We’re quietly optimistic for more X-Files, even after last year’s six-episode return brought little more than cliffhangers and one-off ideas. And while our first photos from the 2018 return don’t offer much, we do know about an upcoming time-jump, and a trip to the Smoking Man’s past.

Entertainment Weekly debuted first photos from the upcoming ten-episode season, albeit without much context to explain why Scully would end up in the hospital after we last left Mulder dying on a bridge. Among the intel we did gleam; Barbara Hershey’s mystery character will recur throughout the season, while Agent Reyes (Annabeth Gish)’s connection to the Smoking Man will also be revealed:

And while Season 11 is expected to skew more stand-alone than serialized, Carter offered a preview of what to expect from the first few hours - including the resolution of that alien cliffhanger:

After episode one delves into the Cigarette Smoking Man’s (William B. Davis) backstory and apparent family ties to Mulder, the second hour opens with a time jump to put distance between Mulder and Scully and the events of the premiere. And episode three is a darkly comedic hour, penned by Carter, focusing on doubles and doppelgängers.

Set for a midseason premiere, the next X-Files run will see Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny aboard for the full ten, joined by returning veterans Mitch Pileggi as Walter Skinner and Annabeth Gish as Monica Reyes, along with Lauren Ambrose and Robbie Amell’s Einstein and Miller. Series creator Chris Carter will lead a writing team of former producers Glen Morgan, Darin Morgan and James Wong, along with newcomers and several female writers and directors.

We’ll likely see more from New York Comic-Con next week, but will The X-Files Season 11 soar where the last revival stumbled?

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