History Awesome / TheXFiles

* As if the 2016 revival miniseries wasn't reason enough to get excited, one of the episodes is also written by Darin Morgan, widely considered one of the show's best and most one-of-a-kind writers despite only doing four episodes, and very little else since the show ended.

* Scully [[spoiler:returning from Cote d'Ivoire and kicking every ass in sight until she got Mulder back in "The Sixth Extinction: Amor Fati"]].

* Season 3's "Paper Clip" and Agent Skinner's setting of a new world record in badass. After a whole season of being the Cigarette-Smoking Man's ChewToy and helplessly watching the attempted murders of both Mulder and Scully, he ''finally'' gains the upper hand:

* Watching the Cigarette Smoking Man get called by Skinner in Paper Clip and him panicking about the tape is Awesome in it's own right.

* CSM/Cancerman's [[MagnificentBastard cool, collected response]] to Mulder waving a gun in his face in "One Breath":
-->'''CSM:''' Don't threaten me, Mulder. I've watched presidents die.
** This is later revealed to be true because [[spoiler:he ''assassinated JFK''.]] [[UnreliableNarrator Or not]].
* The episode "End Game" had Skinner kick Mister X's ass in an elevator to find mulder.
* The episode "Unusual Suspects" looks at the formation of the Lone Gunmen, Mulder's geeky online allies. Throughout the episode, the "subversive" Frohike and Langley look down on Byers, a government employee, frequently dismissing him with the sneer that he's a "Narc". Yet at the end, when they're surrounded by conspiracy agents who could kill them at any moment and have had the truth of the plot revealed to them, it's the "Narc" who gets up on his feet and angrily demands who the hell gave these guys the right to act like they can do whatever the hell they want, facing the fact that these guys could shoot him instantly without even flinching, whilst Langly and Frohike are desperately trying to get him to shut up.

* Mulder [[spoiler:rescuing Scully from an alien spaceship ''in Antarctica'' in TheMovie]].
** Also Scully giving her reason why they should continue working on the X-Files as long as they are allowed. It implies that they are looking for the truth so that they can help people and save the planet, no less.
---> '''Scully:''' I can't [quit the FBI and be a doctor]. I won't. Mulder, I'll be a doctor, but my work is here with you now. That virus that I was exposed to, whatever it is, it has a cure. You held it in your hand. How many other lives can we save? Look, if I quit now, they win.
* Scully [[spoiler:returning from Cote d'Ivoire and kicking every ass in sight until she got Mulder back in "The Sixth Extinction: Amor Fati"]].
** Apart from everything Scully does to save Mulder, she also bitches him out in his drugged state because he had given up the fight. Read: even in his subconscious, Scully is his constant, his touchstone.
* Scully in "Beyond the Sea" to "psychic" Luther Lee Boggs:
-->'''Scully:''' You set us up. You're in on this with Lucas Henry. This was a trap for Mulder because he helped put you away. Well, I came here to tell you that if he dies because of what you've done, four days from now, no one will be able to stop me from being the one that will throw the switch and gas you out of this life for good, you son of a bitch!
** Note that [[spoiler:she's actually incorrect in this accusation.]]
** Earlier, Mulder presents Boggs with several pieces of evidence to test his claims of mental powers. After Boggs goes through a whole routine on a piece of a shirt, Mulder reveals that it has nothing to do with the case, and he just cut it off one of his own shirts.
* Scully [[EverybodyWasKungFuFighting kung fu fighting]] the nurses in "Kill Switch".
* The episode "Triangle". The first three acts are entirely {{The Oner}}, and the last one builds to a stunning climax with a SuspiciouslySimilarSong to "Sing Sing Sing." Plus, the incredible split screen shot where the two Scullys switch places.
* Basketball fans will like this one. In "Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man" CSM mentions he drugged the Russian goalie in the Olympic hockey finals against USA, in response to the infamous basketball game where the final three seconds were replayed three times so the Soviets would win.
-->'''CSM:''' Payback's a bitch, Ivan.
* For that matter, Cancerman looking out the window after Mulder ''[[LotusEaterMachine dies,]]'' watching the aliens invade.
* Mulder ''breaking the fourth wall'' in "The Post-modern Prometheus", all to petition the writers for a happier ending. However, all depends on your interpretation of this post-modernistic piece of a story. You might think that he wasn't petitioning the writers of the ''show'', but the writer of the comic book, the boy whose mother was the one to phone in the case to the FBI. Your view may vary on the fact whether the concert and the dance did really happen - in the comics it did certainly, but did it happen in-universe in Mulder and Scully's reality?
* In season 8 finale, Walter Skinner finally [[spoiler:kills Alex Krycek with a well-placed and well-deserved headshot]].
* In "2Shy", Scully [[CombatStilettos kicking]] the MonsterOfTheWeek in the ''face'' when he tries to attack her.
** Also from this episode: Scully lets the sexist detective blather on about how he dislikes women being part of his investigation. She proves him wrong by her top-notch professional performance.
* From "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose":
-->'''Scully:''' All right. How do I die?\\
'''Clyde Bruckman:''' You don't.
** And in a later episode [[spoiler:Scully actually does appear to become immortal.]]
* Scully identifying an airplane's model from wreckage at the bottom of the ocean. Mulder (and half the audience) replies "I just got very turned on."
* In "Orison," serial killer Donnie Pfaster lets a call girl into his apartment and, in accordance with his MO, asks her to take a bath and wash her hair. The viewer is set up to expect an example of DisposableSexWorker but when Pfaster tries to get violent, she throws hot wax in his face, punches his lights out and leaves. It's especially pleasurable to watch because Pfaster hates women and has tended to kill sex workers, so this is a kind of vicarious revenge.

** In the second episode of the revival "Founder's Mutation," when [[spoiler:Kyle and Molly use their TwinTelepathy to [[KickTheSonOfABitch kill Goldman]] and escape from the hospital Molly had been kept prisoner in.]]
** Scully's incredibly nonchalant takedown of a suspect in "Home Again": she puts down an armed suspect in about three seconds ''flat'' while wearing stiletto heels, then casually hands the suspect's gun to a shocked Mulder.

* Season 3's "Paper Clip" and Agent Skinner's setting of a new world record in {{Badass}}. After a whole season of being the Cigarette-Smoking Man's ChewToy and helplessly watching the attempted murders of both Mulder and Scully, he ''finally'' gains the upper hand:

* The episode "End Game" Had Skinner kick Mister X's ass in an elevator to find mulder.

** To Recap that episode Krycek had been exposed as a mole who murdered Duane Barry and the skylift operator and had sold scully leading to this exchange.

* Watching The Cancer Man get called by Skinner in Paper Clip and him panicking about the tape is Awesome in it's own right.
** To Recap that episode Krycek had been exposed as a mole who murdered duane berry and the skylift operator and had sold scully leading to this exchange.

-->'''Skinner:''' There's only one thing I CAN do Agent Mulder. As of right now i'm reopening the X-Files. That's what they fear the most.

** In the second episode of the revival "Founder's Mutation," when Kyle and Molly use their TwinTelepathy to [[KickTheSonOfABitch kill Goldman]] and escape from the hospital Molly had been kept prisoner in.

* As if the 2016 revival miniseries wasn't reason enough to get excited, one of the episodes is also written by Darrin Morgan, widely considered one of the show's best and most one-of-a-kind writers despite only doing four episodes, and very little else since the show ended.

* Season 2's "Anasazi" and Agent Skinner's setting of a new world record in {{Badass}}. After a whole season of being the Cigarette-Smoking Man's ChewToy and helplessly watching the attempted murders of both Mulder and Scully, he ''finally'' gains the upper hand:

-->'''Skinner:''' Let it go Muler there's nothing you can do

** And later on [[spoiler:Scully actually does appear to become immortal.]]

* Mulder ''breaking the fourth wall'' in "The Post-modern Prometheus", all to petition the writers for a happier ending. He wasn't petitioning the writers of the ''show'', but the writer of the comic book, the boy whose mother was the one to phone in the case to the FBI.

** Not to mention, after CSM leaves the scene, it is revealed that Skinner was indeed bluffing.

** Similarly, Skinner got one CMOA for reopening the X-Files in "Ascension", specifically because "It's what [[TheOmnicientCouncilOfVagueness they]] fear the most."

** Similarly, Skinner got one CMOA for reopening the X-Files in "Ascension", specifically because "It's what [[OmnicientCouncilOfVagueness they]] fear the most."

* Skinner arguably gets one a season earlier for reopening the X-Files, specifically because "It's what they fear the most."
* That whole episode is a case of ItGotWorse for CSM in general, since most of his assurances to his fellow [[TheSyndicate Syndicate]] members are proven to be lies. He first failed to kill Mulder, then failed to catch Mulder and Scully, and lost the DAT tape -- to Krycek, who he ''also'' failed to kill. His expression when he hears Krycek on the phone is priceless, especially since he's trying not to let the other members know what he's actually hearing. Since he's normally such a MagnificentBastard, watching him screw up is a CMOA on its own.

** This is later revealed to be because [[spoiler:he ''assassinated JFK''.]]

** Also Scully giving her reason why they should continue working on the X-Files as long as they are allowed. After all, it implies that they are looking for the truth so that they can help people and save the planet, no less.

---> '''Scully:''' I can't [quit FBI and be a doctor]. I won't. Mulder, I'll be a doctor, but my work is here with you now. That virus that I was exposed to, whatever it is, it has a cure. You held it in your hand. How many other lives can we save? Look, if I quit now, they win.

---> '''Scully:''' I can't [quit FBI and be a doctor]. I won't. Mulder, I'll be a doctor, but my work is here with you now. That virus that I was exposed to, whatever it is, it has a cure. You held it in your hand. How many other lives can we save? Look ... (she clasps his hand) ... If I quit now, they win.

* Scully lets the sexist detective blather on about how he dislikes women being part of his investigation. She proves him wrong by her top-notch professional performance.