...6 Years Later: Season Three In Review

[Guest A Stranger]

How do you rate season threee now? I would be interested in other views.

I find that it has aged exceptionally well. I still have mixed feelings about how the Group was portrayed but find it to be the most emotionaly riviting season. It is the only season that motivated me to start a topic after watching on DVD. I think it may very well be my favorite season.

"The Innocents" -- B

Pros: I love the tone. It is very real and filled with outstanding dialogue, one of the strongest suites of year three. The first scenes with Frank at his new home reading the paper and returning to the FBI are very remiscent of the Pilot with the murder and Seattle PD, did anyone else notice this? The scene of Frank's earlier therapy session is intense as well as Frank and Catherine's father.

Cons: It has some inconsistencies with the Marburg epidemic. The first victims were not a mother and a daughter but a lone man. It also seems disjointed from where last season left off.

"Exegesis" -- C-

Pros: I like the over all idealogy that is started, the basic idea. The scene between Frank and Peter is acted very well.

Cons: It really doesn't deliver, it doesn't make the connections between the events of year two and the story it began in "The Innocents" very well. The MLM Group running around chasing Frank at the climax is boring. The scenes between Frank and Peter are strange. It just doesn't connect with how they were last seen together.

"TEOTWAWKI" -- A-

Pros: All around a very tight episode. One of the many episodes this year to be ahead of it's time by addressing very real concerns. The final confession scene is fantastic. It manages to very moral without being preachy. The subtley and seriousness of year one is back. This one of better examples of taking Carter's original idea of year one and mixing in some season two ideas or themes.

Cons: At times it seems a little contrived at times in regards to the case just happening to be "millenniumistic," seeing how it's just the FBI and not the Group, who would search out this type of crime.

"Closure" -- B-

Pros: A decent attempt to back to basics crime story. And I like the dynamic between Emma and Frank that is begining to devlop.

Cons: It just a little mediocre. The criminals are not that interesting and the idea of Emma having such a concrete origin story seems a little over the top, though it shot and scored beautiful.

"...Thirteen Years Later" -- B+

Pros: It's very funny at times but still manages to keep all the characters in character and keeps with the entire vibe of the season which is more about crime. I like how Frank is seen as kind of celebrity to law enforcement, the same thing is seen in "Omerta."

Cons: Its just not as good as the Darin Morgan episode that it takes the place of.

"Skull and Bones" -- A-

Pros: Very dark and I can't remember the last time the show has been this scary. Peter does not seem out of character so much here and his exmplanation at the end seems to jibe with what we know about the Group. It's possible to see they could go as far as they do here. Again, great dialogue and acting. "Oh, the truth does matter Agent Hollis, it does."

Cons: It has some more re-writing with Cheryl Andrews and the evil Group just seems a little too evil at times and feel forced.

"Through a Glass Darkly" A+

Pros: Not just one of the best this season but one of the best of the series. Outstanding. Perfectly executed. "Am I forgiven?"

Cons: There are none.

"Human Essence" F

Pros: I like the idea of a monter within unleashed by the drug scene at the morgue, but that's it.

Cons: Worst episode ever, even worse than "A Single Blade of Grass." Frank is competely out of character attacking Emma's sister. Emma tasting the herion? What the hell? The DOD's involvement. This wouldn't even be a good X-Files episode.

"Omerta" -- B+

Pros: Very beautiful and like the score for the most part. The connections to Jordan and Catherine are handled wonderfully. Very uplifting in a very unlikely way. Again, some outstading performances that just stick in my mind and make the show. It manages to do Christmas episode that still follows their intent to do murder investigations, that should count for a lot!

Cons: It's just a little silly.

"Borrowed Time" -- A+

Pros: Probably Lance's best performance in the series. Out-F***ing-standing. I can't say enough about this episode. It handles everything by just walking the line. It is never spelling it out but still makes good. The actor who plays Samiel is probably one of the best guest stars I've ever seen. He plays it perfectly. This is also the first time Frank addressed God, a breakthrouh for the character and the audience since henever really out and out addresses whether he even believes. It hints at where he is going with "Seven and One."

Cons: None.

"Collateral Damage" -- B

Pros: Very well done. The scene between Peter and Frank is one of their best, so much is not said. Their looks say everything.

Cons: Again, the Group just doesn't sit well for me. All the conspiracy stuff seems a little out of place escpeically since it's a show created by the guy who created X-Files. The Group seems a little to secular in season three in general.

"The Sound of Snow" -- A-

Pros: Finally gives some closure to what happened between year two and three. Another great example of the subltely used to adress the given theme that doesn't make the audience feel stupid and keeps a fresh feeling. "Everyone comes to Peter's Gate, not everyone goes through." The scene between Frank and Catherine is one of the series' best and beautiful. Pitch-perfect characterization and dialogue. "You chose me. We chose each other."

Cons: It took a long to time to explain what happened during the outbreak. Frank looks the same in the flashback as he does in this episode, which really takes away from the show's reality.

"Antipas" -- B-

Pros: Lucy seems more in character than in "A Room Without a View." It puts she and Frank back at opposite ends. Emma finally gets introduced to Legion.

Cons: It's cliche ridden and nothing new much happens.

"Matryoshka" -- D+

Pros: I like the final scene a lot as well as the idea of investigating the a-bomb but...

Cons: I don't really understand where they are tryign to go with yet another MLM Group origin story that contradicts everything up to this point, or at least confuses it even more. The problem is, I don't really care. Too much FBI conspiracy stuff again. Not to mention the fact that this is basically a boring Jeckl/Hyde story.

"Forcing the End" -- A-

Pros: This one has aged a lot better for some reason. Its' really simple, actaully. It mangages to be a good crime/abduction story and still involve the Group. This kind of episode should have been written earlier or somthing. Frank's line "nobody owns God or the Truth" speaks volumes about why he is not in the Group. It brings it back down to he and Peters idealogical differences that began in season two. The Group should have been portrayed the way they are here more often. They may be right but that offers them no privileges. Frank is the hero because he is selfless. He uses his gift the way they should use their power/knowledge: to help the world. It also re-introduces religous prophecy to the show, which it has sorely been missing. Emma also gets a taste of the Group and since they appear to be right, the way the did in year two, it's easy to see how she could be drawn to them.

Cons: The husband of the abducted woman's performance is horrible.

"Saturn Dreaming of Mercury" -- C-

Pros:I like a story focusing on Jordan and the Evil that threaten here. "Nobody sees everything," which is interesting since it shows Frank's distrust of the things he's seen. He is still afraid to give it a name, like the end with he and Emma.

Cons: It's kind of sloppy. Too much is left unexplained. That might be the point but it's still unfulfilling. The monster that attacks Frank from the furnance is lame, too.

"Darwin's Eye" -- A-

Pros: The Frank/Emma/Baldwin dynamic works exceptianlly well here. This just a really good suspense episode.

Cons: Again, the conspircay stuff doesn't sit well in this show.

"Bardo Thodol" -- C+

Pros: I like the Budhist slant on things, it's a welcome change. I like the introduction of "an apoclypse of our own creation."

Cons: Too much left unexplained. Why does Mabis want the bowl? Why are the Group growing hands? It seems like in their attempts to be subtle they just don't correctly connect all the different elemets, like with "Saturn..." and it feels incomplete.

"Seven and One" -- A-

Pros: It looks fantastic, as does this season in general. Finally, the Gehenna devil makes an appearence. Frank finally out and out addresses his faith and beliefs in concerns with Good and Evil. Lance's performance is wonderful, he just seems over it all. The biggest, overall story arc is simply Frank Black'spirtual growth and this season really plays that up very well as he comes to terms with everything.

Cons: The un-godly amount of continuty errors.

"Nostalgia" -- A

Pros: The best seriel killer of the season. A very entracing episode. I love how Frank nearly lulls the killer into confession. Very beautiful and poignant. Brings the Frank and Emma relationship to interesting point because she seems fully capable of working on her own now. She no longer is his naive parter.

Cons: None.

"Via Dolorosa" -- B

Pros: Brigning back Cuffle is a nice way to end the series. I love when Frank clears the house. It brings back the reality of what Frank does when he's not waiting for visions. The explanation of the first time he "saw" what the killer does fits more with what we know of Frank in year one. He wasn't born being able to see like in Midnight..." but was born with a sensitivity and learned how to "see."

Cons: The Ed Cuffle continuty errors. It's aalso a little slow-paced.

"Goodbye to All That" -- A-

Pros: Seeing Frank and Jordan running down that hallway is one of the series' finest moments and the best way to see the series end. It finally ties together some of the Group mysterious of this year and kind of makes sense. Peter protecting Frank is touching. Emma's betrayal is magnificent and real. It hits on lots of diiferent ideas from the series. Seriel killers/The Group/Evil/The end of world withoug missing a beat.

Cons: Frank intending to kill Peter is very distrubing.

[Guest ZeusFaber]

Interesting thread. I'll have to give you my condensed version, and I generally use a scale out of 5 (including halves) instead of letter grades.

"The Innocents" -- 3

Reasonable opening, but more notable for art direction and atmosphere rather than tight plotting.

"Exegesis" -- 3

Quite underrated, with an interesting premise, yet somehow the parts don't quite add up to a completely satistfying whole. A good introduction for some new characters all the same.

"TEOTWAWKI" -- 3.5

Haunting and precient, and successful in bringing another millennial anxiety to our screens without being either a serial killer or a mythological artefact etc. Needs a little something extra to bring up the pace though.

"Closure" -- 3

A fine Emma episodes that develops her character and prevents her from becoming a cardboard sidekick. Well directed by Daniel Sackheim, with some great action set pieces, but again needs a little something more to maintain consistent interest.

"...Thirteen Years Later" -- 2.5

An attempt to emulate Darin Morgan's wonderful style, but doesn't quite pull it off. Nice try, and excusable for being a Halloween imagining, but a bit too silly for its own good.

"Skull and Bones" -- 4

A solid Millennium Group episode, adding layers of intrigue with some horrific images. Nice to see Cheryl Andrews one final time. Would have been nice to put all the pieces together a bit more clearly though.

"Through a Glass Darkly" -- 3.5

A solid, almost old-fashioned S1 style episode. Unpredictable and driven by convincing characters, it is an engrossing watch that is very deep and sorrowful, perhaps almost too much so.

"Human Essence" -- 1.5

Yes, it is a bit dull and an old idea, but it is still a little unfairly derided. It doesn't make you want to watch it again any time soon, but it doesn't leave a bitter taste of outrage either.

"Omerta" -- 3

Cute and festive, but too over-the-top. Feels like Harsh Realm at times, and is a bit overly sentimental. Fantastic music though.

"Borrowed Time" -- 5

Outstanding. Sammael returns in great style in an emotional story for Jordan and Frank. Spiritual without the comic-book stylings of S2, this hits all the right notes.

"Collateral Damage" -- 4

Another solid Group episodes, combined with a truly frightening abduction. Good development for Watts, and a tight and well paced episode.

"The Sound of Snow" -- 4.5

More good stuff that takes its time to get going, but once it does it really hits home. Brilliant to see Catherine again, and also to tie up some of the unsatistfying mess left in the wake of "The Time is Now". An emotional job well done.

"Antipas" -- 4.5

Lucy returns in truly great style. Demonic and frightening, with strong dialogue and forboding moments. Far and away superior to "A Room With no View".

"Matryoshka" -- 2.5

Nice try, and there are positive points in exploring a different time frame, but it IS an old Jekyll and Hide story that brings nothing new. Good to explore the nuclear threat, but far too many continuity errors in an overall story that is a bit inpenetrable.

"Forcing the End" -- 2

Again, nice try in attempting to distill the apocalypse, but the execution is far too slow and dull to maintain true interest. Also, the final literal interpretation of Revelation is far too simple-minded, and the kind of thing you could find anywhere.

"Saturn Dreaming of Mercury" -- 4

A great way of tying the Legion threat into Jordan, with wonderful set-pieces, and a nemesis for Jordan to rival Frank's version in Lucy Butler. Confusing at times, but ultimately satistfying. Wonderful imagery.

"Darwin's Eye" -- 2.5

Refreshing that, for once, this is NOT the elaborate conspiracy it is suspected to be, but a bit too meaningless in the end to be worth much. Parts greater than the whole.

"Bardo Thodol" -- 3

Perplexing and confounding, but strangely appealing. The Buddhist slant is fascinating, and the Tuvan throat singing enchanting, but what does it all mean? It's great to see the unusual stuff that the Group is up to, and to see Mabius in action, but you can't help but be left completely bamboozled by the end of the episode. Maybe that's the point.

"Seven and One" -- 5

A masterstroke, and indeed one of the series' best episodes. In some ways a bookend to the pilot, but also a fantastic distillation of the series themes with regard to Evil. Legion has never been on better form, with some superb images of Emma being buried alive, and an excellently executed finale with Frank as the water fills then disappears. Beautiful, an in depth character study, and utterly chilling in all the right places. One of the best episodes of the series (and those continuity erros just AREN'T there!)

"Nostalgia" -- 3.5

An enjoyable throwback to the style of S1. A good old fashioned killer-thriller mystery, psycho-sexual wierdos, all the key ingrediants of what Millennium used to be. It doesn't set its sights too high or too complex, and that works well for this meat-and-potatoes episode.

"Via Dolorosa" -- 4

Once you get past the continuity issues vis a vis Ed Cuffle, this is actually pretty good. It mixes the traditional MM killer stylings with the apocalyptic Group mysteries pretty darn well, and gives us plenty of character stuff to go with.

"Goodbye to All That" -- 4.5

The same strengths as above, only better. The synergy of styles and plots really brings it home, and Emma's tragic turn is almost Shakespearean (well, okay, a step too far). Character moments for Frank and Peter are right up there with the best, plus lots of intriguing mysteries that all add up and makes sense in the end, making for a solid end to the season.

[Walkabout]

Great reviews!! Its very interesting how some eps make it to the top of someone’s list and on the bottom of someone else’s list. Actually I think this makes for the best discussions; seeing it thru someone else’s eyes. I have to say that Zeus, Stanger and I are very close on Season 3.. especially ' Darwins Eye' [gag].

Edited September 20, 2005 by Walkabout

[Guest ZeusFaber]

I agree, it is often fascinating to see the same thing through someone else's eyes, how one person's favourite can be another person's most disliked, or simply a "meh" episode.

It does seem like we agree for the most part on many of the episodes. The only disagreements really come with "Forcing the End" and "Saturn Dreaming of Mercury".

[Guest lonegungrrly1121]

excellent reviews, I love season 3 so much. I think the good episodes are outstanding, 'seven and one,' 'antipas' and 'Borrowed time' are definately up there in my all time favourites list. then the low points, like 'human essence' and others, really aren't THAT low IMO. even human Essence has some really powerful scenes between Frank and Emma, and a great ending.

I'm so glad season 3 is up for discussion now, it's about time!

[Guest fledgling666]

i have just finished watching all of season 3 except the cross-over episode and "13 years later." i have some things to change about what i've said thus far.

"The Innocents"

we are introduced to a different frank black, a man clouded by anger, frustration and anxiety about the death of his wife, his inability to "see" and the need to protect his daughter. this different frank black, though not thinking clearly, is still ahead of everyone else, but it's because he's jumping to conclusions. it's a return to seriousness, to reality, now that we are no longer inside frank's head, learning about the Millennium Group, but following along with him, watching him make mistakes, lash out in anger, worry......

"Exegesis"

Pros: seeing a different future i think has a double meaning here- one for the characters, mainly frank, and one for the producers and writers- as in taking the show in a different direction than season 2. really enjoyed the character at the institute, he should have been around more for a couple spots later in the season.

Cons: remote viewing is questionable at best.........

"TEOTWAWKI"

Pros: i think they missed the boat on who the sort of people are that actually form militia-style groups, but otherwise, it was only slightly boring.

Cons: again, no religious undertones to be found.

"Closure"

Pros: great total-psycho story, i am so glad it was millennium that did it and not someother show. this is the exact type of criminal that should be feared more than any other, and today, we are finally learning that lesson as a society.

Cons: i agree, it is a little mediocre, but only due to some dialogue and some camera work.

"...Thirteen Years Later"

Cons: i hate all the funny episodes of millennium. this show was not suppoed to be funny. i leave it at that. no, one more- com'on, the guys from KISS act in it, can it be any worse?

"Skull and Bones"

Pros: by far the best one yet in order from the beginning of season 3. the group is at it's most evil, even moreso than season 2. love peter watts' speech at the end. love the gore in this story, absolutely one of the darkest MLM episodes in the series.

"Through a Glass Darkly"

Pros/cons: not too fond of the child molestation episodes. this one is better than "well-worn lock," but that's not saying much....

i have not gotten beyond here in the DVD set yet. i have not seen the episodes that follow for 6 years. i will, however, come back and fill-in after viewing each episode again.......

"Collateral Damage" - always been a favorite.

"Matryoshka" - another of my faves.

"Forcing the End" - not too fond of this one, but, it was definitely a great back-story on the main bad guy.

"Via Dolorosa" - at first, i was not happy with lucas barr, he was just a wuss. in fact, his story is so irrelevent when i view the last 2 episodes, i almost don't even see it. but then i do and i realize i am trying to ignore it because it is taking away from the story between frank and peter, between frank and the group, frank and the FBI, frank and emma, emma and peter, and lastly, frank and jordan.

"Goodbye to All That" - i left the following from "stranger" in because it is pretty much my thoughts as well...........

Pros: Seeing Frank and Jordan running down that hallway is one of the series' finest moments and the best way to see the series end. It finally ties together some of the Group mysterious of this year and kind of makes sense. Peter protecting Frank is touching. Emma's betrayal is magnificent and real. It hits on lots of diiferent ideas from the series. Seriel killers/The Group/Evil/The end of world withoug missing a beat.

except this- Frank intending to kill Peter is a long time coming, well deserved and very, very exciting and unexpected.

[4th Horseman]

Great reviews!!  Its very interesting how some eps make it to the top of someone’s list and on the bottom of someone else’s list.  Actually I think this makes for the best discussions; seeing it thru someone else’s eyes.  I have to say that Zeus, Stanger and I are very close on Season 3.. especially ' Darwins Eye' [gag].   

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree with you Walkabout...I think that as MillenniuM fans, unless we are looking for something in particular to be addressed, we all fall within the same parameters, plus or minus a half a point, on each of these numerical reviews...

As i read the well done reviews by ZeusFaber and A Stranger, as exemplified by my statement above, i caught myself nodding in agreement on many occasions. The only slight bone i would pick with both of them is with Antipas. I would have to give it a 5. I found it to be just as dark, foreboding, swimming in the essence of evil as Lamentations from S1. I dont know if you feel the same way, but to me the most disturbing scene is the face that Divina makes when she screams in the bedroom after her father comes in to console her over the death of her mother. Those dead eyes, and that mouth...willies galore!! Between that, the line "She's not dead, she never will be", and the final scene between Lucy and Frank in the hospital, i just dont see where there was any weakness...they even got a reference to The Omen in under the radar....

oh, and did "The Shining" come to mind when you first saw the maze? Just curious..

The Fourth Horseman...

[Guest ZeusFaber]

The only slight bone i would pick with both of them is with Antipas. I would have to give it a 5 ...  i just dont see where there was any weakness...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I do agree with all the strength of "Antipas", it is a fantastic episode. The only reason I gave it 4.5, as oppose to a full 5, was more to distinguish my ultimate favourites such as "Seven and One", rather than because of any weakness of "Antipas" itself.

Of course, these ratings tend to fluctuate with every day that passess. I find the specific ratings tend to change depending on one's mood.

[Guest A Stranger]

I just found "Antipas" filled with too many cliches to be as scary as "Lamentation." Not to mention the Frank/Lucy bedroom scene is done poorly.

[Guest ModernDayMoriarty]

THE INNOCENTS - A.

Pros: Has quite simply one of the most heartbreaking scenes ever when Jordan sets the table for Catherine. Provides a good taster for a Season that returns the focus to Frank Black and his struggle after he was shelved so much in S2. It's a very human episode and shows the devastating toll that Catherine's death has had to everyone who knew her. Introduces the marvellous Barry Baldwin - although Mike Duggan's departure left him out in the cold later sadly.

Cons: I don't really have a problem with this one. The acting is first rate, it is well shot and moves me which is the important part. It doesn't match up too well with the ending of S2 but that story was badly conceived and written in poor spirit (M+W are on record saying they basically nuked the show out of show and exasperation over poor ratings and having football promoted instead of their show). So I was more than willing to allow S3 time to develop its version of events if it gave us a workable Season that didn't involve 80% of the world being dead...

EXEGESIS - B-

Pros: Exegesis is unjustly reviled really. It isn't as good as the Innocents but few episodes are in my opinion. The whole issue of the psychic projections was handled well and there are several truly thrilling/chilling moments in this episode. It's great to see Peter Watts back in play and like most of Chip J's work, it ends on a positive note.

Cons: The 'gunfight at the OK Missile silo' is pretty silly really and having the Millennium Group haring about as goons with guns was not a smart move. On the other hand it does introduce the superbly malevolent Mabius. His presence, always on the sidelines, in the shadows where you least expect him, injects an air of cold menace whenever he appears.

TEOTWAWKI - A+

Pros: The opening scenes, whilst not perfect, manage to convey a fairly intense feeling of terror and horror - the aftermath of the shooting is particularly striking. The story itself, silly as it sometimes is, at least engages on a more human level with the utter horror of facing death and its inevitability. Do you dig your heels in and fight tooth and nail like the survivialists (obviously being used in comparison with the MLM Group's activities) or retain a sense of dignity and humanity in the face of it all? It has one of my favourite voice overs at the end as well which haunts me every time I hear it.

Cons: The chip failure storyline is simply not very interesting or terrifying. The episode is trying so hard to create a group that is acting like the MLM Group, it sacrifices plot credibility to make its comparisons. The father murdering his son is extremely badly handled and it is painfully obvious that he committed the murder. The whole plot seems so completely far-fetched that it's absurd. But is that really a con...

Of course not; the main plot seeming absurd is how CC wants it to seem (just as people snort with derision about Doomsday) and for the msot part it makes the episode very hard to take seriously. In a sense, this episode is tackling a problem CC faced when starting Millennium - how do you make people scared of a subject that they simply do not find scary? MLM was a show designed (amongst other things) to promote an atmosphere of Millennial terror - fear and worry over such things as the Millennum Bug and the downfall of society. It is debateable as to whether this was ever achieved as CC himself has stated the frustration he encountered at people's apathy towards these subjects. In S2, M+W had to resort to the old device of a clock ticking down the days. This provided a better sense that the end really was coming but like this episode, seemed so contrived, so essentially TV and fake that it removed the white hot horror that S1 deluged us with. In S1, we were terrified of the power of evil and man's capacity for cruelty but the Season was very sluggish in transfering that fear to the coming Millennium and didn't develop the Group and its ideologies fast enough. This episode sees Carter picking up where M+W left off and connecting this to his talent for creating fear and intensity. He shows us horrors with the shooting spree, he then uncovers a seemingly crackpot collection of people with a truly absurd plan. He encourages us to not take them seriously with assurance in the episode that the chips will be fixed, with Giebelhaus stomping around endearingly, with the non-threatening look of corporate fat-cats playing at survivalists, with the derision of everyone else of the credibility of this plan. We laugh and we think how much CC has fallen producing absurd nonsense like this. But then we think 'What if it is true?' Christopher Carmody is posessed of real terror as he speaks of the chip failures, he describes in detail what will happen. Frank muses that it has always been said that those who survive will be ridiculed and mocked, their ideas rubbished. They sleep untroubled - just like we do. And suddenly the hapless corps didn't seem so silly to me anymore. I felt a real chill that I had never associated with the Millennium Bug before. What if it did happen?

TEOTWAWKI is a seriously underrated episode in my opinion. It isn't perfect due to some dodgy moments near the end when Frank allows the kid to stand in front of him and potentially be shot (that's not Frank, no matter how dark and dispirited he is feeling) but it chills me to the bone whenever I see it and that's what makes Millennium for me.

More later.