7. The Writing
The writing on The X-Files was a large step-up from several shows before it. It delivered a level of quality that hadn't really been seen on dramas for some time, especially a drama which dealt with science fiction. Not to say every single episode of X-Files was stellar, but I believe much of the show's success had to do with the writing. Several episodes, especially ones dealing with the mythology, had excellent emotional beats which pulled viewers in even more. Take this excerpt from the second season episode 'One Breath' where Mulder attempts to give his resignation to Deputy Director Skinner:
"When I was eighteen, I, uh... I went to Vietnam. I wasn't drafted, Mulder, I... I enlisted in the Marine Corps the day of my eighteenth birthday. I did it on a blind faith. I did it because I believed it was the right thing to do. I don't know, maybe I still do. "Three weeks into my tour, a ten-year-old North Vietnamese boy walked into camp covered with grenades and I, uh... I blew his head off from a distance of ten yards. I lost my faith. Not in my country or in myself, but in everything. "There was just no point to anything anymore. One night on patrol, we were, uh... caught... and everyone... everyone fell. I mean, everyone. "I looked down... at my body... from outside of it. I didn't recognize it at first. I watched the V.C. strip my uniform, take my weapon and I remained... in this thick jungle... peaceful... unafraid... watching my... my dead friends. Watching myself. "In the morning, the corpsmen arrived and put me in a bodybag until... I guess they found a pulse. I woke in a Saigon hospital two weeks later. I'm afraid to look any further beyond that experience. You? You are not. Your resignation is unacceptable."
"This monologue was written and performed with such a level of seriousness that really surprised me when I first watched it. It seemed like such a natural conversation and real story which tugged at both your attention and heartstrings. It goes without saying X-Files did this on a number of occasions.