StartingThe X-Filescan be daunting, but checking out a few classic episodes first could give you an idea of whether you want to commit to watching the entire series.The X-Filescenters on FBI Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) as they investigate cases that range from supernatural to paranormal to just plain weird.
With its unique blend of horror, sci-fi, drama, and humor,The X-Filesbecame one of the most beloved andinfluential procedurals of all time.If you’re committed to watchingThe X-Files,you should start at the beginning,but if you just want to see what the fuss is about or want to get someone else interested in the show, these 10 episodes can serve as a great preview.
10"Detour"
Season 5, Episode 4
While on their way to a"team-building"event,Mulder and Scullytake a detour to investigate a series of strange deaths.Mulder believes the culprit to be some kind of cryptid creaturethat can camouflage itself in the woods. The partners wind up trapped in the forest, leading to some tense moments when they face off against the creatures.
According toThe Complete X-Filesby Christopher Knowles and Matt Hurwitz,X-Filesexecutive producer Frank Spotnitz was inspired by the 1972 filmDeliverancewhen writing this episode.
With its spooky setting, unique monster, and some sweet moments for Mulder and Scully,“Detour” has all the makings of a classicX-Filesmonster-of-the-week episode.It’s a relatively straightforward story that serves as a great example of the kinds of episodes the show delivers on a weekly basis.
9"Beyond the Sea"
Season 1, Episode 13
In “Beyond the Sea,“Agents Mulder and Scully meet with Luther Lee Boggs (Brad Dourif), a serial killeron death row who claims to have information about a recent kidnapping. Just before the case, Scully’s father, William (Don Davis), passes away, and Boggs later hums the song that played at William’s funeral.
Although Mulder is usually the believer and Scully the sceptic, “Beyond the Sea” switches up that dynamic in a fascinating way.Scully initially puts more faith in Boggs' claims than she normally would,and the episode explores the juxtaposition of her scientific mind and religious faith. It’s a great episode for those interested in learning more about Scully, andGillian Anderson delivers a top-notch performance.
8"E.B.E.”
Season 1, Episode 17
While many ofThe X-Files’best episodesare monster-of-the-week stories, the show developed a complex mythology involving aliens and government conspiracies. In “E.B.E.,“Mulder and Scully investigate a possible UFO crash,which leads Mulder to introduce Scully to the Lone Gunmen, a trio of conspiracy theorists who will pop up throughout the series.
The Lone Gunmen, John Fitzgerald Byers (Bruce Harwood), Richard Langly (Dean Haglund), and Melvin Frohike (Tom Braidwood), were originally only supposed to appear in this episode. However, they proved popular among fans and went on to appear in over 30 episodes ofThe X-Files,plus one season of their own spin-off series.
The episode involves a search for an extraterrestrial biological entity (E.B.E.) andincludes an appearance from Mulder’s informant, Deep Throat (Jerry Hardin).Although Mulder and Scully pursue the supposed extraterrestrial life, they are always one step behind.The X-Filesmythology would grow convoluted by the series' end, but “E.B.E.” offers a fun glimpse into its earliest days.
7"Pusher”
Season 3, Episode 17
When Mulder and Scully are called in to help apprehend a contract killer named Robert Patrick Modell (Robert Wisden),Mulder suspects that the man can influence other peopleto do his will. Modell “pushes” officers and a judge to let him go free, and even makes people shoot themselves and others.
Modell eventually captures Mulder and forces him to play a game of Russian roulette. With its genuinely frightening villain and unexplained supernatural element,“Pusher” is an excellent episode forX-Filesnewbies.The episode boasts a clever script and strong performances, and has all the makings of a classic monster-of-the-week episode.
6"Quagmire”
Season 3, Episode 22
This episode sends Mulder and Scully to Georgia to investigatea series of deaths around a lake thatMulder believes were caused by a Loch Ness monster-type creature,which the town has nicknamed Big Blue. As the bodies pile up, Mulder and Scully explore the lake, finding themselves stranded on a rock after their boat sinks.
Although “Quagmire” contains several references to past episodes ofThe X-Files,such as Scully’s dog Queequeg, it can easily be enjoyed by new viewers as well.The story has plenty of humor and charm, but still incorporates horror elements,and has some greatMulder and Scully relationshipmoments.
5"The Host”
Season 2, Episode 2
If you’re a fan of monster movies, “The Host” is a great episode ofThe X-Filesto check out. The story follows Mulder and Scully as they investigate a half-eaten body found in a sewer in New Jersey. This eventually leads them to discovera large, flukeworm-like creature, dubbed Flukeman, that has been living in the sewers.
Flukeman remains one ofThe X-Files’most iconic (and disgusting) monsters, and"The Host" delivers plenty of fun scares.The episode also introduces Mulder’s new informant, a man simply referred to as X (Steven Williams), but it’s the gross-out monster story that makes this episode such a classic.
4"Humbug"
Season 2, Episode 20
WhileThe X-Fileshad incorporated humor into earlier episodes,“Humbug” was the first episode that truly embraced the show’s more comedic elements.The story centers on Mulder and Scully’s investigation into murders being committed within a community of former circus and sideshow performers.
In the scene where Scully eats a cricket offered to her by one of the sideshow performers, Gillian Anderson actually put a live cricket in her mouth.
Later comedic episodes like “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose” and “Jose Chung’s From Outer Space” work better after the viewer has become more familiar withThe X-Filesand its characters. But"Humbug" serves as a great introduction to the show’s unique sense of humorand a delightful celebration of all things weird.
3"Squeeze"
Season 1, Episode 3
The X-Files’first true monster-of-the-week episode delivers a suitably creepy villain in serial killer Eugene Victor Tooms (Doug Hutchison),who can squeeze himself through impossibly small spaces.As Mulder and Scully investigate the murder, Mulder finds strange, elongated fingerprints that link murders dating back to 1903.
“Squeeze” proved thatThe X-Filescould tell genuinely scary horror stories alongside its alien mythology storyline. The episode laid the groundwork for the standalone episodes that followed, andTooms remains one of the series' most recognizable villains.He returns in the later season 1 episode, “Tooms,” after being released from a psychiatric facility.
2"Ice"
Season 1, Episode 8
“Ice” is clearly inspired by John Carpenter’sThe Thing, and the episode finds Mulder and Scully traveling to Alaska to investigate the deaths of an entire research team. Once they arrive at the isolated research station,Mulder, Scully, and their team must contend with an extraterrestrial parasitic organismthat drives its hosts into a murderous rage.
With a tense story that expertly plays with paranoia and claustrophobia,“Ice” remains one ofThe X-Files’best standalone episodes.The episode introduces compelling one-off characters, delivers genuine scares, and ultimately solidifies the trust between Mulder and Scully.
1"Pilot"
Season 1, Episode 1
As with most television shows, the best place to beginThe X-Filesis at the beginning. The pilot does a great job of introducing Mulder and Scully both to the audience and to one another as they work their first case together.Mulder believes a series of strange murders to be the result of alien abductions, while Scully insists there must be another solution.
Mulder and Scully immediately have chemistry, and both make for incredibly compelling leads.
The X-Filespilot episode introduces the series' overarching mythology involving UFOs and government conspiracies, while also delivering a solid episode of television in its own right. Mulder and Scully immediately have chemistry, and both make for incredibly compelling leads. Ultimately, the pilot perfectly establishes the sci-fi/horror/humor template thatThe X-Filesperfected.
