A Unique Perspective

[vain68]

I think Season I was fantastic. But, certainly in terms of an examination of deeper, more profound issues....I ask this question: which season made you think more, made you ponder more, made you question who you are and the reasons things are.

In retrospect the break between Catherine and Frank was depicted rather nicely, it was real; as I have stated before, a 21-grams like depiction of what life is really like. I think somewhere, deep down, in Midnight of the Century most assuredly, I always found myself hoping for a reunion in their marital relationship; this was also drawn out in Luminary. Where M & W may have erred, and erred egregiously, was in having her killed off, in the fashion of a virus. S II's woeful episodes (from a series perspective; and we all know the 2) do not detract what may have been a more profound, deeper season; a chaotic transformation of SI.

Vv.

[4th Horseman]

I think Season I was fantastic.  But, certainly in terms of an examination of deeper, more profound issues....I ask this question: which season made you think more, made you ponder more, made you question who you are and the reasons things are.

In retrospect the break between Catherine and Frank was depicted rather nicely, it was real; as I have stated before, a 21-grams like depiction of what life is really like.  I think somewhere, deep down, in Midnight of the Century most assuredly, I always found myself hoping for a reunion in their marital relationship; this was also drawn out in Luminary.  Where M & W may have erred, and erred egregiously, was in having her killed off, in the fashion of a virus.  S II's woeful episodes (from a series perspective; and we all know the 2) do not detract what may have been a more profound, deeper season; a chaotic transformation of SI.

Vv.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Provocative question as usual vain68...as far as thought provoking concerns about the meaning of life, season 1 was, to me, the bellweather of what Millennium was about. With the pilot setting the pace, i felt it was Gehenna that initially made me start thinking of issues other than just the basic serial killer of the week..to this day, i still hold that the shadow Catherine saw in the outdoor security light, followed by the camera angle from behind the bushes just below the window line, was the most frightening moment of the entire series. The impression of "being watched" by someone/something, the idea of evil lurking just outside the front door, Frank's ultimate struggle in vain to keep his family safe, still gives me chills.

The season did have its weaker moments, "The Well-Worn Lock", "Broken World", but for the most part, I found season 1 to be more personally appealing, the introduction of Legion and their attempts to recruit Frank to their side, Aleister Pepper, The Judge, Lucy Butler, the implied anti-christ in "Maranatha", the "Father" in "Force Majure", amidst a host of others, the background of which delighted me due to my interest in Revelations, prophecy, etc..I found myself "pulling" for Frank against the evil in the first season, and sympathisizing with him more in S2..from "The Curse of Frank Black", "Midnight of The Century", "The Time is Now".

There are more versed contributors who can whip up a better comparison between Carter vrs Morgan and Wong...I simply can only offer my fellow board members how i was personally affected.

In relation to Catherine...i know, vain68, you will probably disagree with me, as will most of the others here, but i have felt for quite some time that there was a deliberate attempt by the group, at first, to initially seperate Frank and Catherine (via The Beginning and The End) in order for the group to control the influence over Frank in their ultimate goal of procuring his full commitment. With Frank's continued hesitation, and a possible reconciliation looming, did the group's intent become far more sinister? Was Catherine's death orchestrated as a "punishment" for Frank's refusal to commit fully to the group? How was she one of only 77 people who eventually succumed to the virus? Just how did Peter's family survive? Perhaps their actions were orchestrated by the anticipation not only of Frank's commitment, but also of Jordan's fledgling abilities as well. Was Jordan another Danielle Barbakow? or Claire McKenna?

As Aleister Pepper said..

"Fortuitous and timely, hmmm? Our minor conflict of interest has been... resolved."

I dont have time to elaborate any further, time constraints....am counting on someone to expand on these thoughts...

The Fourth Horseman...

[Darth Paul]

I just don't have anything intelligent to say that hasn't already been said. Sooooo....welcome to the board, ZeusFaber!

[4th Horseman]

I just don't have anything intelligent to say that hasn't already been said.  Sooooo....welcome to the board, ZeusFaber!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Darth...dont feel that way for a second...there is SO much more to add to not only this particular thread, but to others as well..no post is too great or too small. Your opinions are valued here. Since i have been here (since Feb, i think) i have NEVER had a response that was sarcastic, demeaning, or condescending...and believe me...some of my posts are fish bait for such responses!! ..

The hottest thread i have seen lately has been one on the Polaroid Man...it took off like wildfire and has seen some of the most salient, thoughtprovoking, and articulate posts to date...

no ones opinions, viewpoints are more important than any one elses...we welcome your input on this idea..

there are many branches which sprout forth from the tree, yet all share one common goal, their sojurn for the warming rays of the sun....

Till the Last Change....Be Done...

The Fourth Horseman

[Guest ZeusFaber]

which season made you think more, made you ponder more, made you question who you are and the reasons things are.

I have to agree with what Fourth Horseman has said on this one, it's Season One all the way. For me personally, it was the subtle layers which demanded extra research to fully appreciate which made almost every episode so rewarding. Sure, there were some less successful episodes ("The Wild and the Innocent" in my mind), but there was so much more elsewhere. A particular favourite of mine is the Legion themed episodes, and the the latter third almost in its entirety.

In retrospect the break between Catherine and Frank was depicted rather nicely, it was real

To an extent here, I agree. When I first saw the ending of "The Beginning and the End", I embraced this change in their relationship, and thought it was a natural progression. I thought it provided a great opportunity to test their marriage, to test their faith in one another, to put them on a journey that they can resolve in time.

I think this would have made a great thematic arc for the first 6 or so episodes, but IMO it was woefully mishandled thereafter. Because Frank and Catherine, essentially, do not get back together, they do not restore their family in the yellow house (not even by "The Time is Now" for my money), the test and the journey is rendered pointless because the goal is never reached. If Frank and Catherine had got back to the yellow house by the half-way point of the season, I think it could have been a fantastic character arc and a true journey -- instead it became a regretful muddle as Catherine all but dissapears from half the season, usurped by Lara Means.

Where M & W may have erred, and erred egregiously, was in having her killed off, in the fashion of a virus.

Again, I agree. I think this was a selfish decision to make, and left a mess for S3 to have to pick up the pieces.

I'm afraid I'm of the view that M&W only brought two good things to MM in S2, and they both share the name Darin.

All just my opinions of course.

[Guest ZeusFaber]

I found season 1 to be more personally appealing, the introduction of Legion and their attempts to recruit Frank to their side, Aleister Pepper, The Judge, Lucy Butler, the implied anti-christ in "Maranatha", the "Father" in "Force Majure", amidst a host of others, the background of which delighted me due to my interest in Revelations, prophecy, etc..

I completely agree with you here. The Legion elements have always been my favourite.

Also, I agree with your interpretation of the Millennium Group's involvement in Catherine's demise. I'm not sure how deliberate they could be in "targetting" with the Marburg Virus, so to speak, but I do believe they canbe held responsible for carrying out an agenda to remove Frank's support mechanism -- mainly Catherine.

Derided as it may be in some quarters of MM fandom, this would tally with the comment by the Necromancer in the X-Files cross-over episode, that the Group "murdered your wife".

[Guest ZeusFaber]

welcome to the board, ZeusFaber!

Thank you.

[vain68]

The tension and split between Catherine and Frank is what griped us all. We all hoped in our deep recesses that they would reconcile...and that drove the brilliance of such episodes as MNOC and Luminary. Indeed, it may well have been better to utilize SII as that "struggle" and perhaps have a reunion in SIII. Has anyone considered that Lara's injection into SII and 'overshadowing' of Catherine a direct result of her relationship with you know who?

[Guest ZeusFaber]

Had she not died at the end of S2 but reunited with Frank in the yellow house, that I agree would have been far more appropriate. Instead, IMO, the "struggle" is rendered void since it is never overcome.

Has anyone considered that Lara's injection into SII and 'overshadowing' of Catherine a direct result of her relationship with you know who?

If you are refering to Kristen Cloke being Glen Morgan's wife, then I would say yes. After all, he cast her in "The X-Files", "Space: Above and Beyond", "Final Destination"....

[ethsnafu]

Would you die for God...

Before I start I have to admit to never really understanding the events surrounding the Marburg Virus sadly we can only draw conclusions from what Marburg is painted to be in Season Three which never answered, completely, the questions posed by Season Two. There are greater minds than I around these parts, many of them, so please bear with my ramblings. Mine is not a fully fledged theory simply 'thinking aloud' which may not actually be wise lol.

I have always believed that Catherine's death was fortuitous and have never reconciled the Marburg Virus with the Season Three assertion that it was simply a means to destroy a handful of errant remote viewers. The Marburg Virus arrives amidst much confusion for the Group, we are informed that although they are prepared for it's onslaught they are gripped by a climate of fear and uncertainty at its resurface. To infer, therefore, that the group was prepared to risk a global pandemic at the hands of an communicable disease simply to erradicate a minor annoyance never had any resonance for me. As noted, Seson Two was cyclical in nature and I believe that the notions of sacrifice and exchange woven into 'The Beginning and the End' were destined to be repeated in 'The Time is Now' but if the Millennium Group did use Marburg to eradicate Catherine there has to be another justification for such an extreme and potentially apocalyptic method of doing so. Though the Group had in it's possession a vaccine it did not have the quantities to provide an immunity for it's nearest and dearest and I wrestle with the idea that they would willingly risk the sacrifice of their families simply to further indoctrinate Frank, considering that they rejected Peter's insistence that Frank was ready for initiation in 'Owls': the impetus the group required to resort to such extreme methods of recruitment does not seem evident here. If Marburg, as Season Two would have us believe, was not the result of the Group's grand design I believe what they did monopolise upon was the opportunity to force Frank's hand to choose between his wife and daughter, though I have to confess that this does seem to infer that they knew Marburg would infect one member of the Black family.

Of course much of this rests upon the theory that the group were transparent in their motives which they simply were not, their insistence that they only had enough vaccine for initiated members is questioned by the vaccine-containing-syringe central to the story in 'Collateral Damage.' It is possible, in my mind, that the choice the group forced Frank to make in 'The Time is Now' is not a choice he ever really had to make. I have concluded that Lara did not give her vaccine to Frank, it is possible that she was vaccinated and the one presented to him is one of the 'spares' referred to later, Lara at the time she is seen scrawling upon the envelope, does not seem cognisant enough to be concerned with Frank's wellbeing: to illustrate this she attempts to kill him when he enters the shack. If Millennium could have vaccinated Catherine but didn't and could have prevented Frank from having to sacrifice his wife to save his daughter then yes, as Fourth Horseman concludes, they did kill her. But then, my friend, you are rarely wrong.

I would give many things for Season Four and an exegesis upon Millennium and Marburg and eagerly await Millennium: Apocalypse which does seem to be intent on addressing these issues. The time for answers may not be now but it could very well be soon.

Care to all,

eth.snafu

PS Love the new avatar Vain and I must also give a 'big up' to Darth Paul's which I have just sat watching for ages even though it is on a loop - dosen't bode well does it?