The X-Files Mini Reunion Reveals The Truth at MegaCon Orlando 2018

For almost fourteen years, fans of The X-Files waited for the resurgence of Chris Carter's extraterrestrial series to come along. When the television show returned to Fox for two more seasons, devotees were all-to-eager to continue the investigation of aliens, demons, and everything in-between alongside FBI Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson). Following the series' brief return for its eleventh and final (never say never) season earlier in 2018, the truth was still out there as the supporting cast touched down in MegaCon Orlando for a mini-reunion. Mitch Pileggi, who played FBI Assistant Director Walter Skinner, Annabeth Gish as former agent Monica Reyes, and William B Davis as Cigarette Smoking Man were on hand for a spooky question and answer session with fans to dish about the latest season and what it was like to work on one of the most mind-boggling series ever.

The following contains spoilers for the final season of The X-Files. Read at your own risk!

The X-Files (2018) Struggles To Keep Its Legacy Going

Photo Credit: Fox

After fourteen years of waiting for The X-Files to return, its initial reboot in 2016 wasn't the greatest. While it was great catching up with Mulder and Scully as they thwarted Cigarette Smoking Man's bit for world destruction, the highly anticipated tenth season was a bumpy start. A question weighed on the fandom's mind: could the series eclipse the disappointment with season eleven? Below includes spoilers of The X-Files series so far. You've been warned but hope you enjoy!

The X-Files Revival: Home Again Review

Coming off of the heartwarming monster-of-the-week episode Mulder and Scully Meet the Were Monster, the X-Files took a somber turn with its latest episode. Director and writer Glen Moran combined an unknown force known as the Trash Man, and a solid focus towards Scully with her mother and as a mother.

In Home Again, the agents are sent to Philadelphia to investigate a serial killer connected to the homeless. Stuck between the streets and the city laws, dozens of homeless men and women were being shuffled around the city like cattle - until the local officials are mysteriously killed by a mystery assailant who swoops in and out of a garbage truck.

Just as the case gets underway Scully is called back to Washington D.C. where her mother suffered a fatal heart attack. Left stricken at her beside, Scully tries to stay strong as her mother mysteriously calls out for her long-distant son Charlie - whom she hadn't had contact in many years. Trying to focus at the task of hand, Scully struggles with her own regrets as a mother.

For the revival, it's been an explored subject that Scully had to give her and Mulder's son up for adoption in the original series. Now that so much time has passed and they've returned to the X-Files, Scully's plagued with doubts if she made the right call. With her mom lying in a near-coma, she feels like there needs to be said between them. Scully struggles to understand her mother's outreach to her brother, who's been a distant relative to the family.

What I really liked about the fourth episode was the combination of the 'monster-of-the-week' as well as focusing on Scully. While last week's episode was definitely more light and heartwarming, this took a darker turn. The Trash-Man and his link of killings brought back the good ol' days of the XX-Files that took take something normal and twist it into something truly creepy. Tall, scarred and with a bandaged nose, he snuck into the night to twist his assailants into literal trash.

I wouldn't necessarily say this was a strong episode. Was it better than last week's or the first two episodes? I'm not quite sure. The revival itself hasn't really returned to the pace of the original series - which is not something the actors could be expected to repeat. The chemistry and emotional intelligence is still there as they return to their characters, but the episodes themselves feel a little slow-going - not bad, or terrible. But I wonder, if this one revival is the only revival we are going have, has the material been the absolute best? I can't give a definitive yes, yet. That's perhaps is the biggest quandary.

The nastiness of the Trash-Man's crimes were both scary and chilling, but it didn't necessarily mar Scully's side of the plot. Gillian Anderson hasn't had a lot to do with the revival so far since much of the episodes centered on Mulder. In regards with her dealing with her mothers' condition, she gave the sorrow and confusion we were reminded of throughout the original series. The biggest difference now is that she is deeply experiencing the turmoil and void of Williams' adoption. The void of his William's presence and Scully's struggles with her mother is what really created the emotional impact and made the episode memorable.

The X-Files Revival: S10X03 Mulder and Scully

We've hit the halfway mark with the X-Files revival! It's so hard to believe that we're nearly two episodes until the season ten finale already. The third episode really lays on the charm and kitsch with a brand new monster-of-the-week episode: Mulder and Scully Meet the Were Monster.

Hold up in his office, Mulder is questioning his middle-agedness. Nearly all of the cases he and Scully investigated, or runs that excited him the most about the possibilities of the world, have been solved - either through technology, a weather phenomenon, or hoaxes. It's safe to assume that the sails have been knocked out for him, and he immediately realizes the childish naivete he had all those years ago.

Until Scully springs a new case on them: it's got monsters in it. Well, a monster to be exact. Out in the middle of a small Oregon town (where everyone nearly seems to high off their rocker), a series of animal attacks on humans brings the agents out to investigate. Mulder begins leaning towards a lizard-man Guy Mann (played by Rhys Darby) as the culprit, while Scully sorta sits back and enjoys this new side of Mulder. A side of Mulder who now uses the internet for all of his google-searching on supernatural phenomena, and a new app he hopes will help him capture phenomena on his phone. What would the Lone Gunmen think about this?

Darin Morgan has written and directed a few fair favorites of the series so far - War of the Coprophages might be my all-time favorite. This story that he brought to Chris Carter for the mini series had been scrambling about in his brain until the original series, and you can totally tell - this episode goes far beyond just a throw-in homage to all of the tiny, minute details fans know about - the two paint-huffing stoners, how Mulder and Scully are supposed to die, Dagoo, and so much more! There's some hidden details even die-hard fans caught that I never believed could be caught. What Morgan brings back is the humor and horror that was so memorable about the monster-of-the-week style.

It's not hard to do when Darby as Mann is so charming. His monologue of being a human sized lizard, becoming a human and facing the confusing trials of what mankind puts itself through - getting dressed, getting a job, keeping a job he hates, worry about retirement and the future, is funny and touching.

As funny as the episode is, it's heartwarming too. Mulder starts out very much in a skeptic Scully sorta way; sulking in the corner of his office and struggling to believe what he wants to believe. And, this case comes along that takes them on a wild goose chase. Scully into the lair of who the serial killer is, and Mulder into understanding who and what Mann is - a human-sized lizard man.

The newer episode are also treading the fine line of handling the advancement of modern technology since the series finale. Staples of the original series was big honkin' computers hardly hooked up to the internet and landlines. If Scully and Mulder went on an adventure together, or separate, they had to be near a payphone or phone in general to stay in contact to the outside world. Now, the world is so much smaller with the internet. While the agents now are not completely obtuse to today's world, their work is not grounded in constantly being hooked to smartphones. Again, another nice touch accomplished between Mulder and Mann.

My only complaint for the mini-series so far is Scully - there just isn't enough of her (well, in this episode we see enough of her in the best ways but there just isn't enough of Gillian). While I would've liked to have seen more of Scully for the mini-series so far, this is another tall-tale of Mulder relinquishing to the truth. It's not necessarily about proving something deep about the truth being out there - you gotta believe it in your heart. He makes a genuine connection to Mann, and we certainly do too. By the ending credits, this episode brings on the feels and has us frolicking with rejuvenated hope. This is the way we like our Mulder and our X-Files.

The X-Files Revival: My Struggle & Founders Mutation

Mulder and Scully finally return for the highly-anticipated The X-Files revival. Finally we can say adios to the long wait for the tenth season! Below is a recap and my thoughts of the premiere episode as well as the follow-up. Hope you enjoy!

My Struggle, directed and written by show creator Chris Carter, had a lot to catch up on in the fourteen years since the show last aired, and nearly eight years since his second film opened to negative reviews.

In the series' finale Mulder escaped his indictment with the help of Scully and their fellow agents. The duo met with a wise man in the Grand Canyons who had knowledge of the alien's invasion at the end of the Mayan calendar in 2012. What the pairing discovered was the thought-to-be-dead Cancer Man, who was then blown to smithereens. Having survived yet another deadly encounter against their rival, the agents moved forward lying low from the FBI. For the second film I Want To Believe, the charges against Mulder were eventually dropped when he was called in to investigate a serial kidnapping, which left him and Scully's personal relationship strained.

One lingering question from the series' finale we wanted answered was the meaning of Cancer Man's revelation about the Mayan Calendar and the end of the world. Since the real world pushed onwards past 2012, the series made a turn to use that famous apocalyptic date as our own inflicted demise.

Extraordinary Artwork of The X-Files

CalebDoodles

Now that the episodic recaps are over, it's time to take a look at The X-Files in another way. The epic revival is just around the corner, and I thought it'd be fun to look at some of the awesome and adorable fanart out there. Here's part one of artwork with Mulder and Scully on their alien-esque adventures. Enjoy!

X-Files Xtras: Thoughts on Season 8 and Season 9

The ending of season seven forced us to embark on a new era: one without Mulder, one with two new agents and replacements working alongside Scully, one that left us with questions about his disappearance and with the startling news of Scully's pregnancy. It pretty much dismantled the entire series as we knew it and tried to rebuild against a series imposed deadline.

So Mulder is gone, and season eight was another day. When a main character leaves it's hard to welcome the new kid in town. But, my god, I loved John Doggett. Choosing Robert Patrick as David Duchovny's replacement was perfect. He has to be given credit where it's due - his character comes in at the last second to tag-along with Scully in finding Mulder - two people he had no real prior investment in. He's a career guy without a family, a skeptical city cop, not built or trained to be investigating paranormal / supernatural phenomena. In a lot of ways, he's like Scully; he's assigned to the X-Files to spy on it for Assistant Director Kursh - someone who's oh so happy to have the department gone and out of the FBI. Doggett took over Scully's role as the skeptic, and Scully tried to think more like Mulder. But Doggett respects and likes Scully. She has the authority and he doesn't try to override or undermine her intelligence. In fact, he's pretty smitten and intrigued by her from beginning.

Best and Worst Television Show 2015

Television in 2015 was filled with brilliant and not-so-great moments. I'm truly surprised by how many fandoms I was apart of since I didn't consider myself that much of a tv hog. Categories & winners for the absolute worst, personal favorites, and best from the series I watched have been compiled below. There are plenty of spoilers ahead for the following shows: Doctor Who, Once Upon A Time, The X-Files, Scandal, The Strain, The Walking Dead - to say the least. Please proceed with caution, and I hope you enjoy!

X-Files Xtras: Thoughts On Season 7

Coming off the heels of my favorite season for The X-Files, where would the show would go next? Judging by fans' disapproval and critics' judgement of the series' inability to answer so many questions, the future as I knew it was crashing pretty hard and fast. Though everyone at the time of season sevens' airing called this the weakest one, I disagree. Season seven is not entirely unsatisfying, but it doesn't hide cracks and faults we previously overlooked either.

For one, the writers' plot themselves into a black hole. This was a given because a lot of episodes surrounding the agent's mysteries were 'solved' but not necessarily answered - we were always presented an idea of the supernatural or paranormal, and like Mulder and Scully left to believe what we felt was the truth. But as shared in past X-Files Xtras, a lot of the material for individual stand-alone episodes are recycled phenomena. Taking opportunities to expand Mulder and Scully's arcs, the writers opened more cans of worms than they had the time to close them.

X-Files Xtras: Thoughts on Season 6

Season five was not my favorite of The X-Files so far. The latest set of episodes gave me a mix-bag of reactions. Chris Carter's format of recycling ideas of the supernatural and paranormal became too obvious. The only real exciting revelations centered on Mulder and Scully's individual quests, and their when-will-they chemistry. Everything else was a lot less interesting or entertaining.

Color me surprised when everything seemed to turn around for the sixth season. The direction and writing really hit its stride as nearly every episode was fun and exciting. Both Mulder and Scully's journeys go much further and deeper, opening up one can of worms after another.

X-Files Xtras: Thoughts on Season 5

The season four finale is one of the biggest cliffhangers imaginable. Scully reveals that Mulder committed suicide after facing more obstacles and proof that his journey has been a lie. Season five kicks off with one of the most elaborate openers to the X-Files yet, it's hard to believe how much more entertaining the series grows.

Yet we have plenty of layers and scenarios left to play out just from the first episode alone - did Mulder truly end his life? What's revealed is some of the best partnering between the agents to uncover the government's games yet. And, this is just in the first episode.

Perhaps all of the twists in the first episode is what leads the rest of the season to be sporadic with excitement. Chris Carter's creation is not as tightly written as in the past. Instead, a lot of the episodes aren't that memorable, making this post a little shorter of categories than previous X-Files posts. As much as I love The X-Files, it starts to struggle with the next twenty episodes.

Cases are recycled with gusto forcing Mulder and Scully's individual and collective journeys to be intermittent - something the show relies on to keep the standalone stories from being too repetitive. It's a tug-of-war the series had from the beginning, but the disconnect between the Cancer Man arc, Mulder/Scully's partnership, and monster-of-the-week singlets start to show more strongly.

The show is far from falling into a million pieces but parts of the whole are beginning to show. Hope you enjoy anyways with my favorites, scariest, and more!

X-Files Xtras: Thoughts on Season 4

I wasn't quite sure which direction season four was going to dive into. As much as I love Mulder and Scully, some episodes hinges so deep into his truth-seeking escapades Scully is left in the dust. This season was surprising because their dynamics really grows leaps and bounds. More details of Scully's abduction comes to light deepening both of their connections to the governments' alien programs.

As for theme or genre, The X-Files still manages to be a little bit of everything; mostly drama and mystery sprinkled with comedy. The characters continue to deal with the obstacles in their way set forth by Cancer Man. Much more than the series solely centering on Scully/Mulder, we're also treated to more insight about his work as a master puppeteer behind the shadows. His organization's scope is much larger and treacherous than had been expected before. The bad guys' reach is really unlimited, and the questions posed about how much the government controls raises some true doubts and fears.

Here is a list of scariest, least favorite, and favorite episodes - and then some! Enjoy!

X-Files Xtras: Thoughts on Season 3

Not hooking an audience from the get-go can end a series in a second these days. Networks don't take a chance on shows like this anymore, even if characters are loved and the story is interesting. At season three the characters have us us hooked, but X-Files struggles with what it wants to be.

The major constant for X-Files is FBI Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. Each have separate beliefs about "the truth" - mystery, faith, the paranormal and supernatural. They solve a different case every episode, and many of them don't have an overall arc, except for their interests and partnership. The core episodes where Mulder and Scully get in too deep with leper experiments, her sister's murder, and his sister's disappearance is when they evolve as individuals and grow closer. On top of that, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are exemplary with their chemistry. They are a duo that comes around very rarely, where they are seamless and just click. 

X-Files falls into the mystery genre, but it's also suspenseful, a bit wacky, a bit of product from its times, and even humorous (depending on the investigation Mulder/Scully are on). Importantly, all of them are centered on the truth being out there. It has a little bit of everything and a general premise to keep it grounded.

X-Files Xtras: Update

133 episodes in 113 days! Challenge Accepted. Besides the first season of House of Cards (and The Walking Dead marathons on AMC), I would not call myself a binge-watcher per say - but for X-Files I've made the sacrifice. Three episodes a day, sometimes more on the weekend, keeps me generally on track to watching all the seasons before the epic revival.

Speaking of which, did you see the trailer - like the trailer Fox released? I did, and only rewatched it a million times. MULDER. THE RIPPED POSTER. SCULLY. SKINNER. THE RIPPED POSTER. FLASHLIGHTS. Yes, it was very exciting.

Spectacularly in my quest to watch X-Files, I have not encountered any spoilers - even when I've bookmarked countless pages to read as I move through each season, even as I've been reblogging gifs on tumblr galore and really only following X-Files blogs.

A part of me doesn't want to enter the world known as season four, where feelings are going to get more and more complicated between Mulder and Scully. Do I want them to be together - or not? Most fans stan for these two as a couple but as of now I struggle and remain a loyal fan of them platonically. We'll see there that goes....

Instead of posting my fangirling as apart of So Fetch Friday, it's getting posts of their own.  Since I just finished season three this weekend (YIPPEE), I'll be posting some of my thoughts, favorites and least favorites, and plenty more!