Frank's Neighbor

[model217]

I think I have had a neighbor like Jack a few times over the years. Someone who always comes over while you are hanging from a ladder just to ask some obvious question.

[Guest RodimusBen]

(I have a very dark view of human nature :)

Really? And you watch Millennium? No kiddin'!

I have never had a neighbor like that guy; in fact, most of my neighbors have been complete recluses.

[Guest Watts]

I'm one of those reclusive neighbors.

Edited November 28, 2008 by Watts

[BillQS]

I thought something was up about Frank's neighbor too, and so did my coworker who watches Millennium with me every day at lunch.

Meredith had that whole "Mrs. Kravitz" from Bewitched vibe going for him.

Still and all, there was plenty going on in Season One without anything being done with the neighbor.

[Guest tjmasiakowski]

Hey guys!

My personal view on Meredith: when watching MM for the first time he indeed struck me as a suspicious person.

He seems to be quite invasive and awkward in some kind of sense. Perhaps that has to do with Frank being so closed about his family to him.

I don't think however it would be a good thing to make him some kind of psychopath or polaroid stalker helper thing.

Archetype of American neighbour seems just about right for that character. I actually liked him when I watched the series for the second time.

Sort of a personal (but distant) angel of Frank Black.

Cheers,

Tim

[IHaveGoodInstincts]

Mr Meredith may well be the only 1013 character who had "gonna be killed off" all over his face who actually was not killed off!!!

Jack does seem like trouble for those of us (myself included) who have that "waiting for the other shoe to drop" mentality, hence, our love for this show.

In further analysis of Jack, he does fit the role quite well of contrast with Frank to the point of Frank appearing unconfortable at times.

All in all, a real life neighbor, no?

[Earthnut]

I totally agree, he was so much like a real neighbor, nosey, but not wanting you to know that he is. We got our neighbor's number.

[Guest Bad Boy Dazza]

I thought the neighbour was meant to represent the "average" person, and didn't see a sinister connection.

[IHaveGoodInstincts]

True, that never came to pass and he was for the most part, written out of the show. Maybe some of Frank's uneasiness was the result of misguided suspiciousness, given how many regular looking people ended up being killers and the like. There were never any internal point of view flashes when Frank net with him, so maybe ol' Jack did have a clean record!

[Libby]

That's a very good point - that Frank didn't have an obviously negative reaction to Jack Meredith.

But Frank had experience of being stalked, and that surely would have played in to his uncertainty about this rather effusive neighbour and wanting to maintain some distance until he got to know him. There was also a scene between Catherine and Jack where Catherine showed the same kind of reticence.

It's an interesting aspect - that no matter how genuine and welcoming a neighbour he is, Jack would have had no understanding of Frank's and Catherine's life. He is really a complete innocent, bless him.