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‘The X-Files’ attempts to make up for lost time … but doesn’t quite make it

The long-awaited newest episode of “The X-Files” is over before the audience can even wrap their heads around it.

First episode “My Struggle,” written and directed by series creator Chris Carter, drops us right back into the thick of things, with conspiracies of alien technology and government overreach abounding. The revival wastes no time plunging the viewer back into the ever-expanding mytharc, with Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) meeting, and immediately colluding with, far-right wing Internet conspiracy theorist Tad O’Malley (Joel McHale). Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) finds herself forcefully removed from her life as a medical doctor and reluctantly dragged along for the ride.

From there, the episode spirals out of control. Mulder’s credibility decreases, with every monologue seemingly lifted from an anonymous Internet message board as he attempts to reconcile old alien abduction theories from seasons past with newer “evil government” conspiracies. Instead of setting the two agents down a path to unpack the intricacies of the surveillance state that has given birth to very real concerns about our current government, thereby bringing the show into the new decade, writer/director Carter force-feeds them a tired plot: An “alien abductee” somehow convinces Mulder that the aliens aren’t the ones abducting humans, but humans are abducting humans, forcing the mytharc to rewrite itself. Again.

Having just binge-watched all 202 episodes of “The X-Files” in its original run (thanks, Netflix!), it’s easy to feel as if I’m right back alongside Scully and Mulder in their heyday, but the tone in the new episode is slightly different. They’ve aged and, in different ways, are jaded. Scully doesn’t have the same skepticism and power to push back against Mulder with the weight of all she’s seen in the previous nine seasons resting on her shoulders. And Mulder, understandably, isn’t sure which way is up with all the different theories and conspiracies he’s been following over his 20 years’ search of the ever-elusive “truth.”

It is Mulder’s desperation that makes the newest episode feel so rushed and incoherent: He has long been awaiting a new truth to search for, even if that “truth” doesn’t quite make sense to anyone but him and O’Malley.

What made the series so fun against the backdrop of the ’90s was the elusiveness of the truth. In this episode, the leg-work is all but done for Mulder as he’s led around by O’Malley (as Scully tries to stay impartial, as Scully does). The episode rushes toward the finish line, with Mulder tying it all up in one prematurely established gargantuan government conspiracy. There’s a lot of crazy shit going on in 2016, and instead of tapping into this in a genuine way, Carter breezes past to fit everything into the pre-established mythology.

Despite all of this, it still feels like “The X-Files” we left 14 years ago, with the same energy and spirit that enthralled fans during the original run. Scully and Mulder, though weary and defeated, still have that undeniable chemistry, and that’s all the fandom will need to feel at-home in this reboot. Despite preachy moments that feel as if the episode is beating you over the head trying to tie together modern conspiracy theories with those of the past, Scully and Mulder ring true.

The same tension exists between them: Mulder dragging a reluctant Scully along on his next great witch hunt, while Scully tries to dig in her heels to level him out. At this point, it’s well-known that the two are no longer romantic, and scorned Mulder minces no words in establishing their strained post-relationship dynamic. But, despite clunky dialogue that feel a bit like each characters’ “best hits” mashed together, their care for each other is very much alive and gives fans some hope for the pair going forward.

While “My Struggle” may seem rushed in its attempt to find its place in the modern world, it still has the heart and soul that made the original series so beloved. It feels at once familiar in its tropes and characters, yet also strange and disjointed from reality. But it wouldn’t be “The X-Files” without feeling a bit unreal.

With the unsteadiness of the pilot out of the way, and the establishment of the once-and-for-all return of our dynamic duo, the doors are wide open for the rest of the season to have some fun and tap into the same vein of greater purpose that drove the first nine seasons.