The X-Files is coming back in the form of a reboot, and I couldn’t be more excited.

I grew up on Duchovny’s dry wit and Scully’s remarkable talent for finding a reasonable explanation for the most absurd scenarios. I’ve even got a few of the X-Files novels written to continue their story. I have one or two left to read for the first time.

I finally watched the entire series in one continuous view for the first time about 4-5 years ago, including the 2-season attempt to bring Mulder and Scully back for a new, more cynical generation. I didn’t like them that much, though there were some gems in the episodes.

I always appreciated the one-off episodes more than the series plot points; there just was so much more fun to be had in those storylines. Some shows are just better without a continuous plot or subplot, and the show itself suffers when trying to create one.I liked the alien conspiracies, but in later rewatches, I usually skip most of the ones that tie to the bigger world-spanning conspiracies.

I’m not sure I’m in the majority on that opinion, but hey: I don’t have to be. It’s a TV show! Art always allows for each individual to take from it what they will.

Anyway, the show is being rebuilt from the ground up. Normally, I’d be offended that I can’t watch with the original cast. But hey: It’s been 33 years since the show first aired in 1993. As far as I’m concerned, the original actors would make great mentors if they’re kept around, but if not I’d rather see a new cast.

One of the things I hope they keep about the show is the open-ended questions that are raised at the end of many episodes. The “what-if” scenarios of what could happen if something went wrong, or what would it be like if this opponent actually succeeded. I still remember the end of an episode where a sentient computer killed its creators and was destroyed. But at the end of the episode, while the government was trying to resurrect it and failing, we noticed a red light on the computer turn on in the final seconds. Stuff like that, making you wonder what could happen if people made the wrong call and it bit them.

Then again, I would also like to see more callbacks. One of the most iconic sets of episodes was in regards to a creature named Eugene Tooms. He lived a long life by killing victims; he stretched his bones and fingers and slid through tight spaces to attack people. It was a fascinating foe, and no one would believe Mulder or Scully. When they brought him back for a second episode, it really gave a field of depth to the idea of how they could have handled other episodes that ended with an ominous query. I know part of the fun is being left to wonder, and I know the hypocrisy of whining about the main plot vs wanting more long-running stories, but I think more singular episodes that brought back foes once or twice would be a fun way to express part of that dynamic, while not forcing us to follow some long-winded plot. It would be more of a reward for dedicated fans without being a punishment to the casual viewer.

I don’t know what the new showrunner has planned, but I’ve seen enough of Ryan Coogler’s work to know the series is in good hands. I’m genuinely curious to see what he does with it. And knowing that the original creator, Chris Carter, is going to be an executive producer, I think we’ll see a new series that can carry the X-Files into a new age.