The X-Files was last on our small screens in 2002 after a successful nine year run and the recent announcement of a new series in development featuring original cast members has created a bit of a buzz of late, and in my opinion, rightly so.
The show was a phenomenon in its time and what I’m going to argue is that I think there’s (Extra-terrestrial) life in the old dog yet. After a lukewarm reception from their last movie outing The X-Files: I Want to Believe, people have voiced their concern over yet another resurrection of the much loved series, but I think this could very well be the return to form many X-Files fans have been waiting for.
Timing is definitely of the essence. X-Files could not have chosen a better time to come back to our small screens with the rise in popularity of the humble television series in recent times. There are definitely more people talking about the return of Game of Thrones than any films that are soon to be released. There are so many different platforms available for television series’ that were not available during its original run e.g. Netflix and this definitely works in its favour. Earlier in the year there was a lot of buzz surrounding the return of another cult television show that inspired The X-Files, Twin Peaks, and these two television series have definitely returned at an opportune moment. Both series’ ended with unanswered questions, both have a loyal fan base and most importantly of all both original casts seem set to return.
Twin Peaks have already encountered teething problems and it is uncertain whether David Lynch will return as director, a sure fire recipe for disaster, let’s hope this X-Files venture isn’t headed for the same fate. Seeing the much loved original cast on screen once more is like a dream come true for fans. Mulder, Scully and the Skin-Man all inhabiting the same television space once more is enough to pique the interest of even the most cynical fan. The series suffered badly in the later seasons in David Duchovny’s absence simply because not only was Fox Mulder one of the most charismatic and interesting characters created, but also because of the simmering will-they-won’t-they chemistry he had with Agent Scully played by the exceptionally talented and versatile Gillian Anderson. Mulder and Scully have stood the test of time, they complemented each other in a way that I don’t think has ever really been rivaled on the small screen (except perhaps recently with Castle and Beckett in Castle).
Cast reunions aside, X-Files has a lot more going for it than its stellar cast. Back in the day, X-Files was groundbreaking with its fresh formatting. It managed to balance long-running story arcs with episodes featuring devilishly gruesome ‘monsters of the week’. I’d like to argue that X-Files was at its best when the weird and wonderful storylines were handled with humour. It was the perfect mix of crime, science- fiction, fantasy, comedy and drama. It’s rare to find a show that offers all of those things and I think there’s still an X-Files shaped hole left in the market that has been waiting for the right time to be filled again.
There are still so many unanswered questions and if I know X-Files this new season won’t answer half of them but that was never the point in the X-Files anyway. It was about enjoying the possibilities not the definitive answer. This new season could be a disaster but I hope like the rest of the loyal fan base that it is the return to form we’ve all been silently wishing would come to fruition. There isn’t much news on what form the show will take or what the plot will be yet but it is reassuring that the original cast have returned and it is exciting to think of all of the various possibilities for the new series.
We the loyal X-Files fanbase can only keep hoping that the truth is out there and that Mulder and Scully will keep chasing after it until our appetites are fully satisfied.
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