While fandoms come together around their favorite shows, they can also disagree–and vehemently so!–about many a detail.  I dare you to ask a group of X-Philes what their favorite episodes are.  I dare you.

While you gather enough courage to face the chaos that such a question will create, here is Apartment 42‘s take on the best and worse episodes of the first season of The X-Files–even if I don’t agree with it all 😉

The Best and Worst of Season 1, by Radhika

Like many first seasons of most TV shows, The X-Files’ first season had its share of missteps. But when the show got it right, it really did get things right. The main characters — Mulder and Scully — are well drawn out and fun to watch from the start. Despite Scully’s introduction as a possible antagonist to Mulder, their banter and chemistry is immediately compelling and remains one of the reasons why the show is so meaningful to most longtime fans.

The first season also establishes a mythology for the show (something that has become more prominent in television today). Numerous aspects of the early mythology will remain integral to the show in its future seasons, a rather commendable feat by writers who were just starting to figure things out.

The standalone Monster of the Week episodes from this season are a mix of fantastic and slightly cruddy. But episodes like “Squeeze” and “Ice” establish that classic monster show feeling, while also feeling fresh and even somewhat scientifically possible at times.

We’ll be plowing ahead with season two soon enough, but before we do, we’d like to highlight our five favorite and five least favorite episodes from season one. Take a look, and tell us where you agree (or disagree) with what we think.

TOP 5 EPISODES OF SEASON 1

Squeeze – As the very first Monster of the Week episode of the show, “Squeeze” introduced viewers to a still-memorable, liver-eating villain: Eugene Victor Tooms. The genuine feeling of suspense, the snappy dialogue and some excellent acting still make this a great episode to watch 20 years after it aired.

Ice – A parasite in the frozen wilderness induces some classic paranoia and suspense in this brilliantly written and brilliantly performed Monster of the Week episode.

Read the rest of the post here.