Millennium: Season 1 DVD Review:

Retired FBI profiler Frank Black (Hendrikson) is recruited by Peter Watts (O’Quinn) to work for the Millennium Group, helping on serial killer cases by getting into the mind of the murder.

Pilot
After ten years as an FBI profiler, Frank Black relocates from Washington to his hometown Seattle with his wife, Catherine, and their daughter, Jordan. However, a series of sexual homicides coaxes him from retirement. He offers his support to Lt. Bob Bletcher, a former colleague with Seattle’s Homicide Unit, and is in turn offered the resources of the mysterious Millennium Group, a corps of former law enforcement officers. Blessed - or afflicted - with an uncanny ability enabling him to see the world through the killer’s eyes, Frank must pursue the murderer through Seattle’s underground scene and stop his killing spree.

Gehenna
Frank investigates a cult and its powerful leader.

Dead Letters

Against the initial resistance of the Group, Frank travels to Portland, Oregon, to investigate a murder at an animal shelter. He meets with Jim Horn, a profiler and candidate for the Millennium Group. But Horn is distracted by his imminent divorce, and there is tension between him and Frank.
When the killer strikes again, Horn is losing control, and Frank not only has to catch the killer who leaves grisly messages on his victims, but he has to contend with Horn as well who is more than ready to stop the murderer with terminal prejudice.

The Judge

When Annie Tisman opens a parcel containing a human tongue, Bob Bletcher asks Frank Black for help. This is the fourth package within the last four years containing fingers or other members cut from living victims - but no bodies were ever found.

522666

Frank and Peter assist an FBI investigation of a serial bomber in Washington, D.C.

Kingdom Come

A man performing medieval tortures on holy men is hunted by Frank Black.

Blood Relatives

A boy who exploits grieving families is at the center of an investigation when murders start to occur at funerals.

The Well-Worn Lock

Catherine helps a woman who was sexually abused by her father.

Wide Open

A young girl is forced to watch as her parents are brutally murdered. Frank must stop the killer before he can strike again.

The Wild And The Innocent

Frank and Peter track a girl and her murderous boyfriend who are looking for the baby her father sold to a childless couple.

Weeds

Frank investigates a series of abductions in a small specially designed private community. The abductor makes his victims pay for the hidden sins of their fathers.

Loin Like A Hunting Flame

Frank Black and the Millennium Group investigate a series of bizarre sex crimes.

Force Majeure

Frank investigates a series of suicides that may be connected to a celestial alignment that will occur on May 5th, 2000.

The Thin White Line

Frank must relive the past as he interviews a murderer he locked away years ago in order to catch the killer's copycat protégé.

Sacrament

Frank's sister-in-law is abducted from her child's baptism and Frank searches for the killer.

Covenant

A man confesses to murdering his family, but Frank doesn't believe him.

Walkabout

Franks wakes up in an alley with both memory loss and the strange feeling that someone was murdered.

Lamentation

Frank investigates the disappearance of a former nemesis, Dr. Ephraim Fabricant, and learns that his family may be the target of a murderer.

Powers, Principalities, Thrones And Dominions

Frank and Peter investigate a series of satanic murders and get caught in a battle between good and evil.

Broken World

Frank tries to stop a killer of horses before he escalates.

Maranatha

Frank and Peter track a Russian killer with links to Chernobyl. They discover that he might be the Antichrist.

Paper Dove

Frank tries to clear the man who accidentally might have murdered his wife.

Series creator Chris Carter moves away from aliens, conspiracies and the supernatural to concentrate on the evils of man in Millennium.

One of the darkest and most graphic portrayals of serial killers ever to grace TV, the series pulled no punches when it came to taking you inside the mind of a deranged murder. Through flashes of insight into the killer’s mindset, you caught a glimpse of how these troubled minds saw world and their victims.

Taking you on this journey is retired FBI profiler Frank Black, a man who can put himself into the mind of the killer. Through years of training and working on these cases, Frank has the ability literally see the motivations of the insane by inspecting the victims or investigating the murder scene. This has taken a toll on the man however, making him quit the FBI and move back to his hometown of Seattle with his family.

Lance Hendrikson brilliantly brings Frank Black to live and creates one of the great TV investigators of all time. A veteran film actor, he makes the transition to the small screen with ease brings a certain amount of class to the production. Hendrikson makes the character instantly believable as he struggles to cope with his gift that is increasingly becoming a curse.

He is helped by the cinematic production values of the show that makes each episode feel more like a mini movie than a TV series. The series has also gathered an excellent ensemble. Terry O’Quinn, a Chris Carter regular, is Peter Watts, the Millennium Group contact for Frank and a man who holds most of his cards to his chest. He plays the superbly well because as the series progresses you find yourself trusting him less and less. This is all accredited to his excellent talents. Bob Smithrovich is Lt. Bob Bletcher, Frank’s old friend from his time in the Seattle PD and a man who struggles to accept Frank’s methods until he is witnesses them first hand. Megan Gallagher is also good as Catherine Black, Frank’s wife and salvation, along with their daughter Jordan (Brittany Tiplady). She plays the character with a great sensitivity, as she tries to cope with what her husband does and the repercussions that come from it.

The first season of Millennium was arguably one of the best show premieres ever to hit television. Never before had such dark and gritty material been crammed into a weekly series and it gripped you from the off. Unfairly compared to Chris Carter’s monster hit The X-Files, this was a completely different animal with only the FBI connection bringing them together. Where Mulder and Scully dealt with the fantastical, Frank Black had to contend with real evil, committed by people who could be prowling the streets as you read this review.

From the amazing pilot to the cliff hanging series finale, Millennium is a roller coaster ride for the senses that will terrify and enthral you. This is the true definition of must see television.

Season Star Rating = * * * * *

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in full frame 4:3 with a Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo soundtrack, the transfer is very good. The picture quality is extremely sharp throughout and it has to be so it can convey the dark world that Frank Black inhabits. The sound quality is good, emphasising the dialogue and Mark Snow’s haunting theme tune.

BONUS FEATURES

Pilot Commentary by Chris Carter

Series creator and executive producer Chris Carter provides an interesting insight into the making of the pilot. He talks about the influences behind the show and the fact that he wanted to create a weekly murder mystery show that was linked to people’s fears of the upcoming millennium. He talks about casting the series and how Lance Hendrikson and Megan Gallagher were his first choices for the roles of Frank and Catherine Black but it was just the matter of getting them to commit to a TV series. He also reveals the symbolism behind the yellow house and how the Millennium group was based upon a real team of private sector investigators called the Academy Group.

Gehenna commentary by director David Nutter

Director David Nutter talks about making the first episode after the network picked up the pilot. He reveals that even though the pilot episode than a much larger budget and a long shooting schedule, the team behind the series wanted to continue with the same look and feel that had made the first show so distinctive. He also discusses how difficult this was on an eight-day episodic shoot. The director then talks about establishing a true sense of evil for the show and that Gehenna is Greek for ‘The abode of condemned souls’ or hell itself.

Order in Chaos: Making Millennium Season One (48.46 mins)

Series creator/producer Chris Carter, executive producer Ken Horton, director David Nutter, writer/producer Frank Spotnitz, cinematographer Robert McLachlan, writer/producer Chip Johannessen, composer Mark Snow, production designer Mark Freeman and stars Megan Gallagher and Lance Hendrikson reminisce working on season one of Millennium. The documentary takes you behind the scenes of the pilot as the cast and crew talk about bringing the inventive and disturbing series to life. We find out from Chris Carter’s what influenced the show and how the Millennium Group was based upon a real organisation called The Academy Group. It is also revealed what the network though about the show and its dark, gritty storylines.

Chasing the Dragon: A conversation with the Academy Group (21.21 mins)

The Academy Group was founded in 1989 by Dr Roger L. Depue and consists of former investigative professionals who consult for the private and public sectors on all aspects of law enforcement. This actual team of investigators that Chris Carter based the Millennium Group upon. Members of the group discuss forensic behavioural science, profiling, how the job can be rewarding as well as harmful to your mental state and if they thick that evil actually exists.

Creating the Logo and Title Sequence (9.36 mins)

Designer Justin Carrol and art designer Ramsey McDaniel talk about creating Millennium’s haunting opening sequence. From the design of the distinctive logo to the evocative words that jump out at you, this is one of the most powerful and memorable title sequences you will ever see.

Pilot TV Spots (5.16 mins)

Entitled “Teaser”, “Must see”, “In the Theatre”, “Can’t stop it #1”, “Can’t stop it #2”, “Buzz”, “7 Days” and “Network”, these are the eight mini trailers used by Fox to promote the series.

Inside Look (6.34 mins)

Go behind the scenes of the creature effects for the upcoming movie Aliens vs. Predator and take a look at the DVD release of the phenomenal 24.

Trailer
Promotional trailer for Millennium: Season One and Harsh Realm.

OVERALL
Millennium was one of the most disturbing and most creative shows to ever grace US television but US viewers never really took to it. Now it has cult status and Fox have rightfully given it an excellent DVD release. The transfer of the episodes is superb, add to this a first rate set of extras which includes very informative commentaries and a documentary, and you have a must buy for all fans of the series and an fascinating rent for everyone who missed it first time around.

DVD Star Rating = * * * * *

Jamie Kelwick

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