1 week Ago By Tyler Doupe´
The X-Files is one of the longest-running and most beloved scripted series of the past 35 years. The program has developed a loyal fan base, and for good reason; it’s a compelling ride filled with conspiracy theories and unforeseen twists and turns. However, some of the storylines explored in the show’s most recent season (Season 11, in case you have lost track) left fans with a bad taste in their mouths.
More specifically, we’re talking about the realization that William (Miles Robbins), the son that Agents Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) gave up for adoption in Season 9, is not Mulder’s biological child. The explanation series creator Chris Carter and company gave for William’s paternity is a point of contention for a couple of reasons and it needs to be made right someday, perhaps with a future season. Spoilers ahead, so proceed with caution if you haven’t seen the series in its entirety.
Here’s the Shocking Rundown on William’s Complicated PaternityIn Season 11, which aired in 2018, we learn that William is Cigarette Smoking Man’s (William B. Davis) son. William isn’t necessarily CSM’s biological offspring, but he is nonetheless CSM’s co-creation.
We ultimately discover that CSM impregnated Scully without her consent or knowledge, incapacitating her and using her as an unknowing incubator for his alien offspring. RELATED: The X-Files Was Supposed to End With This Episode, But Here’s What HappenedThis plot point naturally drew a lot of fan backlash, with many loudly crying foul. Yet, Carter seemingly doubled down on the controversial choice and appeared to try to rationalize the shocking narrative development.
He touched on the fan response via an Entertainment Weekly interview a few years back. “He’s the figurative father if he’s not the actual father,” Carter explained. “He didn’t rape Scully.
He impregnated her with science.”I don’t think I’m saying anything controversial when I suggest that impregnating someone against their will is a form of sexual assault, regardless of whether or not the assault is committed in the name of science. Carter suggesting otherwise is disappointing; I’m not surprised that this plot point unsettled a lot of fans of the show, but needless to say, the backstory around William’s paternity is out of bounds.
Just in case you haven’t stopped to consider how out of bounds it is, I want to take a moment to remind you that CSM is Mulder’s biological father, which makes William’s paternity even more shocking. Take a moment to marinate on this: CSM forcibly impregnated his would-be daughter-in-law with his alien grandchild. We know that the show is a work of complete fiction, but this whole scenario is far creepier than it needed to be.
Will We See More Seasons of The X-Files in the Future?It’s up in the air at this point what we will see from future seasons of the program, but we do know, however, that Ryan Coogler (Black Panther) is hard at work on an X-Files reboot that may feature appearances by some of the original cast members. As much as I’d like to see a Season 12 of the long-running series that picks up where Season 11 left off, I’ll take what I can get. Let’s just hope that Coogler’s redux takes care to address the unseemly paternity element from the final season of the original run, or perhaps retcons that element entirely.
As for the new series, hopefully it recognizes that part of what made the original so memorable is the way that it set its own rules. The program combined episodic and serialized formats, making for a unique storytelling approach. Some of the episodes were self-contained, whereas others spilled into multiple installments.
That was unheard of at the time, making the show a pioneering effort, and we hope a redux takes a page from that playbook and takes risks when appropriate.Would you like to see the troublesome paternity reveal fixed in a future series incarnation? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below. The post The X-Files Needs to Return for This One Major Reason appeared first on ComicBook.
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