The 20 Best Episodes of 2016

This offbeat, standalone monster-of-the-week episode was the first installment of the series' resurrection that was worthy of the brilliant, groundbreaking sci-fi franchise — and the only one with even a remote chance of cracking an all-time best episodes list. Mulder and Scully are sent to investigate a streak of murders in quirky Oregon that coincide with the sighting of a humanoid horny toad, possibly with three eyes, just as Mulder is suffering an existential mid-life crisis and is unsure if he can believe in any of the weirdo phenomena that once was his bread and butter. The Darin "Flukeman" Morgan-penned episode has humor (both general and the poke-fun-at-itself-and-fan-conspiracy-theories kinds), philosophical commentary on the human dilemma, a role reversal in which Scully tries to help her partner/lover find his freak flag again, and a completely satisfying twist ending no one saw coming. It also has two terrific cameos by Rhys Darby and Kumail Nanjiani. — Carrie Bell
Darin Morgan discusses the episode.

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