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2 • January 24 - 30, 2016 • Brainerd Dispatch By Brian Craddock TV Media I t's been almost 14 years since "The X-Files" last aired a new episode. Series stars David Ducho- vny and Gillian Anderson have gone on to success in other shows, such as "Californication" and "The Fall," respectively, but fans are clamoring to see the two re- prise the roles that made them fa- mous: special agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. Now it's finally happening: "The X-Files" returns to the small screen in the form of a six-part miniseries, premiering in a two- night event Sunday and Monday, Jan. 24 and 25, on its old home network, Fox. After this two-night premiere, it slips into its Monday time-slot for the remainder of the series' run. Considering how long it's been since we've seen a new episode (not including the film "The X- Files: I Want to Believe" in 2008), it's understandable that some changes have been made to the series, but it should still be largely the same show we saw almost a decade and a half ago. The main cast members are (mostly) return- ing; besides Duchovny and Ander- son, viewers can expect to see Mitch Pileggi ("Dallas") as the FBI's Walter Skinner, as well as William B. Davis ("Continuum") as the conspiratorial Smoking Man. Even the Lone Gunmen are back: Bruce Harwood ("MacGyver"), Tom Braidwood ("Amazon Falls," 2010) and Dean Haglund ("Bones") all reprise their roles as John Fitzgerald Byers, Melvin Fro- hike and Richard Langly (who also appeared in their own spinoff in 2001). Annabeth Gish's ("Sons of Anarchy") Monica Reyes also re- turns, but absent will be John Dog- gett, the character played by Rob- ert Patrick ("Scorpion"). There are some new faces as well: Joel McHale of "Community" appears as Tad O'Malley, anchor of an online news show in the same vein as controversial real-life radio host Alex Jones; Annet Mahendru ("The Americans") plays Sveta, an alien abductee. Noted "X-Files" superfan Kumail Nanjiani (who in addition to his acting work in shows such as "Silicon Valley" also produces an "X-Files" fan podcast) is also slated to appear in an as-yet-unspecified role in the third episode (though in a photo posted on Twitter, Nanjiani is seen wearing an animal control officer jacket, flanked by Duchovny and Anderson). So just how are cast members of the original series feeling about jumping back into roles they haven't played in years? Well, when he first got the script for the opening episode, Duchovny says he cried: "I just read it about an hour ago, and I started crying reading the first page," Duchovny told En- tertainment Weekly in May. "It was just so strange to see the names on the page. ... We'd been planning it for a long time." For Davis, it was an easy deci- sion to return. "As an actor it's good for me, it's good for my ca- reer and it's stimulating," he said in an interview with Den of Geek. "I had no hesitation. I would have been quite disappointed if the show had been done without me, and I think a lot of fans would have been disappointed as well." Millions of fans are wondering how this season will play out. Ma- jor details are scant, even as the show is about to air, but creator Chris Carter has managed to drop one significant bombshell, reveal- ing to the Hollywood Reporter in September that Mulder and Scully are no longer a couple. "We put some of the tension back in that was relieved by them being to- gether," he said. "It added to the storytelling opportunities." Carter also revealed his amaze- ment at how it felt finishing up the show for a second time. "I look [at the original series] and I see that we did 202 episodes of the show. I honestly don't know how we did it. I was exhausted by the end of these six episodes." The original "X-Files" series was a show that, unlike your average po- lice procedural or sitcom, had an overarching story that lasted over its entire run. So in addition to "mon- ster of the week" episodes (featur- ing a one-off villain), there were also "mythology arc" episodes. These were the meat of the story and saw Mulder and Scully uncover a sprawl- ing conspiracy that was far bigger than they could have imagined. With only six episodes to work with, you'd expect them to do away with the one-off vil- lains, but in an interview with The Canadian Press, Carter said that while the new series is a mix of standalone stories and the overarching plot, "[i]t will all be of a piece, meaning that it won't feel discon- nected. It'll all feel as if it's taking place in what I would call television 'real time.'" It's been 13 long years, but it appears "X-Files" fans will finally get what they're waiting for. The six-part "X-Files" revival premieres Sun- day and Monday, Jan. 24 and 25, on Fox, before slip- ping into its Mon- day timeslot. Mitch Pileggi returns to "The X-Files" Believe it 'The X Files' returns to Fox after almost 14 years Cover Story this week 501 W Washington St, Brainerd 218-828-1823 FULL SERVICE OIL CHANGE $ 19.99 WITH VALVOLINE QUALITY OIL Offer good with coupon only. Not valid with other offers. Not available at all locations. Expires 2/29/16 . up to 5 qts oil and filter . most cars, vans and light trucks . includes fluid top off most fluids plus tax & fees BRAKE SERVICE SAVINGS $ 50.00 Applies to disc and drum brakes. Must present coupon to receive savings. Cannot be combined with any other discounts Offer good with coupon only. Not valid with other offers. Not available at all locations. 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