The X-Files: Cold Cases

I wanted to like this. I really did. I bought in to the hype and excitement of finally seeing the X Files resurrected...then totally forgot audible was a thing. Which, in the long run, is great because now I can come back to Cold Cases with a clean slate without needing to worry about the popularity push influencing how I saw things.

Hated it.

Don't get me wrong, Duchovny and Anderson are very talented along with the other key narrators/actors but something about this volume is just....off. The story itself feels overly hokey and cheesy which I know is part of the fun of the X Files to begin with. But it's not in the same way as the show was/is but in an underdone production kind of way. The narration is unemotional, reading like the show more first read through on a script that no one is sure they want to be involved in. The story itself doesn't flow, lacking any real personality which only makes the hammy voice acting stick out even more. I see many reviewers commenting on how close it is to a radio show which yes, I'll give some credit, the sound editor did well. However years of podcasts and audiobooks on streaming/demand have conditioned us away from the more obvious exposition and audio devices and in to focusing on the quality of the voice actors themselves. A plotline that didn't develop characters, motive or personality left it feeling as if the author was trying to shoehorn in every popular character as a means to just have them there. Fanservice instead of quality.

It just made for a disappointing listen and a hope that the next chapters are better....if I decide to buy them. show less

I was on the fence about whether hearing those familiar voices would be worth it saying new variations on the same dialogue (at least there’s no Scully yelling “drop it!”), and enjoyed the first few episodes’ worth of total nonsense, including the return of the Flukeman and some other name-dropping. But then things took a turn for the worse with an X-File in Saudi Arabia where the voice actors and situations seemed to have been plucked from 50s stereotypes, and the nonsense overwhelmed the pleasure. (If this is supposed to be canon, then the next season may be even harder to understand.) As a not-actually-dead character said about the “explanation” he was being given, “If that’s true, it’s messed up.” Truer words, my show more not-friend, truer words. show less

I want to Believelike it.

First, it was really great to hear all the old voices including characters who "died" in the series.

Second, It was more of a radio show than a book, which is still alright.

Third, it seems that switching to audio only left the writing wanting for more. The only narration is at the beginning of each chapter -- Date, time, and place. What would have been easily done by a narrator is done by thinking out loud by the characters or "Remember that time..." stories. At times it is pretty painful to listen to.

Fourth, I did like the completion of the Fluke-man story. Other stories could have been better but left me feeling like I was watching a tv show without any picture. There was not enough narration or enough show more material for the imagination to grow on to complete the picture.

I hope if there is a next time it will be a un abridged novel being read with a narrator. there have been some well written X-Files novels that would have benefited from this type of treatment.

I still want to believe show less

This audio drama is based on X-Files graphic novels (I'm not sure which ones) and structured like a collection of X-Files episodes, complete with most of the original voice actors, the X-Files theme song, and narration outlining the location and time. Most of the episodes are alien or black oil episodes, as Mulder and Scully go back to the FBI and look into incidents involving amnesia-causing bright lights, appearances from people who supposedly died a long time ago, and potential threats against Scully's son. However, the second one is more of a "random monster" episode, featuring the Flukeman, a creature from Mulder and Scully's past.

This had been on my wishlist for a while, but I never felt like spending a credit on it back when I show more had an Audible subscription. When I heard recently that it was on sale, I snatched it up. Even if it wasn't great, I figured that it'd be worth it for the nostalgia alone.

And boy was there a lot of nostalgia. It went beyond hearing so many of the original actors (there were only one or two characters who I think were voiced by other people). I know the title was Cold Cases and all, but it still seemed a bit too closely tied to things from the original series - almost everything that happened involved something supernatural or extraterrestrial that fans of the original series would probably remember. I found myself wishing that the authors had been more willing to work something new into the story.

One big issue for me was that I was never a fan of the X-Files story arcs that dealt primarily with aliens. One-shot stories that dealt with aliens were okay, and I really enjoyed the "random monster" episodes, but the episodes where black oil became more and more important or when Scully got abducted just didn't work as well for me. Unfortunately Cold Cases was almost exclusively focused on this sort of thing. It also didn't help that I've never been a fan of the Mulder and Scully romantic pairing. I was mostly able to forget about this, except for the occasional moment where one or the other of them said or did something that reminded me.

The one aspect of this audio drama that absolutely won me over was the casting. It was wonderful to hear so many people I remembered from what used to be my top favorite show. Gillian Anderson, in particular, did a fabulous job. David Duchovny...less so. I thought he sounded a bit bored at the beginning, particularly during a part where he found Skinner potentially trying to kill himself - none of the emotions I would have expected Mulder to be feeling were conveyed in Duchovny's voice. Thankfully he got better as the drama progressed.

The audio drama format resulted in occasional awkward moments, as the characters described what they were seeing during moments that would usually have relied on visuals in the original TV series. Basically: "Excuse me while I describe aloud everything that I'm currently seeing, since the audience can't see these mysterious lights themselves."

Other awkward moments included those times where characters briefly explained references to events and characters from the original series, so that newbies and fans who hadn't seen those episodes in ages could keep up. Although it made the dialogue more than a bit strange, I admit to appreciating those explanations, since the last time I saw much of the original series was over 10 or 15 years ago. Even then, I found myself checking fan wikis multiple times in order to get my bearings.

I don't think I'd ever recommend this to people who weren't already fans of The X-Files, and it didn't really have anything in the way of new content for fans, but the nostalgia of it worked for me. I imagine I'll re-listen to this at some point just to hear everyone again, even though the stories themselves were only so-so.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) show less

My original The X-Files: Cold Cases audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

Let me start this review off by saying that if you are a fan of the X-Files TV series, stop reading now and go pick up “The X-Files: Cold Cases”; it’s that good.

Even though the audiobook is rather short at just over four hours of audio, I did not feel cheated when I was finished it. If you are not an X-Files fan, or have not watched the series, you may find the multiple show references and a few of the characters hard to comprehend. It is best if you come to this audiobook with some knowledge or understanding of who and what the X-Files is. Having an audiobook narrated by the same characters as the TV show really made the show more difference for me. I do not like when different narrators attempt to play the role of such iconic characters as these. I really felt like I was watching a mini-series containing new and updated episodes with my eyes closed. The character’s mannerism, speech, chemistry, and moods all reflected the characters from the original series. There is a little bit of everything that will hopefully exceed the expectations of even the most hard-core enthusiast. The book gets a “highly recommend” from this reviewer.

Take the original X-Files main characters, find a compelling reason to bring them back to their roots of paranormal investigation, fly them all over the world to solve it, throw in some paranormal activities all the while bringing back a few of the characters believed dead, and you have a wonderfully produced and well thought out audiobook drama. There was mystery, intrigue, suspense, cooperation, friendship, and some abductions all playing out in six mini-episodes. The humor and banter that you remember from the series is also included here.

Not only are we treated to the same characters, but we are also given views into many of the creatures, villains, or aliens that made the show so wonderful. We have the alien stiletto, black oil, and the mysterious cigarette smoking man; and many more. The book does an exceptional job of blending these multiple vignettes to create a mini-series that is consistent and fun.

Audible along with the same cast from the TV series produced and narrated the audiobook. I have nothing negative to say about either as the quality and voicing were exceptionally well done. The audio had all the bells and whistles (or sound effects) one expects in a well-produced TV show. I know some dislike audio drama books, so if that is not your thing, I would not recommend you pick up this audiobook.

A note directed at parents or younger readers. This book is a bit more progressive than the TV series which included the use of vulgar language, some adult subject matter, and intense action sequences. Just be aware that it is a bit more edgy than those familiar with the TV series alone.

In summary, I do not think Audible and the team of narrators could have done anything to improve upon this audiobook drama apart from giving us more. I could have continued listening for double its existing length and still wanted more. I’m sure that with the overall success of this book, we can hope that more will be released keeping us connected with a TV and movie series that so many came to loved.

Audiobook was purchased for review by ABR. show less

I feel I should have watched all 9 seasons again before listening to this. It was campy & mostly silly. Not a particularly clever way of bringing back all the people who had been killed off... But it was fun to hear the whole gang "together" again. If you're an Xphile, this is for you!!

It was a pleasure to re-visit the X-Files with Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Skinner, the Lone Gunmen, and the Smoking Man. I thoroughly appreciated Fox pulling out the ‘I Want to Believe’ poster. The whole crew was at it again, trying to solve the most unusual events with aliens and strange creatures. The Audible production was very well executed with the original cast and dramatic effects. The storyline picked right up from the X-Files movie and TV miniseries.