The X-Files: 10 Best Mythology Episodes

6. Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man

Talitha Cumi - X-Files
Fox

One of the most intriguing aspects of The X-Files' overly complex narrative was that of The Cigarette Smoking Man.

Skulking in the shadows since the very first episode, this mysterious nicotine addict was an omnipresent figure who was shown to have his fingers in every single pie of the Government. The writers kept their cards close to their chests at first, teasing small bits of information about who he was, but as time passed, it became more apparent that he was someone with a nearly unlimited amount of power and influence.

Yet despite him being a constant thorn in the sides of Mulder and Scully, we never really knew who he was or how he came to be in such a powerful position - that was until Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man came along.

Admittedly, the information found within this episode shouldn't be taken as gospel, as most of the flashbacks we see aren't confirmed to be true, but the suggestion that this man was responsible for assassinating Kennedy, as well as ordering Martin Luther King dead really does further cement his status as one of the show's most terrifying creations.

 
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UK based screenwriter, actor and one-half of the always-irreverent Kino Inferno podcast. Purveyor of cult cinema, survival horror games and low-rent slasher films.