The X-Files is not only one of my favoite TV shows of all time; it also stands as a cultural icon of the 1990s. The series stars David Duchovny as Fox Mulder and Gillian Anderson as Dana Scully, and their natural on-screen chemistry creates a convincing “believer/skeptic” dynamic throughout the show. While it is well known for its government-conspiracy and extraterrestrial-themed “mythology” episodes, the standalone episodes, called “monster-of-the-week” stories, made the biggest impression on me. Whether due to an unforgettable guest-star performance or an eerie, unsettling original story, my most memorable X-Files episodes are all standalone. They are listed chronologically by season and episode number:
1. “Squeeze” and “Tooms” — Season 1, Episodes 3 and 21
Airdates: Sept. 24, 1993 and April 22, 1994
The X-Files “Squeeze”; image credit: 20th Century Fox
This is a bit of a cheat since these are technically two separate episodes, but Eugene Victor Tooms (brilliantly played by Doug Hutchison) is one of the most memorable X-Files villains. In “Squeeze,” Mulder and Scully investigate a series of murders where the victims had their livers torn out by bare hands. When Mulder finds an unusual fingerprint at the crime scene, he suspects that the murderer may have also committed similar murders in 1933 and 1963. The follow-up episode from later that same season, “Tooms,” continues Mulder and Scully’s investigation into the old murders and their search for evidence linking them to Tooms.
Watch the original TV promos for “Squeeze” here and “Tooms” here.
2. “Eve” — Season 1, Episode 11
Airdate: Dec. 10, 1993
The X-Files “Eve”; image credit: 20th Century Fox
In “Eve,” Mulder and Scully investigate the murders of two men with identical daughters, both of whom were mysteriously killed by exsanguination at exactly the same moment. The creepy twin girls are particularly memorable, as is the character Dr. Sally Kendrick (played by Harriet Sansom Harris). Their investigation uncovers a series of eugenics experiments and a covert government program involving genetically modified clones.
Watch the original TV promo here.
3. “Beyond the Sea” — Season 1, Episode 13
Airdate: Jan. 7, 1994
The X-Files “Beyond the Sea”; image credit: 20th Century Fox
Brad Dourif gives an unforgettable performance as Luther Lee Boggs, a serial killer awaiting execution who claims to have psychic visions about a young couple’s kidnapping. After Scully’s father passes away unexpectedly, she starts to believe that Boggs can give her a final message from him from beyond the grave. This episode is unique because Scully, usually the skeptic, trusts Boggs’s abilities, while Mulder does not.
Watch the original TV promo here.
4. “The Host” — Season 2, Episode 2
Airdate: Sept. 23, 1994
The X-Files “The Host”; image credit: 20th Century Fox
“The Host” is one of the most skin-crawling episodes of the series. Mulder and Scully, now assigned to different sections, begin investigating the death of a man found in the sewers of Newark, New Jersey. During the autopsy, Scully discovers a live flukeworm inside the victim. When a sanitation worker is attacked, they learn that the perpetrator is a mutated humanoid that is part man and part flukeworm.
Watch the original TV promo here.
5. “Die Hand Die Verletzt” — Season 2, Episode 14
Airdate: Jan. 27, 1995
The X-Files “Die Hand Die Verletzt”; image credit: 20th Century Fox
The title “Die Hand Die Verletzt” translates to “The Hand That Wounds” in German. In this episode, Mulder and Scully investigate a satanic ritual murder in a small New Hampshire town. The story is both dark and satirical, featuring a memorable performance by Susan Blommaert as Mrs. Paddock, a seemingly mild-mannered substitute teacher who might not be what she seems.
Watch the original TV promo here.
6. “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose” — Season 3, Episode 4
Airdate: Oct. 13, 1995
The X-Files “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose”; image credit: 20th Century Fox
Peter Boyle won an Emmy for his role as Clyde Bruckman in this darkly comedic episode about an insurance salesman with a unique psychic gift: he can see how everyone will die. He assists Mulder and Scully in tracking down a serial killer who targets psychics and fortune tellers. Writer Darin Morgan also received an Emmy for outstanding writing for this classic episode.
Watch the original TV promo here.
7. “War of the Coprophages” — Season 3, Episode 12
Airdate: Jan. 5, 1996
The X-Files “War of the Coprophages”; image credit: 20th Century Fox
This quirky, comedic episode follows Mulder’s investigation into alleged extraterrestrial killer cockroaches in the small town of Miller’s Grove. Each time a new cockroach “victim” is found, Mulder calls Scully, who debunks his theories with common-sense scientific explanations. This is a fun episode, but fair warning to anyone who is squeamish about cockroaches—there are lots of them crawling around!
Watch the original TV promo here.
8. “Pusher” — Season 3, Episode 17
Airdate: Feb. 23, 1996
The X-Files “Pusher”; image credit: 20th Century Fox
“Pusher” is an intense psychological episode that follows Mulder and Scully’s hunt for a killer who can force his victims to take their own lives using only the power of his mind. Robert Wisden guest-stars as Robert Patrick Modell, a man who utilizes his ability to “push” by engaging in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse with Mulder. Be sure to watch the sequel to this episode, titled “Kitsunegari,” which aired in Season 5, Episode 8.
Watch the original TV promo here.
9. “Home” — Season 4, Episode 2
Airdate: Oct. 11, 1996
The X-Files “Home”; image credit: 20th Century Fox
“Home” is definitely my all-time favorite X-Files episode, and it’s also widely considered the most disturbing. I remember the violence in this episode being so shocking when it first aired. “Home” was actually the first X-Files episode to include a viewer-discretion warning. Mulder and Scully are called in to investigate the murder of a deformed baby found buried in a baseball field. The prime suspects are the Peacocks, a family of violent, inbred brothers. The graphic content and violence in “Home” were so controversial that the episode did not air on TV again for three years.
Watch the original TV promo here.
10. “Drive” — Season 6, Episode 2
Airdate: Nov. 15, 1998
The X-Files “Drive”; image credit: 20th Century Fox
Bryan Cranston guest stars as Patrick Crump in this intense episode about a man who must keep driving westward at high speed, or else his head will explode. When Crump takes Mulder hostage and forces him to drive nonstop, it’s up to Scully to uncover the secret government experiment that caused his mysterious condition. “Drive” was written by Vince Gilligan, who later cast Cranston as the iconic character Walter White in Breaking Bad.
Watch the original TV promo here.
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