My Favorite Role To This Day

Though he may still not be a fan-favorite character, one X-Files star is still thoroughly in love with their role 25 years later. Chris Carter’s sci-fi drama remains one of the most beloved in the genre, even with over 30 years gone since the original show premiered following the adventures of FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully as they investigated purported paranormal phenomena across the country. After being a pop culture touchstone for the first half of its run, later seasons became marred by cast scheduling issues, leading to the departures of certain stars.

One such star was Robert Patrick, who was introduced to the show some 25 years ago as FBI Special Agent John Doggett. In honor of “X-Files Friday“, Patrick took to his Instagram with an emotional reflection on his time on the show, including various behind-the-scenes pictures with David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, while also calling it “my favorite role to this day“, particularly as it meant getting to play “a genuine hero“. Check out Patrick’s post below:

What Patrick’s Post Means For His Time On The X-Files

The Star Has Never Let The Fans Deter Him

Introduced in season 8’s premiere, John Doggett wasn’t necessarily poorly received upon his X-Files debut, but has often remained one of the more divisive introductions to the show among its fanbase. The biggest reason for this is that it came on the heels of Duchovny’s semi-departure from the show, with some believing that Doggett was created for the sole purpose of taking his place. Carter has frequently defended Doggett’s creation in the past, noting the differences between Patrick’s character and Duchovny’s and how it shook up the main dynamic of the show.

While Patrick has expressed his admiration for the role in the past, his newest post continues to show just how much he’s overlooked the division from X-Files fans to appreciate the show. To his point above, the show marked something of a turning point for Patrick in his acting career, not only in getting to play the leading man, but also moving away from the villain roles that he had become known for following his breakout turn as the T-1000 in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

Though he did still take on some antagonistic roles in the years that followed, Patrick has since explored a range of other roles, including the more sympathetic David in The Sopranos and the caring Homeland Security Agent Cabe Gallo in Scorpion. Unlike Duchovny, Anderson and fellow late addition, Annabeth Gish’s Monica Reyes, Doggett has notably been absent in the years since his final appearance in The X-Files‘ season 9 finale, nor has he been mentioned, but still clearly resonates deeply with Patrick.

Our Take On Patrick’s Appreciation Of His X-Files Tenure

Doggett Still Deserves Proper Closure

TV shows swapping in new characters for long-established ones are always met with some kind of division from fans, and while he may not have been as magnetic as Mulder, I still think Patrick’s Doggett deserves more love than he got during his X-Files tenure. His emotional backstory was well-explored in the two seasons he was around, and I still wish he had gotten the closure he deserved rather than being forgotten the way the franchise did.

Source: Robert Patrick/Instagram

The X-Files

8/10

Release Date

1993 – 2018-00-00

Network

FOX

Showrunner

Chris Carter

Directors

Chris Carter

Writers

Chris Carter

Franchise(s)

The X-Files