The X-Files, “The Post-Modern Prometheus” (season 5, episode 5)
The X-Files made a lot of famously scary episodes, but the show’s “monster-of-the-week” format maybe reached its ultimate form in this standalone that pays tribute not just to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, but (with its black-and-white styling) the 1931 James Whale film starring Boris Karloff. Though it has some unsettling moments, the episode also has a generous helping of weirdness and sweetness; Seinfeld-era John O’Hurley plays the Victor Frankenstein-inspired character, and there’s also a Cher theme running throughout. (Hulu)
