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"Behind the Script of The Swords of Armageddon" by Dan Owen
In many ways the success of VS4 would be measured by our series finale. It's easily the most important episode of VS4, and one that would have seriously ruined our reputation if done incorrectly. Simply put, a lot was riding on our final two scripts.
The most important factor to get right when planning the finale was the threat the story would pose to Frank Black. Obviously, we wanted there to be a strong apocalyptic concern, and wanted to use a realistic premise that would make a rewarding story. Early on, we were considering the threat of an asteroid to be the crux of the finale's story, until it became obvious that particular premise is nearly impossible to write in standard "Millennium" terms. It had to be something more "down-to-earth" (literally) that Frank could actively fight against.
The best threat to the world is actually a plague, but since this was covered in season 2's "The Fourth Horseman" and "The Time Is Now", we didn't want to retread old ground, or resurrect the Marbug Virus for yet another disease-orientated episode.
That left only one adequate threat - nuclear terrorism. Once that was decided, some subsequent episodes in the latter-half of VS4 were tailored to provide a good foundation for our finale - with "Akuma Odori" and "The Third Eye" in particular setting up elements for final episodes...
However, the key step in getting the finale off and running was some research into nuclear terrorism and potentially lethal devices that could be used. This brought memories of "backpack nukes" back to my attention from an apocalyptic documentary I saw ages ago. Backpack nukes are basically suitcase-sized portable nuclear devices capable of destroying everything within a one mile radius.
A small number of these devices being detonated in key areas of major cities across America - and then worldwide - could have a devastating effect on global economy. Together with carefully planned political machinations, such a scenario could easily snowball into some form of global war.
With the premise estbalished, I also had to clearly decide which subplots of Millennium would be resolved, and what answers the fans would be given. It was also necessary to make sure almsot every main character had some form of "mini-arc" or atleast some important scenes that brings closure.
Eventually, these subplots would involve: the Elder's faustian deal with Mabius, Mabius's double-dealings with the Millennium Group, the Old Man's situation, Frank Black's health problems, Jordan's burgeoning abilities, Alexander Le Saux's true identity, the Board's downfall, Mabius' terrorism plot, Emma's Group membership, and much more. Quite a handful to pack into just two episodes!
Length was a big issue when writing began. It was originally thought that 3 episodes would provide enough time to wrap everything up, but we eventually settled for 2 episodes (although the second one would grow into a feature-length finale).
And so to the opening script itself - "The Swords Of Armageddon" - a term used to describe the modern "sword" (nuclear weapons) that could pave the way to global Armageddon. The teaser switches between a cosy Christmas scene with the Black family, and a vicious assault on a Russian train carrying backpack nukes. The Russian train is actually a kind of underground myth in nuclear terrorism - transporting dangerous cargo to the Russian Mafia and other terrorist groups.
"Swords..." actually starts on an ominous, symbolic, note. Christmas is used as an eerie atmosphere - much like "Midnight Of The Century" - and perhaps best exemplified in the Emma/Finley scene in downtown Washington D.C., where a choir are singing in the street. This scene is also quite important, because Finley reminds the readers that 2000 isn't exactly a totally accurate date, and that 2001 is the real start of the second millennium anyway. So it sets up an escape hatch when the world doesn't end (oops gave away the ending!).
A big concern when writing the finale was how Frank can get involved in the story. It's a standard plot device that a seemingly straight-forward murder investigation unfolds into something more sinsister... and this device is used again here. I know it's not original, but there you go! In this case the murder of an ex-nuclear physicist (Dr Glendale) eventually reveals hidden links to secretive Group projects involving nuclear tests - as backers of the Rotarin Corporation.
A favourite scene of mine is the one where Jordan enters a "psyshic state" and uses three dinner plates to represent three decreasing spheres on the dinner table. This harkens back to the 3 circles she drew at the end of "The First Prophet" and provides a strong link between those episodes, further bolstered by the return of Alexander Le Saux. I really like that scene. It's simple, effective and evocative all at the same time.
Actually, the finale has lots of links to VS4's past. The buzzing flies make another appearance, after their "cameos" throughout the season, and here seem to attack subway passengers. A large proportion of "Swords..." is simply collecting together threads from the season, with the hope "Revelation"'s will resolve them all.
The episode also contains a lot of "speeches" from certain characters - Finley, The Elder and Le Saux, primarily. Each one provides clarity on certain aspects of the show fans have always discussed or wanted clarification on (such as the Owl and Rooster factions of the Group).
The episode ends on a great cliffhanger, in which Frank's house is seemingly enveloped in a nuclear shockwave. We wanted something totally jaw-dropping to end the episodes, and I don't think anybody would want to miss the next script after reading the finale few paragraphs of "Swords..."
As I said before, "Swords..." is really just a big tease. It does a lot of setting up for the next episode (perhaps too much) and provides readers with a lot of enticing incidents, great set-pieces and strong visuals. Very expensive, if it was ever made! But not out of budget with what Millennium could do in reality, which makes it believable. We never wanted to do script which would require $10m to recreate for TV.
I think "Swords" ranks as an effectively dynamic set-up to our VS4 swansong, and despite its flaws as a self-contained episode, it does its job. I definitely believe this script is a real "virtual page turner" and has a lot to offer fans of the show. Things really do seem to be racing to a head, and the tension and excitement levels are being cranked up for some big pay-off in "Revelation."
TRIVIA:
- "The Swords of Armageddon" is a metaphor for nuclear weapons as instigators of doomsday. Also, since nuclear bombs are the most deadly weapons on earth today, they are the equivalent to swords a millennia ago.
- In the teaser, the Black family are watching TV at "10:13" pm. 1013 being an oft-used injoke regarding "Ten Thirteen Productions"; Chris Carter's production company that made "Millennium" and "The X-Files."
- The character of Nielsen was named after The Nielsen Ratings (the method used to record how many viewers watch certain TV shows in America). The fact he spends most of the script inside a white van is also a kind of joke (since the van resembles a TV detector van, which I'm not sure America has, but in Britain these vans supposedly patrol the country and fine people who aren't paying their TV licence). Also, the bane of Millennium has always been poor ratings, so Nielsen's fate by the end of "Revelation" is a salute to what we think of those Nielsen ratings.
- Some of the brief visions Frank sees throughout this episode were actually recalled form actual nuclear footage in the "Trinity" documentary often shown on the Discovery Channel. I recommend you watch it, and visit the Trinity website. It would help you visualize the imagery much better.
- Finley's passphase - "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" - if the opening line in Charles Dickens' "A Tale Of Two Cities." Obviously, she was given a "proper" passphrase before Brian Roedecker started dishing out sci-fi quotes from the 60's!
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