A part time Mulder. A pregnant Scully. What does it all mean for The X-Files?
by Dan Snierson
[large color photo of Mulder]
Jesus finally had his Second Coming. Chandler at long last popped the
question. Yes, the TV season had officially drawn to a close, meaning everyone
can toss their remotes and bask in the frivolous joys of summer. Well, everyone
except those poor fans of The X Files, who are blinking blankly in front of
their 27 inch Trinitrons, still reeling from a recent rash of paranormal
activity.
On May 16, after a frenzy of speculation, Fox announced it would bring back
the spooky seven year old drama for another season with or without holdout David
Duchovny (Mulder). Then, less than two days later, on the eve of the network's
fall schedule announcement, Duchovny agreed to return for 11 episodes - about
half of a full season - for a reported $20 million. ("The last two weeks have
been quite a roller coaster," understates exec producer Frank Spotnitz. "Every
day I thought it could fall apart at any minute.")
Finally came Sunday's surprise-packed season finale (Mulder abducted! Scully
pregnant!), leaving viewers, in typical Files fashion, with more queries than a
U.S. Census long form. This time, however, we graciously did the work for you,
providing answers to your burning questions.
How will The X Files deal with Duchovny's part time schedule?
A likely scenario, according to X-Files sources, will have the Duchovny
episodes sprinkled throughout the year, though that's still being decided. To
fill the Mulder void, they're looking to cast a new buddy for Scully (Gillian
Anderson), a character that definitely won't be in the mold of the
conspiracy-obsessed Mulder. Says X-Files creator Chris Carter: "Certainly
Scully's character has evolved to this point now where she is a believer of
sorts... I think that the partner would probably be a skeptic. And more likely
than not it will be a man." (See below). The producers will also bulk up the
roles of supporting characters like Skinner and Krycek (but not the Lone Gunmen,
who will be starring in their own series). "We've got a lot of great players on
the bench," says Spotnitz. "It makes sense to use those assets more heavily than
we have in the past." Will we, perhaps, see more high-profile guest stars?
"We've always hesitated to do that because we've felt it would take away from
the show," says Carter. "But this may be an opportunity to do that."
Is next season the final one?
Don't bet the crop-circled farm on it. Carter hints the franchise could
continue - even if both Duchovny and Anderson call it quits. "If we plan
carefully, there could be [more seasons], but I'm not telling you that there
will be," he says elusively. Which is why, he adds, choosing a new partner for
Scully is "very important for not just this year but perhaps the future.... I
still think there are a lot of stories to tell. If the characters worked, and we
liked to write for them, I could say yes to another season."
[color photo of M&S in Requiem]
If Scully is really with child, who's the father?
This being the X Files, don't rule out aliens - or the possibility of Papa
Mulder. "There was a [recent] episode written and directed by Gillian that began
and ended in Mulder's bedroom," Carter teases. "That would certainly bring up
some questions for me."
Did the producers shoot an alternative ending, as reported?
That's just crazy talk, insists Carter...: "I would have played it the same
way whether [Duchovny] came back or not." In fact, Carter says he's been
planning Mulder's abduction and Scully's pregnancy since the start of the
season. "I thought it was a finale that would work for any eventuality. And
because we had planned to do movies, I thought that would be a place to pick up
with those things." Perhaps the alternative-ending rumors stem from the
producers' clandestine high jinks: Because they wanted to keep the prenatal plot
under wraps, the pregnancy scene wasn't revealed to the crew until the night it
was shot. "The last page of the script was never published," says Spotnitz.
"That was a secret we were trying to hold as long as possible."
What the heck was Krycek doing in an African jail?
As usual, all roads lead to you-know-who. "Cigarette-Smoking Man put him in
that prison as a result of [Krycek's] stealing information from him," says
Carter. That explanation never made it into the final cut, he adds. And what are
we to make of the return of U.N. babe Marita Covarrubias, miraculously cured of
the alien cancer? "She actually got it from a test," says Carter. "But she was
not dying, she was just weakened from the tests." Uh-huh. Guess it was one of
those 24-hour alien bugs.
Didn't the aliens cure CSM of lung cancer a couple of seasons ago? Why was he
dying of it again?
Says Carter: "Remember that he had an operation, which was the same operation
that Mulder had where there was a transfer of genetic material. [Not really, but
okay.] The operation didn't work. This is the result of that." Answer us this,
then: Did Krycek's pushing CSM down the stairs finally kill that black-lunged
bastard? "Wait 'til next season," Carter says. Now, *there's* a shocker!
(Additional reporting by Tricia Johnson)
Men in Black
Who will fill Mulder's flat-footed shoes? Exec producer Chris Carter will
only say he wants a "very, very good actor," famous or not. Carter chuckled at
our first suggestion - Martial Law's Sammo Hung. Here, some other deputy
Duchovnys to ponder:
[there's a small color photo of each "contender"]
ERIC CLOSE UPSIDE The foxy star of the now-canceled Now and Again has the
brawny charm to lighten Scully up. DOWNSIDE We might not care if Mulder ever
came back.
NICHOLAS LEA UPSIDE The man behind Krycek- Cancer Man's former henchman - is
a fan favorite to replace Duchovny. DOWNSIDE He's *much* more fun as a villain.
RALPH FIENNES UPSIDE Britain's smoldering Shakespearean is certainly a "very
very good actor." DOWNSIDE Probably doesn't need the work.
KYLE MACLACHLAN UPSIDE Carter says he's actually talked to the Twin Peaks
G-man over the years and would "like to find a way to work him in." DOWNSIDE
Remember Showgirls?
GARRY SHANDLING UPSIDE He already played Mulder in a Duchovny-penned episode.
DOWNSIDE Teamwork isn't his thing (see Hank Kingsley from The Larry Sanders
Show).
CARTMAN UPSIDE The foul-mouthed South Park tot has experience with alien anal
probes. DOWNSIDE Way too animated for The X-Files.
