Whether offering a philosophical comment on the mysteries of the universe or a witty one-liner, David Duchovny’s Fox Mulder had some of the best quotes inThe X-Files. The FBI agent investigates supernatural phenomena and uncovers government conspiracies alongside his skeptical sidekick, Dana Scully, dropping pearls of wisdom along the way. The agents made perfect foils, and their dynamic will be sorely missed in the upcomingRyan Coolger X-Files reboot.
Thanks to the brilliant writing team behind the series,The X-Fileshas remained a cultural touchstone, reflected by its 85% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.The X-Files’success was naturally built on a number of factors, with Molder being one of them. In addition to boasting years of character development and a great arc that unfolded across severalseasons ofThe X-Files, Molder delivered some of the best lines in the show’s history.
10 Episodes Of The X-Files That Made No Sense
Chris Carter’s classic sci-fi series, The X-Files, had both great and not-so-great episodes in its run. Some of them didn’t make much sense.
10"Sorry, Nobody Down Here But The FBI’s Most Unwanted."
Season 1, Episode 1: “Pilot”
In the very first episode ofThe X-Files, the series protagonists are memorably introduced. The episode opens as strict rationalist Dr. Dana Scully is given her new assignment: to debunk the work of alien fanatic Agent Fox Mulder. As the bureau’s pariah, Mulder has been relegated to a shabby office within the headquarters basement. The episodestrikes a visual contrast between Scully’s smart attire and the chaos of Mulder’s den, just before David Duchovny delivers his first line on the series.
This succinct line is expertly written, andtells the audience everything they need to know about Mulder’s character. His views have made him an outcast. He is looked down upon by his peers, but the mockery he faces only fuels his dogged pursuit of the truth. Behind Mulder’s self-depreciative humor is a sense of cavalier pride. TheX-Filespilot doesn’t waste any words in expressing the beliefs and flaws that drive its protagonists. Mulder and Scully’s opposition makes them a perfect pair, and this line is most memorable as it signals the beginning of a beautiful partnership.
9“Is There Any Way I Can Get It Off My Fingers Quickly Without Betraying My Cool Exterior?"
Season 1, Episode 3: “Squeeze”
“Squeeze” featured one ofThe X-Files’most repulsive monstersin Eugene Victor Tooms, the immortal who prolonged his life by consuming the livers of human victims, whom he hunted by squeezing his body through air vents and chimneys. The episode is gruesome and undeniably dark, but one comic moment helped to provide some levity. As the agents come across Tooms' lair in the crawlspace of his apartment, they find a nest built from newspaper scraps held together by a gross, sticky substance. Mulder has already touched the goo when Scully identifies it as human bile.
The X-Filescould have made Mulder just another iteration of the savvy secret agent archetype. Instead, the series went out of its way to poke fun at its male protagonist, and Mulder became all the more endearing as a result. This season one scene is one of the first laugh-out-loud lines in the show, and is typical of theX-Files’approach to comedy. Mulder’s funniest moments landthanks to David Duchovny’s characteristically sardonic delivery.
8“Dear Diary, Today My Heart Leapt When Agent Scully Suggested Spontaneous Human Combustion.”
Season 6, Episode 17: “Trevor”
Duchovny and Anderson’s flirtatious dynamic made Mulder and Scully’s will-they-won’t-they relationship a huge selling point for its viewers, despite the fact that the showrunners initially didn’t intend on them becoming a couple. Fans ofThe X-Filesbecame so invested in the pair ending up together that by the later seasons the writers had begun to slip in jokes about it.This interaction in the opening of the season 6 episode “Trevor” was clearly penned with a wink and a nudge.
The agents' back-and-forth banter is usually based around Mulder’s outlandish theories and Scully’s frustrated dismal of them. Here, that dynamic is inverted. Though Mulder is clearly teasing Scully for jumping to the kind of far-fetched conclusion he would usually make, the smile on his face displays genuine joy. There’s a similar moment in the season 4 episode “Small Potatoes”, where upon hearing Scully’s theory about Van Blundht’s shapeshifting abilities, a delighted Mulder asks:“Scully, should we be picking out china patterns or what?".Moments like these reveal what a strong influence the agents have on one another.
7“You Know, They Say When You Talk To God It’s Prayer, But When God Talks To You, It’s Schizophrenia.”
Season 5, Episode 17: “All Souls”
The X-Filesexplores an inverted Mulder and Scully dynamic more seriously in the season 5 episode “All Souls”. The episode sees the agents investigating Christian phenomena for the first time, as a child’s mysterious death plunges them into a battle between heaven and hell for a young girl’s soul. Perhaps surprisingly, given her typical skepticism towards unexplainable phenomena, Scully is a devout Roman Catholic. Her faith makes her more willing to believe in the supernatural forces at work in this episode, whileMulder takes on the role of the cynic.
This memorable line comes as the agents apprehend and question the priest who has been tangled up in the events. Mulder vents his frustration with this cutting barb as Father Gregory begins to pray. There’s a good reason for his callousness, though. Mulder suspects that Father Gregory is responsible for the deaths of the young girls, andhis remark exposes the contradiction that a man of faith could commit such a terrible act. In an episode which takes an usually theological slant forThe X-Files, Mulder’s skepticism provides the balance that keeps this supernatural series grounded and thought-provoking.
6“Please Tell Me You Are Here With Severe Chest Pains."
Season 5, Episode 2: “Redux II”
The season five debut “Redux” is one of theX-Files’best. The thrilling two-parter sets a whirling pace as Mulder races against the clock to find a cure for Scully’s cancer, all while facing interference from hostile parties. Several long-running subplots collide in the episode, including Mulder’s lifelong search for his sister, Samantha. It’s an episode that remains fraught from start to finish, buteven in the midst of this climactic arc, the show finds a way to ease some tension with a zinging Mulder quip.
While visiting Scully at the hospital, Mulder comes across the series antagonist. The Cigarette Smoking Man is often a harbinger of doom, and after facing a string of ordeals, his appearance is the last thing that Mulder needs. His witty greeting makes reference to the character’s unhealthy habit, but it also expresses Mulder’s weariness. There’s more strife to come, as Mulder is reunited with his sister, and the audience receives a bombshell revelation aboutMulder’s confusing family tree.Without its lighter moments, “Redux II” would be an exhausting watch.
5“Do You Think I’m Spooky?”
“Squeeze” has to be returned to, because it includesthis Mulder line that has become a firm fan favorite. The agents only become involved in the Tooms case because Scully is approached by careerist FBI agent, Tom Colton, who has been assigned to the case. Colton and Scully are already acquaintances, and the agent goes out of his way to drop a disparaging comment about Scully’s new partner. “Squeeze” effectively portrays the disdain which Mulder’s colleagues hold towards him. In this quotable moment, an amused Mulder challenges Scully to see if she views him with the same low regard.
“Mulder is so consumed by the mysteries of the cosmos that he often loses his way. Scully is the tether that keeps him grounded.”
Scully may not respond to his question, but by the end of the episode, her answer is clear. The episode is a crucial turning point in the agents' relationship.Presented with the choice to abandon Mulder in favor of furthering her career, Scully remains loyal, and for the first time,“Spooky Mulder"finds himself an ally in the bureau. An honorable mention should be made of the following scene, where Mulder snarks back at the condescending Colton. His response definitely seems like petty jealousy:“Do you have any idea what Liver and Onions go for on Reticulum?”
4"If We Fail To Anticipate The Unforeseen Or Expect The Unexpected In A Universe Of Infinite Possibilities, We May Find Ourselves At The Mercy Of Anyone Or Anything That Cannot Be Programmed, Categorized Or Easily Referenced.”
The X-Files: Fight The Future
The firstX-Filesmovie is so jam-packed with excellent quotes that it could fill this list. The film quite literally opens with a bang, as the agents are sent to investigate a bomb plot that destroys criminal evidence. They go on to uncover a larger government cover-up as key players plot to conceal plans for the impending alien colonization of Earth.Fight The Futureis one of the greatest installments in the wholeX-Filesfranchiseand contains all the hallmarks of the series: alien conspiracies, red-herrings, and an abundance of Mulder and Scully interactions to gush over.
This prosaic Mulder quote feels like it should come at a moment of philosophical reflection. Instead, it is delivered rather indifferently as he surprises Scully on the rooftop of the building they are trying to locate the bomb in. He follows the line by popping a sunflower seed into his mouth and complaining that the rooftop is “hotter than hell.“Fight The Futureis filled with this kind of zippy dialogue, andDuchovny’s straight-faced, naturalistic delivery conceals just how meaningful it is. Afterall, keeping his mind open to the"universe of infinite possibilities"is the rule that Mulder lives by.
3“As Difficult And As Frustrating As It’s Been Sometimes, Your Goddamned Strict Rationalism And Science Have Saved Me A Thousand Times Over! You’ve Kept Me Honest…You’ve Made Me A Whole Person.”
Fight The Futurealso went down inX-Fileshistory for finally confirming the anticipated romance between its lead characters. The film’s emotional turning point comes as Scully is about to quit the X-Files and be transferred to Salt Lake City. She goes to Mulder’s apartment to deliver the news, and Mulder, understandably devastated, delivers this line as he begs her to stay. An untimely bee sting may have thwarted their first onscreen kiss, butthe scene still makes it clear that the feelings the agents have for another are more than platonic.
This touching Mulder quote reveals the perfect duality in his and Scully’s relationship. Scully has spent a life gazing down at medical journals and autopsy tables, and when she meets Mulder he is able to lift her gaze to the stars. Equally, Mulder is so consumed by the mysteries of the cosmos that he often loses his way. Scully is the tether that keeps him grounded.Together, they are two parts of a perfect whole.
2“You’re My One In Five Billion.”
Season 5, Episode 19: “Folie À Deux”
Chris Carter may have been famously against his main characters becoming a couple, but the agents have shared many undeniable romantic moments throughout the series. This Mulder line from season 5 wouldn’t look out of place on a Valentine’s Day card.There’s a stronger sentiment behind the line in context, though. “Folie à Deux” is a bizarre episode centered on a man who believes his boss is a monstrous bug-like creature masquerading as a human. When Mulder inherits his ability to see the monster, everyone believes he is delusional.
Mulder feels especially betrayed by Scully’s skepticism. He asks for her trust by invoking their five-year partnership:“Scully, you have to believe me. Nobody else on this whole damn planet does or ever will. You’re my one in five billion.“Once again,The X-Filesgets to the heart of the agents' relationship. Since the first season,Scully has been the only person that Mulder can rely on. Without her support, he faces his quest alone. It’s typical ofThe X-Filesthat this poignant moment is hidden within an episode with a wacky premise.
1“I’m Not Going To Give Up. I Can’t Give Up. Not As Long As The Truth Is Out There.”
Season 1, Episode 24: “The Erlenmeyer Flask”
This line from the season 1 finale tops the list as the quintessential Mulder quote. It could even be called the quintessentialX-Filesquote, since so many associate the line with the series. It has appeared in almost every episode in the form of a title card that appears at the end of the opening credits, but the first time it is spoken aloud is in the season 1 finale, “The Erlenmeyer Flask.” Rather fittingly, it is Mulder who says this iconic phrase.
“The Erlenmeyer Flask” is an important episode that launched the mytharc that would support the entire series. It ups the ante significantly in anticipation for the second series: Deep Throat, the firstMulder informant to reveal government secrets, meets his end. A shocking cliffhanger sees the X-Files shut down for the first time, which is when Mulder voices his resolve to keep fighting"as long as the truth is out there.“The X-Files' famous catchphrase is more applicable to him than anyone else on the show. The relentless pursuit of the truth is, after all, the core of Mulder’s character.
The X-Files
The X-Filesis a groundbreaking science fiction and supernatural franchise that began with the television series created by Chris Carter in 1993. The series follows FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully as they investigate unsolved cases involving paranormal phenomena, known as X-Files. The show combines elements of horror, thriller, and conspiracy fiction, making it a cultural phenomenon of the 1990s. The franchise expanded to include two feature films, multiple comic book series, video games, and spin-off shows likeMillenniumandThe Lone Gunmen. It was revived twice, first in 2016 and then again in 2018, with additional seasons continuing the story of Mulder and Scully.The X-Filesis credited with influencing numerous other television shows and has maintained a loyal fan base over the decades.
