So... um...
In the premiere we had 9/11 truthers being presented as correct heroes, and now the plot hinges on the anti-vaxxer theories. I recognize that kooky conspiracies have always been a core of the show, but I really don't know how I feel about this route. Maybe because I have the niggling suspicion that Chris Carter actually subscribes to some of the real-life theories.
I also don't approve of Miller and Einstein sticking around in pivotal roles after their gimmick episode. They're just less charismatic, conventionally prettier versions of Mulder and Scully. They're Hollywood reboot material. And they had more fucking screen time in this series than Skinner. For shame.
Back to the actual plot of the episode. For a global pandemic of every person on Earth suffering the total loss of their immune systems, the scale didn't come across at all until the very last scene. It was just a few dozen people crowding up Scully's hospital while they wandered around talking about PCR and Not Alex Jones getting a bit woozy while mysteriously being the only person in the world to report on the end of everything! Yeah, yeah, budgetary concerns, I get it, it's still a low mark.
It was nice to see CSM back in full form after not appearing at all throughout this bizarre sort-of-season. His scenes with Mulder were great, even if the dialogue was atrocious in places and the sight of his Voldemort noselessness was unintentionally hilarious.
And of course, we don't get a resolution. Because Chris Carter. I'm all for new episodes, but come on, we need an actual ending at some point.
This season has just been... off. There were high points to be sure (I liked the telepathic kid episode, Guy Mann is classic, and
Mulder on shrooms), but making four of the six episodes completely unrelated to the main story was a bad call, even if they did deliver some of the classic shenanigans. With such a short episode count, they should have gone for either entirely monster of the week stuff (which I would actually have loved more) or a full serialized mythology arc. Either would have had infinitely better pacing.
Also, this is just a minor thing -- was I the only one waiting for the Flukeman to pop back up? Imagine getting a modern monster-of-the-week ep about it and all of the children it no doubt had since "The Host". There's still a chance to exploit that idea, Chris! THERE'S STILL A CHANCE!