In seasons 8 and 9 of The X-Files, John Doggett (Robert Patrick) and Monica Reyes (Annabeth Gish) replaced Mulder and Scully as primary investigators on the X-Files. Series creator Chris Carter believed that the series could continue for another ten years with new leads, but much of the show's fan-base was built around the relationship between the original characters, and the show was cancelled after its ninth season. Both Mulder and Scully made sporadic appearances throughout the final two seasons, and both returned for the final episodes.