‘X-Files’ producer finally tells us why he split up our two fave characters

Between all the other television reboots, remakes, and revivals, we’re ridiculously excited about one in particular: the brand new X-Files, coming to us in early January 2016. It’s not a stretch to say we’ve been completely obsessed over every single image and teaser trailer released for the six brand new episodes, but one thing’s kinda stuck out. It appears as if Fox Mulder and Dana Scully are no longer together.

Uh, so what gives? It’s not like the two were technically riding off into an alien invasion sunset, but they were finally Scully and Mulder together. However, when the show picks up again, the two won’t be duo. Luckily, our anxious and maybe even slightly angry brains don’t even have to wait till the premiere episode to learn why.

Talking at New York Comic Con over the weekend, executive producer Chris Carter addressed their split, explaining that even Scully and Mulder can hit a rough patch, and their separation is “true to the passage of time.” For us, Scully and Mulder are forever stuck in time between 1993 and 2002. But in reality, that last episode aired 13 years ago (and the last X-Files movie came out seven years ago), and things have changed for the both of them.

“They’re not living under the same roof and that was a conscious thing,” Carter told the crowd, “Mulder and Scully have had their difficulties.” He even commented that these two hit some “bumps in the road,” like all couples do from time to time when they’re together for so long.

The first full episode of the new X-Files actually screened at NYCC — and this is maybe a tiny little spoiler — but Gillian Anderson’s Scully tells David Duchovny’s Mulder that she’s “happy to see him” when the two meet up again. So they’re separate, but not apart. We’re going to get six brand new episode to see how they work everything out. Hey, the truth is out there.

So if you haven’t done so already, go ahead and mark down January 24th on your calendar. That’s when X-Files comes back into our lives again.

Image via Fox