The cult-classic Chris Carter series Millennium aired for three seasons in the late 90s and starred Lance Henriksen as former FBI profiler Frank Black, a man who can “see into the hearts and minds of criminals.” Frank worked hard to keep his wife, Catherine (Megan Gallager), and daughter, Jordan (Brittany Tiplady), safe from the world’s ever-growing darkness, set to culminate at the turn of the century. As the series progressed, his work with the mysterious Millennium Group quickly opened the doors for greater, more apocalyptic threats that only he could stop.
After 67 episodes and an X-Files crossover, Millennium garnered its own cult following that has continued to support the series, even after all this time. Part of what makes Millennium unique is the stark changes in tonal focus between each season. The first season is more of a brooding police procedural where Frank mostly works to track down serial killers and sex offenders. By contrast, Season 2 dives head-first into the Group’s eschatology, mixing excellently with some fantastic stand-alone character studies. The third season is the most jarring in that Frank returns to the FBI with a new partner, Emma Hollis (Klea Scott), as he attempts to move on from the Millennium Group.
While everyone has their own batches of “must-watch” episodes, no matter which one you pick (unless we’re talking about “Anamnesis”) it’s clear that Frank Black is always here to save us from the impending darkness. So in honor of the 20th anniversary of “The Pilot”, here are the 15 Best Episodes of Millennium, ranked. Oh, and there are MAJOR SPOILERS ahead...
15. Maranatha (Season 1, Episode 21)
Probably not an episode that would make most people’s list of Millennium favorites, “Maranatha” (translated from Aramaic as “our Lord has come”) finds Frank and his frequent Millennium Group partner Peter Watts (Terry O’Quinn) investigating a New York City-based Russian community, looking for a criminal named Yaponchik. As they search for Yaponchik (Levani Outchaneichvili), they learn that many see him as an incarnation of the biblical Antichrist. This episode proves to be a compelling exploration of the conflict between faith and fear.
“Maranatha” is a great example of what Millennium does best, merging contemporary issues and world events with fringe eschatological beliefs, then wrapping it all in a compelling mystery that only Frank Black can solve. With implications that the Chernobyl meltdown is the fulfillment of the Wormwood prophecies from Revelation, this episode gets weird, but in the best ways.
Best Moment: When Frank grabs Yura (Boris Krutonog), holding him back from Yaponchik’s hold over him as the potential Antichrist takes off in a helicopter curiously marked “666”.
14. Principalities, Powers, Thrones, and Dominions (Season 1, Episode 19)
The first episode following the death of Frank’s friend Bob Bletcher (Bill Smitrovich) at the hands of the demonic Lucy Butler (Sarah-Jane Redmond), “Principalities, Powers, Thrones, and Dominions” follows the battle between the devilish lawyer of a satanic serial killer and a mysteriously otherworldly man from Frank’s perspective. The episode’s unique blend of grief and spiritual warfare is one of the first true glimpses into Millennium’s future.
As Frank deals with his nightmares of a dead Bletcher, the big question on his lips this episode is “why?” The sleazy Alistair Pepper (Richard Cox) attempts to “tempt” Frank to his side while ignoring his big question. In contrast, the mysterious Sammael (Rodney Eastman) provides some sort of answer, hinting at a larger spiritual battle that no one but Frank can see.
Best Moment: The opener, which sees Frank witness Sammael shoot lightning from his hand to dispatch Alistair Pepper is probably the most shocking moment, hinting at another world.
13. Owls/Roosters (Season 2, Episodes 15-16)
The most ambitious Millennium two-parter, “Owls” and “Roosters” are impossible to separate. A mythos-heavy story, these episodes explore the schism between the different factions of the Millennium Group. The Owls believe in a secular millennium that they can control, while the Roosters (including Peter Watts) believe in a religious Armaggeddon. This conflict only becomes more complicated after the discovery of the True Cross of Christ threatens to destroy the Group.
This two-parter strains Frank’s relationship with the Group even further and manages to even test Watts’ loyalties as well. Lara Means’ (Kristen Cloke) faith is challenged also as she is torn between the truths of science and her own angelic visions. Setting the stage for the coming finale, this two-parter starts to push Frank to finally choose his family over the Group.
Best Moment: The Old Man’s (played by R.G. Armstrong) semi-prophetic ramblings to Lara about his own “end of the world” heavily foreshadows what Frank is about to go through.
12. The Sound of Snow (Season 3, Episode 12)
Nearly halfway through Millennium’s third season, Frank must confront his most devastating loss. After Catherine’s shocking death in Season 2, Frank and Jordan move back to Washington D.C., yet “The Sound of Snow” brings Frank back to the Pacific Northwest for some much-needed closure. After receiving a cassette tape that only plays white noise, Frank encounters the ghost of his recently deceased wife, and we finally learn the truth about her final moments.
This episode does a fantastic job of bridging the gaps between the second and third seasons. Not only does it mark Catherine’s final appearance, which is bittersweet, but also series staple Detective Giebelhouse (Stephen James Lang) as well. With this, Frank says his final goodbye to their old yellow house (now white), a stark reminder of his past ideals and failures.
Best Moment: The final moments between Frank and Catherine as he holds her. It’s heartbreaking in the best way.
11. The Mikado (Season 2, Episode 13)
Some of the most pulse-pounding episodes of Millennium are those based on true events, and “The Mikado” is no exception. Inspired by the Zodiac Killer, this episode follows Frank and Watts as they pursue the ingenious Avatar, a serial killer who uses the internet (back when it was still new) to upload the deaths of his victims. A favorite of many Millennium fans, this one shows the darker side of the internet in an age where social media hadn’t yet been fully realized.
Zodiac Killer copycat aside, Frank performing his “gift” in front of Roedecker (Allan Zinyk) may be the creepiest part of the episode. As Frank struggles to get into the killer’s head, Avatar gets into his, constantly staying one step ahead. While the open-ending of this episode may leave much to be desired (we hoped that Frank would catch Avatar one day), the chase is just as thrilling.
Best Moment: Frank’s call with Watts as he dives deep into Avatar’s psyche is pretty chilling, but helps us better understand how his “gift” actually works. Roedecker’s reaction is priceless.
10. Antipas (Season 3, Episode 13)
Lucy Butler’s triumphant return, “Antipas” sees Frank investigate the demonic possession (though not the “projectile-vomiting” kind) of a young girl. This horror story continues the demon’s work of manipulating the innocence of children while continually taunting Frank. While this isn’t their most final tussle, it’s the most frightening. Lucy’s succubus-like advances push Frank to the edge and would send him over it if it weren’t for Emma, faithfully by his side.
What makes “Antipas” terrifying is both the demonic infatuation with the little girl Divina (Rachel Victoria) and the quick turn the episode takes when the shapeshifting Lucy suddenly charges Frank with rape. The slow murder of the Saxum family by the eerily even-tempered Lucy, and our heroes’ charge to stop it, makes for a thrilling hour of television that doesn’t disappoint.
Best Moment: Frank running over Lucy with his car is pretty great, but their final scene is what sells it. Here, Lucy finally loses it, foretelling her final (albeit brief) appearance in “Saturn Dreams of Mercury” where she attempts to harm Jordan.
9. Midnight of the Century (Season 2, Episode 10)
Millennium’s version of a Christmas episode is a deeply personal look at Frank Black’s childhood and one of the greatest character studies in the series. In true Christmas Carol fashion, “Midnight of the Century” sees Frank confront the ghosts of his past in order to move forward. Visions of fetches (spirits of the soon-to-be-departed) and pictures of angels nearly drive Frank mad as he spends his Christmas Eve coming to terms with his estranged father.
A spiritual sequel to “The Curse of Frank Black”, “Midnight of the Century” serves as another introspective look at Frank’s psyche, particularly his parental relationships. Frank’s father, Henry, is played excellently by Darren McGavin aka Kolchak: The Night Stalker, a primary inspiration to countless genre shows including, Millennium, The X-Files, and Supernatural.
Best Moment: Frank shows his father that Jordan’s angel matches his mother’s drawings. It might be a bit emotional, but it perfectly encapsulates the spirit of Christmas.
8. Goodbye to All That (Season 3, Episode 22)
The impromptu series finale, “Goodbye to All That” does its best to wrap everything up while still leaving the door slightly ajar. Frank Black would eventually return in The X-Files Season 7 episode naturally titled “Millennium”, but this is the true end of his journey. The entire third season could be summed up in Frank’s struggle to move on, and, after a long time coming, he finally makes his choice, choosing Jordan over everything and saying goodbye to the rest.
“Goodbye to All That” does its best to connect plot threads from the first two seasons while also finishing out Season 3’s own arcs, namely Frank’s desperate attempts to catch a copycat killer from the penultimate episode “Via Dolorosa”. It might not be perfect (there are some big cliffhangers surrounding Watts and Emma’s fates), but it truly does Frank Black justice.
Best Moment: That final shot of Frank and Jordan, in his trademark red Jeep, as they ride off into the sunset. Like the classic Western heroes of old, Frank makes his choice to journey on.
7. The Beginning and the End (Season 2, Episode 1)
Now, this is how you start a second season! A soft-reboot, Millennium would focus less on the weekly serial killers and more on the Group’s impending Armageddon going forward. This episode manages to wrap up the cliffhanger of Catherine’s abduction by the Polaroid Man (Doug Hutchison), tying Frank’s stalker to the greater series mythology. Unfortunately, as Frank gains more access to the Group, a wedge is further driven between him and his family.
What makes this episode so great (aside from the new aspect ratio) is seeing Frank at his complete wit’s end. With no leads and no one to turn to but the Group, he primes himself perfectly to kill the Polaroid Man in front of his wife. While this new status quo strains things between Frank and Catherine, there is still hope that this won’t be the end of their union.
Best Moment: The conversation between Frank and Watts as the latter speaks about his own “pact with God”, suggesting that Frank may have to sacrifice something to get his wife back.
6. Jose Chung’s Doomsday Defense (Season 2, Episode 9)
A wacky semi-sequel to the X-Files episode “Jose Chung’s From Outer Space”, “Doomsday Defense” follows Jose Chung (Charles Nelson Reilly) as he comes to Frank’s aid after a strange religious cult, “Selfosophy” (a parody of Scientology), targets him for harassment and possibly murder. As Frank asks “what the hell is going on here?”, his question is eventually answered through a series of bizarre events.
Millennium may not be well-known for its comedy, but this episode proves to be one of the show’s best, hitting every hilarious note. While not the only strange Darin Morgan episode of its kind, it is one of his best. Bringing back Jose Chung, only to place him in an entirely new context with Frank Black in place of Mulder and Scully seems too crazy to work, but it remains a Millennium fan-favorite that breaks the boundaries that this intensely dark series originally set.
Best Moment: The scene with a bizarrely upbeat, carefree, crazed white-haired version of Frank Black arrives completely out-of-left-field, but it sticks the landing and evokes a few laughs.
5. The Pilot (Season 1, Episode 1)
One of the most intense pilots to ever air on television, introducing us to the world of Frank Black. After his family returns to Seattle, Frank and his old friend Lt. Bob Bletcher work a strange case involving seemingly unconnected murders. From the start, Millennium alludes to a greater apocalyptic narrative that drives many of the series’ killers, while emphasizing the true-crime elements that made the series initially memorable.
Millennium immediately throws us head-first into the “blood-dimmed tide”. From the get-go, we’re rooting for the Black family, Frank’s own safe haven from the darkness of the world. “The Pilot” also sets up the infamous Polaroid Man, and while it won’t be until the season finale that this comes to a head, the looming threat keeps Frank on edge all season long.
Best Moment: When Catherine reminds Frank that he can’t keep all the darkness away, he asks her to “make-believe” that he can. This moment cements their marriage and helps us to further understand why he does what he does.
4. Lamentation (Season 1, Episode 18)
A shockingly chilling episode of Millennium that seems to come out of nowhere, “Lamentation” might be the most frightening episode of the show. As Frank works to solve a mystery surrounding the mysterious Lucy Butler, things get pretty dicey. As fate would have it, terror inevitably strikes his own home as his sacred yellow house is invaded by an otherworldly force, resulting in the grizzly murder of Frank’s friend, and series regular, Lt. Bob Bletcher.
Not only does this episode shock and awe through refrigerated kidneys and the odd fixation on 1910 Ezekiel Drive, but it mainly does so through Millennium’s first overtly-supernatural adversary. “Lamentation” quickly becomes personal, leaving no time to waste as Frank focuses all his efforts on taking Lucy down. Still, he acts too late, and the result will haunt him forever.
Best Moment: When Frank takes Jordan on the same hike up the North Cascade mountains, echoing his final moments with Bletch.
3. The Fourth Horsemen/The Time Is Now (Season 2, Episodes 22-23)
Another cheat to be sure, but Season 2’s penultimate and final episodes are the culmination of Millennium’s entire mytharc up to this point. “The Fourth Horsemen” sees Frank and Watts potentially exposed to a deadly virus resulting in Frank finally confronting the Group, while “The Time Is Now” forces Frank to take his family into the mountains to escape the viral outbreak. This two-parter is possibly the most intensely personal sequence in the series. Glen Morgan and James Wong ended their tenure on Millennium on the highest of notes.
Frank’s conclusions that the Group is a cult, Watts’ near-obsession with the End Times (leading to an eventual fallout between him and Frank), and Jordan’s prophetic dreams all culminate here as the Marburg Virus is released. The short-lived reunion of the Black family is terribly bittersweet, with Catherine’s sacrificial death being one of the series’ most powerful moments.
Best Moments: A tie between Lara Means’ disturbing psychotic break to the tune of Patti Smith’s “Horses” and the final moments of Season 2 as Jordan plays with her catatonic father’s new grief-stricken white hair.
2. Somehow, Satan Got Behind Me (Season 2, Episode 21)
A personal favorite, “Somehow, Satan Got Behind Me” is The X-Files scribe Darin Morgan’s final Millennium script. The episode follows four demons, Blurk (Bill Macy), Abum (Dick Bakalyan), Greb (Alex Diakun), and Toby (Wally Dalton), as they sit around a donut shop debating the best ways to tempt human souls. A contemporary “Screwtape Letters,” this “peek behind the curtain” reveals the devil’s main tactics to be forms of complacency and insanity. Though Frank’s in this episode very little, it manages to be one of the most well-written episodes.
Morgan’s slapstick commentary on “broadcast standards” is laugh-out-loud hysterical, and not 10 minutes later we’re nearly in tears after Toby’s heart-wrenching, not-quite-love story. Frank’s ability to see each devil’s “true essence” is also genius, allowing the perfect balance of theme and tone to make this episode one of Millennium’s best.
Best Moment: While the episode’s final moments with Abum revealing his “true essence” to the waiter is pretty funny, Frank’s “you must be so lonely” line to the demon Toby cuts the deepest.
1. The Curse of Frank Black (Season 2, Episode 6)
“The Curse of Frank Black” is a Halloween classic. After Frank takes Jordan trick-or-treating, he recalls a childhood memory where he encountered the elusive Mr. Cocell (Dean Winters). Here, Frank reflects on his life, his family, and whether or not the dead could return. With very little dialogue, this episode relies heavily on Lance Henriksen’s masterful visual performance, and Cocell’s final warning to Frank, that he should leave the Group and return to his family. This eerily prophetic warning is one we wish Frank would heed, foreshadowing that the time is near.
Between the devils that stalk him throughout the night to the memories of his time with Catherine, this is Millennium at its absolute best. The constant illusions to Acts 26:8 force Frank to confront the possibility that his ghosts may be trying to contact him after all. There is much to love here, notably, the peek into Frank’s childhood and his return to the yellow house.
Best Moment: Frank scaring the neighborhood kids after they tell of the “Curse of Frank Black” in his old basement might be both the funniest and spookiest thing he’s ever done.