Top 5 Episodes you would rather avoid

[Libby]

MDM, I agree with most of your list, especially Hand of St Sebastian. The only episode which I think needs deeper scrutiny is Monster. The aspect of the show which focusses on Frank as being a potential abuser of Jordan seemed to be absolute nonsense, and I have no idea why that was part of the show, except as drama for drama's sake, as it wasn't at all necessary for the plot.

But there was an element of the episode which raises very real questions about children -v- evil. I think Lauren Diewold did a very good job at portraying Danielle Barbakow - especially the scenes where children were being interviewed and Lauren could recite all those lines in such a chilling way.

So much of the really important focus of Monster just seemed to have been missed by all the extraneous stuff. (The Oakland Raiders reference was just silly, especially for a show that by then had international interest. Was I supposed to think that was a clue?)

In the UK, we've had over the last few years some really frightening situations of children and violence - most recently two boys who committed acts of violence and torture on other children - and we do have to have some way of figuring out how it is that children could behave that way. That could be the effects of being brought up in an environment where violence is a normal, every-day occurence. But to have a young child being coldly capable of false accusation and fabricating false evidence of physical abuse (and almost certainly smothering another child), that's something that needs looking at from a forensic psychiatric point of view. The essence of that necessary question was there in the episode, it just wasn't brought out very well.

[Guest ModernDayMoriarty]

'Monster' was just handled in such a lightweight way. It was melodramatic and didn't have any real edge to it, despite the sensitive and chilling issue that it was dealing with.

I'm afraid I do not share your opinion of the child actress, but that's by the by, really. The episode just felt overwrought and quite frankly silly for most of the time (Frank's hokey undercover visit to the nursery and his visions of a baby devil etc).

M+W were never good at showing real evil, and this was no exception. It was just the kind of schmaltzy 'terrible toll on the family of children who have committed evil acts and can they still love them/stand up for them etc etc'.

I felt that Season 3's 'Saturn dreaming of Mercury' handled this much better. The demonic boy laughing at Frank, after it has successfully lured his father into the burning room, is genuinely chilling. The force present in the boy in that episode, felt more distinctly evil and harrowing. The manipulation of the bond between parent and child was just horrifying there (but we don't watch Millennium, because we want an easy watch, right?)

Anyway, nice to 'see' you again, Libby (you were around when I used to be a regular here, if I remember correctly?)

[Libby]

(I typed a response, then went wandering around on the site, and couldn't get back to the reply box. Mmm, must remember to "copy" what I've already written before I go walkabout.)

I agree that "Saturn" does a much better job of raising the question as to whether a child could be the personification of evil. Even though that's a difficult question which requires much more research, it does seem that some psychopathological behaviour in adults can go back as far as their early years.

The last scene of "Monster", where Danielle is shown to be in the care of a Millennium family, doesn't give any indication whether she is there for therapy or use; and that's great drama, except that the non-resolution of Danielle's story echoes the non-resolution of Frank's story of being falsely accused of abuse. I guess too much got crammed into this episode.

Of course I remember you, MDM, partly because your screen name is memorable (unless, of course, it's not a Sherlock Holmes reference!). Good to see you posting here again, you have good insight. I've just checked - I've been here for seven years! How the time flies.

[Guest frankblack13]

I have an update on my list

1. Monster especially the part where Frank and Jordan were fighting over shoes it freaked me out because it reminded too much of me sometimes when I go shopping

2. Dead letters because that guy that Frank was working with was a complete douche

3. Anamnesis it's still because of no Frank Black

and I'll only watch In arcadia ego and and a room with no view when I can and I take back hating the 4th hourseman and the time is now episodes

they're actually pretty good

[gravity well]

1. Monster

2. The Hand of Saint Sebastian

3. A Single Blade of Grass

4. Siren

5. Anamnesis

The thread running through each, for me, is that of a lost opportunity. Too much schmaltz and/or cliché trapping appear in multiple places; hell, *I* could have spotted those pseudo-Nazis following me.

[TheAngel]

Season two only???

OK, I'll try it

The hand of Saint Sebastian (Greeeaat)

The Curse of Frank Black

Owls

Roosters

The time is now

*

In relation to The hand of Saint Sebastian. Well, I must to say that I think it is a very european episode. Maybe it's for blame of, most of people they don't like in USA.

Here we use to be a nostalgic people about the ancient traditons and medieval stories. Especially in Ireland. For me is just one of the best episodes from the whole show.

We All Are Shepherds

Edited March 4, 2010 by TheAngel

[gravity well]

Are you saying us Americans only want to see things that blow up? Though there *was* a car explosion! I love the esoteric and the ancient, I just think they could have handled it better, a bit less of a heavy/obvious hand, if you'll pardon the pun.

[TheAngel]

Oooops, no sorry

I wanted to said that europeans we use to live so many times in our own navel.The past,the past and the past again...we enjoy with our own wounds

It's not a critical to US people or films..I love the states!!!

[IHaveGoodInstincts]

Hmm.

I like them all, but I will say that The Pest House is the weakest. For me, the spook and gore (Mmmm...soup!) help to cancel out the weak part of the plot where the Doctor is way to generous and optimistic about the patients at that hospital. Having worked at a state hospital just prior to the turn of the millennium (still sounds cool!), I thought I would identify more with this episode. To scare you all a bit, the patient walks outside the hospital are NOT unheard of! Where I worked, the forensic psychiatric patients were not allowed out, but there was other patients at the state hospital on "civil commitments" that often had ground privelidges. However, the particular hospital I was at changed some of their policies following a disgruntled former nurse, who was also a patient-type himself, who held staff hostage for a period of time and I believe shot and killed one of the staff as well.

The other episode I like the least is The Time is Now, just because of how drastic the ending was, and how "undrastic" season three was after it. It's not uncommon with changing producers to have to dig the show out of a hole. Season 4 of Enterprise had the same problem (the trick cliff-hanger to 1944). I didn't like Catherine dying either. It's still a good and strong episode, just not one I like for these reasons.

Originally Anamnesis was a drag due to the lack of Frank, but the episode grew on me, so it would only be on my "10 year old avoid list!"

[ethsnafu]

Now that's a curious point. What is your bone of contention with regards to the generosity and optimism that the Doctor displays? Do you means in terms of how she discusses her patient's cases with Frank and Peter? As a medical professional myself let me proffer the idea that any medical professional who speaks in terms of their patients in less than generous terms with those outside of the profession who happened to drop by wouldn't last very long in the job. Even if you take exception to certain patients or feel some have a bleaker prognosis than others this isn't generally reflected in conversations with outsiders and I have to say I have worked with a great many people in the mental health profession who are incredibly militant and passionate about those in their care and I didn't find the professional as she was portrayed on screen that much of a leap from some of the people I have worked with in the past.

But overall I have to agree. I find it the weakest episode of season two overall.

Eth