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UNCUT - The X-Files S1E20 - Darkness Falls (Patreon)

Published:
2026-03-16 13:44:53
Edited:
2026-11-01 05:01:57
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Thicketdweller🦊

I always love this episode. If you pay close attention when Moulder finds the pot, he pockets it.

Marcus BlueSky

IMHO the "L"s are sort of "necessary" for the concept of the show. If it would be a "W"in there would be a final definitive answer to the case, no X-file anymore, and we'd be confronted with facts. But the show ends it without solving the actual case/nothing to show for because that leaves the rest up for the viewer's phantasy and imagination. This way each single viewer is inspired to make up the rest and everyone has their respective PERFECT ending in their heads. Great reaction, gentlemen. Happy you continue on a weekly basis and you still enjoy it!

Marcus BlueSky

Never caught that. Saw the ep a couple of times though.

Zenlike Creature

Very much enjoy this episode. A little bit of that fear of the dark anxiety for the both the characters and audience. I like the way that the 'monster of the week' is potentially an old, if not ancient, insect; something from the past that no longer exists. A bit of environmental observations subtly mixed in, too. Overall, a solid episode, if not a little formulaic with its structure. Nothing ground breaking but I never skip it on a re-watch. P.S. did the mask slip, Josh? Are you a government agent? ;)

Prof Moff

Thanks for this episode. I was forced to dust every where, bug bomb my house and put on anti mosquito spray. I hate this ep but LOVE it. Creeps me out completely... I hate bugs

Demijan Omeragic

Loved this one. :) You're also asking all the right questions. And that coat is pretty popular among fans, it's a 90s Eddie Bauer, fans have actually bought some old pieces from eBay and elsewhere. Still hoping you'll do two episodes a week at some point. Perhaps starting with season two? :D

Demijan Omeragic

IMO "Shapes", the previous one (Werewolf) is one of the weakest episodes of season one, whereas this one is one of the stronger ones. But opinions/tastes differ of course. There are also some fan favorite episodes which I personally detest, but, I won't mention more due to spoilers.

StonyD

I haven't rewatched X-Files episode to episode after they aired back in the 90's. Also, I was partying in college back in that decade and missed whole chunks of seasons as they usually aired on Sunday nights after the Simpsons and Futurama and I was usually out socializing. So I find I'm loving this journey more than I am going back over DS9 (or VOY) simply because it all feels new to me. Love it!

Patric Flück

I loved the premise but I refuse to believe on this one. You are surrounded by wood, make a campfire for crying out loud! A campfire gives off much more light than an incandescent bulb. Wanna get out? Hike during the day, make another fire before nightfall, repeat.

River Acheron

I always really loved this one but spiders would have been creepier.

THE LORE!!!

I think this is the first episode of the season where I disagree with your take on the episode as a whole. I love this one, probably my favorite of s1. I was in middle school when it came out and I remember everyone talking about it freaking them out.

John A

This one is fine, do I ever think Fox and Sully are going to die, No, but it is more of how are they going to get out of this one. The ending is really the only solution. If they drove out before the sun went down, then they would be carrying these bug out with them and it would spread. I am happy with the ending, which really turns out well as an ending. Regarding the environmental aspect of this episode, they present a good balance, where both side are doing things wrong, neither side is innocent in how they are dealing with the trees.

Phenomenon (Doo - Dooo - Dah - Doo - Doo)

Re: The fragility of light bulbs --- To make sure you'll need more down the road BTW Josh.... Google "Demodex" if you ever decide you never, ever want to sleep again 😁🪳

Troubled Tribble

The survival horror genre was not as prevalent as it is today, and even less on television. It may not hold up very well, but in 94 or 95 this was bonkers television. Not an L, they solved the case, and survived because they radioed out.

Sherman Lin

The year the X-Files came out there were 105 television series 88 of them had higher ratings only 16 had lower ratings than X-Files...but X-Files had good critical reviews...we're very lucky Fox didn't cancel X-Files....you guys WILL end up liking X-Files more than Star Trek simply based on variety of later episodes All high quality

Brian Patterson

Saw this when it came out and I was 12. One of those shows/movies that didn't creep me out too much on first watch but the next summer when I went camping deep into the woods I did freak out a bit thinking of this while in my tent at night. I love it when a story can have that effect on you.

Ryan

This episode feels like one of those rambling fourth-grade jokes that makes no sense except as a vehicle to deliver the punchline. But damn, what a punchline! By '90s TV standards, it's insanely ballsy to have our characters *not* escape their fate. Maybe someone watched DS9 and said, "More trauma! That's what we need!" I do love how small and helpless Mulder and Scully seem at the end, trapped in this faceless government facility. It's a nice visual reminder that they're fighting forces way bigger than they are.

Caleb

nice episode, loved the atmosphere.

Collin Freeman

I’d rate this a B episode. I am one who likes how creative the monster or plot is and how it affects the story. The cocoon-building termites plus the ending ups it to a B for me.

Chris Nunnally

This has always been one of my favorites of the season and that ending is a big part of the reason why. Mulder has always been willing to risk himself in pursuit of these cases and the truth, but I think he realizes here the potential cost of pursuing that truth and the danger it puts others in, especially Scully. It's a mirror to the ending of "Ice" when he is ranting on about the creatures buried in the ice and the coverup surrounding it and Scully, shaken by the experience, replies "Good. Leave it there". It's part of why she fears these things, because there are some truths that are too dangerous to be known. This was Mulder's realization of the same thing.

River Acheron

One thing I don't understand is why you feel that one of the only way suspense can be created, is the risk that the character may die. I'm not sure if that's just being conditioned by modern storytelling (which is ironic because I'm younger than you), or just a personal preference? I think maybe it's because you watch with a more critical eye? I personally never did, so when I watch something like that, or knowing The Enterprise truly will not blow up, I don't think it ever hampered my experience. I tend to loose myself in the narrative, in the same way as when I read a novel. Part of my brain joins that world, and it's the experience that matters. Stakes do not really matter, at least for me. When watching a show like this, with two lead actors, one must go into it knowing they will be okay and not let their safety factor in. If that makes sense? Now, when watching something like, The Walking Dead, we CAN use death-stakes as a factor. I think it's about meeting a show on its own terms and knowing what to expect going in, and playing by the rules of that "universe."

Anonymous Science

This just feels like a weak, and more expensive, version of Ice. Meh.

Skye Maidstone

I don't care if this is a bit of a horror schlock episode. I've always enjoyed this one one. The guest actors could been better. X-Files is great like that. Something for everyone. I love the mythology episodes best and didn't enjoy the Werewolf one at all. This one I enjoyed.

Mel Schleming

I know that *objectively* this probably won't ever rank high on any quality lists, but *subjectively* it's always been one of my personal favorites of the entire series, probably because of how much an imprint it left on teen me - TERRIFYING when you're a kid, which is probably why (reading through the comments) it seems it really clicked with that demographic, and I still have the memory of those goosebumps. I'm ok respecting the opinion that it doesn't hit as hard when you watch it when you're older :) but still glad you're here to enjoy the experience and that we get to be here with you. Good point on the MotW having a lot of room for subjectivity.

Mel Schleming

also, re the soundtrack: for two decades, one single CD of snippets of music from THE ENTIRE SERIES, was all we had available to listen to. Come 2011 though, La La Land Records puts out a four-disc set of music, labeled "Volume 1", obviously signaling to fans that more was on the way, and they actually opened up to fans, suggestions for what moments from the series they wanted to see represented! After fan feedback (including mine), Volume 4 (likely to be the last one, so 16 hours worth of the series to listen to is better than one) had this episode pretty well represented.

Paul

I agree with Anonymous Science that this feels like a weaker Ice, that said, the ending elevates it enough in how truly unsettling it is, Mulder and Scully saved by... the good graces of the government they're fighting against at so many turns? Does make you wonder. And seeing them all cocooned, God. Pure nightmare fuel because I HATE BUGS! I want eternal winter purely because bugs are dormant.

Target Audience

I don’t think that’s the only way to create suspense at all, in fact I think it’s one of the worst ways because it’s so hard to pull off.

penoyer79

this one's a B for me. Ice is a better version of this episode, i agree with that.

River Acheron

Apologies. I probably misinterpret when you talk about stakes.

River Acheron

If you like "isolated in the wilderness horror", I highly suggest a movie called YellowBrickRoad. It's basically Blair Witch Project but way better imo. Warning: You will either REALLY love the ending, or absolutely hate it. My friends go 50/50 split down the middle on that lol. Or if you get tired of the woods, check out Vivarium. "Trapped in a planned housing development horror." :)

penoyer79

I saw Blair Witch in the theater when it came out. Good movie. Vivarium is great too.

Badmiral Burgess

I wasn’t a huge fan of this episode. Never really reached a climax but wasn’t too bad either.

Scarpad’s Domain

They do adress why the government keeps them around… more or less

Loot Narsbaar

Is there a reason they never built a fire?

L J

Yeah, perhaps this one doesn't age well - it's more a generational thing rather than a timeless classic - but like others here have commented, I remember watching this one when it came out and it definitely left an impression. Something about the whole plot just fires the imagination. This is one of those episodes that just captures what made X-Files so unique in the 90s... it just has that creepy tone that leaves you considering the "what ifs" and makes you want to sleep with the lights on. And X-Files does that a lot. I have not watched X-Files in over 20 years, so in a lot of ways it's been like watching it for the first time all over again. But Darkness Falls is one of the episodes I very clearly remember despite the passage of time. That says something! While I agree it was a little more disappointing this watch than I remembered it being, it just has that quality to it that marked all classic X-Files episodes. Maybe you just had to be there.

tyranusfan

Funny that you mention a cop procedural. The actor playing the Forest Service agent/ranger went on to be the lead on Chicago P.D.

Tim Nikiforovs

Yeah, like a lot of others, I really enjoy this one. I can acknowledge that it's a little more generic than most XF eps so far, but I think the combination of fear of the dark, the claustrophobia of being trapped in the cabin and in the car, and the fact the bugs are too small and numerous to fight and can bleed you dry gave it a creepiness factor that made it super memorable as a kid. Not as much impact as an adult, but like a lot of people here, I saw it quite young in the 90s and it stuck. Had to laugh at Alex's joke that all these guys were running from responsibility/having to work instead of standing around being useless. Whenever I see a hole dug in the road with one guy down in the hole and 5 others standing around, I always say "that's a good hole, it's feeding 6 families". As to the govt helping them at the end and wondering why, I think it's pretty simple. They're the canaries in the coal mine. That guy knows things the govt is hiding, but he wouldn't know everything. He wouldn't know about the alien ship/experimental plane early on, or some of the other cases they've tackled. All this secret info would be compartmentalized. He'd know about things in his field of expertise. I like the way he doesn't even try to hide it or tell some BS cover story. He flat out acknowledges Mulder found something, and basically says "relax, we're gonna wipe them out. It's out of your hands". I'm sure he knows about the X Files, I'm sure he knows Mulder is always digging to uncover secrets, and I'm sure he knows they essentially have him on a leash, leaving him breadcrumbs but making sure he never finds the answers to anything they really want hidden. In this case, they uncovered a fairly significant threat, almost at the cost of their lives. If they hadn't, the swarm might have spread. Govt is probably thinking "better them than our own agents"(even though they are literally govt employees). Also, as long as they're confident the secrets they want covered up can be kept from Mulder and Scully, their search for the truth could reveal things even the highest levels of the govt don't know about. Basically, the govt collects more information than it loses from the continued existence of the X Files.

HS

Mulder has friends in high places, including Deep Throat always keeping tabs on him to make sure nothing bad happens.

Patrick Smith

I think the premise is great, some kind of ancient danger. I love that kind of stuff.

Mel Primus

This is exactly what hurts the episode the most for me. Fire > Light

Sean 'Kyosho' Brown

Seriously. Unless I missed a line of dialog discounting it. But yeah, Mulder kept saying, "We'll figure something out." And I waited the entire episode for them to make a campfire or something. They're at a lumberjacks' cabin FFS! I thought, at the end, when they cut away after they started getting consumed, and the hazmat crew showed up, they'd find them next to a big bonfire. Or maybe two, one on either side of them (or 4, whatever works).

Loot Narsbaar

I mean it would be easy to learn a campfire ISN'T enough light to hold them at bay compared to indoor artificial lights. The internal lights in a car aren't enough.

Paul O'Neal

I really like this episode. This is straight up veering into cosmic horror. There is nothing the protagonists can do here except survive and hope this ancient insect species is contained. They can in no where guarantee the government is going to eradicate it, and this threat could literally wipe out humanity if it spreads. Chilling stuff, and them losing creates a palpable feeling of hopelessness. Also, light bulb manufacturers are the reason we have "planned obselescence" as a thing. They can make light bulbs that never go bad, but won't, because they can't sell light bulbs. Also, they came up with a polymer coating back in the 70's that would basically make light bulbs indestructable. Light bulb manufacturers had their lobbyists fight against it, bought the patent, and buried it. Yeah. Also a form of cosmic horror. The inevitability of consumption. Great reaction, guys!