10 Best Episodes From The X-Files Season 1, Ranked

The debut season of The X-Files is jam-packed with classic episodes, but these 10 are the best of what season one has to offer. Chris Carter’s series got off to an inauspicious start, but grew into a cultural phenomenon after a year or so on the air. The X-Files is generally considered the crown jewel of 1990s science fiction television.

Unlike other sci-fi shows which typically go through growing pains during their first season, The X-Files was fully formed from its pilot episode. Season one established the formula that all subsequent seasons would follow, including monster-of-the-week stories and an ongoing storyline dotted throughout. Several essential X-Files episodes come from season one.

Ranking the best episodes of season one isn’t easy, especially since some feature crucial storyline progression. Nevertheless, the true highlights of season one are pretty distinguishable from the skippable episode. Even if season one isn’t the best of the entire series, it is still one of the greatest debuts in sci-fi TV history.

10

“Eve” – Season 1 Episode 11

Though “Eve” is essentially a monster-of-the-week episode, it builds upon the show’s theme of conspiracies and their unintended fallout. Mulder and Scully investigate a pair of identical murders that lead to a pair of identical twins that were spawned from an unusual genetic experiment. “Eve” is a textbook example of the moody tone of early X-Files episodes.

It just barely cracks the list, largely because there are so many memorable episodes from season one. However, it earns a spot because it’s a much more complex and interesting example of the weekly monster format. Other bottle episodes from season one are downright laughable, but “Eve” is endlessly creepy and engaging.

9

“Tooms” – Season 1 Episode 21

“Tooms” was the first time that an X-Files monster came back for a second episode, and it was a sequel to season 1, episode 3, “Squeeze”. Mulder fights to keep serial killer Eugene Tooms behind bars, because his release means certain death for more victims. The episode serves two purposes because it reveals more about Tooms and adds important characters.

The mystery of Toom’s past is fascinating, and it’s one of the few X-Files episodes that plays out like a classic procedural. “Tooms” is noteworthy for being the first appearance of Assistant Director Skinner, an important figure in the show’s lore. Like “Squeeze”, “Tooms” scores extra points for being a really creepy episode of TV.

8

“Deep Throat” – Season 1 Episode 2

Though it might not be as memorable as others, “Deep Throat” ranks so high because of its importance to the debut season of The X-Files. Mulder and Scully investigate the disappearance of test pilots, and Mulder gets insider info from a mysterious source. The sophomore episode leans heavily into the world of government conspiracies.

“Deep Throat” is a slow-burn thriller that set the stage for countless conspiracy episodes that would follow. It plants seeds for the ongoing storyline of season one, but has enough exciting moments to earn a watch on its own. Ostensibly, it’s like a second pilot to help hook viewers to keep watching.

7

“E.B.E.” – Season 1 Episode 17

Deep into season one, The X-Files really began to hit its stride with episodes like “E.B.E.” The agents investigate a long-haul trucker with a weird story to tell, while Scully tries to convince Mulder that he’s being manipulated by Deep Throat. “E.B.E.” deepens and strengthens the ongoing conspiracy plot, sowing seeds of doubt and intrigue along the way.

It’s one of the best-written episodes of season one, and helps to solidify the working relationship between Mulder and Scully. The latter is a natural skeptic, but she clearly has sympathy for her partner who wants desperately to believe. “E.B.E.” is a bottle episode that gives viewers something to invest in.

6

“Pilot” – Season 1 Episode 1

“Pilot” got the show off on the right foot, and for that it deserves a lot of credit. Agent Dana Scully is assigned to the X-Files where she meets Agent Mulder and investigates a series of murders he believes are of alien origin. In just 48 minutes, the pilot episode gives viewers everything they need for 11 seasons of television.

The mystery plot is engaging and well-told, and the episode finds plenty of time to establish the relationship between the two agents. It’s a perfectly balanced episode of TV, and acts as a template for dozens of episodes in the coming years. It’s arguably one of the best pilots in science fiction TV history.

5

“Squeeze” – Season 1 Episode 3

As the very first monster-of-the-week episode, “Squeeze” is a frightening introduction to The X-Files. A flexible mutant named Eugene Tooms goes on a murder spree, and the agents discover it goes back to the early 1900s. Riding the line between downright horror and mystery, “Squeeze” is a chilling romp from start to finish.

It’s eerie and weird, and establishes that unique X-Files horror tone. It might be the fifth-best episode of season one, but “Squeeze” is near the top of the list of monster-of-the-week stories. It was so good that the writers brought Tooms back for a sequel episode later in season one.

4

“Darkness Falls” – Season 1 Episode 20

There were some bad episodes in The X-Files season one, but “Darkness Falls” isn’t one of them. While investigating the deaths of a group of loggers, Mulder and Scully discover the insects behind the massacre. Instead of using the supernatural or extraterrestrial to terrify the audience, “Darkness Falls” calls upon nature itself.

Even in the show’s first season, the writers were stretching the boundaries of what constituted an X-file. Unusual natural phenomena certainly fall into that category, and the episode preys upon common fears like darkness and bugs. “Darkness Falls” certainly gave a lot of millennials nightmares, something The X-Files was very good at during its first few seasons.

3

“Ice” – Season 1 Episode 8

Even though “Ice” borrows heavily from The Thing, it’s still a crown jewel of The X-Files season one. At a remote station in Alaska, Mulder and Scully investigate a parasitic life form that’s killing the researchers. There’s a claustrophobic and paranoid feeling to the episode as the characters slowly turn on one another out of fear and desperation.

With crisp writing and just the right amount of gross-out horror, “Ice” is unlike most episodes of TV from that time. Mulder and Scully shine, but so too does the ensemble cast. This helps make the disturbing twists even more engrossing, as the viewers get invested in what happens to the characters. Not a moment of screentime is wasted.

2

“Beyond The Sea” – Season 1 Episode 13

Guest stars often make X-Files episodes better, and “Beyond the Sea” is a classic thanks to the performance of Brad Dourif. A death row inmate claims he can locate a serial killer using psychic powers, and the agents begin to believe him. “Beyond the Sea” was a turning point, and established The X-Files as the next big thing on TV.

Dourif’s Luther Lee Boggs is intense, and he delivers a performance beyond the usual standard for TV. It’s also an excellent showcase of Scully as a character, and the death of her father colors her skepticism for the remainder of the season. If it wasn’t for one other episode, “Beyond the Sea” would have easily taken the season one crown.

1

“The Erlenmeyer Flask” – Season 1 Episode 24

The season one finale had to go big, and the writers didn’t miss in “The Erlenmeyer Flask”. Mulder gets a tip about secret alien DNA tests, and stumbles upon something he never could have imagined. The episode concludes the season one arc, but is really just the first act in an ongoing narrative that would span nine seasons.

Though Mulder has been the focus, Scully is really the star of “The Erlenmeyer Flask”. While dealing with her own personal pain, she’s further tested by seeming confirmation that all of her skepticism was in vain. The X-Files is brilliant because it embraces the endless twists of conspiracy, and the season one finale is the precipice of the rabbit hole.