Millennium The Complete Third Season DVD with Lance Henriksen, Brittany Tiplady, Terry O'Quinn (NR) +Movie Reviews

Millennium - The Third and Final Season

The Writer | of the Great U.S.A.! | 07/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Well, it's about time that the 3rd season of this show came out! I've been waiting a long time to complete my Chris Carter collection! I'm not going to list a description of every episode, because I don't want to ruin everything for first-time viewers. ;-)

Millennium underwent some drastic changes over its 3-year run; the first season, the Millennium Group seemed to be a legitimate criminal consultant firm, with interesting abilitiesm now employing ex-FBI agent Frank Black, who wants to raise his daughter in a safer world with his wife Catherine. Season 1 also introduced one of the darkest (and most underutilized) villains in the series; Lucy Butler, who could possibly be the devil. In the second season, Frank was smack-dab in the middle of it, seperated from his family as the Group became larger, darker, and more terrifying as its true knowledge and dangerous capabilities became known, leading to a viral outbreak in Seattle, which killed 80 people, including Catherine. Frank also encountered Lucy Butler, though she evaded him once again.

In the 3rd season, Frank had left the Millennium Group and was back at the FBI, after recovering from the mental collapse he suffered from Catherine's death. He unofficially teamed up with Special Agent Emma Hollis, and they began attempting to bring Millennium to justice, which had become a distant, yet still dangerous villain. He also had one (maybe two; see Saturn Dreaming of Mercury and decide for yourself) more encounter with the evil Lucy Butler, who tried to tempt him into ruling the world with her (if that ain't the devil, what is?). We also got to see a lot more of his daughter Jordan in this season than the previous two, played by the gifted Brittany Tiplady, who I haven't seen in anything since a DELL computers commercial a few years back. The series ended with the apparent demise of Frank's onetime friend Peter Watts, and his taking his daughter and disappearing.

Although Millennium's finale was reasonably conclusive, fans of the series, and Chris Carter himself, weren't quite satisfied with it, and made an episode which crossed Millennium with the X-Files, which took place on the Millennium Eve, Dec. 31, 1999 (and for those who say the new Millennium began in 2001, I quote Mulder: No one likes a math geek, Scully.), in which Frank Black teamed up with Mulder and Scully to save the world from ending. It seems they did!

Millennium's 3rd season was the end of a great series, but I'm glad it ended where it did, instead of dragging through a 4th season which in all likelihood would've ruined it. Millennium had its full run, and ended successfully. Buy this season and complete the collection today! You won't be sorry!"

Regrets.

William Smith | Fontana, CA United States | 09/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"(***This contains Season Two SPOILERS!***)

The Good:

I had no idea what to expect with Season Three, I had never seen a single episode. Having been left for 9 months with the conclusion of the Season Two DVD set, my mind wandered about what Season Three would bring; Frank isolated at the cabin, Jordan now missing her mother, a huge infectious outbreak, all to be summed up... finally! I was also anxious to get this set to see who would be "left standing". Sadly it appears that "Lara Means" got the ax though she may reappear, but fortunately everyone else is onboard. It wasn't made wholly clear whether Lara died in the S2 closer, but I can hope she didn't.

I can say that as soon as I opened the box and looked at the art work I was skeptical. Seeing the attractive African American female so proximately displayed instantly made me think of one word; pandering. But maybe I shouldn't have jumped to such a radical conclusion because Klea Scott (as Agent Hollis) has proved to be a tremendous asset! Her humble demeanor is so perfect I'm truly glad she's here. Another new face that is a welcome addition is the "Agent Baldwin" role. His sarcastic and "by the book" no-nonsense way plays off of Scott perfectly, not to mention Frank. Even Frank's new boss is solid and above par. Of course Lance and Terry (Frank Black/Peter Watts) are also well above par and this season promises to be a treat since the main focus seems to be them as adversaries which was always their strong suits.

I loved the Glen Morgan and James Wong vision of Season 2 with its lean towards a fantasy/history hybrid though Chip Johannessen's and Michael Duggan's (Season 3) seems tighter, similar, and actually somewhat more consistent (so far); even the humorous elements in certain episodes have returned (Kiss!). I'm really surprised by the overall quality... shocked actually, because so far this has lived up to Season 2, which out does my expectations there.

The (not so) Good:

There is a rough spot here and there though. The two parter that starts off Season Three has some amazing qualities, particularly in the production and casting areas, though what it lacks is continuity. In the last episode of S2 "The Time Is Now" the infection rates and scope seemed huge; from San Diego to even the Asian coast, however the infection as discussed in "The Innocents" (the S3 opener), describes the outbreak as being confined to the North West and killing 70 people. I'm sorry, but that just doesn't jibe and what was the graying hair on Frank all about? The flickering TV? I think I envisioned Season Three to be almost a post-Apocalyptic siege of sorts, what I got is a solid, well controlled, if confusing review of prior events. Another bit of a niggle I have; as much as I like the Agent Hollis role, the Frank Black role sometimes appears to be a foot-note. Hopefully as the show progresses his presence will too. Lastly, like Season 2, the episodes NOT about the Millennium Group are all over the map and range from; Great: "Closure", Typical: "Through a Glass, Darkly", and Generic: "Teotwawki," it's just too bad every episode couldn't be about "the Group".

The Packaging/Extra's:

Kudos' to Fox for keeping the packaging consistent and not being tempted by the double-sided discs so many of the "evil" companies are embracing. This is probably the only 3 season set I have besides Star Trek that didn't under go some wild alterations or cost cutting measures. The extras are a bit too sparse, though welcome. On the back of the box it says that commentaries are provided for certain episodes, what it doesn't say is that there is only two of them. I have yet to watch the behind the scenes though if previous seasons are a quality barometer, these will surely be instructive and worthwhile. And making an unwelcome return is the ETERNITY it takes to get through the menu start-up screen.

The Aftermath:

In conclusion I do feel pangs of guilt over Millennium. Truly, I do. On network television I never watched beyond the first Season as it seemed the "serial killer of the week" scenario was severely overplayed, but now I feel total regret at not taking the time to watch the re-inventing of each Season (how was I to know?). God only knows where this show could have gone and now I guess we'll never really know. Though I've only watched a handful of this seasons efforts I would like to extend an invitation to Fox, Chris Carter, and of course Lance Henriksen to revive this show via the big screen or whatever vehicle is possible. I think I can speak for many here at Amazon and beyond when I say; build it, and we will come... now."

Season Three: Journey's End

Brian A. Dixon | Connecticut, USA | 06/29/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Chip Johannessen faced a difficult creative challenge when he became Millennium's Executive Producer at the start of the third season. The show's fictional world had seemingly been brought to an end at the close of the previous year. How could the creative staff continue a series in which most of the major characters and powerful plot threads had apparently been put to rest? The answer to this question, of course, was to reinvent the series once again.

The final season of Millennium began with a shaky start. Fortunately, it didn't take long for the cast and crew to meet and triumph over these challenges, and the results were commendable. Millennium's third season provided some of the show's most intelligent, bizarre, and intriguing stories. As a result, the episodes presented in this collection offer viewers a glimpse at the show's remarkable range. There are tales of police investigation, complex conspiracies, black comedy, scientific threats, and classic horror. Millennium was an artistic drama series unlike any other and it continues to stand apart in the annals of television history.

Sadly, nothing could save the series from the harsh demands of the network television industry. Just months before the dawn of the new millennium, the series was canceled and aired its final episode. Frank Black's journey had come to an end, and this DVD collection presents the thrilling conclusion to the Millennium mythology. It is not to be missed."

Flashy, Stylish, but Incoherent

C. S. Junker | Burien, WA USA | 11/25/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Chris Carter wanted to prove he could do it again. Fox TV was hoping for another cash cow. Carter was determined to do something that was *not* the X-Files. Millenium was launched, and from the beginning it was hard to tell what, exactly, the series was about.

Each of the three seasons has a distinct identity. The first season is (mostly) an unremittingly grim serial-killer-of-the-week series, with people being set on fire, having their eyes sewn shut, and other atrocities. The show survived because of the moral center provided by Frank Black, who has journeyed into the heart of evil and was almost consumed by it. Retired from the FBI and recruited into the Millenium group, an association of former law enforcement officers, Frank is forced to protect his wife and daughter from the evil around them.

Carter closely supervised the first season and was careful to avoid explicit references to the supernatural. This was *not*, he repeated, *not* the X-Files. But even in the first season, the producers couldn't refrain from introducing a fantastic element, although in very small doses.

Many of the plots were incoherent and only partly explained; but we were used to this because of the X-Files.

In the second season, Carter turned to series over to producers Morgan and Wong, who took the show in very interesting directions. The Millenium Group is now revealed to be a conspiracy, itself divided by a struggle between religious and scientific camps. Both fear a coming apocalypse in 2000 and are in fact working to bring it about.

Just as the show was really becoming interesting, with a dramatic conclusion to Season 2, Carter returned to the show, unhappy with the direction Morgan and Wong had taken it. Instead of picking up where Season 2 left off, Season 3 tosses out much of the continuity and starts over, with Frank Black now back at the FBI teamed with a female partner. But oh no, it's *not* the X-Files!

Season 3 is easily the worst season of this promising show. My biggest complaint is that many episodes are simply incoherent. Fantastic things happen, but nothing --- and I mean absolutely nothing --- is explained. It's one giant McGuffin after another. The style and flash are still there, but it's become a poor man's X-Files, without the fun and the humor.

It's hard to say where Carter would have taken the show had it survived, but it's clear that he couldn't do what he'd sworn to do: create a show that was completely different from the X-Files.

It's not surprising this show was cancelled; each season has a different identity, it's almost entirely lacking in humor, and it's dark, bloody, brooding, and grim. However its high production values and excellent acting (especially from Lance Henriksen, as Frank Black) earned the show a devoted cult following.

I bought Season 3 when it came out and still haven't watched the last four episodes. With the Season 2 set, I watched the whole thing in one week. That's how disappointing Season 3 is: you're set up for an intriguing mystery in 1 and 2; then Chris Carter comes back and says, "Oh, never mind. Let's just clone the X-Files."

It's a shame. This show could have been so much better, if someone had ever decided once and for all what is was supposed to be about."

MILLENNIUM: Season 3 -- Not perfect, but still great!

Magnolia 12883 | Oregon City, OR USA | 07/11/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Chris Carter's MILLENNIUM (1996-1999) was the greatest show, certainly in the history of the FOX network, if not television itself.

Lance Henriksen played Frank Black for three years and 67 episodes in which this craggy, line-faced ex-FBI criminal profiler faced evil in all its conceivable incarnations to protect his wife and daughter Jordan from its wrath.

The final season (1998-1999) was 22 episodes of decidedly mixed results:

The show started with a two-part season premiere, beginning with "THE INNOCENTS". It was a mildly interesting story of a downed airliner and bizarre blondes, seemingly involving the Millennium Group. That continued with "EXEGESIS", in which Frank and his new FBI partner Emma Hollis tried to determine the Group's involvement. "TEOTWAWKI" (aka The End of the World as We Know It) was a story of school violence and survivalists awaiting Y2K. "CLOSURE" involved Emma's sister's death at a young age and the connection with a seemingly motiveless killer.

"...THIRTEEN YEARS LATER" was an enjoyable Halloween story that somehow mixed murders patterned on 80s and 70s horror films, a performance by the band KISS, and the black comedy that the show tried to use in the second season. "SKULL & BONES" was the unusual story of buried bodies in Maine and the nebbishy young man who tried to escape the clutches of the Millennium Group. It showed what "really" happened to Cheryl Andrews (the great CCH Pounder), in case we weren't to believe last season's "THE HAND OF ST. SEBASTIAN". "THROUGH A GLASS, DARKLY" was the disturbing and atmospheric story of an Oregon child molester released after several years to his old hometown, only to have his past and a new set of crimes follow him there. "HUMAN ESSENCE" was a lame attempt at X-Files-esque horror in which Emma's junkie half-sister faced mutation-causing drugs in Vancouver.

"OMERTA" (aka Holiday) was the infinately enjoyable Christmas episode in which a mobster resurfaces (from the dead?) after his healers, a couple of sweet sisters in the woods, are threatened. "BORROWED TIME" was the story of a series of drowning deaths that featured the return (in character, if not performance) of an angel from the first season! "COLLATERAL DAMAGE" was the story of Watts' daughter's kidnapping at the hands of a bitter ex-Gulf War soldier who blamed the Millennium Group. "THE SOUND OF SNOW" was the story of a series of recordings that seemed to cause deaths, leading Frank to face his wife Catherine's own demise.

"ANTIPAS" was the story of Lucy Butler being the nanny for a Wisconsin senator's daughter, leading Frank to try to prove her as the evil woman she is. "MATRYOSHKA" was the intriguing mix of the origins of the Millennium Group, the Atom Bomb and J. Edgar Hoover's creation of both. "FORCING THE END" was the interesting story of a pregnant woman's kidnapping by a Jewish cult. "SATURN DREAMING OF MERCURY" was the story of Jordan's unhealthy fascination with the new kid on the block, a seemingly evil little boy with supernatural powers.

"DARWIN'S EYE" was the great story of a young mental patient kidnapping and falling in love with a highway patrolman after her bloody escape. "BARDO THODOL" was an interesting tale of Millennium Group pseudoscience involving red bowls. "SEVEN AND ONE" introduced a new theme: Frank's fear of water and the haunting pictures of his own drowning! "NOSTALGIA" involved a murder in Emma's hometown.

"VIA DOLOROSA" was part one of what turned out to be a two-part series finale. It was the story of an Ed Cuffle-esque serial killer seemingly engineered by the Millennium Group. Frank investigates as Emma's ties to the Group deepen. "GOODBYE TO ALL THAT" was the bittersweet finale in which Frank and Jordan had to finally escape from the Group as Watts and Emma gave in to their inconceivable futures.

The series continued, sort of, in a seventh season X-FILES episode, fittingly titled "MillenniuM". It was the story of Frank helping FBI agents Scully and Mulder investigate mysterious graverobbings that lead to the discovery of zombies being conjured by the Group's remaining member.

The show is, all in all, a success, if not totally. It had its lame moments and HUMAN ESSENCE is an all-time low. But the show, overall was great!

A-!"

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