13. 2Shy (Season 3, Episode 6)
"It's nothing personal, Agent Scully. I'm just old-fashioned in certain regards." - Detective Cross
In "2Shy," fat-sucking vampire (which is much less ridiculous than it sounds) Virgil Incanto preys upon the insecurities of overweight women in order to get them alone and...well, suck out and feed on their body fat like the fat-sucking vampire that he is. Incanto truly puts the "monster" in "MOTW," and Mulder and Scully must locate and stop him before he moves on to a new city and disappears once more. With
The X-Files, there are scary episodes and there are funny episodes. There are mythology episodes and standalone episodes. "2Shy?" "2Shy" is one of the grossest episodes. The way in which the villain kills his victims--and why he does it--is so delightfully disgusting that it's difficult to look away (although anyone with an active gag reflex might disagree). On the other hand, unless you have a certain...nostalgic tolerance for outdated technology, "2Shy" is probably not for you. Originally airing in 1995, the chatrooms, internet delay, and modems that provide the basic frame of the plot were the norm at the time. Now, with practically universal wi-fi and portable internet on our smart phones, the technology of "2Shy" is so very 90s that it's almost cute. Still, the villain is pretty great, the victims are pretty gross, Mulder is pretty crazy and Mulderish, and Scully is pretty badass in the face of some pretty irritating sexism. Better lay off the misogyny, local law enforcement officers. Agent Scully could kill you, make it look like an accident, and perform the autopsy herself.