America discovered the truth was still out there last week with the two-night premiere of “The X-Files” six-part miniseries.

The Fox hit returned to the small screen on Jan. 24 after being off the air for 14 years. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson both returned as FBI duo Fox Mulder and Dana Scully.

The series takes place in the present day, with both Mulder and Scully having moved on from the FBI after the closure of the X-Files. Mulder and Scully are contacted by FBI Assistant Director Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) who asks them to meet with webcaster Tad O’Malley (Joel McHale).

O’Malley claims to have information about the possible alien abduction of a young woman in Virginia. Meeting with the woman refuels Mulder’s desire to find the truth, while Scully remains skeptical.

The two-night premiere was not a reboot, which was important to many fans. The cast and creators made it clear the miniseries would not be a stunt for cash, rather, promising a smart continuation of the original series.

It was exciting to see Duchovny, Anderson and Pileggi return as their beloved characters, but the first hour was extremely underwhelming. The audience was provided with a lot of backstory for the rest of the story arc that made fans wonder if watching the rest would be worth it.

The second hour was more true-to-form for the series, with unsettling plot points and smart dialogue. Anderson gave a fantastic performance in this episode, capturing Scully’s grief and skepticism.

Ratings for the first episode topped in at 21.4 million viewers plus DVR and streaming (1.1 million), according to TV by the Numbers. This viewership already beat the original series finale by 24 percent and is bigger than the average of the original series’ most watched season.

This miniseries helped Fox launch to the next hour with the premiere of its new show “Lucifer.”

The truth is still out there and America wants to believe. “The X-Files” airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on Fox. 

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