Of all the reboots and rehashes of old shows that the network executives of the world have decided that we need, I don’t think any are quite as interesting as the initial thought for the return of The X-Files. Originally airing from 1993 to 2002, The X-Files was as well known for its continuing storyline about extraterrestrials as it was its “Monster of the Week” episodes. This X-Files miniseries is currently being billed as a six episode standalone feature that will be able to incorporate both the serial and episodic nature of the original series. Premiering this coming Sunday (1/24), this incarnation of The X-Files has an interesting start that both old fans and new should enjoy. Here are a few tidbits about the premiere to whet your appetite until Sunday.
Mulder & Scully
Part of what made the original X-Files work so well was the dynamic between Mulder & Scully. Mulder was the believer, Scully was the skeptic, and their partnership worked well both in the story and on the screen. As the series progressed and the two became closer, the fundamentals of the series changed and while Scully was mostly still skeptical, she had seen more than enough to (want to) believe. As this series picks up, Mulder & Scully are separated and basically back in their original starting positions. While the past is certainly a big part of what makes this iteration work, it is also the ability of the writers to basically start the relationship over and build it up again. While it may seem lazy to go back to this age old formula, it works, and when TV works, there’s no reason to complain.
The Mystery
When I binge watched the series last summer, I kept wanting Mulder and Scully to find some unfalsifiable proof of aliens visits to Earth. With the Smoking Man always looming in the background, it was obvious that something bigger was going on, but they never seemed to have quite enough proof to verify their claims. 23 years after the series first started, Mulder still doesn’t have all the answers that he’s been looking for. The X-Files is basically a constant game of bait and switch. Mulder & Scully always seem to be continually getting ever closer to the truth, but still fall short for some reason. This first episode changes this formula in a huge way that I think a lot of people are going to like.
Joel McHale
When I first heard that Joel McHale was cast in The X-Files I was really quite interested in what kind of a role he would play since his comedic tendencies don’t exactly scream “The X-Files”. McHale plays Tad O’Malley an extreme right-wing radio host who can best be described as a mix of Rush Limbaugh and Erich von Däniken. O’Malley reaches out to Mulder for help in the first episode that sets off a chain of events that gives us this miniseries. McHale is great in the role and an excellent character that I hope to see return after the first episode (if he makes it out alive that is…)
The Past
While I don’t want to give too much away, I think it is massively important for the audience to recognize that the past is really what is directing The X-Files in this episode. In addition to flashbacks to Roswell (my favorite part of this episode), veteran X-Files fans will be pleased to know that multiple characters that were extremely close to Mulder & Scully in the original series will be returning and while a quick look at IMDb may reveal a number of these, others are not quite obvious... or human.
Tune in to the first episode of The X-Files 6 part miniseries on Sunday, January 24th. Episode 2 airs the next night in its regular timeslot. Be sure to come back here to SpoilerTV to let everyone else know what you thought of the episodes.
