The X-Files Offers a 218-Episode Sci-Fi Alternative to Lanterns

The future of Lanterns season 2 and the DC Universe is uncertain after the sudden ousting of DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran. HBO’s series pairs two mismatched Green Lanterns to investigate an intergalactic mystery. Its first season was a critical hit, and co-creator Chris Mundy had already assembled a writers’ room for season 2. But in a recent interview, Mundy put the odds of the show continuing at “50/50.”

For viewers looking for another series about mismatched partners and alien mysteries, The X-Files offers plenty to watch. Despite their similarities, the two shows take different approaches to their cases and characters.

How The X-Files compares with Lanterns

Lanterns takes a grittier, more grounded approach to DC Comics’ Green Lantern heroes, who are often associated with grand space adventures. Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) is a cocky, instinctive veteran superhero and Earth’s first Green Lantern. He belongs to a universal protection force whose members wear green rings that can create almost anything they imagine from green light.

The Guardians, the alien beings who oversee the Green Lantern Corps, have grown tired of Jordan’s rule-breaking. They select serious-minded former Marine John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) as his partner, a move intended to set Stewart up as Jordan’s replacement. Together, the two investigate a deadly incident in the small town of Rushville, Nebraska.

The X-Files also begins with a partner assigned under false pretenses. FBI agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) is a former star criminal profiler who has become obsessed with cases involving paranormal phenomena, known as the X-Files. Mulder believes in aliens and other supernatural forces, and his superiors hope to bring him back into the fold by assigning him a partner who will debunk his work.

They choose Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), a medical doctor who trusts scientific evidence and is deeply skeptical of Mulder’s more unusual theories.

In both shows, the partners develop a reluctant respect for each other. Jordan and Stewart come to admire each other’s bravery and sense of honor. Mulder learns to value Scully’s tough questions, while Scully realizes that his beliefs may not be as far-fetched as she first thought. Mulder and Scully also develop a romantic relationship, though it takes several seasons to come to fruition.

A different kind of viewing experience

Lanterns devotes eight episodes to a single case. The X-Files ran for 11 seasons and 218 episodes. Although it has an overarching mythology, most episodes follow standalone cases involving subjects from aliens and ghosts to urban legends and the occult.

In one episode, a vampire seduces Mulder. It is a low point in the series and one viewers might prefer to skip.

The shows differ in tone, too. Lanterns has a moody style inspired by shows such as True Detective. The X-Files moves between serious drama, action, thrills, and comedy. Duchovny and Anderson’s chemistry anchors those shifts and helped make the series a major success in the 1990s.

The two shows also reverse the balance between their heroes and their cases. In The X-Files, the agents are often the most grounded part of an outlandish story. In Lanterns, the heroes and their powers are the more fantastic elements, while the case remains relatively grounded, even with the Manhunter component.

And unlike Lanterns, The X-Files has no power rings.

The X-Files is available to stream on Pluto TV, Hulu, and Disney Plus.

Source: Polygon