The X Files Panet at NYCC

The fandom was out there in full force at Saturday’s X-Files‘ panel at New York Comic-Con to screen the first installment of Fox’s forthcoming six-episode revival and to hear from series creator Chris Carter and stars David Duchovny and Mitch Pileggi. The panel is moderated by Kumail Nanjiani.

This is what we learned:

1. It will absolutely appease long-time fans. Entirely. All of the main actors are back, and they even use the same opening credit sequence.

2. This is definitely Season 10, episode 1, but the story picks up in present time. A lot as gone on in the meantime. The characters have not been frozen, and we don’t know everything that’s happened.

3. The scope of the show has changed. In fact, it’s even bigger, to the delight of all the fans in the audience. There are bigger and better conspiracy theories in a post-9/11/Snowden/NSA world.

4. Scully and Mulder, the original ship, have, as Carter says, “hit some bumps in the road.”

5. Joel McHale is in no way his goofy “Community” character or anything resembling anyone from “The Soup.” His character (Tad O’Malley) has an intensity that rivals Mulder’s.

6. Scully is working as a surgeon, and in a way, paying penance for her involvement with the “X-Files” by using her degree to help kids. Of course, there is a twist there too.

7. There’s a great line in the first meeting with Mulder and Skinner, and according to Carter and Mitch Pileggi during the panel, it was an improvised line on the spot.

8. The season will absolutely concentrate on the mythology of the show, but it will have several standalone episodes as well. Carter confirmed the episodes 1 and 6 are focused on mythology, and the other ones will be stand alone.

9. The Lone Gunmen will be back.

10. The Smoking Man is, of course, still smoking.

11. The Americans‘ Annet Mahendru has a major role in the premiere.

Fans were treated to a hilarious taped message from an MIA Gillian Anderson, who — while adopting an exaggerated faux British accent — apologized for being too busy to attend in person while lounging by what appeared to be a pool. (Anderson was actually in India on the set of Viceroy’s House)