MATT
You’re gonna make it, Ryan.

Scriptnotes: Episode 116
Damsels in distress
John August and Craig Mazin discuss using kidnapped women as plot devices.

Scriptnotes: Episode 115
Back to Austin with Rian Johnson and Kelly Marcel
John August and Craig Mazin have a live discussion at the Austin Film Festival.

Scriptnotes: Episode 114
Blockbusters
John August and Craig Mazin talk about blockbusters.

Scriptnotes: Episode 113
Not Safe for Children
3 Page Challenge. Expletives and bad language. Beware!

Scriptnotes: Episode 112
Let me give you some advice
John August and Craig Mazin go back to basics.

DONNIE
Where did you come from?

FRANK
Do you believe in time travel?

PAUL
We Fremen have a saying: "God created Arakis to train
the faithful." One cannot go against the word of God.

RIPLEY
Just tell me one thing, Burke. You're going out there to destroy
them, right? Not to study. Not to bring back. But to wipe them out.

ANDRE LINOGE
Give me what I want, AND I'LL GO AWAY.

• Fox Mulder
• Dana Scully
• Walter Skinner
• The Smoking Man
• John Doggett
• Monica Reyes

What do all the characters above have in common?

Wow. Finally, 202 episodes. That's a lot of hours and weeks. But finally managed to get around to watching the entire series of the X-Files (all nine seasons) and the two movies. On its first run, only ever managed to watch the first five seasons in their entirety, and in all honesty, on watching the closing four seasons, have to say the first five were ultimately the best of the nine.

That's not to say the remaining four seasons were bad, they weren't, they just didn't have the story lines that made those opening seasons great. Government conspiracies, alien abductions, these episodes are what made the series interesting and entertaining from the very beginning. And kept you (the audience) glued to your seat, week in and week out as you followed Mulder and Scully on their journey.

1. Was Fox Mulder ever going to succeed in finding out the truth?
2. Was Dana Scully ever going to come round to Mulder's way of thinking and become a believer?
3. Were they ever going to get romantically involved? Answered in, I Want to Believe (2008)

The story lines that had been so good and so captivating, seemed to lose track around the seventh season. Quite often, Fox Mulder would go off on his own, while leaving Dana Scully behind, and vice versa. This was okay from time to time, but when the two main characters start going off on their own and leaving the other behind on a regular basis, you know the series is in trouble, for whatever reasons.

Things actually looked very promising half-way through season eight when Fox Mulder comes back into it, only to have these hopes of him returning to the series to be dashed in the opening episode of series 9. And Fox Mulder's character is nowhere to be seen.

That's not to say that the characters of John Doggett and Monica Reyes are bad, it was just difficult to start investing in two new characters, especially after following Mulder and Scully for so long and growing to like them after such a long period of time. And this may have been why the ratings plummeted so badly and the fans felt like they'd been jilted, especially in those final two episodes, that certainly seemed like a very lack luster way to tie up all the loose ends.

This is a series that had so much potential, that it should still be running today, especially with all those talented writers that they had and the talent of Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz. And everyone else that was involved in bringing this amazing series to the small screen.

But there is good news.

Everyone seems to be up for making a third movie. Which seems like a great idea, but this fan would much prefer to see Fox studios, Chris Carter, Frank Spotnitz, Gillian Anderson, David Duchovny and co, sit down at a table and knock heads and come up with ideas for a six-part mini-series that revolves around Dana Scully's son, William.

What if Mulder and Scully learn from Gibson Praise that William is in danger and it's a race against time to save him or rescue him etc? And this is done over the course of six, one-hour-long episodes?

Get back to the roots of the original series that made it so great and bring back the conspiracy theories and government cover ups etc. What if the government or some underhanded agency has learned where William is and they want him? Now that he's a teenage boy etc. They've been keeping tabs on him and watching him grow as he learns and discovers his powers.

What if Mulder and Scully have to call on the help of Monica Reye's and John Doggett who still work for the FBI? Bring Back Walter Skinner and the Lone Gunmen.

And then consider doing a third movie or even bringing back the series.

Maybe not twenty plus episodes, but maybe start with twelve and see how it goes.