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In honour of what has been a monumental, groundbreaking television series, The Official X-Files Magazine has chosen ten of the best scariest X-Files episodes – ever. Neither is it a countdown to the scariest scary episode either – we’d rather they were all judged to be equally good in their own right. So, sit down, turn the lights off, close the curtains and get ready to relive ten of The X-Files best scariest ever episodes…

Home

Season 4 Episode 3

What happens: The gruesome discovery of a deformed new born baby leads Mulder and Scully to investigate their prime suspects – the freakish Peacock brothers. In doing so, the agents stumble upon the family’s shocking secret; a secret the brothers tried to bury when they disposed of the infant.

Why it’s scary: The Peacock boys; the horrific murder of Sheriff Taylor and his wife; the body under the bed; and the underlying incest theme. Imagery doesn’t get much more gruesome and shocking than this. Memorable, more for the wrong reasons than the right. This is definitely not one to watch before bedtime!

X-tra: Home was the first (although not the last) episode to be preceded by a warning about its mature and graphic content. Incidentally, sci-fi fans may recognise the ill-fated Deputy Paster; Sebastian Spence played Cade Foster in First Wave.

Irresistible

Season 2 Episode 13

What happens: Death fetishist Donnie Pfaster turns to murder in order to satisfy his cravings. Whilst investigating the murder of one of Pfaster’s victims, a prostitute, Scully unwittingly becomes Pfaster’s next target.

Why it’s scary: From his ultra creepy voice to his strange obsession for hair, Donnie Pfaster sends shivers down the spine. The seemingly normal – at least on first impressions! – boy next-door types like Pfaster are the most frightening kinds of monsters. The mere thought that the boy next door in the button down shirt could be the devil in disguise doesn’t bare thinking about.

X-tra: The music played at the funeral is ‘Trois Gymnopedies’ (first movement) by Erik Satie.

Via Negetiva

Season 8 Episode 7

What happens: When an FBI Agent on routine surveillance of a religious cult dies mysteriously, Doggett and Skinner investigate a murder spree where the killer leaves no trace of his crimes.

Why it’s scary: The visceral impact of one scene and one scene alone: Doggett holding a bloody severed head – Scully’s bloody severed head! Enough said!

X-tra: Yet another episode that earned itself a viewer discretion warning for its violent and graphic content. Oh, and if you think the killer’s modus operandi seems vaguely familiar you’re not wrong – it bears more than a passing resemblance to Nightmare on Elm Street’s Freddy Krueger.

The Calusari

Season 2 Episode 21

What happens: The mysterious death of a toddler at an amusement park and the subsequent deaths of two other members of the same family leads Mulder and Scully to an unlikely suspect. But it turns out their young suspect is in fact possessed by an evil spirit – the spirit of his stillborn twin brother.

Why it’s scary: From the deeply disturbing teaser sequence to the exorcism scene, this is one frighteningly creepy episode. Made all the more so because it involves the death of a young child. Although the denouement may be nothing new, it’s nevertheless riveting. But hands up all those who were disappointed by the lack of head-spinning, pea soup vomiting moments?!

X-tra: Upon its original terrestrial transmission, a BBC announcer warned viewers about the programme’s content; specifically that it contained scenes that some viewers could find upsetting.

Chinga

Season 5 Episode 10

What happens:  On vacation in Maine, Scully stumbles across a supermarket where shoppers have inexplicably mutilated themselves, and the butcher apparently committed suicide. Prime suspect is Melissa Turner and her eerie-looking young daughter.

Why it’s scary: From the Child’s Play-like doll to the shoppers clawing at their eyes, this episode is littered with nasty imagery. Never mind that the evil enchanted doll idea isn’t exactly original, Polly and Chinga still make for one scary double act.

X-tra: Chinga was co-written by horror supremo Stephen King (with Chris Carter). The episode is also known as Bunghoey due to the original title being a rather vulgar Spanish colloquialism!

Die Hand Die Verletzt

Season 2 Episode 14

What happens: Mulder and Scully investigate the grisly murder of a teenager in a small town populated by dark rites and devil worshippers.

Why it’s scary: The entire episode is chock full of dark themes (repressed memories, ritual abuse) and creepy moments. Oh, and one ultra creepy character – Mrs Paddock! Not to mention the pig embryo hallucination scene – yuck! Thank goodness I never had to dissect animals in science class at my school!

X-tra: The title is German for ‘The Hand, The Pain’.

Fresh Bones

Season 2 Episode 15

What happens: Mulder and Scully find themselves battling the dark forces of voodoo whilst investigating a series of unusual deaths involving US soldiers assigned to oversee the incarceration of Haitian refugees.

Why it’s scary: Lots of ooze and yucky stuff. Most notably the closing scene at the cemetery. Scully’s hallucination is hair-raising stuff. Not one for the faint hearted. You just might want to keep your remote control to er, hand – excuse the pun!

X-tra: Callum Keith Rennie appears as the groundskeeper. Rennie played the part of Ray Kowalski in the popular TV series Due South. This episode was the highest rated episode of the first two seasons.

Grotesque

Season 3 Episode 14

What happens: An imprisoned serial killer claims he was possessed by an evil spirit. Mulder becomes obsessed with the case, causing him to clash with the agent in charge of the case who just so happens to be his former mentor.

Why it’s scary: An over the edge Mulder on a path of self-destruction; the killer’s victims made into gargoyles – eek! Overall, a psychologically scary episode which makes the real world as it were seem a very, very frightening place indeed.

Roadrunners

Season 8 Episode 4

What happens: Agent Scully goes solo to consult on a murder case involving the mysterious death of a traveller beaten to death. She finds herself stuck in a remote town with a bunch of truly creepy townsfolk, who are part of a religious cult who worship a giant, slug-like creature.

Why it’s scary: Where to begin?! This episode has probably the most violent teaser in X-Files history; the brutal murder of a disabled man who has his skull viciously bashed in is distressing to say the least.

X-tra: This episode was partly inspired by the 1955 movie Black Day at Black Rock, starring Spencer Tracy. The creature was designed to resemble a banana slug.

Our Town

Season 2 Episode 24

What happens: The owner of a meat processing plant in a small town comes under investigation after people start to mysteriously disappear.

Why it’s scary: Cannibalism! One thing’s for certain, watching this episode will make you think twice about eating a certain type of fast food – for a while anyway!

This article was originally written for the Official X-Files Magazine, issue no. 5

What place does love and romance have in a sci-fi series? Well, much more than you’d think. At least in The X-Files universe. Cast your mind back to the Pilot episode; remember that scene where a scantily clad Scully bursts into Mulder’s room and asks him to examine the strange marks on her back?  Well, talk about sexual tension. It seemed inevitable that Mulder and Scully – two of the youngest and most attractive FBI agents in TV history – would become involved. It was surely only a matter of episodes before they got horizontal. Or was it?

From that moment onwards, some fans became very vocal in their desire to have the agents ‘get it together’ – romantically speaking. They would head straight to the Internet and numerous online groups to share their comments with other likeminded fans. Of course, Mulder and Scully didn’t get it together immediately. Oh no. We had to endure years and seasons of teasing and flirting. And let’s be honest, we couldn’t get enough!

And so we begin our look at some of the best, most memorable shipper moments starting where it all began, with the Pilot…

Pilot (Season 1)

Having discovered some strange marks on her back, similar to the two small marks found on the bodies of the four dead teenagers they are investigating, Scully rushes to Mulder’s motel room and asks him to check them out. She drops her dressing gown and even though she is only wearing her bra and pants, Scully allows her partner (whom she only met a few hours ago!) to get up close and personal. Mulder reassures her that they are just mosquito bites. A very relieved Scully pulls up her dressing gown and embraces him.

Memento Mori (Season 4)

Scully is diagnosed with having cancer. She admits herself to a special clinic to undergo radical treatment for the disease. Arriving at the hospital, Mulder panics when he discovers Scully’s room empty. He finds her comforting a dying friend.  He tells Scully he was scared something had happened to her. But she tells him that she is not going to let the cancer beat her; she’s got things to prove. Mulder smiles and they fall into each other’s arms. He tells her the truth will save her; it will save them both. He then cups her face in his hands and tenderly kisses her on the forehead. 

Detour (Season 5)

On the trail of semi-human creatures that have the ability to turn invisible, Mulder and Scully become separated from the other two members of their group who presumably have been attacked by the invisible predators. Scully and an injured Mulder take shelter overnight. A slightly feverish Mulder outrageously flirts with Scully, telling her that the best way to regenerate body heat is to share a sleeping bag with somebody else who’s preferably naked! Scully replies that if it rains sleeping bags he might get lucky!

Existence (Season 8)

Mulder, Doggett and Reyes team up to safeguard a pregnant Scully from aliens intent on harming her and her unborn child. Agent Reyes manages to get Scully to safety but as she prepares to give birth, they are surrounded by a crowd of aliens. Scully gives birth to a healthy baby boy and the aliens silently leave. Back at her apartment, a glowing Scully introduces Mulder properly to her baby – their baby.  She’s named him William in memory of Mulder’s father. As Mulder cradles their son, he leans over and kisses Scully tenderly on the lips.

Quagmire (Season 3)

The agents take a boat out to search for a lake monster called Big Blue whom locals attribute a series of deaths to. But something big crashes into their boat and they have to abandon the sinking boat. Stranded on a large rock, they begin to open up to each other and when Mulder coyly asks Scully if she’s recently lost weight, his partner thanks him for noticing. But then she realises that he was just teasing her. Their conversation gets even more deep and meaningful, and Scully compares Mulder’s obsession for the truth to Captain Ahab’s hunt for Moby Dick. Afterwards, Mulder grins ands asks Scully if she’s coming on to him!

The Unnatural (Season 6)

A tale about a talented alien baseball player who hid amongst an all African American team in Roswell, New Mexico during the 40’s prompts Mulder to show Scully the finer points of the game. As an early – or late – birthday present, Mulder offers to teach Scully how to play baseball. She meets him at a Washington public park. He asks her if she’s ever hit a baseball. Scully says she’s found more necessary things to do in her spare time. They stand together in the batting cage; Mulder puts his arms around Scully and together they hit ball after ball into the night sky.

EBE (Season 1)

Mulder and Scully investigate a government cover-up of a UFO shot down over Iraq and transported to the US. Seeking help, Mulder takes Scully to meet the Lone Gunmen – an extreme government watchdog group. Back at their office, she tells her partner that they were the most paranoid people she has ever met. Referring to Frohike’s observation, Mulder rather coyly replies that he thinks it’s remotely plausible that someone might think she was hot.

Tooms (Season 1)

Eugene Tooms is released from Druid Hill Sanatorium. Convinced it’s only a matter of time before he will kill again, Mulder conducts an unauthorised surveillance of the liver-loving fiend. Scully arrives (with provisions: root beer and a sandwich) to take over the stakeout from Mulder .  Mulder is worried she could get in trouble; he doesn’t want her risking her own career. But Scully tells him that she wouldn’t put herself on the line for anyone but him. Mulder tells her it could be love if she’s brought him an ice tea. But Scully tells him it must be fate – it’s root beer.

Post-Modern Prometheus (Season 5)

Mulder and Scully’s investigations into the bizarre genetic experiments of an amoral scientist leads them to the Great Mutato – a modern day Frankenstein’s monster. Discovering that he isn’t a monster at all, they take the Cher loving Mutato to see her in concert. As Cher belts out Walking in Memphis, Mulder suddenly leaps to his feet. He holds out his hand and invites Scully to dance with him. No words are needed and they dance happily, beaming at each other, until the music ends.

Millennium (Season 7)

Mulder and Scully team up with Frank Black to prevent members of the Millennium Group bringing forth the apocalypse before the new Millennium. Minutes before midnight, the agents watch the celebrations in Times Square on TV. Mulder glances over at Scully, then he leans in close and their lips meet in a kiss. When they pull away, they share a knowing smile and Mulder comments that the world didn’t end. ‘No it didn’t’ replies Scully.

Triangle (Season 6)

A trip to the Bermuda Triangle causes a time warp and lands Mulder in hot water on an English luxury liner that disappeared in the 1930’s just prior to World War two. Onboard, he meets many familiar faces, including a Scully look-alike. Mulder tries to make her believe that the ship they are on has been caught up in a time warp and that if she doesn’t convince the crew to turn the ship around the course of history will be changed forever. Realising that he may never get a better chance, he grabs her and kisses her on the lips, long and hard. But her response being a right hook to his jaw!

Pusher (Season 3)

A deadly game of Russian roulette between Mulder, Scully and Pusher – a man who has the ability to bend peoples minds – ends with Pusher’s hospitalisation. Mulder and Scully stand by his bedside. Pusher is in a coma. Mulder tells Scully that her opinion of Pusher was correct; he was always a little man and this was something that made him feel big. Scully tells Mulder that they shouldn’t let him take up anymore of their time. And she gently slips her hand into his. 

Little Green Men (Season 2)

Mulder returns to Washington and gets a ticking off from Skinner for travelling to an alien contact site in Puerto Rico and abandoning a routine assignment. To make matters worse, he discovers the tape he made as evidence of extraterrestrial contact is blank. He tells Scully that although he doesn’t have the X-Files anymore, he still has his work; and he has her and he has himself.

The Field Where I Died (Season 4)

Mulder and Scully investigate a fanatical religious cult and meet a woman who may have been Mulder’s soulmate in a past life. Mulder asks Scully if early in the four years they’ve been together, someone told her that they’d been friends together always, would it have changed the way they look at each other. Scully tenderly replies that even if she’d known for certain, she wouldn’t have changed a day, except for ‘that flukeman thing’ – she could have lived without that just fine.

Arcadia (Season 6)

Mulder and Scully go undercover, posing as a married couple to investigate the mysterious disappearance of several residents of an upscale, uptight suburb. Under the guise of Rob and Laura Petrie, they move into the house that was occupied by David and Nancy Kline – the most recent inhabitants who disappeared without a trace. Once inside the house, Scully pulls out a camcorder and begins to film the interior as she narrates her case notes. An unusually flirty Mulder steps in front of Scully’s lens and teasingly asks if she wants to make their honeymoon video.

Red Museum (Season 2)

The agents take time out during their investigations into a religious cult that may be linked to the disappearance of several teenagers, to enjoy a meal at a local restaurant. Scully comments on the food – they’re eating spare ribs – and Mulder notices a smear of sauce on her cheek. Without saying a word, he leans over and dabs it away with his napkin. Scully appears to be a little embarrassed but then she smiles wryly, enjoying his attention.

Triangle (Season 6)

In hospital after his bizarre encounter with a 1930s Scully look-alike and a bunch of Nazis on board the Queen Anne luxury cruise liner, Mulder tries to convince Scully, Skinner and the Lone Gunmen that it wasn’t just a dream. As Scully starts to leave, Mulder calls her back. He props himself up on one elbow and as Scully leans in close, he tells her that he loves her. To which Scully replies ‘Oh brother’ and walks away. Mulder then feels the bruise on his jaw; it wasn’t a dream after all!

Per Manum (Season 8)

Reports of alien fertilisation on humans causes Scully to question her own pregnancy and more importantly, its conception. In flash back, Scully thinks back to the previous year. She finds Mulder in her apartment. She tells him that her last chance of getting pregnant through artificial insemination has failed. Mulder tries to comfort Scully; he places his hands on her shoulders and tells her to never give up on a miracle. He then leans forward and gently kisses her on the forehead.

The X-Files movie: Fight the Future (1998)

A weary-looking Scully turns up at Mulder’s apartment. She informs him that she has given her resignation to Skinner. She’s quitting. Mulder tells her that he can’t carry on without her. He can’t do it alone; he doesn’t want to do it without her. Touched by his honesty and vulnerability, Scully walks towards Mulder and embraces him. They pull apart slightly and Scully kisses his forehead. They gaze at one another briefly and slowly, Mulder leans closer; his lips slightly apart, he puts a hand behind Scully’s neck to draw her to him. But just as they are about to kiss, Scully gets stung by a bee!

From The X-Files Best Shipper Moments; an article originally published in the Official X-Files Yearbook 2002.

It’s been over 13 years since The X-Files last graced our TV screens. As a self-confessed X-Phile (in other words a huge, huge fan!) I’m counting down the days until 24 January 2016, when the show makes its much anticipated comeback with six brand spanking new episodes.

I’ve been somewhat obsessed (and I mean that in a good way!) with The X-Files since those very first episodes of the early nineties. I still remember the huge sense of loss I felt back in May 2002, when the two hour season finale aired; bringing my beloved Mulder and Scully’s small screen paranormal adventures to an end after an incredible nine seasons and 201 episodes. I certainly never thought I’d see the show make a comeback – especially after such a long absence and two movies which never quite lived up to their full potential and promise.

Watching Mulder and Scully swap the small screen for the big with Fight the Future (1998) and I Want to Believe (2008), to varying degrees of success, was somewhat bittersweet. Thankfully David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson’s chemistry lived up to the shows’ small screen legacy in both outings. But while Fight the Future made for an enjoyable big screen transition, the standalone X-Files adventure I Want to Believe suffered from a poor plot and bad casting. But then movie adaptations of popular TV shows don’t always work (think Entourage, Sex and the City, Miami Vice) and ultimately both films proved that TV was The X-Files‘ rightful home.

Of course, back in 1993, no one knew whether the show would last a season, yet alone nine years. In those early days, even lead David Duchovny doubted the show’s longevity. After all, who’d have thought a show about two FBI agents investigating paranormal activities and government cover-ups week in week out had staying power. If the truth be told, it was only good word of mouth and positive critical response that kept the show alive and convinced Fox to pick up the series for a second season. More often than not similar themed shows counted their blessings if they survived a whole season.

But right from the Pilot episode, it was clear that there was so much more to The X-Files than just UFOs and little green men. Here we had an episode that looked and played more like a feature film than the pilot of a TV show. Visually stunning and tightly written with a moody style to compliment its dark nature, as pilot episodes go it was in a league of its own. From the teaser sequence depicting a UFO abduction to the closing moments in the Pentagon vault, we were privy to the origin of a show that would inspire a generation and spawn more than its fair share of wannabes.

And it was the show’s protagonists who would be an integral part of turning The X-Files into a TV phenomenon. In Fox William Mulder and Dana Katherine Scully we had two of the youngest – not to mention sexiest – FBI agents ever seen on TV. No, scratch that; ever seen, period. Who can forget the moment in the Pilot when a scantily clad Scully asked Mulder to examine some strange marks on her back? Okay, so they turned out to be nothing more than mosquito bites, but the fact of the matter is, in that instance, so began the longest flirtation in TV history; a flirtation that the show used to keep the series fresh, exciting and always one step ahead of the competition. Their will-they-won’t-they relationship captured the hearts and imagination of millions of viewers across the globe.

As we know now, the fact that they didn’t end up in a passionate clinch in the Pilot was essential to the plot and essential to the establishment of Mulder and Scully’s relationship. Creator Chris Carter was adamant that the agents would never consummate their attraction so easily; he knew that the show would die a slow death if he gave in to temptation – and the wishes of network execs. The nature of Duchovny and Anderson’s chemistry was central to whether the show would work – and the nature of Mulder and Scully’s relationship was central to whether people would keep on watching. And the rest of course is TV history. Mulder and Scully topped poll after poll as the sexiest couple on TV. Internet chat rooms were swamped with fans dissecting Mulder and Scully’s will-they-won’t-they relationship. And magazine after magazine ran exclusive photos of the two stars in various states of undress – who could forget that infamous Rolling Stone ‘in bed’ cover. And X-philes couldn’t get enough.

Speaking of magazines, at the height of the show’s popularity, it seemed as though you couldn’t go anywhere without seeing Anderson and Duchovny’s faces plastered somewhere. Posters, T-shirts, books and magazine cover after magazine cover. The X-Files was everywhere; the show had taken on a life of its own. It became more than just a TV show. It became a global phenomenon turning its stars into global icons no less. Mulder and Scully even appeared on an episode of The Simpsons!

There’s no doubt that the casting of Anderson and Duchovny was the coup of the nineties and The X-Files milked interest in the most asexual sexual relationship ever seen on TV. But it wasn’t just Duchovny and Anderson’s onscreen chemistry that made The X-Files so popular and successful. In fact, if it hadn’t been for the creative genius of Chris Carter, neither Mulder nor Scully would exist. And if it hadn’t been for Mulder and Scully, actors Duchovny and Anderson might still to this day be waiting for their big break.

In 1992, former surfing magazine writer/editor and sitcom writer/producer Carter signed a development deal with Twentieth Century Fox television. Carter had been captivated and scared by the 1971 made-for-TV movie The Night Stalker – which spawned a sequel and a TV series – and he wanted to create a series that would evoke a similar reaction in a new generation. And so The X-Files was born. And over nine years, Carter and his team of writers, directors and producers delivered some truly groundbreaking TV. Who can forget the infamous Home, the first episode (although not the last) to broadcast a warning about the show’s graphic content before its broadcast. Or the Scully abduction storyline arc comprising of Duane Barry, Ascension and One Breath. (It was Gillian Anderson’s real life pregnancy that provided the need to separate Mulder and Scully. One can only wonder as to what direction the show would have taken if that situation hadn’t arisen.) Or the exquisitely executed Memento Mori. Or the split-screen Triangle (notable for being filmed in letterbox format). Or the black and white The Post-Modern Prometheus. Or The X-Files’ first real attempt at comedy, Humbug. (More about that in a moment!) It’s thanks to Carter and co. that we were introduced to some of television’s most memorable characters; like the Cigarette Smoking Man, the Lone Gunmen and Eugene Victor Tooms.

The X-Files may have started life as a scary science fiction show, but it soon became apparent that to label the series as a purely science fiction show was to not do it justice. In fact, by the end of the third season, The X-Files was displaying a talent for of all things comedy! And that was largely thanks to the success of season two’s Humbug. When the episode was first broadcast in the US back in March 1995, almost ten million homes tuned in; Humbug was a hit with fans and so began The X-Files’ love affair with comedy. Some of the most rewarding episodes have had their roots in comedy, most notably War of the Coprophrages, Jose Chung’s From ‘Outer Space’ and Bad Blood. One thing’s for certain, Mulder and Scully knew how to wield a sharp one-liner as good as Seinfeld and Frasier et al.

By the time Season three aired The X-Files was well into its stride and Season four saw the show at the top of its game, producing perhaps its finest episode ever in the beautifully executed Memento Mori. Season five was plagued with rumours of David Duchovny’s imminent departure and by the end of the season, production in Vancouver was to switch to Southern California. The hiatus between seasons five and six saw The X-Files up the ante on the big screen. But success usually carries its own seeds of destruction and by this stage the show that had started out as a cult hit only to go mainstream in a big way was starting to show signs of slowing down and becoming a cult again. By the time Season eight came to fruition, David Duchovny had left (albeit popping up sporadically) and the show had seen the introduction of a new lead, played by Robert Patrick. Season nine saw its popularity decline, leading to its inevitable demise.

After nine seasons on TV, The X-Files ended on May 19 2002. Opinion was divided as to whether it was a satisfactory conclusion to nine years worth of exceptional TV. But be in no doubt: The X-Files was (alongside Friends) the show of the nineties. It went down in TV history as the show which popularised the science fiction genre. Thanks to The X-Files no longer was sci-fi perceived as anorak telly. Thanks to The X-Files sci-fi became cool.

I don’t know about you, but in my opinion TV hasn’t quite been the same without Mulder and Scully. I for one can’t wait to see this multiple Emmy-winning series back where it belongs.

The Impact of The X-Files was first published in the Official X-Files Yearbook 2002. This article has been updated and rewritten in line with current events.