What Do X-Files Fans Expect From The Revival?

It has always been a rich tradition of X-Files fans (especially the diehard X-Philes) to speculate, scrutinize, and analyze together on the internet. We’d comment on Scully’s evolving hairstyles, Mulder’s bad habits, the plot details of every episode, and debate about the Monsters-of-the-Week or the mythology arc.

The series encouraged fans to think, project their fears and hopes, and indeed dream. Some 22 years after The X-Files debuted on Fox, fans are still vocal on various forums, capturing every image from every promo clip and still promo for the revival, and speculating with how each image relates to which episode.

Back in March, when Fox made the announcement for The X-Files revival, we asked Den of Geek readers to share their X-Files memories and expectations for the six new episodes. We received an overwhelming response fans from all over the world. Comments ranged from first seeing the series as an adolescent, to having the series help fans who were dealing with the illness of a relative. To having younger fans discover it from their parents and fans having barbecues and watching the series with other X-Philes, the range of the responses overall were truly inspiring.

Here are a sample of what fans expect from the new episodes…

Brandi Clarke from Needham, Alabama, commented:

For the revival, I hope to see even more MSR [Mulder/Scully Romance] moments. We haven’t seen them in the basement after making their relationship open, so that will be interesting to see. I hope it’s still smooth sailing for our two, because they were made for each other! I also need them to reunite with William. Gillian said they were doing it for fun and closure, and we need plenty of the latter. William has natural immunity from the alien virus from both Mulder and Scully, so that needs to be explored. As far as the mytharc is concerned, there’s not much left open aside from William. Losing him was a pain for both of them; it would be wonderful for him to meet his parents! Thank you for this opportunity to share!

One unidentified fan commented:

I am really hoping for closure on the William Arc. From Essence to Existence, something felt extremely off. Nothing was ever put in the beginning of an episode that didn’t play into the Monster of the week, or mythology episode playing that night. Essence opened with a pink and blue doll. Later Reyes says THE CHILD is here. And where oh where was Mulder at the end of Existence, one moment he’s rescuing them by airplane, than he’s walking into her apartment not even knowing what the kids name is. Okay I would love to see an episode as beautifully written and directed like Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose. It was one of the most beautiful episodes ever, and my all time favorite, followed by Home. As MOTW they were amazing! My favorite memory of The X-Files, when my kindergartner came home from school, because for “Who I want to be like when I grow up? he put Mulder and none of the kids knew who he was! Second favorite X-Files memory, when my second oldest pointed out he knows why he and his three brothers are attracted to short red heads with brains!

Storyline closure is what we’re looking for, but we never saw or heard a single thing from Maggie Scully during the episode and from that moment forward she appeared to go into stasis, I’d like to see all of the Scully’s in a William closure. You know the living one. Maggie, Bill, CHARLIE he was referenced enough.

Pascale Rowley from Quebec City, Quebec, Canada commented:

Like many X-Philes, I was disappointed by the second movie. For the new season, I want a lot of episodes about the mythology: what about the alien invasion planned for 2012? What are Mulder and Scully doing these days? What about Doggett and Reyes, who I learned to like a lot? And, especially, what about William? Mulder and Scully suffered so much and deserve happiness more than anyone, so I would like to see some kind of happy ending, even if I know that Chris Carter would never allow that! So please Mr. Carter, this is your chance to make everything up, so don’t lose it!

Paul Watsaon, from Aukland, New Zealand commented:

Who are the Star People referenced to in Closure? How do they play into the entire mythology? Who are the alien rebels and besides the disfiguration of their facial features is there no other way to discern them from the ones who want to take over the planet? Are Krycek and Diana Fowley really dead? Will they Gunmen make appearances as ghosts or will this pick up where the comics labeled season 10 left us?

Another unidentified fan commented:

As far as what I want for the new mini-series, I wouldn’t mind a nice four-part mythology – two episodes to open the new series, two to close it out, with two Monster-of-the-Week episodes in the middle of it all that loosely connect to the new mythology storyline (mere references to it, while investigating the latest ghoul).

While I can’t speak for the writers of course, I really think they may need four parts to wrap up the mythology. It’d be great if proof of aliens was being investigated and even presented by Mulder and Scully, and the proof was so incredible, yet convincing that it made it to the public eye on a global scale (Mulder and Scully’s kid, perhaps?), and we see all sorts of news outlets covering the story during the two stand-alones. Then in the end, Mulder and Scully’s evidence is confirmed perhaps by a public stand-off between the aliens and William (M&S’s kid), proof irrefutable, and our heroes are finally vindicated in the public eye after all these years of being the laughing stock of the FBI.

Alyssa Waugh from Nanticoke, Pennsylvania commented:

It needs to stay true to what has come before. Our heroes need to be vindicated, and we need to see justice prevail against the bad alien menace.

Can’t wait for the revival! My hopes for the revival are: vindication for Mulder and Scully, that the two of them stop the alien invasion and that the whole world knows so the lies of the conspirators are finally brought to light and Mulder’s truth finally reigns.

Cat, from Edinburgh, Scotland commented:

In terms of my hopes for the revival, I just hope we get LOTS of Mulder and Scully screen time, resolution of the William storyline, and we see that these two live happily together in whatever kind of life makes them happiest.

Amanda, from Wrexham, Wales, UK commented:

I’m hoping the revival tells good stories but to be honest just seeing David and Gillian’s magical chemistry as Mulder and Scully again will be enough for me.

Jacob Swanson commented on the late and beloved director Kim Manners:

My wish is that the project is approached with a WWKD consideration, (What would Kim [Manners] do?) evenly spread throughout the work.

Colleen Evanson from Los Angeles, California commented :

My hope for the revival, like so many other shippers, is that the point of Mulder and Scully being broken up in the beginning is so we will get at least one WELL LIT make up sex scene — which I can be buried with once I die.

Hopes are running high that fans will be satisfied with the new series, the first two episodes air Jan 24th and 25th. Fans are counting the hours and days at this point. Whatever that new truth turns out to be, we will find out soon enough.

Den of Geek X-Files correspondent Matt Allair is a San Francisco-based writer, freelance filmmaker, musician, and the webmaster of The X-Files Lexicon.

For more on the revival and our retrospective look at the series, listen to our Sci Fi Fidelity Podcast!