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Dec
31
2000

Science Fiction Weekly: Frank Spotnitz tells the truth about the latest season of The X-Files

Dec-31-2000
Science Fiction Weekly
Frank Spotnitz tells the truth about the latest season of The X-Files
Melissa Perenson

The negotiations went down to the wire. But when the dust settled, The X-Files was on Fox’s schedule for an eighth year, and actor David Duchovny (Mulder) had agreed to return.

As a result, though The X-Files is still fundamentally about telling scary stories, now it’s also about so much more. As if restructuring the series to focus on Scully (Gillian Anderson), her temporary partner, Agent Doggett (Robert Patrick), and their search for Mulder wasn’t a dramatic enough shift, at the end of season seven Scully revealed that she was pregnant. That’s a lot to absorb– for both audiences and the show’s creators alike. Executive producer Frank Spotnitz shares his thoughts on The X-Files’ season so far.

The decision to bring The X-Files back for another year was a last-minute one. How did that affect how you approached the episodes for this season?

Spotnitz: After we found out we were going to be back for another year, the first thing we thought about was, since we don’t have Mulder, who is going to be added to the mix that’s going to shake things up? Honestly, we had to feel our way forward through all of the stories. The X-Files is still The X-Files–it’s always been a plot-driven show–so finding the stories and the investigations has not been any harder than it ever was. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it hasn’t gotten more difficult. What has gotten difficult, and interestingly so, is how these two people go about solving these cases.

What went into the process of casting Robert Patrick (Terminator 2) as Scully’s new partner, Agent Doggett?

Spotnitz: Well, this was a huge studio/network decision. Everyone had an interest in this, because it’s really about the preservation of the series–they really want to see the show continue beyond an eighth year, to a ninth season and beyond. It was a massive casting process; hundreds of names were thrown into the hat, and we saw dozens of actors. We saw many fine people for this part. And I have to say, the one guy who came in, of all the people we saw, who was exactly what we had imagined, was Robert Patrick.

Given how central Mulder and Scully’s relationship is to the series, how did you go about constructing a new working dynamic between Doggett and Scully?

Spotnitz: It’s so complicated. There are so many factors you need to consider, doing something like this. It’s like brain surgery on a TV show. What’s evolved is [Scully as] a very reluctant believer, someone who arrives at paranormal explanations as a last resort; only when science abandons her, when she runs out of all possible real-world theories, does she dare to put forward something that Mulder might have in the first scene of Act I in previous years.

How does Scully react to Doggett’s arrival on scene?

Spotnitz: With hostility [laughs]. Scully does not welcome him, and he has to earn her respect and her trust, much like he has to earn the respect and the trust of the audience. And I think it’s a strategy that’s paying off for us.

“Via Negativa,” this season’s seventh episode and the first episode you’ve written solo in a while, focuses on Doggett’s character.

Spotnitz: It was kind of a storytelling challenge, because early in his tenure, Agent Doggett is handed the reins of an X-File investigation. And he has to struggle through it, with Scully offering only limited help. It was a bit of a brain teaser to figure out how to tell a story like that, but it ended up being very satisfying, and a great experience for me to write and to watch filmed, because we had a new director to the show, Tony Wharmby, who was wonderful, and totally into the script and totally into the character. And then Robert Patrick, he just showed what he could do. He was just fantastic.

After 11th-hour contract negotiations last May, Duchovny struck a deal to appear in a limited number of episodes. How are you dealing with Mulder’s absence through the first half of the season?

Spotnitz: Well, Mulder is sort of spiritually present in all of these episodes, even when they’re not looking for him, because it his approach that Scully is forced to adopt, and it was his unit. And through an incredibly complicated arrangement [with] David’s agents and manager and the studio, he’s available to us for a certain number of days here and there. And so there are episodes that feature him prior to his ultimate return. It’s a weird deal they struck, because I believe he’s in six episodes for real. And then there are a certain number of days to be used by us here and there, that they imagine will amount to another five episodes, but it may be less, or may be more.

When was the decision made to pursue a storyline in which Scully becomes pregnant?

Spotnitz: At the very beginning of season seven, we hit upon the idea and it seemed wonderful to us. There was beautiful symmetry to it. We knew that was our target all season, and so we did a number of things in episodes that would be tantalizing for fans who later were to look back at the episodes and try and figure out when Scully might have gotten pregnant and how. And that’s something we will continue to explore this season. But all questions will be answered by the end of the season, we promise.

How will Scully’s pregnancy affect her ability to search for Mulder?

Spotnitz: Season eight begins the morning after season seven. She’s not showing, and she’s able to not show for some months, so she’s able to preserve her secret for some months. I think this is going to be a season with more than one cliffhanger in it, and we’re going to use those cliffhangers as opportunities to expand or contract time as need be.

With Mulder away, will we see more of The X-Files’ peripheral characters this season?

Spotnitz: We’ll see Krycek and Covarrubias in the second half of the season. I think their roles become more important when Mulder is returned. But Skinner, to me, is extremely interesting this year, because his role has changed fundamentally.

Will we see much of the Lone Gunmen?

Spotnitz: They appear in the first episode, and again in “Via Negativa,” the episode I wrote with Doggett, and again in episode 11. We hoped to use them more, but it’s difficult, because they’re in production now on their own series in Vancouver; it’s going to be logistically difficult.

Mulder and Scully are obviously the heart of The X-Files–but now we have Doggett, too. What will happen to that dynamic when Mulder is back in the picture?

Spotnitz: That’s a really interesting question, and that’s the one we’re starting to explore in earnest, because we’re almost up to that point, in terms of writing the shows. But he’s not going anywhere, so he’s going to become an important part of the show. It really becomes a three-lead series at that point. I think, over time, a bond will form between Scully and Doggett, and it doesn’t go away once Mulder returns. I think it’s going to be interesting to see how these two men play off of each other once Mulder comes back.

So far, the show’s ratings have held steady. But did you have any concerns going into this Mulder-less season?

Spotnitz: Definitely. I was totally uncertain about whether it was a good idea to go forward this year. If it had been left up to me, I’m not sure I would have gone forward; but having committed to it, I wanted it to be great. And I wanted to be vindicated creatively, and defeat all the naysayers. So that’s what we’ve been doing. All of us are aware of what a huge risk this is, and how crucial the character of Mulder has been to this series, how much he has been the series, and how much he and Scully and their relationship have been central to everything that has made the show successful. To take that away–you can’t take a bigger gamble in television. We’ve gone into this with our eyes open, fully aware of the more-than-good chance of failure, but we’ve been going at it the best way we know how.

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Dec
29
2000

The Hartford Courant: 'X-Files' Spinoff Due On Fox In March

Dec-29-2000
The Hartford Courant
‘X-Files’ Spinoff Due On Fox In March
James Endrst

LOS ANGELES — There are still some people in this world who, when they speak, are guaranteed an audience.

Fans of ”Star Trek” come to mind.

As do aficionados of Chris Carter and his Fox paranormal drama, ”The X-Files.”

So if you happen to be one of those people, listen up. With ”The X-Files” in its eighth season and a ninth year in doubt, and after a long, distracting legal tussle between Fox and star David Duchovny, Carter is not only in the midst of determining the future of his series, he’s also hard at work on a spinoff, ”The Lone Gunmen.” Due in March in ”The X-Files” Sunday night time slot at 9, the hourlong comedy/drama will give those computer-savvy conspiracy geeks Byers (Bruce Harwood), Frohike (Tom Braidwood) and Langly (Dean Haglund) – also known as the The Lone Gunmen – a Fox show of their own.

Carter, the creator/executive producer here again, says his latest series wasn’t part of some long, drawn-out plan.

It happened, really, by chance.

”We did episodes that were dedicated to the Lone Gunmen … really as a result of the unavailability of Gillian (Anderson) and David when we were making the movie (1998’s ‘The X-Files: Fight the Future’).”

The ”Gunmen” episodes, says Carter, were very successful. ”We thought the guys were very funny.”

Funny? Yes.

But cool? Never.

Described as a ”misguided ‘Mission: Impossible’ team” with ”stagnant” social skills, the trio will get some help from the distracting presence of Yves Adele Harlow, played by newcomer Zuleikha Robinson. ”She’s just stunningly beautiful,” says Carter. ”She’s very young and she’s very green, but she’s terrific.”

From his perspective, Robinson is cut from the ”Bond Girl” mold. But the British-born actress, who was raised in Thailand and Malaysia, is also a woman of the world – one with a British accent Carter will use in the series.

Look for a fourth gunmen, another unknown named Stephen Snedden, to join the show, as well.

Duchovny and Anderson were hardly household names when Carter cast them as Mulder and partner Dana Scully. Carter says he prefers casting no-names rather than big names. ”I think if you have faith in your taste, it’s the way to go,” he says. ”Because it creates a level of interest for a show, for the material, that might not be there otherwise. People have already made up their minds about certain actors.” Carter didn’t find the audition process too painful, either, speaking clearly of Robinson’s role.

”Mostly we cast bland everybodys and everymans. And every once in a while, we get a chance to actually see beautiful women.”

For the ”X-Files” faithful who simply must know, assuming they haven’t hacked into a Web site somewhere in search of an answer, ”The Lone Gunmen” won’t get too much of a boost from ”The X-Files” as far as setting up the series. The Gunmen will appear more frequently on ”X-Files.” But Mitch Pileggi, who plays assistant director Skinner, is the only star scheduled for a crossover appearance.

Don’t look for Duchovny, certainly.

Duchovny, who has been missing in action for a good part of this season, after being abducted by what appeared to be an alien space ship in the season-seven cliffhanger, has already been, essentially, replaced by Robert Patrick as Scully’s partner, agent John Doggett.

”This show certainly could come back,” Carter says. ”But I don’t have a contract, and (when) I came back this year, I said I would only do it if I could figure out a way to make it good. That’s the way I would come back next year. So I’m considering it. I’m not saying no, I’m not saying yes.”

The plan, he explains, is to turn the television series into a movie series.

”It’s still kind of in the talking stages,” Carter says of the movies to be. ”We really want to figure out how to wind the TV series down or reinvent it before we do that (next) movie specifically.” (Duchovny would, however, ideally be in whatever big-screen version came next, says the producer.)

Still, though Carter says he loves the job that Patrick (”Terminator 2: Judgment Day”) has done in a difficult situation, Duchovny’s public disappointment and protest over his share of ”The X-Files” dividends has taken its toll.

”This year’s been interesting,” Carter says, ”because there are so many people who are invested in Mulder and Scully. Then all of a sudden you change that. And you hear about it, believe me. There is a lot of mail and a lot of opinions. And, you know, not all of them are positive.”

In fact, he says of the particularly tuned in, known as “X-philes”: “They were ready to hate the show this year. They were going to punish us for changing what they had come to know and love. There’s still a group on the Internet who just will not tolerate what we’ve done — even though I think we’re doing it well.”

There’s simply ”a lot of hysteria right now,” says Carter.

That kind of palpable exasperation from the show’s creator may shed some light on why Carter says ”The Lone Gunmen” is a show (and it is a comedy as opposed to a drama), that stands on its own.

But rest assured, though there are many ”wonderfully lowbrow” moments, Carter says he has no intention of writing down to the audience and the program will operate in the same milieu as ”X-Files.” ”Right now, they’re not dealing with the paranormal,” he says of ”The Lone Gunmen,” which is at about the halfway point in preparation for debut.

Conspiracy theories like the Kennedy assassination will be part of the plot lines, without a doubt. In general, however, Carter says, ”They have more to do with what I’d call contemporary crime and injustice.” Such as?

”The kind of stuff where the government is lying to us,” says Carter. ”Also white-collar crime and we’ve got a story about the legendary water-powered car. We’ve got a story about a philandering senator. We’ve got a story about a possible Nazi war criminal, who is a woman living in America.”

The last one, for a reason he won’t explain, makes him laugh out loud. ”It’s just very funny.” Distributed by the Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service

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Nov
30
2000

The X-Files Official Site: Fox Chat with Vince Gilligan

Nov-30-2000
The X-Files Official Site
Fox Chat with Vince Gilligan

FOXcom_Host: Okay, all you X-Philes, now’s your chance to chat with one of the big guys… Welcome, Vince!

Vince Gilligan: Hi everybody!

miggie: Hi Vince! Do you consider yourself a shipper?

Vince Gilligan: LOL! I don’t really think of it in those terms. But I do love the relationship between Mulder and Scully. I have since I became a fan of the show way back in 1993!

Michelly36: have you always wanted to be a writer, or did it just happen?

Vince Gilligan: Yes I always wanted to be a writer. It’s something I naturally gravitated toward back in elementary school. And I always loved movies. So back when I was 10 or 11 years old I would write little movie scripts that I would shoot on Super 8 film with my brother Patrick as the star.

amyh: Vince, you’re the best — well, you and John, and Frank and Chris… I’m sure this is an unfair question, but what’s your favorite episode that you’ve written?

dave: Out of all the episodes you’ve written, which one is your favorite?

Vince Gilligan: Good questions… Unfortunately, I don’t really have a single favorite. For what it’s worth though, I can mention one that I was very proud of… That other people don’t usually consider one of my best and that was “Folie A Deux.” I had a lot of fun writing that one.

Zotzirene: How were you hired for the XF?

Vince Gilligan: I was writing movie scripts back in 1993 and making a living doing that, when I mentioned to my agent that I was a big fan of this new TV show called The X-Files. She got me a meeting with Chris Carter. This was in the middle of season two of the series. And I came in to meet Chris and Howard Gordon, basically just to tell them both what a great show I thought they had. One thing led to another, and I pitched them an idea I had come up with in the hotel room the night before. That pitch turned into the episode “Soft Light,” which aired late in season two.

jan281986: where do you get your ideas from?

Vince Gilligan: That’s always a good question, and also the single toughest question to answer. The best I can say is they just sort of come to you when you’re desperate for them. In other words, it’s our job to come up with these episodes and we’re always attuned to new ideas, and they come from the unlikeliest places, or sometimes they just pop full-blown into our heads. But invariably I come up with an idea for an episode, and then promptly forget where exactly it came from. That’s not counting ideas that Frank Spotnitz or John Shiban comes up with. I can’t speak to how they do it!

miggie: Vince, you’ve written some of the most popular episodes among fans, like the wonderful “Bad Blood”, “Small Potatoes” and “Je Souhaite.” One of the reasons these episodes are popular it’s the dead-on characterizations for Mulder and Scully. How do you see them in your… er… head?

Vince Gilligan: I guess it helped that I started my relationship with The X-Files as a fan. I loved the dynamic between Mulder and Scully from the first episode I watched of the series. I love them because they have great affection for one another and great respect for one another, and it’s clear they enjoy each other’s company. To me, they’ve always been the kind of characters I wish I knew in real life — the kind of people I’d love to sit down and have a beer with. I guess that’s why their voices come easy to me, if in fact they do.

Chris_26: Hi, I was wondering if you know Gillian or David well. Or are you strictly a behind-the-scenes guy and disappear when the camera rolls?

Vince Gilligan: I love to visit the set every chance I get. Unfortunately these days all of us writers are so busy that we don’t get to do that very often. But David and Gillian are both wonderful people. David is very funny and Gillian is a sweetheart. I can’t say I know them extremely well, but what I see of them on the set makes me respect them both very much.

Sullivan: Did you enjoy directing “Je Souhaite?” Will you do it again?

Vince Gilligan: I loved directing “Je Souhaite,” and I would love to direct another episode. I can’t tell you how nervous I was in the month leading up to directing that episode. It was a very scary time for me. But once I got on the set, and the crew was so wonderfully supportive of me, and David and Gillian were so great to work with, that I just started to relax and have a good time. Directing is a very hard job, but it’s definitely something I’d like to attempt again.

foxandrat: Vince, what inspired “Roadrunners?” A lot of fans have been comparing it to season one’s “Ice”. Did you take inspiration from that episode or from something entirely different?

Vince Gilligan: Actually, “Roadrunners” is a bit of an homage to the Spencer Tracy movie Bad Day at Black Rock. It’s a wonderful movie in which Spencer Tracy visits a small town in the desert, and quickly realizes nobody wants him there. He winds up uncovering its dark secret, although that secret has nothing to do with Giant Messianic banana slugs. If you’re not familiar with this movie, by all means go out and rent it. I won’t ruin the ending for you.

anna: Some fans were disturbed by the violent sexual imagery that was used to portray Mulder in “Without” and Scully in “Roadrunners” Is this the way the writers prefer to show them as sexual beings, rather than allowing them to be sexual in the context of a romantic relationship?

Vince Gilligan: I think you’re reading too much into it.

emm_phx: A number of fans, especially women, are disturbed by the “dumbing down”, submission, and victimization of Scully, ESPECIALLY during “Roadrunners.” Are you aware of these concerns? Is Scully’s dumbing down vis a vis that manly-man Doggett intentional?

Vince Gilligan: I disagree completely. I think Scully is extremely smart in that episode, just like we endeavor to make her in every episode. It sounds like what you’re responding to is the scene where she is held captive against her will. That definitely is a disturbing scene, but my take on it is that the very same thing could have happened to Mulder, a male figure. And in fact, Mulder has probably been held against his will and had terrible things done to him as many times in the past as Scully has.

DanaKatherineScully: how come you come up with all the stomach churning episodes?

Vince Gilligan: I thought I came up with all the funny episodes! Seriously though, “Roadrunners” was pretty disgusting, I’ll admit…

amyh: Love your work on the show — and Home Fries of course! How would you define the dynamic between Mulder and Scully? Conversely, how would you define the dynamic between Doggett and Scully?

Vince Gilligan: Good question….As I said earlier, Mulder and Scully’s relationship is one based on great mutual respect. Of course, it’s a little early to tell yet, but I hope Doggett and Scully’s relationship will be based on the same kind of shared respect for one another. This is not to say that Doggett will replace Agent Mulder! No one could do that. Mulder will no doubt always be the most important person in Scully’s life, but that shouldn’t rule out her having a work relationship with another FBI agent — one based on mutual respect.

Foxfire: In “Pusher,” as in so many of your episodes you find Mulder and Scully pushed to their psychological limit. As a writer I find it difficult to empathize with the characters, how do you manage it?

Vince Gilligan: Good question… I guess it helps to love the characters you are writing, as I said before…That’s the real trick to writing — putting yourself into the heads of the characters you are giving voice to. Maybe it comes down to common ground: Always finding a way to identify with the character you are writing. And to understand his or her hopes and fears and loves and hates.

silent_alien: I loved “Pusher!!” It was very creative…What made you think of it?

Vince Gilligan: Gosh, it was so long ago, let me think… As I recall, the teaser came first. I stole the idea for the teaser from the ending of an old movie script that I had written the previous summer. At the end of that movie the good guy uses post-hypnotic suggestion on the bad guy to make him pull out in front of a truck in his little sports car. I never wound up actually writing that scene in the movie script because I couldn’t figure out how to fit it in. But then I remembered the idea months and months later. We added the supernatural twist of telekinetic mind control, and it became “Pusher.”

Jewlz: “X-Cops,” which I love by the way, was right on target! How many episodes of Cops did you watch in order to prepare for the making of “X-Cops?”

Vince Gilligan: I had been a fan of Cops even longer than I had been a fan of The X-Files, by virtue of the fact that it has been on the air longer. I couldn’t tell you how many episodes I’ve seen over the years. But the big thing I did in preparation for writing that episode was to spend an 8 PM to 3 AM shift with the LA County Sheriff’s Department. I rode along with a deputy who kept apologizing for how slow the “action” was that night. Nonetheless, he wound up pulling his gun on no fewer than five occasions! It was very exciting — better than Disneyland! I even got to wear a bulletproof vest.

Zotzirene: How did David Duchovny’s 11th hour decision to return to the show affect the writing staff?

Vince Gilligan: It made for a tough close to last season, I’ll admit. Not just for the writing staff but for the crew as well. As no one was sure whether or not it was time to move on to new jobs. But I understand it was a tough decision for David to make and I’m glad that this series I love so much is still on the air. And I’m glad David will be back, at least for half a season. T_Hoese: Any clue about Mulder’s return? Do you know ANYTHING you can tell us? :o)

Vince Gilligan: Yes I know a little bit about Mulder’s return, but I’m not telling YOU!! You’ll just have to wait and see. It’s more fun that way, don’t you think?

PamalaX: Do you miss Mulder as a fan?

Vince Gilligan: I love the character of Mulder, as I’ve said, and I do miss him as a fan. However — and I know a lot of you won’t want to hear this — as a WRITER, I love the character of Agent Doggett. This is because he is an entirely new voice that I get to write for.

scully001: what do you think of the addition of John Doggett?

Vince Gilligan: He is a good, interesting character to me, and it’ll be fun to see where he winds up. Also the actor who plays him, Robert Patrick, is an exceptionally nice man who seems to feel truly honored to be here. Again, I know a lot of you don’t want to hear that, but I don’t think that has to take away from Mulder.

Adamrs: Chris Carter had said that this season’s episodes would focus on more “magical realism” and maybe sequeling some old episodes. Does this still stand?

Vince Gilligan: I never heard that quote. I wasn’t aware that he had said that. All I can tell you for sure is that we’re going to try to go back to our roots to a certain extent. We’re going to try to make this season one of the scariest ever.

Sullivan: Did the fact you became executive producer of The X-Files this year changed something to your work?

Vince Gilligan: No, because I’m doing the same job I’ve always done. I definitely appreciate the bump up in title, however. It makes me very proud to have attained that title on this show that I enjoy working for so much. And working on so much. But at the end of the day I’m doing the exact same job, just with a better title.

Tootles: Are you going to write at all for The Lone Gunmen spinoff?

Vince Gilligan: Absolutely!

foxandrat: What can you tell us about The Lone Gunmen series?

Vince Gilligan: I’m very excited about it too, as is Chris Carter, Frank Spotnitz and John Shiban. I can tell you that the show is very funny. It’s sort of like a comedic version of Mission Impossible — except that the Mission Impossible team in this case has no money and has to drive around in a 1969 VW Microbus. I think this show is going to be a kick. I think people are going to enjoy it very much — at least I hope so. But it’s a real ball to write.

bear: Why do you think there have never been female writers (besides Gillian)?

Vince Gilligan: That’s not true, actually. When I joined the writing staff in 1995, we had a female writer named Kim Newton. Before that we had a woman named Marilyn Osborne, who went on to write for Touched By An Angel. Since then we’ve had the Mayhew sisters — Vivian and Valerie. And I wouldn’t want to forget Sara Charno, who wrote a couple of my favorite episodes, “Aubrey” and “The Calusari.”

gordon715: how about a female director?

Vince Gilligan: Also this year for the first time I’m proud to say we’re going to have a couple of female directors. One on The Lone Gunman show, and one on The X-Files. We have a wonderful female writer on The Lone Gunman show as well — a woman named Nandi Bowe, who we think is great.

sully: do you see the cigarette-smoking-man re-entering the picture?

Vince Gilligan: As a fan, I’d love to see CSM come back. I couldn’t really answer that however because his character has always been used in the mythology episodes that Chris and Frank write. I’ve never really had a hand in writing any mythology episodes, save for “Memento Mori,” which I guess you could count. But I don’t think I’ve ever actually written for the CSM. So I leave the answer to that question up to Chris and Frank, but unfortunately they’re not here.

dmdcash: Any news on the future of Mulder/Scully and the baby? We need some good news to look to…

chesire: There is much speculation over the paternity — and even species! — of Scully’s baby. Any hints? 🙂

Vince Gilligan: Let me ask you something — Do you go sneaking around the house on Christmas eve, trying to figure out where all the presents are hidden? What fun would it be if I told you that the father of Scully’s baby was none other than Frohike? Whoops! I’ve let the cat out of the bag… I’m just kidding everybody!

FOXcom_Host: Unfortunately, we have to say goodbye to Vince now…

VinceFan: Vince, first of all, I wanted to say: I am a big fan of you! I live in Brazil and we haven’t watched any 8th season episodes yet and I’m a bit nervous about it, but I trust you to continue making great episodes as always…

Vince Gilligan: Thank you so much for being fans of the show! I know many of you are nervous about the direction things SEEM to be taking, but just know that nothing is necessarily as it appears in The X-Files. Also know that all of us here are fans of the show, as well as big fans of Mulder and Scully. We’ll do our best to do right by them, and by Agent Doggett as well.

FOXcom_Host: Goodbye, Vince, and thank you for being here!

Vince Gilligan: Best wishes to everyone and have a great and safe holiday season!

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Nov
16
2000

Chicago Tribune: Trial by 'File': Scully and new parter face first 'monster' test

Nov-16-2000
Chicago Tribune
Trial by ‘File’: Scully and new parter face first ‘monster’ test
Allan Johnson

[posted to atxfa by Alfornos]

Now that the two-part season premiere of Fox’s “The X-Files” has come and gone, the real test begins.

Last Sunday’s episode concluded yet another chapter in the paranormal series’ so-called “mythology.” This intricate, sometimes confusing history of the show includes government coverups of alien existence, alien plans for world domination, and the struggle of intrepid FBI agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) to reveal the truth.

Mulder has been abducted by those marauding aliens and subjected to some really nasty experiments. This storyline is a convenient way of explaining away Duchovny’s absence from the series, since he’s only contracted to be in half of this season’s episodes.

“The X-Files” passed its first test. It recast Mulder’s partner, Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), as the show’s center, a former skeptic of things that go bump in the night. It introduced agent John Doggett (Robert Patrick) as Scully’s new associate in investigating X-Files who also leads the investigation into Mulder’s “disappearance.” And it effectively put Mulder in the background while keeping him very much a part of the series.

But the meat and potatoes of “The X-Files” has always been its “monster” episodes. These are the stand-alone segments that featured Mulder and Scully tracking various freaks, mutants and creatures.

The first such episode is scheduled for 8 p.m. Sunday on WFLD-Ch. 32. Scully and Doggett investigate their first X-File together, a case involving murders that seemed to have been committed by a batlike creature.

If the relationship between Scully and Doggett doesn’t work, and if the story feels like a rehash of other monster episodes, it could signal the final creative demise of “The X-Files.” (No advance tape of the episode was available.)

Those connected with the series say don’t write obituaries yet.

According to producer-creator Chris Carter, the show has “found a new way to tell good scary stories,” mostly because of the addition of Patrick, the abduction of Mulder, and Scully’s transformation to reluctant believer.

“I think what that does for us is it forces us to increase a new dynamic in the storytelling,” Carter says. “And I think of it as going back, really, to the first season and telling good, scary stories again, using this new dynamic.

“The cases come to them through the X-Files office, but now, of course, Scully is the one holding the remote on the project and taking Doggett through the cases, and he is the one who is shaking his head saying this can’t be.”

Says Patrick of Doggett: “He has to really lean on Scully’s experience with this, and he’s sort of nurtured that relationship, I guess, as a working partnership. And he’s dealing with things that he’s never had to deal with before.”

Carter had planned to do less mythology episodes this season, but now he realizes any show that has Mulder in it “becomes a kind of mythology episode.”

As is his nature, Carter is coy about future stand-alones . . . except for one: a man who is contaminated by “smart metal . . . which I think Robert [who played the morphing metallic cyborg T-2000 in “Terminator 2″] and everyone else can appreciate.”

Whether the stand-alone episodes work or not wasn’t an issue with Anderson. She had tired of the job and just didn’t want to be back (she was not only contracted for an eighth year, but she also is going to be around for a ninth if Fox wants one).

Now, she feels renewed.

“I felt that I was losing sight of what I had left to give,” she says. “Much to my chagrin, and also [because of] some conversation with Chris about the potential for the new season and the introduction of the new character, I started to get more interested and more excited about the potential of the new year.”

Anderson and Patrick are co-stars, but it really falls on Anderson to carry the show as Scully because she is the one fans have formed a relationship with. Anderson says rediscovering Scully is the reason she has been able to shoulder the load.

“What I’ve found since Scully has had more to do, and Mulder has kind of temporarily fallen into the background, [is] it almost feels as if Scully has found her voice again,” she says. “It’s almost as if when there was two of us [Scully and Mulder], part of me kind of stepped down or stepped backwards in a way. And now that half of that equation is no longer here, it’s kind of allowed me to open up a bit more.”

Carter is going to see how this season goes, but he stresses, “I don’t want to go on with the show, unless the show can be good.”

We’ll see just how good it is on Sunday.

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Posted in Interviews: Press | No Comments »

Nov
06
2000

Fox chat with Chris Carter

Nov-06-2000
Fox chat with Chris Carter

FOX HOST:

Chris, welcome! Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with the X-Files fans around the world.

Chris Carter: Thanks it’s nice to be doing this on the day after the Season Premiere in the U.S. And I’m anxious to hear what the fans who saw it thought of the episode and of Robert Patrick.

Joe Horton, USA: There has been much speculation online about the new season. Were you more excited or apprehensive about how this season would be received?

Chris Carter: I was both excited and apprehensive. I was excited because I thought it would be a challenge to partially reinvent the show. But, just as with the X-Files originally, you never know if the chemistry that you’ve imagined will actually work on screen.

Ana Pinto, Lisboa, Portugal: After all these years, HOW do you expect us to believe that Mulder has been lying to Scully about a possible brain illness?

Chris Carter: He hadn’t lied to her. The only thing that he did was withhold information last year…that he had been undergoing treatment. But it was the same illness that we saw him suffer from at the end of Season 6 and the beginning of Season 7.

Christina, Boston, USA: With Mulder absent for much of the season, will Scully finally get her own desk or appropriate Mulder’s?

Chris Carter: That’s a very good question. And I will leave episode three to answer it!

Adam Roberts, Memphis TN, USA: Ever since Krycek had utilized nanotechnology to control the health of Skinner, I thought that nanotechnology would resurface as a possible weapon against the aliens – do you plan to revisit this powerful technology during this next season?

Chris Carter: Yes! And it still is not clear for the audience, I think, whether or not the nanotechnology is still inside Skinner and if Krycek still has control over him due to this. This will be explored this season.

DB, Sao Paulo, Brasil: Chris, in the first season episode “Shapes” (#1X18), the chief of the tribe says to Mulder:-“FBI” -“I’ll see you in the in about… 8 years. When will this encounter take place?

Chris Carter: LOL. I guess it would be this year, wouldn’t it? Unless the Indian is wrong. That’s a very good question, and I hope no one else makes me think back to season one!

Danielly, Fortaleza, Brasil: How will the humor dose be administered in the new season? I think that little by little the x-files started losing its true essence, which was to frighten and make people go beyond the plausible reality, right?!

Chris Carter: Right. The humor has always been a part of The X-Files, but as the show matured it became a bigger and bigger part…where entire episodes would be based on a comedic premise. This year, we’re gonna go back to what we did so well in seasons one and two, and just tell good, scary stories. But the trademark humor between Mulder and Scully will now, at least for the beginning of the season, be left to Scully and Doggett.

Juanjo, Archena (Murcia), Spain: If Duchovny indeed leaves the series, will we see the death of Mulder?

Chris Carter: No. Not if I have anything to do with it! My contract runs out this year…and I have big plans for more X-Files movies and David Duchovny and Mulder are a part of those plans.

Claire, Dallas, USA: OK, will Mulder be phased out and replaced by Doggett?

Chris Carter: I read recently that David Duchovny is not ruling out a ninth season of the show. Robert Patrick has a multi-season contract, as does Gillian Anderson. Next year could be very interesting.

Bridget, Mackay, Australia: Was Scully’s pregnancy something that you envisioned from the very beginning of the series?

Chris Carter: Not really. Most things I had an idea how I was going to move the series toward in the end. But I never imagined Scully’s pregnancy; although, I didn’t imagine Gillian’s pregnancy during seasons one and two. That real pregnancy created an interesting fictional problem and this fictional pregnancy helps solve a real problem…which is, how to keep the show interesting between two characters who are romantically involved but have never had any physical contact. It’s sex, The X-Files way!

Marta_r, Sao Paulo, Brasil: What does the future of Scully’s baby hold? Could you share any type of information at this point?

Chris Carter: Scully will become Murphy Brown! And she’ll do a spinoff series where she’s a single mother by night…FBI agent by day. I’m predicting a hit.

Amber, Toronto, Canada: Is it Mulder’s baby??? Please oh please oh please let it be his!!! **fingers crossed** 😉

Chris Carter: The person asking that question has a great year in store.

Leonardo da Fonseca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Will Scully’s pregnancy interfere with her investigative capabilities? At the end of the season, is there a chance that Mulder and Doggett will work together?

Chris Carter: I think the answer to both questions is “yes.” But we’ll try to make a virtue of the problems that arise from Scully’s pregnancy. And Doggett and Mulder will undoubtedly have to work together sometime in the last half of the season.

Calli Webs, Bello Horizonte, Costa Rica: What is your rationale for sending a pregnant Scully out chasing monsters when she still hasn’t found Mulder. The myth seems so much meatier now, still so much unexplained, aliens planning an invasion…why not pursue that more?

Chris Carter: We try to tell many different stories, and not lean to heavily on the alien mythology. It’s been a winning approach and we’ll probably stick to it.

Zotzirene, Chicago, USA: Do you foresee the X-Files becoming similar to a show like “Law and Order” in its ability to move stars in and out over time, like a repertory company of sorts? Or is this show always going to be about Mulder and Scully?

Chris Carter: I don’t foresee it being like “Law & Order.” It could possibly go on without Mulder and Scully. But I’m not exactly sure how. It might have to be a “next generation” show.

Michael Doyle, Dublin, Ireland: It’s evident from X-Philes on Message Boards, the official FOX Forum and others, and on web-sites and news groups, that over 3/4’s of fans do not want the X Files to continue without Mulder, regardless of how much they like Agent Doggett. Will this affect your decision to make a 9th season?

Chris Carter: Yes. I’m finding the fan feedback important and I wouldn’t want to continue trying to produce a popular show with an unpopular approach.

Lilith, New York City, USA: If there is a ninth season with Gillian Anderson and not David Duchovny, will you spilt up our favorite duo or end the show? Do you think Scully could get along without Mulder?

Chris Carter: I only did the show this year if David Duchovny would come back. So… I’m reluctant to ever split Mulder and Scully up. But the actors’ contracts and Twentieth Century Fox’s ultimate control over the show’s destiny prevent me from being the only person with a vote.

Pat, Vancouver, USA: Last season, you said you have always known how you would like to end the series. Has David’s departure and Robert Patrick’s introduction this season changed your vision at all?

Chris Carter: Yes, because I never imagined the addition of Agent Doggett originally. But it doesn’t change the bigger ideas that I have.

Sandy, Greenville, SC, United States: Is it possible for The X-Files to return for season 9 without you in control? Could Fox take the show from Ten Thirteen if you don’t sign?

Chris Carter: I presume they could. They are legally the owners of the show. But I don’t believe they would force the show on an audience who wasn’t receptive.

Jennifer, Seminole, USA: The X-Files ratings have declined in the last two seasons. Why do you think that is and what are you doing to gain back the viewers you lost?

Chris Carter: We were very excited to see the ratings for last night. I believe the reduced number of viewers is due to several things: very good counter-programming on cable and on the other networks, natural attrition for a show in its later years, and general consumer appetites which are always looking for something new.

Paul Munnings, Manawaka, USA: Does any potential feature film rest on the success on this season, or is another movie a forgone conclusion in your mind? And what our your thoughts of David’s statement in a recent online chat that he wouldn’t want to return to the role of Fox Mulder in another movie?

Chris Carter: David has always said to me, and I’ve never read anywhere that he wasn’t interested in doing another movie. The success of the show this year is very important to the future of The X-Files, but I don’t believe we could fail so miserably as to sabotage chances for another movie.

Tom, Boston, USA: If there is another X-Files movie, would you expect it to pick up where the series leaves off, or would it be more stand-alone?

Chris Carter: It would definitely be more of a stand-alone. And I don’t look forward…or I wouldn’t look forward to trying to do another movie in the middle of the series. I still can’t believe we pulled that one off!

alex winck, criciuma, Brazil: You’ve said that your father was a union man, and John Doggett has a blue-collar sensibility. Did your father inspire you to create him?

Chris Carter: I’m sure that somewhere all of my male characters have elements of important male role models in my life. I never thought about Doggett being inspired at all by my father. But now that I do think about it, there are very interesting similarities to my father as a young man.

Heidi, Charlestown, USA: It’s going to be difficult for some fans to like the Doggett character since he will be partnered with Scully while Mulder is gone. Even though the change is necessary, it’s still pretty risky, so what about Doggett is going to appeal to us?

Chris Carter: He’s a very determined, capable, intelligent man and a person who is respectful of Scully and will ultimately be very protective of her during her pregnancy. He has a tough role of trying to be the man in the life of a woman who has another man constantly on her mind. I think all of us can relate to that in some way or another.

Sue Ellen, Sylva, USA: Hi Chris. I was wondering, what are some parallels between the Mulder and Doggett characters?

Chris Carter: I believe the most obvious parallel is in their relentlessness, but also in their uncompromising quality, their protective natures and in their integrity…and that’s pretty much it.

elly r, eugene, usa: A question on many people’s minds: will Scully and Doggett have any romantic interest in each other, or will this simply be a working relationship?

Chris Carter: It would be a very strange year if Scully, being pregnant and longing for Mulder, became romantically involved with Doggett…with everyone knowing that Mulder is ultimately going to return! But that sounds exactly like something I would do! (laugh)

Cynthia Delmar, Los Angeles, USA: Chris, when XF began you often mentioned how the characters of Mulder and Scully were like two sides of your own personality. Eight hard-working years later, how does John Doggett mirror you, other than his, uh, dogged work ethic?

Chris Carter: He is the kind of extreme version of Scully’s skeptical nature and of mine. In 8 years, I still have had no good, satisfying paranormal experience. So maybe he represents my growing impatience for that experience to happen.

Marta Pujol Monterde, Barcelona, Spain: Why did you pick Robert Patrick as the replacement for Mulder?

Chris Carter: He is not Mulder’s replacement. Robert Patrick is an addition to the show. He, along with Mitch Pileggi and his expanded role, were necessary to tell good X-Files stories in the absence of Mulder.

Allison, New York, USA: In the episode, The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati, there is much debate as to the meaning of the little boy on the beach. Many fans believe that he is a premonition, a glance at what is to come…Mulder’s future son. I am of the opinion that he represented Mulder’s inner child, or being. Since this episode is key to Mulder’s abduction and the mythology, is there any validity to the idea that this boy is representative of Mulder’s future child?

Chris Carter: I believe that David Duchovny, who co-wrote the episode with me, wanted the image of the child to be open to interpretation. But I think that both of those interpretations are valid and interesting.

Nicole Czerwinski, Furstenwalde, Germany: Why you decide for the “Millennium”-kiss?

Chris Carter: We thought after 7 years that they deserved that kiss that never happened in the movie. And that the most natural time in the world to do it would be on New Year’s and on New Year’s of the Millennium for that matter. I was very happy with the way it came out. But, it’s still amazing to me that so much importance and anticipation could be locked up in an innocent smooch… when we see or almost see is pretty racy sex on almost every other TV show.

merlinsky, Winston-Salem, USA: We heard there were 2 possible endings for “Requiem”…can you tell us what the other ending we didn’t see was and how long before you filmed the episode did you decide to make Scully’s pregnancy an option?

Chris Carter: It was never an option, it was always the ending. I just did not inform the actors or the crew that Scully’s pregnancy was going to be in the script. I had planned this for months with Frank Spotnitz and only delivered the script pages to Kim Manners — the director — and to Gillian and Mitch Pileggi minutes before they performed the scene. I’m just paranoid!

Elizabeth Grieve, Alamogordo, USA: Chris, what prompted you to finish the last season with Mulder’s abduction? Was this based on David Duchovny’s schedule?

Chris Carter: We didn’t know if David Duchovny would come back for Season Eight or be leaving the show. We didn’t know if The X-Files would come back, for that matter. The episode needed to be satisfying in any event and also set up a movie. I believe that it worked in almost every way and for any eventuality, but here we are!

Valerie Ouaknine, Helen, USA: Do you try to stay pretty detached from what your fans want as opposed to what you’ve been planning for the show?? And if so, is it hard??

Chris Carter: We’ve always listened to the fans and paid careful attention to what they were saying. Mulder and Scully’s relationship, and what happened in Season Seven, I’d say were greatly affected by some of the things that we read. But we’ve never done anything that we didn’t feel was right for the characters…and continue to trust our instincts.

Annelies van der Veen, Dieren, The Netherlands: From a neutral point of view you can see that a lot of fans are worried about the future for the Mulder and Scully relationship. They all want a happy ending for them. How much does that influence or affect you or your writing? Or do you feel that those fans have a lack of trust in your writing capabilities / qualities?

Chris Carter: I understand their need and I also understand about satisfying audience expectation, but I also know that people are prone to want things that aren’t necessarily good for them. Or the characters. Or The X-Files, for that matter.

JenS610, Pleasanton, CA, USA: There is one aspect of the show that’s always bothered me. Why is Mulder such a New York sports fan when he grew up in Massachusetts?

Chris Carter: That’s really due to David Duchovny’s being a fan of the Knicks. I think his New York fandom ends there though. Tell me if I’m wrong…

Thomas, Copenhagen, Dennmark: Are you planning to use Krycek more this season? I heard there was supposed to be an all Krycek episode last season but Nicholas Lea wasn’t available for it. Will there be an episode explaining Krycek and Skinners relationship this season?

Chris Carter: Yes. Krycek and Skinner will kiss! On New Year’s Eve. Blame it on the nanotechnology!

Andrea Kino, Yokkaichi, Japan: In both the x-files and millennium, the characters (Mulder, Frank, and his wife) utilize psychology as the basis of the investigations. This is not just a mere coincidence, right? What is Chris? personal interest in psychology?

Chris Carter: On The X-Files, Mulder is trained in psychology and the character of Frank Black used psychology to get into the minds of criminals. This is one of the most interesting aspects of storytelling for me. But, psychology only goes so far on both shows. And actually presents the leaping off point for the paranormal on The X-Files and for good and evil on Millennium. Both shows are actually about the limits of psychology.

Mercedes Quintieri, Buenos Aires, Argentina: If you could go back, would you do anything different with the storyline that you weren’t able to do at the time?

Chris Carter: I can’t say that I would, and I believe that we have made some very good and lucky choices. This occurred to me during the episodes Redux and Redux II, when the mythology storylines almost created themselves. But I’d have to think about this question…get back to me later!

Marlui Vega, veracruz, mexico: Has the responsibilty of creating one the most successful television series affected your personal life?

Chris Carter: I have no personal life! So, the answer is yes. Actually, it’s been a very consuming experience that has been full of sacrifice and I’m sure I’ll only make sense of it all once it’s over.

Eduardo Romero, mar del plata, argentina: What is your favorite series, apart from your own?

Chris Carter: I loved “The Larry Sanders Show.” But beyond that, there’s very little now that I feel compelled to watch regularly. That has more to do with time than preference.

Mulder_1013, USA: Hey, Chris, I was wondering what do you think people will think of this season? Just to let you know, that was the greatest episode in all 7 seasons.

Chris Carter: Wow. That’s very unexpected! I hope that other people liked it as much. I hope that this season continues to satisfy in the same way.

George, UK: Are we ever going to see Skinner’s wife again?

Chris Carter: Only when she renegotiates her alimony payments. No plans on the books.

Laura Cap, US: The alt.tv.xfiles news group had an overwhelmingly positive reaction to the season opener. Were you expecting that kind of reaction? And what do you think appealed to people most about it?

Chris Carter: I think what appealed to people most is that the same elements that have made the show a success are still intact. There are just additions and new loyalties, but I’d say in this case it’s just about good storytelling…and an interesting approach from the actors and the director.

FOX HOST: Chris, you’ve been a fantastic guest… Thank you, again, for being part of this unprecedented event!

Chris Carter: Goodbye chatters! Thanks!

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Posted in Interviews: Online | 3 Comments »

Nov
06
2000

The X-Files Official Site: Chris Carter International Chat

Nov-06-2000
The X-Files Official Site
Chris Carter International Chat

FOX HOST says:
Chris, welcome! Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with “The X-Files” fans around the world.

Chris Carter:
Thanks, it’s nice to be doing this on the day after the Season Premiere in the U.S. And I’m anxious to hear what the fans who saw it thought of the episode and of Robert Patrick.

Joe Horton, USA
There has been much speculation online about the new season. Were you more excited or apprehensive about how this season would be received?

Chris Carter:
I was both excited and apprehensive. I was excited because I thought it would be a challenge to partially reinvent the show. But, just as with “The X-Files” originally, you never know if the chemistry that you’ve imagined will actually work on screen.

Ana Pinto, Lisboa, Portugal
After all these years, HOW do you expect us to believe that Mulder has been lying to Scully about a possible brain illness?

Chris Carter:
He hadn’t lied to her. The only thing that he did was withhold information last year…that he had been undergoing treatment. But it was the same illness that we saw him suffer from at the end of Season 6 and the beginning of Season 7.

Christina, Boston, USA
With Mulder absent for much of the season, will Scully finally get her own desk or appropriate Mulder’s?

Chris Carter:
That’s a very good question. And I will leave Episode 3 to answer it!

Adam Roberts, Memphis TN, USA
Ever since Krycek had utilized nanotechnology to control the health of Skinner, I thought that nanotechnology would resurface as a possible weapon against the aliens – do you plan to revisit this powerful technology during this next season?

Chris Carter:
Yes! And it still is not clear for the audience, I think, whether or not the nanotechnology is still inside Skinner and if Krycek still has control over him due to this. This will be explored this season.

DB, São Paulo, Brasil
Chris, in the first season episode “Shapes” (#1X18), the chief of the tribe says to Mulder: -“FBI” -“I’ll see you in the in about… 8 years. When will this encounter take place?

Chris Carter:
LOL. I guess it would be this year, wouldn’t it? Unless the Indian is wrong. That’s a very good question, and I hope no one else makes me think back to Season 1!

Danielly, Fortaleza, Brasil
How will the humor dose be administered in the new season? I think that little by little The X-Files started losing its true essence, which was to frighten and make people go beyond the plausible reality, right?!

Chris Carter:
Right. The humor has always been a part of “The X-Files,” but as the show matured it became a bigger and bigger part…where entire episodes would be based on a comedic premise. This year, we’re gonna go back to what we did so well in Seasons 1 and 2, and just tell good, scary stories. But the trademark humor between Mulder and Scully will now, at least for the beginning of the season, be left to Scully and Doggett.

Juanjo, Archena (Murcia), Spain
If Duchovny indeed leaves the series, will we see the death of Mulder?

Chris Carter:
No. Not if I have anything to do with it! My contract runs out this year…and I have big plans for more “X-Files” movies, and David Duchovny and Mulder are a part of those plans.

Claire, Dallas, USA
OK, will Mulder be phased out and replaced by Doggett?

Chris Carter:
I read recently that David Duchovny is not ruling out a ninth season of the show. Robert Patrick has a multi-season contract, as does Gillian Anderson. Next year could be very interesting.

Bridget, Mackay, Australia
Was Scully’s pregnancy something that you envisioned from the very beginning of the series?

Chris Carter:
Not really. Most things I had an idea how I was going to move the series toward in the end. But I never imagined Scully’s pregnancy; although, I didn’t imagine Gillian’s pregnancy during Seasons 1 and 2. That real pregnancy created an interesting fictional problem and this fictional pregnancy helps solve a real problem…which is, how to keep the show interesting between two characters who are romantically involved but have never had any physical contact. It’s sex, the “X-Files” way!

Marta_r, Sao Paulo, Brasil
What does the future of Scully’s baby hold? Could you share any type of information at this point?

Chris Carter:
Scully will become Murphy Brown! And she’ll do a spinoff series where she’s a single mother by night…FBI agent by day. I’m predicting a hit.

Amber, Toronto, Canada
Is it Mulder’s baby??? Please oh please oh please let it be his!!! **fingers crossed** 😉

Chris Carter:
The person asking that question has a great year in store.

Leonardo da Fonseca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Will Scully’s pregnancy interfere with her investigative capabilities? At the end of the season, is there a chance that Mulder and Doggett will work together?

Chris Carter:
I think the answer to both questions is yes. But we’ll try to make a virtue of the problems that arise from Scully’s pregnancy. And Doggett and Mulder will undoubtedly have to work together sometime in the last half of the season.

Calli Webs, Bello Horizonte, Costa Rica
What is your rationale for sending a pregnant Scully out chasing monsters when she still hasn’t found Mulder. The myth seems so much meatier now, still so much unexplained, aliens planning an invasion…why not pursue that more?

Chris Carter:
We try to tell many different stories, and not lean too heavily on the alien mythology. It’s been a winning approach and we’ll probably stick to it.

Zotzirene, Chicago, USA
Do you foresee “The X-Files” becoming similar to a show like “Law & Order” in its ability to move stars in and out over time, like a repertory company of sorts? Or is this show always going to be about Mulder and Scully?

Chris Carter:
I don’t foresee it being like “Law & Order.” It could possibly go on without Mulder and Scully. But I’m not exactly sure how. It might have to be a “next generation” show.

Michael Doyle, Dublin, Ireland
It’s evident from X-Philes on Message Boards, the official FOX Forum and others, and on web-sites and news groups, that over 3/4’s of fans do not want the X Files to continue without Mulder, regardless of how much they like Agent Doggett. Will this affect your decision to make a 9th season?

Chris Carter:
Yes. I’m finding the fan feedback important and I wouldn’t want to continue trying to produce a popular show with an unpopular approach.

Lilith, New York City, USA
If there is a ninth season with Gillian Anderson and not David Duchovny, will you spilt up our favorite duo or end the show? Do you think Scully could get along without Mulder?

Chris Carter:
I only did the show this year if David Duchovny would come back. So…I’m reluctant to ever split Mulder and Scully up. But the actors’ contracts and Twentieth Century FOX’s ultimate control over the show’s destiny prevent me from being the only person with a vote.

Pat, Vancouver, USA
Last season, you said you have always known how you would like to end the series. Has David’s departure and Robert Patrick’s introduction this season changed your vision at all?

Chris Carter:
Yes, because I never imagined the addition of Agent Doggett originally. But it doesn’t change the bigger ideas that I have.

Sandy, Greenville, SC, United States
Is it possible for “The X-Files” to return for season 9 without you in control? Could Fox take the show from Ten Thirteen if you don’t sign?

Chris Carter:
I presume they could. They are legally the owners of the show. But I don’t believe they would force the show on an audience who wasn’t receptive.

Jennifer, Seminole, USA
“The X-Files” ratings have declined in the last two seasons. Why do you think that is and what are you doing to gain back the viewers you lost?

Chris Carter:
We were very excited to see the ratings for last night. I believe the reduced number of viewers is due to several things: very good counter-programming on cable and on the other networks, natural attrition for a show in its later years, and general consumer appetites which are always looking for something new.

Paul Munnings, Manawaka, USA
Does any potential feature film rest on the success on this season, or is another movie a foregone conclusion in your mind? And what are your thoughts of David’s statement in a recent online chat that he wouldn’t want to return to the role of Fox Mulder in another movie?

Chris Carter says:
David has always said to me, and I’ve never read anywhere otherwise, that he was interested in doing another movie. The success of the show this year is very important to the future of “The X-Files,” but I don’t believe we could fail so miserably as to sabotage chances for another movie.

Tom, Boston, USA
If there is another “X-Files” movie, would you expect it to pick up where the series leaves off, or would it be more stand-alone?

Chris Carter:
It would definitely be more of a stand-alone. And I don’t look forward…or I wouldn’t look forward to trying to do another movie in the middle of the series. I still can’t believe we pulled that one off!

alex winck, criciuma, Brazil
You’ve said that your father was a union man, and John Doggett has a blue-collar sensibility. Did your father inspire you to create him?

Chris Carter:
I’m sure that somewhere all of my male characters have elements of important male role models in my life. I never thought about Doggett being inspired at all by my father. But now that I do think about it, there are very interesting similarities to my father as a young man.

Heidi, Charlestown, USA
It’s going to be difficult for some fans to like the Doggett character since he will be partnered with Scully while Mulder is gone. Even though the change is necessary, it’s still pretty risky, so what about Doggett is going to appeal to us?

Chris Carter:
He’s a very determined, capable, intelligent man and a person who is respectful of Scully and will ultimately be very protective of her during her pregnancy. He has a tough role of trying to be the man in the life of a woman who has another man constantly on her mind. I think all of us can relate to that in some way or another.

Sue Ellen, Sylva, USA
Hi Chris. I was wondering, what are some parallels between the Mulder and Doggett characters?

Chris Carter:
I believe the most obvious parallel is in their relentlessness, but also in their uncompromising quality, their protective natures and in their integrity…and that’s pretty much it.

elly r, eugene, usa
A question on many people’s minds: will Scully and Doggett have any romantic interest in each other, or will this simply be a working relationship?

Chris Carter:
It would be a very strange year if Scully, being pregnant and longing for Mulder, became romantically involved with Doggett…with everyone knowing that Mulder is ultimately going to return! But that sounds exactly like something I would do! (laugh)

Cynthia Delmar, Los Angeles, USA
Chris, when XF began you often mentioned how the characters of Mulder and Scully were like two sides of your own personality. Eight hard-working years later, how does John Doggett mirror you, other than his, uh, dogged work ethic?

Chris Carter:
He is the kind of extreme version of Scully’s skeptical nature and of mine. In 8 years, I still have had no good, satisfying paranormal experience. So maybe he represents my growing impatience for that experience to happen.

Marta Pujol Monterde, Barcelona, Spain
Why did you pick Robert Patrick as the replacement for Mulder?

Chris Carter:
He is not Mulder’s replacement. Robert Patrick is an addition to the show. He, along with Mitch Pileggi and his expanded role, was necessary to tell good “X-Files” stories in the absence of Mulder.

Allison, New York, USA
In the episode, The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati, there is much debate as to the meaning of the little boy on the beach. Many fans believe that he is a premonition, a glance at what is to come…Mulder’s future son. I am of the opinion that he represented Mulder’s inner child, or being. Since this episode is key to Mulder’s abduction and the mythology, is there any validity to the idea that this boy is representative of Mulder’s future child?

Chris Carter:
I believe that David Duchovny, who co-wrote the episode with me, wanted the image of the child to be open to interpretation. But I think that both of those interpretations are valid and interesting.

Nicole Czerwinski, Fürstenwalde, Germany
Why you decide for the “Millennium”-kiss?

Chris Carter:
We thought after 7 years that they deserved that kiss that never happened in the movie. And that the most natural time in the world to do it would be on New Year’s and on New Year’s of the millennium for that matter. I was very happy with the way it came out. But it’s still amazing to me that so much importance and anticipation could be locked up in an innocent smooch…when what we see or almost see is pretty racy sex on almost every other TV show.

merlinsky, Winston-Salem, USA
We heard there were 2 possible endings for “Requiem”…can you tell us what the other ending we didn’t see was and how long before you filmed the episode did you decide to make Scully’s pregnancy an option?

Chris Carter:
It was never an option, it was always the ending. I just did not inform the actors or the crew that Scully’s pregnancy was going to be in the script. I had planned this for months with Frank Spotnitz and only delivered the script pages to Kim Manners — the director — and to Gillian and Mitch Pileggi minutes before they performed the scene. I’m just paranoid!

Elizabeth Grieve, Alamogordo, USA
Chris, what prompted you to finish the last season with Mulder’s abduction? Was this based on David Duchovny’s schedule?

Chris Carter:
We didn’t know if David Duchovny would come back for Season 8 or would be leaving the show. We didn’t know if “The X-Files” would come back, for that matter. The episode needed to be satisfying in any event and also set up a movie. I believe that it worked in almost every way and for any eventuality, but here we are!

Valerie Ouaknine, Helen, USA
Do you try to stay pretty detached from what your fans want as opposed to what you’ve been planning for the show?? And if so, is it hard??

Chris Carter:
We’ve always listened to the fans and paid careful attention to what they were saying. Mulder and Scully’s relationship, and what happened in Season 7, I’d say were greatly affected by some of the things that we read. But we’ve never done anything that we didn’t feel was right for the characters…and we continue to trust our instincts.

Annelies van der Veen, Dieren, The Netherlands
From a neutral point of view you can see that a lot of fans are worried about the future for the Mulder and Scully relationship. They all want a happy ending for them. How much does that influence or affect you or your writing? Or do you feel that those fans have a lack of trust in your writing capabilities / qualities?

Chris Carter:
I understand their need and I also understand about satisfying audience expectation, but I also know that people are prone to want things that aren’t necessarily good for them. Or the characters. Or “The X-Files,” for that matter.

JenS610, Pleasanton, CA, USA
There is one aspect of the show that’s always bothered me. Why is Mulder such a New York sports fan when he grew up in Massachusetts?

Chris Carter:
That’s really due to David Duchovny’s being a fan of the Knicks. I think his New York fandom ends there, though. Tell me if I’m wrong….

Thomas, Copenhagen, Dennmark
Are you planning to use Krycek more this season? I heard there was supposed to be an all Krycek episode last season but Nicholas Lea wasn’t available for it. Will there be an episode explaining Krycek and Skinners relationship this season?

Chris Carter:
Yes. Krycek and Skinner will kiss! On New Year’s Eve. Blame it on the nanotechnology!

Andrea Kino, Yokkaichi, Japan
In both the x-files and millennium, the characters (Mulder, Frank, and his wife) utilize psychology as the basis of the investigations. This is not just a mere coincidence, right? What is Chris? personal interest in psychology?

Chris Carter:
On “The X-Files,” Mulder is trained in psychology and the character of Frank Black used psychology to get into the minds of criminals. This is one of the most interesting aspects of storytelling for me. But psychology only goes so far on both shows. And actually presents the leaping off point for the paranormal on “The X-Files” and for good and evil on “Millennium.” Both shows are actually about the limits of psychology.

Mercedes Quintieri, Buenos Aires, Argentina
If you could go back, would you do anything different with the storyline that you weren’t able to do at the time?

Chris Carter:
I can’t say that I would, and I believe that we have made some very good and lucky choices. This occurred to me during the episodes Redux and Redux II, when the mythology story lines almost created themselves. But I’d have to think about this question…get back to me later!

Marlui Vega, veracruz, mexico
Has the responsibilty of creating one of the most successful television series affected your personal life?

Chris Carter:
I have no personal life! So, the answer is yes. Actually, it’s been a very consuming experience that has been full of sacrifice and I’m sure I’ll only make sense of it all once it’s over.

Eduardo Romero, mar del plata, argentina
What is your favorite series, apart from your own?

Chris Carter:
I loved “The Larry Sanders Show.” But beyond that, there’s very little now that I feel compelled to watch regularly. That has more to do with time than preference.

Mulder_1013, USA
Hey, Chris, I was wondering what do you think people will think of this season? Just to let you know, that was the greatest episode in all 7 seasons.

Chris Carter:
Wow. That’s very unexpected! I hope that other people liked it as much. I hope that this season continues to satisfy in the same way.

George, UK
Are we ever going to see Skinner’s wife again?

Chris Carter says:
Only when she renegotiates her alimony payments. No plans on the books.

Laura Cap, US
The alt.tv.xfiles news group had an overwhelmingly positive reaction to the season opener. Were you expecting that kind of reaction? And what do you think appealed to people most about it?

Chris Carter:
I think what appealed to people most is that the same elements that have made the show a success are still intact. There are just additions and new loyalties, but I’d say in this case it’s just about good storytelling…and an interesting approach from the actors and the director.

FOX HOST says:
Chris, you’ve been a fantastic guest. Thank you, again, for being part of this unprecedented event!

Chris Carter says:
Goodbye, chatters! Thanks!

FOX HOST says:
Don’t forget to check back at thexfiles.com for the transcript of this International event tomorrow! Good night!

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