Pilot: MYTHOLOGY It's the start of a pairing that will become famous; the believer vs. the skeptic, Mulder and Scully. Although the two have just met, there is a chemistry between them which jumps right off of the screen. He thinks she was sent to spy on him, and she can't understand why he isn't trying to explain things rationally. Their first case explores their fundamental differences concerning the strange deaths of the Bellefleur H.S. class of 89.Deep Throat: MYTHOLOGY This episode introduces Mulder's informant Deep Throat. A mysterious man warns Mulder not to embark on a missing person's case, involving fighter pilot Col. Budahas. In typical Mulder fashion, he ignores the warning which causes some serious repercussions for both agents.
Squeeze: When another agent asks Scully for help in a bizarre case of livers torn from the victim's bodies , she readily accedes. Because the M.O. is exceedingly strange, Mulder is drawn to this case as well. This episode has a good story line which continues in Tooms. It shows how Mulder is perceived by the rest of the F.B.I. I also enjoyed a small scene between Scully and Colton, where she is given the opportunity to leave the X-Files, but chooses instead to stay with Mulder.
Conduit: MYTHOLOGY Ruby Morris has disappeared from Lake Okobogee and our intrepid agents are on the case. Mulder believes it's aliens at work, while Scully thinks it's more likely that the girl ran away from home. There is a cool "sight gag" when Scully climbs the stairs in the Morris household. This episode explains more on the Samantha Mulder abduction, which gives us a glimpse into Mulder's motivations.
The Jersey Devil: A homeless man is found in the woods near Atlantic City with his arm chewed off. Despite local law enforcement's claims to the contrary, Mulder thinks it's the Jersey Devil. Scully is unconvinced, but leaves behind her date to help him track it down. Some great one liners in this episode.
Shadows: Two terrorist bodies are found, both dead from a crushed esophagus- but their throats were crushed from the inside. The NSA calls in Scully and Mulder to see if they've ever seen anything like this before. When Mulder "...willfully participate(s) in a campaign of misinformation." , he and Scully start their own investigating.
Ghost in the Machine: The CEO of the Eurisko company is found dead in his bathroom, electrocuted. Mulder suspects the computer operating system while Scully suspects the corporations' intellectual founder. Deep Throat puts in an appearance.
Ice: A 'just because' X-File. When a transmission is sent from a polar research facility with the message, "We're not who we are." Mulder and Scully pull the assignment. This is the first time Mulder and Scully REALLY have to trust each other.
Space: A NASA technician has proof that some one is sabotaging the Space Shuttle program, but she doesn't know who. She turns to Mulder and Scully in the hopes of catching the perpetrator.
Fallen Angel: MYTHOLOGY Deep Throat sends Mulder to a small town in Wisconsin, to check out a downed UFO. Scully arrives the next morning to bail Mulder out of a Military holding cell, and informs him of an impending meeting by section chief Mc Grath, to discuss the closing of the X-Files. Max Fenig is introduced in this episode and will return in the two parter Tempus Fugit / Max.
Eve: MYTHOLOGY Scary episode. Two girls who look exactly the same are the only witnesses to the deaths of two men (their fathers) , who have been exsanguinated at the same time of day, three thousand miles apart. Mulder meets with Deep Throat who tells him about the Litchfield Experiments.
Fire: A former girlfriend shows up to enlist Mulder's help with a case. It seems someone is torching the members of parliament. One member has decided to take a holiday in the states to get away from the threat. In this episode we find that Mulder has a fear of fire, and a fear of Phoebe.
Beyond the Sea: A 'just because' X-File. To borrow a phrase from the Nitpicker, this episode is the first which begins "The reeducation of Dana Scully". This episode shows Scully that there are extreme possibilities. After the death of her father, Scully and Mulder are sent to interview Luther Lee Boggs, a death row inmate who claims to have a psychic insight into the case of a young couple who have been kidnaped. There's an excellent scene between Scully and Boggs that crackles with electricity.
Genderbender: Mulder and Scully are trying to track down a killer with the perfect disguise, they can change sex. The clues that are available lead them to a small community in New Hampshire with an old fashion lifestyle.
Lazarus: During a botched bank robbery, a friend of Scully's (Jack Willis) almost ends up dead. When the friend in question begins to act strangely, Mulder is convinced that another soul has taken up residence in Jack's body.
Young at Heart: A murderer from Mulder's past reappears to torment him. No one believes it though, since the criminal has been dead for the last four years. Deep Throat helps explain some of what's going on.
E. B. E. : MYTHOLOGY Mulder and Scully check out a reported UFO sighting by a truck driver. Deep Throat sends our duo on a merry chase, but isn't clever enough to fool them completely. This episode introduces the Lone Gunmen and hints at how deep the conspiracy of silence goes.
Miracle Man: A faith healer thinks he's responsible for a number of deaths in Kenwood, Tennessee. Mulder Angst ahead when he thinks he sees Samantha.
Shapes: A rancher is accused of murder when he shoots a young Indian on his property. He claims that what he shot at was not human, and his son has the claw marks to prove it.
Darkness Falls: A 'just because' X-File. When a 500 year old tree is cut down, a group of thirty loggers disappear. The revenge of Mother Nature. This is the first time Mulder does something that is truly questionable, especially as the wrong choice could mean the death of himself and Scully.
Tooms: Something of a continuation of Squeeze. Eugene Victor Tooms is being released from his confinement and Mulder sets up his own stake-out. Great scene between Mulder and Scully in the car. This is the first episode with AD Skinner as our heroes' boss.
Born Again: A little girl is the last person to see Det. Barbala before he 'jumped' out of a closed window. Mulder gathers evidence which seems to suggest that reincarnation is at work here.
Roland: The scientists involved in a jet propulsion project are dropping like flies, but the work started by one of them continues after his supposed death. One of the victim's dies in a most unusual way.
The Erlenmeyer Flask (Trust No One): MYTHOLOGY One of the best mythology X-Files. Deep Throat points out a mundane news report to Mulder, which leads him to an important discovery. One of this episode's best scenes centers around Scully and a piece of evidence, one which causes her ordered universe to shutter. This was the first episode to change it's tag line from The Truth is Out There, to Trust No One.
Little Green Men: MYTHOLOGY With the X-Files shut down and Deep Throat dead, Mulder is losing his faith, until his congressional patron sends him on an errand that could prove the existence of extraterrestrials. Despite the efforts to keep Mulder and Scully apart, Scully ends up covering Mulder's back- just when he needs it. The story of Samantha's abduction is visualized in this episode.The Host: Skinner sends Mulder to the sewers of Newark to investigate a murder. What Mulder finds with a little help from Scully is his suspect is "a giant blood-sucking worm". A mysterious friend in the FBI takes an interest in the two agents.
Blood: Mulder is called upon to work out a profile on the next in a long line of spree killers in Franklin Pennsylvania. The only common thread appears to be the destruction of an electronic device at each of the scenes. When a medical question arises, Mulder brings Scully in on the case.
Sleepless: A man dies in a fire, but when help arrives there is no sign of a fire. Mulder tries to open a case file only to find someone's beaten him to it, Alex Krycek. I love the scene in the autopsy bay, where Mulder and Scully huddle close and whisper conspiratorially as Krycek is given the cold shoulder. This episode shows the viewer who the friend in the FBI is...X.
Duane Barry / Ascension (Deny Everything): MYTHOLOGY The first multi-parter and one of the best mythology X-Files. Duane is an abductee who's been institutionalized. At an opportune moment, he escapes with a hostage in tow. Mulder is called in to negotiate with Duane, and during a lull, Mulder asks Scully to see what she can dig up on him. When Scully becomes involved in the case, it leads to the shocking ending of the first episode and sets up the next one. One Breath is also considered a continuation of this ARC.
"3" : With the X-Files reopened, Mulder must do this case alone. A pattern of triple murders/exsanguinations are working their way around the country with the latest ones in L.A. Mulder believes that vampires are at work.
One Breath: MYTHOLOGY [See Duane Barry / Ascension] A 'just because' X-File. Scully is returned from her mysterious abduction, but her chances of surviving are slim. Mulder rages at the injustice of it all, and X tempts him with a difficult choice. Beautiful imagery with Scully in a small boat, floating on a placid lake; making a choice between living and dying. This is the first episode where Mulder really cries. A perfect episode in my book.
Firewalker: The counterpart to Ice. Mulder and Scully are sent to a remote mountain in the Cascade range to investigate the disruption of data from Firewalker, a mechanical robot built to explore the inside of a volcano. This episode starts a trend, where Mulder begins to act protectively towards Scully, an obvious reaction to her abduction.
Red Museum: MYTHOLOGY Wisconsin teens are being kidnaped then returned in a deeply disturbed psychological state. All of the victims have the words: He (She) is one, written on their backs in magic marker. Originally meant to crossover with the David E Kelly show, Picket Fences.
Excelsius Dei: Michelle Charter has been raped, by a phantom. Although she can't prove it, she believes that a patient at the Nursing Home she works at is responsible. Mulder and Scully search for a more mundane explanation.
Aubrey: Police detective B.J. Morrow has been experiencing a newly awakened psychic ability which leads her to the grave of an FBI agent who's been missing for 50 years. Mulder and Scully are called in to lend a hand.
Irresistible: A 'just because' X-File. VERY SPOOKY episode and strangely compelling. A fetishist has been working the Minneapolis area and Mulder is sure that he's going to begin murdering to collect the trophies he wants. Due to the unresolved issues concerning her abduction, Agent Scully is far from her calm, cool and collected self. Hint: Whenever Dana Scully says she's fine, she is far from it. This is the first time she uses that phrase in this manner, but not the last. This is also the first time Scully really cries. [ See Orison for more ]
Die Hand Die Verletzt: A teenager trying to perform a black mass is found dead with his eyes and heart removed. Mulder and Scully arrive to find toads falling from the sky, water draining backward and another teen who claims to have been used in satanic rituals. Creepy episode.
Fresh Bones: Two Marines are found dead with voodoo symbols nearby. The Haitian refugees being detained at the Marine base believe that the deaths will continue unless they are allowed to return home. Scully and Mulder are called in to find out what really happened. X makes an appearance in this episode.
Colony / End Game: MYTHOLOGY Mulder is sent an E-mail tipping him off to a series of murders. Identical looking doctors all over the east coast are being killed. He and Scully look for the answers to these strange deaths, which in turn leads them both into imminent danger. Mulder's quest will send him to the Arctic, where he hopes to uncover the truth. X and Skinner have a disagreement (End Game), which leads to one of my favorite X-Files quotes.
Fearful Symmetry: Animals are disappearing from a Zoo which is located near a UFO hot spot only to be found hours later and miles away, dead. Mulder suspects aliens, while Scully thinks human intervention is involved.
Død Kalm: Mulder and Scully investigate a case of rapid aging that has occurred on the USS Arden. Although this isn't one of my favorites, there are some tender scenes between our heroes. Scully makes a courageous choice.
Humbug: DELIGHTFUL. Scully and Mulder investigate the bizarre death of a retired escape artist in a town populated by former circus and sideshow acts. The first of four episodes penned by the comedic genius Darin Morgan.
The Calusari: Is child abuse responsible for the death of a two year old child? Scully thinks so, but Mulder has other less tangible ideas.
F. Emasculata: Although this is not a mythology story, it does involve a government coverup. An illness is sweeping through the prison population. When two infected prisoners escape, Mulder must track them down. Meanwhile, Scully uses her medical training to help with the outbreak.
Soft Light: A former student of Scully's asks for unofficial help concerning a case of missing persons. The only common clue is a medium sized scorch mark at each of the scenes. X complicates matters by initiating his own 'investigation.'
Our Town: Chaco Chicken - Good People, Good Food. When a USDA meat inspector disappears, Mulder and Scully find out that the workers at Chaco Chicken take that slogan too literally.
Anasazi: See season 3.
Anasazi
(Ei Aaniigoo 'Ahoot'e/ Navaho - The Truth is out there) / The Blessing Way / Paper Clip: MYTHOLOGY The first three parter and one of the best mythology X-Files. This ARC is one of the best since it gives the viewer a real glimpse as to what's going on in the conspiracy. The story begins with Kevin Soona (aka The Thinker) hacking into the Defense Department's database. The information he downloads has to do with the existence of extraterrestrials. When he realizes what he has is too hot to handle he passes the files off to Mulder. The Blessing Way introduces a key figure in the Syndicate known only as the Well Manicured Man.D.P.O.: Mulder and Scully investigate the deaths of several young men who were apparently struck by lightning in the same small town.
Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose: Number 4 of the 5 funniest X-Files and my number one personal favorite. Clyde has a terrible gift, he's psychic in a very particular way. The only thing he can "see" is how and when a person is going to die. Mulder and Scully recruit his help to stop a serial killer who's targeting fortune tellers.
The List: Neech Manly has a list of five people who mistreated him during his life. At his execution he vows that he will be back, and that those individuals would pay for what they did to him. Mulder and Scully show up when prison personnel begin dying.
2Shy: When a gelatinous body is found on the Cincinati docks, Scully and Mulder suspect a serial killer who's using the Internet to prey on lonely, overweight women.
The Walk: A suicide attempt and subsequent murders at a military hospital bring Mulder and Scully into contact with a quadruple amputee veteran who may be the key.
Oubliette: The kidnaping of a young girl may be linked to a woman who was taken by the same man years earlier. Mulder posits that she's psychic while Scully believes she's involved in the crime.
Nisei / "731" (Apology is Policy): MYTHOLOGY Two parter. Mulder orders a video tape of an alien autopsy which puts Scully and himself on the trail of a conspiracy involving Japanese scientists, and may shed light on Scully's abduction. The scene with Scully and the MUFON women "freaked" me out.
Revelations: A 'just because' X-File. My second favorite Scullycentric episode. Something of a role reversal which makes this episode a 'keeper'. Stigmatas are being killed and a young boy from Jerusalem, Ohio could be next. Scully isn't sure why, but she is instinctively drawn to the paranormal aspects of the case, while Mulder is not. The conversation in the confessional at the end of this episode is extremely unsettling and contains one of my favorite quotes from the X-Files.
War of the Coprophages: Number 3 of the 5 funniest X-Files. Crap, waste, manure, poop, dung - how many ways can you say sh**? The gags in this episode abound. Mulder wants to believe that roaches are reeking havoc in Miller's Grove, but Scully offers more down to earth explanations for each of the corpses found. The scene in the convenience store is my favorite. There's a weak thematic tie in to Chinga.
Syzygy: Wacky episode. Det. White needs help, in what she believes to be a case of satanic activity. Scully is snappish in her skepticism, while Mulder is mocking in his 'faith'. What's going on? It's in the stars. "Sure. Fine. Whatever."
Grotesque: A serial killer maintains that an evil spirit was responsible for his actions, and when the spree continues after he is caught, he may be telling the truth. Mulder is asked to use his profiling skills to solve the case, but he soon appears to be teetering on the brink of insanity.
Piper Maru / Apocrypha: MYTHOLOGY A French salvage ship finds mysterious wreckage from World War II that unleashes a strange force causing radiation sickness which leads Mulder deeper into the conspiracy. Meanwhile, Scully is informed that her sister's murder investigation is being shelved. I enjoyed the scene of Scully in the street (Apocrypha) and the re-occurring theme, "Maybe we bury the dead alive."
Pusher: A 'just because' X-File. Robert Patrick Modell can push his will onto other people, making them do things they wouldn't normally do, like killing themselves. When Mulder begins working on this case, Modell feels he's found a worthy advesary. Shocking and emotionally charged penultimate scene. [see also Kitsunegari]
Teso Dos Bichos: The unearthing of an ancient Ecuadorian artifact results in a number of
deaths potentially linked to a shaman spirit. One of my least favorite X-Files.
Hell Money: The deaths of several Chinese immigrants missing internal organs leads Mulder and Scully to a mysterious game with possibly fatal consequences.
José Chung's, From Outer Space: Number 2 of the 5 funniest X-Files. Were the two teenagers abducted by aliens or the Air Force? Did Roky go to the center of the earth with Lord Kinbote or is he just a kook who saw Venus? Does Mulder really like sweet potato pie or Jeopardy? You decide, if you can.
Avatar: In the midst of a marital breakup Skinner becomes a murder suspect, while a clue to the case may lie in the form of a strange woman who appears to him in dreams. It's always nice to gain some insight into the supporting roles, and Skinner is nicely fleshed out here.
Quagmire: A 'just because' X-File. Two words - character insight. There are some wonderful scenes between Mulder and Scully that begin on a boat and end on a rock in the middle of Lake Heuvelmans. The witty banter that these two usually fall into is there, but there's something more. They are actually revealing pieces of themselves, previously unseen by the other. This case has Mulder and Scully pursuing the legendary lake monster Big Blue.
Wetwired: A 'just because' X-File. This episode proves the theory that too much TV is BAD. I liked this episode in particular because we watch a rational Agent Scully turned into a paranoid, homicidal individual. I especially loved the scene with Mrs. Scully.
Talitha Cumi: See season 4.
Talitha Cumi / Herrenvolk (Everything Dies): MYTHOLOGY Mulder and Scully search for a man with the power to heal whose existence risks exposing THE conspiracy. Before our heroes can get too far, Mulder's mother is rushed to the hospital. The small pox theme is revisited and a new player is introduced to the mix, Marita Covarrubias.Home: First episode to be given a warning, concerning graphic content. The Peacock family is self sufficient. They grow their own food, raise their own pigs, breed their own cows... The rumors are they practice in-breeding as well. When a deformed infant is found, Mulder and Scully are asked to help the local law enforcement officers. There's a touching scene between the two agents on a bench.
Teliko (Deceive Inveigle Obfuscate): Scully's medical background make her an asset in a case involving African-American men who are found dead, their skin drained of pigment. Mulder lends a hand exploring non-scientific avenues.
Unruhe: A 'just because' X-File. I found this episode the most disturbing of all the X-Files, but I'm not sure exactly why. Someone is abducting, mutilating, and murdering the women of a small town. The primary evidence for Mulder and Scully to go on is a series of photographs depicting the killer's psychotic fantasies. In this episode Scully must try to think like the killer (Mulder's field of expertise) and wonders, what if the killer could think like the profiler? This ties this episode to Paper Hearts. Check out my tribute to this amazing episode.
The Field Where I Died: Beautifully crafted episode. In an effort to prevent a mass suicide at a fanatical religious cult, Scully and Mulder interrogate one of the wives of the polygamous cult leader. Under hypnosis, her accounts of her past lives - and deaths - are inexplicably tied to the agents' own.
Sanguinarium: At a busy and lucrative cosmetic surgery clinic, doctors are murdering patients with the tools of their trade. Several clues point toward demonic possession. This episode is not for the squeamish.
Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man: MYTHOLOGY (?)
Frohike believes he's read the biography of a sinister, all-powerful conspirator. The story he tells Mulder and Scully is fantastic, to say the least, but is it the truth? In my own humble opinion, probably not, since it directly contradicts much of the continuity that is the X-Files universe. Still, one of the series unresolved questions, concerning Mulder's lineage, was asked here first.
Tunguska / Terma (E Pur Si Muove / Latin- But it does move): MYTHOLOGY One of the best mythology X-Files. Alex Krycek resurfaces to lead Mulder and Scully deeper into the conspiracy. A seemingly innocuous rock appears to be the key. A very 'shippy' moment when Scully smiles and gives Mulder that courtroom hug. The Tag line is a quote from Galileo to the inquisition, during his trial for heresy.
Paper Hearts: A 'just because' X-File. Prompted by a series of prophetic dreams, Mulder reopens the case of a convicted child killer. The murderer claims to know the circumstances of Samantha's abduction. Scully acts protectively towards Mulder, and uncharacteristically violates a rule of police procedure to help him find the truth (the scene in question harkening back to Conduit). Excellent acting throughout- I feel for Mulder. The question asked in Unruhe is explored here.
El Mundo Gira: Fear, jealousy, superstition and prejudice converge when a young female migrant worker is killed by a mysterious yellow rain. The title is Spanish for 'the world turns', a direct reference to the soap opera like aspects of the plot.
Leonard Betts: A 'just because' X-File. An EMT is decapitated in a freak accident. That night his body disappears from the morgue. The truth surprises both Mulder and Scully. Nice foreshadowing which sets up the next two episodes. Part one of what Philers call the Scully ARC.
Never Again: A 'just because' X-File. Mulder is forced into taking a vacation, while Scully is feeling slightly depressed and very disenchanted. Although she balks at first, Scully looks into the case Mulder has left with her and finds herself in a potentially compromising situation. My favorite scene is at the end, where the tensions that exist between Mulder and Scully are never more obvious. Part two of what Philers call the Scully ARC. On first viewing, this is a difficult episode to fathom. I can only suggest that multiple screenings will reveal the undercurrents which make this one of my favorites.
Memento Mori: MYTHOLOGY One of the best mythology X-Files. Powerful episode, extremely emotional. Scully learns that she has an untreatable form of cancer. Mulder fights for his partner the only way he knows how, by trying to uncover the truth. Sterling performances by both actors. This episode was submitted to the Emmy's and Gillian Anderson won for best actress in a dramatic series. Part three of what Philers call the Scully ARC.
Kaddish: Someone, or something, is killing the members of an anti-Semitic gang. To find the truth, Mulder and Scully delve into the ancient canons of Jewish mysticism.
Unrequited: When top military brass start dying and 'calling' cards are found at each of the scenes, Skinner is assigned protection duty. Mulder suspects a Marine Corps prisoner of war, abandoned in Vietnam, on a mission of revenge.
Tempus Fugit / Max: MYTHOLOGY It's Scully's birthday, but it's a short celebration when an unplanned interruption leads them to investigate a catastrophic plane crash. Mulder suspects a cover-up. Max Fenig of Fallen Angel returns and a well loved agent is sacrificed to the cause (which I'm still ticked off about!)
Synchrony: An old man is the only link to a series of deaths which appear to be related to cryogenics. Mulder and Scully must disregard conventional physics to come to the correct answer in these baffling murders.
Small Potatoes: Number 5 of the 5 funniest X-Files. Scully and Mulder investigate a strange case of abnormal births involving tails, Star Wars and an close encounter between our daring duo.
Zero Sum: MYTHOLOGYSkinner makes a deal with the devil, a.k.a. the Cigarette Smoking Man, in an effort to prevent Scully from dying of cancer. The bees which were first seen in Herrenvolk return.
Elegy:A ' just because ' X-File. Scully and Mulder are tracking a serial killer who might be autistic. Events occur which unbalance Agent Scully's normally unflappable skepticism. Painfully good characterizations.
Demons: MYTHOLOGY Mulder wakes to find himself covered in blood and implicated in a double murder (?!) It doesn't help that he can't remember what's happened in the last few days. Scully comes charging in, to help to clear her partner's name. Although this episode does not directly lead into the next, there's some very nice foreshadowing here.
Gethsemane: See season 5.
Gethsemane (Believe the Lie) / Redux (All Lies Lead to the Truth) / Redux II: MYTHOLOGY A three parter and one of the best mythology X-Files. Like Anasazi / The Blessing Way / Paper Clip this ARC gives the viewer some earth shattering truths. Scully is called to testify at an FBI panel as to the legitimacy of Agent Mulder's work. Hold on to your seat as you get a double dose of intrigue and angst.
Unusual Suspects: [1989] Did you ever wonder how the Lone Gunmen met? How did they get to be so paranoid? When did they become best friends with Mulder? The answers
can be found in this episode.
Detour: A 'just because' X-File. This episode reminds me a lot of Quagmire. The plot is relatively weak, but the characterizations are perfect. Mulder and Scully are on their way to a teamwork seminar when they stumble across a missing person's case. Hearing Scully's rendition of 'Joy to the World' (Jeremiah was a Bullfrog) makes me smile every time.
Post - Modern Prometheus: A 'just because' X-File. This episode is not for everyone and when I first saw it I was somewhat confused. Essentially this episode is a tribute to the pulp fiction genre of the 30s-60s. The case involves a woman who claims to have been drugged and impregnated by a comic book character. The black and white film and Cher songs give this X-File a unique feel.
Christmas Carol / Emily:MYTHOLOGY It's Christmas, and Scully is spending the holidays in San Diego with her family. A disturbing phone call, forces her to get involved with a woman's suicide. Scully gets an unexpected gift. One of my favorite two parters, but extremely emotional. I love the visual effect they use at the beginning of Emily. [see also All Souls]
Kitsunegari: Modell is back, and although he's dying; he's just as dangerous as before. After he escapes from a prison hospital, Mulder and Scully are assigned to track him down. As in Pusher, the penultimate scene is just as shocking and emotionally charged.
Schizogeny: A Michigan farmer is killed when he falls into a mud hole, which may have been dug by his dysfunctional step-son. Not one of my favorite X-Files.
Chinga: Scully is taking a long weekend, rents a car and drives to Maine. When she arrives in Amma Beach she finds herself helping the local police with a bizarre case of people hurting/killing themselves. The phone tag with Mulder is reminiscent of War of the Coprophages. Steven King co-authored this episode.
Kill Switch: A computer genius is found dead, caught in the crossfire between some drug dealers and the U.S. Marshals at an all-night diner. His lap top provides clues which lead Mulder and Scully to believe an Artificial Intelligence is at work. William Gibson wrote this episode.
Bad Blood: Number 1 of the 5 funniest X-Files. I can't stop laughing during this episode. One pizza delivery boy- dead with a stake through his heart and Mulder's the admitted killer. It's a case of He Said, She said, when Mulder and Scully each have vastly differing accounts of what happened in Chaney Texas.
Patient X / The Red and the Black (Resist or Serve): MYTHOLOGY Patient X contained a warning, concerning graphic content. When Mulder sits on a panel discussing the existence of extraterrestrial, he proceeds to deny them altogether; believing that ETs are nothing more than a hoax invented by the US government. Under normal circumstances, Scully would be happy to agree with Mulder, but a mass suicide (?) at Skyland Mountain makes her believe that aliens could be responsible. Agent Spender is introduced here.
Travelers: MYTHOLOGY [1990] When a old man is killed,
after attacking a law enforcement officer, his last words are, "Mulder...Mulder..." Strange desiccated corpses are found at his residence, and the case is brought to Fox's attention. By doing some digging, Mulder finds the man's name, Edward Skur, in a X-Files. When he tries to talk to the Agent who filed the report, he is given a clue which leads back to his father.
Mind's Eye: A woman is found cleaning up the scene of a violent homicide. It looks like an open and shut case, except she's blind. Because of the strange nature of this case, Mulder and Scully are asked for their expertise.
All Souls: A 'just because' X-File. What an episode! Not only does Scully get to be a believer again [see Revelation], but the subject of her daughter Emily is revisited [see Christmas Carol / Emily.] Obviously Scully has some MAJOR unresolved grief, which is explored here. In this episode she agrees to help a couple who have recently lost their daughter due to unusual circumstances. Mulder lends his support, but his lack of faith when it comes to religious matters gets in the way.
The Pine Bluff Variant: Mulder is recruited by a terrorist organization which has access to a dangerous biological toxin. Scully must use her logic and her science to help him .
Folie à Deux: A 'just because' X-File. After a season long drought, we get the old Mulder the believer vs Scully the skeptic story conflict with a twist. A telemarketer for siding just knows his boss is a monster...really! I liked the creepy feeling you got when the monster was skittering across the screen (or was it all in their minds?) There are some excellent Mulder quotes as well.
The End (The End): MYTHOLOGY One of the best mythology X-Files. As the other season enders, this episode packs a wallop. A young chess master (Gibson Praise) has incredible psychic abilities. Mulder intuits that a bullet which killed a Russian chess master was meant for Gibson and is willing to put it all on the line, to prove it. Since I'm a Scullyist, my favorite scene is involves a personal revelation for Scully, and three heart-breaking sighs.
X-Files MOVIE (Fight the Future): MYTHOLOGY Although this is not really an episode I'm going to place this in fifth season. The X-Files have been closed again, and our intrepid pair are helping out at a bomb scare in Dallas. When things go wrong, Mulder and Scully end up being blamed. A man who knew Mulder's father provides clues to the REAL story.
The Beginning: MYTHOLOGY The End was a self-contained story, but there is no doubt that this is meant to be a continuation of that and the Movie. The action opens with our two favorite FBI agents appearing before OPR (again!) to justify their re-assignment to the X-Files. AD Kirsh is introduced here.
Drive: A 'just because' X-File. While doing a 'punishment' assignment, Mulder convinces Scully that their talents would be better utilized on another case, when they witness an unusual news story. Great characterizations.
Triangle: (Die Wahrheit ist Irgendwo da Draußen - The Truth is out there, Somewhere ) : A 'just because' X-File. Mulder's in the middle of a bizarre conflict on a mysterious ship in the Bermuda Triangle. Scully and the Lone Gunman must help him out. A homage to The Wizard of Oz, Mulder journeys back into time where he sees familiar faces. Rollicking Good Fun! The hospital scene is my favorite.
Dreamland (I& II): Mulder and Scully find themselves near area 51 tracking down a secret informant. When something strange happens, both Mulder and Scully experience a life change.
How the Ghosts stole Christmas: A 'just because' X-File. When Mulder and Scully check out a haunted house on Christmas Eve, the house's inhabitants have some fun in store for them.
Terms of Endearment: When a mother is accused of killing her unborn child, Mulder and Scully begin to suspect a more sinister force at work.
Rain King: In a small town plagued by drought, Scully and Mulder come upon a man who claims to be able to control the weather -- at a hefty profit. Yet the agents discover a force of nature at work even more powerful than the weather -- and just as unpredictable.
SR 819: MYTHOLOGY A Shiban written piece. When Walter Skinner falls seriously ill, the agents suspect foul play within the government structure and start poking around the FBI hallways for information.
Tithonus: A 'just because' X-File. Written by Vince Gilligan. A crime scene photographer takes pictures of murders before they are even reported. Scully is assigned to find out why.
Two Fathers / One Son: MYTHOLOGY The return of an alien abductee threatens to finally expose the conspiracy involving extraterrestrials, forcing the Cigarette Smoking Man to strike back at Mulder and Scully with greater determination. Mulder learns the truth about the government/alien conspiracy responsible for his sister's abduction, but now he and Scully face a greater dilemma: what to do with their newfound knowledge?
Agua Mala: Stranded in the middle of a hurricane in Florida, Scully and Mulder seek safety in an old apartment building -- but the agents find themselves in even more danger when they learn that something else has come in from the rain with them.
Monday: A bad day that keeps getting worse for Mulder and Scully ends in a tragedy that the agents seem powerless to prevent.
Arcadia: Going undercover as a married couple, Scully and Mulder investigate some bizarre occurrences in an exclusive, gated community.
Alpha: Mulder and Scully are brought in to investigate when it appears that a mysterious dog -- thought to be the last of an ancient Asian species -- is responsible for several murders.
Trevor: The agents track a convict who made a miraculous escape from prison during the middle of a tornado.
Milagro: A 'just because' X-File. When Mulder and Scully shadow a killer who
leaves no clues, Scully finds herself enthralled by Mulder's prime suspect.
The Unnatural: (In the Big Inning) Mulder digs up an old case involving a star player in the Negro Baseball League with an unbelievable batting average -- and an incredible secret. Written and directed by David Duchovny.
Three of a Kind: Scully is tricked by the Lone Gunmen into accompanying them to Las Vegas, where they make a startling discovery. Written by Vince Gilligan and John Shiban this is very similar to Unusual Suspects with Suzanne Modeski making a reappearance.
Field Trip: The discovery of two skeletons in a rural area pits Scully and Mulder against each other, but their dispute may have deadly consequences.
Biogenesis: See Season 7.
Biogenesis / The Sixth Extinction / The Sixth Excinction II- Amor Fati (Amor Fati): MYTHOLOGY Top notch trilogy. An ancient artifact is linked to a strange illness which befalls Mulder. Scully must go to Africa to find answers while the Cigarette Smoking Man tries to use Mulder's sickness to his advantage.
Hungry: Mulder and Scully investigate a number of disturbing murders that lead to the discovery of a "monster" who feeds a gruesome habit.
Millennium: Agents Mulder and Scully enlist the help of former FBI agent Frank Black to unravel a mystery of apocalyptic proportions. The agents race against time to stop members of the Millennium Group who hold the ability to summon the dead and plan to use this power to end the world as the millennium draws to a close.
Rush: When a sheriff's deputy ends up dead with enough blunt force trauma to imbed his glasses into his skull, Scully and Mulder are called in to lend a hand. Some troubled teens seem to hold the key.
The Goldberg Variation: Mulder and Scully investigate a man upon whom fortune has smiled a few too many times, and witness first hand the theory of cause and effect and the consequences that occur when coincidence, chance and luck collide.
Orison: A 'just because' X-File. A series of prison breaks bring Agents Mulder and Scully face to face with Scully's former kidnapper, Donnie Pfaster (of Irresistible), as Scully is forced to question her faith and confront the clash of morality and religion.
The Amazing Maleeni: While agents Scully and Mulder investigate the gruesome and unexplained death of a magician, they are drawn into the world of magic and illusion and learn
that, at first glance, nothing is as it appears to be.
Signs & Wonders: A gruesome snake-bite death points Mulder and Scully towards a religious group in the deep south.
Sein Und Zeit / Closure (Believe to Understand): MYTHOLOGY During the course of an investigation into the disappearance of a child, Mulder discovers information that shakes his beliefs and reopens the case of his sister's abduction 25 years earlier.
X-Cops: Based on the Fox show- COPS, Mulder and Scully are caught on tape when the LAPD is looking for the same suspect they are.
First Person Shooter: William Gibson written episode (see Kill Switch). The LGM make an appearance in this case about a life size video game where the computer generated character runs amok.
Theef: In an episode pitting modern medicine against ancient folklore practices, agents Scully and Mulder confront the world of voodoo and hexcraft while investigating a string of gruesome murders tied to the occult.
En Ami: MYTHOLOGY WB Davis' script. A 'just because' X-File. Vowing to atone for his many nefarious deeds, Cigarette-Smoking Man offers a skeptical Agent Scully a most enticing gift.
Chimera: Scully gets stakeout duty and Mulder investigates a small town where women are turning up dead after a raven appears.
all things: A 'just because' X-File. Scullycentric episode written by Gillian Anderson. A mentor from Scully's past returns causing her to inspect the choices she's made in her life.
Brand X: Genetically altered tobacco produces an unexpected and unwanted side effect.
Hollywood AD: A Hollywood producer follows Agents Mulder and Scully during the course of a murder investigation as research for an upcoming movie, in which Garry Shandling portrays Mulder and Tea Leoni portrays Scully. Written and directed by David Duchovny.
Fight Club: Two women who could be twins (but aren’t) reek havoc in Kansas City, simply by being in close proximity. Huh? No, I didn’t understand it either.
Je Souhaite: DELIGHTFUL. When an 'invisible' man turns up on Scully's autopsy table, Mulder thinks a Genie is at work in this lovely episode penned by Vince Gilligan.
Requiem: MYTHOLOGY As they revisit the case that brought them together seven years ago, Agents Mulder and Scully investigate a series of potential alien abductions that threatens their partnership. (See the Pilot).
Within / Without: MYTHOLOGY Scully searches for the truth about Mulder’s abduction, while she's simultaneously forced to contend with a resistant FBI bureaucracy and a skeptical new associate, Agent John Doggett. Doggett is in over his head but tries to do the best he can with his new assignment- find Mulder.
Patience: Agents Scully and Doggett investigate their first official case together -- a series of gruesome murders linked to a bat-like creature. Though skeptical of Scully's logic, Doggett finds a begrudging respect of her investigative process.
Roadrunners: Agent Scully, while investigating on her own a murder in the New Mexico desert, discovers a small, remote town housing a paranormal cult that keeps a terrible secret. Scully's discovery of the cult's secret puts her life in danger, and she must rely on Agent Doggett to track down her hidden whereabouts and save her life.
Invocation: Agents Doggett and Scully investigate the reappearance of a young boy kidnapped ten years ago, who returns to his family having not aged at all. Doggett takes a very personal interest in the case, and he and Scully discover that although the boy appears to be normal, things are not what they seem.
Redrum: Agents Scully and Doggett are called in to investigate the case of a man accused of murdering his wife. However, the man has no recollection of the crime. Initially skeptical of his claim, Scully and Doggett discover that time may not be on his side.
Via Negativa: With Agent Scully in the hospital for reasons she does not disclose to her partner, Agent Doggett investigates the mysterious deaths of 20 cult members and two FBI agents, all of whom died in identical fashion.
Surekill:Agents Scully and Doggett investigate a seemingly impossible string of murders committed by an assailant with no apparent access to the victims. As they gain more information about the mysterious murderer and the circumstances surrounding the case, they uncover an unprecedented medical anomaly.
Salvage: A man mysteriously beings to metamophoses into a robot. Doggett is incredulous and Scully is intrigued.
Badlaa: Doggett and Scully investigate a string of mysterious murders linked to a mystical being that is inhabiting its victims' bodies.
The Gift: A case Mulder kept secret from Scully comes to light as Doggett investigates circumstances that may ultimately relate to Mulder's unexplained disappearance.
Medusa: Agents Scully and Doggett race to investigate a string of bizarre deaths in the tunnels of the Boston subway system linked to a mysterious killer.
Per Manum: MYTHOLOGY Doggett and Scully are called in to investigate reports of alien impregnations of human subjects. As they discover more disturbing clues, Scully is forced to question whether she should reveal the secret of her pregnancy to Doggett. Click here for a review.
This is Not Happening: MYTHOLOGY The search for Mulder intensifies as FBI agent Monica Reyes joins the hunt for the missing Mulder in the first of a three-episode story arc. As Scully and Doggett's difference of opinions about the missing Mulder heighten, Doggett enlists Reyes' help to bring her own viewpoint and expertise to the mysterious Mulder X-File.
Dead Alive: MYTHOLOGY Scully's frantic efforts to save Mulder were not successful and he is finally put to rest as the episode opens. Three months later, Doggett has been offered the chance to transfer out of the X-Files. Skinner and Scully re-open the investigation into Mulder's death when a man abducted with him makes an impossible reappearance.
Three Words: MYTHOLOGY Mulder secretly conducts his own investigation after a man is gunned down on the White House lawn attempting to inform the President of a planned alien invasion
Empedoceles: Mulder, Scully, Doggett and Reyes investigate a killer's mysterious connection to the unsolved murder of Doggett's son.
Vienen: MYTHOLOGY Doggett and Mulder are begrudgingly thrown together to investigate several mysterious deaths aboard an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. While Mulder believes the deaths on board to be part of the alien conspiracy, he races to convince the skeptical Doggett that the ship may not be pumping traditional fuel.
Alone: With Scully on leave due to her impending delivery and Mulder still barred from his official investigative duties, Doggett, with the aid of a new and very green FBI agent, finds himself hot on the trail of a deadly creature. (See also Scary Monsters)
Essence / Existence: MYTHOLOGY Long-simmering plot twists converge and details about Scully's pregnancy are revealed as Mulder, Doggett, Skinner and Reyes must put aside their differences and work together to protect Scully's unborn child.
Nothing Important Happened Today / Nothing Important Happened Today II (Nothing Important Happened Today): MYTHOLOGY Mulder is missing and Scully is forced to face the question as to why the aliens did not take her baby. Reyes and Doggett attempt to investigate the FBI's involvement in a Alien conspiracy and a new player, Assistant Director Brad Follmer is introduced. Dæmonicus: With Scully reassigned to Quantico, Doggett and Reyes investigate their first X-File together. A series of satanic ritualistic murders which lead them to a psychic(?) prisoner.
4D: A vicious murderer threatens Doggett and Reyes. Or does he? The only thing that's certain is that he's one step ahead of everyone else.
Lord of the Flies: A teenager dies while performing a daredevil feat for a cable access show, but his death may be caused by something more sinister than the stunt itself.
Trust No 1: MYTHOLOGY Scully is hopeful about reuniting with Mulder when a complete stranger offers new information about what drove him into hiding. Yet her trust in this stranger may put Mulder in even more danger.
John Doe: With no knowledge of his identy or his past, Doggett is found wandering a dusty Mexican town. He struggles to piece together his memory, how he lost it and why he is where he is.
Hellbound: Convinced it's an X-File, Reyes is drawn to a murder where the victim has been skinned alive. Yet she is unsure why she has such a strange connection to the case.
Provenance / Providence: MYTHOLOGY When rubbings from a spaceship resurface, the FBI hides it's investigation from the X-Files team and the one person who is familiar with it's significance- Scully. This puts William in grave danger, and causes Scully to take some drastic messures.
Audrey Pauley: Doggett and Scully look for answers that will save Agent Reyes' life after she is injured in a horrible car accident. Reyes is also looking for answers in a netherworld between life and death.
Underneath: A case from Doggett's past resurfaces when new evidence about the killer, proves he's innocent.
Improbable: Reyes uses a child's game to connect six disparate killings while Scully and Doggett try to see the pattern. Burt Reynolds guest stars.
Scary Monsters: Could the monsters under your bed be real? Leyla Harrison (from Alone) asks Doggett and Reyes to investigate just that premise.
Jump the Shark: The boys find themselves in a race against time tracking down a former ally who's intent on murdering a top scientist. An ending to the short lived Lone Gunman series.
William: MYTHOLOGY When a horribly disfigured man is found in the basement office, Doggett suspects it might be Mulder. Tearful and agonizing- keep the tissues handy for this exceptional episode with magnificent performances and subtle direction. (David Duchovny was behind the camera.)
Release: Doggett gets more information about his son's disappearance / murder in this disturbing case of child molestation.
Sunshine Days: A murder occurs at the Brady Bunch house and Doggett and Reyes have their hands full when a profoundly shy man proves he can bend the laws of physics. A sweet MOTW from Vince Gilligan who directed as well.
The Truth: MYTHOLOGY Series Finale. Agent Mulder's return to the DC area lands him in a military brig with trumped up charges of murder. It's up to Scully, Skinner, Doggett and Reyes to find the evidence needed to clear his name. The courtroom scenes reference multiple previous X-Files, mythology and MOTW.
Pilot: MYTHOLOGY It's the start of a pairing that will become famous; the believer vs. the skeptic, Mulder and Scully. Although the two have just met, there is a chemistry between them which jumps right off of the screen. He thinks she was sent to spy on him, and she can't understand why he isn't trying to explain things rationally. Their first case explores their fundamental differences concerning the strange deaths of the Bellefleur H.S. class of 89.
