My friends snubbed Millennium

[Guest byron lomax]

I've tried to convert people over to shows before, but failed miserably. The most I'll do now is recommend it and explain it to someone, because whenever I've attempted to do what you did, Rodimus, it felt like a horrible let-down after. One, just ONE success might have been nice! But Millennium was never a show with wide appeal - the same goes for Homicide, my other favourite 90s drama. I'd only show a programme to someone if I felt confident that they'd "get it", because nothing riles me up like someone thinking a show stupid because THEY missed the point (as Model217 relates regarding "Good vs Evil")!

[Guest RodimusBen]

I've tried to convert people over to shows before, but failed miserably. The most I'll do now is recommend it and explain it to someone, because whenever I've attempted to do what you did, Rodimus, it felt like a horrible let-down after. One, just ONE success might have been nice! But Millennium was never a show with wide appeal - the same goes for Homicide, my other favourite 90s drama. I'd only show a programme to someone if I felt confident that they'd "get it", because nothing riles me up like someone thinking a show stupid because THEY missed the point (as Model217 relates regarding "Good vs Evil")!

I hear you, and normally I would have done the same thing. I've recommended MM to MANY folks but this was one of the few times that I actually wanted to do a viewing. And as you say, I felt confident that my friends WOULD get it. That was why it was the level of letdown that it was.

At any rate, I learned my lesson.

[The Old Man]

Hello all, my name is Darlene.

I'm new here and trying to get started on my 500 posts to earn the 2-CD fan set of music.

Hi Darlene, I just replied to your PM's about this matter, hopefully its already cleared it up for you.

For anyone else reading this and wondering, there is some slight confusion here. I would love to be able to reward members with CD's of music for attaining 500 posts, but sadly that won't be happening for obvious reasons! We're limited to just making available increased posting rights, upload space etc.

Maybe the pilot was too intense.

I've wondered about that myself a few times. It was certainly full on. Apparently, when it received a test screening, some viewers left the cinema feeling ill!

Warm regards,

Graham

[Guest RodimusBen]

Yeah, in retrospect I realize that it wasn't too smart of me to show the Pilot. I myself have major problems with it; while a good S1 episode overall, I think it does a very poor job of representing Millennium as a whole, or even S1 as a whole. The sex and violence are much more gratuitous than the average episodes. My two female friends were immediately turned off by the peep show scenes. The Frenchman himself is not a super-compelling SKOTW. The Pilot was FOX's attempt to lure viewers with shock value. Back then they were still in the mode of being the sexy, edgy network alternative to the Big Three.

I suppose I felt obligated to show it because it gives the background of the show, but I probably could have covered that with a one-minute preface before showing something like "Monster" or "The Pest House--" something more moderate. I ruled out showing anything from S3 early on because if my friends DID get hooked on the show, I didn't want to spoil them for the major developments between S2 and S3.

Edited March 3, 2009 by RodimusBen

[Guest Thomas]

Apparently, when it received a test screening, some viewers left the cinema feeling ill!

Warm regards,

Graham

Hi Graham,

After watching Pokemon, the Movie, with my grandchildren, I felt ill. :-)

[Earthnut]

Hello Graham & Thomas,

Thank you for your reply, and yes, it is cleared up; I heard from the Old Man. I also found out that the 500 posts was the wrong number, that it has been changed. Yippee.

Yes, the pilot is hard to watch the first time. I know I was at the edge of my seat.

I never saw the Pokemon movie, and sooooooooo glad, and have no plans in the future to see it.

Speaking of Chris Carter, have you all seen "Harsh Realm?" It was only on for one season, but it was very good. It had to compete against The Matrix being released at the theatres. Everyone that I have loaned my DVDs to has really like the serious and also wish there was a season 2. The last episode had closure because it was the last show of the season, yet it didn't have complete closure of the story. Disappointing, and I've heard that Chris has no intensions of going back to it. Sure hope he changes his mind. These episodes are very entertaining, and, Mark Snow is responsible for the music

Hope to hear from all of you again soon.

[Guest saki]

Rant over. Some words of support would be helpful...

I know TOO WELL what this is like. I have given up trying to turn people on to Millennium. I really believe that one has to be of a certain disposition in order to sit down and enjoy a show that requires a little bit of intellectual exercise. Most people are zombies when it comes to television. Feed, feed, feed; no thought requested or required. And that, for me, simply will not do.

~ saki

[Earthnut]

I truly believe that the key to introducing Millennium is in the episode you pick. My girlfriend saw the pilot and it really ruffled her feathers. So, the next episode I showed her was "Anamnesis." It didn't highlight Frank, so it gave me an opportunity to tell her more about him and the show before she saw another episode with his gift. "Omerta" is a good one too. These kinds of episodes help to soften the blow when they see some of the other heavy intense ones.

Saki, you are right, one really does have to be of a certain disposition to enjoy Millennium. I'm sure it's been said many times, that except for a couple historical episodes, this show will never be out of date. It's just awesome.

[Guest neuronphaser]

I've been thinking of turning my girlfriend onto Millennium because she loves police procedurals like CSI and similar...not the flashier ones, but the grittier ones. The problem I fear is that she does like a bit faster of a pace overall, and many of the Millennium episodes (especially in season 1) are a bit slow. It's a very cerebral show, which is both its strength and its weakness. My girlfriend's whip smart, but her preference is not for something that just kind of meanders around, and there are episodes of Millennium that do just that.

Also, it feels like 85% of Millennium's episodes end with a lot of ambiguity and moralizing. Once again, that's a strength of it, but that much of it can certainly turn someone off. I love the series, yet even I had a few moments of "I understand the moral grey areas and all that...just give me one freakin' straightforward plot!"

They did so at times, but my point is just that it Millennium will always have trouble appealing to certain preferences.

Should there be a movie, they will definitely have to change pacing a bit, but at the same time, with the ending that the show had, I think you can really play with pacing a lot: there's so many possible interactions and plot threads open that you could easily move at a fast pace but still retain the cerebral edge. Pace it like Se7en and you've won the day.

[Earthnut]

but her preference is not for something that just kind of meanders around, and there are episodes of Millennium that do just that.

Even though some episodes may "meander around," they are still solving a mystery, and if your girlfriend is a big fan of shows like CSI, she may surprise you and like MLM more then you think. Plus, she will be see all the different operations, good, bad, or indifferent, of law enforcement, and not just the structured side. To be good in one area, you must know about and understand all the others.

As of this post, has she seen any episodes yet? One of the most popular episodes discussed here is "A Well Worn Lock." It really gets into the evil of human behavior. I do agree that there are episodes she probably won't like, but then again, as I said, she might surprise you. Let us know.