Q. Why does the Millennium title image include two capital Ms?

A. In Roman numerals, M equals 1000. With the use of two Ms in the title, MillenniuM can make a reference to 2000 -- the millennium. It's also the reason why the show is abbreviated to MM in message forums, mailing lists, etc by fans. The other common abbreviation is 2K, which also stands for 2000.

Q. What is the snake-like image in the opening title sequence?

A. The snake biting its own tail image used in the opening title sequence of Millennium is called an Ouroboros. In the series it is the symbol of the Millennium Group. In mythology, the Ouroboros is any image of a snake, worm, serpent, or dragon biting its own tail. It was first seen as early as 1600 years BC in Egypt.  The Greeks called it the Ouroboros, which means "Tail Eater."  Generally taking on a circular form, the symbol is representative of many broad concepts.  Time, life continuity, completion, the repetition of history, the self-sufficiency of nature and the rebirth of the earth can all be seen within the circular boundaries of the Ouroboros.  Societies from throughout history have shaped the Ouroboros to fit their own beliefs and purposes.  The image has been seen in Japan, India, utilized in Greek alchemic texts, European woodcuts, Native American Indian tribes and even by the Aztecs.  It has, at times, been directly associated to such varying symbols as the Roman god Janus, the Chinese Ying Yang, and the Biblical serpent of the garden of Eden. 

Chris Carter once explained in his own words, "The image that appears on the main title of the show which is a snake eating its tail, a circular snake, the snake is a classic and ancient image. I think it's come from several different cultures, it's called the Ouroboros and it has many different meanings. One is eternal return, everything being circular, everything recurring and also of a snake eating its tail, of it devouring itself, which is a more negative context. I thought for Millennium it had equal parts of each and left some then to the imagination of what it might mean. But it's a very powerful image and I think it's really perfectly representative of the show."
 

Q. Is there a connection to Dana Scully's tattoo of the Ouroboros (in The X-Files) and Millennium's use of the same symbol?

A. In The X-Files episode "Never Again," Scully receives a tattoo of the Ouroboros on her hip/lower back.  That episode was written by Millennium writers and executive producers Glen Morgan and James Wong.  According to Chris Carter, "Yes, there is an obvious connection there.  It was purposeful."
 

Q. What do the phrases in the opening credits mean?

A. In the first season title sequence of the show, the phrases WAIT, WORRY, and WHO CARES? are flashed across the screen, similar to the phrases TRUST NO ONE and THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE in the title sequence of The X-Files. These phrases have significant meaning for Chris Carter. He explains, "It's really, who will care? Who is strong enough to care? Are we going to allow these things to run out of hand or are we going to take action?"

In the second season, these phrases were dropped in favor of THIS IS WHO WE ARE and THE TIME IS NEAR. The first is the Millennium Group motto that members use to greet each other. THE TIME IS NEAR, taken from the first verses of the book of Revelation, is a general statement regarding the coming millennium and the apocalyptic fears associated with it.

The third season featured a combination of the above: WAIT, WORRY, and THE TIME IS NEAR.
 
 

Q. Does the movie Millennium have anything to do with the show?

A. The 1989 Michael Anderson directed film Millennium, which starred Kris Kristofferson as an investigator who analyzed airplane crash debris to discover the reasons behind the accident, is not linked in any way to the Chris Carter television series.  The two share only a name.
 

 
Q. Why is FOX closing down The X-Files and Millennium fan web sites?

A. The legal team working for 20th Century Fox has noticed that people all over the net are using copyrighted pictures, sound files, etc. without the corporation's permission and have decided to take measures to prevent this.  Many have said that this is unnecessary because the sites are often non-profit and actually offer free promotion for the show.  In the days surrounding Millennium's premiere this policy was a significant issue.  Hype surrounding the show's highly anticipated premiere led to the creation of a wide number of unauthorized online websites devoted to the series and FOX's efforts to close those sites made headlines around the nation.  Numerous prominent Millennium fan sites were shut down over the years as a result of FOX's legal threats.  The ferocity with which FOX pursued this anti-fan campaign faded dramatically with time and, most recently, they have taken on a somewhat laissez faire policy regarding the issue.
  

Q. Why did Frank have his original house painted yellow?

A. According to Chris Carter, "The hope is that there can be something we can do to stem the tide of what seems to be an ever-growing, worsening situation in the world. And that is what Frank is about, too. He wants his family to live in a safe place. It is no accident that he painted the house yellow. You paint away the darkness."

Interestingly enough, a notorious and especially vicious serial killer in the mid 1980's named Richard Ramirez had a preference to enter yellow houses. Either Carter missed this one or he has an odd sense of humor.
 

Q. What was the address of Frank's original house?

A. The fictitious address of the house is 1910 Ezekiel Drive, Seattle WA, 98924.  The real house is located on the corner of Fourth Street and Fourth Avenue in New Westminster, British Columbia.
 

Q. How happy were Frank and Catherine together and how stable was their marriage?

A. Many fans of the show speculate about the almost platonic nature of the Black marriage, noting that the audience rarely saw them touch or kiss, and not once had it been suggested that they had a healthy sexual life (with the notable exception of the bedroom scene in "Paper Dove"). In an issue of Rolling Stone magazine, Chris Carter addressed this issue: "My feeling is that the most powerful relationships you have in your life are... not sexual. You haven't seen Lance Henriksen and Megan Gallagher in a sexual situation on Millennium. Between them, love is understood. Love is gesture and feeling and trust, and all those others and it's not necessarily a physical thing."

The Black's marriage was strained significantly by the death of Bob Bletcher in "Lamentation." Catherine lamented that awful things always happen to them as a result of Frank's work and the connections it created for him. After Frank's attack and murder of the Polaroid stalker in "The Beginning and the End," Catherine felt unsure if Frank remained distanced from his work or if the darkness had enveloped him. In that episode, Catherine and Frank separated and both soon left the yellow house.

Any progress made toward reconciliation was hampered by Frank's allegiance with the Millennium Group and his willingness to sacrifice his marriage for their cause. Despite everything, they managed to find some comfort together at the end of "The Time Is Now" as they held each other, fearing for the future.

Q. Who killed Bob Bletcher? Mike Atkins?

A. In "Powers, Principalities, Thrones and Dominions," murder suspect Martin confessed to the killing of Frank's close friend Robert Bletcher. Detective Giebelhouse had discovered Bletcher's corpse hanging in Frank's basement at the climax of the preceding episode, "Lamentation."

Although Frank had visions that offered some support for this confession it's more acceptable that with the involvement of the Legion-like characters, plus the fact that Bletcher clearly saw Lucy Butler (along with the Devil-like creature and a man with long black hair) at the top of Frank's stairs, that no ordinary man is responsible. In "A Room With No View" Frank clearly believes Lucy Butler is directly responsible for the death of his friend.

Note that in reality, actor Bill Smitrovich chose to leave the series for personal reasons.

Although Alistair Pepper is never seen murdering Atkins in "Powers, Principalities, Thrones and Dominions" it's an accepted fact because Pepper was almost certainly involved in two incidents that surrounded Atkin's death: firstly, the phone call from Frank Black that brought Atkins to Bellingham (Frank claims he never made that call), and secondly, the phone call from Mike Atkins to Frank Black summoning him to his hotel suite (a call Atkins likely did not make).
 

Q. What was the name of the Black's dog and why was it pretty much ignored in the second season?

A. The dog is named Ben, affectionately referred to as Benny, a gift Frank gave to his daughter in the pilot episode of the series. After the second season episode, "Beware of the Dog," Ben was dropped from the show because he became too difficult to handle. His disappearance was never acknowledged in the show.
 

Q. What happened to Roedecker at the end of the second season? Catherine? Lara Means? Peter Watts?

A. The character of Brian Roedecker disappeared toward the end of the second season. Actor Allan Zinyk wanted to move on to theatre, and was written out toward the end of the second season. Frank provided some insight into the disappearance of the character during "The Fourth Horseman": He was rather disgruntled after the Group had fired him.

Horribly enough, Catherine Black became infected with the Marburg Virus in "The Time is Now" and said her goodbyes to her daughter and husband while they slept, heading into the woods of Washington to die.  After discussing multiple possible endings for the second season finale, writers and executive producers Glen Morgan and James Wong decided to go with Chris Carter's suggestion to have the character killed.  Glen Morgan notes that he discussed the sequence at length with actress Megan Gallagher.  "I told her the neat part will be that after Frank Black has done so much sacrificing for his family, ultimately it will be Catherine who makes the ultimate sacrifice.  She liked that.  So that had a big part in the decision to kill Catherine."

Shortly after becoming a Group member in "The Fourth Horseman," the emotionally unstable Lara Means found she could not handle the pressures of the coming doomsday.  Frank Black and emergency medical personnel apprehended her in a state of hysteric insanity.  When we last saw Lara Means she was hospitalized, medicated into a sort of catatonic state.

As Frank listened to Peter Watts on the telephone during "The Time is Now," he heard a shout for help, sounds of a struggle, a gunshot and a car driving away.  Exactly what happened during Peter's struggle with Millennium Group operatives was never revealed, although the aftermath of these events is likely responsible for his dramatically negative character transformation prior to the third season.

Q. What are the pass-phrases for The Millennium Group members?

A. Every Millennium Group candidate/member are allocated a vocal phrase to use during log in to gain access to the Group's intranet database. During season two, Millennium Group computer expert Brian Roedecker assigned these phrases, taking their origins from various classic science-fiction films.

FRANK BLACK
"Soylent green is people." A famous line from the 1973 apocalyptic film Soylent Green, starring Charlton Heston.
 

PETER WATTS
"My God, it's full of stars!"  A phrase uttered by Dave Bowman during 2010, the 1984 sequel to 2001: A Space Odyssey.

LARA MEANS
"Open the pod bays doors please, Hal." Another quote from Dave Bowman from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.

THE OLD MAN
"The time is near." Taken from introduction to the Bible's depiction of apocalypse, Revelation 1:3, a phrase often quoted by the Millennium Group.

Q. Didn't the world end in the season two finale? What about the worldwide plague reports?

A. The dramatic emergence of the Marburg virus seen throughout "The Fourth Horseman" and "The Time is Now" presented a sort of exaggerated expectation of the resulting deaths.  If you listen to the radio reports heard throughout the episode they list only a few areas of Washington state under quarantine conditions and scattered related incidents elsewhere in the world. There was a faint hope throughout the show that the Marburg Virus would fade away as it had in the past.

The downplay of the Marburg Virus was explained quite satisfactorily in the third season episode "The Sound of Snow," in which the show's creative staff attempted to bring a great deal of closure to many lingering "The Fourth Horseman"/"The Time is Now" second season issues. As has been noted, Seattle Detective Giebelhouse explains how out of proportion the national media blew the 70 or so deaths.  Any notions of doomsday associated with the plague were revealed to have been exaggerated, although the horrific deaths that did result from the Marburg breakout should not be taken lightly. In addition, it should be noted that many other Marburg deaths took place in other nations. A careful viewing of "The Time is Now" will provide you with indications the plague killed hundreds in China, Russia, and perhaps South America
 

Q. Why did Frank Black's hair turn completely white during the climax of "The Time is Now"?

A. The fact that Frank Black's hair was shockingly made completely white during the climax of "The Time is Now" was a powerful, surreal, and symbolic image.  There is an actual medical phenomena which has been known, under conditions of extreme stress to the point that it interferes with biological processes, to make folks lose their hair or their hair pigmentation.

An excerpt from Oxford University Press' The Pigment System reveals some of the more interesting cases.  "For centuries the mysterious sudden appearance of white hair as a response to fear or grief has fascinated the literary, medical, and anthropological worlds. Many reports have been over dramatized, but it certainly occurs. The first case was reported in the year 83 BC in the Talmud (Babylon). A young Jewish scribe experienced Sudden whitening of his hair during an overnight scientific experiment. In the year 1300, Louis II, the Duke of  Bayern, executed his wife after she had betrayed him. Within 3 days, his hair had turned white. Scholar Guareno of Verona (1370-1460) had sent numerous Greek manuscripts to Italy by ship; when he was told they had been lost on the way, he became rapidly white. After Henry of Navarre escaped the horrors of the Massacre of St. Bartholomew in 1572, his hair turned white overnight.  Sir Thomas More, Lord Chancellor of England was held imprisoned in the Tower of London for his failure to place the will of the king above that of the pope and the Church. When he was sentenced to be beheaded for high treason, he developed white hair of his scalp and beard the night before his execution day."

More interesting, however, are the symbolic connections associated with Frank's lost hair pigment. It is noted clearly in the Bible that when Moses first spoke to God he was physically transformed by the experience. His hair was made pure white and his face was given a new found glow. The experience was so powerful it certainly left its mark on him. Likewise, a character in Edgar Allan Poe's "A Descent into the Maelstrom" has his hair transformed from "black as a crow wing" to absolute white after living through a horrendous experience at sea.  The tragic and overwhelming events of "The Time is Now" certainly left their mark on Frank Black.

Throughout the third season of the series, although regaining some of its former coloration, Frank Black's hair progressively continued to exhibit increased grayness, presumably as a result of the continued strains on his life and happiness.
 

Q. Why did Frank decide to go back to the FBI? Why the new characters?

A. There are a number of reasons which prompted Frank Black to return to the Federal Bureau of Investigation at the start of the series' third season.  In an effort to change his lifestyle, escape association with the Millennium Group, and continue to provide for his daughter Jordan, Frank felt he should return to the institution he'd had a legendary history with. Although the FBI has numerous field offices, the move to Washington, D.C was a method of firmly establishing Frank's new FBI work and readjusting the tone of the show.  New characters such as Emma Hollis, Barry Baldwin, and Andy McClaren were added to shift the style of and inject new life into Millennium after its disappointingly rated two seasons.
 

Q. What is the difference between an Owl and a Rooster?

A. Both factions of The Millennium Group, the Owls and the Roosters, share the same basic belief -- that the world is coming to an end -- but they each have their own separate views regarding the source of this apocalypse.

The Owls have a distinctly secular view concerning the end of the world.  They believe that before Earth was created, a collision between two neutron stars sent out a shockwave of extreme energy. Tearing through the fabric of space itself, the shockwave will reach our solar system in roughly 60 years (approximately 2050-2060) and a new universe will be created in the aftermath. They believe apocalypse can only be avoided through the use of applied science.

The Roosters see Armageddon in specifically religious terms. That is, they believe that on January 1st of the year 2000 the earth face the doomsday of Revelation, threats and disaster of biblical prediction and proportion. They believe that this end will come from something beyond the understanding of man. No one really knows what this threat is, but it will likely be directly related to the wrath of God, the involvement of Satan, or both.

If you're interested in reading more about some of the behaviorial experts who work for the Academy Group, check out the article "Dead End" at: The Tuscon Weekly.  For information on the Behavioral Science Unit, where all of the consultants who formed The Academy Group originated from, go to: The FBI Academy.

In 1999 a group of collaborating scientist formed a real life organization known as the Millennium Group.  Their mission statement expressly explains their purposes.  "The Millennium Group is organized to create an unbiased outlet for scientific research and critical thinking. Our goal is Truth, however we do acknowledge the difficulties in attaining such a lofty destination. We respect tradition only as much as it assists us in our quest and does not hinder the journey toward our chosen goal. We believe that the right to curiosity and the knowledge it produces cannot be compromised by personal agendas or secret combinations. We stand for team work, honesty, integrity, critical review, and pure democratic convention. We place value in the information itself, not in the acclamations given to the source of such information. Finally, we believe in the power of open honest communication."  The Millennium Group can be visited online at their official website.
 

Q. What is the connection between The X-Files and Millennium?

A. Both The X-Files and Millennium were dark drama series produced by Ten-Thirteen Productions, based on original ideas by Chris Carter, and broadcast on the FOX network.  Despite the fact that it is generally accepted that the two shows take place in the same fictional universe they dealt with dramatically different themes and there is actually very little to directly link the two.

In the first season episode "Lamentation," Frank Black returned to the Behavioral Science Unit at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. As he was talking to Peter Watts on a staircase outside the Unit's offices, two figures that seem to have an uncanny resemblance to Fox Mulder and Dana Scully can be seen walking down the stairs behind him. The actors who played these characters, in this particular scene, were not David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson but their stand-ins.

The first positive indication that the two shows shared the same fictional world came to viewers thanks to the on screen appearances of fictional novelist Jose Chung.  Chung, first created by writer Darin Morgan for The X-Files episode "Jose Chung's From Outer Space," was the focus of the Millennium episode "Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense," thus serving as the first true crossover between the series.

Fans who appreciate the often convoluted conspiracy theories entertained in both shows will appreciate a slight in-joke shown to viewers during "The Time is Now."  Peter Watts stumbles upon a Morley cigarette stub, The X-Files' Cigarette Smoking Man's brand of choice, lying on the floor of a secret Millennium Group storage area.

Those hoping to draw definite connections between the world of Millennium and the world of The X-Files were thrown a curve ball by the staff of the show's third season.  As Emma Hollis walks through a Vancouver apartment building in the episode "Human Essence," viewers can clearly hear Agent Scully's shouting voice, a snippet of dialogue accompanied by soundtrack from the episode "Kill Switch," coming from a resident's television.

After years of waiting, Ten-Thirteen Productions finally delivered an official The X-Files/Millennium crossover on November 28th, 1999, just prior to the millennial changeover.  The fifth episode of The X-Files' seventh season, entitled "Millennium," guest starred Lance Henriksen and Brittany Tiplady as Frank and Jordan Black and provided obvious evidence that the characters and themes of each series coexisted in the same fictional universe.  Although minor references were made to certain events from Millennium's third and final season, and the character of Frank Black was treated with commendable respect, certain incongruities with the themes and spirit of Millennium and the story's overall poor quality have caused fans take the crossover episode with a grain of salt.  The X-Files' "Millennium" did not, quite unfortunately and despite fan hopes, provide any dramatic sense of closure for the cancelled series' dangling mythology.
 

Q. Did Terry O'Quinn play Peter Watts in The X-Files movie?

A. Although Terry O'Quinn was among the cast of The X-Files: Fight the Future feature film, the character of Peter Watts has never appeared in the context of an X-Files story. Terry O'Quinn was portraying an FBI special agent by the name of Darius Michaud who, within the course of the film's events, gives his life to protect a sinister government conspiracy.