Mulder's long search for
his sister Samantha, whom he believed to have been abducted by aliens,
was also resolved when
he discovered she was, for all intents and purposes, dead. Taken by
spirits and converted to energy -- or "starlight" -- if
you want to get technical, but you could logically interpret that as
being dead.
With the two biggest, and
long-running, storylines concluded, last season's finale served to reshuffle
the deck in preparation for new story arcs this season. When last
we saw Mulder and Scully, he was being abducted by aliens while she
dealing with news of her surprise pregnancy -- surprising due to that pesky
little issue of her being left barren after her own abduction in season
two.
New
faces in a Scully-centric world
"Will
the fans go for it?" and other questions
~
The search, the pregnancy,
and the new guy
The search for Mulder will
likely be a driving force throughout season eight, while his absence is
likely to have strong effects on Scully.
It'll be interesting to see
how Scully copes with losing her partner. After having worked together
so long and having been through so much, they've bonded to the point of
nearly being joined at the hip.
The separation anxiety she's
sure to feel, combined with the startling news of her latest medical condition
is sure to provide Gillian Anderson with a great deal of dramatic material
to sink her teeth into.
Meanwhile, Scully's pregnancy
needs to be addressed. How did she become pregnant, and when? Who's the
baby's father? And will the baby even be human?
The new season will also
usher in a new
character in the form of FBI Agent John Doggett, played by Robert Patrick
of Terminator 2 fame. Doggett will be in charge of the search for
Mulder, and is slated to be the show's new skeptic. Whether Scully's new
partner will be a source of comfort or stress remains to be seen.
The New Guard -- and a
new conspiracy?
Change is also likely to
be forthcoming in the area of X-Files villainy. The grand master of all
X-Files
villains, Cigarette
Smoking Man, was last seem lying motionless on the floor after having
been thrown down a flight of stairs by the grand master in training, Alex
Krycek.
Krycek and fellow ex-Syndicate
lackey, Marita Covarrubias, were reunited in CSM's last effort to revive
the conspiracy by getting his hands on an alien spacecraft. The plan failed
for two reasons -- Krycek and Marita tattled on him to Mulder first chance
they got, and the ship itself later absconded with Mulder aboard.
However, with CSM possibly
dead -- not for the first time -- and the Syndicate history, the stage
is wide open for new black hats to fill the void. Alex Krycek would certainly
fit the bill, already being a scoundrel, back-stabber and murderer. Not
to mention the fans love him and want to see more of their favorite Rat
Boy.
~
Could this be a new age
-- and a new life -- for the X-Files?
Perhaps the biggest question
on everyone's minds regarding the new season is if the fans will accept
a drastic Mulder reduction in their X-Files? The show built on the
appeal of its star duo is taking a big gamble by separating the pair that
made it famous.
Some fans flat out state
"No Mulder, No X-Files," and are incredulous the show's producers would
even attempt to keep the series going without one of the two primary characters.
Others are cautiously
optimistic about the show's future prospects, allowing that new blood
might be exactly the jolt it needs and are willing to keep an open mind.
However, many fans are simply refusing to get their hopes up, too let
down by previous seasons to have high expectations for a show they
say long since lost its luster.
Certainly success amongst
viewers would pave the way for a ninth season, and possibly even more seasons
beyond with new characters taking over entirely as Scully and Mulder retire
to the big screen. Should the new season be a flop -- thus likely making
it the final season -- fans are hoping for rewarding closure for them and
for the characters they've loved for so long.
Questions, lots of questions
As usual when going into
a new season of The X-Files, questions outnumber answers.
* Where is Mulder? Will he
be back?
* Who fathered Scully's baby?
Was it Mulder? Or possibly CSM?
* Will Scully get a better
wardrobe this season? Fashionably tailored maternity wear, anyone?
* Will Skinner get a date
this year? Marita Covarrubias is available and seems to have recovered
nicely from her experience as a Syndicate lab rat.
* Will Scully have a boy,
a girl, or an alien-human hybrid?
* Will Agent Doggett be a
good guy or a great big jerk?
* Is the Cigarette Smoking
Man really dead?
* And just how many millions
is David Duchovny getting paid this season?
Hopefully, one or more of
these questions -- possibly excepting the last one -- will be answered
in the next 22 episodes.
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