What's Up With Mulder In The 'X-Files' Reboot?

It's all happening! My dreams are coming true! The X-Files is coming back for a special six episode run in January 2015, and like most people who watched the original series, I'm so, so excited. That being said, I've been so wrapped up in the idea of catching up with Mulder and Scully that I haven't really given much thought to what's actually going to happen plot-wise. I only realized that after reading David Duchovny's Entertainment Weekly interview this week, in which he teased the reboot by letting us know that Mulder is in a "dark, dark place" when we meet up with him again, to which I can only respond: "Huh?"

While Scully (Gillian Anderson) is still pretty put together both mentally and when it comes to fashion, Mulder sounds as though he's moping around, facing his demon du jour and making a real production of it. In other words, he's still the same Mulder we've always known, and I can't decide if that's really comforting or disconcerting. After all, it's been well over a decade since the original series ended, and most of us change in that period of time, quite a lot. Why is Mulder still stuck where we left him in 2004 (and 2008 in I Want To Believe, for that matter)?

Before we go any further, what Duchovny actually said, for full context, is: "Mulder’s not in a great place. He’s wearing bad jeans, so you can just extrapolate from my wardrobe. He’s in a dark, dark place." Look — we all loved the endless angst and moodiness that pervaded The X-Files. It's what drew us in and held our attention, gave us something to connect with. And it worked, for the better part of the show's run really, really well. But it's 2015 and Mulder's been in a "dark, dark place" for the better part of the past 20 years, so what's going on?

Sure, Mulder has had plenty to be glum about in his day. His sister Samantha was taken by aliens (or basically handed by their father to the government as a compromise), he was abducted several times himself, he let someone drill holes in his skull for some reason, he was framed for murder and pushed out of the FBI... you get the picture. But it's been over 10 years since he was unceremoniously thrown out of the FBI — more than ample time to come to terms with it and move on. And hey, he can't even feel angsty over Scully anymore, since they're clearly 100 percent together and making it work. So why the long face?

Clearly this isn't a question that can truly be answered until The X-Files is back on the air. I'm hopeful that the series will revisit one of the most rewarding elements of the original series, which is the mythology. The monster-of-the-week type episodes were fun, but building the unique mythology of the show is what made it special and what this new show will need if it hopes to capture any of the magic of the original. Luckily, Gillian Anderson promises an interesting "zeitgest" for Mulder and Scully that should propel the six episodes forward.

Still, I worry when Duchovny starts talking about Mulder being in a "dark place", because it couldn't get much darker than it was at the end of Season 10, with Mulder and Scully on the run, their son given to a couple of farmers, their careers in the hole, and no one on their side besides each other. Things have picked up from there, so it's anyone's guess as to what new challenge they'll face. I just hope Mulder gets over his pouting and gets out there and does something about it. You can't fight the bad guys if you're too busy feeling sorry for yourself.

Images: Fox; Giphy (2)