10 Criminally Underrated X-Files Episodes

Audrey Pauley, on first glance, is an easy episode for fans to overlook. Coming in the ninth season, when fan fatigue over the absence of Mulder was at its peak, it’s a standalone episode that doesn’t even mention the missing character, nor does it push the mythology of the show forward in any way.

Despite this, Audrey Pauley on further viewing is actually another example of how many hidden gems there were in the final two seasons of the series. Subtle rather than over the top with its rather disturbing premise, it’s the story of a troubled hospital orderly, the model hospital she keeps in her room, and the recreation of it which she hosts in her mind – one that has attracted souls near death from the very hospital in which she works. Along with the rather unique Audrey Pauley, the hospital is home to one rather monstrous doctor – who takes lives rather than saving them.

When Monica Reyes comes under his care, Doggett becomes the only believer – refusing to give up on her, and believing that there is something more to Audrey. While this loyalty to his partner hearkens back to the best moments of the show; it's watching his final reaction to Audrey’s fate that is most compelling. Robert Patrick does not get enough credit for his work on the series.