The X-Files: The Erlenmeyer Flask (1.24)

Fear and paranoia radiate from this, the first season finale. More than ever before, we're getting a terrifying sense that nobody is safe, monumental lies are being told and, as Deep Throat says in his last words, nobody can be trusted. The most chilling moment for me was Scully's discovery of Dr. Carpenter's murder, she and her entire family wiped out to cover up an extra-terrestrial discovery. The stakes are that high, and the show will never be the same again.

The X-Files: Roland (1.23)

Annoyingly scheduled right after another episode all about dudes manipulating, from beyond the grave, a fragile somebody into committing murders, this follows the same pattern with similarly flat results. I also have a problem with able-bodied/minded actors playing mentally disabled characters, so whatever the quality of Zeljko Ivanek's guest performance as the titular Roland, it's still uncomfortable to watch.

The X-Files: Born Again (1.22)

The title gives the game away, so this pretty forgettable episode is forced to catch up with the audience as the predictable twists and turns unravel. Born Again starts well, but once we get scenes of guest stars communicating with other guest stars and it turns into a general procedural-style mystery, it loses steam.

The X-Files: Tooms (1.21)

Squeeze wasn't exactly crying out for a sequel, but damn if this isn't a great conclusion to that story. Doug Hutchison is overwhelmingly terrifying as Tooms, the vacant expression and eye movements conveying so much evil. And the way he licked his fingers like that? Ick.

The X-Files: Darkness Falls (1.20)

An effective episode that utilizes the same formula which made Ice so successful, with Mulder and Scully's own lives being threatened by a seemingly unstoppable monster accidentally unearthed by man. It may lack the paranoia of Ice, but Darkness Falls does that have that palpable tension that makes it so unnerving.

The X-Files: Shapes (1.19)

It's an episode set on a Native American land reserve, so there's the predictable over-acting, the lazy stereotypes, the mystical old man with lots of monologues, and the distrust of the feds. For about two minutes, there are also some shenanigans with a werewolf, but it's all so misconceived that it barely raises one scare.

The X-Files: Miracle Man (1.18)

The first of many faith-related X-Files episodes, Miracle Man centers less on the most obvious religious character (Scully) and more on faith itself, how it can be manipulated and sold for profit, how quickly it can be turned on, and how it can drive people to potentially fatal actions.

The X-Files: E.B.E. (1.17)

The best conspiracy episode so far, this is both fun and frustrating, and a perfect template for future episodes of this kind. From an audience perspective, we realize that only Mulder and Scully can trust each other, and that we too can only trust them. The paranoia created here even throws Deep Throat's final revelations into question. As the show always said: Trust No One.

The X-Files: Young at Heart (1.16)

Another unmemorable episode, but still a tightly-scripted thriller with some reasonably tense moments as Mulder attempts to unravel what on the surface looks like an unexplainable mystery involving a figure from his past. The only downside to the story is the revelation of government involvement. I get the impression that the writers at this point felt like every episode should have some tenuous link to government cover-ups, which is disappointing. A brief Deep Throat appearance and some conspiracy hoodoo do not automatically heighten suspense.

The X-Files: Lazarus (1.15)

While the idea of spirits transferring from one body to another is an interesting one, there's something flat about this episode, and it's probably one of the most forgettable hours from the first season, despite a reasonably intense guest performance from Christopher Allport.

The X-Files: Gender Bender (1.14)

Disappointing since it aired after one of the greatest ever episodes, Gender Bender attempts to create an interesting dynamic between the vacuous underground club scene of the big city and the quiet, "otherworldly" Amish community, but it just doesn't work. Arguably one of the worst, and undeniably one of the most boring, X-Files episodes.

The X-Files: Beyond the Sea (1.13)

So far above and beyond anything the show has given us so far, this episode sees The X-Files taking a huge risk in its storytelling and producing a blueprint for what the series is truly capable of. Beyond the Sea is a powerful, terrifying hour all about faith and emotional horror, and featuring stunning performances from Gillian Anderson and Brad Dourif.

The X-Files: Fire (1.12)

You can't expect too much from an episode with a simple premise, and, obviously, Fire isn't exactly a hugely original or convoluted hour, but more one of those monster-of-the-week shows that are, simply put, pretty awesome.

The X-Files: Eve (1.11)

My favorite X-Files episodes are usually ones which are psychologically creepy, and not the ones that are full-on blood and violence. Eve falls into the former category, as it's an episode that's as genuinely gory as it is psychologically sinister.

The X-Files: Fallen Angel (1.10)

Pretty entertaining despite a feeling of not knowing which direction it wants to go in, Fallen Angel has some intriguing storylines, but the promise of a Predator-style hunt for an invisible monster through the woods ends up a more intimate analysis of a paranoid abductee. A little disappointing, but never boring.

The X-Files: Space (1.9)

This is a site featuring X-Files reviews, so here's the requisite "woah-is-Space-really-terrible-or-what?" review. Woah! Is Space really terrible or what? It may not be deserving of the frequent "worst episode ever" squeals, but it is a ridiculously flat and artistically lazy X-Files hour.

The X-Files: Ice (1.8)

It's X-Files meets The Thing, and while Ice adds nothing new to a pretty standard "paranoid folk isolated in the middle of nowhere" storyline, the overwhelmingly great characterization and reliable tension of Morgan and Wong's script creates what is the show's first, and one of this show's most commendable, series classics.

The X-Files: Ghost in the Machine (1.7)

While it has nothing on the more interesting monster-of-the-week cases and, along with Buffy's I Robot, You Jane and numerous other 1990's computer-themed sci-fi hours, it now looks ridiculously dated due to all the whirring modems and such, Ghost in the Machine has a certain charm to it, and it's far better than the god-awful mess some fans would lead you to believe it is.

The X-Files: Shadows (1.6)

An intriguing exercise in characters finding simple solutions to what, on the surface, looks like a huge problem, Shadows is in no way a classic, but it's a reasonably exciting X-File with the requisite amount of scares and intrigue for a case-of-the-week episode this early in the show's life.

The X-Files: The Jersey Devil (1.5)

The only memorable part of The Jersey Devil is the subplot about Scully's date. Continuing her evolution as a character, it's pretty telling when she ends up realizing it's far more fun tracking down a wild beast-woman than going on a second date with a dull taxman. Unfortunately, the beast-woman story isn't so much fun to begin with.