Did Frank really go "too far" in killing the Polaroid Stalker?

[Earthnut]

You are so right seesthru, Frank's main concern was always the safety of his family. Sad that the bad man is everywhere and in everyone, of course all in different levels and degrees. We all have a dark side we try to keep hidden from the world. Maybe we let the bad man out with watching certain movies and TV shows. I've never been a fan of blood and gore, but I am a big fan of The Walking Dead. Prefect example, and in a zombie apocalypse, I believe I would be one of those that kick-arse.

[seesthru]

I"m a big fan of well made serial killer stuff. I don't need to see the gore. I prefer the psychological aspect. am also a fan of the twisted justice or angel of vengeance things like the movie Se7en. Dante's inferno type stuff. I think that's why I liked MiIllennium so much. When the Nazis got what they had coming to them form The group, I liked it. If I were to go serial killer, it would be as a sort of vigilante, but not just blast em away, I'd make the punishment fir the crime . ;) Like " The Judge" episode.... That's probably my dark side.

[Earthnut]

The psychological aspect, like profiling, is sooooooooooooooo good, and a favorite. That's why I'm a big fan of Criminal Minds and Preception.

When it comes to twisted justice and vengeance, it depends on the usual what, how...

Oh yes, the group kicked rump roast...love it too.

As I said, we all have our dark side, and probably the reason why we enjoy this show so much. The good part is it brings it out through entertainment, like The Judge, so we are, I hope, prevented from becoming dark people ourselves.

[Frank Black Jr]

Hi everybody. Maybe the idea of Frank killing that psycho was to make him more human and not the classic "Ned Flanders" hero that forgives everything. If he decided just to arrest him, it would turn the whole story (from the beginning of the polaroids to its end) into just another case. It would have lost the effect. I seem to remember that Mr. Carter was annoyed because of that episode because he couldn't use anymore the polaroid fx for the beginning of the episodes (or something like that). Anyway, I think that episode was so well done. And Catherine´s reaction was right. Come on, after that you can´t just say "well Frank...let´s go home and eat the chicken". That situation with the photo stalker had been stuck with them for years so it had to have a big impact to their relationship. It was the core of Frank´s decistion to come back and join the MG. Plus, it was a breakpoint in every way for Frank. Great episode.

"FRANK: I was on a serial case in Minnesota. The killer’s name was Ed Cuffle. He would choose a neighborhood and he would go up to a door. If he found it unlocked he considered that an invitation to go in and kill anybody home. He would take Polaroids of his victims which he’d send to the police. Took us months, but we caught him. He’s serving triple life sentences.

BLETCHER: And that was it.

FRANK: A year later, I reach into my mailbox and I take out the mail and there’s a letter addressed to me - no return. Inside are Polaroids of Catherine at the supermarket, Catherine at the school. Suddenly the psychic novocaine wore off. The numbness became paralyzing fear.

BLETCHER: You ever find who sent them?

FRANK: No. But I couldn’t leave the house. Why should I go to work when I can’t even protect my own family? My little girl was a miracle. We weren’t supposed to be able to conceive. I couldn’t let her out of my sight.

BLETCHER: But you beat it. How?

FRANK: I was approached by a group of men who helped me understand the nature of my facility, my gift.

[Earthnut]

Hi everybody. Maybe the idea of Frank killing that psycho was to make him more human and not the classic "Ned Flanders" hero that forgives everything. If he decided just to arrest him, it would turn the whole story (from the beginning of the polaroids to its end) into just another case. It would have lost the effect. I seem to remember that Mr. Carter was annoyed because of that episode because he couldn't use anymore the polaroid fx for the beginning of the episodes (or something like that). Anyway, I think that episode was so well done. And Catherine´s reaction was right. Come on, after that you can´t just say "well Frank...let´s go home and eat the chicken". That situation with the photo stalker had been stuck with them for years so it had to have a big impact to their relationship. It was the core of Frank´s decistion to come back and join the MG. Plus, it was a breakpoint in every way for Frank. Great episode.

"FRANK: I was on a serial case in Minnesota. The killer’s name was Ed Cuffle. He would choose a neighborhood and he would go up to a door. If he found it unlocked he considered that an invitation to go in and kill anybody home. He would take Polaroids of his victims which he’d send to the police. Took us months, but we caught him. He’s serving triple life sentences.

BLETCHER: And that was it.

FRANK: A year later, I reach into my mailbox and I take out the mail and there’s a letter addressed to me - no return. Inside are Polaroids of Catherine at the supermarket, Catherine at the school. Suddenly the psychic novocaine wore off. The numbness became paralyzing fear.

BLETCHER: You ever find who sent them?

FRANK: No. But I couldn’t leave the house. Why should I go to work when I can’t even protect my own family? My little girl was a miracle. We weren’t supposed to be able to conceive. I couldn’t let her out of my sight.

BLETCHER: But you beat it. How?

FRANK: I was approached by a group of men who helped me understand the nature of my facility, my gift.

During the scene when Frank finds Catherine, and the fight begins with the P Man, I am positive Catherine said something like, "kill him?" I will have to go to that scene to confirm it because it's not in the transcript, but I vaguely remember hearing her say it.

I agree Jr. with everything you said. It had to end, or it would have just been another case, just the very fact he was still around and alive would haunt them. Catherine needed time to heal from a traumatic experience, and I wouldn't have reacted any different.

[seesthru]

I don't think she said "Kill Him" What irks me is how Watts put the suggestion in Franks head about going solo vengeance. The group wanted Frank to kill the polaroid guy. The polaroid guy was made by the group. They created him. They wanted Frank. So they sent in the polaroid guy to taunt him, cripple him. That is the group's way. Weaken the candidate, then save the day for them. They come in at your weakest moment ( Watt's and the baby in the cooler, Emma and her sick dad, Frank and his breakdown, Laura and her fear of going insane)

They let polaroid man find Frank again, or maybe told him where Frank was... Just to keep Frank dependent on the group to help keep his family safe. They even reassured Frank that polaroid man wasn't after Catherine, but wanted to simply terrorize Frank. The group knew Catherine was kidnapped from the moment it happened. They burst into the airport and he hadn't even contacted them. They organized the whole thing.

They wanted Frank to kill him. Would that not seal the deal, bind Frank to them forever because he murdered, and they protected him? I guess they thought Catherine would be grateful to them for saving her husband from being arrested. Maybe they thought she would somehow feel thankful to the group, for having helped save her, or that they were there surrounding the family, tending Jordan, etc....

Of all the characters. Catherine did turn out to be the bravest. She was frightened when facing death with the polaroid stalker, wasn't ready perhaps to die for Frank, not even when she thought Jordan was dead. Maybe she was ready to die fro Frank when the polaroid man asked her, but was still afraid, as any rational person would be. But, in the end, she gave that vaccine to Jordan with no hesitation, and went out alone to die, never once being sorry for her choice. I"m so glad they did that episode in season 3 that told how She didn't die alone.

Of all the characters, was it not perhhaps Catherine, that had the sharpest ability? She never trusted the group.

[Earthnut]

Of all the characters. Catherine did turn out to be the bravest. She was frightened when facing death with the polaroid stalker, wasn't ready perhaps to die for Frank, not even when she thought Jordan was dead. Maybe she was ready to die fro Frank when the polaroid man asked her, but was still afraid, as any rational person would be. But, in the end, she gave that vaccine to Jordan with no hesitation, and went out alone to die, never once being sorry for her choice. I"m so glad they did that episode in season 3 that told how She didn't die alone.

Of all the characters, was it not perhhaps Catherine, that had the sharpest ability? She never trusted the group.

Catherine has always been my favorite character, and you described so perfectly. And, as you can see, "Anamnesis" is my favorite episode. She really was the bravest character out of them all. Even men captured and/or tortured cry, but her tears were not for herself, but for her daughter, and not out of fear of the Polaroid Man or fear of death. That's where her strong inner faith became manifest.

Catherine trusted her instincts and her training, and from day one she sensed there was something wrong with the group, which includes maybe seeing an internal struggle, as we are all fully aware of, "Owls" vs "Roosters."

As I have said in other threads, I believe Catherine kept Frank balanced, so he could apply his ability, not a gift/curse as Frank thought it to be, but keeping him sane to help solve crimes. She saw the spirituality in it, but I don't believe she ever saw it as a gift or a curse. She probably said, whatever it is, or something close.

Yes, I agree, it wasn't until "The Sound of Snow" that Frank finally received closure with Catherine's death, and regained his sanity. I honestly feel we all needed closure. Another one of my favorite episodes.

I need to watch the end of the episode and be reminded of what Catherine said. Maybe instead of "kill him" she said something like "get him." I just remember her saying something to that affect.

[Frank Black Jr]

totally agree with both of U. Also, about Catherine, I remember that the assistant Director Andy McClaren told Frank in one episode that he liked Catherine because she keep him sane (what a great character and actor, btw). And yes, that show when Frank remembers that he was with her in the woods when she died, was kind of a relief for all us viewers. It was a little less sad, you could say.

[seesthru]

Yeah when she died, they showed him looking out the window, then the next morning with white hair. It left viewers thinking she went off alone. I thought that kinda sucked. He knew he was immune, Jordan was immune due to the vaccines. I was so ticked off that they killed her off.

[Earthnut]

Yes, she was not the "Yellow House Mate" that she was in season 1. I have a hard time deciding on if they could have made Cathering nicer in season 2 without losing the intensity her character brought to season 2 plotline. I think that she had legitimite concerns about the Millennium Group and what it was doing to Frank. The hard part with conflict in television is that you eventually have to resolve it because a lack of resolution brings down the credibility of the plot of the show. I wouldn't have killed her off, but that's me!

Catherine was a very important character, and even though her death brought on excellent episodes like "The Sound of Snow," Catherine was an asset to the show in many ways. If you take the time to study her character, you may actually begin to like her. She is my favorite because she always saw and knew more then she let on, and put up with more then most of us would have. She's intelligent, strong, has awesome instincts, and was as supportive as she could be until she and Jordan became targets. It would be a very frightening thing to be kidnapped, and at the same time thinking your child has been killed, or dying. I believe she needed time to deal with the horror she had just gone through, which I am sure included thoughts on the group that she never trusted, and I believe the separation had little to do with her relationship with Frank. I have no doubts that she knew a lot about Frank's job, and that he was capable of killing in self-defense, and to protect her and Jordan. She loved him and knew he loved her. Jordan's safety was always first and foremost to Catherine, and proved that when she sacrificed her life so Jordan could live. She is the perfect wife and mother, and maybe that's why she is so disliked. Most people are intimidated by, or resent perfection.

I do feel it very unfair how people see Catherine, as a b---h, she was not, she was the stability of their family, and as I have repeatedly said, she kept Frank balanced and sane. She deserves more credit then she has been given, for her heart was always been in the right place, contrary to some of the other characters.