Five episodes of The X-Files to watch in light of the US Congress’ UFO hearings

As The X-files’ fictional arch conspiracy theorist and FBI man Fox Mulder once said: “Your own government lies as a matter of course, as a matter of policy”.

Now, according to evidence presented at a US congressional hearing this week, it looks like the beloved 90s crusader for truth, justice and alien technology might have overlooked the possibility the US Government could also lie to itself.

On Wednesday, the decorated US intelligence officer and whistleblower who claimed the US military has extraterrestrial vehicles “of non-human origin” [ the UAPs formerly known as UFOs], and hid them from Congress and the public for decades, gave testimony under oath at a congressional hearing on the topic.

During the hearing David Grusch was asked if the project responsible for hiding the UAPs had also retrieved their occupants, described as “non-human biologics” (that’s aliens, to you and me) from the crashed extraterrestrial vehicles.

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His response, at a congressional hearing, to members of the US congress, under oath?

“That was the assessment of people with direct knowledge on the [UAP] program I talked to, that are currently still on the program.”

In other words, yes. You can watch the entire hearing here.

It’s all a bit too crazy to be believed, even in an era where sections of society believe a pandemic which killed millions globally was made up, and vaccines to halt it carried tiny tracking devices.

Luckily we have 11 seasons of a hit 90s TV show about this very topic to help us make sense of it all. So here are the five best episodes of the X-Files that can help you understand this latest turn in the UAP/UFO story:

Jose Chung’s From Outer Space, Season 3

Author Jose Chung (Charles Nelson Reilly ) is writing a book about alien abductions. His exploration of a possible abduction case in a backwoods town brings him in contact with agents Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson).

The TV equivalent of dropping two tabs of acid and a bushel of shrooms, this episode from The X-files’ third season, plays out like Ufologists fever dream. Abductions, obfuscating officials, cigarette smoking aliens, WWF superstars moonlighting as Men In Black, and yes, anal probes, the storylines the pile up like the strings in String Theory.

Riffing on the American cinematic classic Citizen Kane, Jose Chung’s From Outer Space is an exploration of how impossible it is to piece together the truth from eyewitness accounts, and how that goes double when fragile egos, and the Government are involved.

Watch the episode

Duane Barry and Ascension, Season 2

Disturbed and delusional (or is he?) retired soldier Duane Barry (Steve Railsback) believes he’s been abducted and implanted with a tracking device by aliens with the consent of the government he once served.

When he thinks he’s about to be abducted again, Duane kidnaps FBI agent Scully intending to trade her for him. But after a frantic nighttime chase to the top of disused ski field both Barry and Scully end up missing, presumed dead.

Later, Scully is returned and discovers an implant in her body that sets off a bar code reader at a local supermarket.

The freakiest thing about this two-parter is that X-Files creator Chris Carter based Barry off someone he knew in real life who claimed aliens abducted him and put implants in his teeth.

Watch the episodes

Musing of a Cigarette Smoking Man, Season 4

A play on the film Forrest Gump, this episode puts the nameless Puppet master of the show, Cancer or Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis), at the heart of every conspiracy theory-plagued incident of the late 20th century.

In one of the most bleakly funny scenes he meets the show’s Deep Throat, who has seemingly been helping Scully and Mulder. The pair toss a coin for the right to kill an alien captive. Cancer Man loses the toss, but implies he’s won – and done worse – in the past.

Best line: “Life is like a box of chocolates… a cheap perfunctory gift that nobody wants.”

Watch the episode

Requiem, Season 7

This is the one where Mulder finally finds the truth he spent seven seasons wanting to believe.

Poignant, and disturbing, Requiem could be read as a metaphor for being consumed by our beliefs and choosing the fantasy over keeping your feet on solid ground.

It’s here not so much for Mulder’s beatific realisation that he wasn’t wrong after all, as Scully’s devastation at finally losing her partner and soul mate: the real cost of diving headfirst into the conspiracy theory wormhole.

Watch the episode