The X-Files will return January 24, 2016 for a six-episode series on Fox. Yes, that X-Files; the one about aliens, monsters and creepy conspiracies.
Both David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson will reprise their roles as agents Mulder and Scully respectively. Legacy actors Mitch Pileggi will return as Walter Skinner, and William B. Davis will return as the infamous Smoking Man.
This will be the final run for the series, perhaps even closing out the Mulder and Scully storyline with a nice little sendoff.
What Will the Final Series [Revival] Be About?
Fox’s co-CEO and co-chairman Dana Walden said during a press call that the network is very excited to air the show’s conclusion.
“We’re very excited about this. It’s going to be a huge reward for fans of this legendary show. It’s taken us a very long time to get these three back together.”
When asked about the plot, she said that the show’s creator Chris Carter is infamous for playing things close to the chest.
“Have you ever met Chris Carter? Because he doesn’t tell us a lot,” Walden jokes. “I think you will see a combination of episodes that if you were a loyal fan and became familiar with the process of mixing standalone and deeper mythology episodes. Everyone will be happy with what he’s got planned.”
The last time we saw Mulder and Scully on screen was during the 2008 movie, X-Files: I Want to Believe. Both characters had long been away from their FBI division, and were pulled back in to help locate a missing agent who is mysteriously kidnapped.
The biggest difference between the 2008 movie and the original is that it didn’t follow the same theme, in particular related to extraterrestrials. Instead, it used the “Monster of the Week” arc which involves a new supernatural or paranormal creature in each episode.
It’s more likely that the six-episode series will see a return to the extraterrestrial themes heavily explored during the show’s original nine season run. Carter said after I Want to Believe was made that a third installment would explore the alien invasion and colonization of Earth revealed in the series finale, due to occur on December 22, 2012. That date has passed, so it’s likely the storyline will need to change to accommodate this.
Many of the show’s supporting — and most interesting — characters, like the Krycek, and the Lone Gunmen, were killed off in the final season. Then again, the Smoking Man was killed off in the final episode of Season 9 by a rocket shot and he’ll be returning. Who knows what other characters are going to show up?
If you haven’t watched all nine seasons of The X-Files now’s your time to catch up! The finale airing soon will most certainly be for diehard fans, so it might be difficult for newcomers to the series to enter the world.
