Season Two Episode Reviews

2X1    The Beginning and the End (part 2 of 2) 
Plot:  The Poloroid Man makes off with Catherine and Frank must track him down.

A very exciting change with the new writing staff, the wonderful Wongs.  Of course, it was limited since it had to deal with Season One plots but it was far and above an improvement.  The introduction of Roedecker was brief but funny; especially Frank's new password.  Watts' speech about his daughters was very touching.  Doug Hutchinson's turn as the Poloroid Man was very chilling, especially his talk with the "pig".  The strange music playing as he escaped the road blockade was very disquieting.  The bloody ending was also very impressive, but Catherine's sudden rejection of Frank is absurb!  But I don't care; Catherine is a whiny bitch and it's a very good thing that she's off the show.  A nice little scene is when Jordan tells Frank there's Angels in the room.  As for morbid comedy, how about the incompetetance at the airport?

2X2    Beware of Dog 
Plot:  Frank is sent to small town terrorized by dogs and meets The Old Man who teaches him about the Millennium.

I love this episode!  It's quiet and slow and funny, and teaches us a great deal about the Group and the event.  The killer dogs was a great idea, and I love the Old Man!  He's hilarious, especially when he calls Frank "Frankie".   The sheriff comedy was cute, as was most of the humor.  The Teaser and Frank's encounter with the dogs were very exhilerating and suspenseful.  The Teaser once again makes a truely scary scene while happy music plays, a great combination.  A classic episode which shows you can be quiet and still be effective.  The scene where the Old Man explains the existance of evil and how we must co-existance with it is one of the best scenes of the show.

2X3    Sense and Anti-Sense 

2X4    Monster 

2X5    A Single Blade of Grass 
Plot:  A group of Native Americans use Frank to fullfill their prophecy of the apocalypse.

While it wasn't particuarly stand-out and was a bit slow and pedestrian in most places, this episode does have a nice view of Native American apocalypse beliefs (I can only guess at how true it was!), an interesting concept.  The archeologist how yearns to see the 'plane' to Frank experiences was a nice bit.  But my favorite bit was when Frank, held captive and fed snake poison, began to see prophecies and some such.  Very cool, especially the way he tells them how they have misinterpreted the prophecy which has already occured.  And the sight of buffalo running through New York City, followed by clowns, has to be one of the most surreal images I've ever seen.  Nice ending to an average episode!

2X6    19:19 

2X7    The Curse of Frank Black 
Plot: On Halloween Frank is tormented by a demon who he has a history with, who has come to make an offer.

The best episode they will ever make.  The entire episode we move with Frank and a slow and thoughtful pace.  The entire episode seems out of this world in its alien presentation.  The corner-of-the-eye glimpses of the demon are a terrifying visual.  The numerical repetetitions are cute, and the claymation of the laughing devil is the most frightening image I've ever seen.  The flashbacks are spooky as hell, but Frank's final encounter with the man in his attic is the most unnerving.  The man projects a cloud of smoke, saying how Frank has become the neighborhood freak that he was, and the suriety in his voice when he says "There is no way he can loose!".  His offer to Frank for Heaven in return for Non-interference acutally picks Frank's interest, but Frank redeems himself by cleaning up the yellow house.

2X8    The Hand of St. Sebastion 

2X9    Jose Chung's "Doomsday Defense" 

2X10    Goodbye Charlie 

2X11    Midnight of the Century 

2X12    Luminary 

2X13    The Mikado 

2X14    The Pesthouse 

2X15    Owls (part 1 of 2) 
Plot: The discovery of the Crucifix illustraites a schism between two factions of the Millenium Group, which is worsened by a third party.  Frank and Lara are caught in the middle of this power struggle.  Catherine gets a new job.

A classic Millenium is born.  This episode was extremely confusing during the first viewing, because the three groups involved kept on impersonating one another.  The argument between the Owls and Roosters of when the Millenium will occur is a very interesting one.  Johnson's murder to the tone of Horse With No Name was another chilling scene, that is quiet at parts and with music with others.  And I love the cameo of the Old Man!  I love that guy!  Not only that but we have the Nazis alive and kicking!  Only Millenium would have the Nazis as modern-day conspirators, who are striking at their old enemies the Group.  And I must say, that little lazer heatray is a very impressive and useful electronic toy!  The Catherine subplot was interesting only so far as when Frank visioned the Nazis when he saw Ms Knight's nice painting.

2X16    Roosters (part 2 of 2) 
Plot:  The Group must come together again to fight the common foe of Odessa who strikes directly at them.

That was a nice shootout in the Teaser, and a rare one since Frank doesn't carry a gun!  My greatest regret is not seeing more of Lara and the Old Man together.  The meeting of Watts with the Group Elder was very interesting, revealing a lot about the Group.  The top three members were the Eldar, the Old Man, and Johnson.  The Group hierachy goes Canidate, Patron, Eldar or something like that.  When the Oddessa leader put the Cross below the Reich blood flag, I had a real sense of who they were and what they wanted.  The systematical movements of Oddessa, and the Nazi backstory is amazing.  Their first enemy was communism, so they fell the wall.  Now they are after the Old Man, and they get what they want.  The murder of the Old Man is the most gut wrenching scene I've ever seen.  I love this character and I could not believe they would kill him so soon!  The quiet murder of him lasted so long I held out hope he would overcome the assassin, but no, he fell.  The Old Man was a Jew smuggled out of Germany, and a long time target of Axmann the Oddessa leader.  I will miss you, Old Man.  What the hell did that Angel think he was doing?!  He distracted the Old Man!  The subsequent reunification of the Group to elimnate Oddessa happens a little too quickly for my tastes, but the intercutting is very effective.  The Group Eldar replacing the Old Man was a very touching moment of transition.  A classic Millennium that gives definition the Group and who it faces.

2X17    Siren 

2X18    In Arcadia Ego 

2X19    Anamnesis 
Plot:  Lara and Cathrine investigate a teen girl who claims to have seen Mary Magdaline, and encounters another conspiracy.

While I appreciate giving an episode to Lara (and to a lesser extent Cathrine) with no Frank, I found this episode to be a chore to watch.  Totally without humor or action, it just kind of plods along.  The only interesting bits are Lara's continuing drive towards insanity and the introduction of the Family, which was once part of the Group.  Unfortunately this plot is also ridiculous complicated and takes a few viewings to comprehend.  Too much small-town teen boring crap going on plus the continual annoyance of Catherine.  At least some nice music scenes.

2X20    A Room With No View 

2X21    Somehow, Satan Got Behind Me 

2X22    The Fourth Horseman (part 1 of 2) 

2X23    The Time is Now (part 2 of 2)