just a lovely long, detailed trip down memory lane and while I have given 5 stars, if I could drop a half star it would be for giving acknowledgements to friends and family, editors, and all the writers and stars who gave interviews for the book, but they failed to include GA and DD for bringing the characters to life, and I feel that is just rude.
December 31, 2025
i'm finishing 2025 by finishing watching the x-files (and reading this book of course)! Monsters of the Week has been such a great companion to have with me as i've gone through the show for the first time. there are some spoilers, but if you're like me and don't really mind i would definitely recommend reading this on the side when you watch the show. there is a small essay for every single episode, with great insights from zack handlen and emily vanderwerff. sometimes i agreed with them, sometimes i thought they were way off, and sometimes when i thought an episode was mid they convinced me that it was actually pretty good.
one thing i used to love when watching a show was going on the avclub website and reading their review and the comment section (of course that is where this book comes from). they don't really do that any more, or at least it's not as good as it used to be, which is a shame. everyone is just binging everything, me included, and we're losing the community aspect of watching tv. we need to bring back opinions and discussions and theories! that was half the fun! now whatever online discussion there is is just trolling and negativity.
happy new year, may 2026 bring us lots of good tv and lots of good books.
one thing i used to love when watching a show was going on the avclub website and reading their review and the comment section (of course that is where this book comes from). they don't really do that any more, or at least it's not as good as it used to be, which is a shame. everyone is just binging everything, me included, and we're losing the community aspect of watching tv. we need to bring back opinions and discussions and theories! that was half the fun! now whatever online discussion there is is just trolling and negativity.
happy new year, may 2026 bring us lots of good tv and lots of good books.
November 9, 2023
This is a competent but not remarkable collection of reviews of every episode of one of the great Tv series of all time. While the criticism is not too academic, they have the same problem has many critical reviews nowadays—they take a cause celebre and try to graft it on to the episode they're talking about. Therefore, you get reviews that talk about race, gender, political correctness, rather than taking the episode or season on its own merits. Sometimes they'll miss the point of an episode simply because they're focussed on whether one of the chracters is the right ethnicity or something.
My other peeves are that they pay almost no attention to Marita Covarrubias (Laurie Holden) and for some inexplicable reason they think that Vince Gilligan is a good writer. They do that on the strength of Breaking Bad, but then they wax lyrical about some very ordinary episodes.
If you want a politically correct view of one of the great TV series (and one that's thorough enough to cover the revamp in the twenty-teens), knock yourselves out.
My other peeves are that they pay almost no attention to Marita Covarrubias (Laurie Holden) and for some inexplicable reason they think that Vince Gilligan is a good writer. They do that on the strength of Breaking Bad, but then they wax lyrical about some very ordinary episodes.
If you want a politically correct view of one of the great TV series (and one that's thorough enough to cover the revamp in the twenty-teens), knock yourselves out.
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January 1, 2021It took me months to finish this, because aside from Season Eleven, which I read in a rush because I fucking hated that season and think it's traumatizing (and so I could say I read one last book for 2020), I read each essay in it alongside the episode it was about. It was my eleventy-gajillionth rewatch of the series, which is why I didn't rush and binge it like I am wont to do with rewatches. I actually love this book both as a project and concept as well as the actual content. It kind of made me hate episodes I thought I loved and made me appreciate episodes I thought I hated and also confirmed some of my own anxieties about problematic elements and also relished in how lovable the series is overall. It's a really delightful read for anyone who loves or likes or is intrigued by the series, and you don't have to worry about it being too critical or too praise-y, because it's both and neither. It's good TV writing and wonderful fan criticism and it's just great.
October 18, 2023
An excellent compilation of essays detailing every television episode and movie about the X-Files. Although the writers' personal opinions occasionally seemed to ramble, or came on too strong for me, they spent a great deal of time watching, and rewatching, each episode and movie to provide in-depth commentary. No one will ever agree on their opinion on every episode/movie, (who would) but they provided many insights that I missed upon my watching of the X-Files, and overall, I felt their reviews were spot-on all of my favorite episodes. Spoilers are provided, so new show watchers be aware, but I bought the book because it was recommended as a must read for all X-Files fans, and as a nerd of the original series, I completely agree. I can't wait to start rewatching the show now that I have new things to look for thanks to the authors: Zack Handlen, Todd VanDerWerff. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to know anything about the television show and movies.
November 5, 2025
Back in April, I started rewatching one of my favorite shows from my childhood, The X-Files. I gravitated a lot towards all sorts of things; Mulder and Scully were fun heroes, I was interested in UFO conspiracies (while being desperately afraid that aliens would abduct me), and I was a burgeoning little horror nerd.
Rewatching the show brought a lot of that back. Not every episode is good; in later seasons, not even the majority of episodes are good. But…for the most part, it’s easy to stick through.
And reading this book, which provides episode-by-episode analysis, helps a lot with that! Handlen and VanDerWerff are both old hands from the golden age of The AV Club, one of the best media websites back in its heyday. The two of them switch off episodes, occasionally sharing for big episodes and the movies. They provide interesting thoughts and reviews. It’s a good way to watch or rewatch the show, if you have the time.
Rewatching the show brought a lot of that back. Not every episode is good; in later seasons, not even the majority of episodes are good. But…for the most part, it’s easy to stick through.
And reading this book, which provides episode-by-episode analysis, helps a lot with that! Handlen and VanDerWerff are both old hands from the golden age of The AV Club, one of the best media websites back in its heyday. The two of them switch off episodes, occasionally sharing for big episodes and the movies. They provide interesting thoughts and reviews. It’s a good way to watch or rewatch the show, if you have the time.
September 2, 2018
Monsters of the Week: The Complete Critical Companion to The X-Files by Zack Handlen reviews every episode of the tv series. It is detailed and witty. My only complaint is that they look at the episodes thru a 2018 eye using the PC and cultural of the day instead of viewing thru the lens of the time it was made. As a person who loves history, I have found it to be a common problem. This does not take away from the fact that this is a great book to have if you like the X-Files or have just found the X-Files to find out more about the series. It also was interesting to find out details about the show. This book tells about the monsters and gives details that will make seeing the episode again interesting.
I received a copy thru a Goodreads Giveaway.
I received a copy thru a Goodreads Giveaway.
September 7, 2018
(Full disclosure: I haven't completely finished this, but that's not how this book works. It's a compendium of sorts. Enjoy bits at a time.) The X Files is my all-time favorite show, so there was really no doubt that I was going to love this. It is wonderfully nostalgic, but doesn't cut corners on calling out the show (and its creator and writers) for some of its obvious problems (rape in one form or another as a recurring theme, for one). If you've stuck around for the 25 years of highest highs and lowest lows, I think you will enjoy coming back to this book time and again. The illustrations leading into each chapter are really superb! (I was able to read an advance copy through Netgalley. This book publishes Oct. 16, 2018.)
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