Chris Carter, Frank Spotnitz, and John Shiban aren't making The Lone Gunmen into a wacky comedy, are they? (I refuse to blame co-producer/creator Vince Gilligan since he got the Gunguys right on The X-Files and because, well, he's Vince).

I like the Gunmen. A lot. Yeah maybe they remind me of various friends of mine, maybe even a little bit of myself. And no, I don't write a conspiracy newsletter and live in a bunker with two geeky guys (though as I write that, I realize it has a certain appeal . . . um).

The commercials gave me the fear. Pratfalls?!? Mission: Impossible hijinks? And then I read about the woman who'd be on the show. Don't get me started. And some lunkhead guy shows up in the second episode who'll be a regular, too. Sigh.

And then there was Chris Carter on Late Night w/ Conan O'Brien. Painful to watch. "It's a comedy with a little drama." Huh? Sure, I can imagine it'd be funnier more regularly than The X-Files, but having Frohike fall down alot isn't my kind of funny (once in a while, sure-- but all the time? Please).

I know Chris Carter wanted to be sure people saw the show, but killing Mulder and then putting a wacky comedy Lone Gunmen series on in The X-Files timeslot for six weeks seems like a surefire way to tick people off. And let's not forget that the Gunmen are Mulder's best friends (other than Scully) and that they'd be pretty upset about him being dead and all.

The pilot wasn't as bad as I'd feared it'd be, but it could've been so much better. And of course I'll keep watching and taping and hoping. But still. I hope for episodes penned by Vince Gilligan. For fewer pratfalls. For a realistic female character (ha!).

And in the meantime, I think this is a perfect time to reread this look at Carter's involvement with The X-Files. Written by someone known as "pisher" for the 11th Hour, it's fascinating. Scary. And maybe it's all true. Carter's appearance on Conan and what's happening with the Gunmen series makes me want to believe (believe pisher, that is). You'll probably also want to read part 2 and the conclusion of the saga. It's a lengthy read, but have I mentioned it's fascinating?

Definitely worth reading for any fan whose enthusiasm has been strained in recent months. Open up a second browser window and head over to thexfiles.com to keep up with the author's encyclopedic knowledge of episode titles.