With The X-Files returning in January, a few months ago T-Lounge suggested 10 X-Files episodes you should watch in preparation. After all, with nine years' worth of episodes, the show racked up more than 200 episodes. With that much to choose frome, where are noobs or fans who need a refresher supposed to begin?
Fans have no shortage of opinions on the matter, but perhaps the definitive list can only come from X-Files creator Chris Carter. His list, as given to Entertainment Weekly, features a solid mix of mythology and monster-of-the-week episodes that are mostly his personal favorites.
Here's the list.
1. "Pilot": The show's very first episode.
2. "Deep Throat": The very second episode, which introduced the government/alien conspiracy.
3. "Beyond the Sea": A first-season masterpiece that sees Scully consider believing in the paranormal for the first time.
4. "The Erlenmeyer Flask": The first season finale.
5. "The Host": The episode that gave us Flukeman, from Season 2.
6. "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose": Peter Boyle's unforgettable Season 3 guest spot as a psychic who predicts death.
7. "Memento Mori": The beginning of Scully's cancer storyline, from Season 4.
8. "The Post-Modern Prometheus": Carter's Season 5 black-and-white ode to Universal monsters.
9. "Bad Blood": The show's hands-down funniest episode of all time, from Season 5.
10. "Milagro": This Season 6 ep is considered forgettable by fans; EW says Carter picked it because the show's writing staff loved its fiction-turns-into-reality premise.
It's always interesting to get insights from the people behind some of your favorite stories, so we appreciate Carter taking the time to give EW his list. It's worth noting, however, that despite all the talk of continuity with the past, the writers have worked hard to ensure that newcomers won't have to have seen the original series to enjoy the new one.
The X-Files returns to Fox in January 2016, with a special premiere after the Superbowl.
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