Comedy episodes in Millennium

[Libby]

Comedy, in itself, is quite a personal thing. What one person finds funny, another person might find boring, or even offensive. Within a show like Millennium, those differing views can be even more stark, given that comedic episodes are within a show that is often dark, and often philosophical.

There’s three episodes that could, I guess, be described as comedic episodes:

Season 2, Episode 9, Jose Chung’s “Doomsday Defense”
Season 2, Episode 21, Somehow, Satan Got Behind Me
Season 3, Episode 5, Thirteen Years Later

The first two were written by Darin Morgan, and the third seems to have been written at the behest of 20^th Fox to incorporate the group KISS.

Following on from the comments made in the “We need a dose of Millennium” thread, I watched most of “Somehow” again, but before I write further about that I thought I’d start this topic (as I had said I would do), and maybe others would like to contribute their thoughts.

[Frank Black Jr]

Hey Libby! Well...here it is :)

I still think they had nothing to do with the show. It doesn't matter if Larry David or Woody Allen come with a script for Millennium. It is simple not the nature of the show and that, has no point of return. If you create a show like Millennium, you just can´t show me a character like Frank for 1 year...a guy who was determined to be surrounded by complete darkness just to learn how he can protect his family, a guy who has the will to stand for what he believes is right, the depth of his fears which everybody can relate with, how he ends up losing his family, the horror of the human mind and society and then have a freaking demon dancing or demons eating donuts in a coffe shop. Am I watching a Simpsons Halloween episode? Or a character that makes fun of Frank. Wow, now I guess I must be watching a Seinfeld episode.

For me, that is the definition of bad writers. The basic of good writing is to understand the show and how the characters are. If U don´t follow that rule, you have nothing. So, all that they build all the credibility that Frank had, all that they sold me were lost in those episodes. You just can´t have "the hand of St Sebastian" one week and then do that Twister Sister episode with the goofy guy that censors shows and shots Mulder. What was that? Wth am I watching? All changes of the show, the spiritual episodes, conspiracies, etc...ok...fine: why? because Frank was the same, Catherine was the same, Watts was the same, etc...yes, there might be some little twists in the characters but the world, the scenario and its rules were the same.

To resume, because I can go on and be even more boring than this :P haha, do the following: watch "Jose Chung...", "some how the devil..." and the other with Kiss. Then, watch the "pilot" or (I don´t know) "The Thin White Line", "Luminary" (My God...Luminary) or one with the twist of the MG like "Skull and Bones" or "The Innocents"  for example. And then tell me if it is the same show. If those, episodes really are in the same world.

Anyway, here is something that I found special...Long story short: Lance´s facebook announced that there would be a new podcast with Lance...so everybody sent questions...I did it and of course, it was about the show. They publicated the interview recently and...they asked Lance my question :P  That´s is not really the point of me writing this. The point is Lance´s answer about Peter Watts. Here it is. The full podcast is still in Lance´s facebook. And it has some very funny moments. Enjoy! This is for U Earthnut! Welcome BACK!!

 

 

Lance MG.mp3

[Libby]

I did enjoy Jose Chung and Somehow when I first watched them. I tried re-watching Somehow the other day, but gave up when it started becoming silly. I don’t think there was ever much I enjoyed about 13 Years Later.

Now I’ve thought about these episodes some more, I don’t think I’d call them comedy episodes, because they weren’t really very funny. There is probably a way of doing some comedy within a dark and bleak context – I guess Shakespeare has managed that – but these episodes seem to me to be more and more outlandish within the context of Millennium.

[seesthru]

The episodes are supposed to be comic relief. I'd thought each season had one comic relief episode, but I was wrong.   Season 2 had 2 , and season 3 had 1. The silliness is intentional.   "The 13 years later", it seems like overkill, well so does the "somehow Satan" one ... I adore the "Jose Chung" one though.  They are intentional caricature episodes.  Caricatures are silly and kind of  off-putting if you're looking for a portrait, right?  I'd never commission one.  But I can appreciate that others enjoy them.  I enjoyed the silly episodes because I"d "commissioned"  them so to speak.   Once I got  it, that they were comedic nonsense episodes, I  looked at them differently and actually enjoyed them. Jose Chung is actually one of my heroes, if one can have a fictional character as a hero.

I realize that many will find these three episodes as off-putting as I find that loin like a hunting flame one ( don't know why I just HATE that episode), or as I find drawn caricatures of people or animals... and that's okay. They fit if you understand standard TV formula.

 

You remember how MASH used to stick a serious episode  or two in each season? Well at the end of the show there, they had way more serious episodes than funny ones.  But , there was a formula,  each season had a  tear-jerker episode or a shocker episode..or two.Other  sitcoms had the same formula. Way back when, many serious shows did the comic relief episodes too.  Anyway, the comic relief episodes are a love  em or hate em deal I think. There's no inbetween.  They are parodies, caricatures.

 

I think "The Curse of Frank Black" should be included in the list, though it was not as overtly silly as the others.  It did have it's moments, like the "You look like a cell phone", and Frank scaring the crap out of the teenagers... But it was serious too, in the "a Christmas Carol" style, with Frank being visited by the   ghost of halloween past, warning him about his future...

 

[seesthru]

I will admit, watching "Somehow Satan"   was difficult the first couple of times.  Those old  guy bodies  painted red and done up like devils... Not appetizing!

[Gotham Gal]

At the time of their original airings, I felt almost cheated by the comedic episodes, but time has given me appreciation for them, and Jose Chung ranks among my favorite episodes.  Comedy can be hard to replay more than, say, three times, but that one especially wears well.  It's a really tight script, too, and I appreciate Darin Morgan's obvious labor over perfecting the script as un-Millennium-esqe as it may have been.  These are a testament to the show's versatility, and I daresay, wouldn't be risked today.

 

[seesthru]

The Jose Chung episode was a very brave one too. Those who know that the selfosophy sect is a parody on Scientology should know that  the "Church"  of Scientology doesn't take  things like this lightly.   I'd rather take on evil incarnate.   Like Watts said: Evil incarnate can't sue."

 

I have almost worn out the Jose Chung episode. I listened to it while going to sleep many a night.  The narration is like a bedtime story and it's  light enough to not inspire depression or nightmares. :)  It's  great when  The narration starts, and I got to where I"d be asleep bu the word "Goopta".  LOL!    When I need a pick me up, I watch it.  

 

 

 

[Earthnut]

Totally agree with Seesthru, The Curse of Frank Black should be included, and would be my favorite out of all of them.  Thirteen Years Later is my least favorite episode, and probably because I am not a fan of KISS.  It's the only episode I just will not watch.  I'm sure it has it's elements to appreciate, but not from me.  All the others I have enjoyed watching, and the best part of "Somehow...." was the peeing in the coffee.

[model217]

You know everything mellows with time. I really like Thirteen Years Later these days. Jose Chung and Somehow Satan have always been a couple of my favorites as well as the X Files comedic episodes. I can't help but smile when I think about season five's Bad Blood ep. Just great comedy. 

Supernatural does a good job of comedy from time to time. Though my wife thinks the show is a joke anyway the last 3 or 4 seasons. 

 

[Earthnut]

Enjoyed the clip model217, thanks.

Some shows are way too long and we get burned out after awhile.  When they get past 7-10 seasons, it's time to get out while the getting out is good.  Otherwise, they take the chance of losing viewers, if they haven't already.