Millennium (TV Series) The Time Is Now (1998) User Reviews

Season II: MillenniuM's "Red Fringe Universe"

[XweAponX · 10/10 · 17 April 2014]

Season II is almost an "Alternate Universe" for MillenniuM, it steps outside of the original storyline set up in Season I, into areas of madness and spirituality that Season I merely hinted at in the four "Lucy Butler/Mabius/Judge/Al Pepper" episodes of S1.

Season II started and Ended with the Comet. As Season II Opened, it shows the comet entering the solar system near Earth. In that same Graphic in S2E1, we also see another, "unluckier" comet entering the Sun. As season II closes, this is referred to in Laura's "Vision". This aspect of "Luck and Chance" is also touched upon, it is a common Theme for Morgan/Wong.

Morgan and Wong were handed control of this show and asked by Fox to make specific changes and emphasis, some of these were asked for my the Fans, others Fox just wanted to happen. The Fans asked for a deeper look into The MillenniuM group, and we got this. The Fox Network wanted some tension between Frank and Katherine, and they got that- But for us it was never really resolved.

This episode capitalizes on Frank's true friendship with Laura Means and his apprehensive relationship with Peter Watts and The Group. In this episode, Peter is still Frank's friend, and I don't think that changed in Season III. What ultimately happens to Peter in this episode partially explains his strange behavior in Season III, until the final episode of the Series.

And the last we had seen of Laura, she had accepted full membership in The Group. But starting in "Owls/Roosters" we had seen Laura starting to break up - The first hint of this was when we see her smoking a cigarette. Peter partially addresses this when he tells Frank the reason why, and Patti Smith's song "Horses" gives us a visual in to Laura's Frame of Mind and explains the rest.

I can't compare this to the end of "2001" because the "Seven Minute Music Video" portion of this episode shows us some important imagery. The most important being her image of the Comet as a doorway, and there is still the other Comet falling into the sun.

In fact, if you consider that section as a music video, it is probably better than anything I have seen on MTV or VH1. If you pay attention to the images, it becomes much more than a Music video - It becomes a viable part of the storyline: and if we have watched the whole season including Darren Morgan's two "Humorous" episodes, pieces start falling into place. I don't consider Darren's two episodes as "Filler" - But as important aspects of Frank's Nature.

For me this caps off some fine work, some of Morgan/Wong's finest, there are several references to other shows they have worked on, "The X Files" (A Morley Cigarette Butt, but was it The X Files' "CSM" or was it Laura?) and "Space Above and Beyond" (Laura rolling multiple "Hard Eights") - "Choice or Chance?" which was a common Theme in "Space Above and Beyond"- And Also Kristin Kloke's breakout Role- A show which is proudly referred to in several of Season II Eps. But in one of Laura's final rants, she brings up the "Choice or Chance" aspect of her relationship with Frank- Did they choose their friendship, or was it determined to happen from the start of Creation?

And there are several things in here that make this probably the most painful Episode of MillenniuM for me to watch- Not just what happens at the end. For me this is rewarding TV Viewing, if you sit through it and try to understand why certain things are shown and said, if sets up the final 22 Season III episodes.

As far as issues brought up in Season II, these are deftly dealt with here- Frank's Father, Jordan's "Dreams", The Yellow House, and the scope and depth of The MillenniuM Group.

It is all brought to fantastic Closure, and when Chris took over in Season III, he had to build upon the framework set up here.

My Only complaint was that the ultimate Fate of Laura beyond what happens here is never looked into, but maybe that was the point of Frank's final scene with her.

*SPOILER* - Why this episode let us, and the rest of the season, down.

[tripmeister · 6/10 · 13 February 2008]

So, aside from the virus that sprung up in #2.22, just in time for the finale, there is another reason why season 2 ends in such a disappointing manner; and it's this: Lara has a giant freak-out to a Patti Smith song, and we get to see all seven minutes of it. I don't think we need to, but we get to see what is, in its own way, the worst 80s music video ever filmed. And about a minute of it advances the plot.

I'm sure that it was a blast to film, but it feels like watching the last 20 minutes of "2001: A Space Odyssey" - about two minutes in you start to think "Okay, I get it - can we see what else is happening now please, because this is tiring to see." I love the series, and I've read a lot of negative reviews of season 2, but the plot of Frank losing faith in the group over the course of the season is far more compelling than the self-contained mysteries that characterize most of season 1 (right up until we meet Lucy Butler). There are two episodes that seem to have been just thown in to break up the darkness (#2.09 "Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense" and #2.21 "Somehow, Satan Got Behind Me") but what they really achieve is a stalling of the momentum. If you're watching on DVD, you might skip them because they'll just leave you frustrated that you spent 90 minutes on them and didn't learn anything about Frank, Watts, Lara or the group. Watch them when you're done with the real story, but they're often played for painful laughs.

If animals were free, there would not be pandemics

[CursedChico · 6/10 · 2 February 2021]

If animals were free, there would not be pandemics.

In this and previos episodes, we saw how viruses came from animals to humans , mostly from food. We need a vegan world.

We just saw how the miillennium group has that power to help people but did not. Even did not warn.

Frank wanted his family to be vaccinated. That is why he stayed at group. Maybe then he could save all humans but he could not. Everything went bad suddenly. Somehow he found vaccinate, i could not get where he got from.

Lara deserves what she has became. She is in depression it seems, she accepted everything group said and believed so i dont feel sorry for her. He even tried to kill frank.

We saw her crysis with the nice song: Patti Smith-"Land: Horse/Land of a Thousand".

There are deep meanings maybe in this episode, for all series. But i cant think so deeply. Peter tried to get a chance to stop how he believed to the group without questioning but that powerful group stopped him. Maybe kidnapped his family too.

And that man from group meant "one life is not important than humanity". And they killed gilbert. Peter said to frank "group did not do it." but i did not understand. It was obvious, someone killed.

Maybe i could not understand other episodes well. But it seeems lara thought apoclypse has just come. And no way to stop.

Frank lives his own apoclypse now. He even has white hair now.

It was a sad closure.

My episode review: 6 / 10 Season review: 6 / 10

SEASON REVIEW

Normally, i watch series season by season. I watch lots of series, so it takes long time to come back again to series i watched.

I would not come season 2 of this series for a long time but i needed to choose fast after finishing office (UK) series on 23121.

I really like season 1.

I am curious about season 2 and what happened to Catherine and other interesting things like bad unnatural forces.

I will edit here watching some episodes i hope. I will copy this to episode 1 review also.

AFTER FINISHING FIRST EPISODE ON 24121 I could not understand why group did not give photo of the killer after he kidnapped catherine. They could recognize him and could save catherine. And i think we first time saw the leader, near pete. Said " we should have done very long ago". He meant to kill that killer. Those are mysterous. According to that, millennium is bigger and deeper than just a consultant company. They have strong roots and maybe dark roots. I am suspicious about it now. Frank first time sensed wrong, he sensed wrong house. And first time used violence as i remember. If the killer was so smart, why did he let himself die? He could kill easily frank by trapping or ambushing. I think he wanted to be killed but i dont know why. And in last episode, he gave the photo to woods man to kill catherine at first. Those can be nonsense of scenario or we will see later about it.

AFTER FINISHING EPISODE 6 on 26121 Some sweet scenes with sad scenes With kid frank. Again lots of mystery. Like a horror movie sometimes. Was it real, He saw the old soldier from past or was it something like a sign of regretion for his past? In first episodes of the first series, we were seeing natural things, some high levels serial killers. Then how did it stop, why topics has changed, i could not get it :) Why was theme changed :)

AFTER FINISHING EPISODE 13 ON 29121 There were not unnatural things. It was a real human in my opinion. Without any para normal things. It was avatar, from past but noone believed frank. Nowadays, it is hard to change the location so fast but he managed it at that time. Frank was again very brave to follow avatar, and so cold blooded; he did not shoot the person in the avatar custome. It was a trap but frank managed to survive. I never thought frank was carrying gun. Never showed. Only at home, he took his gun once from some shelf, i dont remember for which case but it was in first season i think. Again a case was closed without solving.

AFTER FINISHING EPISODE 14 ON 29121 How can they be so rackless, nonsense things. They have good intentions but why killing. How can't frank see the real killer? He saw behind windows, he saw edward was telling them about it, immortal life etc. In the end how can she ho home, there were murders, they need to do things when cops arrive. And how could frank leave the person working in gas station alone? Probably he was murdered. I am bored :) i miss season 1.

AFTER FINISHING EPISODE 15 ON 30121 First season was about serial killers. But now prophecies, angels, evils. Now i heard another group inside millennium, owls. Millennium is not like a deep state organization, but maybe it is like that. They can kill A sacred thing who has jesus's blood on it could save a person. Why could not he save jesus? Why does series go with belief of such religions? They promote religious things here. not science like in x-files. And often they imply alien abductions and even aliens are not real. I miss first season.

AFTER FINISHING EPISODE 16 ON 30121 Nazis now :) Previous episode, they were enemies, owls and rooster but now it seems they united against nazis - odessa in other saying? And when old man was killed, they immediately destroyed that odessa. So easy. How can they make her arrested , i could not get it also. Maybe milllennium revealed connections to nazis of them. Did they really finish nazis, i am not sure. IF they are so strong and old, that should not be so easy. Owls and roosters have different views about apocalypses and have different times to occur. I cant understand how they can claim 60 years or next century or according to lara more than 60 years. I can believe lara, but what about other 2 groups? They even fight for it. was fighting. Peter kept information from frank. Frank kept information from catherine. And it caused problems. Such a loop :) But they broke it i hope. Because when it is about such an evil, nazis, anything is possible. We saw lots of evils, were they different than nazis? Maybe odessa created some of them? They had super technology, to burn cars's system fast for example. It was interesting to have it.

AFTER FINISHING EPISODE 18 ON 31121 I gave 9 / 10 because frank has ethics. He is not like peter or other cops or members. He is against murders. Against murders of potential criminials. He went to train station without gun. He is so brave. I dont like most of things he has done but here, it was good.

AFTER EPISODE 19 ON 31121 An episode without frank, religious one and nonsense one. Now there is another organisation, "the family"! All of them have different beliefs. How can claire know about jordan? It is interesting. And i am really bored of that christian spirituality :)

AFTER EPISODE 22 ON 1221 Maybe the most frightening episode. Animals need to be free not to spread disaseses In such pandemic days, we see again how vegan world is needed for a better world. We dont need animals. I was suspicous about group. I could not be sure that It was like a deep state, para military group, who does not hesitate to kill for their beliefs. In first episode, there was no clue. In this episode, they were good against nazis. I appreciated it also. But now, frank revealed the thing. Maybe all was set up? Even they lied to peter watts and to lara. Or lara behaves as if she believes them to see the real things. Frank was ambitious this time to reveal the truth. For his family, for his world. Despite maybe he cant go to that yellow house in his dreams. And i dont understand if group knew the time of earthquake before. Maybe they do it somehow or with the help of science, they can guess or some people can have vision about them. How can peter and frank think it is a miracle so that they should believe without any doubts? How can peter suggest believing without any doubts? Peter is so simple and hopeless person.

AFTER FINALE ON 2221 We just saw how the miillennium group has that power to help people but did not. Even did not warn. Frank wanted his family to be vaccinated. That is why he stayed at group. Maybe then he could save all humans but he could not. Everything went bad suddenly. Somehow he found vaccinate, i could not get where he got from. Lara deserves what she has became. She is in depression it seems, she accepted everything group said and believed so i dont feel sorry for her. He even tried to kill frank. There are deep meanings maybe in this episode, for all series. But i cant think so deeply. Peter tried to get a chance to stop how he believed to the group without questioning but that powerful group stopped him. Maybe kidnapped his family too. And that man from group meant "one life is not important than humanity". And they killed gilbert. Peter said to frank "group did not do it." but i did not understand. It was obvious, someone killed. Maybe i could not understand other episodes well. But it seeems lara thought apoclypse has just come. And no way to stop. Frank lives his own apoclypse now. He even has white hair now. It was a sad closure.

SEASON REVIEW

I did not write this before but we always saw a 'conservative' relationships. We did not see nudity or sexual things so much. Frank and catherine kissed one time as i remember. I did not see either they kissed jordan.

I really liked season 1. Frank was brave to try to find the truth but in this season, maybe because of his family he was different. He could reject the group but he stayed. He had good friends, lara and peter but they had mistakes. Those mistakes maybe caused lots of people death from pandemics. Even maybe the group spreaded the virus again.

Defeating nazis were good, that is all i can say in the end :)

Yeah, no.

[bombersflyup · 2/10 · 23 October 2019]

The Time is Now is a rather sombre episode and all over the place. What was the point of killing Gilbert, if everybody's going to die anyway, well I assume. The Lara stuff's of no value and a bit of a failed experiment. I'm all for shaking things up though, great things could come from this, just not here.