One of my all-time favorite shows. Great stories, great dialogue. It did get weaker by season six, but was still better than most shows on TV. The only season that was a complete write-off was season 9. That was the worst season of any show I'd seen, up until Smallville's final season. Mulder and Scully as a couple? I could have done without that, although it's not uncommon for spouses to meet each other at work. But, the show was best when Mulder was obsessed with his work. I think any spark between them should have been left to innuendo.

The conspiracy stories fell apart by season 7. The producers knew that a big reason the show was popular was the alien conspiracy. So, they prolonged it, without knowing where they wanted the story to end. It was sloppy writing by then. And the series finale was a joke.

Surprisingly, the major change made after season 6 that I did like was the introduction of John Doggett. I though it was clever for Scully to become the believer(only insofar as defending Mulder's work), and Doggett was the sceptic. A tip of the hat has to be made to Robert Patrick for some solid acting, and making Mulder's departure more palatable.

But, despite the show's poor finish, it still qualifies as one of the best shows ever made. Five brilliant seasons, and 3 decent seasons, one lemon. Any criticisms are outweighed by all the shows bright spots.