18. Ice (Season 1, Episode 8)
"We're not who we are." - Red Shirt Scientist #1
"Ice" is another one of those early episodes that is actually very good. It should be noted that if you've seen
The Thing (1982), you'll probably be able to figure out the premise of the episode pretty quickly. (If you haven't seen
The Thing, you should see it. Right after your
X-Files binge.) Homages can be tricky to properly produce, especially in a series so untested as was this show at the time, but
The X-Files pulls it off. The show makes the borrowed plot its own, and the relative newness of the Mulder/Scully partnership ratchets up the tension. Guest-starring a very young Felicity Huffman, "Ice" is a great episode, no matter where you are (or are not) in the
X-Files experience.