Pluto TV recently launched “The Fan Is Out There” experience, an immersive off-grid activation that sent one lucky superfan and an investigation partner into the depths of Joshua Tree.
For nine days, the winners were tasked with marathoning the entire series inside a high-tech, undisclosed bunker. The facility was designed to mirror the show’s eerie aesthetic, featuring a living case board to track connections and conspiracies across all 11 seasons. From themed provisions like black coffee and sunflower seeds to daily on-camera debriefing confessionals, the experience was a total dive into the paranormal world that Chris Carter created.
Our own journey took us deep into the desert to visit the facility and witness the alien chaos firsthand. The evening felt like stepping directly into an episode of the series, beginning with a private dinner that looked just as freaky and atmospheric as the show itself.
Between learning how to play the theremin, the instrument responsible for that haunting theme song, and stargazing the night away with Wylie Overstreet, the setting was perfectly unsettling. In the middle of the desert air and mysterious vibes, The Knockturnal headed to the back porch of the bunker to sit down with actor Robbie Amell.
(By The Knockturnal)
All right, I’m going to actually start with aliens.
Ok. (chuckles) Let’s dive right into that.
Prior to The X-Files did you believe in aliens, and then being on The X-Files how did that shape your thoughts on extraterrestrials?
Yes, but not like exploratory, not looking for them, not really, no research involved I just figured probably and no the show didn’t really change it.
Pluto TV is bringing all 218 episodes to fans for free, which is awesome! For someone starting their first-ever marathon today, which episode do you think is the absolute “must-watch” to understand the soul of the show?
I would start with the pilot. The pilot is a great pilot and then if you don’t want to just watch it in order, I get it. 218 episodes is overwhelming. There is a thorough line that is worth watching in order. You can watch any episode and that’s fine you can do like Google the top 10. If you’re looking for something a little nuts, you can watch “Home” it was pulled off TV for a little while, my favorite episode is “X-Cops” its an episode of The X-Files mixed with Cops and is really fun but I would say if you’re going to do it, do it. It’s all for free on Pluto TV, every episode, just watch them you don’t have to do it in nine days. I suggest you don’t do it in nine days but yeah, just watch it in order.
As someone coming into a reboot when you joined the series, what was your first day on set like?
Yeah! My first scene was with Lauren, David and Gillian in the The X-Files office, and it was very surreal, but they could not have been kinder and more generous with their time. And they were great. They really made Lauren and I feel like we were part of the team. I was lucky that a lot of the crew I had worked with cause it was in Vancouver. So it was, I think it was about half of my Tomorrow People crew, which was amazing. So I kind of felt at home. But it was great. First scene, little story, David, I have to give David my card at the end of the scene, so I hand it to him and he puts it in his pocket, say cut, and I go to get it back, and he was like, “I’m going to keep that.” I was like, “okay,” so props give me another card to do the scene, I give it to him, cut. I go to get it back, he says “I’m going to keep all of them.” I was like, “okay, why?” And he was like, “your name, your character’s named after my son.” So I was like, oh, that’s very cool. So props had a stack of business cards ready for me to keep giving to him and he kept taking them all, so he’s got a stack for his son somewhere.
The X-Files has such a huge fandom and the fans are really what makes it live on so many generations. What’s it been like for you to interact with so many of the fans?
You know, the very cool thing for me is there’s a lot of crossover fan base in some of the things that I’ve done. Whether it’s The Flash or Upload or The X-Files or Code 8, Sci-fi fans are Sci-fi fans and they fan hard! So that’s been very cool for me. I remember when I booked The X-Files, the amount of people that were like, “congratulations! I’m excited for you to be on the show” was just very cool.
The X-Files is so famous for having a dedicated investigative fanbase, I’m curious how has your approach to connecting with that kind of energy shifted over the years?
Well, it was great. And then it was impossible for a little while. Little pandemic got in the way. But I’ve been really lucky, whether it’s walking down the street or at a mall or dinner or a Comic Con, I’m a very lucky level of famous for Sci-fi where I don’t get overwhelmed. I get the occasional person who’s like, “Hey, I really like that thing you did!” and I’m very grateful to hear that.
What is it about the Sci-fi genre that made you fall in love with it?
I think the thing that I love about The X-Files, grounded Sci-fi, is the relationship between the characters. And the Sci-fi is kind of like icing on the cake, but you need the cake and it’s gotta be great. You have to care about these people. I mean, at its core, the chemistry between David and Gillian is what I think brings most people to the show. And the weirdness keeps them there.
