The X-Files

Here is the Watch Order:

1. The X-Files Seasons 1 - 5 (1993 - 1998)

The first season was a little slow after an amazing pilot episode. But it picks up a lot of traction near the end and then maintains it for the next few seasons.

P.S. If you want to include Millennium in your Watch Order, you need to start it here after X-Files S4E3. More on that below.

2. The X-Files Movie (June 19, 1998) aka The X-Files: Fight the Future

The movie takes place in betweeen seasons 5 and 6 and is a necessary component to the story. Also it is not a standalone movie. It would not be very good if you are not watching the series. It's like a season finale/season premiere in one.

3. The X-Files Season 6 (1998 - 1999)

4. The X-Files Season 7, Episodes 1 - 3 (Nov 7 - 21, 1999)

5. Milllennium Seasons 1 - 3 (Optional) (Oct 25, 1996 - May 21, 1999)

You do not need to watch Millennium in order to watch The X-Files. However, S7E4 of The X-Files is titled Millennium and serves as a sort of series finale of the show Millennium as that show was cancelled without a proper wrap-up. Both shows were created and largely written by Chris Carter. Additionally, there is 1 minor character that is in 1 single episode each of both shows. He was a great character, though. The X-Files S3E20 and then Millennium S2E9.

Just a warning: This show is not for the faint of heart. It is way darker and much more graphic than The X-Files. Even the first episode was pretty gruesome. But I am very glad I watched it. It was fascinating.

We will put an episode by episode breakdown of X-Files and Millennium, based on release date, below.

6. The X-Files Season 7, Episodes 4 - 22 (Nov 28, 1999 - May 21, 2000)

Finish off season 7.

7. The X-Files Season 8, Episodes 1 - 14 (Nov 5, 2000 - Feb 25, 2001)

Stop after The X-Files Episode 14 - This is Not Happening if you want to watch the spinoff, The Lone Gunmen, in proper watch order.

8. The Lone Gunmen Season 1 interspersed with The X-Files Season 8, Episodes 15 - 21

The Lone Gunmen is a 1 season spinoff of The X-Files featuring Mulder's buddies known as the Lone Gunmen. You don't need to watch it, but if you're this invested, you may as well. It is canon. Here is the episode by episode watch order:

    X-Files E14 - This is Not Happening (Feb 25, 2001)

    Lone Gunmen E1 - Pilot (Mar 4, 2001)
    Lone Gunmen E2 - Bond, Jimmy Bond (Mar 11, 2001)
    Lone Gunmen E3 - Eine Kleine Frohike (Mar 16, 2001)
    Lone Gunmen E4 - Life Water for Octane (Mar 18, 2001)
    Lone Gunmen E5 - Three Men and a Smoking Diaper (Mar 23, 2001)
    Lone Gunmen E6 - Madam, I'm Adam (Mar 30, 2001)
    X-Files E15 - Deadalive  (Apr 1, 2001)
    Lone Gunmen E7 - Planet of the Frohikes (Apr 6, 2001)
    X-Files E16 - Three Words (April 8, 2001)
    Lone Gunmen E8 - Maximum Byers (Apr 13, 2001)
    Lone Gunmen E9 - Diagnosis: Jimmy (Apr 20, 2001)
    X-Files E17 - Empedocles (Apr 22, 2001)
    Lone Gunmen E10 - Tango de los Pistoleros (Apr 27, 2001)
    X-Files E18 - Vienen (Apr 29, 2001)
    Lone Gunmen E11 - The Lying Game (May 4, 2001)
    X-Files E19 - Alone (May 6, 2001)
    Lone Gunmen E13 - All About Yves (May 11, 2001) This is the finale. The episodes were aired out of order. I actually recommend watching this episode (or even the whole series ) right before S9E15 of The X-Files
    X-Files E20 - Essence (May 13, 2001)
    X-Files E21 - Existence (May 20, 2001)
    Lone Gunmen E12 - The 'Cap'n Toby' Show (Jun 1, 2001)

The real finale of The Lone Gunmen is S9E15 of The X-Files, titled Jump the Shark. This episode ends the story brought up in the spin-off. But that is still a long way away.

9. The X-Files Season 9 (Nov 11, 2001 - May 19, 2002)

Remember that S9E15 is the conclusion to The Lone Gunmen spinoff.

The last episode of season 9, The Truth, was originally the series finale.

10. The X-Files: I Want to Believe (Jul 25, 2008) - Movie

This movie takes place between the original series finale and the newer 2-season miniseries.

11. The X-Files Seasons 10 - 11 (Jun 24, 2016 - Mar 21, 2018)

The last 2 seasons we released as mini-series. The X-Files have been reopened and reclosed.

There's The Watch Order of The X-Files. We hope you enjoyed the journey. The Truth is Out There. Here is The X-Files and Millennium Watch Order by release date:

1. Millennium Season 1 and The X-Files Season 4 (1996 - 1997)

    X-Files E1 - Herrenvolk (Oct 4, 1996)
    X-Files E2 - Home (Oct 11, 1996)
    X-Files E3 - Teliko (Oct 18, 1996)
    Millennium E1 - Pilot (Oct 25, 1996)
    X-Files E4 - Unruhe (Oct 27, 1996)
    Millennium E2 - Gehenna (Nov 1, 1996)
    X-Files E5 - The Field Where I Died (Nov 3, 1996)
    Millennium E3 - Dead Letters (Nov 8, 1996)
    X-Files E6 - Sangiunarium (Nov 10, 1996)
    Millennium E4 - The Judge (Nov 15, 1996)
    X-Files E7 - Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man (Nov 17, 1996)
    Millennium E5 - 5-2-2-6-6-6 (Nov 22, 1996)
    X-Files E8 - Tunguska (Nov 24, 1996)
    Millennium E6 - Kingdom Come (Nov 29, 1996)
    X-Files E9 - Terma (Dec 1, 1996)
    Millennium E7 - Blood Relatives (Dec 6, 1996)
    X-Files E10 - Paper Hearts (Dec 15, 1996)
    Millennium E8 - The Well-Worn Look (Dec 20, 1996)
    Millennium E9 - Wide Open (Jan 3, 1997)
    Millennium E10 - The Wild and the Innocent (Jan 10, 1997)
    X-Files E11 - El Mundo Gira (Jan 12, 1997)
    Millennium E11 - Weeds (Jan 24, 1997)
    X-Files E12 - Leonard Betts (Jan 26, 1997)
    Millennium E12 - Loin Like a Hunting Flame (Jan 31, 1997)
    X-Files E13 - Never Again (Feb 2, 9197)
    Millennium E13 - Force Majeure (Feb 7, 1997)
    X-Files E14 - Momento Mori (Feb 9, 1997)
    Millennium E14 - The Thin White Line (Feb 14, 1997)
    X-Files E15 - Kaddish (Feb 16, 1997)
    Millennium E15 - Sacrament (Feb 21, 1997)
    X-Files E16 - Unrequited (Feb 23, 1997)
    X-Files E17 - Tempus Fugit (Mar 16, 1997)
    Millennium E16 - Covenant (Mar 21, 1997)
    X-Files E18 - Max (Mar 23, 1997)
    Millennium E17 - Walkabout (Mar 28, 1997)
    X-Files E19 - Synchrony (Apr 13, 1997)
    Millennium E18 - Lamentation (Apr 18, 1997)
    X-Files E20 - Small Potatoes (Apr 20, 1997)
    Millennium E19 - Powers, Principalities, Thrones, and Dominions (Apr 25, 1997)
    X-Files E21 - Zero Sum (Apr 27, 1997)
    Millennium E20 - Broken World (May 2, 1997)
    X-Files E22 - Elegy (may 4, 1997)
    Millennium E21 - Maranatha (May 9, 1997)
    X-Files E23 - Demons (May 11, 1997)
    Millennium E22 - Paper Dove (May 16, 1997)
    X-Files E24 - Gethsemane (May 18, 1997)

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2. Millennium Season 2 and the X-Files Season 5 (1997 - 1998)

    Millennium E1 - The Beginning and the End (Sep 19, 1997)
    Millennium E2 - Beware of the Dog (Sep 26, 1997)
    Millennium E3 - Sense and Antisense (Oct 3, 1997)
    Millennium E4 - Monster (Oct 17, 1997)
    Millennium E5 - A Single Blade of Grass (Oct 24, 1997)
    Millennium E6 - The Curse of Frank Black (Oct 31, 1997)
    X-Files E1 - Redux (Nov 2, 1997)
    Millennium E7 - 19:19 (Nov 7, 1997)
    X-Files E2 - Redux II (Nov 9, 1997)
    Millennium E8 - The Hand of Saint Sebastian (Nov 14, 1997)
    X-Files E3 - Unusual Suspects (Nov 16, 1997)
    Millennium E9 - Jose Chung's 'Doomsday Defense' (Nov 21, 1997)
    X-Files E4 - Detour (Nov 23, 1997)
    X-Files E5 - The Post-Modern Prometheus (Nov 30, 1997)
    X-Files E6 - Christmas Carol (Dec 7, 1997)
    X-Files E7 - Emily (Dec 14, 1997)
    Millennium E10 - Midnight of the Century (Dec 19, 1997)
    X-Files E8 - Kitsunegari (Jan 4, 1998)
    Millennium E11 - Goodbye Charlie (Jan 9, 1998)
    X-Files E9 - Schizogeny (Jan 11, 1998)
    Millennium E12 - Luminary (Jan 23, 1998)
    Millennium E13 - The Mikado (Feb 6, 1998)
    X-Files E10 - Chinga (Feb 8, 1998)
    X-Files E11 - Kill Switch (Feb 15, 1998)
    X-Files E12 - Bad Blood (Feb 22, 1998)
    Millennium E14 - The Pest House (Feb 27, 1998)
    X-Files E13 - Patient X (Mar 1, 1998)
    Millennium E15 - Owls (Mar 6, 1998)
    X-Files E14 - The Red and the Black (Mar 8, 1998)
    Millennium E16 - Roosters (Mar 13, 1998)
    Millennium E17 - Siren (Mar 20, 1998)
    X-Files E15 - Travelers (Mar 29, 1998)
    Millennium E18 - In Arcadia Ego (Apr 3, 1998)
    Millennium E19 - Anamnesis (Apr 17, 1998)
    X-Files E16 - Mind's Eye (Apr 19, 1998)
    Millennium E20 - A Room With No View (Apr 24, 1998)
    X-Files E17 - All Souls (Apr 26, 1998)
    Millennium E21 - Somehow, Satan Got Behind Me (May 1, 1997)
    X-Files E18 - The Pine Bluff Variant (May 3, 1998)
    Millennium E22 - The Fourth Horseman (May 8, 1998)
    X-Files E19 - Folie a Deux (May 10, 1998)
    Millennium E23 - The Time is Now (May 15, 1998)
    X-Files E20 - The End (May 17, 1998)
    X-Files Movie: Fight the Future (June 19, 1998)

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3. Millenium Season 3 and The X-Files Season 6 (1998 - 1999)

    Millennium E1 - The Innocents (Oct 2, 1998)
    Millennium E2 - Exegesis (Oct 9, 1998)
    Millennium E3 - TEOTWAWKI (Oct 16, 1998)
    Millennium E4 - Closure (Oct 23, 1998)
    Millennium E5 - ...Thirteen Years Later (Oct 30, 1998)
    Millennium E6 - Skull and Bones (Nov 6, 1998)
    X-Files E1 - The Beginning (Mov 8, 1998)
    Millennium E7 - Through a Glass, Darkly (Nov 13, 1998)
    X-Files E2 - Drive (Nov 15, 1998)
    X-Files E3 - Triangle (Nov 22, 1998)
    X-Files E4 - Dreamland (Nov 29, 1998)
    X-Files E5 - Dreamland II (Dec 6, 1998)
    Millennium E8 - Human Essence (Dec 11, 1998)
    X-Files E6 - How the Ghosts Stole Christmas (Dec 13, 1998)
    Millennium E9 - Omerta (Dec 18, 1998)
    X-Files E7 - Terms of Endearment (Jan 3, 1999)
    X-Files E8 - The Rain King (Jan 10, 1999)
    Millennium E10 - Borrowed Time (Jan 15, 1999)
    X-Files E9 - S.R. 819 (Jan 17, 1999)
    Millennium E11 - Collateral Damage (Jan 22, 1999)
    X-Files E10 - Tithonus (Jan 24, 1999)
    Millennium E12 - The Sound of Snow (Feb 5, 1999)
    X-Files E11 - Two Fathers (Feb 7, 1999)
    Millennium E13 - Antipas (Feb 12, 1999)
    X-Files E12 - One Son (Feb 14, 1999)
    Millennium E14 - Matryoshka (Feb 19, 1999)
    X-Files E13 - Agua Mala (Feb 21, 1999)
    X-Files E14 - Monday (Feb 28, 1999)
    X-Files E15 - Arcadia (Mar 7, 1999)
    Millennium E15 - Forcing the End (Mar 19, 1999)
    X-Files E16 - Alpha (Mar 28, 1999)
    Millennium E16 - Saturn Dreaming of Mercury (Apr 9, 1999)
    X-Files E17 - Trevor (Apr 11, 1999)
    Millennium E17 - Darwin's Eye (Apr 16, 1999)
    X-Files E18 - Milagro (Apr 18, 1999)
    Millennium E18 - Bardo Thodol (Apr 23, 1999)
    X-Files E19 - The Unnatural (Apr 25, 1999)
    Millennium E19 - Seven and One (Apr 30, 1999)
    X-Files E20 - Three of a Kind (May 2, 1999)
    Millennium E20 - Nostalgia (May 7, 1999)
    X-Files E21 - Field Trip (May 9, 1999)
    Millennium E21 - Via Dolorosa (May 14, 1999)
    X-Files E22 - Biogenesis (May 16, 1999)
    Millennium E22 - Goodbye to All That (May 21, 1999)


4. Mllennium Finale: The X-Files Season 7 Episode 4 titled Millennium.