The X-Files Returns!
The Truth Is Closer and Hotter Than Ever
Way back in 1993, the fledgling Fox television network took a chance on a little science fiction show called The X-Files. The series took elements from classic TV shows like The Twilight Zone and Kolchak: The Night Stalker to create a unique blend of horror, thriller, and suspense that was just too obtuse for any of the more mainstream networks. Against all odds, the show became an instant hit for Fox and ran its flagship series for the duration of its epic nine-season run.
In addition to stand-alone episodes dealing with supernatural phenomena, the series also had an narrative arc about a conspiracy involving aliens colonizing the planet. This plot, which formed the backbone of the series and was the main focus of the 1998 movie of the series, was left partially unresolved by the 2002 series finale, “The Truth.” Through it all, however, the main hook of the series was the palpable chemistry between its stars, Gillian Anderson and the X-iest Man Alive, David Duchovny. Their dynamic is what allowed the show to expand its appeal beyond the domain of sci-fi junkies and truly break out into the mainstream. Their will-they-or-won’t-they sexual tension helped to cement Agents Mulder and Scully as one of the great TV power couples of all time.
After the 2008 film, The X-Files: I Want To Believe, the franchise lay dormant…until Fox unexpectedly brought the cast and crew back for a six-episode miniseries which aired in 2016. Now, the series is returning for an eleventh season, and the gang’s all here.
Series creator Chris Carter is returning to guide the new run of episodes, and the original cast. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson return as Agents Mulder and Scully; Mitch Pileggi is back as their firm-but-fair boss, Skinner, and William B. Davis is back as the mysterious Cigarette Smoking Man. Other returning faces from the show’s storied past include Annabeth Gish as Agent Monica Reyes and Dean Haglund as Richard Langley, suggesting that fan-favorite characters The Lone Gunmen might make a return in the new series. Of particular note are Veronica Cartwright and Chris Owens as Cassandra and Jeffrey Spender, two characters who had previously been killed off; are they secretly alive? Time will tell.
The X-Files is one of the foremost science fiction mystery sagas of all time. It’s just so incredible that, nearly 25 years later, more adventures with Mulder and Scully are on the way.
The X-Files returns for Season 11 on January 3, 2018, on Fox.
