32 Years Ago Today, The X-Files Almost Ruined Its First Season With the Show’s Worst Episode

by

The first episode of The X-Files premiered on September 10, 1993, attracting 12 million viewers – a significant number for a show scheduled on a Friday night. The series, created by Chris Carter, quickly gained a dedicated following as people tuned in each week to discover the truth behind the government conspiracies that Fox Mulder passionately believed in, even if Dana Scully remained skeptical. The X-Files propelled David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson to stardom in the 1990s, establishing them as pop culture icons and bringing them back to these beloved characters over the next three decades.

From the very beginning, The X-Files launched with a strong first episode that quickly established the show’s premise and main characters, offering just enough intrigue to hook viewers. For its initial nine seasons, the series benefited from a time when network television featured many episodes per season, and it consistently delivered engaging content – at least for a while. However, a single episode nearly caused the show to fail early in its first season.

The X-Files Season 1 Starts Very Strong With Its First Eight Episodes

Following its first episode, The X-Files quickly established itself with three strong installments. The second episode, “Deep Throat,” expanded the show’s core mysteries and introduced Jerry Hardin as Mulder’s key informant, as well as featuring the first onscreen UFOs. This combination captivated both Mulder and the audience, encouraging them to continue watching. The third episode, “Squeeze,” marked the debut of the show’s popular “Monster of the Week” format, which balanced out the more complex, mythology-driven storylines. The episode proved so successful that the character of Eugene Victor Tooms, played by Doug Hutchison, returned later in the season.

While the initial episodes of The X-Files were well-received and kept viewers engaged, the season truly excelled with its eighth episode, “Ice,” which many still consider a series highlight. Inspired by The Thing, the episode follows Mulder and Scully as they investigate a mysterious incident at an Arctic research station, leading to growing suspicion about a hidden, ancient parasite. Unfortunately, the success of “Ice” was followed by one of the show’s weakest episodes, causing some viewers to question whether to continue watching.

The X-Files Episode 9 Almost Ruined the Series

Episode 9 of The X-Files, titled “Space,” nearly caused major problems for what many consider the best science fiction TV show of the 1990s. The episode centers on Lt. Col. Marcus Aurelius Belt (played by Ed Lauter), an astronaut haunted by a disturbing face he saw during a spacewalk. Sixteen years later, someone is sabotaging NASA’s space shuttle missions, and Mulder and Scully are assigned to the case.

Throughout the episode, it’s revealed that Belt isn’t acting on his own – he’s been taken over by something he encountered in space. This entity has been secretly causing problems with several space missions, and the show even suggests Belt was involved in the Challenger disaster. The episode tries to end on a hopeful note, implying that Belt was actually trying to warn his superiors about what was happening and stop the entity from causing further damage.

As a big fan of The X-Files, the premise of this episode, “Space,” sounded interesting on paper. But honestly, it’s the visual effects that really drag it down. Every time they show Belt or the being possessing him, the effects are just… bad. They seem to have pulled these effects straight from those old images of Mars – you know, the ones where people thought they saw a face in the Cydonia region? It just doesn’t work.

This episode is widely considered one of the worst of the series – even its creator, Chris Carter, has openly disliked it, once calling it his least favorite in an Entertainment Weekly guide. It also received a very low score of 6.2 out of 10 on IMDB, making it the lowest-rated episode of Season 1 and one of the four worst episodes across the entire show.

Viewership numbers clearly show audiences didn’t like this episode. While “Space” drew 10.7 million viewers, the following week’s episode, “Fallen Angel” (which was significantly better), saw a drop to 8.8 million, indicating dissatisfaction. Thankfully, The X-Files recovered, but “Space” remains one of the show’s weakest installments.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/stephen-king-unkown-tv-show-connections/embed/#

Read More

2025-11-12 20:41