Spooky Alert!

Could it be true? Will The X Files return to the small screen?

First airing in 1993, The X Files was a seminal and ground-breaking series. Each weekly show promised conspiracy theories, paranoia and padded suits; truly, the Zeitgeist of the 90s. Sitting down to a new episode every Thursday night with my dad is still one of my fondest memories. I crushed deeply on Spooky Mulder and The Smoking Man taught me the “cool” way to hold a cigarette (or so I thought). See exhibit A., my year 7 diary for evidence of my obsession. Inside the covers each page is scrawled with “Fox Mulder is a Fox”, “D.D is Foxy” and apparently, “Jake is stupid” (much to the chagrin of my mother, who dotes on both of us).

Needles to say, the X Files holds a special place in my heart. Amid the rush to do something new, I take comfort in the original text; the markers of age are a tribute to my memories. With the “promise” of a  reboot, I can’t help but feel protective. Then again, who am I, or anyone, to turn down more of Scully and those suits? Here’s what we know so far:

In an interview with USA Today about the possibility of filming more X Files, Duchovny confirmed that he would be ‘more than happy and excited to bring it back and do it again with Gillian [Anderson] and Chris [Carter];

Whilst speaking on The Nerdist podcast, Anderson told host, Chris Hardwick that she would be ‘fucking overjoyed’ to film more episodes;

Fox has confirmed “talks” for a new instalment of the series, with Duchovny and Anderson to reprise their roles;

and, Entrepreneur claims that the 90s are back (duh).

As yet, there is no information on the relationship of the so-called revival to the original text; however, given the thirteen years that have passed since the cancellation of the series, and the involvement of the original cast, it’s safe to say that Mulder and Scully will pick up from where they left off. Whether or not the new series will address the curious post-credits scene at the end of Carter’s I Want To Believe (2008) is another question (if you didn’t stay until the end of the credits, shame on you, but watch it here). Let me put my cards on the table and say that for this fan, here’s hoping that scene goes the way of the Star Wars Christmas Special. The lack of a romantic sub-plot in The X Files is part of what I love about Mulder and Scully’s relationship. The tension is great, as it drives speculation, humour and fantasy, but fulfilment of that tension, in my opinion, undermines both characters. I’ve seen enough tired narratives that inevitably culminate in a romantic heterosexual coupling already and, lets face it, The X Files is about so much more. I know many people will disagree with me here and I look forward to hearing your perspectives.

It’s hard to imagine any reboot of The X Files living up to the original series. Yet, the promise of Duchovny and Anderson fills me with hope and admittedly I savour any opportunity to watch DD back in action, especially after the stunning rise and fall of Californication.

Will the return of The X Files bring with it the spooky wisdom and intrigue that gripped us in the 90s? Will Fox succeed in creating something new that still honours the history of the show? And importantly, can Duchovny still pull off the pout, and will Anderson bring the sass back? Only time will tell.

Share how you feel about the return of The X Files in the comments section below!