The X-Files: 10 Best Mythology Episodes

Even when compared to everything else on this list, Paper Clip is truly something special. An episode so audacious, ambitious and downright genius that you could very easily make the claim that it's the best episode in the show's entire run.

The third part of the story that bridged together seasons two and three, which started with the aforementioned Anasazi and the somewhat misguided philosophical soup that is The Blessing Way, this episode is the gold standard when it comes to densely packed X-Files lore and beautifully realised character drama.

It was here that we got our first indication of the alien's plans to colonise earth, it was here that Mulder and Scully knew that they'd forever be in the firing line and it was here that we had definitive proof that The X-Files was one of the best shows to ever grace the small screen - or at least it was at the time of Paper Clip's release.

Narrative significance aside, Paper Clip has so much else to offer with its tight direction, eye-popping cinematography and breakneck pacing that can easily stand toe-to-toe with the best of Hollywood cinema. To put it simply, it's an absolute masterclass in how to make television.