The X-Files debuts at New York Comic Con and fans believe again. It is official, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are really back as retired FBI agents – Fox Mulder and Dana Scully – in X-Files Season 10, which was rolled out by Fox over the weekend.
As Fox debuts The X-Files, fans of Hannibal are still fuming at NBC for canceling their favorite show. If you are a fan of The X-Files, the place you had to be was at New York Comic Con on Saturday where people were greeted with signs that read “I WANT TO BELIEVE,” but most importantly the first episode of season 10 of the iconic series was shown.
It has been a long time coming because the ninth season wrapped up in 2002 and the film, The X-Files: I Want to Believe, hit theaters in 2008. However, die-hard supporters, who never stopped believing that there was something out there, got their wish.
The pilot episode called “My Struggle” opened with David Duchovny in the role of FBI Special Agent William Fox Mulder giving a brief reintroduction to the characters of the cult science fiction-supernatural television series and revealing where they are 13 years later.
There were some good news and some bad ones. While Mulder is still obsessed with his theories on extraterrestrial activities, he is now retired from the FBI. Fans were quick to learn Mulder has ended his relationship with Dana Scully, M.D. played by Gillian Anderson.
A new character named Tad O’Malley played by Joel McHale made an appearance in the first episode. O’Malley, a mad Christian pastor, spoke about the world being consumed by fear, the Internet and being monitored in a post-911 universe and his plans to get Scully and Mulder together to solve few issues.
Mitch Pileggi as FBI Assistant Director Walter Sergei Skinner also made an appearance in the installment, much to the joy of fans who always loved the character. At the end of episode, Duchovny, Pileggi, and Kumail Nanjiani, (who is set to appear in a later episode), along with show creator, Chris Carter, did a Q&A where the first question was, why did they split up Scully and Mulder? Duchovny explained:
“The dynamic of the characters was often unspoken. There would be dramatic moments where one would save the other or call them by their first name rather than their last, and that would have to satisfy some kind of longing. But it’s still the same. I don’t think anyone wants to see Mulder and Scully bickering over a toothpaste tube or leaving the toilet seat up, the show is about the cases.”
Carter added that the separation of the main characters might have to do with shock value. He said:
“When you bring a show like this back, you do it for the hardcore fans. They’re the ones who put you there, so you’re bringing it back with them in mind. At the same time, you always hope to attract and/or entertain as big an audience as possible. So we don’t belabor it for the hardcore fans, but we make sure there’s a hook for the newbies.”
The six-episode run of The X-Files debuts on Fox on January 24, but Carter is open to more installments.
