Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #36056 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-04-22
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Number of discs: 7
• Formats: Box set, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 7
• Running time: 46 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
In Season 4 of The X-Files, Scully is a bit upset by her on-off terminal cancer and Mulder is supposed to shoot himself in the season finale (did anyone believe that?), but in episode after episode the characters still plod dutifully around atrocity sites tossing off wry witticisms in that bland investigative demeanour out of fashion among TV cops since Dragnet. Perhaps the best achievement of this season is "Home", the most unpleasant horror story ever presented on prime-time US TV. It's not a comfortable show--confronted with this ghastly parade of incest, inbreeding, infanticide and mutilation, you'd think M & S would drop the jokes for once--but shows a willingness to expand the envelope. By contrast, ventures into golem, reincarnation, witchcraft and Invisible Man territory throw up run-of-the-mill body counts, spotlighting another recurrent problem. For heroes, M & S rarely do anything positive: they work out what is happening after all the killer's intended victims have been snuffed ("Kaddish"), let the monster get away ("Sanguinarium") and cause tragedies ("The Field Where I Died"). No wonder they're stuck in the FBI basement where they can do the least damage.

The series has settled enough to play variations on earlier hits: following the liver vampire, we have a melanin vampire ("Teliko") and a cancer vampire ("Leonard Betts"), and return engagements for the oily contact lens aliens and the weasely ex-Agent Krycek ("Tunguska"/"Terma"). Occasional detours into send-up or post-modernism are indulged, yielding both the season's best episode ("Small Potatoes") and its most disappointing ("Musings of a Cigarette-Smoking Man"). "Small Potatoes", with the mimic mutant who tries out Mulder's life and realises what a loser he is (how many other pin-up series heroes get answerphone messages from their favourite phone-sex lines?), works as a genuine sci-fi mystery--for once featuring a mutant who doesn't have to kill people to live--and as character insight. --Kim Newman

Special Features
English
Region 2

Synopsis
This box set features the entire fourth season of THE X-FILES, which sees both Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) struggling with personal demons, as well as government conspiracies, chilling murders, and seemingly unexplainable phenomena. Episodes include Home, Paper Hearts, Tunguska, Terma, Tempus Fugit, Small Potatoes, 'Demons, and many more.

Customer Reviews

Not the best but OK
***

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.

***

Nine years of one of the greatest shows ever end here...
Fans will not be disappointed. After being absent for the whole of season 9 so far, David Duchovny returns for this two-hour series finale spectacular. Plus, of course, there's a chance for lots of favourite old faces to pop up in ghost form such as Krychek and the Lone gunmen, giving the whole affair an air of Return of The Jedi (but without the ewoks).

The bottom line is that this is a great chance to say goodbye to The X-Files, which has been such a huge part of my life (and so many others' lives) across the world for almost a decade. Chris Carter seemingly wrote it in this way - it's clearly a for the fans affair - with Skinner playing a pivotal role - and Marita Covarrubias finally returns!!!

The first half has quite a lot of flashback sequences allowing you to remenice about the previous decade's best moments, although some fans understandably felt cheated and would have prefered 100% new stuff for this farewell episode. Overall the episode is great, dispite the fact that Agents Doggett and Reyes are relegated to extras; totally flying in the face of all the good things CC and Frank Spotnitz have been saying about them (and they deserved). Which is a great shame.

In face, the only weak point is towards the end of the episode when CC brings back one familiar face too many. It's a shame as well that the mythology has carried on too long, forcing Mulder to now deal with the 'Super Soldier' menace. When I think back to the good old alien-filled days of season three...

If you're a fan of the show you need to see this now (even though the most dedicated amongst you will probably buy the DVD boxset in a couple of years anyway). If you're just a casual viewer I'd reccommend you buy this anyway - jus so you can say you've got the final episode ever of the nineties' finest TV show.

Roll on the next movie... (And give Robert Patrick a decent part!)

X-Files Enters Another X-Cellent Year!
Many fans believe that it is in season 4 that The X-Files really hit its peak. It's easy to see why, with this marathon of episodes leading up to a shocking conclusion!
It was in this year that the writers were doubly busy while producing another series 'Millennium'. It's amazing therefore that season 4 even made it at all.
This boxet contains some of the most ground-breaking stories to date, such as the almost-banned 'Home' and the most-watched-ever episode 'Leonard Betts'.
Midway through the season there's a 2-part offering that sets up key storylines that go on into the movie and beyond. For this reason, season 4 is an essential purchase for any X-Phile!
There's a higher than usual amount of serial-killer episodes, but this serves only as a good thing and marks a good change of pace after a mutant-esque season 3.
If you're a Scully-fan there's an ongoing crisis for the character this year, that's sure to have you reaching for the hankies. The origins of this story arc go way back into season 2 and shape the entire direction of the series from now on.
What I found to be really great about season 4 is that it's a good one for character development. We learn a lot more about Mulder's past in one early episode, and we even get a look at the previous evil-deeds of the Cancer-Man.
That's got to be worth buying the set for alone!
If there's one downfall t this season, it would have to be a slight repetition in some of the stories. This is understandable though, as there is only so much paranormal ground that can be covered. If you're a die-hard fan of early hits like 'Tooms' with his liver-eating habits, and 'Excelcius Dei' with ghosts wandering round a hospital - you'll enjoy the similarities between these, and some of the episodes on offer in this DVD set.
The extra features are great as usual, with the deleted scenes giving us entirely different scenarios to certain episodes, and the documentary 'The Truth about Season 4' giving us a unique insight into the development of the season. There's also close looks at the key scenes, and if you speak other languages there's a good chance that you'll find one of them here.
Scully speaking german??
Mark that one down as another benefit of buying this great package, and continue watching the rollercoaster ride that is The X-Files!!