List of The X-Files episodes
Encyclopedia
The X-Files
is an American science fiction
television series that premiered on September 10, 1993 on the Fox Broadcasting Company
. A total of nine seasons (with a total of 202 episodes) were released before the series' cancellation in 2002, in addition to numerous clip shows to recap previous episodes and two feature films entitled The X-Files: Fight the Future
and The X-Files: I Want to Believe
. The show was created by Chris Carter
and follows FBI
special agent
s Fox Mulder
(David Duchovny
) and Dana Scully
(Gillian Anderson
) who are the investigators of X-Files
: marginalized, unsolved cases involving paranormal phenomena. Mulder is a "believer
" in the existence of aliens and the paranormal, while Scully, a skeptic, is assigned by powerful forces to debunk
and control Mulder's unorthodox work. In fact, early in the series both agents turn into pawns in a larger conflict (termed the "mythology" or "mytharc
" by the producers), and come to trust only each other, a close relationship which turned into a romantic relationship. As a counterpart to the long-term story arc, "monster of the week" episodes, ranging in tone from horror
to comedy
, made up roughly two-thirds of the series. In such stand-alone X-Files episodes, Mulder and Scully investigated bizarre crimes with fewer long-term implications on the storyline.
The cast of the first seven seasons consisted of David Duchovny
starring as Special Agent Fox Mulder
and Gillian Anderson
as Special Agent Dana Scully
. In season eight Mulder appeared less frequently due to a legal battle between Duchovny and Fox over payment. Season eight introduced Robert Patrick
as Special Agent John Doggett
. In season nine Annabeth Gish
's character Special Agent Monica Reyes
became a main character.
The X-Files combined continuing serial drama elements, such as those often found in miniseries
and soap opera
s, with individual standalone episodes that did not require a viewer to understand the show's history prior to watching. Due to these differing episode types, fans as well as the show's producers commonly divide X-Files episodes into two categories:
The list is ordered by the episodes' original air dates. Episodes marked with an asterisk (*) are broadly part of the series' mytharc. Episodes with a double asterisk (**) are primary episodes in the series' Alien Mythology arc.
* The Region B Blu-ray release of "The X-Files: Fight The Future" is only available as a "2-Movie Pack" with "The X-Files: I Want To Believe" and not on its own.
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
is an American science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series that premiered on September 10, 1993 on the Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
. A total of nine seasons (with a total of 202 episodes) were released before the series' cancellation in 2002, in addition to numerous clip shows to recap previous episodes and two feature films entitled The X-Files: Fight the Future
The X-Files (film)
The X-Files is a 1998 American science fiction-thriller film written by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz, and directed by Rob Bowman. It is the first feature film based on The X-Files series created by Carter that revolves around a fictional FBI paranormal investigation unit called the X-Files...
and The X-Files: I Want to Believe
The X-Files: I Want to Believe
The X-Files: I Want to Believe is a 2008 science fiction-thriller directed by Chris Carter and written by both Carter and Frank Spotnitz. It is the second feature film based on The X-Files franchise created by Carter, following the 1998 film...
. The show was created by Chris Carter
Chris Carter (screenwriter)
Christopher Carl Carter is an American screenwriter, film director and producer. He is the creator of The X-Files and Millennium.- Ten Thirteen Productions :...
and follows FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
special agent
Special agent
Special agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
s Fox Mulder
Fox Mulder
FBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
(David Duchovny
David Duchovny
David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer and director. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
) and Dana Scully
Dana Scully
FBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
(Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
) who are the investigators of X-Files
X-file
On the television series The X-Files, an X-File is a fictional case that has been deemed unsolvable by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The files constitute an unassigned project outside the Bureau mainstream that is more or less concerned with unexplained phenomena. -First X-Files:The very...
: marginalized, unsolved cases involving paranormal phenomena. Mulder is a "believer
Belief
Belief is the psychological state in which an individual holds a proposition or premise to be true.-Belief, knowledge and epistemology:The terms belief and knowledge are used differently in philosophy....
" in the existence of aliens and the paranormal, while Scully, a skeptic, is assigned by powerful forces to debunk
Debunker
A debunker is an individual who attempts to discredit and contradict claims as being false, exaggerated or pretentious. The term is closely associated with skeptical investigation of, or in some cases irrational resistance to, controversial topics such as U.F.O.s, claimed paranormal phenomena,...
and control Mulder's unorthodox work. In fact, early in the series both agents turn into pawns in a larger conflict (termed the "mythology" or "mytharc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
" by the producers), and come to trust only each other, a close relationship which turned into a romantic relationship. As a counterpart to the long-term story arc, "monster of the week" episodes, ranging in tone from horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
to comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
, made up roughly two-thirds of the series. In such stand-alone X-Files episodes, Mulder and Scully investigated bizarre crimes with fewer long-term implications on the storyline.
The cast of the first seven seasons consisted of David Duchovny
David Duchovny
David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer and director. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
starring as Special Agent Fox Mulder
Fox Mulder
FBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
and Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
as Special Agent Dana Scully
Dana Scully
FBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
. In season eight Mulder appeared less frequently due to a legal battle between Duchovny and Fox over payment. Season eight introduced Robert Patrick
Robert Patrick
Robert Hammond Patrick, Jr. is an American actor, known for his leading and supporting roles in a number of films and television shows....
as Special Agent John Doggett
John Doggett
FBI Special agent John Jay Doggett is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction show about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of alien existence...
. In season nine Annabeth Gish
Annabeth Gish
Annabeth Gish is an American actress known for starring roles in Shag, Mystic Pizza and Double Jeopardy. She is best known for her roles as Special Agent Monica Reyes on The X-Files, Elizabeth Bartlet Westin on The West Wing and as Eileen Caffee on the Showtime drama Brotherhood.-Personal...
's character Special Agent Monica Reyes
Monica Reyes
Special Agent Monica Reyes is a fictional character in the American FOX television series The X-Files, a science fiction show about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence...
became a main character.
The X-Files combined continuing serial drama elements, such as those often found in miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
and soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
s, with individual standalone episodes that did not require a viewer to understand the show's history prior to watching. Due to these differing episode types, fans as well as the show's producers commonly divide X-Files episodes into two categories:
- "Mythology" or "Mytharc" episodes told the tale of a governmental conspiracy revolving around extraterrestrials.
- Standalone or "Monster-of-the-Week" episodes dealt with paranormal creatures and situations, while generally being unrelated to the series mythology.
The list is ordered by the episodes' original air dates. Episodes marked with an asterisk (*) are broadly part of the series' mytharc. Episodes with a double asterisk (**) are primary episodes in the series' Alien Mythology arc.
Series overview and home release
| Seasons | Originally aired in the US | DVD release | Blu-ray release | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season premiere Season premiere In North America, a season premiere is the first episode of a new season of a given television show. It often airs in September or October, after several months of reruns.-Evaluating the changes:... |
Season finale Season finale A season finale is the final episode of a season of a television program... |
Region 1 DVD region code DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region... |
Region 2 DVD region code DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region... |
Region 3 DVD region code DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region... |
Region A | Region B | ||
| 1 | September 10, 1993 | May 13, 1994 | May 9, 2000 | November 19, 2001 | November 30, 2000 | — | — | |
| 2 | September 16, 1994 | May 19, 1995 | November 28, 2000 | January 30, 1995 | December 21, 1998 | — | — | |
| 3 | September 22, 1995 | May 17, 1996 | May 8, 2001 | November 26, 2004 | November 12, 2001 | — | — | |
| 4 | October 4, 1996 | May 18, 1997 | November 13, 2001 | April 22, 2002 | April 24, 2001 | — | — | |
| 5 | November 2, 1997 | May 17, 1998 | May 14, 2002 | October 14, 2002 | November 11, 2002 | — | — | |
| The X-Files The X-Files (film) The X-Files is a 1998 American science fiction-thriller film written by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz, and directed by Rob Bowman. It is the first feature film based on The X-Files series created by Carter that revolves around a fictional FBI paranormal investigation unit called the X-Files... |
June 19, 1998 | January 23, 2001 | January 24, 2000 | March 22, 2000 | December 2, 2008 | August 5, 2009 * | ||
| 6 | November 8, 1998 | May 16, 1999 | November 5, 2002 | March 17, 2003 | May 13, 2003 | — | — | |
| 7 | November 7, 1999 | May 21, 2000 | May 13, 2003 | September 22, 2003 | October 20, 2003 | — | — | |
| 8 | November 5, 2000 | May 20, 2001 | November 4, 2003 | March 14, 2004 | April 14, 2004 | — | — | |
| 9 | November 11, 2001 | May 19, 2002 | May 11, 2004 | June 7, 2004 | July 27, 2004 | — | — | |
| Vol. 1 The X-Files Mythology, Volume 1 - Abduction The first volume of The X-Files Mythology collection is a DVD release containing episodes from the first to the third seasons of the show. The episodes collected in the release are those featuring alien abduction, at the hands of the colonists... |
— | — | June 7, 2005 | — | — | — | — | |
| Vol. 2 The X-Files Mythology, Volume 2 - Black Oil The second volume of The X-Files Mythology collection is a DVD release containing episodes from the third to the fifth seasons of the show. The episodes collected in the release are those which feature the alien black oil... |
August 2, 2005 | — | — | — | — | |||
| Vol. 3 The X-Files Mythology, Volume 3 - Colonization The third volume of The X-Files Mythology collection is a DVD release containing episodes from the fifth to the eighth seasons of the show. The episodes collected in the release are those which heavily involve the shadowy organisation known as the Syndicate... |
November 27, 2005 | — | — | — | — | |||
| Vol. 4 The X-Files Mythology, Volume 4 - Super Soldiers The fourth volume of The X-Files Mythology collection is a DVD release containing episodes from the eighth and the ninth seasons of the show. The episodes collected in the release are those which involve alien super soldiers... |
November 22, 2005 | — | — | — | — | |||
| I Want to Believe The X-Files: I Want to Believe The X-Files: I Want to Believe is a 2008 science fiction-thriller directed by Chris Carter and written by both Carter and Frank Spotnitz. It is the second feature film based on The X-Files franchise created by Carter, following the 1998 film... |
July 25, 2008 | December 2, 2008 | November 24, 2008 | November 25, 2008 | December 2, 2008 | November 25, 2008 | ||
- The whole series have been released in Region 4 between 2000 and 2004 originally, with re-releases occurring in 2004, 2005 and 2007 and "The X-Files: Uncover The Truth Collection" box set released on November 25, 2008.
- Other Region 4 releases are "The X-Files Essentials" on July 16, 2008 and "The X-Files Compilation" on Aug 5, 2009.
The X-Files: Fight the Future (1998)
| Title | Directed by | Screenplay by | Story by | Original US release date | Original US DVD release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008)
| Title | Directed by | Written by | Original US release date | Original US DVD release |
|---|---|---|---|---|