There was some real satisfaction to be gained from watching the new six-episode revival of The X-Files, especially if you made it to the third installment, which can arguably take its place in the pantheon of all-time great episodes of the supernatural horror series. But there were also some clunkers—namely, the first and last episodes, which bookended an otherwise sharp return with some ham-fisted groaners. Particularly noticeable was how quickly it churned through a massive, earth-shaking storyline, breezing through characters, subplots, and a global pandemic in roughly the amount of time it takes to say, “Did we really need to shoehorn in an Annabeth Gish cameo?”
Not to worry: David Duchovny has heard your criticisms, and he’s got just the solution: more X-Files. In a red-carpet interview with HitFix promoting the next season of his wobbly NBC drama Aquarius, the actor discussed the need to add further episodes, were the series to continue with another limited run next year. “I think there were too few episodes,” he said, probably right before hopping onstage to perform some good old-fashioned blues. “22 is far too many, but six is too few, so we’ve got to figure out something right in between.” (14. The number right in the middle of 22 and six is 14. Apparently math is not one of Duchovny’s many talents.) Given that Gillian Anderson expressly wanted the shortened season, it’s unclear at present how many episodes a season 11 would entail, but one thing seems certain: They won’t be trying to screw anyone salary-wise this time around.