Mike Castiglione
It’s been nearly 14 years since The X-Files last aired on FOX, but immediately following Carson Palmer’s epic meltdown in Sunday night’s NFC Championship game, Mulder and Scully were back on the airwaves chasing down aliens and conspirators.
At its peak, The X-Files topped 20 million viewers in a given episode and even pulled in $189 million on the big screen in 1998. So, the buildup to the show’s reboot carried plenty of intrigue, from casual observers to diehard fans and sci-fi nerds. But can it appease its core audience plus win over some new fans? After all, a lot has changed in the TV landscape since the series’ heyday — even David Duchovny successfully distanced himself from Mulder with a seven-season run as an alcoholic womanizer on Showtime’s Californication.
Reviews for Sunday’s premiere were mixed, but I personally enjoyed it and will be tuning in for the second of six episodes, which airs tonight at 8 p.m. Most of the key players are back, from series creator Chris Carter, who wrote and directed the premiere, to The Smoking Guy. One welcome addition to the mix is Joel McHale, who plays a TV personality with a flair for conspiracy theories. Visual effects have also come a long way since the late-90s, and that’s really the coolest part when you get down to it.
Let us know in the comments what you thought of the premiere. Will you be tuning in again tonight or plan to binge-watch later? Couldn’t care less?
This episode sucked like Jim Adair in a sausage party.
Loved it.