For a total of 11 seasons and over 200 episodes, as well as two movies, FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny), a believer in the paranormal, and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), a logical skeptic, investigated the bureau’s strangest cases in The X-Files, a sci-fi police procedural. The series premiered on Fox in 1993 and lasted nine seasons before being rebooted in 2016 for an additional two seasons. It was created by Chris Carter. As one of the longest-running sci-fi shows on television, the series left an undeniable mark on pop culture, and it’s no surprise that another X-Files reboot is in the works by Ryan Coogler.
The X-Files remains known for its episodes featuring government conspiracies and the monster of the week, but it also had its fair share of heartbreak during its run. Despite its focus on the paranormal, the stories the show told were very human, and it wasn’t unusual for a monster-of-the-week episode to have surprising depth and even melancholy.
10
“Conduit”
Season 1, Episode 4 (1993)
In “Conduit,” Mulder was personally affected by the case of a teenage girl, Ruby (Taunya Dee), who was thought to have been abducted by aliens while camping with her mother and younger brother, Kevin (Joel Palmer), who allegedly witnessed the whole thing and may have been capable of receiving satellite transmissions. The situation was similar to the abduction of his sister, Samantha, when they were children, and Mulder hoped the case might provide some insight into what happened to her.
Samantha’s abduction was a huge part of Mulder’s character—it was his motivation for becoming an FBI agent and working on the X-Files, and he never gave up his search for answers. “Conduit” was a devastating reminder of what happened to her, and Mulder saw himself in Kevin, making the case even more personal. The episode also provided great insight into Mulder’s character and the lasting impact Samantha’s disappearance had on him.
9
“Oubliette”
Season 3, Episode 8 (1995)
In “Oubliette,” Mulder investigated a kidnapping and sought help from a woman, Lucy (Tracey Ellis), who had been kidnapped by the same man years prior and seemed to have a psychic connection to the victim—she began experiencing injuries like nosebleeds and scratches, as well as temporary blindness. When the victim was found unresponsive, Lucy chose to sacrifice herself so the young girl could live. The case also reminded Mulder of his sister’s abduction when they were children.
Some of the saddest episodes of The X-Files dealt with Mulder and Scully’s personal lives and losses, but the monster-of-the-week episodes also put their characters through a lot. “Oubliette” was one of the most devastating examples. While Mulder was drawn to the case because of his past, it was Lucy and her sacrifice that made the episode truly heartbreaking. It was a bittersweet ending, and Ellis delivered one of the best guest performances of the series.
8
“Beyond the Sea”
Season 1, Episode 13 (1994)
In “Beyond the Sea,” Scully awoke to see her father, William (Don Davis), sitting silently nearby, just before receiving a phone call from her mother informing her he’d died an hour prior. Meanwhile, death-row inmate Luther Lee Boggs (Brad Dourif) claimed to be a psychic and promised to lead Mulder to a serial killer in exchange for a reduced sentence—and claimed he had a message from Scully’s father. Scully, usually the skeptic, believed Boggs’ claims.
The X-Files quickly established Mulder and Scully’s roles as believer and skeptic, respectively, but it also challenged those roles throughout its run. For the first time, “Beyond the Sea” presented the grieving Scully as the believer, desperate to believe Boggs was telling the truth. Anderson delivered an incredible performance and was outdone only by Dourif, who was wonderfully unsettling as Boggs. The episode was not only heartbreaking but still stands out as one of the series’ best.
7
“Memento Mori”
Season 4, Episode 14 (1997)
Scully was diagnosed with an inoperable cancerous tumor in “Memento Mori,” but Mulder refused to accept that nothing could be done. With the help of the Lone Gunmen, he investigated her abduction and searched for a way to help her. They uncovered a fertility clinic with records claiming Scully and other abducted women had been treated, despite never having been there. Meanwhile, the doctor treating her wasn’t really interested in saving her after all.
As Mulder and Scully both came to terms with her diagnosis in “Memento Mori,” the episode presented some of its biggest, most heartbreaking moments, particularly with Scully’s intimate journal entries as she came to terms with her diagnosis. The episode also had some great moments between Mulder and Scully, as it demonstrated how deeply they cared for each other. Above all, Anderson was incredible, and her work earned her an Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actress.
6
“Christmas Carol”
Season 5, Episode 6 (1997)
While spending time with her family over the Christmas holiday, Scully received a phone call from what sounded like her late sister, Melissa, in “Christmas Carol,” the first in a two-part arc. After a woman was found dead in a bathtub from an apparent suicide, Scully became convinced the woman’s daughter, Emily (Lauren Diewold), was Melissa’s secret daughter, due to the resemblance between them. Scully wanted to adopt Emily, but her dangerous job presented an obstacle.
The two-part arc of “Christmas Carol” and “Emily” was devastating for Scully and piled on even more trauma for her—after learning she wouldn’t be able to have children of her own due to her cancer, the episodes presented a glimpse of what motherhood would be like. “Christmas Carol” in particular dealt with the loss of Melissa, and Anderson delivered some of her best work, with plenty of emotional scenes.
5
“Emily”
Season 5, Episode 7 (1997)
“Emily” continued the story of “Christmas Carol.” After Scully met a little girl, Emily, whom she believed was the daughter of her late sister, Melissa, Scully learned the child was actually hers. Emily was conceived using Scully’s ovum, which had been taken when Scully was abducted. As Scully continued her attempts at adopting Emily, the little girl became increasingly ill, and when her blood was revealed to be green, Mulder concluded she was an alien-human hybrid.
“Emily” managed to be an even more devastating episode than its predecessor, “Christmas Carol.” Scully’s chance at motherhood was ripped from her just as suddenly as it was presented. It was a heartbreaking episode of the show for both her and Emily—both characters went through a lot in the two-part arc. Emily was in the middle of a huge transition when she became gravely ill. The scenes of her suffering were brutal to watch, and her funeral was especially devastating.
4
“William”
Season 9, Episode 16 (2002)
In “William,” a man with scarring all over his body was caught breaking into the X-Files office and claimed he had information about a new alien conspiracy. His DNA revealed he shared DNA with Mulder—and may have even been him. In the end, he was revealed to be Jeffrey Spender (Chris Owens), and after he shared information about Scully’s infant son, William, Scully realized that to keep William safe, she had to give him up.
Just as with “Christmas Carol” and “Emily,” “William” took Scully’s child from her—although at least in that case, it was Scully’s choice, one made out of love to ensure his safety and one which demonstrated what a good mother she was. But that didn’t make the episode any less emotional. The scenes featuring William with his adoptive family were bittersweet, as they marked the start of a new, hopefully safer life.
3
“This Is Not Happening”
Season 8, Episode 14 (2001)
In “This Is Not Happening,” Theresa Hoese, the woman who had been abducted the night before Mulder, was found near death, and Doggett and Scully believed she may have been connected to Mulder’s disappearance. Doggett called in his former colleague, Monica Reyes (Annabeth Gish), for help. Eventually, Mulder was also found, apparently dead. As Scully ran off to get help from a man thought to be capable of healing the abductees, a beam of light appeared, and he disappeared.
“This Is Not Happening” was full of emotional scenes, but none were as intense as its final moments. Scully’s reaction to the discovery of Mulder’s body and her realization that his one chance of survival was gone were both downright devastating. Anderson was incredible throughout the scary X-Files episode, but the ending was the most heartbreaking, as she perfectly conveyed Scully’s devastation and anger, especially after being given a glimmer of hope.
2
“One Breath”
Season 2, Episode 8 (1994)
After being abducted, Scully mysteriously appeared in a hospital in Washington in “One Breath,” and although she was alive, she was in a coma and in critical condition. Mulder was determined to find out what happened to her, and his informant, X, held some answers—and Mulder confronted the Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis). Meanwhile, Scully experienced various visions of her loved ones, including her deceased father, as well as a mysterious nurse.
Mulder and Scully’s chemistry was a huge part of what made The X-Files such a great show, and “One Breath” was a moving episode which proved how much they cared about each other—and specifically, how much he cared about her. His concern for her was endearing but heartbreaking, and some of its best, most emotional moments came from him. The episode also dealt with the theme of Scully’s faith.
1
“Closure”
Season 7, Episode 11 (2000)
After discovering a mass grave containing the bodies of dozens of children, a man approached Mulder and claimed he had visions of other children who weren’t buried at the site in “Closure.” Mulder finally learned the truth about what happened to his sister Samantha—she was abducted as part of a pact between the alien Colonists and the Syndicate and eventually died, and in the episode’s final moments, he had a vision of her and the other children.
Throughout The X-Files, Mulder was motivated by his quest to find answers about what happened to Samantha, and while he had always presented her disappearance as an alien abduction, “Closure” explored the much more grounded possibility of a kidnapping. The result was one of the saddest episodes of the series. The ending moments in particular were a gut-punch, made all the more emotional by the haunting song “My Weakness” by Moby.
