Lucy Butler's Millennium Character Profile
Profile
‘My name is Legion,‘ he replied, ‘for we are many.‘ --Mark 5:8-10
The mythology of Millennium focused heavily on the nature of evil, both human and supernatural. It was the supernatural element which caught the attention of many Millennium fans in particular and this became known as the Legion myth-arc. There were many facets of Legion, earth-bound manifestations of pure evil, but one of the most popular with Millennium‘s fans and also most seen throughout the show‘s three seasons was that of Lucy Butler, played five times with increasing intensity by talented actress Sarah-Jane Redmond.
Lucy Butler first appeared in Millennium Season One‘s episode Lamentation and again in the follow-up episode Powers, Principalities, Thrones, and Dominions. Lucy (Redmond) would later reappear in the excellent Season Two episode, A Room With No View (a particular fan favourite) before returning for Season Three‘s episodes Antipas and Saturn Dreaming of Mercury (a brief but essential appearance).
Other manifestations of Legion would present themselves throughout the series but it was however Lucy Butler, portrayed by Sarah-Jane Redmond, who quickly become the revered temptress of evil with Millennium‘s fans. Lucy Butler appeared for the first time on the show in Season One‘s Lamentation, the wife of evil Dr Ephraim Fabricant. Lucy was suspected of orchestrating Fabricant‘s escape from police custody. The show revealed that she also was previously accused of murdering her own child, but was ultimately acquitted in Court. The episode contained some very powerful and disturbing scenes and has become extremely a firm favourite with Millennium fans. When long-time friend of Frank Black, Police Detective Bob Bletcher, was later killed in Frank‘s house, the last thing he saw was the terrifying sight of Lucy Butler interspersed between flashes of Thunder and Lightning with a winged beast and a scary long-haired man.
According to Fabricant, Lucy/Legion was "the base sum of all evil". Lucy also briefly appeared at the end of the follow-up episode Powers, Principalities, Thrones, and Dominions in a dramatic scene involving the discovery of a dying Mike Atkins, Millennium Group Member and mentor of Frank. Upon discovering the dying Atkins, Frank chases the suspected killer through a nearby supermarket. Inside, Frank spots another manifestation of Legion, Attorney Al Pepper played with panache by Richard Cox, pushing a shopping trolley. As Pepper pushes the cart, Frank works up behind him. When Pepper‘s cart again comes into view, it is being pushed by Martin, a killer responsible for the death of a nanny. As the cart appears again, it is being pushed by Lucy Butler!
Sarah-Jane Redmond would appear again as Lucy Butler in a dedicated episode in Season Two of Millennium. A Room With No View became a cult favourite with fans of Millennium and in this episode we saw a whole new side of the merciless Lucy Butler, giving Sarah-Jane fresh opportunities to show what evil and seductiveness her character was capable of. This time Frank Black investigates following the death by fear of a schoolboy and the disappearance of his friend. Frank discovers a dead Millennium Group member which puts him on the trail of Lucy Butler. Lucy this time is discovered to be re-educating young men by keeping them prisoner in an abandoned farmhouse, repeatedly subjecting them over and over, seemingly with no end, to the sounds of the song "Love is Blue", rewarding them with promises of her intense burning sexuality. This episode also sees the return of the mysterious ‘Long Haired Man‘ and ‘Gehenna‘ winged devil. Ultimately Frank and his team rescue the poor prisoners of Lucy‘s farmhouse, but the demon herself escapes.
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‘
Sarah-Jane is to be congratulated for her outstanding performance throughout this episode, which has to viewed and savoured almost as many times as the looping soundtrack to Lucy‘s exploits, Love is Blue.
Lucy Butler would reappear again, much to the delight of her fans, in the third Season episode Antipas as the hired nanny for a wealthy family. Butler again tested her sexual powers on married father John Saxum, piquing his curiosity and his wife‘s jealousy. Lucy exploited their weaknesses, playing one off against the other to attract the attention of now ex-Millennium Group Candidate Frank Black. During a night time visit in Frank‘s hotel room, firstly as the winged Gehenna Devil and then as Lucy Butler, it is considered that she essentially ‘raped‘ him, to support the argument that the child she was carrying was his. Frank dismissed the argument and Lucy reacted violently, threatening the safety of Frank‘s daughter Jordan. After an attempt to kill Frank‘s new FBI partner Emma Hollis, the pair drove away from the family‘s home but collided with the Long Haired Man, who upon closer inspection was seen as Lucy Butler, who informed Frank that she lost their baby as a result of the accident.
Sarah-Jane would assume the role again for a final time as Lucy in a brief ‘blink and you‘ll miss it‘ end of episode scene in Saturn Dreaming of Mercury, written by Chip Johannessen and Jordan Hawley. Frank Black and daughter Jordan watch a burning house as the young child Lucas appears in a window and is transformed into Lucy Butler.
Millennium Cast, Character or Crew Credit
Lucy Butler was a character in the television series Millennium.
Mortality Count:
9 Deaths
(Comprised of 9 murders + 0 kills in self defence + 0 justifiable homicides + 0 suicides.)
N.B. Where relevant, unquantifiable groups of victims (such as multiple casualties as a result of a plane crash) are represented by a group count of 1 due to the impracticalities with listing so many unidentified persons.
Violence Markers
Lucy Butler was responsible for the attempted murder of Federal Marshal during the Millennium episode Lamentation (#MLM-117).
Lucy Butler was responsible for the murder of Dr. Ephraim Fabricant during the Millennium episode Lamentation (#MLM-117).
Lucy Butler was responsible for the murder of Federal Prosecutor during the Millennium episode Antipas (#MLM-313).
Lucy Butler was responsible for the murder of Gardener during the Millennium episode Antipas (#MLM-313).
Lucy Butler was responsible for the murder of Group Member Olsen during the Millennium episode A Room With No View (#MLM-220).
Lucy Butler was responsible for the murder of Howard Gordon during the Millennium episode A Room With No View (#MLM-220).
Lucy Butler was responsible for the murder of John Saxum during the Millennium episode Antipas (#MLM-313).
Lucy Butler was responsible for the murder of Judge Park during the Millennium episode Lamentation (#MLM-117).
Lucy Butler was responsible for the murder of Lt. Bob Bletcher during the Millennium episode Lamentation (#MLM-117).
Lucy Butler was responsible for the murder of Una Saxum during the Millennium episode Antipas (#MLM-313).
Millennium Appearances
Lucy Butler appeared in the following 5 episode/s of Millennium: