Favourite opening

[Guest paranoid eyes]

Would anyone agree with me that this show had some great openings? It seems to me that series such as Lost, in which the plot of an episode shows the consequence of what has happened in the previous one, have to relay on good endings which will leave the audience waiting for more, but when it comes to shows with a closed structure, like our beloved Millennium, a good opening is necessary to win the audience attention every week and make them wait how will the story resolve.

If I were to pick the best example of this, it would have be Walkabout. The first scene was so short, creepy and weird. Who are those people? What drove them mad? What the hell is Frank doing there?

My second choice would be Thin White Line. We see our new serial killer and his victim and then Frank revels that he has got an old scar very similar to the victims fatal wound. I couldn't wait to find out what was the connection.

[Guest Thomas]

Yes, 'drastic' comes to mind.

[Guest Benocles]

paranoid eyes,

Yes, there were many great 'openings'. I wouldn't know which one I liked the most. However, regarding the opening chapters (where they introduced the cast and all that), I liked the first season the most. I missed the quotations in season two and three.

[Viivi]

The first that came to mind was the opening for Covenant. Walkabout is certainly among the best, too. (This is a nice topic, btw, I'm gonna have to get back to you on this!)

[ethsnafu]

Anamnesis for me chaps.

If I ever meet Kay or Erin (unlikely I know) I will ask them if the opening sequence to this episode is indeed a homage to the film 'The Craft' which was released two years prior. In the film a sequence is shot of the four girls walking along a school corridor set to music by 'The Smiths' and whilst this does not immediately suggest 'pastiche' if you see the film you will see a fair great number of scenes executed in the same way as the way the opening sequence. Difficult to explain but if you watch it you'll get what I mean.

I wonder if I can find an example on youtube?

Eth

[Guest arthur]

I`m still on season 1 but the best opening so far remains the Pilot.It`d all be due to the Frenchman whose interpretation of the Second Coming by Yeats creates an intense sense of unease.His deep,whispery,menacing voice is a complete contrast to how I`ve heard the poem being read a poetry class...his lips seem to spit out fire as he pronounces every word and is occasionally shaken with emotion...and the visual blood imagery is as powerful.

In general,all the openings are powerful.The drum beat immediately calls for the viewer`s attention and the intro music always hits me home...and the dark/often rainsoaked/autumny settings always work.

[model217]

While I still haven't bought the season three dvds,I would have to go with Walkabout also.I'm sure the consternation on my face was clearly visible as I was tring to figure out what was going on. Owls also comes to mind as an episode that started with an edge of mystery to it. Nothing shocking just 'What the heck is going on here' look to it.

[xgirl30]

While I still haven't bought the season three dvds,I would have to go with Walkabout also.I'm sure the consternation on my face was clearly visible as I was tring to figure out what was going on. Owls also comes to mind as an episode that started with an edge of mystery to it. Nothing shocking just 'What the heck is going on here' look to it.

I agree that Walkabout does have a very powerful opening. Your senses are kind of pummeled by the mayhem in the testing room and you wonder "What did Frank get himself into this time."

My other picks are the opening narration in "The beginning and the end" and the opening of "The Fourth Horseman."

The words and images at the beginning of "The beginning and the end" are very striking and thought provoking.

As for "The Fourth Horseman", I found Terry O`Quinn's reading of the quotes from the book of Revelations very powerful and the flashback scenes of the farmer's death shocking and ominous.

[Guest Laurent.]

I agree with your opinion on The Fourth Horseman... it's clearly different from any other Millennium opening.

Other "what the hell?" openings are: Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense, Somehow Satan Got Behind Me, Luminary

For more classical "horror/thriller" opening, the best one might be the from The Mikado. This one just hit me right from the start. I always felt that Michael Perry was way ahead of the real serial killers on this one.. and it was a few years before the popularization of webcam! It really had this feeling that you could come across something like this anytime on the internet... so possible, realistic and scary!

[Guest Jim McLean]

Walkabout is very strong, even if the rest of the episode doesn't quite live up to the opening. I agree with The Beginning of the End too. Like with most of M&W's excellent second season, I find some of the dramatic narrative a little too grandeur for the series, but its still nicely implemented.

Thin White Line is good, simply for the teaser that plays through neatly into the episode.