Although the denouement may be nothing new, it’s nevertheless riveting. Made all the more so because it involves the death of a young child. Why it’s scary: From the deeply disturbing teaser sequence to the exorcism scene, this is one frighteningly creepy episode. But it turns out their young suspect is in fact possessed by an evil spirit – the spirit of his stillborn twin brother. What happens: The mysterious death of a toddler at an amusement park and the subsequent deaths of two other members of the same family leads Mulder and Scully to an unlikely suspect. Oh, and if you think the killer’s modus operandi seems vaguely familiar you’re not wrong – it bears more than a passing resemblance to Nightmare on Elm Street’s Freddy Krueger. X-tra: Yet another episode that earned itself a viewer discretion warning for its violent and graphic content. Why it’s scary: The visceral impact of one scene and one scene alone: Doggett holding a bloody severed head – Scully’s bloody severed head! Enough said!
What happens: When an FBI Agent on routine surveillance of a religious cult dies mysteriously, Doggett and Skinner investigate a murder spree where the killer leaves no trace of his crimes. X-tra: The music played at the funeral is ‘Trois Gymnopedies’ (first movement) by Erik Satie.
The mere thought that the boy next door in the button down shirt could be the devil in disguise doesn’t bare thinking about. The seemingly normal – at least on first impressions! – boy next-door types like Pfaster are the most frightening kinds of monsters. Why it’s scary: From his ultra creepy voice to his strange obsession for hair, Donnie Pfaster sends shivers down the spine. Whilst investigating the murder of one of Pfaster’s victims, a prostitute, Scully unwittingly becomes Pfaster’s next target. What happens: Death fetishist Donnie Pfaster turns to murder in order to satisfy his cravings. Incidentally, sci-fi fans may recognise the ill-fated Deputy Paster Sebastian Spence played Cade Foster in First Wave. X-tra: Home was the first (although not the last) episode to be preceded by a warning about its mature and graphic content. This is definitely not one to watch before bedtime!
Memorable, more for the wrong reasons than the right.
Imagery doesn’t get much more gruesome and shocking than this. Why it’s scary: The Peacock boys the horrific murder of Sheriff Taylor and his wife the body under the bed and the underlying incest theme. In doing so, the agents stumble upon the family’s shocking secret a secret the brothers tried to bury when they disposed of the infant. What happens: The gruesome discovery of a deformed new born baby leads Mulder and Scully to investigate their prime suspects – the freakish Peacock brothers. So, sit down, turn the lights off, close the curtains and get ready to relive ten of The X-Files best scariest ever episodes… Neither is it a countdown to the scariest scary episode either – we’d rather they were all judged to be equally good in their own right. In honour of what has been a monumental, groundbreaking television series, The Official X-Files Magazine has chosen ten of the best scariest X-Files episodes – ever.