"Loin Like a Hunting Flame" is the twelfth episode of the first season of Millennium.

SynopsisEdit

Frank Black tries to track down a serial killer who provides drugs to his victims, watches them indulging in sex and then murders them.

SummaryEdit

In Boulder, Colorado, a rave is underway in a nightclub. Pharmacist Art Nesbitt (Hrothgar Matthews) approaches a young couple, offering them drugs. Later, all three of them are in a room elsewhere, with Nesbitt recording the couple having sex. When they finish, he poisons them by injection. Their naked bodies are found the following day in a botanic garden, posed to resemble the story of Adam and Eve. The Millennium Group, a private investigative firm, despatches offender profilers Frank Black (Lance Henriksen) and Maureen Murphy (Harriet Sansom Harris) to aid the police investigation. Detective Thomas (William Lucking) feels uncomfortable working with Murphy, believing that women do not understand male sex offenders.

Elsewhere, Nesbitt is spying on a swingers' party, and follows two women as they leave to buy more alcohol for the party. He impersonates a police officer and pulls their car over. The next day the women are reported missing by their husbands, and their bodies are found posed in a park. Nesbitt is next seen working in his pharmacy, when another young couple come in to purchase medication in preparation for an exotic honeymoon. Nesbitt instead surreptitiously gives them an MDMA-like drug, suggesting they take it immediately.

Meanwhile, the investigation has found traces of this drug in the other victims, with Black believing that the killer not only has access to it through his occupation but is likely consuming it himself while committing his crimes in order to readily act on his sexual fantasies. Black follows up on this, and investigates Nesbitt's pharmacy. Nesbitt is not working at the time, but Black realizes he must be the killer. He interviews Nesbitt's wife (Barbara Howard), finding that they have not had sex in eighteen years of marriage—however, Nesbitt has recently become interested in trying again.

Later, Detective Thomas tells Black that he really has no problem with Murphy—his true issue with the case is his own past. Having investigated sexual offences in the past, Thomas had found the cases affecting him personally, leaving him unable to have sex with his wife and leading to their divorce.

Black realizes that the killer is trying to experience the sexual encounters he missed out on before his marriage, and that he believes his victims are living the happiest moments of their lives because of his actions. He returns to the Nesbitt home, finding the honeymooning couple locked in a bomb shelter below the house. Black runs upstairs, thinking that Nesbitt will murder his wife, but arrives in time to see him commit suicide by injection instead.

Background InformationEdit

Cast and CharactersEdit

• William Lucking (Detective Thomas) previously played Roky Crikenson in The X-Files episode "José Chung's From Outer Space".

• Hrothgar Mathews (Art Nesbitt) previously played Jack in The X-Files episode "The Jersey Devil", Man on Phone in "The Host", Creighton Jones in "Our Town" and Galen Muntz in "Talitha Cumi".

• Malcolm Stewart (Vic) previously played Dr. William Glass in The X-Files episode "Pilot", Commander Carver in "3", Agent Bonnecaze in "Avatar" and Dr. Sacks in "Tunguska" and "Terma".

• Doug Abrahams (Detective Kent) previously played Patrolman #1 in The X-Files episode "Pilot", Agent #2 in "Gender Bender", Paul Vitaris in "Die Hand Die Verletzt", Detective Neary in "Hell Money" and Farbaugh in "The Field Where I Died".

• Barry Greene (Mark) previously played Bob Perkins in The X-Files episode "Darkness Falls".

• Fawnia Mondey (Lauri) previously played Ruby Tip Stripper in Millennium episode "Pilot".

• Tyler Labine (Gavin) previously played Stoner Dude in The X-Files episodes "War of the Coprophages" and "Quagmire".

CastEdit

Main Cast

• Lance Henriksen as Frank Black
• Megan Gallagher as Catherine Black
• Terry O'Quinn as Peter Watts

Guest Starring

• William Lucking as Detective Thomas
• Hrothgar Mathews as Art Nesbitt
• Harriet Sansom Harris as Maureen Murphy
• Barbara Howard as Karen Nesbitt

Co-Starring

• Malcolm Stewart as Vic
• Doug Abrahams as Detective Kent
• Barry Greene as Mark
• Michael Buie as Randy
• Derek Hamilton as New Mel Dodd
• Natassia Malthe as New Leslie
• Peg Christopherson as Sylvie
• Crystal Cass as New Anne
• Fawnia Mondey as Lauri

Uncredited

• Dawn Mander as Leslie
• Eric Olsen as Mel Dodd
• Carrie Davis as Anne
• Dorion Davis as Sherrie
• Rafe McDonald as Tim
• Michael Sunczyk as Doorman
• Laurel Gray as The Pathologist
• Jon Ratt as The Husband
• Tyler Labine as Gavin
• Jenny Mitchell as Kim
• Kelly Irving as Ron
• Jaclynn Grad as New Sylvie

External LinksEdit

• Loin Like a Hunting Flame on Wikipedia
• Loin Like a Hunting Flame on IMDb
• Loin Like a Hunting Flame at TV.com

ReferencesEdit

SEMICOLON-SEPARATED LIST OF ITEMS/LOCATIONS REFERENCED IN EPISODE (BUT NOT LINKED TO IF ALREADY LINKED IN SUMMARY OR GUEST STARS SECTIONS)