I had said yesterday every potential cast member had been thrown into part one of the eighth season finale except for Knowles Rohner. He showed up for “Existence,” along with Kersh, who slipped my mind when I was writing yesterday’s review. We have a chance to join hands and sing ’Hail Hail, the Gang’s All Here” if you so desire. There will not be another chance until covering the series finale in June.
“Existence” does offer a decent payoff from the build up of part one, although it is much of the same action movie cliché. We have more gun play, fistfights, car chases, and Billy Miles, who has reconstructed himself after being crushed in the previous episode, doing his best T-1000 impression. This time around, he even stops and opens a moving elevator with his hands in a direct lift from Terminator 2. There is such a thing as a nod to a famous Robert Patrick role, then there is out right unoriginality. I believe said has been crossed.
The episode is split in two concurring stories. The first is Doggett, Skinner, and Mulder immersed neck deep in the new conspiracy of alien super soldiers--the term is used on screen for the first time--infiltrating high levels of government. The FBI included, of course, with hints Kersh is in on it, if not one himself. Krycek is a part of it as well, but in a moment set to add splash to the finale, skinner finally kills him in revenge. About time, too. Krycek’s ability to blackmail Skinner has demeaned the character of skinner for nearly three seasons now. The other half is the birth of Scully’s baby, William, which is a redeeming factor for “Existence.”
An over the top redeeming factor. If hints William’s birth was to have messianic overtones had not been obvious enough, let “Existence” remove all doubt. Reyes, who no longer looks bored, finds an empty old storehouse in Doggett’s hometown for Scully to give birth. It is not a manager, but it is close. The same light in the sky that she was following in Arizona to look for Mulder leads him to her this time around. Many of the alien super soldiers have gathered to witness the birth themselves. Back home, the Lone Gunman visit her and William, representing the three wise men. So there you go. William is special.
But after all that drama, the alien super soldiers do not take William after he is born. Mulder speculates he is not what they were expecting. According to Rohner in a flash of retroactive continuity, Scully’s abduction years ago was preparation for her to conceive William as an organic super soldier. Presumably, he lacked the yell tale ridges on his neck, so they gave up on him. Or not. In all honesty, I do not remember many details about the upcoming ninth season. I was in that nightmare called law school at the time and very, very distracted from all .other life.
The conclusion is sweet, in two senses of the word. Mulder and Scully finally kiss with the realization William is their child. Word is the kiss was only supposed to be on Scully’s forehead, but David Duchovny suggested after eight years, it ought to be a full fledged romantic affair. So it was. In the other sense, Doggett and Reyes form a partnership to investigate the x-Files in the future. All right, I am not too excited about it, but all good intentions were there for interesting things ahead.
For a series rapidly running out of steam, “Existence” does a fine job of producing both a sense of closure on the Mulder/Scully era and generating excitement for Doggett/Reyes. It certainly is not as great as some past finales. I feel that way because the new mythology does not thrill me, nor do I eagerly anticipate Doggett/reyes adventures. Nevertheless, your milage may vary on the new tone. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with the episode. It just does not feel like The X-Files.
Rating: *** (out of 5)
I had said yesterday every potential cast member had been thrown into part one of the eighth season finale except for Knowles Rohner. He showed up for “Existence,” along with Kersh, who slipped my mind when I was writing yesterday’s review. We have a chance to join hands and sing ’Hail Hail, the Gang’s All Here” if you so desire. There will not be another chance until covering the series finale in June. 
