Good episodes are out there.
I’ve officially hit what I’m calling the roller coaster period of The X-Files. Season 4 has taken me up, down, and up again. It’s a wild ride, and I want to map it out.
The Climb: “Herrenvolk” and “Home”
The season gets off to a strong start. “Herrenvolk” picks up the mythology threads with genuine momentum, weaving together the bees, Jeremiah Smith, and the unsettling possibility that Mulder’s search for his sister, Samantha, won’t end the way he’d hoped. It’s the kind of premiere that reminds you why the conspiracy arc worked so well in the first place, grounding the larger mystery in deeply personal stakes.
Then comes “Home,” and everything shifts into a different gear. This is The X-Files at its most disturbing, plunging into the isolated, inbred horror of the Peacock family. It’s easy to understand why the episode became infamous and why its reputation has endured over the years.
The First Drop: “Teliko”
Then the momentum dips. “Teliko” isn’t a disaster, but following the one-two punch of the season’s opening episodes, it feels underwhelming. The monster-of-the-week premise has an intriguing hook, yet the episode never achieves the sense of unease or emotional weight I’d come to expect so early in the season. It’s watchable but forgettable, and in this context, a definite letdown. Coming directly after “Home” only makes the contrast more pronounced.
Back Up: “Unruhe”
Just as I was beginning to resign myself to disappointment, “Unruhe” pulled me right back in. With Scully in jeopardy, a genuinely unnerving antagonist, and a story that gets under your skin, the episode delivers the tension and psychological creepiness I’d been missing. It restored my faith in the season and convinced me that the previous dip was nothing more than a brief stumble.
The Long Valley: “The Field Where I Died” and “Sanguinarium”
This is where the coaster hits rock bottom. Episodes five and six, “The Field Where I Died” and “Sanguinarium,” both left me cold. Each is ambitious in its own way, with one reaching for the metaphysical and romantic, and the other embracing gory camp, but neither quite sticks the landing. Watching them back to back made this the season’s roughest stretch and left me wondering whether the momentum of the opening two episodes had been lost for good. Two mediocre episodes in a row hit harder than one, and this was the first point where the season truly tested my commitment to rewatching every episode of this series.
The Rise Again
And then the coaster starts climbing again. Once I got through that rough stretch, the show found its footing, settling into a long run of solid episodes that made the earlier turbulence feel like part of the ride rather than a sign that the series was losing its way.
The X-Files at its peak was never about consistency, and that’s precisely what makes it so much fun. A show that blends standalone horror, mythology, and experimental comedy is bound to swing between exhilarating highs and disappointing lows. That unpredictability is part of the experience. When the show gets it right, it’s unforgettable, and when an episode falls flat, you can take comfort in knowing that another great one is probably just around the corner.
So, if you find yourself in the middle of a rough patch during Season 4, hang in there. The ride gets better.