The 20 Most Unforgettable "X-Files" Episodes, Ranked
It's been 20 years since The X-Files went off of the airwaves, concluding its original run while leaving a stellar legacy for its projects.
20th Century Fox
Though one feature film and two limited-event series extensions would follow, The X-Files lives on to this day, reaching new audiences and inspiring full-series binges for die-hard fans via Amazon and Hulu. With the anniversary of the original series' finale on the horizon, I've assembled the 20 best episodes from throughout the macabre mystery series for this definitive X-Files ranking.
20.“The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat” (Season 11, Episode 4)
The X-Files turns a mirror to itself in more ways than one with this hilarious "Mandela Effect"-centric episode from its (currently) final season, in which Mulder and Scully encounter a stranger who claims a vast alien conspiracy is responsible for replacing people's memories. As much as the episode has to offer at face value, the true genius of this episode is using this framework to do new things with classic moments from throughout the series, dig deeper into the insecurities of Fox Mulder, and ultimately, wrestle with The X-Files' place in inspiring a modern pop culture that is deeply rooted in conspiracy theories.
19.“Mulder & Scully Meet the Were-Monster” (Season 10, Episode 3)
A tip of the hat to one of The X-Files most prominent inspirations, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, this standout episode of The X-Files' 10th season saw Mulder and Scully seek out a strange monster that may have been responsible for a rash of killings. With a few fun Easter eggs to the series' original run and a wealth of comedic moments driven by an amazing Rhys Darby, this Darin Morgan-directed episode not only worked for flipping the script on the "were-monster" formula but by giving Scully and Mulder a well-needed break from the dour and self-important episodes that came before it in the limited-run season.
18.“Millennium” (Season 7, Episode 4)
Initially set as the conclusive chapter of X-Files maestro Chris Carter's other lauded sci-fi series, "Millennium" brings Scully and Mulder face-to-face with FBI profiler Frank Blank to stop a potential apocalyptic event. While die-hard Millennium fans were sour on the episode acting as a de-facto finale for the series, there's something special about watching Black working in the world of The X-Files; this, combined with a number of distinctive big moments in the series' history, makes the episode important, memorable, and pretty damn exciting.
17.“The Post-Modern Prometheus” (Season 5, Episode 5)
The X-Files has always traded in the strange and bizarre, but the show ventured into full-on surrealism in the stylish and hypnotic "The Post-Modern Prometheus," a black-and-white and sardonic Frankenstein story that ends with one of the most unforgettable sequences in the series' history.
16.“Humbug” (Season 2, Episode 20)
20th Century Fox Film Corp.
Written by Darin Morgan and directed by Kim Manners, "Humbug" is a great showcase for one of The X-Files' best talents, which is telling stories in which the odd and unusual are empathized and treated with a level of dignity. Though the investigation does occasionally dip into the grotesque, this murder mystery set among retired sideshow performers utilizes a bold sense of humor and a top-tier twist ending that cements it in the upper echelon of episodes.
15.“Deadalive” (Season 8, Episode 15)
Bolstered by the return of David Duchovny to The X-Files after the actor's departure at the end of Season 7, "Deadalive" stands out by relying on suspense, simplicity, and the willingness to shake up the world of our heroes, which is punctuated by the much-anticipated and emotional reunion of Mulder and Scully.
14.“The Truth” (Season 9, Episodes 19 and 20)
While the impact of the episode was eventually subverted by the show's maligned 2008 film and its revival in 2016, "The Truth" feels like the ending that the show deserved, as its trade of closure for hope feels in line with the perspectives of Mulder, Scully, and frankly, show creator Chris Carter. Though the two-part episode also attempts to bring in familiar faces, a good amount of spectacle, and a couple of incredulous twists, the journey feels absolutely befitting of the emotionally-potent destination.
13.“Jose Chung's From Outer Space” (Season 3, Episode 20)
Ironically considered to be one of the most memorable X-Files offerings ever, this episode's unique structure, shifting point-of-views, and hilarious left turns made it an instant classic, with fans, critics, and even the cast and the crew themselves lauding Darin Morgan's funny twist on the reporting of alien abductions. The episode was such a hit that guest star Charles Nelson Reilly would reprise the titular role on the second season of Millennium soon thereafter.
12.“Ice” (Season 1, Episode 8)
20th Century Fox Film Corp.
"Ice" is a tense and effortlessly gripping hour of The X-Files, and one that proved that the show was the real deal even when it strayed into "monster-of-the-week" territory. However, the show's striking and somewhat uncomfortable similarities to another paranoia-laced, icebound alien takeover tale, The Thing (1982), keeps it from ranking higher, all things considered.
11.“Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man” (Season 4, Episode 7)
Opening the audience up to the history, motivations, and perspectives of The X-Files' most ruthless and consistent villain, "Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man" was the first X-Files episode nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Direction and is remembered as a tour-de-force for William B. Davis, whose rare leading turn steals scene after scene with a remarkably haunted performance.
10.“Squeeze” (Season 1, Episode 3)
20th Century Fox Film Corp.
While the Eugene Tooms episodes of The X-Files are somewhat marred by the personal life of disgraced actor Doug Hutchison, there's no denying that Tooms was the first (and, arguably, most terrifying) iconic villain in The X-Files, with his debut episode, "Squeeze," functioning as a benchmark for horror on the series that they arguably had never touched since.
9.“Triangle” (Season 6, Episode 3)
20th Century Fox Film Corp.
Mulder finds himself drifting through a cruise ship in 1939 after winding up in the Bermuda Triangle in this exciting and inspired episode, the majority of which features actors jumping between characters in each time period, a De Palma-esque split screen effect at points, and an incredibly interesting narrative device to build upon character relationships without the concrete emotional consequences of it happening in the present.
8.“Monday” (Season 6, Episode 14)
20th Century Fox Film Corp.
A thrilling episode that will have you glued to the screen from start to finish, "Monday" is the strongest time-loop tale in X-Files history. Anchored by a heart-wrenching performance from the late Carrie Hamilton, the story follows a woman who must relive the same day over and over, in which her volatile boyfriend attempts to rob a bank while wearing a bomb jacket, which always goes off during an encounter with Mulder and Scully, who slowly begin to realize their part in the time loop and attempt to rectify the deadly situation.
7.“Home” (Season 4, Episode 2)
The most controversial X-Files episode ever, "Home" is best known as the series at its most disturbing, having received a content warning prior to airing and an eventual removal from syndication. However, "Home" is also considered a fan favorite and a critical darling, as frequent X-Files heavy-hitters James Wong and Glen Morgan tap into their darkest side for their grand return to the series (which is later referenced in perhaps the funniest moment of #20 on this list).
6.“X-Cops” (Season 7, Episode 12)
The brainchild of future Breaking Bad head honcho Vince Gilligan, "X-Cops" replicates an episode of The X-Files while operating in the "found footage" framework of the series Cops. In a show renowned for its innovation and groundbreaking storytelling gimmicks, no episode deserves to be heralded for flipping the script more than this clever chapter of The X-Files.
5.“Small Potatoes” (Season 4, Episode 20)
The X-Files is usually at its best when there's just a great mystery at the center of an otherwise supernatural story, and "Small Potatoes" nails this dynamic damn near perfectly. Also written by Vince Gilligan, "Small Potatoes" follows an investigation after a string of mothers inexplicably gave birth to children with tails; while the source of the fatherhood is revealed quickly, it's the unpredictable path on which the episode progresses thereafter that makes it truly special.
4.“Bad Blood” (Season 5, Episode 12)
It's hard to argue that "Bad Blood" isn't the most clever X-Files episode, as the show's Rashomon-esque perspective change allows for hilarity, horror, and a brilliant insight to Scully and Mulder's personal perception of one another. However, nothing in this episode quite tops its primary twist, which is among the strongest ever offered by the series.
3.“The Field Where I Died” (Season 4, Episode 5)
"The Field Where I Died" is an unsurprisingly divisive episodes of the series, feeling closer to the haunting and heartbreaking genre work of Philip Ridley as opposed to an X-Files episode. In this writer's opinion, "The Field Where I Died" is both visually and emotionally riveting, and its ending feels like a gut-punch that even the most melancholy television series could only hope to reach.
2.“Beyond the Sea” (Season 1, Episode 13)
"Beyond the Sea" is an incredibly compelling and creepy episode that cuts deep and resonates with the audience thanks to a series-best performance from Gillian Anderson. Riffing on The Silence of the Lambs, "Beyond the Sea" goes right for the jugular of Scully's skepticism as she encounters a serial killer (a magnificent Brad Dourif) who claims to be psychic, as she tries to heal from the sudden death of her father, which somehow works together to establish one of the series most gutting endings.
1.“Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose” (Season 3, Episode 4)
The late Peter Boyle doesn't just steal the episode of "Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose," but he damn near steals the series in his Emmy-winning performance as a troubled psychic who aids Scully and Mulder in an investigation of a serial killer targeting fortune tellers. This episode is esteemed among X-Files fans as the one with the widest overall fans, as the champions of the series' more humorous and more dark episodes would not only appreciate but embrace "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" as the best in the whole damn series.
Honorable Mentions:
“Unusual Suspects”
“Drive”
“Colony” & “End Game”
“Hungry”
“Detour”
“Paper Hearts”
“Field Trip”
“Pusher”
“Memento Mori”