MILLENNUM s1 episodes: 8-THE WELL WORN LOCK, 10-THE WILD AND THE INNOCENT, and 11-WEEDS

 

MILLENNUM s1 episodes: 8-THE WELL WORN LOCK, 10-THE WILD AND THE INNOCENT, and 11-WEEDS

 

Hmmm. You know why before CRIMINAL MINDS and all its gore and human monsters that MILLENNIUM was the scariest show on television and even now it could replace CRIMINAL MINDS as that. The reason is that, while THE X FILES had some humor, outlandish conspiracies, wild looking monsters, far out aliens, invisible beings, and a control by gov’t as well as two leads who bounced off each other, it wasn’t really that scary or even gross, most of the time. The more I watch both shows, MILLENNIUM  and THE X FILES, the more I realize that no matter whatever crossovers were had (a spot of Mulder and Scully or their stunt doubles in one ep of MILL, a comic book issue or two where Frank Black appears in THE X FILES after the TV episode MILLENNIUM---which sort of sucked by the way comparatively to the actual MILLENNIUM TV show----and then a five issue comic book of MILLENNIUM where Jordan works for the group…which I don’t think she would ever do), the more I realize these two shows are miles apart and are NOT in the same universe. Chris Carter or not.

 

 

While the X FILES is an outlandish NIGHT STALKER variant (and even more FRIDAY THE 13^TH THE SERIES variant—skeptical redhead and supernatural believer jokester), MILLENNIUM stays firmly in our real world with real monsters that could really exist in real life. The supernatural aspects in season one (and most of the other seasons, too) are downplayed and may not even be supernatural aspects. These three episode are why MILLENNIUM is considered a crime drama rather than either horror or science fiction or a monster show. It shouldn’t happen “here” or could happen “here.”

 

Jason, Freddie, and Michael are scary because they are monsters but in the end we know they’re not real and can’t really “get” us and even in the movies, some people do survive their vicious attacks so we feel that we have a chance and that in real life nothing like what happens on those movies and TV shows will happen to us, not really. In MILLENNIUM, it’s…different.

 

 

The approach is different from THE X FILES and to be honest, different than almost anything else on TV at the time. It was dark, grim, sinister, uncompromising and dangerous. It didn’t care if we were too afraid or too chilled. There’s something that the show, even now, can illicit from me and other viewers, a chilling stark realization that what we are watching sometimes embraces such world truths---and sometimes it makes us feel better that we’re not in that episode but the excitement comes from not really knowing who will make it in this episode and who will not or who among people are the human monsters, the perpetrators of the evil deeds and sick thoughts brought on by society itself and the millennium itself. Frank’s visions in most of these, and especially WEEDS are grotesque images that inhabit the mind of these killers. WEEDS is an underrated episode and you can find various on line reviews of it by the dozens but it IS scary not because of any blood (though the killer makes the teen boys drink his own blood to “cleanse them”) or any particular scene but because of the actual IDEA of what’s happening.

 

 

Frank talks about how everyone in the gated community feels safe with security and curfews but there among them is the killer who is twisted by other evil deeds (he’s worse than those he punishes by visiting the sins of the fathers onto their sons). The idea our children are not safe is one of the scariest TV and movies has to offer and I’d rather not think about it or even watch it on TV but MILLENNIUM does it in a chilling, almost a “must watch” TV.

 

THE WELL WORN LOCK is one I avoided for a long time. It’s crime drama too and Catherine is involved as is Bob and for a short time the two find themselves, again, on opposite sides of the criminal but this time, it is about a man who has abused his own daughters over time and the shock revelation that one of the daughters is the daughter of the other is unexpected and vomit inducing. This man is a monster. A real monster who uses children in as despicable way as can be.

 

The other one THE WILD AND THE INNOCENT, like the other two in this review, is also taken for granted by fans and TV viewers. The plot is wildly confusing at times as she’s been abused by all of the men in her life except Frank NOW as he’s involved in trying to figure her out and extract her from bad circumstances…as well as her baby Angel. There’s a serial killer who is involved and who tried to rape Maddie, played by Heather McComb.

 

 

McComb should have won an Emmy for her acting in this episode. As Maddie, it seems her father and she, as Frank deduces, had a baby named Angel. Her current boyfriend is played to the hilt by joyously evil tough guy without any feelings of compassion Jeffry Donovan, who will be in BURN NOTICE after this. He’s very cute. He’s also playing a vicious killer who kills two people on the word of the serial killer who had befriended Maddie’s mom and drove her to suicide! The killing of the old people is sad and the old man needed to be more contrite and maybe he wouldn’t be killed. At least Bobby, the boyfriend didn’t kill their cute dog. Still, it’s easy to hate this character as he doesn’t even treat Maddie right but once they find the baby, Maddie realizes that the baby is better with the adoptive (illegally it would seem) parents. She kills Bobby to save the adoptive mother and keep the baby with them.

 

All of this is touching in a MILLENNIUM way and a true tragic story. Sure, Maddie could have gotten away or maybe even saved the old couple but she’s a victim who comes to her senses to protect her baby and her baby’s future. Her rapport with Frank is wonderful. I see some reviews mock that Frank and Peter was not that involved in the story but I don’t mind that at all, what IS there for Frank is truly wonderful and makes him a human hero: he visits Maddie in prison and even shows her picture of Jordan.

 

In short, I can never say I have a great time watching MILLENNIUM, it’s just far too dark a show to truly enjoy or have fun watching as THE X FILES often IS. If you laugh at most of MILLENNIUM, it might say that you are somewhat sick or if you enjoy it too much, maybe there’s something wrong with you!? In any case, it does have an aura of truthfulness and exciting tension about almost every episode, even the second season which is less well done than the first and third season in many ways and far too outlandish and far too grim when it is unexpected but all three seasons are really landmark television. I don’t know what LAW AND ORDER was like before MILLENNIUM but I do know what it was like after MILLENNIUM and it definitely too inspiration from it. And while PROFILER seems to have come at the same time, sort of, MILLENNIUM is a far better show. And NOTHING like THE X FILES or its universe. Today I watched the first X FILES first season episode that left me feeling hung out to dry EBE. It was the only, so far, unfulfilling episode, probably being truly one of the first “arc” episodes, though it introduced the LONE GUNMEN to the show. The open ended non resolutions to the X FILES used to bother me a lot. MILLENNIUM mostly avoids that stuff, too.

Oh: and WEEDS has Charlie, the 17 year old just before he's kidnapped, watching LAND OF THE GIANTS on loud volume in the living room. It is the MECHANICAL MAN episode he is watching. This was the first episode aired in season two but this must be a repeat on some other channel. I remember being happy to see Fitzhugh, Dan, and Valerie on a prime time network for the first time in two decades and the last. Like Charlie, I watched LAND on high volume, too! Carter is an admitted Irwin Allen fan. In season five or so of THE X FILES, Carter has a major player in the arc episodes named Jeremiah Smith (see LOST IN SPACE-CURSE OF COUSIN SMITH) and he is played by Roy Thinnis (of THE INVADERS and DARK SHADOWS 1991). 

Neighbor Jack appears; Cheryl from the group helps Frank. I like Cheryl Andrews and not sure I like what the second season or third did to her. 

Millennium Review Episode 11: Weeds (youtube.com)