Season 11 of The X-Files marks Gillian Anderson’s final turn as Agent Scully – a fact that has left many fans wondering what direction the show could possibly take in its next season. After all, Gillian Anderson is a pivotal part of the series. Well, according to series creator Chris Carter, Agent Scully can still be a crucial part of the show even when she’s not on screen. Talking with Digital Spy, the X-Files creator provides his thoughts:
“I don’t know. I think that certainly The X-Files has more life in it, there are more stories to tell, with Gillian or without. I’m sorry to see her go, I’ve never actually considered doing this show without her, so is this the end? It’s the end of something, I don’t know if it’s the beginning of something new. But certainly we will have to all put our heads together and figure out where to go from here… I always thought of David the way I thought about the child William [Mulder and Scully’s child], as an absent centre. Even when he wasn’t there, he was the centre of everyone’s concern, and the stories revolved around him. I think that’s an interesting problem for storytellers and I think that if The X-Files is to go forward then Scully would be a similar absent centre.”
An “absent centre” certainly could be a way to justify her absence. It makes one wonder what reason will be given for her departure? This isn’t the first time that a character has been written off of a popular show, and definitely will not be the last. It’s likely that we will be seeing a similar approach used for the upcoming season of House of Cards, with Frank Underwood being that show’s “absent centre”. As Chris Carter pointed out: There are more stories to tell.
SUPPORT FLICKERING MYTH: Help us keep the lights on by backing us on Patreon
…You can find Jordan on Twitter, and Facebook.
Originally published February 6, 2018. Updated December 19, 2019.
