"Maranatha", a title which translates from Aramaic as "our lord has come", connects the 1986 Chernobyl disaster to biblical prophecies of the star of Wormwood.
The episode features the first of two directorial contributions from Markle, and sees future guest star Brian Downey appear in a minor role.
Millennium Group consultant Frank Black (Lance Henriksen) is asked to aid the NYPD in investigating the case.
He is joined by an investigator from Moscow, Yuri Surov (Boris Krutonog), and an undercover agent, Andrei Melnikov (Dmitri Boudrine).
Watts also informs Black that many Russians believe Yaponchik to have directly responsible for the Chernobyl disaster, which has been tied by some to Biblical prophecies of the apocalypse.
Black researches the disaster and finds a picture of both Melnikov and Surov at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, realizing that both men have been tracking Yaponchik for revenge.
Black and Watts arrive on the roof in time to see Yaponchik escorted onto a helicopter by several men, who take off before they can be apprehended.
Handlen felt that the acting was strong, and that the references to both Chernobyl and apocalyptic prophecies formed a good basis for the episode; however, he noted that the script's uncertainty as to whether its villain really was the Antichrist caused it to lose impact.
[15] Bill Gibron, writing for DVD Talk, rated the episode 4.5 out of 5, praising its " incredibly tight script" and describing it as "one of the best examples of Millennium's careful balancing act between reality and the otherworldly".
[16] However, Robert Shearman and Lars Pearson, in their book Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen, rated the episode two stars out of five, finding that its plot "gets lost in the mix" amidst the details and atmosphere of the setting.
However, he was unsure that the increasingly eschatological direction the series was taking was a positive move, as it left the central character Frank Black "largely forgotten".