Spotnitz joins the X-Files Reunion
July 19, 2022
On July 30th, twenty years since the end of The X-Files’ original run, The Companion will pay tribute to beloved characters Monica Reyes and John Dogget of The X-Files in a special Q&A event with writer/executive producer Frank Spotnitz and the stars who played them, Annabeth Gish and Robert Patrick.
Spotnitz, who joined The X-Files as a writer in its second season before being named Executive Producer and president of series creator Chris Carter’s Ten Thirteen Productions, will lead a candid, no-holds-barred discussion with Gish and Patrick on the creation of Doggett and Reyes, the challenges of coming into an established show, their feelings about the 2016 revival, and the legacy of the series.
Far more than mere substitutes for The X-Files’ much-loved duo of Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), John Doggett and Monica Reyes were fascinating characters, whose time together as the FBI agents handling the X Files was sadly cut short when the series ended after its ninth season.
A live audience is invited to join this exclusive discussion and Q&A on Saturday 30th July at 11am PT / 2pm ET / 7pm BST before being released as both a video and an audio-only podcast. The event is free to attend for members of The Companion.
Spotnitz wrote or co-wrote more than 40 episodes of The X-Files, and was Emmy-nominated for his work on the series. He is credited as Producer, Co-Executive Producer, and Executive Producer on five seasons of The X-Files, and the two movies; Fight the Future (1998) and I Want to Believe (2008). He also wrote five episodes of Millenium, and co-created The Lone Gunmen with Chris Carter, Vince Gilligan, and John Shiban. Through his production company Big Light Productions, Spotnitz created The Man in the High Castle for Amazon Prime, based on the novel by Philip K. Dick, Medici for Netflix and most recently, Leonardo, starring Aidan Turner, which premieres on The CW in August.
Gish first appeared as Special Agent Monica Reyes in The X-Files Season 8 and became one of the show’s main characters for its final season. She reprised her role for Season 10 and was controversially killed in Season 11. As well as powerful recurring roles in The West Wing, The Bridge, and Sons of Anarchy, Gish has kept the spirit of Monica Reyes alive with roles in acclaimed horror director Mike Flanagan’s Netflix miniseries, The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass.
Patrick joined The X-Files as Special Agent John Doggett in Season 8 when he was assigned to Scully as her new partner. Best known for his unforgettable role as the T-1000 in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Patrick has made authority figures his own in movies as diverse as James Mangold’s Cop Land (1997) and Robert Rodriguez’s The Faculty (1998), and most recently appeared as the terrifying supervillain Auggie Smith in James Gunn’s critically acclaimed Peacemaker.
Spotnitz said: “I have so much love not just for the characters of Doggett and Reyes, but for Annabeth and Robert, who brought them so wonderfully to life. I’m thrilled that The Companion has given us the chance to reunite for this exclusive discussion, and look forward to talking not just about what was, but what could have been, and what will always remain.”