Posted in: Books, Comics | Tagged: Audible, books, David Duchovny, entertainment, gillian anderson, Stolen Lives, x-files

X-Files: Stolen Lives – Reviewing The Audio Drama

I like the X-Files. I used to watch them every Friday night when they aired on Fox. I saw the movie in the theater. I even went to an X-Files convention in an Blimp hanger in the middle of nowhere one weekend back in the late 1990's. I wanted Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) to find his answers, I wanted Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) to finally believe and I wanted Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) to get more screen time. I watched and enjoyed the recent Fox miniseries. I like the X-Files. And when I was offered a chance to listen to and review the newest Audible Original story X-Files: Stolen Lives, I jumped at the chance.

The story included the a bunch of the series original cast including Duchovny, Anderson, Pileggi, Willliam B. Davis, Tom Braidwood, Dean Haglund, and Bruce Harwood. It is based on the IDW graphic novel written by Joe Harris. The synopsis for the series reads:

Out of the ashes of the Syndicate, a new, more powerful threat has emerged. Resurrected members of this fallen group – now shadows of their former selves – seemingly bend to the will of someone, or something, with unmatched abilities and an unknown purpose. As those believed to be enemies become unlikely allies and trusted friends turn into terrifying foes, FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully become unknowing participants in a deadly game of deception and retribution, the stakes of which amount to the preservation of humankind.

Even though it was one audio story, it felt like I was listening to a new season of the series. it was broken into six individual episodes that didn't necessarily tie together. The varied from a story of demonic possession, to a story featuring agents Doggit and Reyes, to a major story featuring Cigarette Smoking Man. And like most X-Files seasons, there somewhat funny/silly episode that involved Mulder being hit by a government created psychedelic drug and going on a bizarre trip that included a character that mashed together Scully and Cancer Man. The performances were a little weak at first, but as they recording went on, it really got to feel like the television series.

My only negative with the series is that I felt lost at times. Not because of the story itself, but there were some things like the final story that felt like it was apart of a bigger, on-going narrative and not one that necessarily tied into the live-action series. A character is introduced from Mulder's past that has ties to the Syndicate and it felt like I should've known who it was, but I couldn't remember him from the television series. It wasn't until I sat down to do this review that I saw the part of the synopsis that reads: "Stolen Lives further explores the sonic landscape of Mulder and Scully's paranormal investigations while continuing the epic storyline begun in Cold Cases."

X-Files: Stolen Lives is a great listen for fans of the series, feels like the another season of the show and brings back a lot of the characters the audience loves. But I would definitely recommend listening to Cold Cases first.

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