Now that X-Files season 11 is confirmed, where will the next season of The X-Files take us?
What the actual shit!
These are the words that were on most peoples lips after watching the finale ofThe X-Filesrevival.
Im not a fan of Reyes or anything, but I found that slightly uncharacteristic of the empathetic believer.
Do Scully and Miller (oh, and Mulder too) get blown up by that UFO?
They probably jump away while it blows their car up.
Or they get abducted.
Or maybe its just Scully that gets abducted.
Maybe next season will be about Mulders search for Scully.
Maybe hes pregnant too.
That would be something new and fresh for this show, wouldnt it?
Itd be likeJuniorbutwith more explosions.
Cant you just see Miller helping him give birth in a deserted shack somewhere?
What will happen when the show comes back next year?
Because we all know it will.Its just a matter of time before we get a renewal announcement.
Now that Fox confirmed a 10-episodeX-Filesseason 11, lets speculate on where the series can go from here.
These episodes dumped so much info on me that I tuned out more than once.
All of the action is dialogue (if not monologue) driven now.
Theres just not enough room to breathe.
(8-10 episodes tops.
They dont want to overdo it just yet.)
This turned out to be one ofMillenniums major creative highs, simply because of how ballsy it was.
So what happened when the show came back for a third season later that year?
The show made the occasional passing reference to the events, but hurried rebuild its familiar format.
This is more or less what we should expect fromThe X-Filesseason 11.
It holds its form and structure no matter what, even when it experiments.
That said, what major plot line can we expectThe X-Filesseason 11 to indulge itself in?
In one word: William.
Mulder and Scullys child is now a MacGuffin.
Hes also the ace up the shows sleeve at this point.
But no, denied.
This season was just a teaser.
Believe me, this show is in no rush to resolve its one last meaningful storyline.
Its going to clutch onto that plotline with its undead fingers and stiff zombie grip.
Remember Samantha, Mulder?
Yeah, were not seeing that kid for a while.
Agents Miller and Einstein are like Doggett and Reyes filtered through several focus group sessions and reruns ofSleepy Hollow.
They have that quirkyBonestype of chemistry going, which todays viewers (i.e.
young moms) love.
They also look like Mini-Mulder-and-Scully, and people love that.
For that matter, I can see Duchovny doing the same thing to keep NBCsAquariusgoing.
(TV is a business, after all.
No ones volunteering to make this so I can blog about it.
Although that would be really awesome of them if they did.)
The real question is, which past characters do we want to see return next time?
Ooh, maybe hes raising William somewhere in Vancouver B.C.
That would be a twist.
Really, though, I would settle for him playing a ghost again.
Or a different character, like a clone of himself.
Clones are a thing inThe X-Filesuniverse, remember.
So might as well fit more fan service in there, right?
Make it worth our while.
Monica Reyes got to come back, but not good old John?
He was patient zero for the future of the franchise.
Maybe we want you to show up and save the day again.
Maybe it’s possible for you to be the one to finally take down CSM!
Remember when this kid was the key to everything in the X-Files?
What is he now?
And what happened to him after the ninth season (series) finale?
(Why did those two bring him to the Hoover building anyway?!)
I miss the way she talked through her teeth.
She had a very unpredictable run onThe X-Files, good one minute, evil the next.
Also, while were at it, can we have theBlack Oilback, too?
Thats such an iconic part ofThe X-Filesuniverse.
Some fans think that the monster-of-the-week installments were where the show shined the most during its classic run.
In retrospect, theyve got a solid point.
murky, ominous, and envelope pushing.)
I was excited to see what kind of monsters the show would come up with in todays climate.
I was hoping for controversy, shocks, and gross-outs.
Instead, the tone of the tenth season was fairly whimsicalalong the lines of the shows cutesy seventh year.
This was inarguably due to the nature of the MOTWs, Were-Monster and Babylon specifically.
However, each standalone this time around did not, in fact, stand on its own.
Each installment had at least one significant contribution to the main ongoing storyline.
Season 11 will most likely take this approach next time, making their monsters-of-the-week count towards a larger goal.
So, what do we hope these creature features will be like?
Come on,X-Files.
We know how good you are at keeping us up at night.
Next time around, why dont you take a stab at unsettle us again?
Even if its just in one episode.
Youve got the talent to pull it off, especially with Wong and the Morgans on your side.
Darin Morgan, we love you.
You brought out the best in Mulder and Scully.
Thats why were asking you to kindly come back for season 11 and write not one but TWO episodes.
Or co-write another one at least.
Also, Chris Carter.
Do you think we forgot about you?
But we got what you were trying to do, Chris.
And we liked it.
The way you introduced Mulder and Scully Jr. while making references to Einsteins twin paradox was impressive.
And Mulders drug trip?
We thank you for that.
And for giving us that classic feeling back.
The revival reminded usThe X-Fileswill always have the power to delight us in unexpected ways.
So what do we want from the next batch of standalones?
No, I dont mean Stephen King again.
But more like, I dont know, J.J. Abrams?
Hemightbe too expensive now.
No, hes expensive now, too.
If only it were 2003 again.
Written & Directed by David Duchovny.
Now this has got to happen.
Duchovnys episodes from the shows classic run were unforgettable.
Wed love to see what kind of story the Aquarian Californicator would tell nowadays.
Written & Directed by Gillian Anderson.
She doesnt have time for that nowadays, does she?
Lets have an old monster return for the heck of it.
you might still be innovative.
Think about it, Mr. Carter.
A version of this article originally ran on February 26th, 2016.
Its been updated to reflect the confirmed status of season 11.
