Season 1: Darkness Falls (1X19)

Writer: Chris Carter
Director: Joe Napolitano

When thirty loggers disappear in Washington state whilst clearing trees in a remote forest. Mulder pulls some strings to get assigned to the case, which mirrors a similar X-files case back in 1934 when a group of loggers disappeared without a trace. Mulder and Scully are joined by Larry Moore from the Federal Forest Service and Steve Humphreys a representative of the lumber company. They uncover evidence that the loggers have been victimised by a group of ecoterrorists, militant environmentalists who sabotage lumber company equipment in retaliation for what they are doing to America's forests.

When their jeep falls victim to traps laid by the ecoterrorists, they have to continue on foot. On arrival at the loggers base of operation they catch one of the ecoterrorists, Doug Spinney looking for gasoline. He tries to warn them that there is a swarm of insects that come out at night and attack people. Humphreys believes the story is a fabrication to explain the loggers disappearance and pleads with Moore to arrest Spinney, when Moore declines Humphreys leaves the group to hike back to the jeep but is attacked by the insects.

The group discovers evidence of the insects in a core sample from a large tree felled in the forest. And conclude that the insects are hundreds of year old, trapped in the tree and released when the loggers cut down the tree. As night closes in and with the generator running low on fuel they soon discover that you should be afraid of the dark.

Notes:
Production of this episode was delayed frequently by heavy rains.
This episode was honored at the Environmental Media Awards.
Actor Jason Beghe (in this episode plays ranger Larry Moore) is a long-time childhood friend of David Duchovny's who worked with him as a bartender and originally prodded David into pursuing an acting career.

Quotes:
Scully: These bugs aren't moving any more. They're either dead or they're asleep.
Doug Spinney: It's the light. They don't like the light.
Scully: That's weird. I mean usually bugs are attracted to the light.
Doug Spinney: These obviously are not your ordinary bugs, to say the least.

Episode Number: 20
Season Number: 1
First Aired: Friday April 15, 1994
Production Code: 1X19