Editing The X-Files (section)

=== Eighth and ninth seasons ===
The show's eighth season received mixed to positive reviews from critics. ''The A.V. Club'' noted that the eighth season was "revitalized by the new 'search for Mulder' story-arc".<ref name=avclubbadapple/> Amy H. Sturgis commended the eighth season, praising Anderson's performance as Scully as "excellence" and positively wrote that Doggett was "non-Mulderish".<ref name=RevolutionSF>{{cite web |author=H. Sturgis, Amy |url=http://www.revolutionsf.com/article.php?id=123 |title=The X-Files—Season 8 |work=Revolution Science Fiction |access-date=July 5, 2009}}</ref> Collin Polonowonski from ''DVD Times'' said that the season included "more hits than misses overall" but offered a negative word about the [[Mythology of The X-Files|mythology episodes]], claiming that they were the "weakest" episodes in the season.<ref name=DVDTimes>{{cite web |author=Polonowonski, Collin |url=http://film.thedigitalfix.com/content/id/10925/the-x-files-season-8.html |title=The X-Files: Season 8 |work=DVD Times |date=March 25, 2004 |access-date=July 5, 2009 |archive-date=May 3, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503104816/http://film.thedigitalfix.com/content/id/10925/the-x-files-season-8.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Jesse Hassenger from ''[[PopMatters]]'', however, criticized the new season, claiming that Patrick was miscast and calling Duchovny's appearances as Mulder shallow.<ref name=PopMatters>{{cite web |author=Hassenger, Jesse |url=https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/xfiles-season-8-dvd |title=The X-Files: The Complete Eight Season |work=[[PopMatters]] |date=November 4, 2003 |access-date=July 5, 2009}}</ref>

The ninth season received mixed to negative reviews by critics, and garnered negative reaction from many long-time fans and viewers. Sabadino Parker from ''PopMatters'', called the show "a pale reflection of the show it once was".<ref>{{cite news |author=Parker, Sabadino |url=https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/x-files4 |title=I Don't Believe It |work=[[PopMatters]] |date=May 15, 2002 |access-date=August 3, 2009}}</ref> Elizabeth Weinbloom from ''[[The New York Times]]'' concluded, "shoddy writing notwithstanding, it was this halfhearted culmination of what was once a beautifully complicated friendship", between Mulder and Scully that ended remaining interest in what was a "waning phenomenon".<ref name=botched/> Another ''The New York Times'' review stated, "The most imaginative show on television has finally reached the limits of its imagination."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/10/10/1034061299444.html |title=The Nearly Ex Files |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 10, 2002 |access-date=August 17, 2009}}</ref> ''The A.V. Club'' listed the ninth season and the 2008 film ''The X-Files: I Want to Believe'' as the "bad apple" of ''The X-Files'' franchise, describing the ninth season as "clumsy mish-mash of stuff that had once worked and new serialized storylines about so-called 'super soldiers'".<ref name=avclubbadapple/> Brian Linder from ''IGN'', on the other hand, was more positive toward the ninth season, saying that the series could still have aired if the writers created a new storyline for Patrick and Gish's characters.<ref>{{cite news |author=Linder, Brian |url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/317/317568p1.html |title=''X-Files'' Exits After 9 Seasons |work=[[IGN]] |date=January 18, 2001 |access-date=August 17, 2009}}</ref>