‘The X-Files’ Had an Amazing Season 10 Before 2016’s Revival Series Premiered

by

When The X-Files ended its original run in 2002, it seemed like the show was over for good. A movie, The X-Files: I Want to Believe, came out in 2008, but it felt more like a single episode than a continuation of the show’s overarching alien story. Although it wasn’t the sequel fans were hoping for, it was a gripping and suspenseful film that kept them hopeful for more installments or a potential new series.

After a long hiatus, The X-Files returned in 2016 with two new seasons, bringing back David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as the iconic duo. While the revival was generally popular, some changes to the show’s established mythology frustrated fans, and the ending wasn’t entirely satisfying. Interestingly, before the 2016 season aired, The X-Files actually had an earlier, official tenth season comprised of entirely separate stories.

Season 10 Was a Direct Continuation of ‘The X-Files’

The comic book series published by IDW, officially titled The X-Files Season 10, began in 2013 and continued the story of the popular sci-fi show. While The X-Files had inspired many books, games, and comics before, this series was unique as an official continuation of the TV show and movie, considered part of the established storyline. Running for 25 monthly issues until the summer of 2015, it was supplemented by miniseries like The X-Files: Year Zero and The X-Files X-Mas Special 2014.

As a longtime fan, I was really excited to see the continuation of The X-Files in comic form, and it’s clear a lot of care went into it. Joe Harris, a seriously seasoned comic writer – his work includes X-Men, Batman, and even the Millennium comic that spun off from the show – actually wrote the Season 10 comics. He didn’t just pitch an idea; he developed a full story and presented it to Chris Carter himself. Carter loved it so much, he not only gave it his blessing as a direct continuation of the series, but also signed on as an executive producer! And it wasn’t just a title – Carter stayed involved, offering notes and guidance on the characters and storylines even after the show ended. That level of involvement really allowed the comics to explore fresh ideas and bring back some of the monsters we all loved from the TV series.

Season 10 of The X-Files continues the story with Mulder and Scully living under assumed names – Anthony and Dana Blake – in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. The initial story arc quickly reunites familiar faces from the show. Walter Skinner appears to bring Mulder and Scully back into investigating the supernatural, and Mulder soon finds the Lone Gunmen – revealing they actually survived the events of a previous episode. The comics also include Agents Doggett and Reyes, with the storyline connecting to Scully’s son, William, the show’s overarching alien mysteries, and the enigmatic Cigarette Smoking Man.

The tenth season of The X-Files comics successfully continued the show’s story, introducing new elements like a deeper look into the Acolytes while still maintaining the core themes fans loved. While the overarching alien conspiracy remained central, the comics didn’t shy away from standalone monster stories. Immediately after launching the main storyline, the comics revisited a classic creature with a new take on the Flukeman. Beyond that, they introduced entirely new and frightening monsters, such as The Chittering God, proving they weren’t just relying on past successes. The comics also took risks, even creating a follow-up story to the famous episode, “More Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man.”

Continuing a popular TV show through comic books isn’t always perfect, but it’s been done before with shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly. Readers of The X-Files comics had varying opinions, with some believing writer Joe Harris excelled at larger story arcs more than individual monster cases – one Reddit user, Alien_Investigations, even said Harris’ mythology stories were better than what the show’s creator, Chris Carter, delivered in his ‘My Struggle’ storyline. Despite this, with Carter’s involvement and the comics considered official, The X-Files Season 10 was a great way to revisit the characters and their intriguing new investigations. Unfortunately, all of that continuity was disregarded when the 2016 revival series aired.

The Season 10 Comics Were Official ‘X-Files’ Canon Until the 2016 TV Revival

When The X-Files returned to television in 2016 with David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, the new episodes were considered a continuation of the original series, effectively becoming Season 10. The revival ignored the storylines established in the comic books, opting for a fresh start that directly followed the events of the original show. Although it’s common for shows to move away from established comic book lore – even Star Wars has done this – it was disappointing for fans of The X-Files Season 10 comics, who didn’t connect with the changes made in the new series.

The tenth and eleventh seasons of the revived X-Files delivered some of the show’s strongest standalone monster episodes, marking a return to form. However, the series significantly altered its established alien mythology. Some of these changes addressed the fact that the predicted colonization date from the original finale had passed without incident, while others seemed designed to attract viewers with then-current conspiracy theories. Although the show attempted fresh perspectives, the shift from an alien invasion to a human power grab disguised as alien activity wasn’t popular with all fans.

Ryan Coogler is producing a reboot of The X-Files, and fans are eagerly awaiting details – and are a little worried about how it will turn out. Amidst all the excitement, it’s easy to overlook some of the show’s strongest, but lesser-known, storylines. If you weren’t satisfied with the recent revival, the X-Files Season 10 comics offer a compelling continuation that you might have missed.

Read More

2026-04-07 15:36