Question for X-Files fans - recommend episodes?

Question

I recently got my friend into the X-Files (woohoo!) and we're supposed to hang out and watch some DVD's this Saturday. So I've only shown her a few (the Pilot, Squeeze, Darkness Falls, and I think that's it) but I want to move to some of the later and lighter episodes.

However, a lot of the lighter episodes dealt with a skewing of the Mulder/Scully relationship (like Bad Blood, for example) which I don't want to do til she's seen enough to establish their relationship and the show as a whole.

Soooo, after all that rambling, what do you recommend as good sort of "introductory" lighter/funnier episodes to the awesomeness that is the X-Files? And then after that how do I kind of shortcut my way through 9 years of mythology? Thanks in advance!

Oh, and I have all the DVD's at my disposal, so episodes from any time frame are fine, though I'm avoiding seasons 8 and 9 for now for reasons I'm sure you are all aware of. :)

Answer 1

The most funniest episodes:

1. Dreamland 1 (6x04)
2. Dreamland 2 (6x05)
3. Humbug (2x20)
4. Jose Chung's 'From Outer Space' (3x20)
5. Small Potatoes (4x20)

Answer 2

You need to show her the lighter, funny ones before the mythology (because honestly, I don't think anybody who's not already a fan would like those!) Among my favorite stand-alone episodes:

Humbug (season 2)
D.P.O. (season 3)
Leonard Betts (season 4)
Small Potatoes (season 4)
The Post-Modern Prometheus (season 5)
Bad Blood (season 5) *maybe after she's seen lots of other episodes*
Dreamland/ Dreamland 2 (season 6)
How the Ghosts Stole Christmas (season 6)
Arcadia (season 6)
Hollywood A.D. (season 7)

I'm not sure about the mythology

Answer 3

csi83 is absolutely right!

the dreamland eps.
small potatoes.


but let's not forget:

Arcadia! (rob and laura petrie (like the dish))
How the Ghosts Stole Christmas
The Rain King

hell, if you're looking for the lighter eps with great mulder-scully moments, season 6 or 5 definitely.

Answer 4

It's so funny, 'cause I just recently got my friend into the x-files too and I was in the same predicament as you. My solution was for the two of us to spend the next three weeks lying on the couch and watching them all! But perhaps your friend is not quite as willing as my is... Then I would strongly recommend 'The post Modern Prometheus' (season five); everybody loves that ep!

Answer 5

I think a good way to start as an x-phile is to watch the Mythology ones. So she can learn about it and at the same time get more into the idea of shippyness ; )

Here's a special list to become a real x-phile!:

"Little Green Men"
"Duane Barry"
"Ascension"
"One Breath"
"Colony"
"End Game"
"Anasazi"
"The Blessing Way"
"Paper Clip"
"Nisei"
"731"
"Piper Maru"
"Apocrypha"
"Talitha Cumi"
"Herrenvolk"
"Tunguska"
"Terma"
"Memento Mori"
"Tempus Fugit"
"Max"
"Zero Sum"
"Gethsemane"
"Redux"
"Redux II"
"Patient X"
"The Red and the Black"
"The End"
"The Beginning"
"S.R. 819"
"Two Fathers"
"One Son"
"Biogenesis"
"The Sixth Extinction"
"The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati"
"Sein Und Zeit"
"Closure"
"En Ami"
"Requiem"
"Within"
"Without"
"Per Manum"
"This Is Not Happening"
"DeadAlive"
"Three Words"
"Vienen"
"Essence"
"Existence"
"Nothing Important Happened Today"
"Nothing Important Happened Today II"
"Trust No 1"
"Provenance"
"Providence"
"William"
"The Truth"

That's my suggestion for a perfect mix of mythology and shipper episodes!

Good luck fellow x-phile!

Answer 6

for introductory episodes...
Jose Chung's from Outer Space from season 3.
Syzygy from season 3
El Mundo Gira from season 4
X-Cops from Season 7
for mythology shortcut...
Erlenmeyer Flask from season 1
Colony from season 2
End Game from season 2
Anasazi from season 2
Talatha Cumi from season 3
Herrenvolk from season 4
Musings of a Cigarette-Smoking Man from season 4
The End from season 5
The Beginning from season 6
Two Fathers from season 6
One Son from season 6
Biogenesis from season 6
Closure from season 7
Requiem from season 7