Millennium’s Legion Myth Arc

A personal Polaroid keepsake of Sarah-Jane Redmond as Lucy Butler in Millennium.

There were many facets of evil or ‘Legion’ throughout the series, seemingly earth bound evil manifestations, physical vessels used to commit crimes or sometimes messengers representative of a meta-physical, absolute evil perhaps even suggesting a hierarchy. However one of the most popular with Millennium’s dedicated fans and also the most seen throughout the show’s three televised seasons was that of evil Lucy Butler, played four times (plus cameos) with increasing intensity and depth by talented actress Sarah-Jane Redmond.

Sarah-Jane first appeared as Lucy in Millennium’s season one episode Lamentation and again briefly in the follow-up episode Powers, Principalities, Thrones, and Dominions. Lucy (Redmond) would later feature in the excellent Season 2 episode, A Room With No View (a firm fan favourite), before returning for Season 3 episodes Antipas (reminiscent of 1976 horror film The Omen) and Saturn Dreaming of Mercury (featuring a brief but essential appearance to confirm the involvement of Legion).

Aside from Lucy Butler, other manifestations of ‘Legion’ would present themselves throughout the series, commencing early on with Season One’s second episode in the guise of cult leader Ricardo Clement in the episode Gehenna.

Clement’s character was shown as a winged beast that would later become the representative icon or face of evil in the minds of the series’ fans, perhaps even a glimpse of the Devil itself.

In what was an absolutely thrilling scene, Gehenna featured another remarkable performance, this time by young actor Sam Vincent who portrayed the role of Bob Smith (a fake telemarketing scam name, used by multiple call center operators). Bob (incidentally listed in the episode’s credits as Dylan) was absolutely terrified by his understanding of the true nature of evil and the raw unnatural power behind the representative cult.

Dylan/Bob Smith (actor Samuel Vincent Khouth), a terrified victim of the Gehenna doomsday cult in Millennium.

He warned Millennium Group criminal consultant Frank Black about its power, knowledge and influence, “No one is safe from it. You don’t know what you’re talking about… It knows. It knows everything. It knows the numbers…”. Prior to his unnatural death at the end of this powerful scene he would add, “Nothing can save you from it. You can’t save me from it.”

‘Legion’ reappeared in the fourth episode of Millennium entitled The Judge. Frank Black was approached by the episode’s antagonist, a twisted vigilante played with considerable intensity by actor Marshall Bell calling himself ‘The Judge’, this time with the offer of recruitment and ‘protection’.

Millennium’s The Judge, actor Marshall Bell. (Fox Television).

The Judge literally offered Black a pact with the Devil, “Every man finds his own path to justice. You needn’t commit yourself now. The offer’s open. A month, a year… Many benefits. I know you’re sometimes scared for your family, your wife. There’s a child now too, yes?”

Following Lamentation, the overtones of Legion would reappear in the fifthteenth episode Sacrament when a kidnapper claimed Satan (Legion) was forcing him to do evil.

Richard Green (actor Dylan Haggerty) believed himself to be under the control of Lucifer and doomed to burn in the fires of hell in the Millennium episode Sacrament. (Fox Television).

An unthinkable scenario developed involving a representative of Legion appeared in the second season episode Monster when five-year-old Danielle Barbakow, was determined by Millennium Group investigators to be responsible for the deaths of her fellow classmates. Danielle attempted to divide the parents of the other children in attendance at the nursery school and despite her young age, shockingly tried to frame protagonist Frank Black for child abuse. Fortunately she was unsuccessful and towards the end of the episode was placed under foster care with a family belonging to a Millennium Group member, presumably to aid in the understanding of evil, as with Dr Fabricant.

Frank Black would again be offered ‘protection’ in exchange for him sitting back which showed us that ‘Legion’ considered Frank to be a serious threat to its agenda during the approaching millennium.

The Curse of Frank Black, Season 2’s outstanding Halloween-themed episode which has since become quintessential October viewing, saw Frank guided throughout the episode by a coincidental series of numbers, permutations of 2, 6 and 8 and puzzling visions of the so-called ‘Gehenna’ winged beast.

The face of evil appeared to Frank Black in the residue of a congealed thrown egg at Halloween in Millennium’s The Curse of Frank Black. (Fox Television).

Eventually Frank identified the connection, something ‘Legion’ was guiding him to, Chapter 26 Verse 8 of the Bible. Frank located a question, “Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?”. Frank was given a further opportunity to take sides from an apparition who appeared in Frank’s attic.

Millennium’s viewers also witnessed Legion’s influence on the patients and inmates of an insane asylum in the episode The Pest House, although Legion as such was never directly identified.

Frank was later supplied with powerful visions of both the advantages and disadvantages of joining Legion’s ranks, together with a glimpse of what Frank’s fight against Legion might ultimately cost him in the Season 3 episode Siren.

It was however Lucy Butler portrayed by Sarah-Jane Redmond, who became the most fascinating and favorite temptress of evil with many of Millennium’s fans.

Millennium’s Lucy Butler – Lamentation

Sarah-Jane appeared for the first time on the show in Season One’s Lamentation as Lucy Butler, the wife of a truly evil Dr Ephraim Fabricant, a serial killer who some years earlier had brutally murdered five nurses in Cedar Falls. Lucy was suspected of orchestrating Fabricant’s escape from police custody whilst in hospital after donating a kidney. Lucy would later remove his remaining kidney without anaesthesia. The episode revealed that she also was previously accused of murdering her own child, but was ultimately acquitted in a Courtroom. According to Fabricant, Lucy was “the base sum of all evil”. He also referred to her as “the devil’s liege”.

An image of Sarah-Jane Redmond as Lucy Butler in Millennium episode Lamentation.

Powers, Principalities, Thrones and Dominions

Lucy also briefly appeared at the end of the following episode Powers, Principalities, Thrones, and Dominions in a dramatic scene involving the discovery of a wounded Mike Atkins, a Millennium Group Member and mentor of Frank. Upon discovering the Atkins, Frank chases the suspected assailant through a nearby supermarket. Inside, Frank spots another representative of ‘Legion’ pushing a shopping cart, Attorney Al Pepper played with sheer panache by actor Richard Cox. As Pepper pushes the cart, Frank works up behind him. When Pepper’s cart again comes into view, it is being pushed by Martin, a killer responsible for the attack of a young nanny. As the cart appears again, it is being pushed by Lucy Butler.

Lucy Butler is glimpsed towards the end of the Millennium episode, Powers, Principalities, Thrones and Dominions.

Antipas

Sarah-Jane returned to the role of Lucy, much to the delight of her fans, in the third Season episode Antipas as the hired nanny for a wealthy family. Butler again makes use of her sexual powers on married father John Saxum, peaking his curiosity and his wife’s jealousy. Lucy exploits their weaknesses, playing one off against the other in order to attract the attention of now ex-Millennium Group Candidate Frank Black.

Sarah-Jane Redmond in the third Season episode Antipas.

During a night time dream-like visit in Frank’s hotel room, Lucy Butler is seen as the winged Gehenna Devil, leading us to consider that she subjected him to non-consensual sex, to support the argument that the child she is carrying was his. Frank dismissed the argument and Lucy reacted violently, threatening the safety of Frank’s daughter Jordan.

Sarah-Jane in the third Season episode Antipas in full prosthetics.

After trying to kill Frank’s new FBI partner Emma Watts, the pair drove away from the family’s home but collided with the Long Haired Man, who upon closer inspection was seen as Lucy Butler, who informed Frank that she lost their baby as a result of the accident.

Saturn Dreaming of Mercury

Sarah-Jane appeared for a final time as Lucy in a brief ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ end of episode scene in Saturn Dreaming of Mercury, written by Chip Johannessen and Jordan Hawley. Frank Black and daughter Jordan watch a burning house as the young child Lucas appears in a window and is transformed into Lucy Butler.

Sarah-Jane would appear again for a final time as Lucy in a brief ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ cameo in Saturn Dreaming Of Mercury, written by Chip Johannessen and Jordan Hawley.