The X-Files: 10 Things We Learned From Home Again

1. Opening Endings Are Expected, But Explanations Still Matter

Open endings are part of the charm of The X-Files. They let you fill in the blanks, let you draw your own conclusions. Since the show attracts both skeptics and believers, it's a solid approach - not every "i" need be dotted, nor every lower case "j" - but at the same time, explanations still matter. And they need to be within the realm of extreme possibility. In short - it's no big deal that the Band-Aid Man "gets away" - because we don't know that he even does. His well-meaning creator, Trash Man, the street artist who unintentionally brought the creature to life, moves on at the end of the episode, defacing the clay sculpture he has of the Band-Aid Man before he goes, but a haunting stencil is left behind. Will this thing still roam the streets murdering anyone it feels is endangering the homeless population? It doesn't matter. Maybe Trash Man has put an end to it; maybe Frankenstein can never control his monster. What matters is the explanation behind it all. And that never feels satisfactory. If the show had suggested Trash Man had some psychic power, sure. As a fan, you could buy into that explanation. Psychic powers are part of the show's lore. However, saying Trash Man just put so much emotion into his work that it came to life, and tossing in a couple of new age references? That's a tad weak. Also problematic was the fact that a band-aid collected from one of the crime scenes tests negative for both organic and inorganic matter, something a lab tech marvels at - but the evidence is never revisited, despite the fact that it would be hard, irrefutable proof of, well, something extraordinary. That's where Home Again falters. It hops from one plot point to another, and many of them are interesting in their own way, but there's a lack of cohesion through the episode that drags it down into middling territory. We learned from it how much we miss the scary, violent X-Files - but we need better execution. What did you think of Home Again? Anything you learned? Let us know in the comments. Follow us on Twitter: @WhatCultureTV