Frank's Gift

[HighPlainsDrifter]

I was re-watching Midnight of the Century and i couldnt help from noticing how Henry at the end accepted Linda's gift as something good. I also seem to think that Lara Means gift is also the same as Linda Black. I think this is why Frank cared alot about Lara. So going back to Frank, he always viewed his gift as a curse. The way Henry talked about Franks gift was also deemed as a curse. I wonder what you all think

[Guest peas_and_corn]

I'd say that the 'nature' of his ability is relatively benign. While he uses his abilities to fight Legion, I cannot see any reason why, had he been less moral, he couldn't have used his abilities to do bad. He frequently describes his abilities as a curse because of the problems that it causes him- in the pilot, he gives the oft-quoted line, and that is because it is his first time back in the FBI after being sent crazy by the consequences of his ability. So while the actual ability itself is the 'gift', the events that have unfolded because of it is the 'curse' that is attached to it.

[Guest SouthernCelt]

I never thought of Frank's abilities as being a "gift" or "curse" in terms of its orgin, i.e., I didn't think it originated with either the good or bad side of the spiritual realm. Rather, it was an ability that few possessed and what Frank made of it in terms of affecting other people or events was determined by what he directed the ability toward. All the other forces around him -- the "good" Group, the "bad" version of the Group, as well as Legion and the other briefly incarnate spirits (for want of a better term) -- realized they couldn't force Frank's ability to serve them directly, they could only try to bring him over to their side as an ally.

In season 3, I think both the Group as it was then and Legion realized Frank would never serve them and began to punish him by shifting interest to the more "trainable" mind, Jordan.

[4th Horseman]

I never thought of Frank's abilities as being a "gift" or "curse" in terms of its orgin, i.e., I didn't think it originated with either the good or bad side of the spiritual realm. Rather, it was an ability that few possessed and what Frank made of it in terms of affecting other people or events was determined by what he directed the ability toward. All the other forces around him -- the "good" Group, the "bad" version of the Group, as well as Legion and the other briefly incarnate spirits (for want of a better term) -- realized they couldn't force Frank's ability to serve them directly, they could only try to bring him over to their side as an ally.

In season 3, I think both the Group as it was then and Legion realized Frank would never serve them and began to punish him by shifting interest to the more "trainable" mind, Jordan.

quite a nice response Wayne...i agree completely...i think Frank considered it a "curse" because it only allowed him to see a situation from the very bleakest of human behavior, the killer's mind. I dont think it was ever a Group issue, it was uniquely personal and private..Never allowing him to see anything else but the rage, anger, and hatred of the killer's mind...and most certainly did not afford him the capability of determining someones favorite flavor of ice cream. LOL....just kidding MOS....you also bring up a very intriguing point about Jordan..I have often wondered about Hollis as well, because she most certainly experienced similar advances by Legion in Seven and One....The shifting interest to Jordan leaves no doubt, but i wonder why Hollis was exposed as well. Remember the quote from the priest who told her to "let her strength equal his weakness, when it comes for you"....again, not if, but when, a most prophetic statement of assurance...

4th Horseman...

[hippyroo]

Like most things in life: it's how you use it that makes it for good or for evil.

[ethsnafu]

I was re-watching Midnight of the Century and i couldnt help from noticing how Henry at the end accepted Linda's gift as something good. I also seem to think that Lara Means gift is also the same as Linda Black. I think this is why Frank cared alot about Lara. So going back to Frank, he always viewed his gift as a curse. The way Henry talked about Franks gift was also deemed as a curse. I wonder what you all think

Interesting stuff Joe and such fertile ground for the covert reconnaissance with regards to a couple of conceptual quandaries we are encountering in VS6.

I adore Midnight Of The Centure purely as it directly addresses the issues you raise and not only that but it is nostalgic of those Dickensian Melancholia the Beeb used to spoon feed the British each Christmas with their enduring festive spook-fests.

Lara, Linda, Henry and Frank were utilized to provide a commentary of the kaleidoscopic ramification of the visionary experience. Each one, by design, created to be the test subject by which each characters emotional journey could be paralleled and quantified. To my mind the message was about the locus of perception, what matters was not external appraisal of the experience (i.e. they think, we think etc.) but how each character viewed the experience in terms of their own expectations. One of the most profound elements of modern psychology is that a patient's intrinsic beliefs, their totems if you will, are never challenged. It is otiose to say "..in light of your experiences you would have been better served..." but healing to conclude "...given your experiences how does it make you and you alone feel..." The disunion in the elder Black marriage was the incongruous views of the visionary and the observer. Linda viewed her experiences as profound, relevant and encompassing whilst Henry perceived them to be damaging, aberrational and a 'bette noir'. Henry only finds peace when he shifts his locus of perception and internalizes the experience from the perspective of the visionary and takes comfort in the sure and certain knowledge that Linda gleaned a great asomatous comfort from whatever occurred to her despite his own views.

René Descartes put it best with the persisting legend, "...Cogito, ergo sum..." - "...I think therefore I am..." and thus all experiences are only as affecting as the experiencer perceives them to be. For Frank the visionary experience was a curse as it was too for Lara and yet in a different socia-economic era, The War Years, the same experience of the supernal was appraised by a lonely, frightened woman as reassurance and needed comfort. It is no coincidence that the WWII years saw the greatest combustion of angelic encounters than any other era in modern history.

So I kinda place my eggs in the same basket expressed above. The experience, though differing, is essentialy benign. It is devoid of intention, it offers no narrative or context but causes each individual to appraise it differently and give it the idiom 'gift' or 'curse'.

See you in the writing room.

Best wishes,

Eth

[Guest bluestocking]

It's what the person does with it that makes it a force for good or a force for evil. Assuming the Deity is behind the gift, presumably He selected the Black family line as warriors on the side of right in the constant battle of good against evil. Free choice means they could have gone over to the dark side, yet Frank and Jordan freely choose to be on the side of right and to become "shepherds." It's a force for good, but not a gift either is likely to enjoy or view as much of a blessing. It's a burden being two of God's chosen, if that's what they are.

[Guest Future_Sight]

I was re-watching Midnight of the Century and i couldnt help from noticing how Henry at the end accepted Linda's gift as something good. I also seem to think that Lara Means gift is also the same as Linda Black. I think this is why Frank cared alot about Lara. So going back to Frank, he always viewed his gift as a curse. The way Henry talked about Franks gift was also deemed as a curse. I wonder what you all think

This original post to me has very much a 'Christian perspective' of gifts. Christians believe that God bestows spiritual gifts on believers, especially if born again, to assist the church.

I see the reality of so called gifts as a lot more earthly in nature.

Christians tend to label anything either from God or demonic.

But what we can narrow perspective is ignore things that are born or innate in people.

The reason why I am such a fan of millenium, is that they portray Frank's gift as realistic, and it's something i can relate to.

I have certain gifts or abilities, that I can relate to Frank, and they way they interfere with living a 'normal' existence. [i won't go further into my private life, and besides most people would think I'm full of crap anyways].

Can you imagine being sensitive to information, that comes true, or points to the truth, but living in a world populated by people who arent?? Can you imagine the torment of being alone in that, and people treating you like a fool. Look at how Frank repeatedly gets treated throughout the series by people who believe he's a nutjob!

That's why he sees it as a curse.

I see his gift as more natural in origin (from birth), and he feels cursed because it was never a choice for him to be anything else.

[Guest Sheree Dawn]

I was re-watching Midnight of the Century and i couldnt help from noticing how Henry at the end accepted Linda's gift as something good. I also seem to think that Lara Means gift is also the same as Linda Black. I think this is why Frank cared alot about Lara. So going back to Frank, he always viewed his gift as a curse. The way Henry talked about Franks gift was also deemed as a curse. I wonder what you all think

I think the gift was neither; it just WAS.

The things Frank & Lara saw could be interpreted as being good or bad, but it was no curse. The curse came from the inability to do something about everything they saw or felt.

[hippyroo]

" and thus all experiences are only as affecting as the experiencer perceives them to be."

My perception of a 2 x 4 hitting my head does not much change the effect of it.