The X-Files Top 20 Episodes

The tag line Trust no one was never more appropriate for this claustrophobic, creepy & superbly written episode from season one. A great paranoid chiller inspired by horror classic 'The Thing' featuring some great guest stars including Xander Berkeley from 24 & CSI.

The pre-cursor to Scullys abduction finds Mulder in a tight spot with an alien abductee. Not much action in this episode but tension you can cut your teeth on and top notch performances all round from the supporting cast. Pretty much the talk of the town the day after this episode aired.

It's all a bit Wrong Turn as a family of in-breds are number one suspects for the death of a new born baby found in the field next door to their house. Shocking and sick in equal measure, one of the reasons why the x-files should have eased a bit on all the ufo stuff and gone a bit more all out horror, we would have ended up with a few more classics like this episode.

Another reason why the show was so popular was the mixture of really dark subject matter with the sometimes black comedy of the absurd situations the FBI duo found themselves in. This episode starts out like a comedy episode but ends up something altogether much more seedy. Genius.

Killer story, killer script & a killer performance from Peter Boyle in this award winning episode. I doubt there was a more original 40 minutes of television in 1995.

Luke Wilson guest stars in this comedy episode about a trailer park of vampires. Engaging & hilarious as the story is highlighted from both Mulder & Scully's perspective. Not sure if it was the 1st time that device was used in a prime time TV show but it works a charm.

A lot of peoples jump on point for the show 1st time around. The tale of Mr Toombs who eats livers, can contort his body and sleeps in bile was horrible, scary and must watch TV.

A bizarre almost nightmarish episode. Either a message about working for the man or just a messed up head****, either way it's highly entertaining and just a little bit left field, just what made the show a winner more often than not.

Another really creepy episode featuring one of those monsters you don't want to meet whilst taking a stroll in the woods. Watch with the lights off alone.

Easily the best season finale the show ever had and possibly one of the best ever. The show's popularity had hit fever pitch and the UFO conspiracy story line had not yet lost it's way. Mulder's descent into cold war paranoia was neatly sign posted all the way through with clues and by the end fan's were shouting at their TV sets for the next episode.

The X-files does Twilight Zone with this possessed doll episode co written with Stephen King. Scully goes solo whilst Mulder watches Porn and throws pencils into his ceiling. The scares don't always hit home but for anyone with a phobia of Dolls this is not for you.

Highly original and rather disgusting episode veering into the cannibal genre with this crazy tale of deaths seemingly related to a chicken factory. KFC didn't look too good after watching this.

The consistently excellent second season hit the ground running with this awesome monster on the loose episode, mixing gross-out horror with political subtexts on nuclear fall out, it was a blueprint for a lot of the stand alone episodes to come. Like so many episodes, all killer & no filler.

Unlike so many of the later episodes which were tarnished by the absence of Mulder & too many UFO episodes, Agents Doggett & Reyes here shine in this superbly written tale of parallel dimensions. Gives us a brief glimpse of a show that could still have been great and displays the talents of both actors. Still think Robert Patrick is ace.

Inventive, witty & full of ideas. this modern take on the Frankenstein story has so many stand out moments as well as Cher (Well, a look alike anyway, she turned down the chance to be in it, silly woman)

Fans of a long running TV show love it when their favourite characters act against type and this episode, another bizarre mixture of monsters, gods & white picket fences, has Mulder & Scully go under cover as newly weds and Mulder's loving it. Good mixture of comedy and tension with a monster straight out of a 50's EC comic, great stuff.

Featuring the original Agent Mulder 'Kolchak' in one of the series nice nods to it's influences. This wet & wild tale of a sea monster causing havoc in an apartment complex in the middle of a raging storm was another high point in the superb season six harking back to the taut, tension packed episodes of season 1 & 2.

The very patchy season 4 had a few stand out episodes and this crazy episode was one of the best, fueling influence from re-animator. this tale of a medic who literally loses his head sounds silly but is another reason why people tuned in week after week, you never knew what they would come up with next.

What seems like an alien abduction episode turns into something completely different in this super bizarre drug induced episode with a superb head scratching mystery. The devils in the details.

Another superbly written episode from season 3. Emotionally involving and rather sad with another great set of stand out performances from the supporting cast.