12. Pusher (Season 3, Episode 17)
"Oh, we had enough to get him past a simple preliminary hearing. Modell psyched the guy out. He put the whammy on him." "Please explain to me the scientific nature of 'the whammy.'" - Fox Mulder and Dana Scully
In this season 3 episode, a mysterious man who calls himself "Pusher" possesses the ability to somehow will any other person into doing whatever he says, no matter if it involves killing, dying, or setting oneself on fire. When Pusher decides that he has found a worthy adversary to challenge, the hunt to catch him becomes dangerously personal for the agents. Just as "Irresistible" would make any list of scariest episodes, "Pusher" is one of the very best of all 202 episodes of the show. Pusher, played by Robert Wisden, has such a hypnotic voice that his ability to "push" others into violence with only his words becomes chillingly believable. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are at their best as Mulder and Scully, and the chemistry between them is more palpable than any other episode to that point. The climax is almost painfully tense, and viewers must begin to wonder: how do you jail a man who can literally talk himself out of trouble? There are stakeouts, standoffs, and cerulean blue hallucinations. It's a fantastic episode, and it is perhaps the best on this list to hook anyone into the show.