He is kidnapped from the hospital by the Cigarette Smoking Man for insidious purposes. Mulder's condition continues to deteriorate. Season 7, Episode 2: The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati Back in D.C., Skinner tries to help Mulder by finding Michael Kritschgau at Mulder's request, who may know what is causing Mulder's accelerated brain activity. In Africa, Scully searches for answers for Mulder's condition by studying rubbings taken from the fallen spacecraft. Duchovny would of course eventually reach the point that he was ready to return for more X-Files, appearing in the 2008 film I Want to Believe, and two short revival seasons on FOX.Season 7, Episode 1: The Sixth Extinction When he ultimately agreed to come back for part of season 8, Duchovny was disappointed at how little of consequence was done with his character, feeling that all the creative energy was being targeted toward Doggett, a complaint reportedly echoed by Gillian Anderson. Following season 7, his contract with Fox was up, and he opted not to reach a new deal with the studio.Ĭreatively, Duchovny also said in interviews around the time he left that, at least in his opinion, there wasn't anything remaining for Mulder to do, and that his arc was finished. The lawsuit was eventually settled, awarding Duchovny a cool $20 million. This put a strain on Duchovny's relationship with X-Files creator and executive producer Chris Carter, who seemingly knew the actor was getting ripped off. In 1999, prior to season 7, Duchovny sued Fox, alleging deceptive accounting practices that he claimed had cost him millions in royalties he was rightfully entitled to from X-Files re-runs and syndication deals.
But Duchovny had much more contentious reasons for wanting to leave Mulder behind.
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It's true that Duchovny was looking to try and become a movie star after his years headlining one of the most-watched shows on TV, and it's also true that plan didn't quite work out, with romantic comedy Return to Me and attempted sci-fi comedy blockbuster Evolution both failing to make waves at the box office. While the common wisdom surrounding David Duchovny's exit from The X-Files is that the actor wanted to pursue a film career, that's actually not the only reason he left. The X-Files: Why Mulder Left After Season 7
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Here's why Duchovny decided to leave the series that made him a superstar behind, at least temporarily. Most fans would agree that The X-Files' original run never quite recovered after Mulder's departure, despite the best efforts of Terminator 2's Robert Patrick in the newly created role of John Doggett. Related: How Millennium Crossed Over With The X-Files (After It Ended) Following season 7, Duchovny's Mulder didn't depart The X-Files completely, but his presence was greatly reduced, appearing in only a handful of season 8 episodes, and the two-part season 9 - formerly series - finale. It didn't, of course, proceeding to season 7, which did at least finally reveal conclusively what happened to Samantha Mulder, even if the answer wasn't anything fans had expected.
Many would argue that The X-Files mythology arc was properly finished in season 6's "Two Fathers/One Son" two-part episode, and that the show should've stopped there. The mystery surrounding the abduction of Mulder's sister, and later him possibly being the son of the Cigarette Smoking Man, drove a lot of the series' mythology arc, and while Scully certainly did get her share of the focus, Mulder was more often the centerpiece of stories. While the chemistry between Duchovny's Mulder and Gillian Anderon's Dana Scully was no doubt one of the biggest reasons The X-Files worked, it's hard to argue that the show wasn't more about Mulder. The X-Files' alien abduction mythology always revolved most around David Duchovny's Fox Mulder, but after season 7, he left the series' regular cast.