Season 1: E.B.E. (1X16)

Writers: Glen Morgan and James Wong
Director: William Graham

When a truck driver, Ranheim reports firing at a UFO in Reagan, Tennessee, Mulder and Scully travel there to investigate. They interview Ranheim about the incident, Scully recognises that he is suffering from the symptoms of Gulf War Syndrome. Although Ranheim denies ever being in the Gulf, he also changes his story then the local sheriff ends the interview and releases him. Suspicious Mulder takes Scully to meet a three man government watch dog called 'The Lone Gunman', Scully finds them even more paranoid than Mulder! When Scully discovers that Ranheim is really Frank Druce, a former Special Operations officer in the Gulf, Mulder turns to his contact Deep Throat for some answers.

Deep Throat tells Mulder that a UFO was shot down in Iraq a few days earlier and that Ranheim is transporting wreckage and a live Extraterrestrial Biological Entity recovered from the crash scene. Deep Throat gives Mulder photographic evidence that points to the E.B.E. being held at Fort Benning in Georgia. But Scully doubts the photo's authenticity prompting Mulder to get the photo analysed, it turns out to be a fake. Mulder realises that Deep Throat has deliberately lead him astray. Mulder confronts Deep Throat who admits lying to Mulder to mislead him as he was getting too close to the truth. That some truths the public is not ready for. Deep Throat tells him that one of the reasons he has aided Mulder in his work on the X-files is to atone for his part in these government secrets.

Notes:
EBE stands for Extraterrestrial Biological Entity.
This episode features the first appearance of the Lone Gunmen. Writer Glen Morgan based The Lone Gunman trio on real-life UFO fanatics he had once met at a convention. The $20-theory was a direct lift of one of their conspiracy theories.

Quotes:
Deep Throat: A lie, Mr. Mulder, is most convincingly hidden between two truths.

Scully (talking about The Lone Gunmen): Those were the most paranoid people I have ever met. I don't know how you could think that what they say is even remotely plausible.
Mulder: I think it's remotely plausible that someone might think you're hot.

Episode Number: 17
Season Number: 1
First Aired: Friday February 18, 1994
Production Code: 1X16