As of Jan. 1, Pluto TV now has one of the biggest sci-fi series of the 1990s — or, ever, really — streaming for free in its library. Despite its acclaim and it being a cultural landmark, The X-Files, which is about a pair of FBI agents that investigate the paranormal, can be an intimidating show to get into. After all, it’s known for having a complex, series-long mythology which, admittedly, doesn’t all pay off or get explained in a way that is coherent or satisfying.
Despite this, the show is smart, well-acted, well-written, sometimes scary, sometimes funny, and just all-around entertaining. So, if you’re X-Files-curious, but don’t know how to approach the series, I’ve put together this list of 10 standalone episodes unrelated to the show’s wider mythology (or what the fandom refers to as “Monster of the Week” episodes). The idea here is to get you into the show without having to do any homework and if, by the end of these 10 episodes you’re still digging it, I recommend getting into all 218 episodes over its 11 seasons.
A few notes, however, about the ones included here: While the show is mostly known for its investigations of aliens, only a couple of alien-related episodes are here because most of the alien episodes tie into the wider government conspiracy mythology. I’ve also limited these selections to the first seven seasons because David Duchovny leaves during season 8 and doesn’t return until the 2016 revival with season 10. The show isn’t unwatchable without him, but it is definitely not as good and it would require some explanation as to where he went.
And with that, the list. I want to believe you can get into this show.
1
“Pilot” season 1, episode 1
While the show’s first episode is a little quiet, it is still an excellent introduction for both characters as we see Agent Scully (Gillian Anderson), a rational, scientific-minded FBI agent with a medical background, assigned to a division known as “the X-Files,” the FBI’s name for cases involving the paranormal. Scully’s job is essentially to spy on and debunk the work of Agent Fox Mulder (Duchovny), a highly decorated agent who specializes in criminology, but has since indulged himself in the X-Files not just because of his curiosity and pursuit of the truth about such cases, but because his sister was, he believes, abducted by aliens when he was a child.
The episode also covers their first case together, which is about the death of an Oregon teen that Mulder believes is related to alien abduction. While this episode does relate to the show’s wider mythology, by virtue of it being the first episode it cannot be weighed down by it and the case itself is contained within this single episode.
2
“Squeeze” season 1, episode 3
“Squeeze” is widely considered to be the show’s first great episode and the first to lean as heavily into horror as it does into sci-fi. For series veterans Glen Morgan and James Wong, the episode focuses on a serial killer named Eugene Victor Tooms (Lost’s Doug Hutchison) who needs to, due to a genetic mutation, feast on human liver. And, despite Tooms being a young man, evidence seems to suggest he’s been committing these crimes for almost a century.
3
“The Host” season 2, episode 2
This is another episode beloved by the fandom for having a unique monster that’s also absolutely disgusting. The episode begins with the discovery of a body in New Jersey that has a flukeworm inside its liver (the liver seems to be the favorite organ of the X-Files writing staff). Soon, Mulder and Scully discover a monstrous, humanoid flukeworm. “The Host” takes place during a period in the series where the X-Files division has been closed, but Mulder and Scully are still partners and this detail can basically be ignored for the sake of this episode.
4
“Humbug” season 2, episode 20
Late in its second season, “Humbug” introduced a new element to The X-Files: comedy. While the show already had some sly humor to it thanks mostly to Mulder’s charm and sarcasm — and Duchovny’s deft handling of such material — the episode was the first time a case was funny and it swung the door wide open for what an X-Files episode could be. The story centers on a town of circus performers in Florida and investigates a series of deaths in the town. The comedy comes in with the wide array of strange people that reside in the town, as well as a monster that is equal parts deadly and ridiculous.
5
“Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose” season 3, episode 4
This might be the greatest episode in the entire series, standalone or otherwise. It tells the story of Clyde Bruckman — played by the singularly-talented, dearly-departed Peter Boyle — who can tell when people are about to die. While he isn’t being investigated by Mulder and Scully, they discover his abilities during a case and implore him to help them, which he refuses to do. The episode is funny, sad and poignant and makes perfect use of a one-of-a-kind guest star.
6
“Paper Hearts” season 4, episode 10
Because Mulder’s sister is believed to be abducted by aliens, most of the episodes that deal with Mulder’s trauma around that incident are heavily laden with the show’s mythology. The exception to that is season 4’s “Paper Hearts.” Written by Vince Gilligan, the episode looks back ata serial killer that preyed upon young girls that Mulder had arrested years before his work in the X-Files. Mulder comes to believe that his own sister might be one of this man’s victims and we get to see a raw, emotional Mulder grappling with all of that.
7
“The Post-Modern Prometheus” season 5, episode 5
Another funny one, “The Post-Modern Prometheus” the wildest example of how far the show would go in untraditional directions after its first few seasons. Photographed in black-and-white, adding to its already serious overtones of Frankenstein, the episode is about a small town in Indiana where a woman has been mysteriously impregnated by what her son believes is a monster named “The Great Mutato,” created by local mad scientist Dr. Polidori (played with scenery-chewing perfection by John O’Hurley). Oh, and the monster is also really into Cher.
8
“Drive” season 6, episode 2
You can thank this episode for the entirety of Breaking Bad as it introduced Vince Gilligan to Bryan Cranston , who guest stars. In “Drive” Cranston plays an angry, bigoted man named Patrick Crump who has an implant in his head that causes unbearable pressure and the only thing that relieves it is to drive westward, the faster, the better. With Mulder in the front seat and Crump in the back, the story is about the two of them bonding and finding some commonality, though you can’t help but think Crump is doomed throughout.
9
“X-Cops” season 7, episode 12
For fear of stacking the deck with another funny one, I present “X-Cops” which, as the title suggests, is basically just an episode of Cops starring Mulder and Scully. While such a thing could have gone into gimmickery in lesser hands, this is another one written by Gilligan which covers the case of a monster who can manifest itself as people’s worst fears, like, for example, Freddy Krueger.
10
“EBE” season 1, episode 17
While I presented the rest of these in order, I made an exception for “EBE” because it does relate to the series’ overall mythology. But as an episode of season 1 it still works as a self-contained episode that doesn’t require any homework. The episode centers on a crashed UFO and its dying pilot. It heavily features the character of Deepthroat (Jerry Hardin), who is Mulder’s mysterious government informant, and introduces the trio known as “The Lone Gunmen,” Mulder’s conspiracy-obsessed friends who publish a supermarket tabloid about the paranormal.
My thinking is, if you’ve watched these other nine episodes and liked the show, but are still unsure about getting into the wider mythology, “EBE.” is the perfect test to see if you’re ready for all of what The X-Files has to offer.
