Ladies and gentlemen it's time, once again, for our masked avenger, wrestlemaniac and super powered reviewer DiRT to cast his x-ray vision upon another episode of Millennium and direct his considerable following in our direction in the process. This time it's Maranatha and Frank Black's battle with a Russian Antichrist.
In Maranatha, Frank Black and Peter Watts investigate a series of brutal killings in the Brighton Beach Russian community of New York City. The shotgun slayings seem to be the work of mysterious Russian diplomat Sergei Stepanovich, a man recognized by the local immigrants as Yaponchik, a mythical Russian figure destined by prophecy to be revealed as the Antichrist. Now it might just be me but Yaponchik could well be a near rival for Lucy Butler as one of Frank's most chilling adversaries.
To my mind, Maranatha had the feel of a gothic melodrama with few spoons of Russian religious thinking mixed with global unease about nuclear power but you're not here to listen to me right? So grab a Vodka, a dish of Soleniye Ogurscy and settle back for more from the man with the mask.....
Is he right or wrong? What do you think of Maranatha? Did Chip write his Millennium magnum opus way back in season one or was his later attempts much better. And what about Lance, great acting or do better next time? Whatever your opinion about this episode and this review we want to hear about it.
As always, every new video we add to Youtube, or is added to Youtube for us, reaches out to a whole new audience and may find a Millennium who never knew of our campaign in the process. Don't forget, keep sending those letters and postcards to Mr. Steve Asbell.
As always, lend your considerable support to the man and go visit his own websites and find out what it's all about. Remember, every video made for the this campaign is an indispensable way of reaching out to a potential new campaigner.
Mark x
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15 Responses to "Here's Dirt's Thing - Maranatha Video Review!"
Wow, DiRT's a fast reviewer.
Sorry guys, the next music video is on next Monday, it's ready. But I really want to get back to schedule so that's why there's no music video this week. Flashback Weekend and being sick right after that US trip really messed my schedule up, yes, even the sleeping schedule.
I admit I didn't like this episode the first time around, but when I revisited it when I bought the DVD set I saw how good it was, I think Yaponchik is more frightening than Lucy Butler, just look at that hospital scene.
Cheers from Iceland!
- Jósef
Though I differ on the episode's impact - probably in my top four all time - a great review, and glad to see a mention of the science/supernatural dichotomy, which, even though it used Revelation, wasn't really heavy-handed.
Plus, Watts was still skeptical ("do you really believe that?") before a certain showrunning twosome turned him into an acolyte of JC.
Very inconsiderate of Frank to disturb you while your trying to get some sleep Dirt.Very funny.
Maranatha is definitely in my top 10 Millennium episodes.Yeah I love the shotgun to the faces,the blood and gore as much as the next person,but there is that spiritual aspect that for me stands out even more than the blood and gore as it did in so many episodes.So I agree with you that even if the Antichrist is revealed as Yaponchick,then that only means the next part of the prophecy will be coming. As the priest said "When the evil one walks the earth,rejoice."
Did anyone notice how the fence Yaponchik climbs over at the beginning changes so that the barbed wire doesn't slow him down?
More brilliance from Dirt. The more creative he gets with these videos the more I enjoy them. They are getting unmissable.
I have always speculated that, if MillenniuM had not been cancelled, we would have seen likes of Sergei Stepanovich (a.k.a Yaponchik, a.k.a Anti-Christ) again. In fact, I think the Virtual 4th Season that plays out such a story-arc.
I absolutely love Maranatha. I think the Yaponchik character is great, with all the subtle tie-ins to Anti-Christ mythology. The use of the word "Yaponchik" with it's double meaning of "boogie man" as well as a powerful organized crime/business man - with the power to decide/mediate disputes, that is: The Judge... that is Legion. There is another subtle tie-in with Yaponchik to Anti-Christ mythology. According the prophesy, the Anti-Christ will be a great peace maker, uniting the 10 Kingdoms as Frank and Peter discuss. I also thought it was brilliant tying in the Wormwood prophesy to the Chernobyl disaster complete with Chernobyl meaning "Wormwood." And, of course, the "10 Kingdoms" prophesy tie-in to the nations of the former Soviet Union.
I just think it would have made for a great story-arc to revisit one or more times, especially, perhaps to end the series with.
Yaponchik: half his face blown off, still has the means to escape and ready to control the world. He goes down of my favourite villain in season one :)
Single best episode of season one of Millennium. Serial Killer of The Week with more depth and with a little magic. Thursday wouldn't be Thursday without these reviews. Any chance of downloads?
I really enjoy these reviews and I wondered if I could ask Dirt to turn his attention to "Beware of The Dog", it's my favorite episode and I would really enjoy his take on it.
Thank you.
"before a certain showrunning twosome turned him into an acolyte of JC"
Bloody hell dude you must have been incredibly proud when a certain returning showrunner turned him into Hannibal Lector in Skull and Bones. Nice to have that certain showrunner rectifying the mistakes of old.
I always preferred Watts as the governor of charnel houses where mass executions were covered up as bones and flesh were flayed and bleached prior to burial in mass graves. Much more in keeping with the character than the misguided, conflicted and complex believer of the first two seasons.
Anyone for the Seattle Chainsaw Massacre?
Dirt: watch the episode again and you will notice that Yaponchik's bandages appear and disappear in certain scenes as well! Great review buddy!
This is a good episode from season one. It is nestled quite nicely between Broken World, an excellent episode and Paper Dove, a cliff hangar from hell.
Yaponchik is easy on the eyes but so evil. Yes, he is at least as evil as Lucy Butler. Had he appeared in other episodes, he may have personified the evil he portrayed.
I like the review. It is rather entertaining since it was taped in the morgue. That was a good laugh. Hope you enjoyed your DiRT nap!
Keep up the good work!
Anyone for the Seattle Chainsaw Massacre?
Why Not?
The Time is Now!
This Is Who We Are!
Rhonda
How creative is this? The man in the mask rocks!
Hey
I love to see a detail review on DiRT´s favorite episode of Millennium.
From June Ijeh
Aw hell, don't get me started on that junk. Loved the idea of the obsessed writer, and even the gruesome murders, but I share Lance's take on MG as bad guy.
A fair review. I was actually thumbing through this site to find the Chip Johannesson interview and I find a maranatha review! Some might say....prophetic...
Chip seems like the quintessential X-Files author with the stuff he wrote for Millennium, but the only thing he wrote for the X-Files was "Orison," which I actually found to be a bit of a letdown! I am a big fan of the more apocalyptically toned episodes, so this if one of my favorites.
Compared to some of Chip's other episodes, I find this one to be a little more straight forward. However, I come to that conclusion by having significant knowledge base on the subject of Christian prophecies. The headwound recovery is drastic, but it's also the most distinct and clear biblical prophecy to know who the anti-christ is. The other dozen or so prophecies are more vague and tend to relate more to personality and the like.
Conversley, having recently read up on "Bardo Thodol," I have recently found that my religious knowledge regarding that episode has been quite lacking, causing me to miss some of the main points of that episode for the past 10 years!
That being said, Chip's epidodes tend to be deeper "Thinking Man's episodes," possibly moreso than other writers. As mentioned by the famous "Eth" on tiwwa.org, Chip seems to make you work for the meanings of his episodes, which I find exciting and informative. To a certain extent, this is also the case with "Luminary."
Overall, a nice review. Doing a review on an exam table is so Millennium !!!
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