The X-Files: How To Keep Your Fandom Alive

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https://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/the-...r-fandom-alive

The X-Files has an uncertain future. Chris Carter would like to continue the series. David Duchovny has said as much. Gillian Anderson, on the other hand, has not minced words: She won’t be returning to play Dana Scully. Fox has been quiet about the status of the series meaning that, barring a miracle, The X-Files are closed.

The fans, for who so long were unable to keep the spirit of the series alive even after its initial cancellation, are beginning to cope with the idea that “new X-Files” is no more. The popular fansite X-Files News said it will be scaling back on publishing in an emotional letter. My site, The X-Files Lexicon, has been resuming it’s old school analysis of the show, but due to real-life issues, it’s been a challenge to maintain steady production on the site. There are some valid reasons to raise the question: Where can fans go now?

Now that The X-Files season 11 is over and out on Blu-ray, and the show is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the pilot, it seemed apt to continue this series of articles that address the fandom for The X-Files. We have explored fan sites and fan-created books that were published for charity or reference, the fervency of Millennium fandom, and the personal importance of The X-Files to fans. The series and its followers created modern internet fandom, and when the series returned in 2016, it became a perfect case study in how we watch television socially.

If this is the end, will the fans continue to cherish the past as passionately as they have for 25 years? Or will they move on? Considering the mixed to negative reactions to this final season, will fans remain committed to exploring the impact and meaning of the series for future generations? That answer may be complex, but it may be less complicated when you consider all of the positive fan activity since the revival was first announced in 2015. Let’s look into those remaining aspects, and the points of view from directly involved in the show…