301 Human Essence

[Libby]

Please bear with me, dear reader, for I have little experience of reviewing anything, let alone episodes of Millennium, so what I have written may well seem to those more experienced at this sort of thing as being simplistic, naive, whatever. But, hey, this wasn't an assignment so I haven't aimed to impress the more professorial types. The reason for putting down my thoughts about this episode was really as a way of avoiding putting down my thoughts for "Through A Glass, Darkly" which affected me much more than "Human Essence". I'm an expert when it comes to avoidance techniques...

Anyway, here are my thoughts:

My review of 309 Human Essence:

I really don’t like it when characters’ personal lives are too much the focus of a story, when that aspect isn’t part of the overall theme of the show. Certainly the involvement of Franks’s family is a significant part of the show and so stories that revolve around Frank, Catherine and Jordan are in keeping with the basic premise of the show. But to suddenly introduce an aspect of Emma’s family life jarred somewhat. OK, I realise now that that was a good way of getting Frank and Emma (and the others) into the story, and enabled Emma to be spotlighted in the way she was, but how necessary was this way? Well, I suppose it moved the overall theme onwards by pointing to the different approach of Frank versus Baldwin and maybe the show at this point needs for Emma to have evolved from being an assistant to the “renegade” Frank to being one of the main players. If that was the main point of this episode then I guess it did the job well enough. I just think it’s a pity that if this was the point where Emma made that transition, it had to be because of her emotions rather than because of the nature of the job she is doing.

The story itself had too much of an X-File feel to it. There have been plenty of real-life incidences of drug addicts dying or being damaged by the other ingredients in illegal drugs. The “monster” angle made it unbelievable as a Millennium episode. How about the chemist deliberately introducing chemicals for the purpose of making addicts more scared of using the drugs than of the withdrawal symptoms if they don’t? A kind of evangelistic “tough love” to frighten addicts back on to the straight-and-narrow? That would have played into the Millenniumistic theme of whether an act is moral even if it has bad consequences. Then, of course, there was the conspiracy bit at the end – a drug developed by the military finds it way into the hands of the bad guys and now there’s a massive cover-up. I couldn’t see any explanation why the chemist was adding that drug – as he was an undercover agent for the DEA maybe there was the implication that this was a case of using drug addicts as labrats. I’d have to watch the episode again to see if there was any explanation.

There were bits that I liked – especially the portrayal of Baldwin. I think Peter Outerbridge does a good job at portraying such a smarmy, irritating weasel, without going over the top. And I liked that Emma was portrayed as a strong character who could get into a fight and defend herself – and be shown with the consequent blood and bruises.

This was the second of only two episodes written by Michael Duggan (according to imdb). The first was 301 The Innocents. I haven’t finished transcribing that yet, but I don’t recall any feeling that that episode lacked much in terms of Millennium. As he had been credited as executive producer (jointly with Chip Johannessen) from the beginning of Season 3, I would have assumed that by the beginning of the production of this episode to have had a pretty clear idea of what Millennium was all about. So I do wonder why he didn’t manage to make Human Essence seem like MM material to me.

OK, end of review. If anyone could please add to, or clarify, or contradict my impression, I would be very glad if they would.

[Guest Mr. Ected Hostility]

I think you're review is a little too nice. This is by far the worst episode of MM ever. It's good to make Emma a bigger part of MM but not in this way. Portraying her in such an ugly way did not make me like her at all. MM has always been dark and many would say overtly so, but this is a hideous episode to watch on all levels. I was kind of dissapointed to see Emma and her family fall into such a boring stereotype. The ending of Mulder, I mean Frank starting a war with the FBI over governent cover-ups was a storyline I am very glad they dropped. The drug addict idea and it's affects of idividuals and culture is good starting point but went wrong on every level.

[The Old Man]

Hi Libby,

I'd have to say I agree with your review.

Also, that there will be a dedicated Episode Review Forum (currently being set up by Scott) coming soon exactly for this kind of post! You've beaten us to it.

Basically, all Episodes of Millennium will be listed and Members of TIWWA can submit reviews of as many Millennium Episodes as they wish.

I'm really looking forward to seeing this new Forum. I hope you'll be willing to share more reviews.

Regards,

Graham.

[Libby]

I think you're review is a little too nice. This is by far the worst episode of MM ever. It's good to make Emma a bigger part of MM but not in this way. Portraying her in such an ugly way did not make me like her at all. MM has always been dark and many would say overtly so, but this is a hideous episode to watch on all levels. I was kind of dissapointed to see Emma and her family fall into such a boring stereotype. The ending of Mulder, I mean Frank starting a war with the FBI over governent cover-ups was a storyline I am very glad they dropped. The drug addict idea and it's affects of idividuals and culture is good starting point but went wrong on every level.

Thanks for the comments and your viewpoint. I think my reactions are tempered somewhat by an attempt to acknowledge the effort put into making an episode, so perhaps I'm more likely to try to find something good even in a episode like this. Like you, I really didn't like the storyline, and, also like you, I didn't like the stereotyping of Emma. I guess what disappointed me the most, however, was Michael Duggan's apparent inability to turn it into a "proper" MM episode. I can cut these people a heck of a lot of slack when it looks as though they've been trying hard - but it seems to me that  he failed in just about every way. Good acting and directing, though, I think.

[Libby]

Hi Libby,

I'd have to say I agree with your review.

Also, that there will be a dedicated Episode Review Forum (currently being set up by Scott) coming soon exactly for this kind of post! You've beaten us to it.

Basically, all Episodes of Millennium will be listed and Members of TIWWA can submit reviews of as many Millennium Episodes as they wish.

I'm really looking forward to seeing this new Forum. I hope you'll be willing to share more reviews.

Regards,

Graham.

Thanks for the response. I like that here's a forum where I can make my first tentative steps in commenting about an episode, so your views and Mr Ected's are very encouraging. (Neither of you sniggered! :D )

It's good that there'll be a Review Forum. I guess a lot of us are viewing/have viewed eps at very different times, so it's not like newsgroups where everybody weighs in with their views just after an episode has been broadcast. This way we'll be able to share opinions irrespective of our viewing history.

I'll jot down my views on other eps as they occur to me, and then I'll post them to the Review Forum when it becomes available.

[Guest Polaroid Stalker]

I am in complete agreement with Mr. Ected Hostility . "Human Essence" is by far the worst episode of "MillenniuM" history

The biggest offender that I could see: the writers. I mean, we can obviously hear Scully's voice and a bit of music from the XF ep "Kill Switch," and we have the crossover? Jeez...

This, along with "Exegesis" and "Forcing the End," is one of the bad things about Season Three. Why couldn't Morgan and Wong have stayed after Season Two?!?!

[Guest]

.........not trying to start trouble here-(or AM i ???)- but i thank the lord every time i watch the full-run that M&W left after S2. they damn near ruined it in the last 1/3 of the season in my view. i feel on some levels that they are entirely overrated. "forcing the end" rocked for me. but "human essence" is total crap right up there with the laughably horrific-(not counting "most" of the acting at least)- "the time is now" and "anamnesis". thank god for CHIP/CC/SPOTNITZ in S3. -(after a somewhat wobbly start)

                            ~my 7+1 cents opinion,

                                                    se7en

[Bardo Thodol]

Nice to see such a thorough and lengthy review.  Thanks.  Just want to remind everyone that the "Lap Full of Severed Tongues - Millennium Episode Reviews" forums are open for business!

Ciao,

Scott