Millennium Episode Review of Beware of the Dog by ZeusFaber

Reviewed: Beware of the Dog

Contributor: ZeusFaber

The first of several episodes to stray into 'The X-Files' territory, ironic for a story about upsetting the balance. While there are some effective images, particularly when the dogs are on screen, things are never truly satisfying owing to the fact that the plot makes no sense whatsoever without falling back on a paranormal conceit ‐ and even then it struggles. Frank's initial encounters with the townsfolk strike up a nice atmosphere in a 'Bad Day at Black Rock' kind of sense, but it's totally unfathomable as to how they became aware of this bizarre rule not to go past the town sign after sunset, not to mention the purpose, reason or genesis of that rule. As such, the plot is built on a foundation of thin air, and the episode can never recover.

The scenes with the Old Man are also the first steps on a road to disaster. His existence in his little shack filled with various enigmatic paraphernalia is endearing, but like the notebook where the only English words are “Frank Black” in block capitals, it's all a load of empty symbols that signify nothing. We have more history-lesson exposition and lots of retroactive continuity, restyling the Millennium Group and Frank's gift, and the scene with the stone circles just has no logic behind it.

On the plus side, the attack scenes and the ending all have a good degree of tension about them, although making Michael Bebe quite so flamboyantly camp threatens to derail that at times. Frank as the lone ranger makes for compelling viewing, but having him blast out Bobby Darin as he looks over brutal crime scene photos and rides into town is grossly out of character. The episode ends up as one with some decent doses of atmosphere and vicious action as the consolation prizes that can never make up for a severe lack of plotting and the beginnings of a nasty identity crisis.