In the eyes of many, The X-Files is the cream of the crop when it comes to sci-fi television series, especially when it comes to a procedural. Shows like Stranger Things, Severance, Twin Peaks, and more are certainly in the conversation for the best series in the genre, yet those aren’t exactly procedurals. A procedural TV show is one where a self-contained problem or story is introduced each week and solved by the end of the installment. There are overarching storylines that cover a season or longer, but the core of the show is the standalone weekly stories. The X-Files was perfect for that, telling tales of Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully investigating cases involving paranormal elements. The show ran for 11 seasons and over 200 episodes, along with some movie adaptations, and is held in high regard by fans everywhere. However, there’s actually a better sci-fi procedural out there.
Airing from 2008 through 2013 and spanning exactly 100 episodes, Fringe is a superior sci-fi procedural to The X-Files. While both shows are deserving of any positive argument for them, Fringe gets the slight edge for a few reasons.
The X-Files may have set the tone for what a great sci-fi procedural is but Fringe kind of mastered it. The show knew how to tell some spectacularly laid out standalone stories that don’t connect all that much to the series’ greater overall narrative. “White Tulip” is an episode that many consider the show’s best and its story about a scientist going back in time to save his fiancée is masterfully done. It’s poignant, well-acted, and heartfelt, while not affecting the rest of the show all that much. Anyone can watch it at any time and be hooked without missing anything.
Episodes like “The Plateau” and “Marionette” are two of the many examples of just how well Fringe handled standalone tales. However, Fringe goes a step further by also blending a greater overall arc. Season 1 mostly followed the “monster of the week” format that The X-Files perfected, yet the following seasons felt more like a show where nearly every installment mattered. It makes for an addictive binge that still throws in the occasional solo story that makes a procedural work. It’s hard to balance those two things, yet Fringe pulled it off.
Calling Fringe a better sci-fi procedural than The X-Files doesn’t take anything away from how great the latter was. In fact, one of the reasons why The X-Files is so beloved is how well it leaned into horror. In a lot of ways, The X-Files is the greatest horror procedural ever made. Fringe was more centered in the realm of sci-fi, dealing with time travel, alternate universes, and science. While The X-Files had more than its fair share of sci-fi aspects, it nailed the horror elements even more.
The show dealt with creepy aliens, government cover-ups, unsettling human-alien hybrids, and more. “The Host”, “Familiar”, and “Squeeze” are just some of the series’ scariest hours. There’s also the infamous “Home”, which is one of the most disturbing episodes in TV history. The X-Files was often at its best when building to something scary, leaving you in the darkness for a while, and showing off something that’ll give you nightmares. As fantastic as the show is at everything, horror was a stronger aspect of it than sci-fi, which gives Fringe an edge.
Another thing that works in favor of Fringe is how consistently strong it was. Even some of the most loyal fans of The X-Files agree that the show kind of overstayed its welcome a bit. One look at the ratings for episodes in later seasons on IMDb reveals a significant drop-off compared to the series at its peak. While it’s understandable for a show to go through that after so many seasons, it’s still noticeable. There aren’t many bad episodes of The X-Files, but it’s tough to match the consistency of Fringe.
Fringe was nowhere near as big a hit as The X-Files in terms of ratings. That means the show was barely allowed to make it to its fifth and final season, yet like many other series that last 4-7 seasons, it delivered quality over quantity. There isn’t much of a dip in IMDb ratings and seeing the overarching narrative play out and culminate in a satisfying way is something that far too many shows don’t get to achieve. The fact that Fringe did so and remained great throughout is enough to cement it as the top sci-fi procedural ever.
You can watch all five seasons of Fringe on Hulu today!
