The time is nigh for an X-Files return.
As a teen, I grew up with the show. In fact, and high school classmate in Grade 9, told me about the show since I had an affinity for all things paranormal. I missed the first three episodes, but thanks to Darlene’s direction, The X-Files quickly became my favourite show.
To this day, my finicky nature regarding TV has not been sated. There are some shows that came close, like Lost or The River, which lasted only four episodes. Even Gotham hasn’t been able to hold my interest.
Though I wasn’t particularly keen on the alien story arc, X-Files captivated my teenage imagination. What I did like was the exploration of various urban legends, myths and fortean phenomenon that have amassed over time. Everything from the tulpa of Tibetan folklore to Indian fakirs. There was voodoo, astral projections and hell, even the tired trope of a possessed doll, thanks to Stephen King.
Here are my favourite episodes.
| 25. |  |
Episode: “Never Again” Season: Four Premise: Scully hooks up with a divorced father who is controlled by his Sailor Jerry pinup tattoo Phenomenon: Ergot poisoning Special Guests: Jodie Foster (voice) |
|---|---|---|
| 24. |  |
Episode: “Drive” Season: Six Premise: Mulder attempts to drive a man to the west coast in order to relieve the pressure in his head caused by an incessant humming Phenomenon: ELF waves Special Guests: Bryan Cranston |
| 23. |  |
Episode: “How The Ghosts Stole Christmas” Season: Six Premise: Two ghosts have some fun at Mulder and Scully’s expense on Christmas Eve Phenomenon: Ghosts Special Guests: Ed Asner and Lily Tomlin |
| 22. |  |
Episode: “Quagmire” Season: Three Premise: An unknown critter at a Georgian lake decides to hit the beach for new meals Phenomenon: Cryptozoology Special Guests: Chris Ellis, Tyler Labine and Mark Acheson |
| 21. |  |
Episode: “Small Potatoes” Season: Four Premise: A janitor, with a tail, at a fertility clinic uses his ability to change appearance to get five separate women pregnant Phenomenon: Shape-shifter Special Guests: Christine Cavanaugh |
| 20. |  |
Episode: “Salvage” Season: Eight Premise: Scully and Doggett investigate a series of murders allegedly committed by a man of steel Phenomenon: Man made of metal Special Guests: Wade Williams |
| 19. |  |
Episode: “Excelcis Dei” Season: Two Premise: Mulder and Scully uncover an experimental janitor who grows ‘shrooms for the elderly denizens of a long-term care facility Phenomenon: Ghosts Special Guests: Teryl Rothery, Eric Christmas and Frances Bay |
| 18. |  |
Episode: “Triangle” Season: Six Premise: Mulder hops aboard the Queen Anne, a ship that has been missing since the start WWII, and tries to convince the British on board it’s 1998 — then the Nazis come Fortean Phenomenon: Bermuda Triangle Special Guests: The usual suspects |
| 17. |  |
Episode: “Unruhe” Season: Four Premise: A serial killer picks his victims by the bizarre photos of them that he develops Phenomenon: Thought photographs Special Guests: Pruitt Taylor Vince |
| 16. |  |
Episode: “X-Cops” Season: Seven Premise: Shot a la Cops, Mulder and Scully try to track down an entity that alters its appearance based on the fears of its victims Phenomenon: Shape-shifter Special Guests: Judson Mills |
| 15. |  |
Episode: “Die Hand Die Verletzt” Season: Two Premise: High school teachers knowingly summon a demon and the students get used as collateral damage Fortean Phenomenon: Demon Special Guests: Susan Blommaert and Dan Butler |
| 14. |  |
Episode: “The Host” Season: Two Premise: A Russian sailor is killed by something in the ballast water, which eventually gets dumped into the waters near Newark, N.J. Fortean Phenomenon: Chernobyl Fallout (Flukeman) Special Guests: Gabrielle Rose |
| 13. |  |
Episode: “4-D” Season: Nine Premise: A serial killer uses a rip in time to kill one dimension’s Reyes and put the same dimension’s Doggett into a bed for life Phenomenon: Parallel Universe Special Guests: Cary Elwes |
| 12. |  |
Episode: “Je Souhaite” Season: Seven Premise: Mulder unrolls a 500-year-old genie and is granted three wishes Phenomenon: Djinn Special Guests: Kevin Weisman and Will Sasso |
| 11. |  |
Episode: “Kaddish” Season: Four Premise: A grieving widow summons her husband from the grave as a golem to exact revenge on the neo-Nazis who killed him Phenomenon: Golem Special Guests: Justine Miceli and David Groh |
| 10. |  |
Episode: “Syzygy” Season: Three Premise: Two high school girls run amok in a small town during a rare planetary alignment Phenomenon: Planetary Alignment, Telekinesis Special Guests: Ryan Reynolds, Gabrielle Miller, Lisa Robin Kelly and Dana Wheeler-Nicholson |
| 9. |  |
Episode: “Darkness Falls” Season: One Premise: Loggers uncover a dormant insect that glows green as it descends on its victims Phenomenon: Cryptozoology Special Guests: Titus Weller |
| 8. |  |
Episode: “D.P.O.” Season: Three Premise: A young, angry man, with a crush on his high school teacher, has the ability to control electricity Fortean Phenomenon: Control of Electricity Special Guests: Karen Witter, Giovanni Ribisi and Jack Black |
| 7. |  |
Episode: “Chinga” Season: Five Premise: Bad things happen to people when a young girl’s doll opens its eyes Phenomenon: Evil Doll Special Guests: Stephen King (writer) |
| 6. |  |
Episode: “Folie à Deux” Season: Five Premise: An office worker suspects that his boss is a bizarre, insect-like creature sucking the life out of his workers Phenomenon: The insanity of two Special Guests: Brian Markinson |
| 5. |  |
Episode: “Arcadia” Season: Six Premise: Mulder and Scully pose as a couple in a gated community that has a ridiculous amount of rules to follow, and if they don’t follow them, they get visited by a monster Phenomenon: Tulpa Special Guests: Abraham Benrubi |
| 4. |  |
Episode: “The Calusari” Season: Two Premise: A toddler is killed and all fingers point to the imaginary friend of the tot’s older brother Phenomenon: Possession Special Guests: Lilyan Chauvin |
| 3. |  |
Episode: “Field Trip” Season: Six Premise: Mulder and Scully are called in to investigate two picked-clean bodies on a hillside Phenomenon: Giant man-eating mushroom Special Guests: Jim Beaver, Robyn Lively and David Denman |
| 2. |  |
Episode: “Død Kalm” Season: Two Premise: Mulder and Scully hitch a ride with a Norwegian fisherman to the USS Ardent, which has been aging people prematurely Phenomenon: Time Loss Special Guests: John Savage and David Cubitt |
| 1. |  |
Episode: “Home” Season: Four Premise: The body of a newborn is discovered by local kids at a sandlot. Mulder and Scully come in to the bucolic little town to help Sherriff Andy Taylor handle a family of inbreds Phenomenon: Homicidal inbreds Special Guests: Tucker Smallwood |