People Really Love The 'X-Files' Reboot

I don't think there was anyone more nervous about the X-Files reboot than I was. On one hand, I desperately missed Mulder and Scully and had remained devoted to the beloved characters for more than a decade since the original series had ended, so any chance to reunite with them, however briefly, was certainly inviting. On the other hand, I did go see I Want To Believe, and I think that's all I should have to say about that. I was afraid of what Chris Carter was going to do to my favorite FBI agents. Now that the revival is actually airing on Fox, I still have my reservations, but it seems like I might be the only one. The ratings for the X-Files reboot premiere surpassed that of the original series finale, which is pretty crazy and makes me wonder: What changed?

After getting the updated viewing figures, Entertainment Weekly revealed that a whopping 21.4 million viewers tuned in to the first episode of the new series and had a 7.8 rating in the coveted 18-49 demographic — only the premieres of The Walking Dead and Empire have scored better this season. And, as mentioned, "My Struggle" scored better than "The Truth" by 24 percent, which is, as I've already said, pretty crazy at first glance, but pretty easy to dissect if you really think about it.

Consider this: Seasons 8 and 9 of The X-Files aren't highlights for most fans, and for good reason. David Duchovny had left the series (an absence which was explained in the weirdest/most unsatisfactory way on the show for Mulder) and instead new agents entered the game and Gillian Anderson's Scully tried hard to hang on to any semblance of what made the series so wonderful for the seven seasons prior. By the end of Season 9, I think we were all ready to close the X-Files for good. And while Duchovny did indeed appear in the series finale, it was all a rather half-hearted effort and Mulder and Scully hardly resembled the people they were only a couple of years before.

Is it any wonder, then, that now that we've had 13 years to reflect, that we were all hungry for a bit of the old Mulder and Scully? Never mind that there was pretty much no way they could be anything like they were in their heyday — too much time has passed both for the characters and the actors playing them, for one thing — it had been long enough that we could ignore logic and just look forward to seeing two of the most beloved characters of the '90s back on our TV screens, reunited in every way (except, you know, not romantically just yet). That was enough for me to tune in, and I'm a hardcore fan, so it's obvious that the casual viewers would be into it.

Whatever happens in these next four episodes, it's certainly been interesting to catch up with Mulder and Scully all these years on. Sure, I don't think the reboot holds a candle to most of the original series, but I'll still be parked in front of my TV on Monday nights, desperate to catch a glimpse of the duo I've loved for so long.

Images: Fox; Giphy