Critical opinions of the Millennium Group's role within the series have generally been negative, tending to focus on their inconsistent presentation. Writing in the collection Back to Frank Black: A Return to Chris Carter's Millennium, author Joseph Maddrey found that the changing nature of the Group's aims and methods seemed contradictory, writing that "over the course of Seasons Two and Three, the Millennium Group appears to become more dedicated to promoting fear of the future than to fighting it". In another essay in this collection, Gordon Roberts described the Group as "endlessly fascinating", and compared the Group to an organized crime syndicate, likening its requirement of continued devotion to the family unit. Keith Uhlich, writing for Slant magazine, felt that the "reinvention of the Millennium Group from a criminal consulting firm to an ancient, protective sect" did not fit with Carter's typical character development, which focussed on individuals and the careers that "define their existence". The A.V. Club Zack Handlen felt that the third season's focus on a villainous Group reduced them to "yet another cabal with seemingly limitless influence and power", describing them as "just another one of Carter’s beloved shadowy conspiracies". Footnotes References Fictional secret societies Millennium (TV series)