The X-Files one of the 90s most groundbreaking series ended flatly in 2002. Fans hoped the 2016 revival would right the ship. But did it work?
Nearly 30 years after its debut The X Files remains one of televisions most influential shows. The series which followed FBI agents Fox Mulder David Duchovny and Dana Scully Gillian Anderson as they investigated the paranormal broke new ground with its cinematic style creepy aesthetics and serialized storytelling. The show won over legions of fans, dubbed X Philes who pored over the lore and developed theories of their own a trend that continues to this day. It also made the procedural sexy again, with shows like Bones CSI and FBI all owing a debt to the success of The X Files.
However the shows twilight years were marked by a downturn in quality. The alien colonization arc was swapped out for a muddy storyline involving super soldiers which alienated longtime viewers. Following Duchovnys exit in 2000 series creator Chris Carter brought in two new agents John Doggett and Monica Reyes played by Robert Patrick and Annabeth Gish who failed to capture the chemistry generated by the original leads. By the time the show wrapped up in 2002 with a thrown together finale that hastily attempted to answer nine years worth of questions fans had checked out.
Following a period of relative dormancy interrupted only by 2008's movie The X Files I Want to Believe the series returned to Fox in 2016 with a six episode Season 10. Expectations were high, as the show appeared to be getting back to basics by reinvigorating the mythology and resurrecting beloved characters like the villainous Cigarette Smoking Man who had seemingly died in the Season 9 finale. The revival even brought back some of its most famous writers such as Glen Morgan and James Wong. Sadly Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan who got his start on The X Files, was too busy on the recently concluded Better Call Saul to take part.
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