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Complete Millennium Trivia List (Season Two)

This is our full Millennium Trivia Listing that includes all trivia combined into a complete list. This complete combined list displays several groups of fact-filled information from each episode of the series. Non-episode specific trivia is allocated to Millennium's first episode, Pilot.

This is a long listing so we've broken it down into three separate lists, one for each season of Millennium.

Many of the trivia items, facts and caveats such as bloopers have been spotted by eagle eyed Millennium fans from This Is Who We Are, published in books or have been shared by other websites in particular the excellent The Millennial Abyss. If you would like to submit and share accurate trivia or content to this episode guide, please send it via the Contact Us page or via our community forums.

 

Welcome Frank.
There are 278 days remaining.

 

About this Episode Trivia Listing

Under each episode's title, you will see the following information:

Season

Advises in which of the three seasons of Millennium the episode appeared.

Millennium Code

A unique number used by Fox Television. Some episodes of Millennium aired out of production order.

Production Code

A unique number used by Ten Thirteen Productions (1013) when creating the series. Some episodes of Millennium aired out of production order.

Air Date

The network premiere of this episode of Millennium by Fox Television. The show was first transmitted in the USA during 1996.

1013 References

Ten Thirteen Productions (Chris Carter's Production Company who created and produced the Millennium TV Series for Fox) are well known for adding subtle and sometimes discreet fun jokes to their creations. These take the form of visual or audible references to other 1013 shows or pokes at the television industry.

Bible References

Millennium was regularly influenced by religious and biblical themes, references and terminology. Sometimes references are obvious but many Millennium fans have noticed more subtle links which the creators took time to include such as for example, the digits on a clock in the background of a scene. Such biblical references are listed in this group.

Millennium Trivia

General and interesting trivia from each episode of the show.

Background Information

Millennium often featured specific and detailed themes inspired by historical events, prophecies, real-life current events, news and religion.

Millennium Bloopers

Love them or hate them, accidental mistakes known as Bloopers sometimes creep in to most television and film productions whether at the time of filming or in post production. However careful the production team, cast and crew have been, sometimes those 'Millennium Bugs' appeared.

Killers and Victims

Checked for accuracy, this entry lists an entire Millennium episode's killers and victims detailing the cause of death whether incidental, accidental, suicidal or deliberate in each case.

Mortality Count

The total death toll for each episode of Millennium. Also of interest is the Millennium Mortality Statistics page which shows the episode with the highest mortality rate.

Psychology

Examples and episode quotations highlighting the fascinating pyschology and profiling of Millennium's killers, in particular quotes from The Millennium Group's Frank Black and Peter Watts.

 

Season One | Season Two | Season Three


The Beginning and the End


Season:

2

MLM Code:

#MLM-201

Production Code:

5C01

Original Airdate:

1997-09-19



1013 References:



Bible References:



Millennium Trivia:

The second season premier brought with it an updated and altered variant of the show's opening credits sequence. Morgan and Wong changed the show's tagline from "wait, worry, who cares?" to "this is who we are, the time is near" and added a number of apocalyptic new images to the sequence. Millennium's opening titles would change with every new season.

The Polaroid Stalker notes that the scientific name of the Millennium Comet is P1997 Vansen-West, a designation taken directly from an episode of Morgan and Wong's Space: Above and Beyond. The comet was named for that show's protagonists, Lieutenant Nathan West and Captain Shane Vansen.

Credit: Brian Dixon, The Millennial Abyss

The 'print ad' for this episode states for the first time the name of days remaining, 832.



Background Information and References:



Millennium Bloopers:



Killers and Victims:

Victim: Catherine, kidnapped by the Polaroid Man. Perpetrator: The Polaroid Man, stabbed to death by Frank.



Mortality Count:

1



Psychology:



Beware of the Dog


Season:

2

MLM Code:

#MLM-202

Production Code:

5C02

Original Airdate:

1997-09-26



1013 References:

Guest star Randy Stone, who portrays the irritating Michael Bebe, was the casting director at 20th Century Fox Television responsible for casting both The X-Files and Millennium. As an actor, Morgan and Wong prompted him to appear in Space: Above and Beyond and The Others in addition to Millennium.

Credit: Brian Dixon, The Millennial Abyss

Randy Stone, better known to Millennium fans from the Season Two episode Beware of the Dog as character Michael Beebe, sadly passed away aged just 48. The online obituary (pointed out by TIWWA Staff Member Libby) was removed from the LA Times website, so it is preserved here for posterity and out of respect. Randy was the casting director at 20th Century Fox Television responsible for casting both The X-Files and Millennium. As an actor, Morgan and Wong prompted him to appear in Space: Above and Beyond and The Others in addition to Millennium.

STONE , Randy (48)

Died of heart failure at his home in Beverly Hills on Monday, February 12, 2007. Although he started his career as a child actor, Randy made his name as a television casting director, cutting his teeth at The Landsberg Company. He won an Emmy for casting the movie of the week "The Incident".

As Head of Casting at 20th Century Fox Television he was responsible for shaping the "The X Files" and "Millennium". He developed and executive produced the feature film "Little Man Tate" with Jodie Foster and Dianne Wiest. He won an Oscar in 1994 for producing the short film "Trevor," a tender and humorous tale of a young gay boy's attempted suicide. Most recently, Randy produced the Lifetime film "A Little Thing Called Murder," starring Judy Davis, for which he won the International Press Academy's Satellite Award. The movie was based on the bizarre true crime story of Sante and Kenny Kimes.

Randy also co-founded The Trevor Project, which operates a national 24-hour hotline for gay and questioning teenagers and distributes educational materials to schools around the country to help troubled teens.

Randy is survived by his two sisters Marie and Malia, his brother Jeff, his mother Beverly, his father Richard and his two Chow Chows, Cooper and Lola. Here was a man that was so full of life, brimming with a kooky charm that lit up the room. His passionate spirit and tireless friendship will be missed by all.

Services were held on Friday at Forest Lawn's Old North Church, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to The Trevor Project, 9056 Santa Monica Blvd., Ste 100, West Hollywood CA 90069.

Published in the Los Angeles Times on 2/15/2007

Bible References:



Millennium Trivia:



Background Information and References:

  • The town of Bucksnort (said not to be on the map in the Millennium episode Beware of the Dog), may be the same Bucksnort (a small unincorporated community) that is located in Hickman County, Tennessee. It is located near Exit 152 on Interstate 40, a few miles east of the Tennessee River and consists of a restaurant and gas/fuel station. The demonym for Bucksnort is "Bucksnorter". There are no U.S. Census statistics for the location and there is no post office. Bucksnort at Wikipedia.
  • According to the website of Rudy's Restaurant in Bucksnort, "Bucksnort is the unusual name of a small community on I-40 in Hickman County, Tennessee. You may think the community received its name because of the presence of a large number of deer found in the area. However, the most often told story about the naming of Bucksnort goes back to the 1880's to a trader living here by the name of Buck. Along with the items of an 1880's mercantile, it seems Buck also sold "Moonshine". People would say they were going to "Bucks to get a snort", hence the name "Bucksnort"."


Millennium Bloopers:



Killers and Victims:

Victims: Paula and Mary Anne Lombardo - attacked and killed by dogs



Mortality Count:

2



Psychology:



Sense and Antisense


Season:

2

MLM Code:

#MLM-203

Production Code:

5C03

Original Airdate:

1997-10-03



1013 References:

The industrial unit shown towards the end of the episode is "5C03", the same as the production code for the episode.

Credit: The Old Man of TIWWA

Bible References:



Millennium Trivia:



Background Information and References:

"Sense and Antisense", written by Chip Johannessen, was a government conspiracy about bio-terrorism that seemed more appropriate to The X-Files. "That didn't quite come off the way I'd hoped," Johannessen said. "That was one of those tortured things. To my mind, the rewrites got colossally worse, and part of that had to do with the fact that the first draft concerned a much more sensitive area --race-- and Broadcast Standards had certain concerns."

Source: "TV's Best Kept Secret Improves In Its Sophomore Season" - Cinefantastique Magazine (1998).

Millennium Bloopers:



Killers and Victims:

Victims: John Doe #1 and John Doe #2 murdered by Zero/Kramer, Gerome Knox murdered by Patterson, John Doe Bum shot by police officer.



Mortality Count:

4



Psychology:



Monster


Season:

2

MLM Code:

#MLM-204

Production Code:

5C04

Original Airdate:

1997-10-17



1013 References:



Bible References:



Millennium Trivia:

At the beginning, the scene outside the daycare center. Two rabbits in a cage have their names pinned to the cage: Bill and Hillory (sic). The Clintons? The episode took place in Probity, Arkansas.

Credit: The Fourth Horseman of TIWWA

First appearance of character Lara Means.



Background Information and References:

The fourth episode [of season 2], "Monster," about accusations of abuse at a day care center and the evil within one particular child, introduced a new recurring character, psychologist Lara Means, played by Morgan's wife Kristin Cloke (previously seen in Morgan and Wong's SPACE: ABOVE AND BEYOND). Lara, like Frank, is a candidate for the Millennium Group and, also like Frank, experiences visions. Unlike Frank, however, her visions, often of an angel, fill her with fear, and by season's end she suffers a complete mental collapse.

Morgan and Wong created Lara as a character who would both challenge and reflect Frank. "My biggest worry was that people would think we were trying to make them like Mulder and Scully," Morgan said. "We wanted somebody with an incredible gift to counter Frank. Right from the beginning, the idea was to have Lara see these visions and know what the Millennium Group was saying was true. Knowing that would drive her crazy because if the world is ending, what's the point of going on? Coupled with that, we had the Millennium Group saying, `We not only have the responsibility of knowing; we have the responsibility of doing something about it.' The knowledge overloads her, and she goes insane. By seeing that, Frank Black will have a person to compare and contrast himself to: `This is my potential fate.' And that took him back to the yellow house. Lara is a possibility of what Frank could be. If you're going through the forest, you could be eaten by a troll, or you could get out. Lara did not get out of her dark forest. When the Millennium Group says to Frank, `Do you want to become an initiated member? You're ready to move up a rank,' he can look at Lara and say, `I don't know.' And yet, he believes in what she sees and that what the Group is after is right. It's such an extraordinary responsibility."

Source: "TV's Best Kept Secret Improves In Its Sophomore Season" - Cinefantastique Magazine (1998).

Millennium Bloopers:



Killers and Victims:

Victim: Jason Wells Killer: Dannielle Barbakow



Mortality Count:

1



Psychology:



A Single Blade of Grass


Season:

2

MLM Code:

#MLM-205

Production Code:

5C05

Original Airdate:

1997-10-24



1013 References:



Bible References:



Millennium Trivia:

The dice bet that proves lucky for Frank Black - "eight, the hard way" - is a reference to Glen Morgan and James Wong's production company, Hard Eight Productions. The company's logo was a pair of red dice falling four and four on the green felt of a craps table.

Credit: Brian Dixon, The Millennial Abyss



Background Information and References:

Writers Erin Maher and Kay Reindl also highlighted Frank's development. Their first episode, "A Single Blade of Grass," sent Frank to New York City to investigate a death at a construction site that employed a Native American crew. The story included a ceremony where rattler venom induced hallucinations. At Morgan's behest, Reindl and Maher restored Frank's gift--his near-psychic abilities--which had vanished early in the season. "I felt last year those visions were a cheat," Morgan said. "The camera would go to a coffee cup and Frank would say, `The murderer used a coffee cup.' It drove me nuts. What we were trying to do this year was to elevate Frank's visions to a dream-like state, so he would have to interpret what he's seeing. There would be more mystical, symbolic imagery that might give him more of a sense of what's going on. I had wanted to strip away the gift for a long time and see if the show really played well without it. But we got back into that. The Old Man in `Beware of the Dog' was trying to tell Frank, `Your gift isn't gone; it's going to be different.'"

Source: "TV's Best Kept Secret Improves In Its Sophomore Season" - Cinefantastique Magazine (1998).

Millennium Bloopers:



Killers and Victims:

Victims: Daniel Olivaw, Richard Powell, Security Guard. Killers: Joe Reynard and unseen assailant



Mortality Count:

3



Psychology:



The Curse of Frank Black


Season:

2

MLM Code:

#MLM-207

Production Code:

5C07

Original Airdate:

1997-10-31



1013 References:



Bible References:



Millennium Trivia:

When Frank Black is distracted by a big-screen projection television while trick-or-treating he gets a brief glimpse of the opening credits to Glen Morgan and James Wong's The Notorious 7, a television pilot that was rejected by the Fox network before the duo signed on to supervise Millennium.

This episode contains the most blatant of all of Glen Morgan and James Wong's trademark sight gags referencing their work on Space: Above and Beyond. The costumed man that Frank faces on the street is dressed as a Chig, the alien villains of the sci-fi drama series.

Credit: Brian Dixon, The Millennial Abyss

The film shown where the devil keeps laughing every time Frank's TV switches itself on is called The Mascot a.k.a Puppet Love, a.k.a The Devil's Ball made in 1934 by Ladislaw Starewicz.

For more information, see this Millennium article :
Explaining the laughing devil - The Curse of Frank Black - Written by Graham P. Smith.

Credit: The Old Man of TIWWA

The Curse of Frank Black is said to have been influenced by the Japanese ghost move Kwaidan.



Background Information and References:

When Frank, aged 5 years old, and three friends are trick or treating, he meets Mr Crocell, portrayed by Dean Winters.

Once inside his home, Crocell drinks a shot of liquor and we see a book called L'Age de Raison:

Jean Paul Sartre's novel L'âge de raison (The Age of Reason in English) (1945) is set against the background of the bohemian Paris of the late 1930s. The novel focuses around three days in the life of a philosophy teacher named Mathieu who is seeking to find the money to pay for an abortion for his mistress, Marcelle. In these three days, the motives of various characters and their actions are analyzed and the perceptions and observations of others are taken in account to give the reader a comprehensive picture of the main character.

The novel is concerned with Sartre's conception of freedom as the ultimate aim of human existence. This work seeks to illustrate the existentialist notion of ultimate freedom through presenting a detailed account of the characters' psychologies as they are forced to make significant decisions in their lives. As the novel progresses, character narratives espouse Sartre's view of what it means to be free and how one operates within the framework of society with this philosophy. This novel is a fictional representation of his main philosophical work, Being and Nothingness, where one attains ultimate freedom through nothing, or more precisely, by being nothing.

It is the first part in the trilogy Les chemins de la liberteacute; (The Roads to Freedom).

Source: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.


A major goal for the season was to give Frank's life the kind of narrative drive absent last season, and many of the episodes dealt with his on-going relationship with Catherine, his estranged father, and his friendship with colleague Peter Watts (Terry O'Quinn). Intertwined with all this was Frank's growing knowledge of the Millennium Group's true nature and the ethical situations their actions forced him to confront. These episodes made for some of the season's strongest story-telling, particularly the extraordinary "The Curse of Frank Black," a surreal, ghostly journey from uncertainty to renewed determination, played out on the silent, wind-blown streets of Frank's neighborhood on Halloween night.

Since Frank is often alone in this episode (which was influenced by the Japanese ghost move KWAIDAN), there is very little dialogue; much of the meaning is conveyed visually. "I didn't want to do any more dialogue," Morgan said. "Lance is so great with looks." The director was Ralph Hemecker, whom Morgan praised highly: "Ralph came up with some beautiful shots, and I really have to credit him with a lot of the episode's tone."

Frank's Halloween journey is as much through his memories as it is through the streets of his neighborhood. At one point, he recalls his Halloween encounter at age six with the neighborhood recluse, Mr. Crocell (OZ's Dean Winters). Crocell is a World War II vet suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, but all Frank and his friends know is that he is a figure of fear to them. Crocell had killed himself, but now he appears as a ghost to challenge Frank to give up his fight against evil, because he can't beat the devil. "Frank's journey is similar to Lara's," Morgan commented. "That's where Frank could go, where he could quit and find a place for himself. He is at the brink--he goes back to his yellow house and throws eggs at it, like kids do at Halloween. He was on the brink of becoming Mr. Crocell. But he's got to go back and clean up the mess; otherwise he would just be giving up. What I liked is that it did seem like a slip-up in his quest."

Source: "TV's Best Kept Secret Improves In Its Sophomore Season" - Cinefantastique Magazine (1998).

Millennium Bloopers:



Killers and Victims:



Mortality Count:

1



Psychology:



19:19


Season:

2

MLM Code:

#MLM-206

Production Code:

5C06

Original Airdate:

1997-11-07



1013 References:



Bible References:

Revelation 19:19

And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.



Millennium Trivia:

Character: Jessica Cayce. Edgar Cayce: the well known seer, known otherwise as the famous "Sleeping Prophet", a modern day visionary. He was also credited with being a source of great and miraculous healing for untold numbers of people around the world.

Credit: The Fourth Horseman of TIWWA

From: https://www.crystalinks.com/edgar_cayce.html. He prophesized the Sphinx had been built in 10,500 BC and that survivors of Atlantis had concealed beneath it a "Hall of Records" containing all the wisdom of their lost civilization and the true history of the human race. Cayce prophesied that this Hall of Records would be rediscovered and opened between 1996 and 1998. He connected the opening to the second coming of Christ. The children were concealed below ground as was the "Hall of Records" and this episode aired in 1997.

Credit: Libby of TIWWA



Background Information and References:



Millennium Bloopers:

The conversation that Frank has with Matthew Prine in the jail cell concerning the safety of the children, the dialogue is different to that shown on the video. In the cell: FRANK: So you have no intention of harming them. When will they be returned. On the video: FRANK: Since you know you have no intention of harming them -- when are you going to release them. Credit: Fourth Horseman of TIWWA



Killers and Victims:



Mortality Count:

0



Psychology:



The Hand of Saint Sebastian


Season:

2

MLM Code:

#MLM-208

Production Code:

5C08

Original Airdate:

1997-11-14



1013 References:



Bible References:



Millennium Trivia:

Dr. John Schlossburg, the episode's German researcher, was named for Kevin John Schlossburg, one of the more prominent and active online fans of Glen Morgan and James Wong's sci-fi drama Space: Above and Beyond. Credit: Brian Dixon, The Millennial Abyss

The FTP address that Watts gives to Roedecker is 204.48.18.31, which currently resolves to Pilot Network Services which has an address in Alameda, CA. Credit: Libby of TIWWA

When Watts calls Roedecker back to see if he made any progress on determining Dr. Schlosshburg's password, Roedecker is asleep at this desk and wakes up. He answers the phone in a half-asleep voice, "Suicide Hotline..." Now this is funny in and of itself, but if you look closely at his face just after that, you can see a bit of drool at the side of his mouth! LOL! That just topped off the hilarity of the moment for me! And I think I just noticed it for the first time when I recently viewed the episode! Great stuff! Credit: Scott Pugliese (TIWWA's Selfosophy Psycho)



Background Information and References:

In "The Hand of Saint Sebastian," Peter Watts calls upon Frank to help him on an unauthorized mission that brings them to Germany to retrieve the long-lost, recently recovered, mummified hand of St. Sebastian. They soon realize that someone is working against them, and the traitor turns out to be Millennium Group pathologist Cheryl Andrews (CCH Pounder). Wong, who wrote the script, wanted to write a Watts-driven episode, which would showcase O'Quinn and develop the Millennium Group. "I felt that by revealing that the Millennium Group had existed for centuries and setting the episode overseas, that would give the story greater scope and weight," Wong said. "I also thought it would be interesting to get Peter excited about something that was not sanctioned by the Group and to show that he will do something like that. Terry is such a great actor, and we thought he deserved something to do instead of just saying, `That's right, Frank...`You're right again, Frank.' I thought, `What's a great way to divide the Group?' I thought about doing a spy kind of show. I was doing research on the Knights Templar and the Masons, and it seems like all those groups had other groups who were against them and betrayed them. There was so much intrigue. I realized that this is how groups act, and I thought, why shouldn't the Millennium Group have the same thing?"

Source: "TV's Best Kept Secret Improves In Its Sophomore Season" - Cinefantastique Magazine (1998).

Millennium Bloopers:



Killers and Victims:

Victims: Dr Schlossburg, Hospital Security Guard, unnamed man Killers: Provider, Trenchcoat #1, Trenchcoat #2



Mortality Count:

3



Psychology:



Jose Chung's 'Doomsday Defense'


Season:

2

MLM Code:

#MLM-209

Production Code:

5C09

Original Airdate:

1997-11-21



1013 References:

The sanitorium (later to be the Selfosophy Insitute) was called Spotnitz Sanitorium. (Frank Spotnitz, writer).

Credit: SadEyes of TIWWA

The origin of "Jose Chung": There was a guy on the X-files crew that would always send ridiculous stories to the X-files office and would call and ask if his scripts were being considered. He used the name "Jose Chung" as the obsessive caller. This was before there was ever an episode by that name. Apparently all of the crew knew about this and it was a big inside joke. And the caller would call from the set every day and everyone would sit around laughing. So needless to say the guy that had been calling was shocked when he got a script across his desk from Darin Morgan entitled "Jose Chung's From Outer Space".

Credit: Second Coming of TIWWA

In Goopta's year book, one picture is of a Sarah Herlocker. Julie Herlocker was an Associate Producer. The photograph was probably taken in the 70s or 80s and may be a tribute to Julie Herlocker's mother.

Credit: Fourth Horseman of TIWWA

The name of the character Bobby Wingood is a derivation of X Files executive producer Robert Goodwin.

Credit: Fourth Horseman of TIWWA

Bible References:



Millennium Trivia:

In daring to spoof the infamously litigious Church of Scientology, Millennium drew considerable protest from those Hollywood insiders loyal to the religion. Word of the script spread and Darin Morgan's story immediately earned the ire of Scientologists. Executive Producers Glen Morgan and James Wong subsequently visited the Scientology Celebrity Center in Los Angeles and spent several hours discussing the script with church officials. One of the agreed upon changes was dubbing Darin Morgan's fictional religion Selfosophy rather than Selftology. Darin Morgan later noted how trying the experience was from a creative standpoint, commenting, "It seemed like a very simple freedom of speech issue. You take free speech for granted until certain people are threatening you, whether it be legally or otherwise, to shut up. And it isn't until that happens that you go, 'How much am I willing to stand up for this?'"

Credit: Brian Dixon, The Millennial Abyss

When Chung said that you can tell a lot about a person by the books they read, he picked up a paperback with the title "On the blood-dimmed tide" - a line from the Yeats' poem used in the pilot by the Frenchman.

Credit: The Fourth Horseman of TIWWA

In Chung's article for the porno magazine about Selfosophy, the first line of it reads: "Happy people are all the same, unhappy people are unhappy differently." This is lifted from the first line of Tolstoy's Anna Karenina: "All happy families resemble one another, but each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."

Credit: Fourth Horseman of TIWWA

The Nostradamus Nutball attacks his girlfriend at a screening of Orson Welles' film, The Third Man. Giebelhouse mentions "He escaped down a sewer shaft." In The Third Man, Welles' character, Harry Lime, escapes down a sewage shaft.

Credit: Fourth Horseman of TIWWA



Background Information and References:



Millennium Bloopers:



Killers and Victims:

Victims: Ratfinkovich, Amos Randi, woman in theatre ticket booth, Jose Chung Killers: Nostradamus Nutball, Mr Smooth



Mortality Count:

4



Psychology:



Midnight of the Century


Season:

2

MLM Code:

#MLM-211

Production Code:

5C11

Original Airdate:

1997-12-19



1013 References:



Bible References:

Timestamp: 9:21


Daniel 9:21 refers:

"Yea, while I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation."


Credit: dontbesodark of TIWWA



Balthazar, Caspar, and Melchior (the toy store clerks who recommend gifts for Jordan to a frustrated Frank) were named after The Three Wise Men.


Credit: The Millennium FAQ



Millennium Trivia:

Maher and Reindl's next episode, "Midnight of the Century," examined Frank's relationship with his emotionally withdrawn father (Darren McGavin). The two writers had drawn the assignment of scripting "a scary Christmas episode." They rented every scary Christmas movie they could find, like SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT. "We came up with the idea of doing `A Christmas Carol' with Frank," Reindl said. "The three ghosts would be serial killers of the past, present and future. We pitched our board, and after the first act, Glen said, `Did we talk about this at all?' And we said, `Well, not really, just generally.' He said, `Well, we have this scene in the Halloween episode.'" The scene Reindl and Maher had written was a flashback where a youthful Frank discovered his neighbor was a murderer. While not identical to the flashbacks in "The Curse of Frank Black," it was close enough that it was jettisoned. At that point, Morgan gave new instructions about the episode: while he didn't want a scene that close to "The Curse of Frank Black," he wanted the Christmas episode to be similar in that it would be a day in the life of Frank Black, rather than have Frank investigating a case. "It was Frank being guided along some kind of spiritual journey," said Maher. "Since it was a Christmas episode, we wanted to deal with Frank's family. It was a good opportunity to show some of his past with his father. Originally we had talked about Johnny Cash as Frank's dad, but then he got sick. And then of course we were very jazzed to get Darren McGavin. The Night Stalker as Frank's father! It was so perfect. We could not have asked for a better performance.

"We were thinking about Frank's visions, and we thought if one of his parents had visions, that would mean something, since his daughter Jordan has them," Maher added. "It's something that's passed from generation to generation. So we decided that his mother would have visions too, mainly because last year in `Sacrament,' the episode with Frank's brother, we got a very strong impression that Frank and his father weren't very close and that his father was very remote and very strict. We were wondering why that was. And Frank and his brother never talked about their mother. So we came up with the idea of Frank's mother dying when he was six years old, and he really didn't understand how deep his father's love was, so he blamed his father for letting her die alone. We also thought about the idea that Christmas is always supposed to be this perfect family holiday, but Frank's family has split up--he's without his wife and child. He really doesn't have a good relationship with his dad. It's sort of the Christmas that you end up with, rather than the Christmas that you really want." This time, Reindl noted, by reconciling with his father and enjoying with Catherine a Christmas pageant in which daughter Jordan appeared, Frank finally got the Christmas that he wanted.

Source: "TV's Best Kept Secret Improves In Its Sophomore Season" - Cinefantastique Magazine (1998).



Background Information and References:

Peter Watts spoke with Frank Black and Lara Means within his study: "You know that for almost the entire history of Western civilization, this month has been a holy time? The Druids, winter solstice, Hanukkah - the Romans converted Saturnalia into Christmas. Imagine that: Christ wasn't even born on this day, maybe not even 1,997 years ago. So no one knows for sure when the millennium really begins and ends. Or how much time is left."

Saturnalia (from the god Saturn) was the name the Romans gave to their holiday marking the Winter Solstice. Over the years, it expanded to a whole week, the 17 December to 23 December. It also degenerated from mostly tomfoolery, marked chiefly by having masters and slaves switch places, to sometimes debauchery, so that among Christians the (lower case) word "saturnalia" came to mean "orgy".

It was traditional for Romans to exchange gifts during this holiday. These gifts were customarily made of silver, although nearly anything could be given as a gift for the occasion. Several epigrams by the poet Martial survive, seemingly crafted as riddling gift-tags for gifts of food.

The customary greeting for the occasion is "Io, Saturnalia!" - io (pronounced "yo") being a Latin interjection related to "ho" (as in "Ho, praise to Saturn").

It has been postulated that Christians in the fourth century assigned December 25th as Christ's birthday (and thus Christmas) because pagans already observed this day as a holiday. This would sidestep the problem of eliminating an already popular holiday while Christianizing the population. It created other problems because of the coexistence of the two feasts: see Bishop Asterius of Amasea's New Year's sermon in AD 400, discussed at the entry Lord of Misrule. The medieval celebration of the Feast of Fools was another continuation of Saturnalia into the Christian era.

Seneca the younger wrote about Rome during Saturnalia around AD 50:
It is now the month of December, when the greatest part of the city is in a bustle. Loose reins are given to public dissipation; everywhere you may hear the sound of great preparations, as if there were some real difference between the days devoted to Saturn and those for transacting business....Were you here, I would willingly confer with you as to the plan of our conduct; whether we should eve in our usual way, or, to avoid singularity, both take a better supper and throw off the toga. - From Epistulae morales ad Lucilium

See: Wikipedia - Saturnalia for additional information on the Roman holiday Saturnalia and for related references.)

Credit: The Old Man of TIWWA

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday, also known as the Festival of lights. "Hanukkah" is a Hebrew word meaning "dedication". It also has other spellings in English, such as Chanukah, Hannukah, Hanukah, Chanuka, Chanukkah, Hanuka, Channukah, Hanukka, Hanaka, Haneka, Hanika and Khanukkah. The first evening of Hanukkah starts after the sunset of the 24th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev, and the holiday is celebrated for eight days. Since in Jewish tradition the calendar date starts at sunset, Hanukkah begins on the 25th.

Credit: Wikipedia (Please consult this entry for additional information on Hanukkah and for related references.)

Millennium Bloopers:

Frank's mother died in 1946. In Walkabout (season 1) the date of birth given for David Marx (Frank's alias) is 21 July 1947, which is also shown as Frank's date of birth in the last episode Goodbye To All That in the Millennium Group's folder that Watts gives to Frank.

Credit: Fourth Horseman of TIWWA

Flash forward to the scene where Laura comes over to Frank's house carrying a bag of goodies, fat-free eggnog, two different kinds of breads, etc. As Frank answers the door, we see Lara standing with her hair neatly styled, with a very nice jacket, but no hood. As she walks thru the house and they banter back and forth, she proceeds into the living room where the pictures of the angels that both Frank and Jordan have drawn now lie on the coffee table.

Take a second and look outside the window. Its freaking pouring, yet, Lara doesn't shake her coat off, she casually takes it off and then lays it on the sofa she is about to sit on... her hair is perfectly in place and she appears bone dry.

Secondly, look at the rain falling outside that window, when Frank originally answered the door, there is no indication at the front door whatsoever that it is raining.

Credit: Fourth Horseman of TIWWA



Killers and Victims:



Mortality Count:

0



Psychology:



Goodbye Charlie


Season:

2

MLM Code:

#MLM-210

Production Code:

5C10

Original Airdate:

1998-01-09



1013 References:



Bible References:



Millennium Trivia:



Background Information and References:



Millennium Bloopers:



Killers and Victims:

Victims: Elderly woman, man found in hospital morgue, woman found in hospital morgue, Mabel Shiva, 3 women and 1 man in hotel room



Mortality Count:

9



Psychology:



Luminary


Season:

2

MLM Code:

#MLM-212

Production Code:

5C12

Original Airdate:

1998-01-23



1013 References:



Bible References:



Millennium Trivia:

Chip Johannessen's script for this episode was inspired by the real life experiences of Chris McCandless. Like Alex Glaser, the disillusioned McCandless abandoned all of his worldly possessions and a promising academic future to take a new name and immerse himself in the Alaskan wilderness. McCandless' search for enlightenment was chronicled in the acclaimed Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer. Into The Wild, like this episode's story, is accompanied by journal entries written by the young man during his journey. Ultimately, mounting perils and misfortune caused McCandless to die of starvation on August 18, 1992.

Source: Brian Dixon, The Millennial Abyss

Into the Wild (the book and inspiration for Luminary) was made into a feature film in 2007, directed by Sean Penn and starring actor Emile Hirsch as Christopher McCandless.



Background Information and References:

The picture ("Receiving Wisdom on Mt. Ventoux) shown in the book that Catherine is looking through and which Jordan points to and says "That's Daddy" is a copy of part of the "St John Altarpiece" (1474-79) by Hans Memling. The original painting depicts St John the Evangelist on the Island of Patmos where he received his vision of the Apocalypse.

Credit: Viivi of TIWWA


The Japanese laserdisc releases include quite a nice booklet with each set, that give a lot of character and episode information, including air dates.

The season one, vol 2 booklet goes on to list season 2 episodes and air dates - and list episode 11 in season 2 as 'Mistery Play' - probably a very bad Japanese / English translation. Obviously episode 11 was Luminary.

Maybe a change in plans, or perhaps it didn't have a proper name and the Japanese publisher put 'mystery play' not quite understanding what it meant?

Source: Dave Heel 17.07.13

Another episode that traced Frank's growth as well as his relationship with the Millennium Group was "Luminary," written by Chip Johannessen. Frank defies Millennium Group orders and searches for a young man lost in the Alaskan wilderness who may have already died from exposure. "I wanted to write a story where Frank chose to stand up to the Millennium Group and do something he felt was personally important, based just on his instinct and his vision," Johannessen said. "Although the Millennium Group was clearly pleased with him in the end, it wasn't a task they set for him. And yet it was the right thing for him to do, and they were wise enough to see that. I wanted Frank to get out in the woods, having followed his inner voices, and have this moment where he realizes that the kid is dead and that he had been completely wrong to go on the search. It should be one of those moments in your life where you just feel lost. And then he'd realize the kid was still alive and that he was called there for a reason."

Source: "TV's Best Kept Secret Improves In Its Sophomore Season" - Cinefantastique Magazine (1998).

Millennium Bloopers:



Killers and Victims:



Mortality Count:

0



Psychology:



The Mikado


Season:

2

MLM Code:

#MLM-213

Production Code:

5C13

Original Airdate:

1998-02-06



1013 References:

In the graveyard where the first victim's head is found, the name 'Hans Renker' is scratched on a rough wooden cross. Hans Renker is a scenic painter (paint co-ordinator) who has worked on episodes of the X-files, Harsh Realm, The Dead Zone etc.

Credit: Omega of TIWWA

From the DVD commentary by Michael Perry. When Frank is in Roedecker's apartment and they're looking at the list of possible victims, Roedecker lists three of them: Claudia Vance, Rebecca Damsen, and Patricia Viamonte. Michael Perry then says that those are the names of three of his sisters, but then quickly points out that the photos are not theirs! Presumably the rest of the details aren't his sisters' either.

Credit: Libby

Bible References:



Millennium Trivia:

Michael R. Perry reveals the inspiration for this episode by explaining, "I got the idea for 'The Mikado' by hearing about Jennicam, the first girl to put herself on netcam 24/7 in the spring of '97. Now there are thousands." It is thanks to the writer's insistence, in fact, that the webcam transmissions seen throughout the episode are presented in a realistic manner rather than in realtime, a common inaccuracy in television representations.

Avatar, one of Millennium's most terrifying and memorable villains, is nearly identical in all respects to the Zodiac Killer, the infamous slayer who claimed responsibility for seventeen murders in San Francisco and northern California between 1966 and 1974. In the first draft of Michael R. Perry's script, in fact, Avatar was the real life Zodiac Killer. Like Avatar, the Zodiac Killer was never caught.

Clearly, since Frank Black is not stalking Zodiac in "The Mikado," Avatar underwent a number of name changes during the writing process. Network executives, despite Perry's wishes, insisted that the character could not be identified as a real world serial killer. Co-Executive Producer Ken Horton fought with the network in an effort to maintain the blurring between fiction and reality that Perry had intended but, ultimately, the network demands were met. Zodiac thus became Omega, adopting a new, fictional moniker. Lance Henriksen's endorsement agreement with the Omega watch corporation, however, made this name equally unsuitable for the production. Ultimately, the show's staff decided that the character would be known as Avatar.

Credit: Brian Dixon, The Millennial Abyss

During the scene where the small web camera falls off the top of the monitor and Frank leans down and picks it up, Roedecker can be seen playing with the Digipet or Cyberpet that Frank gave him for Christmas in Midnight of the Century.

Credit: Daniel Graham 26th July 2007



Background Information and References:

Although serial killer plots were downplayed this year (1998), one of the season's best episodes, `The Mikado,' centers around a particularly baffling serial killer who calls himself Avatar. Writer Michael Perry based Avatar on the Zodiac serial killer who had plagued the San Francisco area in the 1970's. Like Zodiac, Avatar sends cryptic telegrams and coded messages to the police, wears an executioner's hood and robe and, also like Zodiac, is never caught. He comes to the attention of the police and the Millennium Group when he displays his victim on a camera hooked up to a website and slays her in full view of thousands of people. Before Avatar cuts the on-line connection, a teenage boy manages to print the frame, and brings it to the police.

"I wanted a crime that no police department would have jurisdiction over," Perry explained. "Who's going to go after it? Ordinarily, if there's a murder down the street, the city is going to take care of it. That's how our entire society has been built. With a murder that isn't tied to a physical place, this guy can go on forever, unless there's a Millennium Group. That was the sport of it. It also has the great beginning for a mystery. It's articulated by Frank, who says, `We don't know who the victim is; we don't know where the crime scene took place. We don't have any crime scene. We don't have any evidence except for a blurry print-out.' That's such a tantalizing beginning."

With the location of Avatar's set-up unknown, Frank is unable to connect physically with the evidence of the scene, a concept that Perry enjoyed. "Avatar cut Frank off from what he naturally does; this also has to do with the demonizing elements of the internet. It's both a character and a thematic element, because 4,000 people per hour are logging on, hoping to see this girl die. The dehumanizing aspects of mediated communication, the internet in this particular case, are a sub-theme, and it ties in to how Frank, being cut off from being in a real place, can't do what he normally does. That was a fun thing to play around with, and it works for both plot and character."

"The Mikado" also marked the last appearance of Roedecker, a character Perry had loved from the beginning. "Frank and his colleague Peter Watts are accustomed to dealing with the macabre, so as a viewer you think they're much cooler than you are. They don't have to flinch; they're tough guys. What I like about Roedecker in this episode is that he becomes an advocate for the audience. Roedecker is able to express the revulsion, the tears, that Frank has to constantly hold back. For the first time, Roedecker has a chance to see this is what Frank and Peter do all the time. It makes Frank seem grander because, if nobody in an episode reacts to the gruesome and macabre things that are around, they don't seem so terrifying."

Source: "TV's Best Kept Secret Improves In Its Sophomore Season" - Cinefantastique Magazine (1998).

Millennium Bloopers:



Killers and Victims:

Victims: Rebecca Damsen, Brandon Heygood III, unnamed person in mobile home, first "pain" girl Killer: Avatar



Mortality Count:

4



Psychology:



The Pest House


Season:

2

MLM Code:

#MLM-215

Production Code:

5C15

Original Airdate:

1998-02-27



1013 References:



Bible References:



Millennium Trivia:



Background Information and References:



Millennium Bloopers:

Where Frank and Peter show a picture of a murdered teenager to E. Jacob Woodcock,the picture changes from a far off shot to a close up of the dead kid's face.

Source: Prodigy alt.tv.millennium

In Pest House, when Bear attacks Katie, the girl who carved her arm with the chair spring, you'll notice the amount of blood on her arm fluctuates with every angle change. Sometimes it is a clear scar with a little blood and other times her arm is full of blood.

Source: BEAR/Actor Boy alt.tv.millennium



Killers and Victims:

Victims: Kevin Galbraith, Ted, Callie, night nurse, attendant Killers: Edward, Purdue



Mortality Count:

6



Psychology:



Owls


Season:

2

MLM Code:

#MLM-214

Production Code:

5C14

Original Airdate:

1998-03-06



1013 References:

At 31:31: Mr. Johnston reaches to change his radio station, at which point the digital readout instantly skips from 33.3 to 101.3, before stopping at 101.9.


Submitted by Theo Hiswrae, August 29th, 2010.



Bible References:



Millennium Trivia:

Each of the episodes in this two-part story is named for one of the two opposing personality types associated with apocalyptic fears. The owl is often used as a symbol to represent those who do not believe in an impending apocalypse, the type of cautious or wary individual who fears the fervor and unrest potentially created by doomsayers. Within the Millennium Group, Owls are those who believe in a distant, secular end to the world rather than an impending religious Armageddon. As the Millennium Group Owl in this episode explains, "The owl knows it is still late at night, the foxes are about, the master sleeps. This is who we are."

The mysterious and sinister company that has employed Catherine Black in this episode, Aerotech, shares its name with a mysterious and sinister corporation from Glen Morgan and James Wong's science fiction drama series Space: Above and Beyond.

Clear Knight, the devious Aerotech executive who seems particularly preoccupied with the Black family, is portrayed by Kimberly Patton. Patton is just one of various pseudonyms utilized by actress Kim McKamy. The actress, under the pseudonym Ashlyn Gere, has had an illustrious career as an adult video star and was the winner of the adult film industry's FOXE 1991 Fan Favorite, 1992 Vixen of the Year, and 1993 Best Female Performer awards. In mainstream media, she has worked extensively with Morgan and Wong and appeared in nearly every one of their television and film productions.

Credit: Brian Dixon, The Millennial Abyss



Background Information and References:

The two-parter "Owls" and "Roosters," revealed a new level of conflict among the Millennium Group, when an artifact believed to be a part of the True Cross is stolen. One faction, the Roosters, believes it was taken by another faction, the Owls, to weaken the Roosters. Morgan said that "Owls" and "Roosters" grew directly out of "The Hand of Saint Sebastian," an episode he had loved. "It's nice to be so influenced by something your partner did," he said. "I wanted to break the split we saw in that episode into a secular one. How can you make people believe that the end of the world is in sight? I tried to look to a scientific possibility. In the two-parter at the end of the season, I tried to tie those together with a plague. I started reading about germ warfare and thought, "Here are scientific events occurring in our world, and they're predicted theologically."

Source: "TV's Best Kept Secret Improves In Its Sophomore Season" - Cinefantastique Magazine (1998).

Millennium Bloopers:



Killers and Victims:

Victims: Le Fur, Security Officer, Mr Johnson, The Old Man, Amadou, 6 guards Killers: Helmut Gunsche, European Assassins



Mortality Count:

9



Psychology:



Roosters


Season:

2

MLM Code:

#MLM-216

Production Code:

5C16

Original Airdate:

1998-03-13



1013 References:



Bible References:



Millennium Trivia:

Richard Wagner's "Prelude to Parsifal," the operatic piece that plays over multiple pivotal scenes throughout the episode, provides particularly appropriate accompaniment for the drama seen here. As the Old Man explains, Parsifal tells the story of a young man who quests for the Holy Grail. Wagner based the opera on Wolfram von Eschenbach's medieval epic Parzival, a 13th century epic poem that tells the story of the titular Arthurian knight and his quest for the Holy Grail.

Credit: Brian Dixon, The Millennial Abyss



Background Information and References:



Millennium Bloopers:

At approximately 0:19 Frank Black enters the office of Clear Knight, and his shirt collar is above his leather jacket on the right side as he sits down.

A thumbnail image from Millennium - Click to view full size.

The scene cuts away to a medium-shot of Clear Knight, then quickly returns to a close-up of Frank. However, now his collar is tidily tucked away.

A thumbnail image from Millennium - Click to view full size.

Yet when he stands up to shake Ms. Knight's hand and leave, his collar is again up on the right side. During the hand shake, Ms. Knight offers Frank a position with Aerotech. As he declines the offer, we see another close-up of Frank, again with his collar tucked in.

Kindly submitted by Theo Hiswrae, August 30th, 2010.



Killers and Victims:

Victims: Jim Ford, Helmut Gunsche Killers: Clear Knight, Finley



Mortality Count:

3



Psychology:



Siren


Season:

2

MLM Code:

#MLM-217

Production Code:

5C17

Original Airdate:

1998-03-20



1013 References:



Bible References:



Millennium Trivia:

In Greek mythology, a siren was any one of a group of sea nymphs who lured mariners to destruction on the rocks surrounding their island by their sweet singing. The voice of Tamara Lee, who was recovered from the ocean, has the same damning effect on those she speaks to throughout this episode.

Credit: Brian Dixon, The Millennial Abyss



Background Information and References:



Millennium Bloopers:



Killers and Victims:

Victims: Unamed woman, Fung Lum, Ming, 2 crewmen Killer: Tamara Sui Fa Lee



Mortality Count:

5



Psychology:



In Arcadia Ego


Season:

2

MLM Code:

#MLM-218

Production Code:

5C18

Original Airdate:

1998-04-03



1013 References:



Bible References:



Millennium Trivia:

"In Arcadia Ego" roughly translates to "I am in Arcadia." The phrase references Arcadia, a region of ancient Greece in the Peloponnesus famed for the idyllic, pastoral lifestyle enjoyed by its inhabitants. The episode shares its title with many famous works of art, most notably "Et In Arcadia Ego," a painting by French artist Nicolas Poussin that emphasizes the idea that worldly happiness and contentment are fleeting for mortals.

Credit: Brian Dixon, The Millennial Abyss

The address of house of the couple that Janette and Sonny try to contact is 1225 Magdalene Road. Possibly a reference to December 25th and Mary Magdalene.

Credit: The Fourth Horseman of TIWWA



Background Information and References:



Millennium Bloopers:

Inside the clinic: Sonny's reading the Great Falls Gazette, as it says on the front page. When she turns the page (on a later scene), the name of the newspaper seems to have changed into Grand Falls Gazette (at the top of page A2).

Credit: Vivi (TIWWA's Dontbesodark)



Killers and Victims:

Victim: Second Guard Killer: Sonny



Mortality Count:

2



Psychology:



Anamnesis


Season:

2

MLM Code:

#MLM-219

Production Code:

5C19

Original Airdate:

1998-04-17



1013 References:



Bible References:



Millennium Trivia:

In psychology terminology, anamnesis is the process of recalling to memory, of recollection, the ability to recall past occurrences. Catherine Black and Lara Means, as trained psychologists attempting to probe the memory of Clare McKenna, are no doubt familiar with the term.

Credit: Brian Dixon, The Millennial Abyss

Anamnesis is the only Millennium episode in which Frank Black does not appear, as actor Lance Henriksen took a well deserved vacation in Hawaii.



Background Information and References:

Erin Maher and Kay Reindl wrote the one episode this season, "Anamnesis," in which Frank did not appear. Instead, Catherine Black and Lara Means team up to investigate the strange behavior of a group of high school girls. One of the girls, Clare (Genele Templeton), claims to have seen Mary. Lara and Catherine both come to the case as psychologists, and in their discussions with the girls, eventually realize that the Mary of Clare's visions isn't the Virgin Mary but Mary Magdalene.

Maher and Reindl became thoroughly fascinated with Mary Magdalene while researching the early years of Christianity. "We thought, `Wow, she rocks,'" laughed Maher. They were surprised by what they learned, that Mary, although portrayed for nearly two centuries as a prostitute, was more likely a woman of good family and reputation. "She's the apostle to the apostles. She's the one who really understands what Christ is saying," Maher said. "She was pretty much weeded out of the Bible. Women can't be in any position of power, but when you look back at the history there were early Christian women who are priestesses. What happened to them? Why was that so threatening? We wanted to play with that a little bit."

The episode questioned the purity of Jesus, a divergent view of Christ that Maher and Reindl had also come upon in their research. Network Standards and Practices objected, and the two writers spent many hours on the phone trying to explain their position. "They suddenly realized what the episode was about, and they were horrified," Maher said, "because we're implying that since Jesus was Jewish and a rabbi, he probably was married and had children. Standards said, `You're implying that Jesus had sex!' And we're going `Yep!'"

The two writers enjoyed playing the rational Catherine off against the visionary Lara, who senses the breakdown that awaits her. "We got to do a little Mulder and Scully thing with them, because Lara is the spiritual one and Catherine is more scientific," Maher noted. "But in this episode you really see Catherine opening up a little bit more to the possibilities." Added Reindl, "She has a really great strength in this episode. I think that one of the things she learns is that although she's very protective of her family, she's not protecting out of fear but out of strength, and she can do that for Frank and Jordan. Nobody is going to mess with those two when she's around, and that's what we really wanted to bring out in this episode."

Source: "TV's Best Kept Secret Improves In Its Sophomore Season" - Cinefantastique Magazine (1998).

Millennium Bloopers:



Killers and Victims:

Victims: Ben Fisher Killer: Alex Hanes



Mortality Count:

1



Psychology:



A Room With No View


Season:

2

MLM Code:

#MLM-220

Production Code:

5C20

Original Airdate:

1998-04-24



1013 References:



Bible References:



Millennium Trivia:

This episode's title twists a familiar expression to accurately describe the prison cell that Lucy Butler confines Landon Bryce to. The play on words references the title of A Room with a View by E. M. Forster, another story that features a young protagonist struggling with questions of morality and societal expectations.

Credit: Brian Dixon, The Millennial Abyss

Warning - Potential Episode Spoiler!

Near the end of the episode, after it is clear that Lucy Butler has left the building, Frank Black examines an array of photos on the farmhouse wall. He notices the photos range from antique to modern and many have newspaper articles about missing children affixed to them (the same children in the photos). One photo in particular catches Frank's eye. It is a larger, framed photographic portrait of a young woman who bears a striking resemblance to Lucy Butler. Her hair is pinned back in an old-fashioned up-do. Frank turns the frame over and finds a yellowing newspaper article attached to the back. The photo in the frame is reproduced in the article, accompanied by the headline: "Local Girl Missing." The article reads: "Annie Martin, a senior at Winslow High School in Phoenix Arizona disappeared mysteriously on Friday afternoon after the meeting of the local sewing bee. Annie is a pretty young woman who is very popular among her school mates. She is described as a good student with average grades. Annie's disappearance has truly stunned our little community. If anyone has any information regarding ..." The camera pans up, we see the photo of Annie Martin again, the spitting image of Lucy Butler, and finally the date on the newspaper notice: "Monday, September 18th, 1911." This plot twist seems to suggest that almost 90 years earlier, Annie Martin, the girl in the photo, fell victim to Legion in the same fashion as the boys in the episode. Annie fit the victim profile: "an average student," "very popular among her school mates," etc.

It also seems to suggest that a) Legion assumed the appearance of Annie Martin when creating the Lucy Butler manifestation, or b) Annie Martin and Lucy Butler are the same person, perhaps the result of some infernal pact or possession.

Credit: 'they took it'



Background Information and References:

At approx 0:20 minutes, Landon Bryce names his new cell mate "Ben Gunn". I knew I recognized it, and after rifling my book shelves came up with the answer: Ben Gunn is the name of a marooned pirate that Jim Hawkins encounters in Robert Louis Stevenson's novel 'Treasure Island'.

Credit: Theo Mistwein, June 20th 2010

One of the most frequently asked questions that viewers ask about this episode is "What was that never ending music that Lucy Butler forced her captives to endure over and over again?". Well the answer is of course Love is Blue (Instrumental version) by Paul Mauriat. You can find a profile with media clips in our Episode Music Guide.



Millennium Bloopers:



Killers and Victims:

Victims: Howard Gordon, Group Member Olsen Killer: Lucy Butler



Mortality Count:

2



Psychology:



Somehow, Satan Got Behind Me


Season:

2

MLM Code:

#MLM-221

Production Code:

5C21

Original Airdate:

1998-05-01



1013 References:

  • The scene in which Waylon Figgleif attacks a television film crew features cameo appearances from two Millennium staffers. Director of Photography Robert McLachlan and cameraman Michael Wrinch can both be observed in the scene, as a director and clapper boy respectively.
    Credit: Brian Dixon, The Millennial Abyss
  • Digital special-effects artist Scott Wheeler, was assigned to make the baby with his team at Area 51 Special Effects - David Jones, Dave Carlson, Justin Hammond and visual effects supervisor Glenn Campbell. All these guys worked with Morgan and Wong on Space: Above and Beyond and were brought to The X-Files when S:AAB got cancelled.
    Credit: Morganandwongonline.com
  • The parody X-Files alien autopsy scene concludes with the Clapper Boy (played by 1013's Mike Wrinch) holding up the tail slate. It confirms the program they are filming to be called Alien Dossier, with Rob McLachlan as Directo and Barry Donlevy (occasional Millennium Gaffer and Cinematographer) on Camera. Although 1013's Robert McLachlan and Mike Wrinch are visible in the scene, it is unconfirmed whether Barry Donlevy can also be seen.


Bible References:



Millennium Trivia:

Many of the myriad jokes crammed into this episode were written as humorous jabs at the Fox network. The segment featuring Waylon Figgleif, a censor for the fictional Ant Network, was written by Darin Morgan based on his observations of the Millennium staff's regular confrontations with the Fox network's own Broadcast Standards and Practices division.

The dancing, computer-generated demon baby that Waylon Figgleif sees as a hallucination spoofs the dancing baby seen on Fox's Ally McBeal. The demon baby seen here was created by Scott Wheeler and the creative team at Area 51, the effects house responsible for all of Millennium's special effect needs.

Credit: Brian Dixon, The Millennial Abyss

Writer Darin Morgan makes fun of three Fox Television shows during this episode: When Animals Attack, The X-Files and Ally McBeal.



Background Information and References:



Millennium Bloopers:



Killers and Victims:

Victims: Brock, Waylon, "Alien" #1, "Alien" #2, Perry, 35 prostitutes, 1 Satanist, The Aging Stripper Killers: Abum, Greb, Toby, Perry, Johnnie Mack Potter



Mortality Count:

7



Psychology:



The Fourth Horseman


Season:

2

MLM Code:

#MLM-222

Production Code:

5C22

Original Airdate:

1998-05-08



1013 References:



Bible References:

Revelation


6:2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.


6:4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.


6:5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.


6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.



Millennium Trivia:

Morgan and Wong chose a genetically engineered variant of the Marbug virus as their apocalyptic initiator. Similar in its effects to Ebola virus, the Marbug virus existed as a part of the Russian bio-weapon arsenal, just as Peter Watts notes in the following episode. The Centers for Disease Control explain, "Marburg virus was first recognized in 1967, when outbreaks of hemorrhagic fever occurred simultaneously in laboratories in Marburg and Frankfurt, Germany and in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia). A total of 37 people became ill; they included laboratory workers as well as several medical personnel and family members who had cared for them. The first people infected had been exposed to African green monkeys or their tissues. In Marburg, the monkeys had been imported for research and to prepare polio vaccine."

When discussing the corporate security group known as the Trust, Richard Gilbert drops the names of several agents involved in the organization. "The rest of us you know from the old Bureau days," Gilbert comments. "Duncan, Vitaris, Brian Dixon." Each of these names corresponds to a prominent fan active in following the television work of Glen Morgan and James Wong. Kate Duncan is a dedicated follower of Morgan and Wong's sci-fi drama Space: Above and Beyond. Paula Vitaris, a freelance writer for such magazines as Cinefantastique and Starlog, regularly penned magazine articles regarding Morgan and Wong's work in television.

Brian A. Dixon is the webmaster of the Millennial Abyss.

Credit: Brian Dixon, The Millennial Abyss



Background Information and References:



Millennium Bloopers:



Killers and Victims:



Mortality Count:

0



Psychology:



The Time Is Now


Season:

2

MLM Code:

#MLM-223

Production Code:

5C23

Original Airdate:

1998-05-15



1013 References:

The motel Lara is staying at is called "Morgan Creek Motel" - for Glen Morgan, writer/producer.

Credit: Joe M of TIWWA

The fictional brand Morley Cigarette from The X-Files. - click for full size.



During the episode, Peter Watts discovers a Morley Cigarette which is a fictional brand used by The Cigarette Smoking Man in the X-Files. He picks it up and looks at it and the camera focuses in the brand name for no other reason pertinent to the storyline.


Bible References:

Revelation 1:3


Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.



Revelation 22:10

And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.



Millennium Trivia:

This episode's title presents a variation on one of Millennium's second season taglines, "The Time is Near." That phrase is taken from the opening chapter of the Book of Revelation, prophesizing the end of the world and final judgment.

Credit: Brian Dixon, The Millennial Abyss



Background Information and References:

The season's two-part finale, "The Fourth Horseman" and "The Time Is Now," showed the outbreak of a plague which builds on the division within the Millennium Group and Frank's growing distrust. He is tempted by an offer to join a rival investigatory group called The Trust. Meanwhile, he and Peter investigate the outbreak of a deadly plague, while Lara, who has been initiated into the Millennium Group's secret knowledge, begins her final descent into madness. At the end, the Blacks have taken refuge in the remote cabin of Frank's late father, where a sick and probably dying Catherine sneaks off into the woods so that already inoculated Frank can use their one vial of plague vaccine on Jordan. The cabin, for Morgan, had become Frank's yellow house, where the Blacks are reunited, even if death soon takes Catherine away. "I didn't feel right leaving Frank without his yellow house. I think in life you sometimes search for a yellow house, but for Frank, it actually was that cabin."

Morgan and Wong wrote the season finale not knowing whether MILLENNIUM would be renewed. They pitched several endings to Carter, who made a surprising suggestion that they kill Catherine. Morgan and Wong were taken aback, but didn't object, especially when Carter said to leave her death ambiguous. After thinking how to make Catherine's death meaningful, Morgan discussed it with Megan Gallagher and described the scenario to her. "I told her the neat part will be that after Frank Black has done so much sacrificing for his family, ultimately it will be Catherine who makes the ultimate sacrifice. She liked that. So that had a big part in the decision to kill Catherine."

Like so many plot ideas, the plague as millennial doom emerged from the writers' research. "When I looked at the current research, I found the thing that was most likely to get us was some sort of plague or virus," Morgan said. "I didn't really pay much attention during the mad cow scare in England, but in reading about it I found it horrifying."

One of the most striking sequences of the two-parter is the third act depicting Lara's visions of the apocalypse and her breakdown. It was shot and cut much like a music video, accompanied by the Patti Smith song about heroin, "Horses," which had been a college favorite of Morgan's. He had always envisioned someone going crazy to it. "Editing was really difficult. Doing this was rather naive on my part," Morgan admitted. "Music videos probably have a budget close to what one of our entire episodes costs, and we had only three days to put it together. I don't think we competed very well with the kind of imagery you see on MTV. But I felt that this hasn't been done on a primetime, network drama. I'm glad we did it, but it was really, really hard."

Morgan and Wong have departed, satisfied with their work on the show. "I'm really proud of a lot of the episodes this season," Wong said. "The frustrating thing was that we didn't find a new audience. Some of the people who watched it the first season decided it wasn't for them and didn't come to watch it this season to see if they liked it better or see how it changed."

Source: "TV's Best Kept Secret Improves In Its Sophomore Season" - Cinefantastique Magazine (1998).

Millennium Bloopers:



Killers and Victims:

Victim: Richard Gilbert Killer: The Millennium Group



Mortality Count:

1



Psychology: