"The New York Times" writer Joyce Millman said that "Twin Peaks" character Special agent Dale Cooper could have been Mulder's "quirky [...] spiritual twin" if David Duchovny hadn't appeared in the show earlier. When reviewing "", reviewer Moira Macdonald said it was a "kick" watching Duchovny and Gillian Anderson (portrayed Dana Scully). Jesse Hassenger from "PopMatters" when reviewing season eight, was throughout negative to the new season, claiming that Patrick was miscast and calling David Duchovny's appearances as Mulder shallow. Critics and fans alike have praised Duchovny and Anderson's "on-screen chemistry" for years. Richard Corliss from "Time" magazine praised Duchovny for settling in his role so "quickly" and calling the character "an obsessive plodder". Robert Patrick, the actor who replaced Duchovny as the male lead after the seventh season, commented that the chemistry Duchovny and Gillian Anderson had, could only happen "once in a lifetime".