To phile or not to phile, that is the question...

Okay, bad Hamlet rip-off aside, I finally went to Rohan's X-Files Realm to get the scoop on season 9. I'm really interested in how they deal with the lack of Mulder; last season was intriguing because you knew that Mulder would show every now and then and it made the fact that Scully had a new partner less of a betrayal. Now as I read the spoilers, it's becoming more obvious that even Gillian Anderson is taking a back seat on the show to Annabeth Gish and Jason Patrick. And did I mention that Xena and Wesley will be joining the show? Yup. Welcome Lucy Lawless ("X-Files") and Cary Elwes ("The Princess Bride"). I'm getting hives just thinking about it. What about Skinner? Cigarette Smoking Man? Alex Krycek? Margaret Scully? Kersh? Well Manicured Man? There is no angst factor with Xena and Wesley! Trust me on this one.

For the Mulder watch, alas! There was a vague mention of a "brown haired man" showering in Scully's apartment in the season premiere, but no other mention of Mulder at all for the next few episodes. Instead, there is a lot of "Reyes and Doggett pull Scully in on blah blah blah." I enjoyed Doggett's character a lot - he brought a new intensity to the show but Reyes left me cold. Plus there's that whole no Mulder! thing - which will be interesting since we know that Mulder and Scully are parents of little William and conspiracy theory aside, I really can't see Mulder up and leaving Scully and the uber-Scully now. So it'll be interesting - but heartbreaking - to watch. Yeah, I'm an addict, I'll probably watch.