Mulder is forced to infiltrate an anti-government militia group, and it’s not too difficult to see that these guys, with their extreme government animosity and paranoia, possibly represent Mulder’s future. Season 5 has some brilliant episodes, but “Pine Bluff Variant” is frequently forgotten when the show’s best is discussed, which is a shame.
“Jose Chung’s…” tried to tell viewers that maybe it wasn’t the answers that counted, but how you moved on with your life that really mattered.ħ) “Pine Bluff Variant” (Season 5, Ep. It’s a wry examination of The X-Files that examined the show’s quest for the truth and undercut such a quest by demonstrating how subjective truths can be. One of the show’s early “funny” episodes revolving around alien abductions that may or may not have happened, as well as the nature of fiction and narrative, “Jose Chung’s…” was one of the earliest episodes that showed how far The X-Files could stretch without breaking. It may seem like a cheap ploy when it attempts to convince the viewer that Mulder may in fact be infected, but it’s an effective exercise in claustrophobic paranoia and shows how, even in the early goings, Scully and Mulder have a built-in trust in one another.Ĩ) “Jose Chung’s From Outer Space” (Season 3, Ep. Stranded at a lab in the Artic, investigating why a crew killed each other, Mulder, Scully, and a group of researchers find themselves victim to a threat that takes over its host and causes psychotic rage.
#XFILE EPISODES SERIES#
This was an early indicator of how strong the series could really be. Okay, this is basically The X-Files‘ version of The Thing, but if you’re going to steal, steal from the best. The Russian Roulette climax is a flawless bit of tension-building. Of course, Mulder naturally suspects what Modell is capable of, and finds himself in Modell’s path as a result. He has the ability to exert his will onto whoever he chooses (sound familiar, Jessica Jones fans?). Subsequent shows like Fringe and Supernatural borrowed rather liberally from that formula, but there’s no beating the original.Īn episode from the always reliable Vince Gilligan, “Pusher” presents an all-too-human monster, Robert Patrick Modell. There were almost no limits to as to what narratives could be attempted under the X-Files banner. Episodes could be tragic, horrific, comedic, or some combination of all of the above. The standalones demonstrate how pliable the show’s central premise really was. The X-Files’ mythology episodes are great, sure, but forget about that for a bit because the show’s standalone entries, best summarized as “This has nothing to do with anything else going on, and we’ll probably never even mention this again,” are just as much fun. Head here for the list of top 10 mythology episodes. This is the list of the top 10 standalone episodes.
In anticipation of The X-Files’ new season, we’re looking back and celebrating our favorite episodes.