No confirmation from Chris Carter

[Guest Sheree Dawn]

You're a stronger person than I - I would readily accept Frank working with the X-Files, if it meant more Frank, as we were talking last year with Lance's inferences he might be in the X-Files movie. That would be good for me!

But yes, as far as preference, I would want a movie to be Frank based entirely. I'd just settle for something less if I had to!

Though I loved the x-files ALMOST as much as I love Millennium, the issue I had was how they kept swapping characters. It wasn't constant from start to finish. You had Mulder and Scully, the Doggett came in, blah blah blah. I know things had to change, but it took away from the magic of the show. That's my personal feelings. And while seeing Frank on that show would be nice, it would still be just a further degredation of the original plan of the show.

I don't want Frank to be tainted in that way. I'm protective.

[Guest gethsemane]

I don't believe CC should have crossed XF with MM. To me Muldaur sought evil from other worlds and dimensions whereas Frank could find the evil in people here. Not that he was negative about everything, but like a guardian. You couldn't put anything passed him and get away with it. He protected everyone. Muldaur was like the alien detector.He could smell em' a mile away. Same concept but 2 different shows. I do have to admit I've seen limited XF.

[ethsnafu]

Greetings Sheree and Gethsemane,

I agree with you wholeheartedly.

Narratively, tonally and conceptually the two shows were incomparably dissimilar. Frank's cerebral, introspective politic was worlds away from Mulder's wisecracking, sardonic Flash-Gordon ethic. When Frank was extracted from his comfort zone and dumped in the lighter, airier world of X-Files poor Lance looked decidedly inelegant, he didn't seem to know where to pitch the character in the midst of zombies, salt circles and evil magicians. Lance struggling to portray the character with integrity in an episode that was throwing all the old cliches in the cauldron and ramming its tongue so firmly in its cheek it caused abrasions was crucifying to endure.

Putting the two incongruent worlds together either results in Frank looking bland against the glamorous Mulder or Mulder looking puerile against Franks profundity.

Leave Frank in Millennium and don't give us Frank-Lite is my motto.

Smiles,

Eth

[Guest Jim McLean]

My, we all seem to have changed our tune from November? :) When the only option looked to be Frank in X-Files 2, everyone was excited, now the cherry has moved to being the potential of being a cherry cake, that single morsel seems less tantalizing.

And I empathise, inevitably we all want Frank to play spotlight in a drama that befits the character's world rather than a cameo or side part in someone else's. No doubt.

That said, I no problem with Frank in the X-Files. Take me out of my "world" and I won't seem quite the same - I found it interesting to see him revolve around someone elses.

I've always liked the notion that life, like movies, could be perceptional. One person's perspective could not just be singular view point, but a path itself. For instance, take the View Askew universe, you can have Dante sitting in a corner shop with a dull life, and yet you can have Silent Bob and Jay meet God. Both exist in the same universe, and one could argue that maybe one person's "path" is coloured differently to another - maybe some people DO see ghosts, or meet aliens, but in a path of life that is so different to another's, its like the difference between watching a comedy and a horror.

And if we look at Jose Cheung, we see how paths weave different flavours. Heck, doesn't have to be as pseudo-philosophical as I suggest, merely in the different company of different people, taken out of our routine and place in life, our positions and reactions do differ. Life can sometimes be comic, sometimes it can be horrific, all bundled into the same world. We can have the most bizarre events that mimic the most silly sitcom in one house, with events that people would never think likely actually happening, and next door can be the most grizzly barbaric act - all on the same street.

So back to the X-Files, I didn't see an issue with Frank, certainly not since how blatantly X-Files much of season two of Millennium was, despite a more cerebral context. We had real demons, we had some goofy encounters and we had governmental conspiracies. If Frank can come face to face with real laymen demons, I don't see why zombies would seem out of place. If we accept Jose Cheung's Millennium story, then I don't see how some of them more bizarre X-Files don't fit.

And both Mulder and Frank have had their fair share of "why-hasn't-the-conspirators-wiped-them-out-yet" logic to their tales. The big difference between Frank and Mulder is Mulder is a more heroic gunner for truth because he has less to lose, while Frank has something very personal to protect.

Plus "Millennium" did actually offer some resolutions to Frank which I enjoyed even if it wasn't what I hoped for. The Millennium Group seems to have imploded - either by itself, with Frank's help or even with Legion's interference, Frank was sorting his life out, and by the end of the episode was on the right track.

In a world where either TV or life could finish Frank's tale for good, I embrace any entertainment born from his return, though like everyone here, I yearn for a Frank Black production rather than a bit cameo.

[ethsnafu]

Hi Laredo!!!

When the wind blows my friend :)

You're right in your observation that we are a fickle lot, changing times and tides and such.

Many of the opinions expressed where done so in a cautious reality that only dared to conceive of Frank returning in XF2, the offer of the Philosopher's Stone in the shape of a Millennium movie has provoked many to reconsider their positions and wonder a little..

I agree with your noting that Frank was allowed the odd foray into kitsch, Jose Chung is certainly not the last bastion of profundity but it exists in the rich expanse of a 'Season' and affords a little kettle-time, some light relief and a giggle or two before the synapses are overloaded again. A movie does not have the luxury of balancing its tonality with what comes before or after it, it has to get it right from the off and Millennium Fluff on its decade-later return to prominence is inexcusable.

The overall thematic for 'Millennium' was not a whimsical, albeit glossy, trawl through the motifs of the B-Movies and whilst I assert that polarities exist in 'reality', and varying worlds of wonder coexist quite happily, plunging Frank in the midst of bug-eyed aliens, werewolves or whatever else would require a redux of the character in order that he could comfortably perform within such parameters. Whilst you note the similarities between the 'X-Files' and 'Millennium Season 2' it is my assertion that if you discount the conspiracy plots the similarities, with regards to content, are somewhat debatable.

I proffer there is an element of idolatry in much of the opinions proffered here, my own included, that affords our universe a somewhat overstated sacredness. All Hail. Add a dash of 'always playing second fiddle to the X-Files' and the result is a paradigm of protectiveness that doesn't want Frank's return to be a damp-squib of a Mulder sidekick or anything perfunctory, again this is dreaming aloud and hoping to boot. The consensus appears that most would want to see a return to the deep, exploratory horror of 'Season One' and some of the fluffier concepts we assimilated in latter Seasons were not present there.

Gun to my head? No hope of anything but? Ermm...yup I'll still grab Millennium the musical but if there IS a potential for a movie then let's have it on our terms, God knows we've earned it.

Smiles

Eth

On one point my friend. I have great reservations reagrding Frank in the X-Files Universe (now that we can be picky and explore other options) as I truly believe X-Files Millennium was a travesty. I'm not sure what others think but would be interested to hear?

[richard]

WE'LL MAYBE CHRIS WILL HURRY UP AND COME OUT WITH MM MOVIE AND OUR HERO WILL BE BACK AGAIN

[Guest tjmasiakowski]

Oh, that's indeed a good wish.

Well, back to the topic. In my

personal opinion Millennium

and X-Files coming together

even in one of the episodes

of X-Files was a bit missed.

The whole episode was quite

nice in terms of plot and putting

aside all other aims I think its

major aim (at the basis) was to

inform the audience about

the whereabouts of Frank

and to show sort of a finale

of Millennium group and

general series.

(Thank God, you guys are

doing Virtual Seasons!)

Edited April 17, 2008 by tjmasiakowski

[Guest Jim McLean]

On one point my friend. I have great reservations reagrding Frank in the X-Files Universe (now that we can be picky and explore other options) as I truly believe X-Files Millennium was a travesty. I'm not sure what others think but would be interested to hear?

I think it could have been better, but it did have a far greater market to command it than the meager Millennium it attempted to platform. It was a bold attempt - and probably a little indulgence on the creator's side, being it was vehicle a different show/story/character under the umbrella of a powerful franchise.

I still don't mind it. While I respect the finale to Millennium a great deal, I quite like the personal "all's not that bad" comfort zone that the X-Files wrought. I didn't mind the different vibe - reality is so very perceptional, we are looking through different eyes. If the episode was done through Frank's eyes as an X-Files show, I think that would have watered down Frank, but keeping Frank peripheral worked for me as the demon episode worked in season 2 of MM, or even Jose Cheung.

For me "Millennium" is only as disappointing as you let it. If you just see it as a quick footnote or minor epilogue that shows Frank surviving the wake of the series and looking to find peace with his daughter, I think its a simple and worthy addition to the mythos.

Edited April 28, 2008 by Jim McLean

[Orodromeus]

Hello,

I don't know if anyone has seen this, I just came across it:

It's part of the Q&A Carter & Spotnitz did during their visit to Chile in June-July 2008. Carter answers a question about MM: Apocalypse and says that he still talks with Lance often and that they always talk about doing a movie. At around 1:45. At another part of the Q&A he makes a thumbs up sign to a member of the audience asking for a MM movie!

[The Old Man]

That was a great video, one for the archives, thanks for sharing! Fantastic to hear Chris confirm he talks to Lance about twice a year about doing a Millennium movie!

If I understood it correctly, the fans gave Chris and Frank a pile of gifts at the end of the video and Chris joked that he needed his own private plane, that was very nice of them!

Tip, for anyone watching this video, if you don't know already, you can watch the video in Higher Quality mode when it starts playing for a slightly crisper image.Just click on HQ which shows when you start the video.