The Curse of Frank Black

[Guest Moriarty]

Never before in the series up to this point had Millennium fallen back on paranormal phenomenon to explain cases or as the basis for episodes, and indeed that was the very reason Chris Carter created the show -- to explore evil and horror in ways that didn't mitigate it with the paranormal in the way that The X-Files did. "Beware of the Dog" thus marked a significant turning point in that regard.

Zeus, I am not quite sure about this. We have Lamentation and PPTAD in season 1. Especially that last episode had paranormal phenomenon in it. But I see what you mean and I certainly do not disagree with your point of view regarding BOTD.

[Guest ZeusFaber]

I don't regard "Lamentation" or "Powers, Principalities, Thrones and Dominions" to feature parnormal phenomenon the way many S2 episodes did. These come under the category of the supernatural to me, which while may seem like the same thing, actually connotes something very different in my eyes. The work of the Devil or of angels are not the same, to me, as strange paranormal phenomenon that just exist without explanation. The former I call supernatural, the latter I call paranormal. A fine line perhaps, but an important one.

Besides, with the likes of "Lamentation" and "PPTaD", there is always the option of not subscribing to the otherworldly explanation, and to stick to an earthly perception. For example, Samael's execution of Al Pepper could always be dismissed as a regular shooting if you didn't want to identify with Frank's "unique perspective". In short, the plot doesn't hinge entirely on an inexplicable scenario.

Conversely, with the likes of "Beware of the Dog", there is absolutely no way for the episode to work without insisting on a paranormal explanation. It relies entirely on us buying into the concept of the Michael character upsetting some mystical lines of force which somehow activated the attacks of the evil dogs, and likewise resolved the problem by burning the house and restoring some kind of cosmic balance. Without accepting that as a paranormal pehnomenon at work, the events of the episode and its resolution make no sense whatsoever.

To me, that is very different to implying the presence of Satan or the work of angels in S1.

[Guest Chass]

I love this episode! Especially the scene of Frank turn off the TV set but it turn on again by itself...

And I also like the song "Little Demon" very much...I'm listening to it when I post this reply...

[Guest MrCox]

Besides, with the likes of "Lamentation" and "PPTaD", there is always the option of not subscribing to the otherworldly explanation, and to stick to an earthly perception. For example, Samael's execution of Al Pepper could always be dismissed as a regular shooting if you didn't want to identify with Frank's "unique perspective".

Generally I agree with your view on the supernatural and the paranormal.

But "Lamentation" makes clear without a doubt that something supernatural is at work here, Lucy Butler as a manifestation of Legion (or even the devil himself - or herself - whatever).

The scenes in the yellow house and Frank's telephone call from the hospital indicate that some kind of higher force is at work. Someone (Lucy) calls Frank but says nothing, a few seconds later Giebelhouse enters the cellar, talks to Frank on the phone and finds Bletcher's body. A normal human would never had a chance to escape without being caught (or at least seen) by Giebelhouse.

In "Powers ..." there are similar points in the story where we are led to believe in the presence of angels and / or demons, for example the escaping killer of Mike Atkins (Pepper jumping out of the hotel room window) or Sammael looking through the window of the house at the beginning where he's spotted by Peter Watts. We never get to see things for sure, but just glimpses, irritations.

[Guest ZeusFaber]

True, but I still see these supernatural manifestations as very different modes of storytelling to the paranormal mumbo-jumbo of "Beware of the Dog" et al.

[4th Horseman]

True, but I still see these supernatural manifestations as very different modes of storytelling to the paranormal mumbo-jumbo of "Beware of the Dog" et al.

ZF/MrCox - you both make excellent posts....i tend to lean towards ZF on this one...fewer episodes were more discombobulated that BOTD...from the townsfolk somehow unable to escape on their own, placidly accepting the fact that something was in control of their town, their refusal to go out after sunset, etc was never explained...Neither was the supposed stench that Michael talked about and Frank experienced the first time he came into contact with the dogs while standing at the Winnebago...nor the oblisks found near the Old Man's home...

what balance exactly did Michael upset...there was obviously a recognized presence already with the townsfolk in relation to whatever the dogs represented, yet was it because of fear that they were made to be incapable of dealing with the issue? In the meeting where Frank was lying after being attacked, it seemed that they had taken a few steps in the past to deal with the situation, (animal control, etc)...

Strangely, The Old Man seemed to feel that the dogs represented some form of evil because as he pushed Frank towards them he claimed "You have no idea what true evil is, now go and stand by that rock!"....so did the dogs represent some spiritual/supernatural evil force or just, as ZF says a very poorly concieved manifestation of the paranormal....

4th Horseman..

[Guest ZeusFaber]

their refusal to go out after sunset, etc was never explained...

Yes. And why sunset? Why does that affect the behaviour of dogs? And why the townsfolk dish out cryptic warnings ("Sun's going down!") instead of saying what is likely to happen?

This isn't a question of just nitpicking insignificant details. The entire concept makes no sense. Evil being embodied in a set of dogs I could just about buy. But dogs that only attack after sunset, and only if you're outside the boundaries of the town sign (except for after the lines of balance are upset by the building of a new house) that somehow respond to stones that just happened to be emblazened with Ouroboroses (Ourobori?), but if you're indoors when the sun goes down you're okay, and all the natives are fully aware of this somehow...

...please.

[4th Horseman]

Yes. And why sunset? Why does that affect the behaviour of dogs? And why the townsfolk dish out cryptic warnings ("Sun's going down!") instead of saying what is likely to happen?

This isn't a question of just nitpicking insignificant details. The entire concept makes no sense. Evil being embodied in a set of dogs I could just about buy. But dogs that only attack after sunset, and only if you're outside the boundaries of the town sign (except for after the lines of balance are upset by the building of a new house) that somehow respond to stones that just happened to be emblazened with Ouroboroses (Ourobori?), but if you're indoors when the sun goes down you're okay, and all the natives are fully aware of this somehow...

...please.

LOL - you pretty much encapsulated the episode here ZF...seems funny to me that the townspeople lived with this for obvious what was a number of years, with no obvious barriers preventing them from leaving. Perhaps they represented a metaphor for ignorance, and just how that particular mindset can be easily manipulated...

the one thing that doesn't seem to fit ZF is that no one OTHER than the Old Man can roam freely outside after dusk...remember, he drives into town to pick up the dead dog that Frank hit with his car and yet he was not attacked...but this just seems to amount to nothing more than another misfire. Millennium Abyss claims the dogs represent "the incarnation of evil", but it does not seem to be business as usual, so to speak...

4th Horseman..

[Raven Wolf]

LOL - you pretty much encapsulated the episode here ZF...seems funny to me that the townspeople lived with this for obvious what was a number of years, with no obvious barriers preventing them from leaving. Perhaps they represented a metaphor for ignorance, and just how that particular mindset can be easily manipulated...

The entire show was filled with metaphors. Of COURSE it seemed nuts that the townspeople had put up with this for all these years. That was the POINT of the whole show. The Old Man explained the whole thing. People just hide in their houses, blind to everything else going on in the "big picture" and just huddle down like a bunch of scared mice, and hope that something doesn't bite their heads off! No one takes responsibility to DO SOMETHING, they just wait for someone to come along and save them!

Frank Black - "How long have you been waiting?" (for a new sherrif)

Waitress - "Since...." (turns to look at someone else) "When was George Bush president?" (the first one)

[Guest betweenthelines]

Back to TCOFB :

This episode is near perfection but there was one minor thing that would have made the episode even better: a lack of a music score. So much of this episode was silent and rarely featured any of Mark Snow's distinctive cues. Naturally when they did show up it was kind of awkward. I think it would have been great if the only music we heard were the songs from Screamin Jay Hawkins and Dean Martin. But that's just my view.