From Iona and Erin on Haven for the FBI's Most Unwanted

Message posted by The Haven webmaster: "PLEASE remember to read these spoilers responsibly. Episodes can (and do) change before airing, and things may appear different in context."

That said, here's a Q&A on The Gift from Iona and Erin:

Question: Are there any "Scully addresses Mulder tearfully or otherwise in her diary in her bed" scenes, ala "Memento Mori" or in a similar fashion?
Answer: Not that I've seen and from the nature of the episode, I wouldn't think so.

Question: Is there a nice little surprise that validates Mulder's character in the end, and doesn't make him appear as villainous as he might appear at the beginning?
Answer: I haven't seen the end. I don't know.

Question: Any mention of what's going on with Mulder or does Scully mention him?
Answer: I have yet to see Scully in this episode.

Question: Do we learn anymore of why Scully is bedridden?
Answer: I have yet to see Scully.

Question: Since one of the episodes (episode 8 maybe) deals with In-Vitro Fertilization, and supposedly Scully is laid up in bed for this episode, does "The Gift" have anything to do with the reproductive technology of the same name/acronym? (Gamete IntraFallopian Transfer)?
Answer: I have NO idea...I wouldn't think so though.

Question: Did Scully know about Mulder's trips to PA?
Answer: No sign of Scully yet.

Question: Why is Mulder shown to be crying?
Answer: I haven't seen a crying Mulder.

Question: Why does Mulder have tears in his eyes after shooting the monster? Who is the monster?
Answer: I didn't see any tears. A caveman thing.

Question: We know Mulder shot the Beast... How does it relate to the story? And what is Skinner hiding from Doggett?
Answer: I don't know as I only have a few scenes.

Question: What is the Creature's Gift? And how does it possibly relate to Scully's pregnancy or Mulder being ill??
Answer: I don't think it will have to do with them.

Iona & Erin's comment: By all appearances, it appears Doggett is shot in the back and killed. He is not the Beastman and Mulder doesn't do the shooting.

(ADMIN NOTE [from The Haven]: As Robert is contracted for the whole of this season and an optional 9th, and since this is 'The X-Files' where nothing is as it seems, please weigh this information with that in mind.)

From Haven for the FBI's Most Unwanted

Booyah, look who's back! Here are three new promo pictures for David Duchovny:

From Haven for the FBI's Most Unwanted

From a new anon source [Re: The Gift]

Adding on to what is posted below, there are a few interesting scenes with a character named "Woman." At her house, Doggett discovers another character he believed had been killed by the soul-eater (the same character that Mulder apparently believed had been killed by the soul-eater in May 2000, but who was alive -- although very ill -- when Doggett first arrived to investigate). Doggett takes that character, Marie Hangemuehl, to the hospital where he meets up with Skinner, who had gone to look for the soul-eater. Doggett asks Skinner about the soul-eater, and Skinner tells him it wasn't there. Doggett can't believe it, and then the script says that "as Skinner leaves, Doggett sees something that makes him realize Skinner knows exactly where the creature is -- Skinner is lying to him too.

From Mod!Kim on xfsource

The complete transcript of the Robert Patrick Chat is now available at the OS. Here is what I thought was relevant to post to the group:

AnakinSW:
Will this season be entirely devoted to the "Mulder Missing" storyline, or will it branch out to other, non related issues as well?

Robert Patrick:
It will branch out to non-related issues and stand-alone episodes. As far as I know, and we're on Episode 10, we're still looking for Mulder. Hope I can say that! It involves a man who's been exposed to some "smart" metal. We're basically dealing with a metal man.

AnaLiz:
What can we know about Doggett's personal life?

Robert Patrick:
I can't reveal anything about Doggett's personal life because it's all tied into the story. Sorry, but I don't want to wreck anything coming up. You'll find out more and more as we go along, and that's the fun part about the show, I think. I'm assuming you know he's a former Marine and an ex-New York City Police detective. He has a doctorate and a master's degree from Syracuse, so he's a smart man.

From Autumn T on AOL

Come episode 14 a new female FBI agent character is planned to be introduced. Carter is starting to audition next week for someone "30s and attractive" - it's been made clear that the character is not meant to replace Gillian.

From Franny on Spoilertown

You can find ten screen captures from an interview with Chris Carter that are shots of a story board from episode 8. Two of the visible cards do mention Mulder.

Go to: http://idealists.simplenet.com/hftfbismu/808.html

From Haven for the FBI's Most Unwanted

From Autumn T on AOL:

[The Gift] is the episode that seems to explain the car rental receipts, and they were not for Raleigh. Scully, is for some reason laid up in bed, and Doggett is sent out to investigate a investigation of an Indian folk lore soul eater beast that it appears Mulder was working on in the spring. Mulder does appear in this episode in flashbacks to what he was doing during that trip. Skinner is featured prominently in this episode as well. At this time the whole episode is not yet written.

Additional spoilers from an anon source:

From what is written, and that is an early draft, it does seem this episode brings back Doggett's promise to Scully to find Mulder, whether he's successful or not is unknown at this time. Through the course of what is written it is not crystal clear, but it seems Doggett believes Mulder shot (and killed?) a transient, soul eater, in May 2000. It also seems that if he did so, he did so to protect someone. There are flashbacks of Mulder written, one is of Mulder questioning Marie and Paul Hangemuhl. Marie had gone missing for a few days and Mulder tries to figure it out. Doggett questions both in 'real time' as well. Sheriff Frey is also present in both flashback and 'real time'. At one point the Sheriff says his first name is 'Kurt', I'd imagine this is no reference to the 'Kurts' - however I have not seen enough to know. None of the episode that I have information on contains Scully or any scene with Mulder and Scully in 'real time' or flashback. Skinner is featured in this episode - and it seems he may lie to Doggett, though the reason is unknown at this time. It is also interesting to note that it seems Mulder didn't mention this case in any of his files.

From The Official X-Files Site

#8x11 Is Named

The mythology-laced episode numbered 8X11 follows Doggett's intensive pursuit into the truth behind Mulder's disappearance. He gets a helping hand from Skinner and the Lone Gunmen. "The Gift," written by Frank Spotnitz, tracks a mysterious creature with unique capabilities in Squamash, Pennsylvania. The episode, directed by Kim Manners, is scheduled to air on Sunday, Feb. 4th.

From Mod!Kim on xfsource

Here is some stuff that I got from the transcript of the Carter chat on the OS that I find relevant. Check out www.thexfiles.com for the complete transcript.

Ana Pinto, Lisboa, Portugal
After all these years, HOW do you expect us to believe that Mulder has been lying to Scully about a possible brain illness?

Chris Carter says:
He hadn't lied to her. The only thing that he did was withhold information last year...that he had been undergoing treatment. But it was the same illness that we saw him suffer from at the end of Season 6 and the beginning of Season 7.

My take: Any speculation that those records had been falsified seems to be shot to hell. However, he does say 'undergoing treatment', and hasn't verified the dying part. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Adam Roberts, Memphis TN, USA
Ever since Krycek had utilized nanotechnology to control the health of Skinner, I thought that nanotechnology would resurface as a possible weapon against the aliens - do you plan to revisit this powerful technology during this next season?

Chris Carter says:
Yes! And it still is not clear for the audience, I think, whether or not the nanotechnology is still inside Skinner and if Krycek still has control over him due to this. This will be explored this season.

Juanjo, Archena (Murcia), Spain
If Duchovny indeed leaves the series, will we see the death of Mulder?

Chris Carter says:
No. Not if I have anything to do with it! My contract runs out this year...and I have big plans for more X-Files movies and David Duchovny and Mulder are a part of those plans

Claire, Dallas, USA
OK, will Mulder be phased out and replaced by Doggett?

Chris Carter says:
I read recently that David Duchovny is not ruling out a ninth season of the show. Robert Patrick has a multi-season contract, as does Gillian Anderson. Next year could be very interesting.

Leonardo da Fonseca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Will Scully's pregnancy interfere with her investigative capabilities? At the end of the season, is there a chance that Mulder and Doggett will work together?

Chris Carter says:
I think the answer to both questions is "yes." But we'll try to make a virtue of the problems that arise from Scully's pregnancy. And Doggett and Mulder will undoubtedly have to work together sometime in the last half of the season.

Paul Munnings, Manawaka, USA
Does any potential feature film rest on the success on this season, or is another movie a forgone conclusion in your mind? And what our your thoughts of David's statement in a recent online chat that he wouldn't want to return to the role of Fox Mulder in another movie?

Chris Carter says:
David has always said to me, and I've never read anywhere that he wasn't interested in doing another movie. The success of the show this year is very important to the future of The X-Files, but I don't believe we could fail so miserably as to sabotage chances for another movie.

My take: Some controversey brewing here? Sounds like it to me.

elly r, eugene, usa
A question on many people's minds: will Scully and Doggett have any romantic interest in each other, or will this simply be a working relationship?

Chris Carter says:
It would be a very strange year if Scully, being pregnant and longing for Mulder, became romantically involved with Doggett...with everyone knowing that Mulder is ultimately going to return! But that sounds exactly like something I would do! (laugh)

My take: Sounds like bad news. But I could see Doggett falling for Scully, maybe? Don't want to get too soap opera-ish.

That's all.

From Little Star

Little Star was an extra on the set for 8x08, and got to see part of the script. To read about her experience, please visit her website: Little Star's Experience

TEASER

Kath and Duffy Haskell give birth to a four-fingered child which is described as something hideous. The team of doctors look at the new born alien baby. It's not a gray but the more reptilian-looking alien first introduced in the movie.

ACT I

Doggett is seated at a small desk caddy-cornered from Mulder's talking to Duffy when Scully comes in. Duffy claims to have contacted Scully eight years earlier when his wife was abducted. Scully says that was before her time but how could she help now. Kath is dead. Duffy knew this would happen and blamed Scully for not listening. Doggett found several of Duffy's letters to Mulder describing his wife's abduction. Mulder wrote back saying he couldn't help unless there was a crime involved. Duffy wants to know who murdered his wife. Duffy explains that his wife was a multiple abductee. Once she was given cancer, then she was cured then she was implanted with an alien embryo which was odd because she was never supposed to be able to conceive. All the doctors they went to all seemed to be in on it. Scully is of course uncomfortable but remains unconvinced. They take down Duffy's name, number, etc. and he leaves. Scully seems to think Doggett is putting her on. Doggett thought she'd be interested because Duffy's story is her story except for the pregnancy part. (Yeah, Doggett still doesn't know Scully's pregnant!)

Scully at Dr. office worried about her pregnancy. The doctor says no worries but she's going to show soon and should probably tell the FBI. Scully leaves, then remembers something and goes back for Kath's ultrasound she'd sent him. She sneaks back in to get it and sees a crying pregnant woman surrounded by the same doctors and nurses from the teaser. Scully gets caught sneaking around in a room that contains fetus's in containers, each with various deformities. Scully claims she was lost and disappears before the cops can be called.

Scully rushes home and calls her doctor and asks her to compare an ultrasound she has (Kath's) with her own. She hangs up and we discover her doctor is in the room with the fetus's.

ACT II

Flashback - Scully is with her doctor and he thinks they can successfully get her pregnant. Scully is very excited. Dr. Pareni asks if she has a donor in mind. (I hate this part!!) Scully answers yes but she doesn't know how to ask him.

Present Day
Dr P. looked at both ultrasounds and they're both fine.

Scully and Doggett get into a little tiff. Scully learns that her doctor is one of the doctors Kath and Duffy consulted.

Duffy calls the doctors and tells them the FBI were more thorough then they'd thought and they may lose Hendershot. The doctors agree to let her go.

The crying woman Scully saw in the doctors office turns up at Scully's apartment worried that her baby is in danger and she needs help - Mary Hendershot.

ACT III

3:33 am Doggett drives up to all night diner, asks ME for a cup of coffee then joins Scully and Skinner. Doggett asks what going on, Skinner tells Doggett that Scully has asked for a leave of absence. Can he know why? Scully says no. Pissed, Doggett leaves. Skinner tells Scully she has to tell him. Scully says she can't. Scully follows Doggett out of the diner and catches him just before he gets in his car. She tries to explain but Doggett doesn't want to hear any lies. Skinner exits the diner and Scully gets into the car with Hendershot and drives away. Even Skinner doesn't know who Hendershot is.

Scully takes Mary Hendershot to an Army Medical Research Hospital and tells the doctors Mary thinks she is carrying something inhuman. The doctors prepare to induce the baby. The doctors are only taking this seriously because of Scully's credentials and her belief that there is a real threat to Mary's life. Scully answers that Mary isn't the only woman whose life is in danger.

Doggett has been investigating Duffy Haskell. Turns out *David* Haskell was buried in 1970 in a military cemetery.

Scully's given an ultrasound. Results - a healthy 14 week old baby, possibly a girl. Scully wants an amnio done to be certain it's healthy.

Doggett has asked for help from a military friend in his investigation about Haskell. It's possible Haskell is CIA. Doggett thinks about the document in the XF of a conspiracy to hide the truth. Rohrer laughs that there's no conspiracy but he'll find out who Haskell is.

Scully's amnio begins. Scully lays on the table waiting when she discovers she was not given an ultrasound but was played the tape of someone else's ultrasound. She quickly finds Hendershot and tells her they have to leave.

End of Act III and end of what I know.

From The Official XF Magazine

According to Frank Spotnitz:

• Jeffrey Bell is currently working on a story about a man who is seemingly indestructible.
• Greg Walker's got a story about a woman who is saved from a murder and believes she has a guardian angel who's watching over her shoulder protecting her. But she's wrong. It's not what it seems to be at all.

From Donna Marie on Haven for the FBI's Most Unwanted

I'm sure it's irresponsible to post this so early - so PLEASE realize that this is VERY early to have spoilers from this episode -- and while I know the source is reliable - the scene - character below could *easily* be cut or changed. That said....

"Just found out that episode 8 is written by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz. Kim Manners is directing. Shooting begins October 12th. Story centers around Duffy Haskell, an ex-military man who goes to Scully & Doggett to investigate his wife's death during childbirth. They discover he is the president of the Ohio Mutual UFO Network and that he wrote threatening letters to Mulder. This man believes that his wife was impregnated by aliens -- she was a multiple abductee. Also, Scully finds out that her trusted obstetrician is in on a conspiracy . The casting breakdown states - NOT MY WORDS! - that Scully has been consulting him for the past year and that he was helping her to conceive - that's what the breakdown says."

From kappagrrl on Spoilertown

As if we already didn't know, Ms. Marita will be making more appearances on XF this season. From a conversation I had with her manager yesterday, look for her to be showing up all over the place after January. She's been told to keep her schedule totally clear...

From Elwood X and Alfornos on Spoilertown

1013 FACT SHEETS

The X-Files

• Production Company: Ten Thirteen Prods. in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television
• Executive Producers: Chris Carter, Vince Gilligan, Frank Spotnitz, Michelle MacLaren [from Harsh Realm]
  
• Co-Executive Producers: John Shiban, Kim Manners
  
• Supervising Producer: Paul Rabwin
  
• [Co-]producers: Jeffrey Bell, David Amann
  
• License Fee: $1,800,000 (the amount per episode paid to the producers by the network) [8X1/8X2 Shooting cost $9 million!!]
  
• Deficit: 0 (difference between the license fee and the cost per episode)
  
• Description/Talent: Drama surrounding the supernatural adventures of FBI Agents Dana Scully and Fox Mulder; this season focuses more on the plight of Scully. Stars Gillian Anderson, Robert Patrick, David Duchovny.
  
• '99-'00 Rank: 34
  
• Total Viewers: 12.6 million

From Gist TV

X-Files: Who Fathered Scully's Baby?

Viewers found out that Scully (Gillian Anderson) was pregnant during the X-Files season finale. Now comes word that the daddy may be none other than her missing partner, Mulder (David Duchovny), according to Entertainment Weekly.

This isn't some conspiracy theory dreamed up by the show's fans: Chris Carter, the X-Files creator, is the one bringing up the possibility.

"These are two people who have maintained a very powerful and respectful relationship." he says. "But like all relationships between men and women, sometimes feelings are expressed in a physical way. I don't think it would be dishonest for them to have done that."

It's all hypothetical at this point, he stresses.

When will we find out the truth? Reportedly, the father of Scully's baby will be revealed before Christmas.

Meanwhile, look for Scully to have a new partner this season. John Doggett will be played by Robert Patrick, who you'll recognize from Terminator 2. As the season begins, Doggett will assist Scully in the search for Mulder, who was apparently abducted by aliens at the end of last season.

Duchovny, who was close to leaving the series until he signed a new contract, will appear in only 11 episodes of the show this season.

Christine Champagne

From Entertainment Weekly via Alfornos on alt.tv.x-files

I'll try to transcribe the cover story from the new EW but it's pretty long. Here are some key points:

• DD will be in the first 2 episodes, the last 6 and 3 in between (not always in a leading role)
• CC is very involved this year, having written or rewritten 5 of the first 7 episodes
• Besides the usual suspects, Gary Cole (American Gothic) and DB Sweeney were up for the Doggett role but CC loves Robert Patrick's "heat" and "masculinity"
• GA signed for Season 9 as a trade-off for getting a pay hike this season ($200-$300,000 an ep)
• Season 8 will have less comedy/fantasy eps like X-Cops or Triangle, and more scary episodes

From Mod!Kim on xfsource

Some sneaky little spoilers in Kersh's Bio. Here is the excerpt, you can get the entire text from the OS.

At the start of Season Eight, he gets appointed to be the FBI's new Deputy Director. His first order of business in the new job is to assign Special Agent John Doggett to lead the Task Force in finding Mulder, and he threatens Scully and Skinner that any public mention of extra-terrestrials in regards to the search will lead to their swift dismissal. While his primary goal may be to save face for the FBI, Kersh may have some unknown motives in connection with those who want to hide the truth.

From Cinescape Online

David Duchovny may well appear in eleven episodes in the coming new season of The X-Files, but one should not expect him to be a major presence in all those he will be in. While talking to TV Guide, Chris Carter revealed that of the previously reported eleven episodes, only half of them will actually feature Fox Mulder as a major part of the episode. Carter adds, "The theme of the season is for Mulder...I hope to turn [his absence] into a virtue." (Thanks to Eon Magazine for the tip!)

From Agent Leki on Spoilertown

There will be twenty episodes this season, down from twenty-two for the last two years.

Fox Mulder will appear in the eighth season opener and in a total of eleven episodes. However, CC was evasive on the subject of whether David Duchovny would be filming new material, or if unused material from a prior episode (the rumor is "all things") will be used.

Dana Scully's mother will make an appearance to support her pregnant daughter. No information has been provided as to the identity of the father of Scully's child.

Child chess prodigy Gibson Praise will also return for the first time in two years, and he's no longer in the power plant - he will be in a school for the hearing-impaired.

John Doggett, the new character to be played by Robert Patrick, will NOT be Scully's partner. He will actually be someone in the FBI management hierarchy who doesn't want the X-Files project to continue.

When the show picks up, only a few days will have passed since Scully's disclosure to Assistant Director Skinner. Assistant Director Kersh will make an appearance in the season premiere.

The characters of Marita Covarrubias and Alex Krycek will be more prominent, and consideration is being given to expanding Skinner's role as well.

Fans will be pleased to learn that this season will find the show returning to its dark and scary roots. There will be fewer "Lite" episodes.

From TV Week

'X-Files' gets late start and interesting makeover for Fall

Imagine an X-Files episode about a creature that won't die. It threatens to, but it keeps returning, larger and louder. That's the story of The X-Files. Despite occasional death notices, it will return in the fall with:

• Twenty new episodes. David Duchovny will appear in 11 - six as a fully involved star and five partly involved. Gillian Anderson and her new co-star, Robert Patrick, will be in all 20.
• A spin-off Lone Gunmen series, with 13 episodes starting next spring. "It's going to be a show that's more comedic that its dramatic...," says X-Files Creator Chris Carter. "It's kind of like Mission Impossible on laughing gas."
• And Maybe more. "The TV series leads hopefully to another movie," Carter says.

Next March they'll have their own show an some new co-stars. It will be filmed in Vancouver. Even after the death notices the world of the X-Files keeps growing.

From Haven for the FBI's Most Unwanted

TELEVISION CRITICS ASSOCIATION SESSION TRANSCRIPT (aproximate)
Thursday July 20, 2000

"I think, really, Mulder and Scully are the reason -- David and Gillian are the reason -- for the show's great success. But that doesn't mean that you can't threaten the paradigm, you can't threaten the model, you can't threaten the relationship. " - Chris Carter on Season Eight

"David will be in 11 of 20 episodes. As I understand it, he is going to be in -- six of those will be complete episodes."

"He'll be in the season opener. And the season opener is a two-part episode. Beyond that, I'm not going to tell you, and I really can't tell you because we're still figuring it out."

Regarding going on beyond season 8: "I think there's a terrific opportunity to do it, particularly now that Patrick is aboard. It's really figuring out how to tell the stories and who to tell the stories with. Neither David nor Gillian have contracts past this year... It really depends on doing good shows this year, making that character interesting, introducing new characters, and whether it goes on with David and Gillian, Robert, or whomever. I really only want the show to go on if it's going to be good.

"I think, really, Mulder and Scully are the reason -- David and Gillian are the reason -- for the show's great success. But that doesn't mean that you can't threaten the paradigm, you can't threaten the model, you can't threaten the relationship. In fact, I think, dramatically, you better do that every once in a while or else you're going to have a very stale show, particularly when you have two characters who, for 7 years, have -- you know, they kissed last New Year's Eve -- they kissed on the -- you know, a smooch at the strike of 12. I think that's pretty good for two characters who have had tremendous sexual chemistry and tension."

He also said about dealing with the reality of people's lives. Gillian will be in all 20 episodes in varying degrees: "The truth is, I have to deal with Gillian -- this year she needs to be with her daughter a certain amount of time. So, as a producer, you're always dealing with certain restrictions and disadvantages, and that's really what this is. It's not that we're constructing the show for David and David's disappearance. I could have used him more and could have used him less, to be honest. So really, I've got to make it interesting for the audience and for myself, and then ultimately, make it interesting for the actors. It's really a creative exercise in any event."

Regarding his relationship with DD: "Well, I only know what I read in the press, and that's that he said -- "our friendship was damaged." I still am yet to understand, truly, what it is I was accused of doing, and have it articulated to me in any kind of understandable way. So, it's still -- there's a little bit of mystery to me, but lawsuits are mysterious, and I'm happy to just move on and try to do the good work that we've done together."

Regarding DD writing more XF: "He's actually -- he ran a couple of story ideas past me, but he hasn't figured out how to do one without Mulder in it yet.

So I think when he comes to me with a story like that, I wouldn't rule out anything.

When asked who the baby's father is CC at first joked "I'm its father and its mother."

Later on in answer to someone's incredulous question about Scully having sex: "Yes, there is potential she was having sex (laughter). We're going to play with that story line this year actually and find out what exactly happened. We hinted at some sort of relationship in the episode "all things" which was actually Gillian's written and directed episode. So there is was a nod to a possibility. And we're going to play with that some more."

Still later regarding cheating the fans out of the big scene: "It's primetime television. You can't consummate --- What happens is that it makes it a lot more fun to now go back and find out what really happened. And so, I think if anyone feels cheated, they will get their prurient interest satisfied (laughter).

Regarding if the father's not Mulder how is he going to feel: "Cheated. (laughter) Well, I mean, he's got no claim to her, truly. I mean, you know, I don't know. It'd be an interesting thing to explore."

"I would never assume anything on the XF and anything can happen. But I'll tell you, I think it would be a big cheat if it was a false positive or a phony pregnancy, certainly after all this time. It would be like bringing back a dead character."

Regarding Is CSM really dead: "Well, of course I'm not going to tell -- like with Scully's baby and the CSM -- these are all things I want to play with next year, so I'm going to keep them a secret. I always regret killing off characters because it makes for a very uncomfortable phone call for me to the actors. But, no. It's part of a series. You have to have characters. If everybody lives, there is no threat to any character at any time."

As for how Scully is going to be played (skeptic vs believer) he talked about it several times during the course of the session.

"Everything is kind of changing. Agent Scully, who has always been the skeptic over 7 years, of course has seen enough that it eroded her skepticism. And now that Agent Mulder has been abducted, as reported by Skinner, the only way to find him is to accept what Skinner is saying. So the two of them become believers, although reluctant believers. And that's really the way we make room for this new character to come in -- his name is Special Agent John Doggett. He comes in on the manhunt, the search for Agent Mulder."

"Unlike Scully, who was a -- really had a science and an argument -- he comes at it as a kind of knee-jerk skeptic. He's a person who is doubting by nature, and he really is one of these people who needs to see it, touch it, smell it, taste it, feel it, in order to believe it -- and that's going to be the character. As simple as that sounds, hopefully, we can make him a nice, complex character."

"He's a former NYC police detective and he was in the US Marine Corps.

"He is not taking Mulder's office."

"They are not partners. He is being integrated into the show in a way that he is, in fact, not partnered with her. So when Mulder comes back to the show, it will be -- that will be the interesting dynamic. How does it work? How does it work between them? I don't know necessarily that it's going to be competitive. In fact, it might be a symbiotic relationship. These are things we will have to explore and certainly, we look forward to exploring Scully and Doggett through the first half of the season."

Regarding will the show go out with a whimper: "I would not have come back this year if I felt that was going to happen. And I thought long and hard about how the character dynamic would be, what would be a nice addition to the show, how we could, in fact, reenergize the show in a way that made is interesting for everyone, including the audience. I think Robert Patrick is going to be a hit. I think he is going to strike a chord. And I certainly think the relationship that these two characters are going to have is going to be -- make the Mulder and Scully relationship even more interesting."

Regarding whether Doggett will be Scully and she will end up sounding like Mulder: "No, I've already written two episodes, and it feels right. And of course, this was a giant consideration. You don't want all of a sudden have characters who are untrue to themselves and who start sounding like -- if Scully starts sounding like Mulder, I think the show is going to be bad. She's a reluctant believer. She is a person who is a scientist first and a believer second. The new character is a cop and he believes, coming in, that everything can be solved if you just employ very good cop/police technique."

Regarding with all she's seen shouldn't Scully be more of a believer: "But as I say, she's a scientist. In her heart she's a scientist ad she has to come a certain things scientifically as any smart person would do in this case. Even Mulder was, at least, considerate -- or considered science when making his giant leaps. ... I think that makes the character interesting. She's torn. She's always been torn. The great thing about Scully was that she wears a cross around her neck. She has a religious bent. She has beliefs and those beliefs were always in conflict with her science anyway. So she has been a character who has been torn both in her belief and in her personal approach to life."

Regarding the film franchise (he has nothing written yet) and whether or not he believes in closure: "I've never thought about it in those terms because when the movie was a success, all of a sudden, it seemed like the TV series could become a movie series. It really comes down to how long it's good. If it ever feels like it's running out of steam, or people don't want to see it, or no one wants to do it -- I think that it's time to pack it in. But it would be nice to have some sort of conclusion. But my fear is, as with the show, is that when you have a show about the unexplained -- the unexplainable and the unknown -- to try and actually explain any of that is kind of ridiculous."

"There's certain things, like with Mulder's sister, that I think needed to be wrapped. And we did wrap that up, although we can still investigate that, to an extent, and we do, actually, next season to some degree. So I think you need to reward audience expectation in that way. You can't leave people hanging. I would never want to leave people irritated that if they've taken the journey, that there wasn't some satisfaction at the end. But the XF will always leave as many questions as answers, so I think that's probably what I would say we would end up with."

Regarding Mitch and TLG becoming accidental stars: "It's all a happy accident. You find these actors and you like to write for them and you find them interesting to watch and all of a sudden everyone else does too. I mean, it's wonderful. And with Mitch and TLG, I think there could be a spin-off series with Mitch if you wanted to do that. These have just become very important character to the series and who have grown into their own. They've developed their own fan clubs. That's always a good thing on a show.

"TLG is going to be a mid-season replacement. I'm told it's going to take the XF time slot in the spring. I'm very excited about that. We'll take a little XF hiatus and it's going to be a show that's more comedic that it is dramatic. These guys are wonderful together. These three sort of nerds -- techies. It's kind of like Mission Impossible on laughing gas. It's a light touch approach and I think that we're doing some things we would never had done on XF and that's an exciting thing."

"I hope that there's going to be a crossover? And TLG are definitely going to be back on XF because they're going to be in the first episode which I've just written. And they're in the second episode as well. So they will still be a part of XF. I don't know yet what the crossover possibilities are into TLG. It'll all be contractual and out abilities are going to be hampered or helped by people's willingness to go to Vancouver which is where that show is being shot."

Regarding this season's arc and finale: "I have to say it's the latter (contracts). I really have to be mindful of what I have -- what resources I have available to me. And as the TV series leads to, hopefully, another movie, I want to be mindful of that too. I want those things to work together. So as the season progresses, I'll have a better idea of where we stand. But it won't really affect the storytelling all that much. It just may affect the tone or degree of something."

From Entertainment Weekly Online

'X' Tension - Gillian Anderson will extend her "X-Files" contract. Chris Carter tells EW.com that the series' future is looking increasingly bright

AGENT OF CONSENT - Anderson has signed on for another year
by Lori Reese

"The X-Files" is coming back this season, but the big question has been how much longer can the beloved sci-fi series last? Today, fans have reason to hope for at least two more years. EW.com has learned that Gillian Anderson (Agent Scully) will extend her current contract -- which is set to expire at the end of the 2000-2001 season -- for another year. Creator/ exec producer Chris Carter tells EW.com that this late breaking development (expected to be announced soon by Fox) makes him feel increasingly confident about the show's long term prospects.

Anderson's contract extension doesn't guarantee that Fox will keep "X-Files" on its roster after the current season, however. David Duchovny, who will appear in just over half of this year's episodes, is unlikely to return. And Carter, without whom many think the series would fail, says that his decision to continue beyond 2000-01 depends a lot on whether the show can retain its allure with "Terminator 2"'s Robert Patrick playing Scully's new sidekick, Agent Doggett. Developing the dynamic between the new partners this season is tricky, explains Carter: "It's a little anxiety producing. It's like Tiger Woods rebuilding his golf swing -- throwing away something that's very good and turning it into something better."

Even though some "X-Files" uncertainty remains, at least one thing is sure: We'll be seeing more output from the show's creator in the future. Carter says he hopes the much buzzed about "Lone Gunmen" -- a spin-off Fox originally planned for this fall -- will debut Sunday nights beginning after February sweeps. And he adds that he still wants to turn the "X-Files" into a series of movies, which bodes well for the future of the original show: "I have high hopes still that the TV series will become a movie series. In order for that to be so, you can't just let 'The X-Files' fade away."

Carter, ever the fan of suspense, refuses to answer any of the burning questions that left fans unsettled at the end of last season. (Mulder's abduction? Scully's pregnancy?) He does say, though, that we can expect to learn more about Scully's mysterious affair. At a recent comic book convention, he says he was confronted with a probing query from a teenager in the audience: "She said, 'Now, was Agent Scully having sex? We never SAW her having sex.' And I said, 'How old are you?' and she said, '13.' And I said, 'I guess this is the PG-13 answer: She COULD have been having sex. She MIGHT have been having sex.'" Indeed, one of this season's episodes (written and directed by Anderson) will begin and end in the bedroom, Carter says. "We're gonna break all the barriers of what you can do on prime time." Does that mean Cigarette Smoking Man was involved?

From Mr. Showbiz

Scully and Mulder Sex Flashback?

The X-Files is entering its eighth season with a new mission: to embrace, not fight, the future. With mainstay David Duchovny appearing in only 11 out of 20 episodes, new blood is coming in the form of a new partner for Agent Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and - Mulder Jr.?

Speaking Thursday at the Television Critics Association summer press tour in Pasadena, Calif., series creator Chris Carter shed light on the mystery of last season's finale - namely, who knocked up Scully?

We now learn that that New Year's Eve kiss she and Mulder shared (which occurred in an episode that aired Nov. 28) might have been a prelude to some off-screen action.

"It makes it a lot more fun to now go back and find out what really happened," Carter said, musing on the possibility of an amorous flashback. "If anyone feels cheated [by the chaste on-screen kiss], they will get their prurient interests satisfied."

Mulder's disappearance is courtesy of alien abductors - coincidentally the same plot device used in the second season to accommodate Gillian Anderson's real-life pregnancy.

As for the other new X-Files addition: Robert Patrick's character will be the blue-collar, ex-NYPD, ex-USMC "man's man" FBI agent John Doggett, who'll provide a full-time foil for Scully. (Bonus trivia: Doggett and Scully are both named after Dodgers play-by-play announcers.)

--Jacquelin McCarthy

From iFUSE.com

Chris Carter is the father of Scully's baby.

Or so Carter told a bunch of critics today (July 20) at the TCA convention in Pasadena.

"I am. I'm its father and its mother," Carter said jokingly.

Carter also talked about the new character replacing Mulder next season: John Doggett, a blue-collar, knee-jerk skeptic. Fox announced earlier today that the part will be played by T2 bad guy Robert Patrick. Carter said Doggett is an FBI agent who is not assigned to the X-Files to begin with, and who is not going to be GA's partner initially.

"Everything is changing," Carter said. "Agent Scully has always been the skeptic. Over 7 years, of course, she has seen enough to lower her skepticism, and now that Mulder has been abducted, the only way to find him is to accept what Skinner is saying."

"So the two of them become reluctant believers, and that's the way we make room for this new character. His name is John Doggett and he comes in on the manhunt for the search for Mulder."

Doggett, unlike Scully, comes at it like a knee-jerk skeptic. He's doubting by nature -- one of these people who need to see it, touch it, smell it and feel it in order to believe it. He's a former NY police detective and was a US Marine.

"He believes, coming in, that everything can be solved if you just employ very good cop/police technique," Carter added.

[snip]

Carter insists what made RP stand out was just his whole persona. "RP just embodied this character," Carter said. "Everything from the timbre of his voice to his presence to his intensity."

"I saw him and Scully as worthy adversaries and worthy partners... He would have to be able to stand up to her both as an actor and a character."

"Mulder was the consummate outsider," Carter continued. "We wanted someone who was blue-collar, a former cop, a man's man, and Robert Patrick came in and blew us away."

David Duchovny's Mulder was abducted at the season finale, but he will be back in 11 out of 20 episodes.

From The Official X-Files Site

Robert Patrick joins the cast of The X-Files as a series regular. While not replacing David Duchovny, Robert is committed to appear in all of Season Eight. He began his acting career appearing in Roger Corman films, and went on to star in the features Die Hard 2, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Fire in the Sky, Wayne's World and Copland. He also had a recurring role on the HBO series The Sopranos. His upcoming movie releases include D-Tox with Sylvester Stallone, Spy Kids, Texas Rangers and All the Pretty Horses for director Billy Bob Thornton. Robert is a partner in an independent film production company, 360 entertainment.

From TV Guide

SCULLY GETS A NEW PARTNER: Terminator 2's Robert Patrick will replace David Duchovny on The X-Files, USA Today reports. Duchovny, whose Mulder character was abducted by aliens in last May's season finale, is slated to appear in only 11 episodes this season, beginning with the two-part fall premiere. Patrick played recurring character David Scatino on The Sopranos last season.

From The Associated Press

Actor Patrick Joins 'X-Files'

By DAVID GERMAIN, AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Robert Patrick, who played the evil liquid-metal cyborg opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," is joining "The X-Files" next season, filling the gap in the episodes that star David Duchovny will be sitting out. His character, FBI agent Fox Mulder, was abducted by aliens in the season finale, setting up Duchovny's reduced role for the Fox series' eighth season.

Patrick will appear in all 20 episodes as FBI agent John Doggett, a former policeman assigned to help in the search for Mulder, series creator Chris Carter said Thursday.

"He's not a replacement for David," Carter said. "He's a new character coming in."

Shooting begins next week and the season opener will air in November, Carter said.

Duchovny and co-star Gillian Anderson are not under contract with Fox for a ninth season, but adding Patrick to the cast offers some options if the show continues beyond next year, Carter said.

Patrick's other film credits include "The Faculty," "Cop Land" and the upcoming "Texas Rangers" and "All the Pretty Horses."

From the Vancouver Sun

The Vancouver Sun has an article about the newest member of The X-Files cast, as well as information from a press conference with Chris Carter:

New X-Files agent no stranger to otherworldly assignments

From Entertainment Weekly

Phile-o-Facts
By Brian Raftery

The truth about Scully's new "X-Files" partner. EW.com tells you which Web rumors are false and why

There are two things any diehard "X-Files" junkie can count on: lame "truth is out there" jokes and a plethora of wacky rumors. Herewith we sort out all the Internet innuendo and fan-furnished falsities. Trust us -- the truth is in here!

RUMOR: Stephen Rea ("The Crying Game"), Chris Noth ("Sex and the City"), or David Caruso (um...) will "X"-mark the spot as Scully's new sidekick. False. A source at Fox nixes all three candidates, though he notes that Rea and "X-Files" creator Chris Carter did talk last year about a multi-episode guest spot.

RUMOR: Casting directors are looking for a "blue-collar" type for the part. False. While the producers aren't looking for another "slickster" like Mulder, they're not out looking for Tom Arnold, either (thank god).

RUMOR: Duchovny will appear in only two episodes of the new season. False. While the Fox source confirms Mulder will "disappear" after the first two segments of the next season, his absence will last only 8 or 9 episodes -- after which he'll return to finish his 11-episode commitment. Hopefully, he'll make enough time for one more "Red Shoe Diaries" cameo.

From Amy on Haven for the FBI's Most Unwanted

Recap of Gillian's appearance at the NF fundraiser in Washington D.C. (July 12, 2000):

Question: What was her reaction to 'Scully's condition in Requiem'?

She [said that when] they were filming at a hospital in Big Bear she was in between takes on the phone when she saw a woman with MS having an attack and she was struck by the juxtaposition of working on a TV show and real life/death moments like what she was witnessing. She said she burst into tears. That was the day that CC came up (5 hours late - she said he was stuck in traffic) to give them the pregnancy lines. She said her emotions were already raw - so it worked.

She also said that she really feels the baby was created during "all things." She said that Chris had told her that he felt that "all things" was the beginning of the next phase of The X-Files and also that "Requiem" tied into "all things." Though she also reminded us that this doesn’t mean she’s right and that she might walk into production (which she told one fan she thinks starts at the end of July) and have the baby be alien. It’s just her take that it’s Mulder’s from all things.

Question: Why wasn't Scully wearing her cross in the hospital end scene?

A random fan shouted 'Because Mulder was' and everyone laughed. Gillian said she didn't know. Either she could have forgotten to put it on, they could have assumed she wouldn't wear in the hospital or props could have borrowed it. We told her we thought they should have it play that Mulder was wearing it.

From Heather on The Ultimate Spoilers

This is from my source, who is an advisor to the show...

"I think most of you know that I was as surprised as anyone by Scully's pregnancy, and that I thought it was because I'd asked not to know about the final episode, other than the parts I worked on. Turns out that's not the case. That dialogue was never in the script. The researcher, the script coordinator and the staff writers found out that Scully was pregnant when the episode aired. And no, they don't know who is the father of the baby. Yet. Chris probably knows. Unless he hasn't decided yet.

As for the rumor that there was scene cut from "Requiem" in which Scully gave Mulder her cross, as far as they know that isn't true. The scene wasn't scripted. But who knows what evil lurks in the heart of Chris Carter...

For what it's worth."

From Danielle on the message boards

• Mulder is the father of Scully's child.
• CC and crew are planning on showing clips of Mulder and Scully's night together to keep the fans from leaving when Mulder's gone.
• The new season begins with Scully searching for Mulder.
• Scully finds Mulder in about the 12th episode, but he doesn't remember much about his abduction.

From Irene on The Spoiler Files

Here are some spoilers William B. Davis shared at the Dallas Hollywood Convention:

• William B. Davis is NOT contracted for season eight, and it sounds unlikely that he will return. However, he said he is never contracted until last minute anyway. Yet, he said he had another idea for an episode that he would like to create, so it seems unsure of what will become of CSM. He said he honestly wasn't sure what they planned to do next year. He also mentioned that they want to carry on next year with "new" mythology, and that he feels the creators think he is "old" mythology. So unfortunately, things aren't looking too good for Old Smokey.
• He commented that he believed the plan for next year with Duchovny was that DD would do two episodes at the very beginning and then return halfway through. This was interesting, because I hadn't heard this version before.
• Mr. Davis also said that En Ami was not written to set up Scully's pregnancy. He in fact confirmed that no one knew she was going to be pregnant until the last day of filming. When asked if he was the father he said that some people said he implanted a clone of himself in her, or that he was the father, but that honestly he didn't know.
• He said he heard that there really is a possibility of seasons nine and ten. (Although I've heard that before.)
• As far as the movie goes, he thinks that the idea is "on the shelf" for now. If there was to be a second movie, it won't be until after the show is finished, because he says that trying to film the movie in between seasons before was too much.

From TV Guide Insider

X-FILES SECRETS REVEALED: David Duchovny will appear in the first two episodes of The X-Files's upcoming eighth season and then vanish until late in the year, according to series supporting player William B. Davis (the cigarette-smoking man) on Scifi Wire. Meanwhile, the show's producers are reportedly searching for an actor to play a male ex-cop in his 30s or 40s as the new partner for Gillian Anderson's Agent Scully.

From CJ as posted on the Haven

CJ went to an eXpo in Texas where Chris Owens and William B. Davis attended. She asked WBD if he knew the date season 8 will begin filming and how many episodes he is under contract for (figured it was an indirect way to surmise if CSM is dead or alive). He said he doesn't know the date season 8 will begin filming and as of now he is not under contract for season 8. He also said that he "understands" that David will appear in two episodes at the beginning of the season and will then be gone until toward the end of the season.

From elwood blues on xf-info list

What to eXpect in the 8th XF Season...

Facts:

• Mulder will return 2001, late January or episode #1 of the February Sweeps. Should be episode 10 or 11...
• No one really dies on the X-Files! We can assume that CSM is still 'out there'. Bounty Hunter should be able to save his sick ass.
• Thompson should be in 1 - 2 episodes neXt season, more info as I get it
• Shooting should begin in a couple of weeks for 'The World of Ted Serious' (Chris Carter directs the CC/FS written script); post-production is going to take about 5 months (A.D. Sackheim?)
• 22 Episodes this year -- 8/11 Duchovny episodes (8 according to Mr. Share it, 11 according to Vince Gilligan who was 'out there' with his buddy Rob Roberts last week spilling these beans
• Everything returns everywhere. Remember the Scully-abduction arc in Season 2? Scully was gone and 'returned to Mulder' ["Duane Barry", "Ascension", "One Breath"]. Same thing is going to happen this year with the Mulder-thang.
• William Gibson and Tom Maddox may be back in Year 8 for yet another episode. They were slated to write an "Harsh Realm" episode that was never written. Expect them in Chris Carters Realm in the 2000-2001 season!
• Jeffrey Bell, David Amann, Greg Walker, Steven Maeda and Michelle MacLaren [from HR/XF] should be on board. Kim Manners is.
• Season 8 should kickoff November 5
• Tom Braidwood is going to direct for Ten Thirteen! Not the indie-movie "Tilt" as someone said. If LGM or XF, we'll stay tuned!

From alt.tv.x-files

'X-Files' Producer Hints At New Storylines
By Kate O'Hare

LOS ANGELES (Zap2It.com) - "It was completely down to the wire" says "X-Files" executive producer Frank Spotnitz of the negotiations for an eighth season of the hit Fox network series. "Honestly, it was down to the last minute. It could have fallen apart at any time."

Ultimately, with the apparent settlement of co-star David Duchovny's lawsuit against the show's producing studio, 20th Century Fox (in which he claimed that selling "X" to Fox-owned cablenet FX for a reduced rate cut into his share of the profits -- a claim also made by Steven Bochco about "NYPD Blue"), both show and actor are returning, but with Duchovny in a reduced capacity.

"As I understand it," says Spotnitz, "he is signed for 11. We're doing 20, but how we will use him, we're just figuring it out."

In the season finale, "Requiem," aliens abducted Mulder -- maybe. So will there be a new partner for Agent Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson)? "We literally are figuring that out as we speak, because this is our first week back, but it will be very different from the Mulder-Scully relationship."

What about future appearances by one-armed double agent Krycek (Nicholas Lea)? "Nic wasn't available to us for most of last year. I'm hoping he's very available (this year), but I'll find out soon enough."

Could Scully and Krycek become an item? "Honestly, anything could happen. I don't know."

Anderson's reaction to the season-ending bombshell that the supposedly barren Scully is somehow pregnant? "She said, 'I knew it!' That was her reaction. She liked it, though."

Duchovny told an Italian radio station that Mulder is the baby's dad, but Spotniz wouldn't confirm: "Our lips are sealed," he said.

And how about Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis), who seemed dead after being pushed down the stairs by Krycek "Well, we've killed people before. Deep Throat's been dead a long time, and he keeps coming back."

Any chance for a second "X" movie? "I don't know if there will be another movie if things aren't successful this year. It all depends on what happens."

From cj on X-Philes Experience

The guy/gal who updates TXF official website is prone to posting on the spoiler message board at Haven. He/she has been there tonight and said the following about Mulder wearing Scully's cross in "Requiem" and the rumored missing hallway scene:

"I asked the producers about that. They said they'd read that somewhere and couldn't figure out where it came from. He was not wearing it. There was no cut scene where she gives it to him. JS thought it might seem like Mulder's jacket zipper was something. But it was not intentional, and not a cross. Does that help?

Also, there is no "missing" kiss scene. I've been reading that all over the net that someone supposedly heard it or saw it. Doesn't exist, never has. Not in the script. I saw the rough cut and it wasn't shot. What's on screen is what was intended."

He/she also reported that the writers came back to work this week but that the rest of the behind-the-scenes crew is still on hiatus.

From Haven for the FBI's Most Unwanted

From the "What's New?" page:

"...seems David really did sign for 3 months of filming and not a concrete number of episodes. On his interview on BBC Radio 1 this morning he said his number of eps could range from 6-11."

Also, there are two articles on Haven regarding the next season:

Article 1 // Article 2

From Mr. Showbiz

Did Duchovny Spill X-Files Baby News?

After the season ender of The X-Files, the burning question isn't whether Mulder's coming back from his alien abduction. The real question is who fathered Scully's bun in the oven? Yep, the Requiem finale dropped the bombshell that Scully (Gillian Anderson) is pregnant - and it could be anyone from her usually-keeps-his-distance partner Mulder to some wayward alien.

So, did David Duchovny, who had to be lured back to the show for an eighth season, spill the baby beans on an Italian radio show?

According to an online X-Files newsgroup, which translated the Italian interview, Duchovny said that, yep, Mulder's the daddy.

"I don't want to give too much away too soon, otherwise I would spoil you all," the TV hunk is quoted as saying. "Then again, I didn't write this episode, so I really don't know. Anyway, they told me that, yes, it should be Mulder's baby, a little Mulder, and the baby is not alien - that is, if you don't believe that Mulder is alien himself!"

Ah, more conspiracies. In a May 26 interview with Entertainment Weekly, series creator Chris Carter acknowledged that Mulder might be the father, cryptically saying, "There was a [recent] episode written and directed by Gillian that began and ended in Mulder's bedroom. That would certainly bring up some questions for me."

In the Italian interview, Duchovny also reportedly makes mention of a plot development we remember from the '80s sci-fi series V: that the baby, if it were part alien, would grow to adulthood with lightning speed. "Maybe they were hoping to have my child growing up really fast to take my place in the show," he is supposed to have said.

When asked to confirm whether Duchovny unzipped his lips abroad, the actor's reps could neither confirm, nor deny. However, they said it was "extremely unlikely" that the business-savvy actor would sabotage his just-agreed-to upcoming season that way.

"Perhaps he was joking," said one of his reps, citing the dry-witted actor's fondness for teasing.

Another rumor that could not be confirmed: that Duchovny will be returning for fewer than the announced 11 episodes next season (out of 22 total episodes).

Duchovny is on vacation and couldn't be reached personally for comment.

Work on the eighth season of The X-Files begins at the end of July.

From The Daily Express

When his contract expired, only Gillian Anderson was signed up for the next year. The show could have continued, though the sizzling Mulder-Scully chemistry that is essential to the show (and widely thought to emanate from its players' mutual dislike of each other) would be gone for ever.

Duchovny settled for the middle ground - signing up to star in half of the new series. Were his terms purely financial?

"Not at all. Obviously, there is no reason for me to do the show except to make more money than I'll ever need, but it was more of a time commitment. I can't have a film career in the eight or 10 weeks a year The X-Files is in hiatus. Having said that, it's easy for me to get into a rut, as I have with the show. Even if you want to get out of it, it's scary. It's a bit like leaving school." His compromise makes perfect sense; he will have more time and even more money - around $400,000 (£250,000) per show. It's impressive, though small fry compared with the Friends cast's $750,000 (£470,000) each per episode. But Duchovny is thinking more about the resultant change to his life than his bank balance.

From Tracy on Haven's message board

I listened to the DD's interview on Radio Capitol (Italian radio station) which he did earlier today. As you know DD is in Europe promoting RTM, and he spoke briefly about the movie. But what I found more interesting is the segment where interviewer read out some questions (via e-mail) that the Italian viewers had about the X-Files and his future projects.

The interviewer read out 3 questions to DD and here they are, with of course his answers. Please keep in mind, that my translation will not be word for word, but is pretty close to what was said:

• Q. If you had the possibility of being able to write and direct a movie, in which you had the leading role, what kind of movie would you write?
• A. It would have to be something he wrote; he would have a hard time being in a movie in which he didn't write and/or direct. But what's more important to him is the writing and directing; he wants to continue doing both, but specifically directing. The two episodes that he wrote for the X-files were very personal to him.
• Q. We know that Scully is pregnant,is there a remote possibility that Mulder is the father?
• A. I don't know; I don't know for sure. I didn't write the episode so I didn't get to see it. I've been told that it's Mulder's baby, and no the baby isn't an alien, not unless Mulder is an alien. When they shot Requiem he still hadn't signed on for another season, so maybe they were looking for an interesting way to end the series.
• Q. Do you still like playing Mulder?
• A. My lawsuit had/has nothing to do with the character or series. The series took up to 10 months of his time; he felt like a prisoner; now with a contract which only has him working 3 months of the year, it's better. He wanted to free up more time to do other things. He still likes the character and the series.

As you can see he didn't specifically speak about new projects, just that he wanted to have time to do different things. He does still like Mulder, which can only be good news for us.

From The LA Daily News

Here is a section of the article "Mulder is Out There," written by Rob Lowman and first published June 1, 2000:

Last week's season finale ended with Mulder being abducted by aliens, and Scully pregnant, presumably by Mulder and despite the fact that she was unable to conceive. The revelation here is that up until now Mulder and Scully had kept their relationship platonic, and - perhaps more than aliens or wild conspiracy - it is that relationship that is at the heart of the show. But now Carter must figure out a way to do without that for half the year.

"We'll bring in some new characters." he says. "We have some chances here to expand the show yet again. We're still going to tell great stories. I want to focus more on the character of Scully and tell stories that deal with a more mythological magic realism approach than we have done before." Carter, who began as a journalist before moving over to TV to do Disney movies of the week, attributes the show enduring apppeal to its elasticity. "It's weird." he says. "'The X-Files' can expand and come back to shape so beautifully so that you can do these wild send-up episodes and come back and do a mythology the following week."

From Entertainment Weekly

The X-Factors

A part time Mulder. A pregnant Scully. What does it all mean for The X-Files? By Dan Snierson

[large color photo of Mulder]

Jesus finally had his Second Coming. Chandler at long last popped the question. Yes, the TV season had officially drawn to a close, meaning everyone can toss their remotes and bask in the frivolous joys of summer. Well, everyone except those poor fans of The X-Files, who are blinking blankly in front of their 27 inch Trinitrons, still reeling from a recent rash of paranormal activity.

On May 16, after a frenzy of speculation, Fox announced it would bring back the spooky seven year old drama for another season with or without holdout David Duchovny (Mulder). Then, less than two days later, on the eve of the network's fall schedule announcement, Duchovny agreed to return for 11 episodes - about half of a full season - for a reported $20 million. ("The last two weeks have been quite a roller coaster," understates exec producer Frank Spotnitz. "Every day I thought it could fall apart at any minute.")

Finally came Sunday's surprise-packed season finale (Mulder abducted! Scully pregnant!), leaving viewers, in typical Files fashion, with more queries than a U.S. Census long form. This time, however, we graciously did the work for you, providing answers to your burning questions.

How will The X Files deal with Duchovny's part time schedule?

A likely scenario, according to X-Files sources, will have the Duchovny episodes sprinkled throughout the year, though that's still being decided. To fill the Mulder void, they're looking to cast a new buddy for Scully (Gillian Anderson), a character that definitely won't be in the mold of the conspiracy-obsessed Mulder. Says X-Files creator Chris Carter: "Certainly Scully's character has evolved to this point now where she is a believer of sorts... I think that the partner would probably be a skeptic. And more likely than not it will be a man." (See below). The producers will also bulk up the roles of supporting characters like Skinner and Krycek (but not the Lone Gunmen, who will be starring in their own series). "We've got a lot of great players on the bench," says Spotnitz. "It makes sense to use those assets more heavily than we have in the past." Will we, perhaps, see more high-profile guest stars? "We've always hesitated to do that because we've felt it would take away from the show," says Carter. "But this may be an opportunity to do that."

Is next season the final one?

Don't bet the crop-circled farm on it. Carter hints the franchise could continue - even if both Duchovny and Anderson call it quits. "If we plan carefully, there could be [more seasons], but I'm not telling you that there will be," he says elusively. Which is why, he adds, choosing a new partner for Scully is "very important for not just this year but perhaps the future.... I still think there are a lot of stories to tell. If the characters worked, and we liked to write for them, I could say yes to another season." [color photo of M&S in Requiem]

If Scully is really with child, who's the father?

This being the X Files, don't rule out aliens - or the possibility of Papa Mulder. "There was a [recent] episode written and directed by Gillian that began and ended in Mulder's bedroom," Carter teases. "That would certainly bring up some questions for me."

Did the producers shoot an alternative ending, as reported?

That's just crazy talk, insists Carter: "I would have played it the same way whether [Duchovny] came back or not." In fact, Carter says he's been planning Mulder's abduction and Scully's pregnancy since the start of the season. "I thought it was a finale that would work for any eventuality. And because we had planned to do movies, I thought that would be a place to pick up with those things." Perhaps the alternative-ending rumors stem from the producers' clandestine high jinks: Because they wanted to keep the prenatal plot under wraps, the pregnancy scene wasn't revealed to the crew until the night it was shot. "The last page of the script was never published," says Spotnitz. "That was a secret we were trying to hold as long as possible."

What the heck was Krycek doing in an African jail?

As usual, all roads lead to you-know-who. "Cigarette-Smoking Man put him in that prison as a result of [Krycek's] stealing information from him," says Carter. That explanation never made it into the final cut, he adds. And what are we to make of the return of U.N. babe Marita Covarrubias, miraculously cured of the alien cancer? "She actually got it from a test," says Carter. "But she was not dying, she was just weakened from the tests." Uh-huh. Guess it was one of those 24-hour alien bugs.

Didn't the aliens cure CSM of lung cancer a couple of seasons ago? Why was he dying of it again?

Says Carter: "Remember that he had an operation, which was the same operation that Mulder had where there was a transfer of genetic material. [Not really, but okay.] The operation didn't work. This is the result of that." Answer us this, then: Did Krycek's pushing CSM down the stairs finally kill that black-lunged bastard? "Wait 'til next season," Carter says. Now, there's a shocker!

-typed by alfornos-

From Haven for the FBI's Most Unwanted

INSIDE TREK & SCI-FI
By IAN SPELLING

After weeks of intense intrigue and even fading hopes, Fox finally announced that "The X-Files" will return for an eighth season in the fall. And so, too, will series creator Chris Carter and stars Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny. However, Duchovny signed on for only 11 episodes, or half a season.

"I know "The X-Files' is a show that still has plenty of mileage left on it," Carter says by telephone from his production office in Los Angeles. "There are lots of stories to tell.

"What you don't want to do is go forward with people who are uninterested in doing the work. I wanted to make sure that, if we went forward, everybody was excited about continuing to do good work, that it wasn't just a payday and a trip to the bank."

Carter and company were prepared, albeit reluctantly, to carry on without Duchovny. The actor's compromise deal - which also settles his acrimonious lawsuit with Fox over syndication revenues - creates both challenges and opportunities.

"I think it will certainly throw an emphasis on Scully," Carter says, referring to Anderson's character. "I think we'll get to explore the paranormal in a way we haven't before. I think you got a hint of that in Gillian's episode, "All Things' (which she wrote and directed).

"I think we're going to look at mythological and perhaps fantasy and magic realism in ways we hadn't really explored before. There are other areas I think the show can expand into beautifully."

Even as he was fighting for the future of "The X-Files," Carter was looking to its past - literally. Carter spent a great deal of time readying all 24 first-season episodes of "The X-Files" for release on DVD.

Just now in stores from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, "The X-Files" Season One DVD Gift Pack sells for $149.98 and features seven disks that serve up the series pilot and all subsequent freshman year episodes, as well as Carter interviews, episode teasers, "Behind the Truth" segments, deleted footage and an 11-minute documentary dubbed "The Truth About Season One."

"We've been such sticklers for quality and the thing I'm happy about is that the effort and the attention to detail are now rewarded because we've got a format that lets us really showcase all that hard work," Carter says. "Our philosophy was, "We're making a little movie each week."

Carter describes screening the old episodes again as a "walk down Memory Lane." As for the best stops along the way, he picks "Beyond the Sea," "Deep Throat," "The Erlenmeyer Flask," "Squeeze," "Darkness Falls" and "Miracle Man."

Two other top-notch episodes from the first season are "Tooms," a classic creepfest that introduced Skinner (Mitch Pileggi), and "E.B.E.," a conspiracy episode that marked the arrival of that intrepid trio of paranoids, the Lone Gunmen (Tom Braidwood, Bruce Hardwood and Dean Haglund). Come the fall, Carter and Fox will unleash the boys in their very own spin-off series entitled - what else? - "The Lone Gunmen," with the pilot directed by "X-Files" veteran Rob Bowman.

"We had done episodes devoted to them and they were all successful," Carter says. "They were fun to do. This was a chance to take our enthusiasm and turn it into another storytelling vehicle.

"I think it's going to be very different from "The X-Files.' It will be kooky and fun. It's a chance to develop (the characters of) three completely unlikely heroes who are kind of postmodern nerds. Something I think people are very familiar with now, in this age of technology."

Carter intends to be "super-involved" in the day-to-day production of "The Lone Gunmen," which will film in Vancouver, British Columbia, while also overseeing "The X-Files" in Los Angeles and prepping the script for "The World of Ted Serios," a film he'll direct. Sometimes, admits Carter - who also pulled double and triple duty in recent years by guiding "The X-Files" feature and the quickly axed series "Harsh Realm" - he wishes there were two of him. "I tease people that I'm like a chicken," he says, laughing. "There's no part of me they don't use."

From Grace on X-Philes Experience

The XF Official Site has a three-part interview with Gillian. They have a big picture of GA with the caption: "Gillian Anderson on becoming a believer, stunt headaches and how Mulder should return."

Her answer about the shaking is quite interesting and infers that they didn't want to her spat her out. Also, she says that "she was abducted for a couple of seconds...and now it's Mulder's turn". Also she laughs ands says something like "should I be saying this?"

And in the question about how Mulder should return she says "Um, if he came back pregnant, I'd be very happy actually."

From The Calgary Sun

Fate of Cancer Man uncertain
By: Anika Van Wyk

In the season finale of The X-Files last Sunday, the Cancer Man was near death when he was violently pushed down the stairs. Most fans will have to wait until late fall and the new X-Files season to find out the fate of Cancer Man, a.k.a. Cigarette Smoking Man. But with William B. Davis, the actor behind the character, in town yesterday to talk with the U of C Alumni, the Sun sought out the truth that was out there.

"I honestly don't know if I'm dead or alive," chuckles Davis. "I don't know if I'll be coming back. I asked (creator) Chris Carter and he explained that it is meant to be ambiguous," he says, referring to the earlier uncertainty of the return of lead character David Duchovny. If it was up to Davis, he'd like to return, but healthy. He's tired of the two hours-plus it takes in makeup to look ill.

"The Bounty Hunter could come back and give me a miracle cure," he suggests. The Canadian is also amused by the speculation swirling around the announcement that Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) is with child, or perhaps alien. "I was so shocked to find out she was pregnant that I don't have a theory, but some people on the 'Net think I'm responsible." Fans figure the past episode that had Cancer Man carry Scully to bed gave him the opportunity to either take advantage of the FBI agent, implant her with an alien, or simply reverse her state of being barren. "Maybe it's a clone of Samantha (Fox's missing sister)." Davis and fans will just have to tune in next season for the truth.

From Cinescape Online

Less Mulder On 'X-Files'?

Here it is only a week after the official announcement of the eighth season of The X-Files and already David Duchovny is casting some doubts on his participation in the reported amount of eleven episodes for what is likely to be the program's final run.

David Duchovny is currently in Europe promoting the release of the film Return To Me, in which he co-stars with Minnie Driver. During a press conference for the film, Duchovny was, once again, asked about The X-Files and the word that he was set for only eleven episodes for season eight. According to Empire Online, Duchovny told the assemblage that his appearances on the program "would be far less" than that figure, though he wouldn't specify how many.

Duchovny also commented on why it took so long for the Fox TV network and himself to come to an agreement resulting in an eleventh hour announcement, saying, "It was all about money. When they agreed with me, my legal problems with them were over."

When asked how the series would be maintained minus Fox Mulder for most of the season, Duchovny is said to have answered, "That's not my problem - it's theirs."

Duchovny also addressed his previous comments suggesting that working in Hollywood was like being a prostitute. The actor seems to now think that might have been a bit harsh, explaining, "I should have said it was like being like a kept woman. The powers that be don't want to fulfill your contract. Instead they throw baubles at you. 'Hey, we won't pay you your full fee, but here's a week in Hawaii!' I can afford to take myself to Hawaii. What I want is what we agreed on."

From Haven for the FBI's Most Unwanted

This was posted by Numue on the Haven's Spoiler board today:

From an online chat by William B. Davis:

"...saying that he didn't know if CSM would be back, although he'd like to. He said that CC told him it was supposed to be ambiguous. He's also aware that online fans are saying that he might have had something to do with Scully's pregnancy."

He also said he could have impregnated Scully with Samantha clone, but Numue believes that that is pure speculation on WBD's part.

From The Official X-Files Website

The Fox network has renewed the show for its eighth season in its Sunday 9:00 pm timeslot. David Duchovny reprises his role of Special Agent Fox Mulder and will appear in about half of the season's episodes. Gillian Anderson returns as Special Agent Dana Scully, searching for the abducted Mulder.

Spinning off from "The X-Files," the Lone Gunmen get their own series on the Fox network. Created by Chris Carter, Frank Spotnitz, Vince Gilligan and John Shiban, the new show will air in the beginning of 2001. Dean Haglund, Bruce Harwood and Tom Braidwood play the three paranoid conspiracy theorists that form the editorial staff of a government watchdog newspaper.

From Daniel Wood on Spoilerville

The Lone Gunmen spinoff will air in early 2001, on Thursday nights at 8pm. There's a new photo to promote the show -- courtesy of Cinescape -- at http://www.fandom.com/x-files.

From FOX News

Appearing Monday night on the CBS Late Show with David Letterman, Anderson said producers of the show had filmed different endings for the season finale, which airs May 21, to account for the possibility that Duchovny may not return.

Carter said Wednesday, "I'm very pleased and I think with the season finale cliffhanger it creates great possibilities to take the show in new directions." He added it would be "jumping the gun" to speculate whether the show, a mainstay of Fox's schedule, will be back for a ninth year.

From Erica on Spoilerville

Chris Carter talks at UCSB about X-Files past and future

The truth is just as uncertain as it has ever been.

Any word that this is or is not the final season of the X-Files is unfounded. I attended a talk with Chris Carter at UC Santa Barbara this evening and he made it clear that he still doesn't know if this is the final season, even though "Requiem" began shooting yesterday.

He did promise that the season (series?) final will be very important to the mythology, and hinted at (in the episodic-teasing manner) that it might involve the missing scene from "all things" (which he co-wrote the ending for) in some manner. When an audience member asked what went on between the couch and the bedroom, he said, "That's a very important question to ask," and that it might become clear in the finale. He seemed frustrated that the decision has not been made, and still states that he won't do another season without David on board, for which negotiations are still being done.

Other things he talked about were the movie he is working on that is based on the book about a man who made mental photographs, a possible Millennium movie, and a movie script for Rob Bowman.

When asked about his favorite secondary characters he said, "Krycek because he's such a weasle", "Skinner because he's such a man", and "Covarrubius for the opposite reason". Someone asked about Mulder's porn and he said, "He's a very lonely man."

When asked about the relationship aspect, he said that it was very interesting how it evolved (which was mostly due to that chemistry rather than conscious choice), although after years he said that some of the teasing had to end with some closure (like the "Millennium" kiss). While he refered to his widely known statement that a physical relationship would never happen, he didn't make any present references (again the "all things" hint hint).

Someone asked about him hating "Independance Day" and what the ID4 people thought about that. Aparently the FTF scene where Mulder pees on the poster is their favorite scene in the movie, so no hard feelings. Chris was clear that there would never be any colonization in the show because then they would be in a sci-fi realm beyond which they could control. He also said that he was satisfied with the tie-up of Samantha and parts of the conspiracy this season and last because doing it all at once would have been too predictable.

They showed a great clip real of the X-Files before his spoke, showing scenes up through "Hollywood A.D." When asked about how the themes of the show have evolved he said that one thing he has noticed is that the music has changed over the years, especially this season. Also, that he eventually had to give up on using only unknown people because, of course, things change when something evolves as the X-Files has.

From sarah gray on Spoilerville

CC was on a local radio show this morning promoting HR but he also talked about the next XF movie and the upcoming season.

Movie:

"We have an idea. We want to do a stand alone, just a really good scary movie, not something that's tied into the mythology of the show."