Seven and One

[Guest chrisnu]

I just recently re-watched "Seven And One", and I'd like to know your thoughts on it. Personally, there was stuff in it that I enjoyed, but overall it felt very disjointed, was frustrated by the inconsistencies and outright bizarreness, and I felt like it didn't add up to much. That pretty much sums up my opinion of Season 3.

What I liked:

I liked the character of Agent Boxer, and the vise-grip he seems to have on Frank in this episode. It helps convey Frank's increasing sense of hopelessness in the episode. I also helps show the increasing isolation that Frank is feeling. Who does he have as a respite? Not Catherine, not Peter Watts. Jordan yes, but not really anyone else. However, the episode also showed, in the end, Frank's tenacity and unwillingness to just let go.

What I didn't like:

The plotline of the whole episode is rather sloppy, and raises way too many questions:

1) Is Boxer = Mabius = Legion? That morph into Mabius cheapened Boxer's malevolence in this episode for me.

2) Who sent Frank the photos? (This was done before, obviously, to much better dramatic effect. Now it feels old.) Who was in his house?

3) Frank nearly drowns, and it ends up being a hallucination? Huh? Who buried Emma alive, and why? And what's up with double-Emma shooting herself? If someone wanted Emma dead, why not just shoot her then?

There is also a major contradiction to the previous storyline that cannot be overlooked: Frank has only one brother. This is illustrated clearly in "Sacrament" and "Midnight Of The Century". Adding another brother just for the heck of it is a gross oversight, and lessens the effect of Frank revealing his secret fear. Why couldn't the brother have been Tom?

In addition, "Seven and One" creates additional inconsistencies within Season 3 itself:

1) In this episode, Frank states that Ed Cuffle is dead. And yet, two episodes later, he's alive and Frank witnesses his execution!

2) McLaren states that Frank has left the FBI - and yet in "Nostalgia" he's right back on the job! Huh?

3) Boxer rightfully states that Frank was in a psychological condition that probably would not have allowed him to come back to work. Why does the FBI put up with Frank and his conspiracy theories about the Millennium Group this season? He's implicated in the murder of the psychiatrist, and nothing happens? Huh?

Other stuff that irked me / was just plain bad:

1) Emma the Astute Driver strikes again, and again with no consequences. Boy, I'd really like to work for the FBI if I can crash their cars all the time and keep getting new ones.

2) What is up with this "7 + 1" stuff anyway? It's not explained at all, except on the title of some obscure Web page.

3) Frank's never been able to feel what the victim's felt? Hello? Within the past three years, he's had a mental breakdown, had his family stalked, had a friend murdered in his own home, had his wife kidnapped, and had his wife die. I think he knows what a victim feels like. Total crap.

4) The voiceover at the end is pure grandiose Carterlogue, as previously seen on the X-Files. Completely undecipherable and obtuse, and delivered unconvincingly. Contrast this to the opening monologue of "The Beginning and the End", for example. Frank is now going to use his gift as a tool of light, because the light guides him. What have you been doing for the last three years that we've known you, Frank? Total mumbo jumbo. Yuck.

[Guest A Stranger]

There is also a major contradiction to the previous storyline that cannot be overlooked: Frank has only one brother. This is illustrated clearly in "Sacrament" and "Midnight Of The Century". Adding another brother just for the heck of it is a gross oversight, and lessens the effect of Frank revealing his secret fear. Why couldn't the brother have been Tom?

Frank's never been able to feel what the victim's felt? Hello? Within the past three years, he's had a mental breakdown, had his family stalked, had a friend murdered in his own home, had his wife kidnapped, and had his wife die. I think he knows what a victim feels like. Total crap.

4) The voiceover at the end is pure grandiose Carterlogue, as previously seen on the X-Files. Completely undecipherable and obtuse, and delivered unconvincingly. Contrast this to the opening monologue of "The Beginning and the End", for example. Frank is now going to use his gift as a tool of light, because the light guides him. What have you been doing for the last three years that we've known you, Frank? Total mumbo jumbo. Yuck.

Yeah, If you take a close look at the scene in "Midnight..." when Frank goes over his mother's obituary, it cleary states she left behind two sons. That mistake was the biggest becuase it was so unnecessary and it's not like some obscure fact that only nitpickers notice.

I did find it really strange about Frank's revletation since a great deal of his visions have been through the victim, especially that year. And I wasn't too impressed by the voice over either, it is very self-indulgent and to me game off as Carter's final goodbye to the character. But I think the point was to show that Frank now has a better understanding the good/evil forces but again, it's kind of like "no sh*t."

[SadEyes]

What I got was that Jordan is celebrating her eight birthday at the beginning of "seven and one". And in the line of the internet adress it says "Seven and one = 8 = 1999, the last year of peace". Is that just because Jordan is eight years old in 1999, why "seven and one" ? Why is 1999 the last year of this eight year cycle ? Or is it the beginning ? So many questions...I also don´t know what to make of Emma pointing the gun at herself and then her double shoots itself...what is that supposed to mean? Is it Emmas deepest fear, like Franks deepest fear is drowning ?Hmm...

[Guest ModernDayMoriarty]

I hope to do a review of this episode soon; I just need to examine the transcripts as my copy is missing the first couple of minutes I think. It is, along with 'The Sound of Snow' and (I imagine as I haven't actually seen it) 'Borrowed Time', one of the most significant episodes of Season Three, hence my interest. I will watch it again over the weekend and see what I can do.

[Guest Regan MacNeil]

Has anyone figured out that "seven years plus one" thing yet? I'm really curious about this phrase and where it comes from. One of the Smashing Pumpkins' albums features an arcane symbol with the words "It is finished when seven are one". I have also seen this symbol and I THINK those same words on a Marilyn Manson album. I'm not sure if these things are related, but I instantly recognized that "seven and one" phrase as being similar in all three cases. Oh well, if anyone figures out the origin of this phrase or what it means, please post it.

[Guest ModernDayMoriarty]

Basically I took it to be that there was Seven years and then one apart, notable for its being the last year of peace before the Apocalypse. And of course eight o clock is 20.00 hours. So 2000, the millennium. Jordan has had seven years plus one of life. This last year before the end.

As to the questions at the top again, the episode was likely intended to be the last episode which could explain some of the discrepancies (but they can be explained away as I have in the past). The episode is to underscore that Frank has a new outlook on life now, looking after Jordan is more important than losing himself in the darkness. He will not be terrified into continuing to be a pawn in some game by Legion or the Group or anyone. A near death experience for Frank causes him to think of the important things, Catherine, Jordan, happiness. As S3 states time and again, you have to know when to let go and live for yourself. Don't pile the troubles of everyone and everything on yourself because you are not the universe's keeper - a trap the Group has evidently fallen into as Mabius, a group member has allowed Legion into his heart, as has Del Boxer, so desperate to root out the bad seeds he has let his control obsession rule him so Legion can find a way in. Emma meanwhile, has a near death experience that bodes far worse. She doesn't have the strength that Frank does, her need to find meaning and inability to let go mean that she is dooomed to darkness. The apparant suicide shows this, she is damning herself.