Frank Black (Millennium)
Encyclopedia
Frank Black is a fictional character
in the American Fox
television shows Millennium
and The X-Files
, two series concerned with crime
, conspiracies
, and supernatural
phenomena. Black was a renowned, highly skilled criminal investigator with the FBI who had the gift
to put himself into the killer's mind and imagine himself as the killer. He had frequent dealings with the Millennium Group
after he retired and moved to Seattle, Washington. In season three
Frank re-joins the FBI and is assigned a partner, Emma Hollis
.
Frank Black made his first appearance in the first season
1996 episode "Pilot". He was the son of Henry and Linda Black, the brother of Thomas Black, the husband of Catherine Black, and the father of Jordan Black.
to Henry and Linda Black. A renowned profiler and criminal investigator for the FBI
, he was able to solve cases attributable to an ability
to go inside the mind of a killer. Having witnessed many atrocities during his long career in the FBI, Black was forced to retire after getting polaroids of his family in the mail. Frank started to work again after being contacted by the Millennium Group
, a shadowy organization waiting for the new Millennium
. Frank said yes to the offer to be a consultant
for the group, after this event he and his family moved to Seattle to start a "new life".
After he moved to Seattle, he began receiving new pictures of his family in the mail. Frank worked hard to keep up the facade that his family was okay. The only people that knew about the pictures sent to him were select members of the Millennium Group. At the end of the first season
, his wife Catherine Black is drug
ged and kidnapped
in the Seattle Airport. Frank tracked down the kidnapper and killed him in a fit of rage
. After this incident Catherine broke up with him, being shocked over Frank's actions.
Later on Frank realized that the Millennium Group knew that the kidnapping would happen, he also found out that the groups origin dated back to the birth of Christianity
. Frank continued to consult for them, but his limits were tested when his wife Catherine died of a variation of the Marburg Virus which had infected and killed several others in Seattle. Convinced that the Millennium Group stood behind it and needed to be stopped, Frank moved back to Virginia
and re-joined the FBI and became a special agent
. He was teamed up with his new partner, Special Agent Emma Hollis
. His career in the FBI ended after he was fired for breaking into Peter Watts' home (his dismissal from the FBI was set into motion by the Millennium group itself). In The X-Files
crossover episode, "Millennium
" Frank checked himself in an asylum until Special Agents Fox Mulder
and Dana Scully
asked for his help solving a case involving the Millennium Group. While he is reluctant at first to help Mulder and Scully, he later checks himself out of the asylum to help them. At the end of the episode he reunites with his daughter
Jordan Black.
recalls, "I had this idea for a character in mind that became Frank Black and it sort of took shape over time, but I was under the gun... A retired FBI agent
, and the idea of the prophecies, Nostradamus
, taking the poetry, the millennial, apocalyptic poetry: those things were sort of added on to this idea of this character, a person who wanted to retire from something but could not, and that was basically the long and short of that; it didn't require much research." Carter later comments, "I think, you know, like a good... like Shane, like any cowboy, any good movie, western movie, the hero is always very self-reliant, quiet, capable, dangerous. That's what I saw Frank Black as."
According to portraying actor Lance Henriksen
, "My first question to Carter was, "How are you going to make this hero a hero? I mean, it is so dark, how are you going to handle this?" And he said that the fact that the guy is a stand-up guy through all of this is what makes him a hero. Not that I was looking for a hero role, but I knew you had to care about this guy." Regarding Carter, Henriksen later notes, "He was very, very convincing. All the questions I had, he answered. The way it all went down was pretty outrageous."
The Fox
executives were not initially convinced that Lance Henriksen
was right for the main role, and they suggested using William Hurt
, until they discovered that he had no interest in acting for television. Chris Carter
then sent the script
for the "Pilot episode". Henriksen read the script and thought it was "great". When his manager told him that it was a television
script, he backed out for a while until he talked to Carter himself. Regarding his casting of Henriksen for the lead, Carter stated that:
Although Frank Black was usually played by Henriksen, A.J. Adamson also appeared as younger versions of the character in the season two
episodes, "The Curse of Frank Black" and "Midnight of the Century", as well as the season three
episode, "Seven and One". Additionally, Shaun Toplass played Frank Black aged 14 years old in "The Curse of Frank Black".
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the American Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
television shows Millennium
Millennium (TV series)
Millennium is an American television series created by Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files. Millennium aired on the Fox Network from 1996 to 1999. The series was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, though most episodes were ostensibly set in or around Seattle, Washington...
and The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
, two series concerned with crime
Crime fiction
Crime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...
, conspiracies
Conspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
, and supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
phenomena. Black was a renowned, highly skilled criminal investigator with the FBI who had the gift
Gift
A gift or a present is the transfer of something without the expectation of receiving something in return. Although gift-giving might involve an expectation of reciprocity, a gift is meant to be free. In many human societies, the act of mutually exchanging money, goods, etc. may contribute to...
to put himself into the killer's mind and imagine himself as the killer. He had frequent dealings with the Millennium Group
Millennium Group
The Millennium Group is a fictional secret society and "criminal investigative consulting firm" featured in the television series Millennium...
after he retired and moved to Seattle, Washington. In season three
Millennium (season 3)
The third season of the American supernatural thriller series, Millennium aired between 1998-1999, the Fox network decided not to renew the series after the third season because of a declining viewership level.-Recurring:*Terry O'Quinn as Peter Watts...
Frank re-joins the FBI and is assigned a partner, Emma Hollis
Emma Hollis
FBI Special Agent Emma Hollis is a fictional character in the American Fox thriller television series Millennium, a series concerned with crime and conspiracies. Hollis is a young special agent within the FBI. During the shows final year, she was partnered with FBI veteran Frank Black. The...
.
Frank Black made his first appearance in the first season
Millennium (season 1)
The first season of the serial crime-thriller television series Millennium commenced airing in the United States on October 25, 1996, concluding on May 16, 1997, and consisting of twenty-two episodes. It tells the story of retired FBI Agent Frank Black...
1996 episode "Pilot". He was the son of Henry and Linda Black, the brother of Thomas Black, the husband of Catherine Black, and the father of Jordan Black.
Character arc
Frank Black was born on July 12, 1941 in Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
to Henry and Linda Black. A renowned profiler and criminal investigator for the FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
, he was able to solve cases attributable to an ability
Aptitude
An aptitude is an innate component of a competency to do a certain kind of work at a certain level. Aptitudes may be physical or mental...
to go inside the mind of a killer. Having witnessed many atrocities during his long career in the FBI, Black was forced to retire after getting polaroids of his family in the mail. Frank started to work again after being contacted by the Millennium Group
Millennium Group
The Millennium Group is a fictional secret society and "criminal investigative consulting firm" featured in the television series Millennium...
, a shadowy organization waiting for the new Millennium
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
. Frank said yes to the offer to be a consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
for the group, after this event he and his family moved to Seattle to start a "new life".
After he moved to Seattle, he began receiving new pictures of his family in the mail. Frank worked hard to keep up the facade that his family was okay. The only people that knew about the pictures sent to him were select members of the Millennium Group. At the end of the first season
Millennium (season 1)
The first season of the serial crime-thriller television series Millennium commenced airing in the United States on October 25, 1996, concluding on May 16, 1997, and consisting of twenty-two episodes. It tells the story of retired FBI Agent Frank Black...
, his wife Catherine Black is drug
Drug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
ged and kidnapped
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
in the Seattle Airport. Frank tracked down the kidnapper and killed him in a fit of rage
Rage (emotion)
Rage is a feeling of intense anger. It is associated with the Fight-or-flight response and oftentimes activated in response to an external cue, such as the murder of a loved one. The phrase, 'thrown into a fit of rage,' expresses the immediate nature of rage that occurs before deliberation. If left...
. After this incident Catherine broke up with him, being shocked over Frank's actions.
Later on Frank realized that the Millennium Group knew that the kidnapping would happen, he also found out that the groups origin dated back to the birth of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. Frank continued to consult for them, but his limits were tested when his wife Catherine died of a variation of the Marburg Virus which had infected and killed several others in Seattle. Convinced that the Millennium Group stood behind it and needed to be stopped, Frank moved back to Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and re-joined the FBI and became a special agent
Special agent
Special agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
. He was teamed up with his new partner, Special Agent Emma Hollis
Emma Hollis
FBI Special Agent Emma Hollis is a fictional character in the American Fox thriller television series Millennium, a series concerned with crime and conspiracies. Hollis is a young special agent within the FBI. During the shows final year, she was partnered with FBI veteran Frank Black. The...
. His career in the FBI ended after he was fired for breaking into Peter Watts' home (his dismissal from the FBI was set into motion by the Millennium group itself). In The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
crossover episode, "Millennium
Millennium (The X-Files)
"Millennium" is the fourth episode of the seventh season of The X-Files. It is a crossover with the show Millennium. It is also the episode in which Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully share their first kiss of the series after developing a relationship throughout the previous six seasons.- Plot :In...
" Frank checked himself in an asylum until Special Agents Fox Mulder
Fox Mulder
FBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
and Dana Scully
Dana Scully
FBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
asked for his help solving a case involving the Millennium Group. While he is reluctant at first to help Mulder and Scully, he later checks himself out of the asylum to help them. At the end of the episode he reunites with his daughter
Daughter
A daughter is a female offspring; a girl, woman, or female animal in relation to her parents. The male equivalent is a son. Analogously the name is used on several areas to show relations between groups or elements.-Etymology:...
Jordan Black.
Conceptual history
Chris CarterChris Carter (screenwriter)
Christopher Carl Carter is an American screenwriter, film director and producer. He is the creator of The X-Files and Millennium.- Ten Thirteen Productions :...
recalls, "I had this idea for a character in mind that became Frank Black and it sort of took shape over time, but I was under the gun... A retired FBI agent
Special agent
Special agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
, and the idea of the prophecies, Nostradamus
Nostradamus
Michel de Nostredame , usually Latinised to Nostradamus, was a French apothecary and reputed seer who published collections of prophecies that have since become famous worldwide. He is best known for his book Les Propheties , the first edition of which appeared in 1555...
, taking the poetry, the millennial, apocalyptic poetry: those things were sort of added on to this idea of this character, a person who wanted to retire from something but could not, and that was basically the long and short of that; it didn't require much research." Carter later comments, "I think, you know, like a good... like Shane, like any cowboy, any good movie, western movie, the hero is always very self-reliant, quiet, capable, dangerous. That's what I saw Frank Black as."
According to portraying actor Lance Henriksen
Lance Henriksen
Lance James Henriksen is an American actor and artist best known to film and television audiences for his roles in science fiction, action, and horror films such as the Alien film franchise, and on television shows such as Millennium....
, "My first question to Carter was, "How are you going to make this hero a hero? I mean, it is so dark, how are you going to handle this?" And he said that the fact that the guy is a stand-up guy through all of this is what makes him a hero. Not that I was looking for a hero role, but I knew you had to care about this guy." Regarding Carter, Henriksen later notes, "He was very, very convincing. All the questions I had, he answered. The way it all went down was pretty outrageous."
The Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
executives were not initially convinced that Lance Henriksen
Lance Henriksen
Lance James Henriksen is an American actor and artist best known to film and television audiences for his roles in science fiction, action, and horror films such as the Alien film franchise, and on television shows such as Millennium....
was right for the main role, and they suggested using William Hurt
William Hurt
William McGill Hurt is an American stage and film actor. He received his acting training at the Juilliard School, and began acting on stage in the 1970s. Hurt made his film debut as a troubled scientist in the science-fiction feature Altered States , for which he received a Golden Globe nomination...
, until they discovered that he had no interest in acting for television. Chris Carter
Chris Carter (screenwriter)
Christopher Carl Carter is an American screenwriter, film director and producer. He is the creator of The X-Files and Millennium.- Ten Thirteen Productions :...
then sent the script
Teleplay
A teleplay is a television play, a comedy or drama written or adapted for television. The term surfaced during the 1950s with wide usage to distinguish a television plays from stage plays for the theater and screenplays written for films...
for the "Pilot episode". Henriksen read the script and thought it was "great". When his manager told him that it was a television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
script, he backed out for a while until he talked to Carter himself. Regarding his casting of Henriksen for the lead, Carter stated that:
Although Frank Black was usually played by Henriksen, A.J. Adamson also appeared as younger versions of the character in the season two
Millennium (season 2)
The second season of the American supernatural thriller series Millennium aired between 1997 and 1998. The Fox Network decided to renew the series for a third season.- Starring :* Lance Henriksen as Frank Black* Megan Gallagher as Catherine Black...
episodes, "The Curse of Frank Black" and "Midnight of the Century", as well as the season three
Millennium (season 3)
The third season of the American supernatural thriller series, Millennium aired between 1998-1999, the Fox network decided not to renew the series after the third season because of a declining viewership level.-Recurring:*Terry O'Quinn as Peter Watts...
episode, "Seven and One". Additionally, Shaun Toplass played Frank Black aged 14 years old in "The Curse of Frank Black".