 " Ice " is the eighth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series The X @-@ Files , which premiered on the Fox network on November 5 , 1993 . It was directed by David Nutter and written by Glen Morgan and James Wong . The debut broadcast of " Ice " was watched by 10 million viewers in 6 @.@ 2 million households and received positive reviews from critics , who praised its tense atmosphere . 
