'The X-Files' Stars on the Much-Anticipated Revival and Their Otherworldly Chemistry

Cue the ominous theme music: 14 long years after The X-Files went off the air, Fox is reviving the cult hit series for a six-episode miniseries. But the biggest mystery: Will it be worth the wait?

After all, the truth — and the reviews — are out there, with many critics panning the first episode, which debuts after the NFC Championship game next Sunday. (Fox later scrambled to make the next two episodes available for critics.) So there was a bit of tension in the air when stars Gillian Anderson, David Duchovny, and Joel McHale and creator Chris Carter met with reporters today at the Television Critics Association press tour.

Related: Ken Tucker Reviews The Return of ‘The X-Files’

But there was still plenty of love in the room, with Duchovny and Anderson clearly enjoying this curtain call and McHale adding a welcome bit of levity to the proceedings. (When asked if he was an X-Files fan, McHale joked, “I had never heard of it.”) In fact, the revival itself will shift from mythology-heavy episodes to dark drama to comedy, just like the original did. Episode 3, penned by series writer Darin Morgan, is an especially funny one, featuring a werewolf-type monster of the week. “Were-lizard,” actually, according to Carter. (“Get it right,” Anderson snapped.)

Get a sneak peek at The X-Files revival right here:

Obviously, the world has changed a lot since Mulder and Scully last appeared on our TV screens, with the Internet exploding with the type of wild conspiracy theories Mulder would love to dive into. Carter says that change is reflected in the new episodes: “Nothing is underground anymore. Everything is out in the open.” And with Edward Snowden and Wikileaks making headlines in recent years, he adds, exposing government conspiracies is suddenly en vogue: “This is a really interesting time to be shining a light into the darkness.”

Related: ‘The X-Files’ at NYCC: Our Spoileriffic Recap of the Premiere

Duchovny and Anderson are dusting off their FBI badges for the first time since the 2008 film The X-Files: I Want to Believe. And they admit to having mixed feelings about their iconic roles; Anderson says “it took me a good decade to start thinking about it as the gift it was.” But she remembers attending a Comic-Con event just before she began shooting the revival, and feeling a rush along with the fans when that familiar Mark Snow theme music kicked in: “I got excited with them.”

When asked by a reporter to define their chemistry, Duchovny and Anderson hesitated a bit — “Physics was harder for me,” Duchovny cracked — and then bickered about how to exactly define it. (In other words, they demonstrated why their chemistry is so great.) Carter remembered that the pair hit it off immediately in the first scenes they shot in the old FBI office on the original series, and Duchovny said the years they’ve spent playing opposite one another has added another layer to their performances: “We’ve gone beyond chemistry, and into history.”

The X-Files returns Sunday, Jan. 24 at 10 p.m. (following the NFC Championship game) on Fox.