Frank disappears and is found wearing a medical ID bracelet baring a different name and with no memory of where he has been. Join him and Peter on a voyage of discovery into Frank's own memories in our recap of "Walkabout".
- “Walkabout” was written by Chip Johannessen (his third Millennium episode) and Tim Tankosic.
- This episode of Millennium is Tim’s one & only IMDB credit.
- Directing is Cliff Bole, this is his only Millennium credit. He directed “Small Potatoes”, “Bad Blood”, “Chimera”, & “Jump the Shark” for The X-Files.
- I always worry when I see small cute animals on shows like this. Hurt all the humans you want, but if the dog gets it, I’m coming for you.
- “Out! Out! Out! Out! Let me out!”
I feel this medical trial has not gone well…
- Cicero was a Roman philosopher, lawyer, and orator. He wrote about the “method of loci”, what Sherlock Holmes and Hannibal Lecter have both referred to as the “mind palace”.
- “Frank's using another name besides his own here. David Marx? Is that a friend of yours?”
...
“Catherine, help me here.”
This is an on-screen pairing we haven’t seen before. Catherine and Peter aren’t sure how to handle each other but they both have Frank’s welfare at heart. - A little more detail also emerges around Frank’s previous breakdown. Catherine is holding together remarkably well considering what’s being dredged up here.
- That hug just tears at my heart. It’s not Frank’s usual hug with Catherine, he practically collapses onto her.
- “What's going on?”
“I can't remember... David Marx? That must have been scary for you.”
Frank acknowledges Catherine’s fears. He can’t apologise because he doesn’t yet remember what he did but this is something he can do.
- The building superintendent is played by Marcus Hondro. He appeared in “El Mundo Gira”.
- Dr Miller is played by Zeljko Ivanek. He played Roland & Dr. Arthur Grable in “Roland”.
- “I can't imagine why I would have been in contact with you.”
“Do you remember the trial?”
“What trial?”
“Selective retrograde amnesia. Possibly psychogenic.”
- “He said I was interested in a third-stage efficacy trial, a drug called Proloft.”
“Why?”
“I don't understand it. I don't even take aspirin.”
Frank’s line about aspirin was suggested by Lance Henriksen to help clue the audience in that Frank wouldn’t take an untested drug. - Frank’s story in this episode is somewhat reminiscent of Mulder’s in “Demons” which would air just six weeks later.
- “You don't know where you've been or what you've done. You see what I'm saying? The Group wants you to come in and talk to someone.”
Peter is trying to protect Frank who seems determined to dig himself in deeper to this mess.
- There’s some X-Files alum to be found here. Moxie (Arthur Corber sat in the front) appeared in "Elegy".
- Scared guy (Ron Suave) starred in "The Host" & "Teso dos Bichos".
- “I am the person who had to go to your house and tell your wife that you were missing!” “You're not being honest with anybody!”
“I am trying - very hard!”
It’s very rare to see Frank get this upset and angry. This period of missing time has frightened him more than he wants to let on.
- Apparently Frank doesn’t understand the concept of patience. Or of patient confidentiality.
- “Hey! Stop the truck. Turn it off. Give me your flashlight.”
If I ran up to a refuse collector in a dark alley & yelled at him to turn off the truck & give me his flashlight, I doubt he’d just comply.
- “He doesn’t see himself as a killer.”
“I think a jury would disagree”.
Giebelhouse's humor is rubbing off on Peter!
- “Beautiful child.”
“I thank the Lord every day I didn't drag her out there with me. It's okay for me, this, but, my daughter. God, I worry what she might have inherited from me.”
Miller’s comment about inheritance strikes home with Frank so soon after the incident with Jordan’s “visions” in "Sacrament".
- “Look, this is my phone number. If anything comes up... or, call if you want to call.”
Frank offers an olive branch to Miller. He sees in him where he could so easily have ended up after his own breakdown.
- Dr Sandy Geiger is played by Alison Matthews, she appeared as a doctor in “Synchrony”.
- “Two totally different 3-D structures.”
“Mirror images.”
“Like thalidomide. The molecule had two forms. One prevented miscarriages but the flip side caused severe birth defects.”
Thalidomide was never believed to prevent miscarriage, it was an anti-morning sickness drug. It did however cause thousands of babies across the world to be born with severe, often fatal birth defects and is recorded as a major medical crisis. One whose repercussions are still being played out to this day.
- The other scientist in that photo alongside Dr Ingram is Ian Alexander Martin. He played the “alien ‘mom’” in “Jose Chung’s ‘From Outer Space’”.
- Is that an actual car phone?
- Frank’s guide is played by Nancy Kerr, she appeared in “Gethsemane” & “Folie a Deux”.
- “He's been a model employee for 16 years. Long hours. Never misses a day.”
“Except today. Wouldn't you know.”
Giebelhouse only gets a few seconds of screentime, but he still manages to cram in some sarcasm.
- Proloft is of course fake - it’s name probably comes from combining Prozac and Zoloft - two common anti-depressants. However the Huffington Post accidentally used it in a headline in 2014 when they mis-spelled Zoloft.
- Those packets are completely out of place. They’re a deliberate clue, he wants them to figure out his plan.
- Is this guy friends with Hannibal Lecter?
- I know I shouldn’t but this scene actually made me laugh. Fly man, fly like a bird! Be free!
- "Frank. He's handing out bogus product samples to people on the way to work."
This makes me feel so much better about not drinking tea & coffee.
- “I had a plan and you ruined it! I had a plan…”
“Yeah, I got a plan for you - prison.”
I wish we could have heard more about Ingram’s plan. What would he have done if Frank hadn’t become involved?
- Frank those shades are ridiculous on you.
- “No secrets.”
- “I got drawn into these trials because I wanted to find out something. A few weeks ago, when Helen was abducted, something happened that made me wonder - if Jordan has this thing that I have.”
We finally understand Frank’s motivation for attending the trial, and get some nice continuation from “Sacrament” as well, while Frank demonstrates the face-cupping-hold-of-love taught to all 1013 alum (see also: The X-Files, Aquarius.)