First-timers should watch every episode ofThe X-Filesat least once, but some episodes aren’t necessarily worth revisiting. Originally airing from 1993 to 2002,The X-Filescenters on FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) as they investigate mysteries ranging from supernatural to paranormal to the truly bizarre. ThroughoutThe X-Files’original nine seasons, Mulder and Scully uncover government conspiracies and encounter all kinds of unexplainable phenomena.
With a combination of monster-of-the-week episodes and mythology episodes that build on a continuing narrative,The X-Filesremains one of themost influential television proceduralsof all time.Fox Mulder and Dana Scully became one of television’s most iconic will-they-won’t-they couples,and their relationship forms the backbone of the show. While every episode ofThe X-Fileshas something that makes it worth watching once, not all of them hold up on repeated viewings. Whether because they’re outdated, cringeworthy, or a bit problematic, I often find myself skipping these episodes.
8"Space"
Season 1, Episode 9
In this season 1 episode,Mulder and Scullyinvestigate a case of suspected sabotage at NASA’s Space Shuttle program. However, Lt. Col. Marcus Aurelius Belt (Ed Lauter), the man who manages the Space Shuttle program and a hero of Mulder’s insists that nothing is amiss. In the end,it’s revealed that Belt had been possessed by an entity of some kind while in space,and this entity was causing the sabotage.
While there’s an interesting idea buried somewhere in this story, “Space” ends up being a fairly uninteresting hour of television.The space ghost effects aren’t particularly scary,there’s no clear motive for the antagonist, and the story is unnecessarily confusing. Ultimately, “Space” doesn’t add anything to the overarching narrative of the story, and it can easily be skipped.
7"3"
Season 2, Episode 7
After Scully was kidnapped in the previous episode, Mulder sets off to work a case involving vampires alone.Even Mulder is skeptical about the existence of vampires,but evidence seems to point that way. During the investigation, Mulder meets a woman named Kristen (Perrey Reeves), who drinks blood, but isn’t one of the vampires murdering people. She helps Mulder find the murderers, ultimately sacrificing herself to kill the other vampires.
“3” was the firstX-Filesepisode that didn’t feature Gillian Anderson. Scully’s abduction storyline was created to allow Anderson to take maternity leave.
While Mulder is understandably in a dark place due to Scully’s absence, his behavior in this episode still doesn’t make sense.Mulder engages in a romance with Kristen during his investigation,which ultimately comes across as cringeworthy and in poor taste, considering Scully is still missing. David Duchovny delivers a solid performance, and “3” might’ve worked better if it had come at a different point during the season, but it’s an easy one to skip.
6"Teso Dos Bichos"
Season 3, Episode 18
WhileThe X-Filesdelivered some amazing episodes, many of which hold up today, it was also a product of the 1990s. As a result, some of the episodes involving ancient cultural artifacts or folklore seem pretty outdated by today’s standards. But the problem with “Teso Dos Bichos” is that it is not only culturally insensitive, but also that its final monster ends up being a bunch of feral cats.
The episode follows Mulder and Scully as they investigate the disappearance of an archaeologist, which is soon followed by more gruesome murders.The murders were committed by a jaguar spiritafter archaeologists removed an urn from an ancient burial site. While there’s a decent message here about leaving artifacts where they belong, Mulder and Scully’s final confrontation with a bunch of cats isn’t exactly the stuff of nightmares.
5"The Field Where I Died"
Season 4, Episode 5
A particularly unique episode ofThe X-Files,“The Field Where I Died” is certainly worth watching once, but it doesn’t quite come together as well as it could have. The story centers more on Mulder than Scully, as the pair investigates a cult.Mulder feels a strange connection with one of the cult leader’s wives,a woman named Melissa (Kristen Cloke). As Mulder and Scully interview Melissa, she begins recounting events from her past lives.
The writers of this episode, Glen Morgan and James Wong, wrote the part of Melissa specifically for Kristen Cloke, as she had starred in their series,Space: Above and Beyond.
Melissa and Mulder were supposedly romantically involved in one of their past lives, and Mulder and Scully are friends of some kind in every lifetime. While the episode boasts strong performances from Kristen Cloke and David Duchovny,the story has no lasting effects on Mulder as a character,despite its attempts to be profound. The episode ends in tragedy, and the show moves on, so you won’t miss anything by skipping this one.
4"Schizogeny"
Season 5, Episode 9
Considered by some to be the worst episode ofThe X-Files,“Schizogeny” tries to combine a story of child abuse with a story about killer trees,but it ultimately fails on both counts. The episode followsMulder and Scullyas they investigate a boy named Bobby (Chad Lindberg) who appears to have killed his abusive father. Throughout the episode, a mysterious man pops up to inform Mulder and Scully that someone is killing the nearby trees.
In 2016,The X-Filesreturned for two short seasons, both of which were met with mixed reviews.
In the end, it’s revealed that Bobby’s therapist was the murderer, after her own abuse at the hands of her father somehow gave her the ability to control the trees. “Schizogeny” doesn’t fully explain the reasons for this, and although the episode tries to tackle tough topics,it doesn’t handle the issue of child abuse with the seriousness it deserves.Ultimately, this episode misses the mark and isn’t worth watching a second time.
3"First Person Shooter"
Season 7, Episode 13
Another episode that’s often regarded as one ofThe X-Files’worst, “First Person Shooter” finds Mulder and Scully investigating a real murder that occurs within a virtual reality game.The video game elements of the episode feel particularly dated,and the sexist gender stereotypes used throughout the episode make everything even worse. Add to that cheesy dialogue and a nonsensical “mystery,” and it makes “First Person Shooter” an easy episode to skip.
Throughout the episode, everyone seems out of character, andeven the Lone Gunmen can’t save this one.The story seems to be commenting on the rampant misogyny in video games of this time, but it ultimately becomes the very thing it’s trying to criticize. It just doesn’t work, and aside from a few fun moments, I cannot get over the second-hand embarrassment I feel rewatching this one.
2"Fight Club"
Season 7, Episode 20
Yet another episode that regularly pops up on lists of the worstX-Filesepisodes, “Fight Club” features a pair of doppelgangers (both portrayed by Kathy Griffin), whose shared presence causes chaos wherever they go. Like “First Person Shooter,“very little about “Fight Club” works,and it mostly just ends up being grating and unfunny.
“Fight Club” opens with a scene featuring Mulder and Scully lookalikes, portrayed by Steve Kiziak (David Duchovny’s stunt double) and Arlene Pileggi (Mitch Pileggi’s wife).
The tone of the episode doesn’t even feel likeThe X-Files,and the whole premise is simply ridiculous. Plus, Mulder and Scully are separated for much of the episode, and Kathy Griffin is not up to the task of portraying distinct twins.The X-Fileshad funny moments, butthis episode completely misses the mark.You could probably get away with not watching it at all, but it’s definitely not worth rewatching.
1"Badlaa”
Season 8, Episode 10
This season 8 outing follows Scully and her new partner, John Doggett (Robert Patrick), as they pursue an Indian beggar (Deep Roy) who can hide inside people’s bodies. While"Badlaa” has some genuinely disturbing moments,the use of Indian mythology in this way makes the whole thing feel xenophobic. The beggar doesn’t get any characterization beyond his desire for revenge; he doesn’t even get a name or any lines of dialogue.
“Badlaa” has some interesting moments as Scully struggles to take on the role of believer to Doggett’s skeptic, but the poor handling of the Indian cultural aspects makes the episode an uncomfortable one to sit through. Aside from this, the plot of the episode feels like a pretty generic monster-of-the-week story, with several elements that don’t make sense. It’s unsurprising, then, that “Badlaa” has received mostly negative reviews, making it an easy episode ofThe X-Filesto skip.
