The X-Files Season 11: 10 Things We Learned From 'This'

The X-Files was one of the first shows to kick off the current television trend of serialization. However, like fellow trendsetter Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the show mixed in an ongoing story arc with standalone "Monster of the Week" episodes not connected to the mythology of the series.

In the years since The X-Files went off the air, the way in which we consume television changed. Video on Demand, DVD box sets (which came about while the show was still airing), and streaming services mean that binge watching is all the rage. Now, shows like Stranger Things, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones (obviously based on George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels, giving them little choice) and others are fully serialized, with basically zero standalone episodes.

The X-Files hodgepodge approach may seem antiquated to today's younger, binge watching audience. To combat this, the show has started to weave the mythology into every episode. As a result, This isn't just a story of a simulation in which digital humans are held as slaves. Instead, it's a story of that simulation being used by a reformed Syndicate (or offshoot of them) to help colonize space.

For those who worry that it might dampen an otherwise fine MOTW outing, not to worry. It's subtle enough as to not distract from the core concept of the episode: the idea of digital consciousness and what it means to be alive. Which, come to think of it, directly connects to the theme of over-reliance on technology presented in My Struggle, Part III.