The X-Files - The Complete Second Season (Slim Set)

Among the standout episodes are "The Host," "Duane Barry/Ascension," "Humbug," "Dod Kalm," "Colony/End Game," and "Anasazi." These episodes are a powerful reminder that The X-Files, like no other show on television, can span horror, suspense, mystery, romance, drama, and comedy, sometimes all in the same episode, and always with the production values of a major feature film. --Eugene Wei

As one may gather, I'm obviously an x-phile - how else can one explain a five-star rating for a dvd boxed set which isn't even available yet? Heck, I'm still waiting for my Season 1 gift set order from amazon to arrive.

Here's a rundown of the second season episodes:

1) Takes off from the season one finale. After the X-Files have been shut down, Mulder & Scully journey to Puerto Rico. 2) Introduces fan-favorite The Flukeman, a genetic mutation living in the New Jersey sewer system. 3) Residents in a small community suddenly become violent, apparently urged on by digital readouts ordering them to kill. 4) Introduces Alex Krycek (Nicholas Lea). 5) Mulder is in the middle of a hostage negotiation involving alien-abductee Duane Barry. 6) Continues from the previous; Mulder pursues Barry who has kidnapped Scully. 7) My personal favorite! Vampire-themed episode featuring Duchovny's then real-life girlfriend Perrey Reeves. 8) Scully is found, albeit in a coma. 9) Deadly lifeform living in a volcano. 10) Agents investigate a possible connection between several teenager disappearances and a religious cult. 11) Strange unseen attacks in a nursing home. 12) The personality of a serial killer is transferred to his granddaughter 13) An "escalating fetishist" episode, where one's relatively harmless "hobby" turns homicidal. 14) Satan worshippers pay for their laxity! 15) Voodoo episode. 16) Features horror genre fan-fave Brian Thompson (Fright Night, Kindred) as the alien boutny hunter. Mulder meets long-lost sister Samantha (or does he?). 17) Continues from previous. 18) Animal abductions from a zoo near a major UFO hotspot. 19) Partly inspired by "The Philadelphia Experiment". 20) Great episode featuring circus acts, Jim Rose, and the Conundrum! 21) Possession story featuring the Romanian holymen the Calusari. 22) Plague-like epidemic sweeps a prison facility. 23) Killer shadows. For Marvel comics fans this recalls powers of characters such as Cloak and The Shroud. 24) A town hides a terrible secret. Hint - read up on the New Guinea Jale tribe. 25) Cliffhanger episode. Hacker obtains all the Defense Department's files on UFO's - encrypted in Navajo!

NO BRAINER - Get this set of one of the most fascinating sci-fi TV series of all time!


Not better than the first season, but stunning. (spoilers)   June 1, 2000
Arkaan Semere (Canada)
67 out of 76 found this review helpful

It's difficult to say why The X-Files continues to capture the awe of the viewer. The first season introduced us to Agents Mulder and Scully, who connected with each other movingly in the first season, and we see how that effects them in the second as they continue to work together.

The second season stretches the mythology angle somewhat, but some of the stand-alones rank among the best.

Here's just a rundown on the best episodes (though all of them are definitely worth seeing).

---Duane Barry/Ascension/One Breath: The X-Files trilogy that abducted Scully! Now, we all know that Scully comes back, but these three shows held for me an intense fascination with the fate/free will ideas, and certainly engaged it's viewers in passionate discussions.---Firewalker: I don't know why I love this episode. I think that the seemless mesh of science, fiction, and suspense is what enthralled me throughout.---Irresistable: In introducing us to Donnie Pfaster, Chris Carter introduced us to one of the most evil villains in the show's history (not the coolest, mind you). I'd thought that the second season had peaked with this episode, but along came---Colony/End Game: The episode that showed us Mulder's abducted sister! (or a clone, or an alien-human hybrid). Scully gets taken by the bionic killer people (my friends claim this is why that I'm not an X-phile, having no clue what they're called. Oh well). Not as good as many other mythology episodes, but still notable for Mulder's attachment to his partner.---Dod Kalm: My favourite of season 2. No way to truly describe it, but it was enchanting and magical, thrilling and inspiring, a combination of technical brilliance and artistic majesty. Gillian Anderson deserved an Emmy for this and Irresistable.---Anasazi: Ending with what was the best Mythology episode to date, I'd be a fool to tell you what happened.


The X-Files Season 2 The excitement continues.....   November 13, 2002
K. Wyatt (St. Louis, MO United States)
24 out of 25 found this review helpful

How does one begin to describe the perfection that is this second season of "The X-Files?" Speaking from the perspective of having watched these shows as they aired, anxiety and anticipation doesn't begin to describe the four month wait between seasons one and two. In season one's finale "The Erlenmeyer Flask," we see a mere glimpse of how this television series can go from greatness and kick it up even higher to absolutely stunning. The X-Files are closed and we also lose "Deep Throat" in this episode, played by Jerry Harden who is an excellent actor.

Season two picks up with "Little Green Men" and the introduction to "X," "Deep Throat's" protege and his replacement and Special Agent Fox Mulder's inside source. We also get to start seeing the "Mythology" of the series start to take some real form. To hide the fact that the ever beautiful Gillian Anderson is pregnant, the producers come up with some wonderful filming techniques. Then to top it off they come up with the plot line for "Duane Berry."

Every episode of this season qualifies as amazing, enthralling, stunning and any number of ways to describe that which is great. Some notables: "The Host," because it's just creepy and kind of like an accident, you don't want to look at it but you have to. "Sleepless" because it has Tony Todd who, when he chooses the right parts, is such a wonderful actor. "Duane Berry," "Ascension," "3," and "One Breath" for the masterful way the writers and producers skillfully scripted out Gillian Anderson's pregnancy in Dana Scully's abduction. Not to mention the wonderful job that Steve Railsback did in the role of Duane Berry. "Firewalker" because of its simplicity and the scientific curiosity it created. "Aubrey" because of its ability to surprise and scare you. "Die Hand Die Verletzt" because it makes you wonder what your neighbors are up to. "Colony" and "Endgame" for their X-Files mythology aspect, plus the scenes with the submarine were stunning. "Humbug" was their first attempt at humor and they carried it off with perfection. "The Calusari," shades of "The Exorcist." "Soft Light" in which Tony Shaloub gives an excellent performance playing a scientist that found a little more than he was looking for. "Our Town" just gives you the idea you don't want to stop in the wrong town. "Anasazi," what a wonderful season ending cliffhanger with the mythology in full stride. The only bad thing about "Anasazi" is that it was prelude to a four month wait to find out what happen next. "Colony" is also David Duchovny's debut as a writer for the show.

The seventh disk also contains some wonderful and enlightening special features. The only true minor complaint that I can think to register about this DVD set is the case in which it comes. The outside cover has interior flaps that seem to incessantly get caught on the case that holds the disks. Thanks for sticking it out and reading through this.

Episode List:

Little Green Men
The Host
Blood
Sleepless
Duane Berry
Ascension
3
One Breath
Firewalker
Red Museum
Excelsis Dei
Aubrey
Irresistible
Die Hand Die Verletzt
Fresh Bones
Colony
End Game
Fearful Symmetry
D0D Kalm
Humbug
The Calusari
F. Emasculata
Soft Light
Our Town
Anasazi


Repackaged at lower cost and well worth it if you don't have it   December 28, 2005
Wayne Klein (My Little Blue Window, USA)
22 out of 24 found this review helpful

The mythology takes a major step forward with "Duane Barry" and it's follow up episode. The second season found the show stepping away from its inspirations and creating its own formidable backstory for the series. Among the outstanding episodes are "Sleepless","Colony", "End Game", "The Host" and "One Breath". So what's the difference between this "Second Season" set and the previous edition?

The packaging with all of the disks in slimline boxes (the really skinny DVD boxes)is a good thing. The previous set unfolded with the disks and as the sets aged the disks could easily fall out. You can't replace the other set but you can buy more DVD slimline holders to replace the originals here when they begin to break. The contents are exactly the same for all intents and purposes with the exception of the disk of extras for this set. That disk is missing in action as its only available as part of the "Collector's Edition". All of the extras on the regular DVDs are, however, the same including any deleted scenes, etc. that were on the previous set. This is a good thing because the original fold out DVD packaging was a bit of a pain and didn't hold up to wear and tear all that well.

There aren't any new extras and the show looks the same (it's the same transfers with the discs pressed from the same digital masters). You're just getting the show at a reduced cost with better packaging. It's a good deal for a great season of television. I'm surprised that Fox didn't repackage these into half season sets like they have with "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" and "The Time Tunnel".


Please be clear that the special features are missing   April 25, 2006
Nicolas Soria (Grand Ledge, Michigan United States)
17 out of 20 found this review helpful

I bought the First Season collectors' edition, but then I saw that there was a cheaper second season set, so I read some reviews and various people said it contained the same content, and the description did not say much about it. When it arrived however, I was dissappointed.

I love the X-Files, but they should be more clear that the DVDs do not contain the special features found on the Collector's Edition, as this is part of the lower price. I suppose this is just me being nerdy, but I'd rather have a complete set to cherish for a lifetime. So I'll pay more for the special features, I just baby the box.