Sunday's X-Files return might be just the start

It sort of sucks that today is moving day for Rob, because he could probably do the X-Files return more justice than I can, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if he chimes in later despite his insistence that today will be nothing but chaos. (By the way, Rob, when it comes to moving days where one of us has to cover everything for the other, you realize your turn is coming very soon, yes?) As far as I'm concerned, the Panthers and Cardinals can't get finished quickly enough on Sunday night so the return of Mulder and Scully can finally happen. The X-Files is without a doubt one of the most interesting and innovative shows television has ever produced - excellent not only in the establishment of its foundational mythology but in character development, atmosphere and the balance between the buildup and payoff of suspense.

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The fact that we're only getting six episodes this time around is almost more tease than reward, but fear not. It looks like creator Chris Carter is more than open to keeping the franchise going if all the other necessary players agree:

You only have four monster-of-the-week episodes in the season, so were there any creatures you wished you had been able to include had there been more episodes? Carter: Yeah, there was a chance we were going to do a seventh episode, and I had the writers working furiously to create that seventh episode, and they came up with something really good. Ultimately, we just ran out of time and space to do it, so that episode was not filmed. But it was a great, spooky story with really interesting Mulder and Scully stories inside that episode. I'll tell you, I think there are an endless number of X-Files stories to tell. Every day I write down a new idea so if there are to be more, I've got a jump on it. If this revival is a success, would you be excited at the opportunity to do more? Carter: It's been talked about. Certainly it's been suggested. It's been mentioned in casual conversation. But I think everyone's taking a wait and see approach and I'm taking it as well. I've told you now a number of times, there's lots more X-Files, endless X-Files, to tell. If I'm given the opportunity, time and money and place to do it, of course I'd be interested.

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The wait for a worthy cinematic treatment of the X-Files was always frustrating. I thought the 2006 film would have been pretty good as a two-part standalone story, but it wasn't what people wanted after waiting four years from the end of the series - and we never did get a resolution to revelation in the series finale that the alien invasion was set for December 21, 2012. How will they explain that it didn't happen? Then again, how will they explain that the Cigarette Smoking Man is alive after we saw a missile rip his flesh from his bones? I'm sure they'll think of something, and maybe it's all to the good if these six episodes are really going to deserve their place in series lore. But I do think the X-Files has always worked better as a series of hourlong stories than as a movie, and the interest in these upcoming six episodes compared with the utter lack of any interest in another film seems to confirm that. So welcome back, agents Mulder and Scully! (And Skinner too!) No need to disappear again any time soon. TV is definitely better with you around.

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