The 4400 Blog

Written by Amy Berg and Andrew Colville
Directed by Nick Copus

In a number of respects, this is another introductory episode, delving into the details of the ongoing reaction to promicin distribution without the demands raised by a season premiere. Clearly, much of what happens in this episode will be important later in the arc, and for that reason alone, it’s easy to overlook the minor struggles with editing.

This episode is chock full of plot and character threads, almost to the point of bursting. Juggling all of that material becomes a difficulty in the middle of the episode. Some of the scenes feel like they were forced into position to keep the tension mounting and the pacing intact. Every now and then, the lack of transitions could be jarring. I can’t honestly say that I could have done much better under the circumstances; it’s amazing that the rough edges were kept to a relative minimum.

The theme continues to be the morality of Jordan’s decision to unleash promicin on the population at large. On one scale, we see how it can be misused by those in desperation: first Graham in the premiere, now Mr. Powell. In both cases, the consequences were large enough to demand NTAC response. In Brandon’s case, the solution required Shawn’s intervention, which is a new complication.

The “new world” puts use of promicin-induced abilities as a crime, because as seen with the terrorists in the third season and so forth, the powered can be a danger to society. But the powered can also be a benefit to society, and that has always been part of the series’ equation. Meghan Doyle may have to enforce the law, but under the circumstances, someone like Shawn would be a miracle for her father.

That element should help to complicate the ongoing conflict of interests for Tom and Diana. Nearly everyone in their personal sphere of influence is powered, and it’s something that has been troublesome since the beginning. Diana’s reinstatement, even on a temporary basis, may reveal something about Meghan and her stance on the powered.

On the other end of the scale, equally important, is the personal effect of promicin availability. Diana is terrified at the possibility that April is dead or dealing with a crippling ability. One might argue that Diana is now more concerned for April than she’s ever been. Danny’s decision to get his hands on promicin highlights the growing rift between the “powered” and “normals”, taking the macroscopic issue and bringing it down to the identifiable sibling-rivalry level.

And of course, there’s the most important revelation: Cassie, the cute and spunky redhead in Kyle’s life, is actually his flirty spirit guide. He’s become a modern-day shaman, whether he likes it or not, and this puts him in the position (foretold by more displaced persons transplanted by a future faction, perhaps?) to be as involved in Jordan’s cause as he desires. His spirit guide could be tapped into some subconscious communication with the future.

The implication is that Isabelle was meant to become a source of promicin, that Jordan was designed to distribute and control the promicin thus unleashed, and Kyle was then meant to take the promicin as a further control over Jordan. Perhaps that was the original intention for Kyle in the series premiere, and given that Shawn became an acolyte/adviser to Jordan over time, perhaps there was some role encoded in the abilities exhibited.

In other words, this episode may appear to focus on a “4400 of the Week”, but that’s just a pretext for putting together the rest of the character threads. The pieces have to be staged on the board and the status quo must be established, and this episode continues that process. And because this is a 13-episode season, there’s very little padding. So far, this season is living up to the legacy of the third season!

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

Written by Ira Steven Behr and Craig Sweeny
Directed by Ernest Dickerson

By the end of the third season, I was thrilled with the direction taken by the series, if only because the producers were taking chances. Some of the story points were predictable, but in a good way; the writers had established the character motivations and abilities so well that foreshadowing was rather matter of fact. But the real strength was the risky decision to set up a solid season arc with massive long-term consequences for the future of the series.

The third season ended with the widespread distribution of illegal promicin, the neurotransmitter at the heart of the 4400’s unusual abilities, as extracted from Isabelle during the third season. The odds were clearly delineated as 50/50: heads, you live and eventually exhibit an ability; tails, you die from a horrible brain hemorrhage. Three months after the beginning of the distribution, the world is beginning to feel the effects, positive and negative, and the toll is mounting on those responsible.

The purpose of the episode is to bring all the players into a starting position, as facilitated by Graham, the young man whose abilities bring the potentials of promicin into a clear context. Graham’s ability to control the will of others as an ersatz messianic figure certainly demonstrates how one injection of promicin can precipitate a world-changing crisis. It also points out how normal, non-powered individuals could easily fall prey to those with abilities, which was one of the concerns about the 4400 in the first place.

The new threat ushers in a new regime at NTAC, led by the young and gorgeous Meghan Doyle. While it’s obvious that she’s meant to bring additional sex appeal to the show, and Isabelle’s similar role in the third season was often exploitive, the writers have shown an ability to make sense of it within the story. At least they resisted the urge to bring Diana back too quickly, since her desire to leave NTAC behind should translate into a struggle to stay out of the escalating fight.

Kyle’s return to prominence in the series is a welcome turn of events, after his odd absence from the third season (apparently the actor had previous obligations). His ability, when it arrives, should add to Tom’s usual angst, and his relationship to Cally (the intriguing redhead) might serve to open more doors to the mythology, especially if she turns out (as subtly implied) to be another interloper from the future.

The episode wasn’t perfect, however. For one thing, the writers made a big deal out of Collier’s need for seclusion, especially when they focused on Tess’ mental instability (which had to remind “Firefly” fans of Summer Glau’s turn as River on that series). Yet Collier, after demonstrating his ability with Graham (perhaps implying that his release of promicin was anticipated by the forces from the future), is allowed to walk away without a bit of resistance. That didn’t quite make sense.

The second issue, also from the final act, concerned the reaction of Graham’s followers after their release. If Collier’s quick removal of promicin from Graham’s body was a bit underplayed, the reactions of the controlled were similarly subdued. One would have expected Amber to react to what amounts to sexual assault, at the very least. Despite the odd tone of the final act, this was a solid start to the fourth season, introducing a number of major and minor plot points to be explored over the next twelve installments.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 7/10