10 Problems With The X-Files Revival Nobody Wants To Admit
The truth is still out there, but it won't be easy to find
One of the most popular shows of the 90s is returning to network television in early 2016. The X-Files makes its long awaited return in a format no one expected: a six episode "revival" on FOX. While many were eagerly awaiting a third X-Files movie to tie up the loose ends the show (and second film) left dangling, or a Next Generation-style second series, few expected Fox to outright launch a continuation of the show.
Yet in a pleasant surprise, that's exactly what they're getting: six new episodes with all of the original cast intact, much of the writer's room, and series creator Chris Carter at the helm. It's not the large pick-up of episodes that another cult hit, Twin Peaks, got for its new season, but The X-Files was always one of the most expensive shows on the air, and it's likely this new, shortened season won't come cheap for FOX.
However, FOX is motivated by profits, and a new season will make one of their most beloved franchises even more valuable in syndication, especially on streaming services like Netflix.
And so a new batch of adventures for Mulder and Scully await - but beware, the comeback is not without its share of problems. Here are ten that could put a damper on the festivities.
10. The Smoking Man Is Dead
The Smoking Man is dead. Gone. Done. Fin.
CGB Spender, the Cigarette Smoking Man, was the Darth Vader of The X-Files. One of the greatest TV villains of all time, his portrayal by William B. Davis was near-perfect, giving fans an iconic antagonist for Mulder. And while he had more lives than a cat, surviving several assassination attempts carried out by his fellow conspirators, in the finale of the series, he died.
Without question. Even if Chris Carter claims that no one really dies on The X-Files.
Simply put, a rocket launched from a helicopter hit him square in the face. Fans watched the flesh burn from his bones, leaving a maniacally evil grinning skull behind.
Why, then, has William B. Davis been added to the cast of the revival? While he was a huge part of the show, his story is, frankly, over, and any return by the Cancer Man would seem forced. Davis is still an active participant in genre fare even as he approaches his 80s, so there's no question about his abilities, but short of flashbacks, how would he even take part? IMDB (not the most accurate at times) has him listed as taking part in all six episodes, which seems unlikely, but anything more than a cameo in a flashback becomes problematic.