We love its conspiracy-laden alien invasion metaplot just fine, but we think that some of the best episodes of The X-Files are the “Monster of the Week” entries. These more self-contained stories let the show and its actors branch out and try something new, silly, or completely terrifying. Agents Mulder and Scully have squared off against monsters, superpowered killers, robotic cockroaches, and even the spirits of the dead. About a half-dozen episodes of the shows had ghosts as their culprits in one way or another, but some stand out more than the others. These are our favorites.
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3) Season 4, Episode 22 – “Elegy”
“Elegy” is a tragic story in which the disembodied souls of the recently dead appear to the living for unknown reasons. They seem to want to communicate, but can’t; still, they all leave the same message: “She is me.”
The ghosts, most of whom are victims of a killer operating in the area, often appear to Harold Spuller (Steven M. Porter), a developmentally disabled man who has trouble processing the visits. His compulsive need to organize makes him a good candidate as the murderer, but something more insidious is going on.
This episode leans more toward melancholy than the supernaturally scary, although the spirits are definitely eerie. It’s a surprising departure for the normally horror-themed series, and Porter’s performance as Harold is sympathetic and touching.
2) Season 3, Episode 5 – “The List”
This extremely gross and scary episode tells the story of condemned criminal Napoleon “Neech” Manley, who declares from the electric chair that he’ll return to avenge himself on five men who wronged him. Weeks after his execution, deaths start to occur. It’s not just that the murders are inexplicable (they find one victim’s head inside a paint can, and the rest of him ends up in the warden’s office), but that the bodies are almost immediately infested with green bottle fly larvae. We’re itchy just remembering it.
The episode saves actual sightings of the ghost for crucial moments, but between them, you feel like he could be anywhere, make it as terrifying as it sounds. His curse hangs over the character’s heads, especially the ones who suspect Neech might be coming for them. It adds tension throughout the episode until its satisfying and definitive conclusion. As a bonus, this episode is full of recognizable actors, including Bokeem Woodbine, J.T. Walsh, April Grace, and horror legend Ken Foree.
1) Season 6, Episode 6 – “How the Ghosts Stole Christmas”
The best ghost episode of The X-Files is also one of the best all around. “How the Ghosts Stole Christmas” follows Mulder and Scully, who decide to spend Christmas Eve investigating a haunted house. More accurately, Mulder went there, and Scully chose to join him. She wouldn’t have been there otherwise.
The house is, in fact, haunted by two specters: Maurice (Ed Asner) and Lydia (Lily Tomlin), whose idea of a fun time is driving living people to die. And it’s even more enjoyable for them when it’s the holidays.
That sounds pretty dark, but this is a lighter episode, and Asner and Tomlin are as delightful as they are murderous. They get to work trying to turn Mulder and Scully against each other, and it’s so fun that it’s hard to know which side to root for.
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