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MILLENNIUM Season 2 DVD Reviews (1 Viewer)

Jonathan_Clarke

Second Unit
Joined
Jul 22, 2004
Messages
485
Best Buy was sold out. Did they order more than 3 copies? Who cna say. They promised to have more in the morning so I'm going back.

I NEED to find out what happeneed to Cathereine. DON'T TELL ME! ;)
 

Mike Graham

Supporting Actor
Joined
Aug 31, 2001
Messages
766
Finished "The Mikado," and it still stands as one hell of a thriller. Looking back, there are several episodes that don't quite ring true, particularly the first two episodes of season 2, and "Luminary," which I've never liked. The season opener never clicked with me, mainly because:

it seems the Polariod Man would've tried to tell Frank something, or attempted to kill him more efficiently instead of just jumping at him with a knife.


Other episodes, such as "Monster" and "Goodbye, Charlie" haven't aged a day. Tucker Smallwood's performance in "...Charlie" is nothing short of mesmorizing.

Also this season, Frank and Peter become more rounded and believable, allowing us to become more invested in them. Each episode in this season has something unique to say, unlike several episodes in the middle of season 1 which were very forgettable.

Finally seeing these episodes in 1:78 widescreen is stunning, as its clear its the best possible way to watch this series. :emoji_thumbsup:
 

TravisR

Senior HTF Member
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My favorite episodes in that set are The Curse Of Frank Black, Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense, The Mikado, Owls, Roosters, Somehow, Satan Got Behind Me, The Fourth Horseman, and The Time Is Now. Gee, that narrows it down to about 1/3 of the year:) But I think that all these episodes are some of the best stuff ever done for television.

In rewatching the season, the only ones that I don't think were that great were In Arcadia Ego (which to me, despite a supernatural element, seemed more like a regular cop show than Millennium) and Anamnesis (which had great parts but I felt that the lead girl was miscast). Neither of these episodes are particularly bad. They are just aren't as good as the rest of the episodes.
 

Jonathan_Clarke

Second Unit
Joined
Jul 22, 2004
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485
Thanks for all the spoilers, guys. I'm even avoiding the extras until I've seen all the episodes.

I picked up the set with a 10% off coupon and a $50 gift certificate. Bought my wife Stripes with the difference. :D

I've only seen "The beginning and the End" so far (ironic the X Files episodes "The End" and "The Beginning" aired this year as well) and i can sense a change in direction. not quite as scary but a lot more fascinating.
 

Mike Graham

Supporting Actor
Joined
Aug 31, 2001
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766
Finished another disc.
"The Pest House" is still scary as all hell.
While the killer's strange ability of sucking the violence out of the patient's heads goes unexplained, the lighting and atmosphere developed here is absolutely terrifying. The stand out scene is when Frank watches the group therapy session begin, and his gift reveals to him what the patients have done as they simultaneously lament the loss of their dreams. The editing and acting here is absolutely perfect.


As for the "Owls/Roosters" two parter:
these two eps are hugely entertaining. Everything here is in top form, from the menacing Nazis to the taunt action sequences. The closing shot of the wooden cross laying on the bookshelf is perfect. This was really as interesting as the Millennium Group ever became - the rest of the conflict in the season centered on Peter, Lara and Frank dealing with situations on their own terms. No season 3 plot involving the group ever, ever became as indepth or spiritual as this magnificient two parter.
:emoji_thumbsup:

While Hendrickson may not have enjoyed his time on season two, his work in it was beautiful. Can't wait to jump into the rest of the set...
 

Michael Sliger

Second Unit
Joined
Jan 10, 2000
Messages
274
Just finished Disk 4 as well tonight. Something felt wrong to me at the beginning of "Roosters", but I couldn't put my finger on it. I definitely knew something was missing when the episode runtime appeared to be 1.5-2 minutes short. I pulled out my off-air copy and confirmed that the full recap from "Owls" was trimmed off the episode. Only the buildup to the shootout in front of Frank's house
remains. Stuff like that may not be crucial for someone with the previous episode on the disk sitting in their player, but IMHO it changes the tone and feel of the episode for those of us who watched their videotape copies numerous times. Oh well, it could be worse (like having "A Horse With No Name" replaced with another tune in "Owls").
 

TravisR

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Not alot of Fox TV DVDs have the 'Previously On' intact. The X-Files doesn't have any, 24: Season One doesn't have any, and I believe that Buffy The Vampire Slayer is missing them all as well.

On the Millennium set, I would imagine that "The Beginning And The End" and "The Time Is Now" also had recaps when they originally aired too but they are MIA on the DVDs.

Don't worry, the only song replaced on the Millennium: Season Two set is that Patty Smith from The Time Is Now... just kidding.
 

Tim-H.

Second Unit
Joined
Mar 27, 2004
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427
Real Name
Tim-H
Just got to 'The Mikado' and it was great--Thomas Harris would be proud.
This is up there with 'Lamentation' as scariest TV episodes ever.
I'm sensing a marathon this long weekend...
 

Mike Graham

Supporting Actor
Joined
Aug 31, 2001
Messages
766
Caught "Siren" and "In Arcadia Ego" tonight. Both were as good or better then I remember. I may space my viewings out even wider now, as I want to enjoy the set as long as possible :)

Concerning Siren:
The look on Frank's face, bathed in red light, as he's caught in the dream while nearly freezing to death, is haunting. Mark Snow's ethnic score also blends nicely with previously established themes.:emoji_thumbsup:
 

TravisR

Senior HTF Member
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One thing I love in Siren is

when, in his dream, Frank finds Watts and talks about the Group and Watts says something along the lines of "I have to go to headquarters and pay my dues."


Always makes me laugh.
 

Jonathan_Clarke

Second Unit
Joined
Jul 22, 2004
Messages
485
Just watched 'Doomsday defense'. What ever happened to Darin Morgan? He was such a brilliant writer and imdb lists NOTHING after Millennium!
 

Mike Graham

Supporting Actor
Joined
Aug 31, 2001
Messages
766
Finished the set on Monday, and it definitely cemented its status as one of the great shows of the 90s. The closing shot of the finale:cut with burst of static, while Frank sits in shock
is one of TVs most haunting moments.

The extras seemed to shed a negative light on the season, which is really unfortunate. The producers interviewed seem to think season 1 was absolutely perfect and any deviation from it was a bad idea. Even Hendrickson doesn't seem to have warm memories of the experience. Too bad, as his work in the 2-part finale was beautiful. :emoji_thumbsup:
 

TravisR

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You pretty much had the same thoughts about the episodes and the interviews that I had.

I will say that I think why everyone at 1013 seems dissapointed in the second season of Millennium was because they were in love with the (real world) Academy Group helping the police solve crimes. Then Morgan and Wong changed it up so that the Millennium Group was a controlling force and that was not what most people working on the show felt that the Group should be about. The change was too drastic for them since they put so much work into the first season to just see the Group (and the show's focus) get changed up. I can understand that point of view but, to me, the change was for the better.

The only thing that bothered me was the documentary made the season seem like it was a black sheep and no one liked it while it's easily most fans' favorite year.
 

Tim-H.

Second Unit
Joined
Mar 27, 2004
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Tim-H
I guess a blend of the stark but single-minded tone of S1 and the many (superbly realized) moods of S2 would be an ideal blend to me. In a way, Millennium evolved (and devolved I understand, having not seen S3) thrice as quickly as X-Files.
As a show I missed initially, this has been a real treat (in a bleak, fin-de-siecle way) to catch up on. I greatly appreciate the, uh, great appreciation on this thread that steered me toward the series. Anyway, despite the better judgment of many a learned HTF member, I might just pick up S3 when it comes out. It would be worth it for just a couple decent episodes.
 

TravisR

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I think Season Three gets a bad rap. It's the worst season of Millennium but it's not like you'll be gouging your eyes out while watching it. They change the tone of the show again which was a big mistake. And it starts off weakly but it definitely picks up by the end of the season. Granted, I'm totally biased since I'm obviously a big fan of the show...
 

Mike Graham

Supporting Actor
Joined
Aug 31, 2001
Messages
766
Year 3 does have strong efforts, particularly "TEOTWAWKI" and "Nostalgia." These eps could've easily been produced during year 1, and are largely successful. However, in year 3 the series struggles to come to grips with the spiritual elements that Morgan and Wong wrote so well in the previous year. The Millennium group is simply a conglomeration of bad guys, and barely interesting. Watts feels like he's wasted with the exception of "Collateral Damage" and the finale.

The show also feels aimless - while there was a feel of direction in year 2, year 3 seems to float from one point to another. A series which was infinitely confident in the past year, became completely unsure of itself in its final year.

Other episodes show amazing promise at the beginning, but quickly flounder halfway through:
Seven and One is an example of this; Frank begins to receive polaroids again, but this time they're of him. The concept is wonderfully chilly, but things fall apart quickly. Lucy Butler makes a reappearance as well, but her episode pales in comparison to her debut, "Lamentation," and her second appearance in year two's disturbing "A Room With No View."

While it would be interesting to at least see the episodes again, particularly in widescreen, I don't think I could ever justify a purchase of this year.
 

Todd Terwilliger

Screenwriter
Joined
Feb 18, 2001
Messages
1,745
I think the problem with Season 3 isn't so much that the individual episodes are that bad but how it fulfills nothing of what came before. It felt like they were trying to pretend that Season 2 never happened.

The things that made Season 2 strong, the multi-layered background of the group, the triangle between Frank, Watts, and Laura Means, all got blown to hell.

Season 2 may have veered off from the first season but it built upon and extended the themes, ideas, and plot. Season 3 felt like they were trying to erase what had happened, as if they were, in reality, trying to recreate the second season in their image of how it should have been.
 

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