Midnight of the Century

[toymall]

I just watched Midnight of the Century for the first time in a long time. I really liked it but I had several problems, or maybe more like questions, about this episode.

1.) Where was Franks little brother? They showed numerous flashbacks and he was no where to be seen. He would have been three at the time and I think they should have included another child in the flashbacks. It just seemed weird to me. ???

2.) Does anybody know why or how Franks mom died? Was she ill? She looked healthy. Franks dad said she went upstairs to "die alone", did she kill herself?  ???

3.) At the end Jordan and Frank see ghosts(or angels), and in the group is Frank's dad. Did he die that night? How? Did he kill himself? He looked pretty healthy when Frank left. ???

If any body has any answers or insight, I'd love to hear it. Thanks.

[Libby]

I just watched Midnight of the Century for the first time in a long time. I really liked it but I had several problems, or maybe more like questions, about this episode.

1.) Where was Franks little brother? They showed numerous flashbacks and he was no where to be seen. He would have been three at the time and I think they should have included another child in the flashbacks. It just seemed weird to me.

I'm going by a transcript I downloaded some while ago. I can't be absolutely sure this accords with the episode, but it looks pretty accurate.

I would guess that because so much of this story concerned the gift that Frank and his mother shared, and which his brother didn't, that it probably didn't need to include more than a reference to Frank's little brother. And as the first scene happened at midnight, it's not surprising that a 3 year old wasn't around. (Mind you, I wouldn't have thought that normally a 5 year old would be either.)

2.) Does anybody know why or how Franks mom died? Was she ill? She looked healthy. Franks dad said she went upstairs to "die alone", did she kill herself?  

This one's a bit more problematic. She was clutching her stomach which may mean an illness, possibly terminal. The only difficulty with suicide is that I would think that would be against her religious beliefs. There's a bit of dialogue in the transcript - Frank's father says: "So she told me that she had been told --

that she had seen -- that she was about to die."

3.) At the end Jordan and Frank see ghosts(or angels), and in the group is Frank's dad. Did he die that night? How? Did he kill himself? He looked pretty healthy when Frank left.

The angel who spoke to Frank in the churchyard says: "They're not ghosts, they're fetches -- souls of those destined to die in the coming year -- making their way to church in search of those who will be their companions.  Of course, it usually happens at midnight." So it looks like Frank's father didn't die that night, but would in the coming year. On the other hand, the conversation between Frank and Lara hints that maybe "the coming year" for Frank's father meant "pretty soon".

I suppose one message in this episode could be that you never know when it's too late - so I suppose if they made Frank's parents look as though they were about to die, that would detract from the story line, but I agree it does make things much less clear.

On the other hand - I could be completely wrong and talking rubbish - wouldn't be the first time.

But you've reminded me how intriguing this episode is. I was going to skip over it as I go through the eps doing the transcripts, but I think I'll give myself a treat and just sit and watch this one.

Thanks for the reminder, toymail!

Libby

[toymall]

Thank you very much for your insight. I missed the part about the angel in the graveyard so upon watching it again this eve, it makes more sense. Thank again Libby!

[Guest Omega]

Frank is informed of his fathers death in "The Fourth Horseman"

  CALLER'S PHONE VOICE

  This is Dan Sullivan, I'm a public

  relations administrator at Saint

  Sebastian's hospital.

Frank becomes concerned.

    FRANK

  I'm Frank Black

    SULLIVAN'S PHONE VOICE

  Mr. Black, I apologise for the delay

  in notifying you... however it took some

  time to find the next of kin.

    FRANK

  Next of kin?

    SULLIVAN'S PHONE VOICE

  Our deepest condolences, Mr. Black...

  your father Henry passed away in our

  Intensive Care at 6:02 this morning.

Shocked, but holding back his emotions, Frank hangs up.

No exact date that I can get, but the year is shown as 1986 at the beginning of the episode.

(Quote from Millennial Abyss episode guide)

[Guest byzantine]

The death of Frank's father in the episode "The Fourth Horseman" always struck me as a nice bit of continuity for that series.  It stood out because 1013 seemed to not pay attention to continuity on the X-Files.

[Adam Chamberlain]

No exact date that I can get, but the year is shown as 1986 at the beginning of the episode.

The 1986 reference is from the flashback to the Wisconsin farm in the teaser sequence. News of the death of Frank's father arrives back in the current day - hence Jordan's presence at the funeral!

[Guest TheSunKing1972]

1.) Where was Franks little brother? They showed numerous flashbacks and he was no where to be seen. He would have been three at the time and I think they should have included another child in the flashbacks. It just seemed weird to me. ???

I'm glad to see a post about this jewel of an episode. I just watched it again and it gave me chills....I don't know how many times I've watched it, but it always gives me chills.

Anyway....about Franks brother, it may not be a huge reference...but as his Father is explaining to him what happened the night his mother died, Mr. Black says, "She got up and gave me a kiss, then went to you "kids", or something to that effect.   Plus during the flashbacks...most of them were at night...so I assume he was in bed. The ones during the day, when Christmas shopping was taking place...I guess he was with his Father

If I had to pick a top 10 of my absolute favorite episodes....this would be in the top 5.....no doubt.