Pluribus hits Apple TV next week, marking Vince Gilligan’s return to science fiction after his great successes with crime dramas Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul . He came aboard The X-Files in season two, originally as a writer; his role later expanded into producer and director, and he also co-created the Lone Gunmen spin-off.

In celebration of Pluribus ’ arrival, we’re looking back at 12 essential Gilligan X-Files episodes, which he either wrote, co-wrote, or wrote and directed—and which include some of the series’ most notable standouts.

Soft Light (season 2, episode 23)

The first Gilligan-penned episode was released in 1995 and features guest star Tony Shalhoub as a physicist obsessed with dark matter. When an experiment goes awry, he develops a murderous new po

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