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The Bottom Line: "Perfect"

This is the episode that truly defines "Freakazoid!" The episode itself is completely attention deficit and zany, while incredibly whitty and absolutely hilarious.

To be honest, I am a bit rusty on the actual events of the episode since it has been a long, long time since I have seen it, but this episode introduces several characters: Lord Braver, a somewhat washed up English superhero with a voice that pays hommage to comedy genius John Cleese, who lives with his wife and mother-in-law (voiced like the mom from the movie "Throw Momma off the Train"); Mo-ron, an inept alien who has come to earth with "a important message for all of man-kind", yet somehow has managed to forget what that message is; a good-humored impersonator of Bill Clinton is also included in the cast.

I don't want to ruin the plot by divulging any of the details, but this episode was so funny that I had it taped and watched it several times a day while rolling around on the floor, laughing my head off. Unfortunately, the tape got erased and I somehow managed to never see that episode aired again, even in re-runs. It's so funny that I sought it out on the internet for years after the short-lived series was cancelled.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I have! Now, go! Wake up your parents and tell them you're hungry! Go! Go!

The Bottom Line: "Superb"

Millenium was the work of X-Files creator Chris Carter, and the show debuted around the time that X-Files was sort of at its peak popularity. It makes sense--television this good never gets greenlit unless it's the pet project of a hot producer riding the wave of something much more popular. The show followed the morbid crime solving adventures of Frank Black, played with sullen perfection by perhaps the most underrated actor ever, Lance Henriksen. Frank is a former FBI agent that burned out and retired after a serial killer (or perhaps a copycat following a similar MO) begins stalking and sending polaroids of Frank's wife and daughter to him. Frank also has a unique ability--he can literally put himself inside the head of a killer, and see what he sees.

At the outset of the series, Frank has moved from DC back to his home area of Seattle, and hooked up with a group of former law enforcement types called the Millenium Group. These folks consult with various law enforcement agencies on particular evil crimes. It's sort of like the Super Friends of criminal profilers, pathologists, forensic experts and investigators. Through the first season, you get to know Frank, his wife and daughter, his assorted cohorts within the Millenium Group (including his most frequent contact, Peter Watts, played by Lost star Terry O'Quinn and his always amazing moustache), and friends within the Seattle PD.

The series starts off similarly to the way the X-Files did. There's an underlying plot with Frank dealing with the ghosts of his past, feeling his way through his membership with the Millenium Group, and trying to figure out who it is, exactly, that's stalking his family. Most of this is downplayed originally, and the episodes are decidedly...well, episodic, in nature. A lot of disconnected cases that range from a deranged pharmaceutical chemist that uses clinical trials to make people crazy, to a geneticist that uses a special technique to create dozens of children in his own image so as to create the perfect society after the world comes to an end in the year 2000 (and is only discovered after some of them start killing themselves via self-immolation, among other things).

While the year 2000 isn't nearly the enigmatic danger that it might have seemed when the series debuted in 1996, it made for a very intriguing backdrop for many of the series' storylines at the time. In fact, the Millenium Group itself turned out to be more than a simple consulting group as the show went on. More and more the show took on intriguing religious prophecies, demonology, and ponderances as to what, if anything, would happen when the year 2000 finally hit. Season 2 probably hit the most right notes when it came to its subject matter, as it took the series into darker, more engaging territory. Season 3 flew off the rails a bit, going into territory that sometimes seemed like a more watchable (but still flawed) version of the X-Files season where Robert Patrick showed up. Saying more than that would spoil the whole outcome of the series, as well as several key twists. But needless to say, Millenium ended well before it should have. The last episode comes almost out of nowhere, and while the conclusion itself is far more satisfying than most series finales tend to be (especially in contrast to the atrocious X-Files finale), you really wanted to know more about the motives of everyone involved in this gloomy tale.

Amid the armageddon prophecies and serial killers, Millenium also had a legitimate heart to it. Scenes of violence and horror are frequently contrasted by scenes of Frank and his family. Henriksen, and Megan Gallagher, who plays his wife, Catherine, have amazing chemistry together. Henriksen often plays Black as a brooding fellow with little in the way of sense of humor, but when he gets around Catherine and his daughter, Jordan (played with utterly non-cloying precociousness by Brittany Tiplady), his ability to warm up and mesh as a father and husband is unbelievably natural. It makes some of the particularly ugly revelations later in the series exceptionally emotional.

Millenium never really found an audience during its three seasons, but it's a shining example of what crime drama can be when done well. It's stylish and substantial, and remains that way throughout. Where the X-Files went on and on and on well past its welcome, Millenium kept it short and sweet. Maybe that was, on some level, purposeful, since the show did end in 1999. But even barring the backdrop of the Millenium, the misadventures of Frank Black could have sustained a series well past the year 2000 gimmick. It's just a shame it never got the chance. If you're the type that likes your crime drama black as a black cat in an unlit midnight hour, and with a little bit of supernatural edge to it, go find Millenium on DVD, and give it the chance it never got on network TV.

Favorite time of the year...

Yes, Thanksgiving and the wonderful gift-filled day of Christmas linger just a few months away. So prepare your bellies and wallets, because its quite the feast ahead!

At least for me its gonna be a splurg-fest

Tons of games are on the way, and I do mean tons of games worth mentioning. Seems like years ago when I found myself starting up my 1st 360 thinking... "What will I play..." And now I'm sitting here in mid-October of 2008 wondering how the hell will I have enough time to play and enjoy anything! No doubt, I could easily play a little bit of this and that and say I touched everything thats considred hot... but I find that to be wasteful. Not only to the games that require a weekend of playtime to fairly judge, but also to the gamer who I say no matter how "LEET" they claim to be, its only right to enjoy one game at a time.

All my grandma fussing aside, it feels good to get ready for the cold season properly. Being a kid from the northern hemisphere, we get that thing called snow... which in entails really cold days. The last few years have been pretty forgiving compared to past years of Minnesota winters. So to say the big storm might finally be coming would some what of a understatement. Expect the worse, rejoice in the best I always say

Back to the games! How about the line-up for October alone...

NBA 2K9 - Oct 7
I really want to have a solid sports game to play, but something about basketball during the football season just doesn't feel right.

Fracture - Oct 7
Haven't played the demo yet, but that will likely be the deciding factor in whether or not to rent this interesting shooter.

Golden Axe - Oct 14
Its entire title has something to do with beast riding, so its got a gimmick in place. Hopefully the game does the old school Sega gem justice.

Dead Space - Oct 14
If I was gonna fork over some cash for any EA product this year, this would be the game! Call it a silly hunch, but something lurking tells me this game has too much potential to horribly flop. I would love to be wrong...

Saints Row 2 - Oct 14
The first game was hillarious fun, and I really hope the next one follows suit. If not, I'll save the tears for something that actually takes itself serious.

Fable 2 - Oct 21
This one is a sure-fire purchase! No matter what the masses criticized about the original, I had some great times with Fable, and to think that another free spirited RPG is nearly within grasp is too much. But I'll take it!

Fallout 3 - Oct 28
Another must own game. I really wanted to enjoy Elders Scroll, but I'm honestly all tuckered out on the medevil barrel searching. Maybe a change of setting is what I need and want. Post-apocolyptic city barrel searching sounds soooo much better!

And don't forget Gears or War 2 rolling in early November *joy*

Yea, that may be a lot of one-tracked gaming in the 360's favor, but I feel that its only right I push the machine since its my 3rd one now This way, if all else fails I can maintain the warranty and save money if the little junker keels over again. I don't hope for such madness, I'm simply expect the worse and rejoice in the best.

Quick little life note, my girlfriend of 2 years is having her birthday tomorrow. I still have time to enjoy my Vikings game at noon till 3pm. She'll be out shopping with her mom most likely, so big props to momma bear for being a trooper and spending the big bucks on the lil whiner. Instead of revealing to her that I gave up my home team tickets for money, I'll buy her something nice like a cake... funny thing is tho, I don't know what kind she likes

Continued Relevance

It's no secret I have been playing Burnout Paradise just about non-stop since it was released. Right now it is my favorite racing game of 2008. The way Criterion has continued to update the game and deliver game-changing content has been fantastic. While the title hasn't gotten additional achievements, it has delivered consistent and enjoyable gameplay that has kept me sincerely interested long after I harvested the achievements.

On the other hand, I grew weary of Halo 3 before I even finished getting all of the achievements. When Bungie dropped the new achievements, that was what put the game back in the tray for me. Old roommates, dear friends, and other players in need rarely got me to budge on the malaise I felt. Nerfing my completion percentage certainly got my attention.

This morning's announcement of Halo 3 Recon. . . that got my attention. The idea of playing as an ODST, a special operations every man, is intriguing. I hope there is more stealth. I hope there are different weapons, and I hope there is no interference by Master Chief. The trailer (below) may not be much, but it made me smile.