The X-Files’ 10th season ended on a massive cliffhanger—the kind that has kept fans thrashing in frustration since February 2016. Now Chris Carter promises sweet release.

If you recall, the season finale “My Struggle II” ended with Fox Mulder actively dying from the Spartan virus and Dana Scully looking up at a spaceship, which was presumably about to whisk her away.

In a series of brief interviews, interspersed with Season 11’s trailer, we get a tiny ray of light: Gillian Anderson, who plays Scully, says her character was on the bridge “looking up toward what may have been a U.F.O.”

Saying “What may have been” a U.F.O., rather than simply “a U.F.O.” implies that we’re seeing yet another conspiracy in the guise of an alien invasion.

Video of Season 10 Cliffhanger | THE X-FILES

Carter doesn’t explicitly enlighten us, but he does say we’ll be getting the resolution we need: “I think we have a really interesting, dramatic solution.” We truly hope so. After years of intrigue, wrapped in a scheme, wrapped in a subterfuge, it would be terrific to be able to have real satisfaction. And quite possibly a post-experience cigarette.

Season 11 will bring the files back to The X-Files, with eight monster-of-the-week episodes. We will also be getting two "mytharc" episodes — the mythological story arc, that is, the beating heart of Carter's convoluted plot.

And great news for fans: According to IMDb, Darin Morgan will be writing the fourth episode. Morgan wrote Season 11's stand-out episode, "Mulder & Scully Meet the Were-Monster," as well as fan favorites "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose," "Jose Chung's From Outer Space," and many others.

The X-Files' new season premieres on January 3, 2018.