In honor of the classic show’s 30th anniversary, here are 5 essential standalone episodes you shouldn’t miss.
As the X-Files marks its 30th anniversary this month, there’s no better time to revisit one of the most iconic television series of the 1990s.
For those who haven’t had the pleasure yet, this creation of Chris Carter follows FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder (portrayed by David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (played by Gillian Anderson) as they delve into a wide array of mysterious and unexplained supernatural cases. Mulder is a passionate believer in conspiracy theories, while Scully is the skeptical scientist initially assigned to debunk his work.
The show had a nine-season run from 1993 to 2002 and returned for two more seasons in 2016. Across 11 seasons, 218 episodes, and two feature films, this TV drama has left an enduring mark and revolutionized television storytelling. It was a pioneering series for its time, seamlessly blending genres, offering suspense, and delivering humor. Serving as a spiritual successor to classics like The Twilight Zone and Kolchak: The Night Stalker, it took risks by interweaving standalone episodes (commonly known as “monster of the week” episodes) with a complex overarching narrative involving aliens and a mysterious government conspiracy. It also featured a central female character who was on par with her male counterpart, a rarity at the time, paving the way for shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, Lost, and Fringe.
While we recommend starting the series from the beginning and exploring the global conspiracy surrounding the Syndicate’s collaboration with alien colonists, here are the top 5 standalone episodes from the show, one for each year it was on the air.
It appears that some iconic episodes from the Duane Barry saga, such as ‘Anasazi,’ ‘The Blessing Way,’ and ‘Paper Clip’ (which are often regarded as some of the show’s finest moments), as well as the ambitious ‘Two Fathers’ / ‘One Son’ two-parter, and the entirety of Season 8, which essentially unfolds like an extended serialized narrative centered on the search for Mulder, were not included in the list. These are the kind of “monster of the week” episodes that don’t necessitate any prior knowledge of the overarching alien mythology and can be enjoyed without any homework or prior introduction.
Consider them as a starting point to dive deeper into the quest for the truth, so to speak.
1) Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose
In Season 3, Episode 4 of The X-Files, we are introduced to Clyde Bruckman, a world-weary insurance salesman who possesses psychic abilities. He can foresee the exact time and manner of everyone’s death, and he’s grown weary of this burden. Meanwhile, a serial killer is on the loose, targeting psychics and fortune tellers, making Bruckman a prime target for the murderer.
What’s so good about it?
It’s no surprise that Darin Morgan, the mind behind four episodes on this list, crafted the finest standalone episode in “The X-Files” series. This episode is a chilling, darkly humorous, and thought-provoking exploration of the burden of foreknowledge. The late Peter Boyle delivers an exceptional performance as the cantankerous Bruckman, a man who sees the intricate web of life and, as a result, finds no more mystery in it. Both Boyle and Morgan received well-deserved Emmy awards for their contributions. The interactions between Bruckman and Gillian Anderson’s character, Scully, are a true delight to witness. The episode masterfully balances humor and pathos, exemplified by a single joke between Bruckman and Scully, which transforms into one of the most emotionally resonant moments in the entire series by the episode’s conclusion. It’s a genuinely stunning installment that leaves a lasting impact.
2) The Erlenmeyer Flask
In Season 1, Episode 24 of The X-Files, a high-speed police chase culminates in the driver getting shot. Despite his escape, he leaves behind a curious piece of evidence: green blood.
What’s so good about it?
We’re bending the rules a bit here, as the season finale of the first season begins as a “monster of the week” investigation but ultimately evolves into the series’ inaugural mythology episode. This installment lays the foundation for everything that follows, offering the audience its initial glimpse into the overarching conspiracy: experiments involving alien DNA, shadowy conspiracies, and much more. The episode is rich with iconic imagery that would go on to define the show’s broader mythology, with the image of water tanks filled with tubed bodies being particularly memorable. By prominently featuring Mulder and Scully’s informant, Deep Throat (played by Jerry Hardin), in the finale, it brilliantly sets the stage for the events of Seasons 2 and 3, widely regarded as the peak years of “The X-Files.”
3) Home
In Season 4, Episode 2 of The X-Files, Mulder and Scully find themselves entangled in a gruesome and controversial case involving murder, mutilation, deformed siblings, and incest, as they confront the Peacock family.
What’s so good about it?
After the exceptional Season 3, the show’s creators aimed to elevate the horror and intensity in Season 4, resulting in some genuinely chilling and grisly content. Notable examples include the haunting ‘Unruhe’ and the somewhat less impressive yet stomach-turning ‘Sanguinarium.’ ‘Home,’ however, stands out as the only episode of “The X-Files” to come with a warning before airing and the only one to face a ban. In fact, Fox prevented its re-airing for three years following its initial premiere due to its disturbing portrayal of an isolated, inbred clan engaged in disturbing practices, including “raising and breeding their own stock.” The episode is a masterful blend of suspense, revulsion, and even dark humor at times. Drawing on deep-seated fears, writers Glen Morgan and James Wong, along with the late director Kim Manners, crafted an authentically terrifying hour of television.
4) Drive
In Season 6, Episode 2 of The X-Files, a high-speed chase culminates in the apprehension of the driver and his apparent hostage. However, things take a bizarre and horrific turn when the disoriented woman in the car, revealed to be the driver’s wife, starts bashing her head against the police car window, leading to a gruesome explosion of her skull, coating the vehicle in a grim display of brain matter. And all of this happens before the opening credits.
What’s so good about it?
Similar to the series’ mythology episodes, ‘Drive’ delves into sinister government experiments. It features Mulder in the field while Scully investigates in the lab, a recurring dynamic in the series. Without giving too much away, the central theme of this episode is simple: keep moving, or face dire consequences. ‘Drive’ is a shocking and brilliantly executed homage to the film ‘Speed.’ It showcases outstanding performances from both David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, along with a scene-stealing turn from Bryan Cranston as a character burdened by a severe and unusual headache. Notably, Vince Gilligan, the writer of ‘Drive’ who later went on to create ‘Breaking Bad,’ met Cranston during this episode. So, without ‘Drive,’ there might have been no Walter White cooking methamphetamine.
5) Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster
In Season 10, Episode 3 of The X-Files, Mulder finds himself questioning his belief in the supernatural. Fortunately, his existential crisis is interrupted by a new case involving a corpse discovered in the Oregon woods. The victim’s injuries don’t appear to be the work of any human…
What’s so good about it?
The X-Files made its return in 2016 with a 6-episode revival that left some fans disappointed. The second revival season, while better received, still couldn’t quite capture the magic of the original run. However, there was a standout moment in the middle of Season 10: a monster of the week episode that provided a refreshing break from Chris Carter’s sometimes clumsy handling of the rebooted series mythology. Penned by Darin Morgan (a name you’ll encounter several times on this list), ‘Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster’ is a delightful, tongue-in-cheek installment that playfully subverts expectations. It delivers plenty of laughs, thanks in part to Rhys Darby, who portrays a lizard transformed into a human after being bitten by a human. The episode strikes a perfect balance between the surreal and cheeky Easter Eggs for longtime fans. It’s safe to say that this is the one Season 10 episode you shouldn’t miss.
Source: Euronews
