Last week marked two events in the X-Files world. First, the second issue of the new X-Files comic was released (which I will discuss more below). Second, there were two panels at Comic Con in San Diego featuring the X-Files. One was a reunion of writers, creator Chris Carter, and stars Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny to mark the 20th anniversary of the X-Files' debut on television. The other panel focused on the comic books and featured Chris Carter and Gillian Anderson as well as comic writer Joe Harris.
Chris Carter has often been asked about the spiritual and religious dimensions of the show, and one of the questions at the reunion panel brought up this theme. While Chris's answer was nothing that hasn't been said before, I thought I would include his answer here in honor of our theme of faith and belief.
One of the questions posed by an audience member is why, by
means of Scully’s spirituality, Chris Carter chose to weave a religious thread into
a series about extraterrestrials. Chris replied, "It was a natural for me,
because she was a scientist, but that made her character a sort of, slightly
one-dimensional character, and if she had a religious upbringing, it was always
tearing at her that she believed in something that was by virtue sort of
irrational. So, she had these two warring sides of her character." I think this is a nice reminder of the complexity of human nature, reflecting a tension between evidence and belief that was always at the heart of the show.
Here are some links to videos of the two panels and an article about the reunion:
The panel on the comic book series does include some spoilers, including information about some returning characters in issue #2 (their return is no surprise once you've seen the cover). This issue, "Believers, Part 2," continues the story line of the first issue, and with much left to be revealed about Scully's current whereabouts and who is responsible for the events surrounding her adventures. The continuing mysteries include a miraculous healing, symbols written in the snow, someone named "Deacon," and a reference to the hooded figures as the "acolytes." But much more remains to be revealed. The next issue should be out next month.
