Some of the very best episodes of The X-Files have been standalones that had nothing to do with aliens or government cover-ups or the Cigarette-Smoking Man.
The extra four episodes in the new season could mean standalones that are even more engaging as well as mythology twists that are even more compelling.
Maybe the higher episode count means that we’ll get some of our longest-standing questions answered.
Of course, The X-Files wouldn’t have become the cultural phenomenon that it did if not for the aliens and conspiracies that make up the mythology of the series, but the show has always been more than just Mulder and Scully chasing after aliens with badges and guns.