The X-Files 31 days of Halloween

Dr. Diane A Rodgers academic editor of the “ The Legacy of The X-Files” @dianearodgers.bsky.social 

 When asked about my favourite episodes, I love so many but always go old-school X-Files, as that's where I found my real love of SF and became obsessed with the series. In my first year at Uni, I joined a SF society called Moontrapped, borrowed s1 and 2 of the X-Files on VHS from the group and watched them ALL in one weekend. I was pretty paranoid after that weekend! There are lots of bigger and better X-Files episodes than those I'm listing here but these are the ones that made an early impression on me.

·        SQUEEZE and TOOMS

 are kind of obvious choices but were very impactful and genuinely scary! A mutant serial killer in the first 'monster of the week' episode - yes please! It ticked all my horror nerd, serial killer fascination and SF interests in one go. Plus I still feel totally creeped out thinking about the character, which is the sign of a great piece of television!

·        JERSEY DEVIL

is one I remember being a lot of fun, and chimed with my love of B-movie horror whilst trying presenting a folkloric story about a Bigfoot-type creature! Along with ASCENSION, this episode cemented the look of the show (as well as being at a peak of alien abduction plotlines!) - all that location filming in British Columbia and Vancouver woodlands. ASCENSION's ride on the cable car to the summit of Grouse Mountain stuck with me and I was SO excited as a teenage fan of the show in the 1990s to visit the area and go on the same cable car, because of those episodes! 

10/17 GHOST IN THE MACHINE

 wasn't necessarily one of the best X-Files episodes but it really stays with me as I think it captured real fears about technology and faceless authority of the times. It wasn't a new story, but is still very relevant: an office building is run by an AI computer system which turns murderous, killing and trapping people inside. Like 2001: A Space Odyssey, it explores man vs machine, which has become increasingly relevant today, are humans just becoming totally inconsequential? I like to think that the writers saw Gremlins 2 (which I LOVE, also about a building of the future!) and turned it into and X-Files episode). 

10/27 TERMS OF ENDEARMENT

 is another that I remember but pretty much only because it stars Bruce Campbell. I was a huge fan of the Evil Dead films, and the cheeky bravado of Bruce in most of his more hammy roles, but this was the first time I'd seen him play something pretty straight, albeit evil. He plays a demonic character in what is a dark episode, trying to create his ideal offspring and terminating fetuses with demonic traits. All the more spooky because it was played so low-key by Bruce Campbell.