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Summary:
Frank Black decides to take Jordan on a Christmas vacation rather than
allow her to dwell on the fact that this will be their first holiday
without Catherine. The small Vermont town they travel to proves to be
less quiet than expected, however, when the two become involved with a
dead Mafia hit man who appears in the woods looking very much alive!
What is the secret behind two magical women living amongst the trees
and what effects do they have on those they heal?
Season Three on DVD
Synopsis:
In 1989, three armed mobsters — Donnie, Paolo and Boney —
march a fourth man through a pine forest located near Coker
Creek, Vermont. Their prisoner is Eddie "Scarpino" Gianini,
a former colleague who none-too-wisely had an affair with a
powerful mob boss’s wife. Shortly thereafter, the mobsters
open fire, killing Eddie. Later that night, a female form
finds Eddie’s body and drags it into the forest.
In the present day, Frank takes
Jordan Christmas shopping. Jordan takes special interest in a nail
polish display. She tells her father the polish is identical to the to
the kind she purchased for Catherine the previous year, which is still
in its original wrapping back home. Frank decides to spend Christmas
in Vermont. As he and Jordan enter the town of Coker Creek, they spy a
small monument in front of town hall. The monument is a carving of a
hairy creature known as "Littlefoot." A short time later, Sheriff Earl
Parker arrests a man wandering almost-naked through town, his body
clad only in Eddie’s bloodied, bullet hole-ridden jacket. The man, Al
Ryan, claims he cannot remember how he came upon the jacket. Realizing
he will need help with the case, Parker turns to Frank. At the
sheriff’s station, Al tells Frank and Parker that he had been attacked
and killed by a wolf during a hunting trip. When he regained
consciousness, he found himself inside a cave, a feminine figure
leaning over his body.
Frank, Parker and Al travel to
the pine forest. There they discover the remnants of torn, bloodied
clothing. At first, Parker believes that Al attacked and killed a
victim. But a wallet found inside a pair of shredded blue jeans
identifies them as belonging to Al. Frank concludes that Al probably
was attacked by an animal, though he is unsure why he shows no signs
of having been mauled. As Frank and the others follow the tracks
through the woods, they come upon a figure of a man. A chase ensues.
The figure suddenly leaps from the brush. Frank tackles the figure,
which turns out to be Eddie Gianini.
Emma Hollis travels to Vermont
to help Frank with the case. She explains that Eddie had worked as a
hit man for the Santo crime family. Donnie, Paolo and Boney eventually
confessed to killing Eddie, and have been imprisoned ever since. When
police received word that Eddie is still very much alive, the
threesome was released from jail. Unfortunately, Eddie’s reappearance
also jeopardizes the government’s case against Santo and his top
operatives, who were imprisoned when the three mobsters testified
against them (as part of a plea bargain arrangement).
Frank and Emma meet with
Prosecutor Polgreen, who helped bring down Santo’s operation. Polgreen
interrogates Eddie, and questions him about the murder of some dead
mobsters. To Polgreen’s surprise, Eddie confesses to the killings. He
admits to having carried out some twenty-seven murders in all.
Polgreen is deeply suspicious, especially when Eddie refuses to
identify where he has been hiding for the previous nine years.
Frank concludes that Eddie used
the "Littlefoot" legend to draw attention away from something else
hiding in the pine forest. He, Emma and a search team return to the
wooded area, where they discover a small cave. Inside are two waifish
women. The women, Rose and Lhasa, are brought to the Coker Creek
clinic for treatment and observation. After performing a physical
exam, a doctor determines they are both in perfect physical and
psychological condition. The women are, however, unable, or perhaps
unwilling, to speak. A short time later, Frank watches in amazement as
Lhasa heals the battered face of a woman who had been the victim of
domestic violence.
Frank begins searching through
some photographs that Emma brought with her. Lhasa and Rose see the
photos and recognize Eddie’s face amongst them. They also recognize
stills of Donny, Paolo and Boney. Both women tell Frank and Emma that
the threesome "whacked" Eddie, and that later, they brought him back
to life. Polgreen realizes the women can testify to this in court, and
thereby prevent the case against the Santo family from unraveling. A
short time later, Frank learns that Eddie made bail and his
whereabouts are unknown. It doesn’t take long for Frank to realize
that Eddie has again taken refuge inside the cave. Frank pays Eddie a
visit, and during their conversation, it becomes clear that during
Eddie’s nine-year stay in the cave, he told the women about his
exploits as a mobster in great detail. He realizes that once word gets
out that Rose and Lhasa are cooperating with the government, the
mobsters will have them eliminated.
When Eddie and Frank return to
the clinic, they discover that Rose and Lhasa have disappeared. But
their fears are quickly put to rest when they find Jordan teaching the
women how to use a swing set in a park nearby. An amazed Frank notices
that Jordan’s broken arm is now completely healed. Jordan tells her
father that Lhasa performed the miracle. As Frank and Jordan walk back
to the hotel, Jordan wonders if the women might be able to bring
Catherine back to life. A short time later, Boney, Paolo and Donny
open fire on Eddie and the women. Lhasa is hit by the gunfire and
falls to the ground. Lhasa is rushed to the clinic, where she is
placed under constant surveillance. Shortly thereafter, Eddie tells
Frank that the prosecutor’s office declined his offer to testify in
court, due to his reputation as a mobster who faked his own death.
Jordan and Frank return to the
clinic. There, Jordan unwraps the nail polishes and begins painting
Lhasa’s hand. Lhasa squeezes the girl’s hand in her own. Later, Frank
tells Eddie that authorities will move Lhasa from the clinic that
night.
At the clinic, orderlies lift
Lhasa into a waiting ambulance. Rose climbs inside to be near her
sister. As the ambulance pulls away, Frank notices that Eddie is
behind he wheel. As the ambulance turns a corner, it bursts into
flames. Later, Jordan correctly surmises that her father would never
let anything happen to Rose and Lhasa.
In a remote mountain cabin, Eddie wishes
Rose and Lhasa a Merry Christmas.
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Photographs:
- Frank's vacation is cut short
- Frank and Jordan check into the hotel
- Emma arrives to lend Frank assistance
- Frank interviews Al Ryan
behind bars
- Eddie plays with Lhasa
and Rose
- Legal representatives observe the trio
- Frank shows Jordan a statue of Littlefoot
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Abyss Rating:
(4/5)
Trivia:
"Omerta,"
the third season's Christmas-themed episode, was written by
Millennium staff writer Michael R. Perry, who also scripted the
third season's offbeat Halloween episode.
Musician Mark Snow
considers the unusual underscore music for "Omerta" among his most
remarkable work on the series. Prior to the episode's first airing
Snow told the Abyss, "In 'Omerta,' the Millennium
Christmas show, I really push the envelope by incorporating elements
of opera and classical choral elements, soloists and groups. I'm very
proud of the work I've done on this episode." Snow included tracks
from the episode on the official Millennium soundtrack released
electronically by Apple's iTunes in 2004.
Viewers may
recognize guest star
Jon Polito, seen here as Eddie "Scarpino" Giannini.
The prolific character actor has appeared in films such as
Highlander, Barton Fink, The Crow, The Big
Lebowski, and The Man Who Wasn't There, has had starring
roles in television shows including Homicide: Life on the Street
and The Chronicle, and has guest starred on such shows as
Miami Vice, NYPD Blue, Tales From the Crypt, and
Seinfeld.
Death Toll:
2
Title:
The word omerta is the
Sicilian term for a code
that prohibits speaking or divulging information about certain
activities, especially the activities of a criminal organization.
Eddie comes to apply the code of silence that he obeyed in the Mafia
to his life with Lhasa and Rose. The episode shares its title with the
last novel written by Mario Puzo, the author of The Godfather.
Starring:
Lance Henriksen as Frank Black
Brittany Tiplady as Jordan Black
Klea Scott as Emma Hollis
Guest Starring:
Jon Polito as Eddie Scarpino Giannini
Keegan Tracy as Lhasa
Michelle Beauchamp as Rose
R. Nelson Brown as Al Ryan
Salvatore Sortino as Paolo Stefano
Arthur Corber as Donny
James DiStefano as Boney Nerone
Patrick Keating as Dr. Rice
Annabel Kershaw as Carol
Tom MacBeath as Jonathan Polgreen
Bob Morrisey as Sheriff Earl Parker
Nicole Robert as the Front Desk Clerk
Production
Credits:
Production #6C08
Music by Mark Snow
Production Designer Mark Freeborn
Director of Photography Robert McLachlan
Associate Producer Jon-Michael Preece
Co-Producer Robert Moresco
Co-Producer Paul Rabwin
Producer Thomas J. Wright
Co-Executive Producer Ken Horton
Co-Executive Producer John Peter Kousakis
Executive Producer Chip Johannessen
Executive Producer Michael Duggan
Executive Producer Chris Carter
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