#MLM-216 Roosters
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Episode Summary
It is discovered that Millennium Group dissidents are not those responsible for taking the cross of Christ's crucifixion. In actuality, a sinister third party, a group of Nazis known as Odessa, are the ones to blame for killing Group members, taking the cross, and trying to pull the Black family into their midst. Only the Group's leading Old Man and the two recently expelled candidates, Frank and Lara, can bring this evidence into the open and pull things back together in time... before there is no more Millennium Group.
Main Crew
Written by Glen Morgan & James Wong
Directed by Thomas J. Wright
Edited by Chris Willingham, A.C.E.
Main Cast
Lance Henriksen as Frank Black
Megan Gallagher as Catherine Black
Guest Stars
Ernest Lenart as Rudolf Axmann
Kimberley Patton as Clear Knight
Kristen Cloke as Lara Means
Philip Baker Hall as Group Elder (I)
R.G. Armstrong as The Old Man
Supporting Cast
Barry W. Levy as Driver (II)
Bob Dawson as Helmut Gunsche
Brian Downey as Mr. Dean
Charles Andre as Passenger (I)
Gardiner Millar as Mr. Otto
John Juliani as Mr. Plunkett
Judith Maxie as Finley
Steve Griffith as Jim Ford
View full credits
Quotation/Proverb
None
Seasonal Episode Tagline
this is ... who we are ... the time is near
Synopsis
Please note that this is the original Fox synopsis and occasionally this may differ from the events that were actually filmed.
Please also view the Roosters episode transcript which has been painstakingly checked for accuracy against the actual episode.
As Frank, gun in hand, approaches the car, he orders the occupants to place their hands on top of their heads. The driver attempts to reason with Frank, insisting he is with the Group. Suddenly, the passenger turns and aims his gun at Frank. Both men fire. Frank dives behind the vehicle, taking cover. Neighbors react to the commotion, and shortly thereafter, police sirens sound in the distance. Frank fires several rounds into the car, striking the passenger. As the driver engages the engine and pulls away, Frank shoots out a back tire. Later, police find the car abandoned.
Meanwhile, while examining evidence pertaining to the Johnston murder, Lara Means discovers that Watts hid an infrared photograph. The cover-up also comes to the attention of the Elder, who demands an explanation. Watts tells the Elder that Johnston was involved in a plot to pit the Owls and the Roosters against each other. Watts spotted a possible lead within the infrared image, and certain it would determine the outcome of the discord within the Group, hid it from view until he could consult with the Old Man about its meaning. Later, members from both factions meet to discuss the crisis. The Elder decides not to reveal the results of carbon tests that conclusively date the piece of wood--possibly the crucifixion cross--found in Johnston's burned automobile until after Group members have settled their differences.
Catherine is approached by Jim Ford, an Aerotech worker. He reveals that Clear Knight and the company are part of something called Odessa. Meanwhile, Frank pays Knight a visit. While examining the watercolor hanging on her wall, Frank experiences internal visions of Nazi Germany.
That night, Frank receives a visit from Lara Means and the Old Man. Lara explains that, throughout history, the Group has had access to scientific breakthroughs withheld from the public. As a result, Johnston developed a theory about a tear in the fabric of the universe... one that would reach Earth in sixty years. Lara admits she believes the theory, but would not join the Owls because of her persistent apocalyptic visions (which cannot be explained through science). The Old Man then joins the discussion, explaining that a third party has been manipulating the Group in hopes of triggering its demise. Later, the Old Man tells Lara that in the waning days of World War II, Nazis began a secret project known as Odessa, in which high-ranking SS officers fled to countries south of the equator. One of these men, Rudolph Axmann, helped defeat their greatest enemy, communism, in the 1980s. Now Odessa has turned its attention towards the Millennium Group.
Meanwhile, Catherine discovers that Jim Ford is dead. Fearing for her safety, she runs from the Aerotech offices and makes her way to the parking lot, where she encounters Frank. He explains that Odessa had been monitoring his reluctance to join the Millennium Group, and hired Catherine, through Aerotech, in an effort to access him.
Gunsche brutally murders the Old Man in the basement of Frank's yellow house. Devastated by the loss, Watts tells Frank and Lara he is ashamed at how he has treated them. He determines that the Group must now destroy Odessa. Later, as the Elder presides over the Old Man's burial, the operation to obliterate Odessa is put in motion: Gunsche is killed in a car bomb explosion; Axmann's house is destroyed in Paraguay; and the Aerotech company is raided and shut down for good.
The Elder assumes the title of the new Old Man. Later, he travels to the Old Man's shack, where he unwraps a package shipped from Amann, Jordan. Inside is the remaining cross of the crucifixion.
Background Information and References
There is no background information or references relating to this episode of Millennium.
Episode 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
Episode 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.
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.
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.
Original Fox Promotional Episode Stills
View the 7 available original 1996 Fox Millennium Episode Guide images for this episode of Millennium here.
Mortality Count:
3 Deaths
(Comprised of 1 murders + 0 kills in self defence + 2 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
- Driver (II) was responsible for the attempted murder of Frank Black during this episode of Millennium (Roosters).
- Passenger (I) was responsible for the attempted murder of Frank Black during this episode of Millennium (Roosters).
- Clear Knight was responsible for the murder of Jim Ford during this episode of Millennium (Roosters).
- Finley killed Helmut Gunsche during this episode of Millennium (Roosters) in a justifiable homicide.
- Peter Watts killed Rudolf Axmann during this episode of Millennium (Roosters) in a justifiable homicide.
(View Millennium's Violence - Deaths, Killers, Victims and Criminality Analysis)