The X-Files Still Feels Relevant 33 Years On

Few shows reshaped science fiction like The X-Files, a blatantly nihilistic and boldly subversive series that helped bring the genre to a wider audience. Stephen King called it “The best thing about The X-Files is that it’s essentially a detective story where the clues don’t necessarily lead to a person, but to a nightmare.” Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan added that “Everything I learned about how to run a show, I learned from Chris Carter (series creator) on The X-Files.

It was my film school.” The series centers on FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully: Mulder a believer in conspiracy, Scully a skeptic who trusts only evidence. Over time the show suggests a major governmental agenda to hide evidence of extraterrestrial life. Recent public discussion about unidentified objects has only sharpened that resonance—President Obama said, “They're real, but I haven't seen them,” and argued there is no secret underground facility unless an enormous conspiracy hid it even from the president.

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the x-files, science fiction, chris carter, fox mulder, dana scully, conspiracy, extraterrestrial life, unidentified objects, president obama, vince gilligan