It comes as no surprise, no doubt, to regular readers of this column that I could not possibly care less about the impending end of "The X-Files."
Not that I wasn't once a big fan of the show. My original review, back in 1993, called it "creepy fun" and, several times during the first three seasons, I called it "one of TV's best shows."
But it's been a long time since I began burning out on "The X-Files." As early as December 1996, I wrote that, "creatively, 'The X-Files' is running out of gas. An argument can be made that the series is running on fumes. To some X-philes, this borders on heresy. But for many longtime viewers of the show, 'The X-Files' has become repetitive, annoying and — dare I say it? — boring."
And that was before I really got sick of the show — by December 2000, there was a declaration that "I'm now officially, completely sick and tired of 'The X-Files.'
"There's one reason and one reason only that the show is back for an eighth season — to make money. Despite creator/executive producer Chris Carter's insistence that 'I really just do not want to do this just as a matter of commerce,' that's exactly why he's doing it.
"He's out of ideas. He's written himself into a corner. And all this one-step-forward, two-steps-back continuing storyline has gotten boring, trite and manipulative. It's already too late for 'The X-Files' . . . to go out on top of its game. The only question is how bad it will get before they finally pull the plug on it."
And the answer is — really, really bad.
Not only did "The X-Files" get tiresome, but so did star David Duchovny. In an interview back in 1998, he went out of his way to express his disgust with the show's fans and the show itself. Asked about the relationship between his character, Mulder, and Scully (Gillian Anderson), he declared, "I couldn't tell you how uninterested in that I am."
Asked about the show's plots, he said, "Again, without wanting to be rude, I care as little about that as I care about the relationship." He went on to describe the show's biggest fans as "a pain in the (expletive)."
How charming.
All that said, however, I've got to hand it to Duchovny for agreeing to come back for next Sunday's (May 19) two-hour "X-Files" finale. There's no word as to what caused his change of heart, but it's a decent thing for him to do — a great gesture to the fans who have stuck with the show for all these years.
There's no question that the show suffered when he left. That Duchovny and Mulder were the heart of "The X-Files." And for him to reward the fans when he didn't have to come back speaks highly of the actor.
Now, if only we knew that the finale will actually be final. That all those unanswered questions will finally be resolved.
That would also be a great gesture to the fans. But don't hold your breath — that's not the "X-Files" way.
E-MAIL: pierce@desnews.com