'X-Files' Premiere at Oriental Theatre

ALIEN ENTHUSIASTS GATHER FOR CULT CLASSIC REVAMP

After 13 years, Chris Carter, the creator of the renowned television series The X-Files, premiered one of its two-part pilot episode of its newest season on Sunday, Jan. 24.

All across Denver, theaters and venues hosted their own premiere parties for this momentous event. The Oriental Theatre took this nerdism to the next level. The three hour extravaganza started at 6 p.m. with seven rounds of X-Files trivia, which included cash prizes. Questions about the infamous “cigarette smoking man” and television’s favorite power couple, Fox Mulder, played by David Duchovny, and Dana Scully, played by Gillian Anderson.

Slated after the trivia battle was an X-Files costume contest, also for cash prizes. Amongst the lineup were well-known and obscure characters from the series. The star of the show, however, was a young girl no more than the age of six, dressed up as Agent Scully—and whose actual name was Dana.

“You let your parents buy you any toys you want with this money, and if they don’t let you, come to talk to me,” the night’s emcee said, donning his “Ancient Aliens” T-shirt while ushering little Dana off the stage.

After the anticipation was built up to an intolerable extent and the audience of X-Files fans sat through the grueling remains of the football game, the real show began.

With the enigmatic theme song playing and the home-video style footage of UFO’s flying across mountain plains, the nostalgia of a great series quickly set in. Watching the revival of such an acclaimed show was much like the rebirth of a religious deity, as it were.

The first episode to air in over a decade, entitled “My Struggle” feels as if the gap between decades was nonexistent save for a few technological advancements. In this premier episode Mulder, teams up with extreme conspiracy theorist Tad O’Malley to unearth The X-Files once more. Mulder being Mulder, can’t embark on the mission on his own and with his newly acquired skepticism, Scully reunites with television’s beloved paranoid conspiracy theorist.

It is a feat to endeavor when rebooting a cult series, the high expectations of its fans are immense when it comes to highly followed series like The X-Files, Twin Peaks, or Star Wars. Although the last two seasons of the show were not up to par in comparison to its preceding seasons, the anticipation and hope for the series reboot is lofty.

The X-Files is known for their inconsistencies and with that its character, the revival premier does not stray too far away from the roots of the show. The first part of the reboot causes one to question everything that The X-Files has established since the 1990s. Its charm and character needs to be coaxed out with the emerging mini series, which can only be foreseen with its following episodes.

Like Mulder’s questioning voice echoing over footage of UFO’s, this season begs the question “Are we really alone?”

—Sarai Nissan

Above: Dana Scully and Fox Mulder return to open The X-Files once more.

photo: Sarai Nissan • CU Denver Sentry