Peter Watts (Millennium)
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''Millennium'' is a
crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...
-
thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...
television series which was broadcast from 1996 to 1999. Created by Chris Carter, the series aired on
Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...
for three seasons with a total of sixty-seven episodes. It starred
Lance Henriksen Lance Henriksen (born May 5, 1940) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in various science fiction, action and horror genre productions, including Bishop in the ''Alien'' film franchise and Frank Black in the Fox television series ...
,
Megan Gallagher Megan Gallagher (born February 6, 1960) is an American theater and television actress. Having studied at the Juilliard School under the supervision of John Houseman, Gallagher began her career on stage, and has appeared in several Broadway theat ...
,
Klea Scott Klea Scott (born December 25, 1968) is a Canadian actress, known for her roles on television. She starred in the short-lived CBS police drama '' Brooklyn South'' (1997–98), and was later cast as Emma Hollis on the Fox television series ''Mille ...
and
Brittany Tiplady Brittany Alexandra Tiplady (born January 21, 1991) is a Canadian actress best known for her role as Jordan Black in the television series ''Millennium'' (1996–99). She won a 1998 Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Drama Series – ...
. Henriksen played
Frank Black Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV (born April 6, 1965), better known by the stage name Black Francis, is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He is the frontman of the alternative rock band Pixies. Following the band's break ...
, an offender profiler for the
Millennium Group The Millennium Group is a fictional secret society featured in the crime thriller television series ''Millennium,'' and briefly on ''The X-Files.'' Having begun life as a Christian sect at the end of the 1st century AD, the Group grew into a fa ...
(a private investigative organisation). Black retires from the
Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
and moves his wife Catherine (Gallagher) and daughter Jordan (Tiplady) to Seattle, where he begins consulting on criminal cases for the group. After the group's attempt to cause an apocalyptic viral outbreak kills his wife, Black returns to the FBI to work with new partner
Emma Hollis FBI Special Agent Emma Hollis is a fictional character from the American crime-thriller television series ''Millennium''. Hollis, introduced in the series' third and final season, is a young special agent within the Federal Bureau of Investiga ...
(Scott) to discredit the group. Black was one of the first elements conceived for the series, the remainder of which were fleshed out by Carter around his character. Black has been described by a producer as ''Millennium'' constant, as the series' tone and direction changed around him with each successive season. Turn of the Tide, 01:02–01:54 Except for Frank Black, the series' characters have been criticized as one-dimensional, "generic" and little more than "symbol . Television critic
Robert Shearman Robert Charles Shearman, sometimes credited as Rob Shearman, is an English television, radio, stage play and short story writer. He is known for his World Fantasy Award-winning short stories, as well as his work for ''Doctor Who'', and his as ...
said that the series featured "half a dozen actors who could be termed regulars  ..but without exception they remain functional ciphers". The following is a list of characters who have appeared in five or more episodes of the series.


Summary


Main characters


Frank Black

Black (
Lance Henriksen Lance Henriksen (born May 5, 1940) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in various science fiction, action and horror genre productions, including Bishop in the ''Alien'' film franchise and Frank Black in the Fox television series ...
) began his career as an offender profiler for the
Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
(FBI). However, he retires when he discovers that his family are being threatened by a stalker who mails
Polaroid Polaroid may refer to: * Polaroid Corporation Polaroid Corporation was an American company that made instant film and cameras, which survives as a brand for consumer electronics. The company was founded in 1937 by Edwin H. Land, to exploit his P ...
photographs of them to him. Black moves to
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
to consult for the
Millennium Group The Millennium Group is a fictional secret society featured in the crime thriller television series ''Millennium,'' and briefly on ''The X-Files.'' Having begun life as a Christian sect at the end of the 1st century AD, the Group grew into a fa ...
, a private investigative organisation. Despite his career change, the stalker catches up to him and kidnaps Catherine. Black rescues his wife, killing the stalker. Disturbed by the abduction and Black's rage, Catherine moves out of their home with Jordan. Before they can reconcile she dies in a viral outbreak initiated by the group, who are trying to bring about the end of the world, and Black returns to the FBI to pursue them. With his new partner, Emma Hollis, he finds himself struggling against the group's influence. Black is framed for the death of a fellow agent, prompting his resignation from the FBI and flight with Jordan to Washington D.C., and Hollis abandons him to work with the group. Several years later, Black works with FBI agents
Fox Mulder Fox William Mulder () is a fictional FBI Special Agent and one of the two protagonists of the Fox science fiction-supernatural television series ''The X-Files'', played by David Duchovny. Mulder's peers dismiss his many theories on extraterr ...
(
David Duchovny David William Duchovny ( ; born ) is an American actor, writer, and musician. He received his breakthrough with the role of Fox Mulder in The X-Files franchise, earning Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards a ...
) and
Dana Scully Dana Katherine Scully, M.D., is a fictional character and one of the two protagonists in the Fox science-fiction, supernatural television series ''The X-Files'', played by Gillian Anderson. Scully is a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Spe ...
(
Gillian Anderson Gillian Leigh Anderson ( ; born August 9, 1968) is an American actress, writer, and activist. She is best known for her roles as FBI Special Agent Dana Scully in the sci-fi series ''The X-Files'' (1993–2002; 2016–2018), Lily Bart in the dr ...
) to foil a last-ditch effort by the group to orchestrate the end of the world; vindicated, he reunites with Jordan after the case. ''Millennium'' creator Chris Carter conceived of Black as an archetypal
Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
hero, describing him as "self-reliant, quiet, capable, dangerous" and comparing him to the title character of the 1953 film ''
Shane Shane may refer to: People * Shane (name), a masculine given name and a surname, including a list of people and fictional characters with this name * Shane (actress) (born 1969), American pornographic actress * Shane (New Zealand singer) (born ...
''. Although
William Hurt William McChord Hurt (March 20, 1950 – March 13, 2022) was an American actor. For his performances on stage and screen, he received various awards including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Cannes Film Festival Award for B ...
was considered for the role early in casting, Carter denies that he was seriously approached for the part and calls Henriksen their "first and last choice". Producer John Peter Kousakis noted that Black was the constant throughout the series, as each season featured changes in tone and plot. Henriksen's performance was described as "the perfect actorly complement to Carter's thematic obsessions", earning nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Drama during each of the series' three seasons.


Catherine Black

Catherine (
Megan Gallagher Megan Gallagher (born February 6, 1960) is an American theater and television actress. Having studied at the Juilliard School under the supervision of John Houseman, Gallagher began her career on stage, and has appeared in several Broadway theat ...
), a social worker, is Frank's wife. She moves to Seattle with her husband when he retires, unaware that their relocation was motivated by a stalker who was hounding the family. The stalker catches up with the family, kidnapping Catherine. Black rescues her, killing her captor. Repulsed by her husband's rage and disturbed by the incident, she separates amicably from Frank with their daughter Jordan. Before they can reconcile Catherine dies in a viral outbreak launched by the Group, sacrificing herself to ensure Jordan's safety. The decision to kill off Catherine during the second-season finale was Carter's idea. Gallagher found it interesting for her character to give up her life for her daughter after the series had focused on Frank's sacrifices for his family. Catherine's character has been criticized for representing an idyllic "normal life" for Frank, instead of being a developed character in her own right;
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...
's Emily VanDerWerff called her "more symbol than character" and "a weak enough character to become a passenger in her own story".


Jordan Black

Jordan (
Brittany Tiplady Brittany Alexandra Tiplady (born January 21, 1991) is a Canadian actress best known for her role as Jordan Black in the television series ''Millennium'' (1996–99). She won a 1998 Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Drama Series – ...
) is Frank and Catherine's daughter. Although her father attempts to shield her from the disturbing nature of his work, it becomes apparent that she is beginning to share his precognitive abilities. Jordan survives the Millennium Group's viral apocalypse when her mother inoculates her with a vaccine obtained from rejected group member Lara Means, sacrificing her own life. After her mother's death and her father's obsessive quest to destroy the group, Jordan is cared for by her maternal grandparents and reunites with her father at the turn of the year 2000. Carter recalled that Tiplady was the only logical candidate for the role, outshining the other actresses who auditioned for the part. Her relationship with Henriksen has been described as "natural and charming"; she was nominated for four
Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...
s as Best Supporting Young Actress Age Ten or Under, winning in 1998. However, Jordan's character has been criticized as "an effective symbol" and "about as generic a 'little girl' as they come".


Emma Hollis

FBI special agent Emma Hollis (
Klea Scott Klea Scott (born December 25, 1968) is a Canadian actress, known for her roles on television. She starred in the short-lived CBS police drama '' Brooklyn South'' (1997–98), and was later cast as Emma Hollis on the Fox television series ''Mille ...
) was introduced in the third season's opening episode, " The Innocents", and the young agent becomes Frank Black's protégée when he begins working in
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
. She struggles to understand the criminal mind, since her sister was senselessly murdered by a man. Hollis has an estranged half-sister, Tamra, who is a heroin addict. She must also cope with her father's Alzheimer's-like illness, which may have been caused by the Millennium Group. Group member Peter Watts uses Hollis' father's illness to coerce her into cooperating with them. Hollis was conceived as a "skeptical" partner for Black, to allow the third season to return to the stand-alone plot format of the series' first season. About Hollis, producer
Michael Duggan Michael Duggan began his career writing in 1981 for the TV show ''Hill Street Blues'' and then moved on to shows such as ''St. Elsewhere'' and ''Law & Order''. He began producing television shows in 1984 with ''Miami Vice'' and ''Midnight Run'' ...
said: "She's not a rookie ... but she's young enough to be in awe of Frank Black's rep as a legendary crime solver". Reaction to the character was mixed; she was described as "pass ngemotional baggage off as character development", and her introduction was said to be overly similar to the character dynamic in ''Millennium'' sister series ''
The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The original series aired from September 10, 1993, to Ma ...
''. Scott's acting in the role was praised, with critics calling her "bracing" and noting that she "works hard to mine some sort of truth" from Hollis' character.


Recurring characters


Cheryl Andrews

Andrews (
C. C. H. Pounder Carol Christine Hilaria Pounder (born December 25, 1952) is an American actress. She is best known for portraying Claudette Wyms in the FX police drama series ''The Shield'' (2002–2008), Mo'at in the ''Avatar'' (2009–present) franchise, a ...
) is a forensic pathologist who works for the Millennium Group. Andrews turned on fellow group members Black and Watts during an internal schism, unsuccessfully trying to steal a holy relic for her faction. She is murdered by the group to keep her from divulging their plans. Pounder's performance as Andrews was well received critically; the A.V. Club's Zack Handlen noted that she "manages to put herself across quite well" despite the difficulty of standing out from the series' sombre tone. However, he said that Andrews' villainy was inadequately explained. During an interview in 2015, Pounder confessed that her role on ''Millennium'' "is the one I hated."


Barry Baldwin

Aloof and arrogant, FBI special agent Barry Baldwin (
Peter Outerbridge Peter Outerbridge (born June 30, 1966) is a Canadian actor, best known for his role as Ari Tasarov in the The CW, CW action series ''Nikita (TV series), Nikita'', Dr. David Sandström in the The Movie Network, TMN series ''ReGenesis'', Henrik "Han ...
) works with Black and Hollis on several cases. During an FBI raid on the home of a serial killer whose brain was altered by the Millennium Group (triggering his killing spree), Baldwin is injured in an explosion. On the way to the hospital, he is murdered in the ambulance by a Millennium Group assassin. Klea Scott called Baldwin an "unexplored" character, "excellently smarmy" and "a lot of fun to dislike"; Henriksen felt that Baldwin embodied "ambition for its own sake". Baldwin's character was described as "one of the least interesting additions" to the series, although Outerbridge's acting was "good".


Robert Bletcher

Lieutenant Robert Bletcher (
Bill Smitrovich William Stanley Zmitrowicz Jr. (born May 16, 1947), known professionally as Bill Smitrovich ( ), is an American actor. Personal life Smitrovich was born on May 16, 1947, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the son of Anna (married and maiden names, née ...
) is a detective with the
Seattle Police Department The Seattle Police Department (SPD) is the principal police force, law enforcement agency of the city of Seattle, Washington, United States. It is responsible for the entire city except for the campus of the University of Washington (which is und ...
's homicide division. Bletcher had worked with Black during Black's law-enforcement career, and becomes his liaison with the police when Black returns to Seattle. The detective is murdered by Lucy Butler when she breaks into the Blacks' house, and he is hung from a basement rafter. The character's name was that of an attorney with whom Carter had worked; both men were "big, masculine guy with a very outgoing personality". Bletcher was described by the A.V. Club's Emily VanDerWerff as a generic "nothing figure"; television critics Robert Shearman and Lars Pearson called the character "a functional cipher", noting that Smitrovich was not given leeway to invest much in the character until his final episode.


Lucy Butler

Butler (
Sarah-Jane Redmond Sarah-Jane Redmond is a British actress and acting coach, living in Canada, whose work has spanned film, television and theatre productions, often in science fiction roles. She has taught acting at the New Image College of Fine Arts in British Co ...
) is introduced as the hybristophilic wife of a serial killer pursued by Black; when the killer is murdered, Black realizes that Butler has been hiding her own murderous past. His attempts to track her lead to Bob Bletcher's death and Butler's escape. Butler is revealed as a demon, capable of changing form on a whim. She later reappears as a
succubus A succubus () is a female demon who is described in various folklore as appearing in the dreams of male humans in order to seduce them. Repeated interactions between a succubus and a man will lead to sexual activity, a bond forming between them, ...
, sexually assaulting Black in his sleep to frame him for rape and (as a large snake) trying to kill Emma Hollis. Although both ploys are foiled, Butler escapes. Redmond, a fan of series creator Chris Carter and recurring director
David Nutter David Nutter (born 1960) is an American television and film director and television producer. He is best known for directing pilot episodes for television. In 2015, he received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Seri ...
, had auditioned for another first-season episode directed by Nutter. Although she did not get that part, she was contacted about a minor recurring role (which led to her casting as Butler). Butler's character was received positively by critics; her use did not seem like "rote horror", instead having clear motives and characterization.
Robert Shearman Robert Charles Shearman, sometimes credited as Rob Shearman, is an English television, radio, stage play and short story writer. He is known for his World Fantasy Award-winning short stories, as well as his work for ''Doctor Who'', and his as ...
and
Lars Pearson Lars Pearson (born 1973, in Iowa) is an American writer, high school teacher, editor, and journalist. He is the owner/publisher of Mad Norwegian Press, a publishing company specializing in reference guides to television shows including ''Buffy t ...
, in their book ''Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen'', found the character a good balance of the depictions of evil throughout the series: "something very strange and new and terrifying".


Robert Giebelhouse

Giebelhouse ( Stephen J. Lang) is a homicide detective for the Seattle Police Department. Initially wary of Black's unorthodox approach to
offender profiling Offender profiling, also known as criminal profiling, is an investigative strategy used by law enforcement agencies to identify likely suspects and has been used by Detective, investigators to link cases that may have been committed by the same ...
, he comes to value his insight and seeks his help with difficult cases. Giebelhouse was named by Carter for a family related to a close childhood friend. He noted that although the "hard-boiled detective" Giebelhouse represents seems clichéd, he felt (from his law-enforcement research) that type of character was "very real to life".


Lara Means

Means (
Kristen Cloke Kristen Cloke (born ) is an American actress and writer. She was in the main cast of ''Space: Above and Beyond'' (1995–96), and had small roles in other TV series. She is known for her role as Valerie Lewton in ''Final Destination (film), Fin ...
) is a forensic psychologist and a candidate to join the Millennium Group. Like Black, Means has a nearly-supernatural insight into criminal cases (which she attributes to a guardian angel). When Means is prepared for initiation into the group the angelic presence forsakes her, leading to a mental breakdown as she shelters herself from the viral outbreak orchestrated by the group. Means gives Black her vaccine dose, which he uses to inoculate his daughter Jordan. Means' character was created by second-season executive producers
Glen Morgan Glen Morgan (born July 12, 1961) is an American television producer, writer and director. He is best known for co-writing episodes of the Fox science fiction supernatural drama series ''The X-Files'' with his partner, James Wong. He served as ...
and James Wong to "both challenge and reflect" Frank Black. The role was given to Morgan's wife, who had worked with the producers on their previous series '' Space: Above and Beyond''. Although Means' addition to the series' second season was seen as positive by some critics, it helped make Catherine Black superfluous.


Peter Watts

Watts (
Terry O'Quinn Terrance Quinn (born July 15, 1952), known professionally as Terry O'Quinn, is an American actor. He won a Primetime Emmy Award for his performance as John Locke on the TV series '' Lost'' (2004–2010). In film, he also played the title role i ...
) is a former FBI
assistant director The role of an assistant director (AD) on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have ...
and a member of the Millennium Group. Watts is Black's initial mentor in the group, and they investigate cases together as partners. Although Watts' faith in the group is shaken when he discovers their responsibility for a deadly viral outbreak, he is reluctant to leave and fights Black's attempts to sabotage and expose the group's work. He convinces Emma Hollis to join the group, using a potential cure for her father's illness as leverage. After Watts leaks a folder of sensitive group documents to Black to aid his crusade, he is attacked in his home by an assassin from the group and presumed dead. Carter called the decision to cast O'Quinn "a no-brainer"; the actor was cast without a full audition after Carter was impressed by a previous appearance on ''The X-Files''. He summed up Watts' demeanour as "dry, articulate and matter-of-fact". Audio Commentary for "Pilot", 19:07–19:19 Watts' character has been described as a counterpoint to Black; series writer
Ken Horton Kenneth Horton is a television producer, and occasional writer and director, having worked on ''Dallas'', ''The X-Files'', ''Millennium'' and ''Smallville''. He was twice nominated for the Emmy Award for outstanding drama series for his work on '' ...
described them as "two friends who both believe what they believe  ..and would love to convert the other to his way of thinking". O'Quinn described his time on the series as "rewarding", noting that his character often provided
narrative exposition A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, whether non-fictional (memoir, biography, news report, documentary, travelogue, etc.) or fictional (fairy tale, fable, legend, thriller, novel, etc.). Na ...
because Henriksen dislikes expository dialogue. His performance was described as "a fine job" and as having "always been good". However, Watts' depth of personality and inconsistent motivation (particularly in the third season) have been criticized.


Footnotes


References

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Millennium Characters, List Of Lists of X-Files characters
Characters Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to Theoph ...