The Characters That Got Away

[Guest WaveCrest]

Oh yes Mark, there really are a number of other characters that I thought for sure we would see again, and never did. We should start a thread called, "The Characters That Got Away."

Abracadabra!

[ethsnafu]

Character's that got away eh? Would that be character's we didn't get to learn the fate of? If that's the case I would have say one shot, Ardis Cohen springs to mind. She made a very memorable single-story appearance in my opinion. I would have liked to have revisited her character another time but I guess the point of having a few guests along side Lance was to stop Frank having a 'partner' and therefore leave him more isolated. I know the writers didn't want Frank to have a 'Scully' as they wanted to the character to be a loner, someone who didn't have a constant in his dark world.

I thought Lance had great chemistry with Amy Steele in "A Single Blade Of Grass" as well. It might have been nice to have had Dr. Liz Michaels join the Millennium Group at some point and have their paths cross again but I guess Lara was fulfilling that role quite nicely.

Eth

[Guest WaveCrest]

I would have liked to see Amy Steele's character return for a second episode. I liked her character but not the episode as a whole (re-watched it recently).

[Earthnut]

First of all, Richard, thank you so very much for starting this thread. You're wonderful. If I had more yesterday I would have started it myself. I thought of the title from the album by Sarah Brightman called, "The Songs That Got Away."

Ardis Cohen and Amy Steele are excellent choices for someone I would have liked to see again in another episode.

But the one that comes to mind first is Brad Dourif who played Dennis Hoffman in Force Majeure. I just feel like they should have figured out some way to bring him back, and then he could have disappeared again.

Then, I thought of Jo Anderson who played Dr. Claudia Vaughn in Broken World. She and Frank seem to have this understanding and connection. It isn't an episode I enjoy watching, but I remember her well.

[Guest WaveCrest]

Another character I would liked to have seen return was Agent Jack Pierson (Sam Anderson) from the episode "522666".

[ethsnafu]

Jo Anderson and Sam Anderson are superb choices folks. There was a great onscreen chemistry between Jo and Lance especially. She would have been great cast alongside him as a more regular partner.

I always thought it would have been nice to have seen a return of Jim Horn. As his sanity was a little precarious and The Group had rejected him he could have reappeared, somewhat unhinged, and become something of a thorn in the side for The Millennium Group. He was played by a great actor as well and I'm sure James Morrison could have done a lot with an expanded role.

I'll give a nod to Clear Knight as well. I guess she's languishing in jail these days but she could have been a female nemesis to rival Lucy Butler. Ashlyn Gere gave a very cold and steely performance in that role. She really did surprise me given her acting pedigree *ahem*.

Eth

[Guest WaveCrest]

Jim Horn - I wanted to see more of that character, what happened to him after the events in "Dead Letters". And yes, Jo Anderson I would liked to have seen again.

[IHaveGoodInstincts]

"I go by James now."

The way James Horn's life was going at the time, he could have very well come back as a killer, or somebody that Frank would have to prove innocent similar to the plots of Paper Dove, Covenant, or Blood Relatives!

There were a number of season 1 Millennium Group folks who could have been brought back including Ardis and Maureen. Jim Pensyres seemed to almost be the main Millenium Group guy for awhile in season 1, but Jim disappeared as well. I thought that MIke Atkins was underused, even in the more innocent guise of the Millennium Group in season 1. It almost seemed to me like they only brought Mike back to kill him off. Maybe there was more directional experimentation going on in season 1 that led to different characters being used. I had downloaded some actor interview videos from season 1 a while back and they had interviewed the woman who played Ardis much the same as they did the other actors, which after the fact, I thought was a little peculiar, given that she was only in one episode.

[Guest Wepwawet]

I thought that MIke Atkins was underused, even in the more innocent guise of the Millennium Group in season 1. It almost seemed to me like they only brought Mike back to kill him off.

Definitely agree with the above post on Mike - a fascinating character, very wise and had a great rapport with Frank. Sadly underused, but both his episodes are gems. Probably not such a surprise he was killed off, when you consider far more regular characters got the same treatment...Bob, Catherine, etc...

[IHaveGoodInstincts]

Definitely agree with the above post on Mike - a fascinating character, very wise and had a great rapport with Frank. Sadly underused, but both his episodes are gems. Probably not such a surprise he was killed off, when you consider far more regular characters got the same treatment...Bob, Catherine, etc...

Having watched Gehenna again recently, it was Mike Atkins that Frank confided in with his recent picture mailngs from the pilot. Granted, Terry O'Quinn as Peter Watts was a great fit for the show. I think he was good enough to be put in the opening credits, but my understanding of having one's name in opening credits has to do with contractual obligations, paychecks, and the like!

I guess there were multiple directions the show could have gone in season 1 with a variety of characters. In season 1, Frank and Bletcher were as much a crimefighting team as were Frank and Peter. It took 7 episodes for Catherine to kind of have her own time in the center of a story plot, not just reflect on things at home with Frank, though it is my understanding that the role of Catherine was to do just that and not take center stage all the time.

All in all, the character paths chosen kept the show on the air for 3 good years, which was a good thing!