While most people still have to wait months for the premiere of The X-Files reboot, lucky fans at New York Comic-Con were able to watch the entire episode well ahead of its Jan. 24 TV debut. If those three months are simply too much for you to bear, don't worry, I have a full description of The X-Files premiere. Of course, if you can patiently wait to see it for yourself next year, don't read on, because there are spoilers for the first episode, "My Struggle," ahead. Whether or not you choose to keep reading and find out what happens in the first episode, you should definitely tune into The X-Files when it airs on FOX, because based on the NYCC premiere, fans are going to fall in love with the series all over again.
While fans already knew The X-Files would keep its iconic opening credits sequence and theme music, that didn't stop anyone from cheering when they rolled across the screen. But first, a cold open, in which Agent Fox Mulder narrated his history working on The X-Files, filling a file with photos from familiar cases, as well as his relationship with Dana Scully. He then went through all of the various conspiracies in the history of the U.S. From there, "My Struggle" goes into the credits, and then a flashback to the Roswell alien crash and the officials who discovered it.
We then cut to Scully, now working as a doctor. She gets a call from Skinner, looking for Mulder, and though the former partners are no longer together, she is apparently one of the very few people who can reach him (there is hope!). The two eventually meet new character Tad O'Malley, played by Joel McHale, who introduces them to a woman named Sveta. She claims she has been abducted by aliens multiple times and impregnated, only to have her unborn fetuses removed from her body. She also believes she has alien DNA, and later tells Scully she believes this has given her special abilities.
Mulder later goes to pay Sveta another visit, alone this time, because he noticed some odd behavior from her, and discovers there's more to her story than she initially let on. As she tells him the full version of what happened, Mulder has an epiphany and calls Scully to explain it. It's here where the overarching plot of the new X-Files becomes apparent.
Thanks to Sveta, Mulder has realized how little he truly knows about everything he has dedicated his whole life to researching. Tad, a true believer who might even have Mulder beat when he rants about various government conspiracies and cover-ups, immediately latches onto the idea, and together he and Mulder form an elaborate theory that changes everything. Who does Mulder bring this theory to? An old man in a hat and glasses, who says he won't give the Agent any information, but if he puts the pieces together himself, will confirm that he's right.
As Mulder goes through his complex realization, the man says that he's gotten the "who" and the "what" right, but still doesn't fully understand the "why." This man has important ties to what Mulder is investigating, and I'm sure we'll see him again before The X-Files miniseries is over.
Pretty eventful premiere, huh? And it's not even over yet. Before the end credits can roll, Scully returns to see Mulder. As the chemistry that made them one of the most beloved pairs in TV history almost bounces off the screen, they discuss the situation they've found themselves in. They both know they have to do something about this discovery, whether or not they're ready, and Scully also tearfully reveals an important discovery to Mulder.
Finally, we arrive at the episode's tag. It's a glimpse at the Cigarette Smoking Man, as teased in the series trailer. His appearance means one thing: The X-Files is officially back, and as riveting as ever. This may summarize the biggest moments of the episode, however, it still can't do the premiere justice. In just one hour, it packs in developments to the pre-existing mythology, the introduction of new characters, visits to old settings, and callbacks to the original series, all while kicking off a whole new conspiracy for Scully and Mulder to unravel. The NYCC screening may have shown fans how the new X-Files will begin, but what's come next is anyone's guess.
