The X-Files: 10 Overlooked Episodes That Are Secretly Classics

The early seasons of the show were home to many great guest spots from well-known faces, but few episodes can boast of featuring a bonafide horror legend like Tony Todd.

Only this time, he's more Freddy Krueger than Candyman.

Here, he plays Augustus Cole, a Vietnam veteran who was subject to an experimental lobotomy that removed his need for sleep. His lack of sleep over the span of twenty-four years has granted him illusionary powers that allow him to control, and ultimately kill people using projected dreams.

The fantastic concept and great performances aside, 'Sleepless' is the perfect example of why The X-Files struck a chord with audiences in the early nineties. The way in which the show takes fantastical ideas and presents them in a realistic manner was very nuanced for the time, and the imagery on display in this episode is truly superb.

'Sleepless' is also notable for being the introductory episode for Alex Krycek, the treacherous double-agent who would be a constant thorn in the sides of our two favourite FBI agents. It was also the first on-screen appearance of X, another central figure in the show's mythos, making 'Sleepless' a very important episode in the show's history.