Gillian Anderson is ready to move on from The X-Files. The star revealed earlier this week that when the newest season of the revived FOX series ends, she is officially quitting playing the iconic Dana Scully.

“I arrived at the decision before we did the previous six [episodes],” Anderson says at the 2018 Winter Television Critics Association press tour. “I thought that the previous six was going to be it. It was dipping our toe back in again and just meeting up again and making the most of it and getting to play these wonderful characters again. But the minute they mentioned that they might be interested in doing another, I thought, do you know what? That didn’t feel like the right way to end it.”

So while her deadline to end her time on The X-Files had passed, she signed on for one more run of episodes—the current 11th season—so she could be happy with how she said goodbye. “The way that the writers were talking about doing another season, were we to do another season, sounded more like a good ending to me,” she says. “And so when I was asked to do another season, I agreed to do another season. It never occurred to me, nor was it discussed or suggested, that it was that we were starting a new series.”

While she could have stayed in business with The X-Files for years and years moving forward, she instead wants to close the door on her time playing Scully. “There’s lots of things that I want to do in my life and in my career,” Anderson says. “I don’t really want to be tied down to months and months of doing any particular one thing that I feel like I’ve done. I’ve done this now for decades, and it’s time for me to hang up Scully’s hat.”

When asked if she’d be down to revisit playing Scully 10 years down the line in another reunion, Anderson emphatically responds, “No. No. This is it for me. I’m really serious.”

She quickly adds that she has “so much respect for [her co-star] David [Duchovny], and it’s really sad” to say goodbye in such an official capacity. “But I’m finished, and that’s the end of that,” she says.

When asked on how he’s going to say goodbye to his character, Fox Mulder, Duchovny laughs about how he’s “tried to say goodbye to Fox Mulder many times,” but he failed, referencing to how he appeared in half of season eight and didn’t appear in season nine until the finale, which served as the original series finale. “And they all went and they did the show without me,” he says as the room of reporters laughs with him. “So how do you like that? I’m feeling pretty pissed off, now that I remember.”

But then he got serious about how he doesn’t really wax nostalgic and wouldn’t mind returning to play Mulder in the future, unlike his costar. “I’m good either way,” Duchovny says. “I’m good, you know, with this being the end. I’m good with it not being the end.”

If this is going to be Anderson’s official swan song as she says, hopefully it’s going to be a satisfying end for her character. But when asked if she’s satisfied with Scully’s goodbye, Anderson clammed up in a rather suspicious way. “That is a good question,” she says after a really long pause. “I’m not quite sure how to answer that question. Let’s say I’ll think about it.” Hmmm. Take that as you will, but that doesn’t sound all that promising!

The X-Files writer and producer Glen Morgan did promise, however, that fans will finally get some stories tied up by the time the season 11 finale airs … but of course, some mysteries will remain. “We are not officially finished shooting yet,” Morgan says. “Some of those questions will be answered. Some, I think, won’t, because that’s the way this show is.”

Are you worried about Anderson’s reaction to whether or not Scully’s ending will be satisfying? Should The X-Files end with season 11, knowing that Scully won’t be a part of it after this season? Tweet me at @SydneyBucksbaum and let’s chat!

The X-Files airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on FOX.

Need More X-Files Business?

• Here’s our assessment of the most recent episode.
• We had some thoughts about the season premiere’s shocking twist.
• And finally, here are the 10 scariest monsters from The X-Files.

Images: FOX