The Curse of Frank Black (I) (31 Oct. 1997)

On Halloween night, Frank is haunted by the ghosts of memories past.

Director:

Ralph Hemecker

Writers:

Chris Carter (creator), Glen Morgan,

Stars:

Lance Henriksen, Megan Gallagher, Brittany Tiplady

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Lance Henriksen	...	Frank Black
Megan Gallagher	...	Catherine Black
Brittany Tiplady	...	Jordan Black
Dean Winters	...	Mr. Crocell
A.J. Adamson	...	5 Year Old Frank
Lachlan Murdoch	...	Hobo
Kett Turton	...	Ghost Storyteller
Shaun Toplass	...	14 Year Old Frank
Simon Farrar	...	ACTS Security Officer

Storyline

On Halloween night, Frank is haunted by the ghosts of memories past.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Horror | Thriller

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Details

Release Date:

31 October 1997 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

20th Century Fox Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Did You Know?

Connections

Features The Notorious 7 (1997)

User Reviews

Frank Black vs The Chigs

This show could have been called, "The Curse of Morgan/Wong" - And that curse is "How do you make an episode of MillenniuM hilarious?" Difficult, but it can be done and is done here. But this episode is only funny if you are familiar with Morgan/Wong's X-Files work, and their Fox show "Space: Above and Beyond" from which MillenniuM inherited actress Kristin Kloke ("Lara Means" Who is married to Glen Morgan).

In the midst of all of Frank Black's troubles, his car breaks down in his old neighborhood of the Yellow House - But he does not know this at the time. Jeep breaks down, no cell phone, what's Frank to do but say "I Surrender." Initially, we think we are in the middle of one of those X-Files episodes where their car electric goes out and they lose time. But it is not E.B.E.s causing Frank's Problems - It is one of Frank's little devils.

The suited figure Frank approaches, and asks for a cell phone, and remarks that they LOOK like a cell phone, is a "Chig" - the signature Alien from Morgan/Wong's "Space: Above and Beyond" - A Great "War" Drama set in a future which included James Morrison and Tucker Smallwood as well as Kristen Kloke and Rodney Rowland - which had been canceled in 1996. This was an Inside Joke that only fans of Morgan/Wong would understand - Most of their humor was inside jokes like this, and the gag used here, was probably over the heads of many MillenniuM viewers.

This whole episode was probably over most regular Millennium viewer's heads. But factor in the historical scene where Frank Black as a teenager first comes into his "Ability" and it becomes more than just a Halloween "Gimmick" Episode. There are two scenes with Frank as a child and later as a Teenager that, shown here, tell us a lot about what makes Frank Frank.

Episodes like this are what makes me a fan of Morgan/Wong, they weren't afraid of trying different things - Even if those things did not seem to work well. So although they took over Exec Producing this show in the 2nd Season, and moved it in a direction that included more Mythos, and changed the nature of The MillenniuM Group, I still respect their work. Some of the best MillenniuM Episodes are in the 2nd Season.

This singular Halloween Ep provided a small bit of Comic relief for what was a suspenseful and tense 2nd Season, and that it was well placed early in the 2nd season, paved the way for the classic "Jose Chung" and "Satan got Behind Me" episodes later in the season.