Mulder meets another former contact who surely must be dead…

The third X-File is the first of two in this set that fills in some of the background to the Syndicate and the grand conspiracy that underlay much of the original TV series. It might not be Steven Williams recreating the role of Mr X (that by coincidence – or is it ?– first appeared in the original Flukeman episode, Host) but it definitely feels like him, with the gravitas that the character had right the way to the end and his ghostly appearance in the final episode.

Dirk Maggs does the character justice in his adaptation of Joe Harris and Chris Carter’s single issue script, and there are a number of interesting twists in the way he presents the story – as well as in the information that our lead characters are deemed to receive. This is very much an expansion of the original (which was criticised at the time for apparent irrelevance, although that turned out very much not to be the case) that brings in a guest appearance from one of the other returnees in a very nicely judged character moment.

Verdict: X marks the spot once again. 9/10

Paul Simpson