The Best Episodes From Each Season of The X Files

Season One

Darkness Falls
There are quite a few X Files episodes that appeal to the horror movie buff in me, but this one is by far the best. It has nothing to do with the mythology of the show, there's not a heck of a lot of character development, we're not treated to any intensely emotional scenes, but as horror goes it doesn't get much better than a group of people stranded in the woods with the knowledge that they are all likely to die as soon as it gets dark. Creepy and suspenseful.

Season Two

The Calusari
There were several candidates for my favorite episode from season two, but again I'm letting my inner horror fan be my guide on this one. There's nothing creepier than evil children.

Season Three

The Blessing Way
Picking one from the mythology for season three. I enjoyed these episodes in previous seasons, but honestly I always felt that the first two seasons lacked the emotional impact these types of episodes are supposed to have. Season three seems to be the season in which the show finally found its footing, and this episode is a good example of that.

Season Four

Demons
Okay, I admit, I'm a sucker for strong male characters with a vulnerable side, and this episode explores Mulder's vulnerable side in a way that leaves me breathless. Loosely tied to the mythology with its emphasis on Mulder's search for his sister, it follows his character down a very dark road while the audience gets to sit back and enjoy the ride.

Season Five

Chinga
First let me say that I'm fluent in Spanish, so it takes a bit of effort for me to get past the title of this one. I have absolutely no idea what the word is supposed to mean in the context of the episode. When I hear it I just hear...well, you can look it up yourself. But anyway, the episode is another one that appeals to my horror loving side. It has another evil child, which ups the creep factor for me exponentially. There's also a good deal of humor in this one, so that makes it a double win!

Season Six

Biogenesis
This is another one I picked because of my weakness for men with a vulnerable side. Mulder is physically vulnerable in this one as opposed to emotionally vulnerable, but it's still powerful stuff.

Season Seven

Closure
Mulder finally finds out what happened to his sister. Doesn't get much better than that.

Season Eight

Deadalive
We finally get Agent Mulder back. Yay!

Season Nine

William
Okay, it was really hard to pick one from this season. I barely watched it when it aired originally because I was angry at the producers for trying to shift the focus of the show from Mulder and Scully to Doggett and Reyes. I know I'm not the only one who felt that way. There's a reason why this was the last season. But if pressed, I would have to choose William, first because of its emotional impact and second because of its importance in light of the recent tenth season.

Season Ten

Founder's Mutation
Okay, I didn't hate the new X Files, but I also didn't love it the way I loved the original show. So again it was hard to pick a favorite from this season. I would probably choose Founder's Mutation because it was mysterious, creepy at times, and also connected to the larger mystery around which the tenth season revolves.

Tell Me What You Think

I've given you all my favorite episodes--okay, not all my favorites because I would need to pick more than one from each season to be able to do that but, well never mind--I'd love to hear about yours. If your list is different from mine, feel free to tell me about it in a comment.