The X-Files: 10 Best Mythology Episodes

By and large, whenever The X-Files is looked back on with a critical eye, its infamous 'monster of the week' episodes tend to be singled out as the show's greatest strength. Not only for giving Mulder and Scully a plethora of iconic bad guys to face off with, as well as a chance to explore their characters in a variety of different scenarios but because with a show as densely packed as The X-Files, it's nice to be able to dip in and out of it with ease.

And whilst those standalone episodes are great viewing on their own and can be enjoyed by pretty much anyone, it's the show's overarching narrative that kept fans of the show coming back week after week to join Mulder and Scully in their quest for the truth.

Or at least it was for a brief time...

As many die-hard fans of the show will tell you, the 'mytharc' that was spread across the entire series soon ran out of steam and it felt as if the writers were simply making it up as they went along. This stung all the more though as in its early days, the main narrative of the show was full of surprising twists, gut-wrenching character deaths and the kind of nail-biting tension that would put most Hollywood blockbusters to shame.

So with that all said and done, let's dive straight into the weird world of The X-Files and take a look at the very best mythology episodes the show has to offer.

Very few shows can make the bold claim that their pilot episode is one of their very best, but in the case of The X-Files that is very much the case.

It goes without saying due to it being the series' debut episode, but Pilot is without a doubt one of the most important episodes in the show's entire run. Not only in terms of its cinematic prowess and general impact on the landscape of television as a whole but in that, it set in motion so many story elements that would go on to shape the show as we know it today.

It was here that we were first introduced to the idea of Mulder the believer, and Scully the sceptic. It was here that we were first teased with the notion of the government having its claws in every aspect of our lives and it was here we first learned of Mulder's quest to discover what happened to his sister Samantha.

Not only that but it was delivered in such a tightly made and supremely confident package that it immediately caught the attention of anyone who dared to watch it. Many episodes have since surpassed it, but for what it's worth, this one still packs a punch.