With the exception that Paper Hearts and Bad Blood are my top two faves, I really can't distinguish among the remaining ones on the list in terms of any particular preference, so they've merely been listed according to original air date. (Judging by this list, I suppose I owe Vince Gilligan some fan mail!)
Oh, and if the list seems somewhat Mulder-centric to you, that's probably because it is. Although I've been vehemently accused of Mulder-bashing by a reader (which still thrilled me to no end because it was absolute confirmation that my writing had had a profound effect on someone — see, I happen to have a sense of humour), my fascination with Fox Mulder — and to a certain extent, with the actor who portrays him — is the main reason I watch The X-Files. And I think my selections here all have something to offer in terms of specific insight into his complex character.
1) 4X08 Paper Hearts
(Vince Gilligan)
"It was nothing but a dream"
I absolutely love this episode but oddly enough, I didn't have that reaction the first time I saw it. The idea seems to have grown on me the more I watch it that this story should have been the real closure for the Samantha story arc. To me, this was where Mulder came to the realization that something more mundane and earthly could actually be at the root of his sister's disappearance. But for the purposes of TXF and the fact that the show got renewed for three more years, well, the Samantha thing had to be dragged on and on with more lies and manipulation. She's alive but doesn't want anything to do with her brother; no, says Cassandra, that wasn't her at all, the real Sam is still "up there"; wrong again, the real Samantha actually died at age fourteen after having been experimented on repeatedly.... Especially now that the series has effectively drawn to a close, I look at the honest simplicity behind this powerful story and almost wish that there was some indication that the last heart had belonged to Samantha. The same doubt would still sort of linger in our minds — there's no body and the only one who knows where it might be is dead — but I suppose that would really have made all those "clone" encounters a little hard to explain.
Why is this one of my top two picks? Aside from the story, with its rare combination of the supernatural and plain everyday evil superimposed on the great quest that Mulder exemplifies, and its presentation (the very interesting technical and musical choices), I was taken by David Duchovny's performance. This episode was a wonderful showcase for him. The sheer raw emotion that Mulder feels is so brilliantly portrayed in his trademark understated fashion that this episode is almost painful to watch at times. This one is my top pick for a realistic angst factor that anyone — even a viewer unfamiliar with the series' history — can appreciate.
2) 5X12 Bad Blood
(Vince Gilligan)
"I was drugged"
Okay, first of all, this episode has the best opening sequence in TXF history, in my ever humble opinion! The cutting off of the "Oh sh —" and the circumstances surrounding its utterance were just simply hilarious. And unlike several other great teasers that I could mention (The Calusari and Fearful Symmetry come to mind), this one actually delivers on a show that was just as brilliant. Back in the days when I first saw this one, I was totally unspoiled for episode content and had no idea what to expect from that point onwards... what a ride! And what performances from all involved — Gilligan's choice of Luke Wilson was a blast in his role as the alternately sexy/dim-witted Sheriff. From Mulder flinching at Scully's endless bitching, to her subordinate-like acceptance of his thoughtless behaviour, to Skinner trying to explain that the coroner's neck was "gnawed on", to the physical comedy of Mulder riding the bucking coffin or getting dragged behind the motorhome... this was a non-stop fun-fest. Aside from the guffaws it provided, I really appreciated the different POVs into five years' of association between Mulder and Scully, compressed into a series of just-so mannerisms, attitudes, and plain quirkiness that were instantly identifiable. How about that? Just like real people!
Qualification for top two? Maybe because I had to have a humourous counterpoint for the powerfully dramatic Paper Hearts. Actually, this episode is one of my top two picks for the simple fact that sometimes, as soon as you see something, it just stays with you and you know it will continue to stay with you forever. At the first commercial break, I was already thinking that this would be one of the keepers for all time. Nothing that I've seen since — and I have to admit there have been some excellent episodes, particularly in Season Six, that would qualify for this list — has left me with that same feeling. This was truly a unique outing.
3) 2X08 One Breath
(Glen Morgan, James Wong)
"I knew that there was a reason to live"
Ah, another dramatic Duchovny score with high angst appeal. Mulder goes through much of this episode with an incredibly haunted, guilt-ridden look set off with just the right amount of barely-controlled rage and grief. I loved the early morning return to his apartment, with the subtle hints of birds chirping in the background and the rising of the sun showing that life always goes on, even though everything in his world to this point has effectively crumbled. Really, what's not to like about this ep, with a little bit of everything thrown into the mix? You have your tragic hero wondering if getting his partner back in such a condition is any sort of victory. Lingering bits of mytharc in the person of X saying stuff like "terminal intensity". Spiritual happenings like Captain Scully coming back to salute his little girl. And good old fashioned — and honest — support and sharing from family (Margaret and Melissa) and friends (Skinner and Frohike and the boys). This was simply a depiction of life, its journey, and those we meet along the way. A great example of how wrong CC is when he writes off the ability to be strongly character-driven within a plot-driven show. This ep gave us the best of both. Definitely required viewing.
4) 2X16 Colony
(Chris Carter; Story by David Duchovny & Chris Carter)
"Is it too late for a game of Stratego?"
Since I only stumbled upon TXF in the fall of 1995, I first saw this ep (and its other half) when our local affiliate chose to show repeats from previous seasons during the regular run of Season Three or Four. Whether it was because for the first time I got some important background info on this whole conspiracy/mytharc that I'd not been understanding all too well or what, the Colony/End Game package has always been my choice for best two-part mythology ep. They were engaging and not too terribly confusing; examples of great story-telling. The Scully vs. Samantha choice — this early in the series — was sensitively and realistically done. (I like to think that they represent those halcyon days when the creators still had some sense of where they wanted to go with this whole thing before it basically went kablooie on them.) Interesting to note that on the basis of this ep alone, a lot of fanfic headed towards "MulderTorture by way of Bill Mulder", but I think that if you watch this one in conjunction with Anasazi (see below), it becomes clear that theirs is simply a complex relationship dragged down by one too many misunderstandings. Throw in some misplaced guilt and blame over what they've had to live through and with, how could it be anything different?
5) 2X25 Anasazi
(Chris Carter; Story by David Duchovny & Chris Carter)
"Thank you for taking care of me"
Oooh, paranoia will destroy ya... interesting take on a drugged-out Mulder. Was there ever an episode with such extremely powerful sequences one after another as in this one? Talk about edge-of-your-seat pacing! The sudden and unexpected attack on Skinner, the heated discussion with Scully over whether this latest development was worth risking their very careers, the poignant scene with Bill Mulder preceding his eventual demise, the morning after accusations and subsequent "don't ask me for my trust" (boy, that one must have been painful), and of course, the scene that ensured that I'd be back next week — the alien bodies in the boxcar. Tack on the cinematic location shoots and this one was just plain superb. (As a side note, this one also brings back great memories of a decisive Dana Scully who doesn't hesitate to question Mulder on things that really matter, but who will also back him up unquestionably when the chips are down. Despite their sometimes obvious polarity here, nothing that she says to him cuts like some of her dialogue does in later years.) As with Colony, it's sort of hard to talk about this episode without referring to the others that follow, but this one certainly did its job as an attention grabber. Not to mention that — after all these years — it still holds up as the best end-of-season cliff-hanger ever.
6) 3X12 War of the Coprophages
(Darin Morgan)
"Her name is Bambi??"
Mr. Morgan is considered somewhat of a deity among TXF connoisseurs, but he is a bit of an acquired taste. For example, try as I might, I haven't managed to develop any particular attachment to the wildly popular Jose Chung's From Outer Space, despite many more viewings after my first confusing (understandably so, since I was relatively new to the show at the time) exposure to it when it originally aired. But this one — this one I have a great affection for, and it is wonderful for its interesting examination of the mob mentality within the confines of an absurdly oddball X-Files adventure. I loved the peek into Mulder and Scully's official "lack of lives" as they each start their respective weekends engaged in less than exciting pursuits. The off-beat manner with which this episode was carried out — culminating in that hilarious "what the hell was that?" moment when the cockroach scrambled across the TV screen — was distinctive even by normal standards for TXF "humour". Great images can be found here... Mulder waking up thinking cockroaches may have invaded his nose, the guy at the convenience store stocking up on pantyhose, Scully nonchalantly eating out of the spilled chocolate box as she considers the chaos around her, and the final scene where Mulder almost mistakes this incredibly vile-looking insect for his snack while he's typing up his report. Loved his reaction. When it comes to bugs, sometimes you just have to smack them but good!
7) 4X20 Small Potatoes
(Vince Gilligan)
"You're a damn good looking man"
Another comedic choice and Vince Gilligan is responsible again. Charmingly innocent in many ways and laugh-out-loud funny in others, with a slightly bittersweet twist at the end... and all of it highlighted by marvellous work from David Duchovny as Eddie/Mulder. An interesting x-file that managed to give us even more interesting insights into the psyches of our two leads — well, one in particular, anyway. Supposedly Dana Scully would have no pretensions of not following through if Mulder ever made a move. I liked this one for the fact that, as the story initially unfolded, it showed how well Mulder and Scully really know one another. And yet, by episode's end — and I loved the ending even though I wanted to hang around for another hour or so — they were each trying to "figure out" the other. While the presentation was played for humourous effect, it was also sort of sad to consider that these two smart and savvy FBI agents are basically impotent when it comes to expressing their desires in any personal manner. Eddie van Blundht, for all his dubious methods, knows what he's talking about. And the feeling I got at the end of all of it was that Mulder and Scully would agree with that assessment. In terms of underscoring the unspoken feelings between them to an uninitiated viewer, this is a great "non-angsty" choice.
8) 5X03 Redux II
(Chris Carter)
"One sorry son of a bitch speaking"
To be honest, I found the events of Gethsemane, et al, to be a bit on the confusing side with respect to that ever-spiralling mytharc. In this final installment to the three-parter, I was finally rewarded with bits and pieces that I could actually empathize with and enjoy. Great tension-filled conversation between brother Bill and Mulder. No matter whose side you might be on, his comment of "You really believe this crap, don't you?" is one that is right on the mark. One wouldn't be doing all this, risking so much and losing even more, unless one truly believed. While this episode brought Scully's religious faith back to the forefront, it was no less an exploration of Mulder's faith. He entertains an offer from the devil himself as he pursues his number one priority — finding a cure for Scully's cancer (which Mulder himself said in Redux). The search for his sister that seemed to have been ostensibly set aside by virtue of that revelation is then suddenly dropped back into his lap by way of one of the most gut-wrenching Mulder/Samantha encounters the series has ever given us. (And truly, the fact that it ended up not being her is something that I find very disappointing.) It made me consider something that I had never thought about before — would this be the worst outcome for Mulder after all these years? To find her alive but not wanting anything to do with him? Oh, and I don't normally comment on Mark Snow's scoring (which is not to say that he doesn't do an outstanding job all the time, just that background music is just that to me, background), but the "Scully illness" theme that pervades this episode is hauntingly beautiful.
9) 6X15 Monday
(Vince Gilligan, John Shiban)
"We're all in hell"
Nothing terribly original about this one thematically, but as with everything else in life, the execution is what counts. (As a side note, I liked Bill Murray in Groundhog Day too, even though Vince said that this was actually a salute to/rip-off of a Twilight Zone ep.) With wonderful performances from everyone, this was an episode that you could enjoy without having been anywhere near The X-Files. It was also an excellent example of a topic that you can sit down with in a conversational sense and pass the entire day away without coming back with any definable truth. How do we know that this doesn't happen all the time? How do we know that we're not forced to relive moments until we get them right, or until someone in our immediate timeline gets it right? What this episode did was get me thinking, and that's always a good thing. Personally, I've always believed that one's number is up when it's up. Nothing else can be interpreted as miraculous or close or whatever. So if you escape death by having missed the plane that eventually crashed or by not standing on the curb outside your apartment when the car came careening around the corner because you had to run an errand for your mother and left early, it's all because Fate has pre-determined it to be that way. It wasn't your time to go, regardless of how "close" it may have seemed. And maybe — just maybe — if by chance you had gotten yourself on that plane anyway, your whole day would have repeated itself until you didn't. The question is, how can you know?
10) 6X20 The Unnatural
(David Duchovny)
"We got rhythm"
I've said this elsewhere, but for the fact that this was the one and only "feel good" X-Files episode, it probably belongs on a list of its own. That I originally hesitated to put it on this list relates to my wondering if it has any particular value as an episode with which to introduce someone to the show. I'm still not sure, but I can't ignore the fact that — despite the relative absence of Mulder and Scully — I get the warm fuzzies whenever I think of this one. Has there ever been a one-off character like Josh Exley on any TV show with whom you absolutely fell in love over the course of one hour? After I saw this episode, I posted the following to the newsgroup under the subject line of "THANK YOU MR. DUCHOVNY":
Sometimes the best feeling in the world is the one when you know deep down that you've done a good job, have met your goals, and have been gifted with the added benefit of pleasing those around you. For that, I give you a pat on the back and the not-oft-said, "Good job!"
As for the episode itself, thank you for giving us a story — and the way in which it was presented, it could be interpreted as just that: a story — that was heart-warming, innocent, and full of all kinds of spirit. It made me love baseball for an hour. The characters were wonderfully developed for being so new. Your gift for dialogue is plainly evident. Without being cute, forcedly clever or overblown, the character interactions and conversations provided us with the right amount of amusement. I enjoyed Dales in both his incarnations, much more so than the "other" Dales from previous eps. Exley was just plain lovable. I'm sure they are both very capable actors in every sense, but as a director, I'm sure that you got the performances that you wanted. Also, thank you for book-ending the episode with a couple of very sweet looks into the lives of Mulder & Scully. I don't label myself a "shipper" or "noromo" or whatever the label of the day happens to be, but I did see with my own eyes what Chris Carter gave us in the movie. My biggest pet peeve with the current season is that M & S don't seem to have grown very much from that moment. I've tried to "reason" with myself by thinking that they've decided to stay very professional while ON the job. The scenes that you have given us of them OFF the job seem to support my theory (thank goodness). Yes, it's only natural and real life that they should have fun, eat ice cream (or some gross equivalent), and feel totally comfortable with laughing at and with each other.
THANK YOU, SIR.
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