More Than Just ‘The X-Files’ Plot Is a Cliffhanger

“The X-Files” ends its fifth season Sunday with a cliffhanger, but even more questions than the fate of FBI Agents Mulder and Scully are concerning fans of the eerie Fox drama.

Still up in the air is whether series creator and executive producer Chris Carter will return for a sixth season. Carter has said repeatedly that he would leave the show after the fifth season and completion of “The X-Files” feature film, which opens June 19.

Carter is currently in negotiations with Twentieth Century Fox Television, which produces the series, and some sources have indicated that he is expected to sign a new contract that will keep him at the helm. But he could not be reached for comment on the negotiations, and Fox executives declined to comment.

Beyond that, there is still speculation about the look of the show next season and where the production will be based. The series is moving its home base this summer from Vancouver to Los Angeles, and many have predicted that its dark, atmospheric style will change with the shift in location.

Meanwhile, mystery still surrounds “The X-Files” film and its connection to questions left unanswered in the season finale.

Insiders said that despite the cliffhanger ending, Sunday’s episode is not being positioned as a jumping-off point for the film. In fact, the strategy is to keep the finale and the film separate, they said.

“If someone hasn’t seen the last episode, they can still see the film without any trouble,” said a source. “The film is really a stand-alone movie. There will be questions answered, but it is not a continuation of the finale. The goal is to not alienate people who have never seen ‘The X-Files.’ ”

A commercial for the film will run during the finale, sources added.

To acquaint moviegoers who may not know the series well, Fox will repeat five key episodes of “The X-Files” starting May 24 that deal with the so-called “mythology” of the series--the ongoing story line about why Mulder (David Duchovny) believes so strongly in alien life forms. “It will bring everyone up to speed,” said a network spokesperson.

* “The X-Files” airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on Fox (Channel 11).