5 Great Seasons of The X-Files Fans Still Consider "Perfect"

The X-Files is back at the center of pop culture attention. With Ryan Coogler’s hotly anticipated reboot of the TV show in production and original creator Chris Carter’s director’s cut of 2008 film The X-Files: I Want to Believe having been recently released on Hulu, viewers everywhere are revisiting the groundbreaking sci-fi classic. There are even some viewers who are discovering the groundbreaking series for the very first time, while still others are just looking back for the series’ greatest moments. But with 9 seasons in the original run and 2 seasons coming later on, how do you choose where to find those great moments? For those looking to quickly see the best of the original series, here are five of its strongest seasons.

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The seasons have been placed in order based on a combination of factors including their general reputations with critics and fans, their respective levels of importance to the series-long storylines, and the inclusion of any especially distinctive qualities or episodes.

5. Season 7 Was The End of An Era For The X-Files

Although not as consistently acclaimed as some of its predecessors, Season 7 is a crucial watch for those viewers invested in the series’ continuing mythology arc. FBI Agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) has reduced roles in Seasons 8 and 9, so Season 7 concluded some of the key storylines involving the character, including the search for his abducted sister, which was a key part of the series’ initial premise. The season also features climactic developments in Mulder and Dana Scully’s (Gillian Anderson) conflict with the Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis), although that arc would eventually be revived.

Some viewers have criticized the season’s case of the week episodes for being more lighthearted than in previous years, and drawing less heavily on horror genre elements. However, some of the installments that experimented with more self-aware and comedic storytelling, including a crossover with Cops and the show business satire “Hollywood A.D.,” are undeniably effective and carved out their own places in X-Files history. Season 7 is especially satisfying for fans invested in the romantic relationship between Mulder and Scully.

4. Season 1 Made Everyone “Want to Believe”

The first season was an instant cult hit, and effectively paved the way for the series to become the cultural phenomenon it was. Duchovny and Anderson impressed with both their individual performances and onscreen rapport and it was immediately apparent that Mulder and Scully’s developing bond was a great emotional foundation to build stories around. The show quickly found an effective balance between studying the personal and professional dynamics between the agents and delving into its earliest, compelling mysteries.

Several of Season 1’s standalone episodes, like “Ice,” are frequently listed among the show’s best. The early installments in the serialized mythology arc are similarly well-regarded due to their relatively simple, grounded plots. As the series progresses it eventually becomes undeniable that Mulder is right and some paranormal phenomena do in fact exist and are being covered up, but Season 1 was naturally able to maintain more ambiguity and realism. The season also featured much of the material for the short-lived but iconic supporting character Deep Throat (Jerry Hardin).

3. Season 5 Is an Intense Turning Point

The fifth season thrills by focusing on an inversion of the show’s usual dynamic. After learning devastating secrets about both his family history and the government conspiracy related to extra-terrestrials, Mulder grows cynical, doubting whether his quest for the truth will ever prove fruitful, and even questioning the greater point of it. It’s the last season that was credibly able to focus on that kind of doubt before the series embraced even more plainly fantastical storytelling. Ironically, Scully’s experiences have made her more willing to believe in the paranormal, though personal issues also cause her to reconsider her devotion to her work and partnership with Mulder.

Season 5 made several important additions to the mythology, and built up to an especially dramatic conclusion, though one does have to subsequently watch both the 1998 movie, The X-Files: Fight the Future, and the opening episodes of Season 6 to see fully satisfying conclusions to some storylines.

2. The X-Files Hit Its Stride in Season 2

The second season both continued to deliver a variety of compelling and frightening standalone episodes and expand and progress the long-term conspiracy arc. Several important recurring characters, like Mulder and Scully’s FBI colleague Alex Krycek (Nicholas Lea) and X (Steven Williams), another of Mulder’s mysterious sources, are introduced. Despite their successes in Season 1, Mulder and Scully’s work comes under even more intense scrutiny, and the interconnected conspiracies that oppose them are established in more detail.

Much of the serialized material in Season 2 revolves around Scully’s apparent abduction by aliens. This experience and its aftereffects challenge and further develop her relationship with Mulder while also making Scully herself more personally invested in their mission. The season was compared favorably with the first, earning the series higher viewership and various accolades. Among these were Emmy nominations in seven categories including Outstanding Drama Series and a Golden Globe Award win for Best Television Series – Drama.

1. Season 4 is The Show’s Most Emotional

The fourth season often sees Mulder and Scully coming especially close to obtaining undeniable proof of alien life and the conspiracy to hide it. This leads to further development of some of their key allies, like FBI Assistant Director Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi,) and enemies such as the Smoking Man. Memorable standalone episodes including the famously disturbing “Home” are also featured.

But the season is best remembered for the storyline in which Scully battles cancer, which led Anderson to a well-deserved Emmy win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Expertly tied to the ongoing mysteries, the cancer storyline is the emotional peak of the series. It draws on all the considerable development Scully and Mulder had already been through together to depict their most personal challenge as gripping drama, naturally leading Anderson and Duchovny to do some of their best work. Season 4 encapsulates the experience many fans have watching the series as a whole. Both the episode and series draw viewers in with tantalizing mystery plots, but they soon realize they’ve become most invested in the human character dynamics.