The tenth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files commenced airing in the United States on January 24, 2016, on Fox.

Fourteen years after the closure of the X-Files, Fox Mulder is contacted by Dana Scully at the behest of FBI Assistant Director Walter Skinner, who wants him to meet a right-wing online webcaster named Tad O'Malley.

Instead, Mulder thinks it was a "conspiracy of men" who have used extraterrestrial technology on human parties for decades, and these events were subsequently made to look like alien abductions.

[6] Six weeks after the events of "My Struggle", Scully arrives at FBI headquarters to find that Mulder has disappeared after watching an excerpt from Tad O'Malley's online news broadcast.

O'Malley explains to Scully that he suspects that alien DNA has been injected into every American citizen in order to facilitate the widespread outbreak of the Spartan Virus.

Designed to strip humans of their immune systems, this contagion quickly manifests itself nationwide, with Scully and Einstein noting a sharp increase in the number of patients admitted to hospitals and triage centers.

Agent Kyd Miller finds a phone-tracking app on Mulder's computer and notes his position in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Scully realizes that she is being protected from the contagion by a combination of the alien genomes that remained after she was abducted and experimented on, and the DNA anomalies instilled within her at the request of Reyes.

[17][18][19] During these final two seasons, FBI agents John Doggett (Robert Patrick) and Monica Reyes (Annabeth Gish) became the series' new leads.

"[28] In January 2015, Fox Television Group chairman and CEO Gary Newman revealed that there was network interest in reviving The X-Files, not as a film franchise, but as a six-episode limited run.

[36][37] Once Newman revealed thoughts of bringing back the series, he noted that the revival would include "all key players": Carter, Duchovny, and Anderson.

[38] Fox TV Group chairman Dana Walden later noted that finding the ideal time that the three key members of the series were free would pose a challenge.

[40] However, both co-stars expressed their desire to return to the series: prior to Newman's announcement, Anderson said that she would be "fucking overjoyed" if Fox brought back The X-Files, and Duchovny said that he would be "more than happy" to reprise his role as Mulder.

[41][42] In a later interview with GQ magazine, Anderson revealed that, when asked about returning for a television continuation of the program, she was hesitant, since she assumed the network would want to order over twenty new episodes (the length of a season when the show had originally aired).

[44] Early on, it was reported that an offer went out for Mitch Pileggi, who played Walter Skinner, to reprise his role, and that "other key cast members will also return.

"[45] William B. Davis, the actor who portrayed Cigarette Smoking Man, also noted that he was asked about his availability during the summer of 2015, hinting that his character would return in some form.

[48] In an interview with XFilesNews.com, Carter expressed hope in having Robert Patrick and Annabeth Gish reprise their roles as John Doggett and Monica Reyes, respectively, although their involvement would be contingent upon their current acting commitments.

Joel McHale was announced as a guest star in June 2015, playing Tad O'Malley, an Internet news anchor who is an ally of Mulder's.

[45] In addition, former X-Files writer Vince Gilligan noted that he would have enjoyed returning to the series, but his busy work schedule did not allow it; he later said, "I'll be watching every episode and rooting them on".

"It's difficult to describe what is so completely different about them, except that there are some different sounds, different pulsing percussion elements, and different ambient designs, but the basic harmonic structure from the past is fairly intact.

"[61] Prior to filming, Carter explained that he had "ideas for every [character]" and that the season would strive to tell fresh stories in a "very new political environment".

The site's consensus reads, "Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny's chemistry remains intact, but overall, The X-Files revival lacks the creative spark necessary to sustain the initial rush of nostalgia.

Sadie Gennis of TV Guide wrote, "The episode immediately establishes that this is not a reboot nor a mere cash grab, but a thoughtful continuation of the beloved franchise.

[80] Reviewing the premiere episode, Brian Lowry of Variety panned the revival of the series, "It's simply hard to escape the prevailing malaise of this being a deal-driven exercise, a chance to cash in on the name recognition of the title in a format that mitigated the time commitment for all concerned.

"[81] Similarly, Tim Goodman, writing for The Hollywood Reporter, described the premiere as "a very underwhelming hour that will force even diehard fans [...] to consider whether pushing onward is really worth the time.

Ultimately, he wrote that "the first episode demonstrates some of The X-Files' weaker tendencies, though it possesses a hokey charm, one that comes from pretending as though the past 15 years of television never happened.

[84] McCown lauded Morgan's "Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster", writing that the episode ultimately "makes the case for why The X-Files is still worth having around.

Season 10 (2016): Percentage of positive critics' reviews tracked by the website Rotten Tomatoes[87] Before the season even began filming, an anonymous network insider revealed that Fox was interested in reviving the series because it would be a ratings success, noting: "The network feels that they can draw huge numbers and a PR drive to bring back a show which offers both drama and a built-in cult following.

[9] In terms of viewers, this made "My Struggle" the highest-rated premiere, since the seventh season opener "The Sixth Extinction" in 1999, which was viewed by 17.82 million people.

Special features include deleted and extended scenes; a gag reel; several featurettes – "The Makings of a Struggle", "Season X: An In-Depth Behind-the-Scenes Look at The Event Series", "Monsters of the Week: A Recap from the Wildest and Scariest from the Original Series", "The X-Files – Green Production PSA" and "Short Film – Grace by Karen Nielsen".