THE 4400: SEASON 2



2.5: As Fate Would Have It - 2.6: Life Interrupted - 2.7: Carrier - 2.8: Rebirth - 2.9: Hidden - 2.10: Lockdown - 2.11: The Fifth Page - 2.12: Mommy's Bosses




2.5: As Fate Would Have It

Written by Craig Sweeney
Directed by Nick Gomez

I’ve had some frustrations with this series, especially when certain episodes take an interesting concept and find a way to make it utterly predictable. A couple of the episodes earlier in the season fell into that category, but thankfully, this episode breaks the mold a bit. While it’s easy enough to figure out where the story is going, the characterization is strong enough to keep things engaging.

One thing I really like is the “shades of grey” motif running through the entire concept. Isabelle is one freaky little kid. Was her vision a lie, or did she only tell Jordan what he needed to know, so that his “death” could become the impetus for his change for the better? Or was it all just a lie, Isabelle’s way of eliminating a threat by gaining Jordan’s confidence and knowingly plotting his demise?

Whatever the case, I love the religious imagery throughout the episode. Jordan fits rather well into an “Antichrist” role at this point, right down to the apparent assassination and foreshadowed resurrection. Is the role of the 4400 to be the engine of change that brings about human awareness through acts of equal good and evil? Is Jordan Collier (note the initials!) supposed to create a movement that, in the end, will force humanity to react with something more genuine?

Sean’s role is interesting because he was supposed to be Jordan’s conscience, but he’s being tempted by the same trappings of power and control, if the end of the episode is to be believed. That would be too bad, because Liv, played by Lindy Booth, is incredibly attractive and could be one hell of a good influence on him. Then again, this escalates the tension between Tom and Sean, setting them on opposite sides even as they appear to be finding common ground.

Am I the only one happy about the fact that Lily and Richard are finally done with the Incredibly Redundant Road Trip from Hell? Things are so much more interesting now that Isabelle is in a central location, where she can become a personal concern for her parents and the goals they have in life. Heidi might have had a condition independent of Isabelle, though, so it’s still possible that Isabelle and her true nature are still misunderstood.

Going back to the “predictability” thing…it was still easy enough to see where things were going with Kyle and Jordan, but the difference is that it carries the story forward. The two previous episodes didn’t do that; the main plots were incredibly predictable, and therefore didn’t meet the promise of the premise.

I will say, though, that I hope that this is all going somewhere. The writers and producers have openly admitted that they like to keep their options open, and so there’s only a general concept of where the story is going. There’s a lot that deserves explanation, and this episode is filled with examples. It’s one thing to have so many “shades of grey” to explore, but given the fact that there’s only an assurance of several more episodes, I hope the pacing picks up a bit. This isn’t “Lost”, where the producers knew rather quickly that the story could take its time.

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

Final Rating: 8/10


*****


2.6: Life Interrupted

Written by Ira Steven Behr
Directed by Michael Watkins

Every so often, a series will begin with a well-worn plot device and end up in completely unexpected territory. Moments like those remind us why we love the show in the first place. When I was watching the trailer and first act of this episode, I thought I had it all figured out. I knew Alana had to be planting that fantasy world into Tom’s head, but never for a second did I consider that it might be something more than an individual action.

What’s great is that the episode doesn’t start off in “reality”. It begins in the fantasy world and continues to progress from there, right to the decision point. Ironically, I mentioned in my comments for the last episode that I wanted to get a better idea of how Tom’s role was supposed to play out. Sure enough, the writers were one step ahead of me. Instead of following up a huge episode with something predictable, they drop down an episode that is clearly important to the series and its mythology.

One thing this episode touches on, at least tangentially, is the concept of “consensual reality”. The fantasy world that Tom inhabits through most of the episode is not internally consistent. There’s no way that NTAC would let him back in the field if he were still showing signs of instability. He certainly wouldn’t be given a gun! The point was to get him to where the door is, so his mind could absorb that piece of information. As Alana says later in the episode: if he were to reject what was being given to him, he would prove that he wasn’t the right man for the job.

One of the most difficult things to do on a series is building a loving relationship. It usually takes a very long time, or methods of storytelling that skip over that time. It’s nearly impossible to have a relationship just appear out of thin air. And yet, that’s exactly what the writers have accomplished. Tom and Alana are given a nearly perfect relationship, complete with a shared sense of how things ought to have been, and that gives them an instant rapport. Tom doesn’t have to go through the process of explaining all his problems to someone new.

This ought to play out very nicely over the rest of the season. Things are about to get traumatic for Tom, and he’s going to want to turn to Alana for support time and again. She’ll be there, as planned by “the future humanity”, to serve that function and keep him on task. But how will the others in Tom’s world react to the idea of this sudden, fully functional relationship? At what point will NTAC begin wondering whether Tom is acting of his own accord?

And that brings up an interesting possible parallel with Kyle. Some have speculated (and I happen to agree) that Kyle might be receiving ongoing “instructions” from “the future humanity”, all part of a kind of maintenance program for the plan involving the 4400. Something needs to be done, Tom hasn’t done it in a timely fashion…Kyle is utilized. Isn’t using Alana and her ability essentially the same sort of thing? Using Tom against his will?

In a way, that says a lot about “the future humanity” and the intention of sending back the 4400. They say it’s for the betterment of the future. But their methods leave much to be desired, and if they used questionable ethics in creating and maintaining the 4400, why assume that their end goal is any less questionable? What if the evidence begins to suggest that the 4400 were seeded back into humanity for a malevolent purpose, and Tom and Diana are placed in even more conflict with NTAC?

A lot of the imagery was very creepy, especially the representation of the facility where “the future humanity” (I really have to think of a better name) altered the abductees. The writers took a risk by focusing so completely on a few characters and one plot thread, but it fundamentally alters Tom and changes the status quo completely. Not only that, but I had no idea what the twist would be, and that it would turn out to have so many layers of potential consequences. This is already one of my favorite episodes, if only because it demonstrates that the format can be altered successfully.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 3/4

Final Rating: 9/10


*****


2.7: Carrier

Written by Douglas Petrie
Directed by Leslie Libman

This is the mid-point of the season already, sad to say, but the series has hit its stride. After a couple of episodes that took the story in completely unexpected directions, this episode settles back into the format that worked so well at the series’ inception. At the center of the tale is the discovery of a lethal 4400, but the real impact is what happens while everyone is running around on the job.

I happen to like that a lot better, especially now that the subplots are more interesting than the ones at the beginning of the season. No more endless road trips through the most bigoted regions of the Northwest, at least! Instead there’s more of a focus on how dealing with the 4400, on a personal level, is far more unusual than one can predict.

I’m glad that the writers didn’t assume that Alana was simply part of the gang now. Her integration is being handled nicely. I like the fact that her “knowledge” of Kyle has only served to demonstrate how much his condition has stolen away his choices. He’s just a lot more aware of it now. He also knows that he shot Collier, which the previous episode suggested would be discovered shortly. It’s a great place for Kyle’s character to be in at the dramatic mid-point of the season arc.

Sean’s travails are also strong narrative ground. It would have been easy to have him proceed with only a few token doubts, but the writers take the more difficult road. Adding a lobbyist with a personality and look very similar to Collier just adds to the tension. Now it’s not just a pseudo-religious movement; it’s also a movement with designs on steering political currency. I’m actually sad that the writers only have six more episodes this season, since this part of the story alone is worth spending hours exploring!

It was inevitable, perhaps, that April would try to use Maia as a gambling device. That was probably the most predictable part of the episode, because it centered more on genuine human emotion than the more fantastic elements of the series. April should have seen it coming a mile away…but then again, that’s inherent to her character. She’s so wrapped up in her own world that it’s easy for her to see Maia as a tool rather than as a person.

Not as interesting, but probably just as important in the long run, is this crush that Marco has on Diana. The writers seem to be trying to avoid the obvious Tom/Diana pairing by offering other possibilities (or quickly writing them into place). As disturbing as the whole Alana thing was, this is actually a lot more creepy. Marco is trying way to hard to get on Diana’s good side, and that fake diary is just asking to be discovered. Season finale, anyone?

The case this time was nerve-wracking on two levels: the modern fear of all things microbial, and the fear of unfettered religious zealotry. Jean Lynn Baker is about as mentally unstable as a person can be, so why would the “future humanity” give her the “ability” to unleash a “death field” through sores in her hand. Once more, the whole idea that the 4400 are preparing humanity for a better and brighter future is under question. (And any future that manages to make the lovely Sherilyn Fenn look so ragged can’t be 100% benign!)

Another strong episode with a relative minimum of predictable moments. Tom and Diana continue to be on paths that promise conflict down the road, and both are making choices to protect loved ones against their own abilities, good or bad. Sean is beginning to see how corrupted and corruptible the 4400 Movement can be. No wonder this is one of the most acclaimed genre series around!

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

Final Rating: 8/10


*****


2.8: Rebirth

Written by Lisa Melamed
Directed by Milan Chaylov

After a few weeks of strong plotting, this episode slips back into a more predictable mode once again. It wasn’t hard to figure out where the story was going once the first act was over. There were some good character scenes, especially in terms of the reconciliations, but the central story was a bit too overwrought.

The tragedy in Rwanda was something that the Western world, for the most part, ignored. The media never made much of it, and while Middle Eastern and European matters dominated the United Nations and international diplomacy, the atrocities in Rwanda barely came into conversation. Anyone with a sense of humanitarianism would have to agree that the world dropped the ball, and that the lack of something to gain from taking matters in hand had much to do with it.

With that in mind, I found it gratifying that the writers saw fit to address the fact that it even happened. I don’t take issue with that, as it gave Edwin a strong motivation for personal redemption, even unto a painful and lingering death. It was a rather predictable resolution, but it made sense for the character. Hill Harper did a great job of communicating the inner turmoil within Edwin’s soul.

But the extension of that plot to Tom and Diana wasn’t as smooth. Tom, in particular, was way over the top in his response to the revelation that Edwin was tied to the Rwandan atrocities. He was immediately enraged, and he never really bothered to see any other side of it. It felt strongly out of character, especially coming on the heels of an episode where he was willing to save the life of a woman able to kill millions on a mood swing.

The writers did suggest (not enough, IMHO) that Tom was on edge because his doubts about the true purpose for the 4400 were coming to the surface. He has good reason to harbor such doubts. As I’ve speculated in previous reviews, the goal of the “future humanity” doesn’t seem nearly as straightforward as the finale of the first season suggested. In fact, much of the anticipated impact of certain 4400 (especially the now-dead ones) has been speculation within NTAC. There’s plenty of reason to think that the agenda is, at the very least, a bit more complicated.

Diana, on the other hand, has plenty of reason to be frustrated, but she seems to keep her head together a bit more. In fact, she keeps her head a little too much. If Tom comes across as more angry than he should be, and less than inclined to consider other points of view, then Diana is a bit too ready to see the “upside” of Edwin’s ability and give him a second chance. A more realistic approach might have been to give each character misgivings about their points of view; instead, Tom was tossing people into walls.

On the home front, it’s about time that Diana had a confrontation with April. It’s good that the situation from the previous episode didn’t just disappear, and that it will have ongoing consequences. I like to think of this as being important to Maya’s development; she really needs to understand how people will want to take advantage of her, and she’s learning quickly. This will no doubt continue to be reinforced as NTAC tries to use that fake diary to anticipate problems.

Family is also an issue for Sean, Kyle, and Danny. I thought that Sean and Danny reconciled way too easily. It should have taken more than a few angry words and an almost-fight to work everything from the first season out. It provides a means of applying pressure on Kyle, which is important to the season arc, but it also takes something away from the sense of isolation that Sean has felt. I’m hoping that it’s a move towards placing Sean between his family’s good influences and the political goals of Mr. Slimy Lobbyist.

Perhaps the best subplot of the episode involves Richard and his attempt to find closure with the soldier who beat him for dating a white woman back before his abduction. There’s a certain bittersweet quality to the reunion scenes, where these old men do everything possible to make sure Richard understands that they feel remorse for their actions. But Richard learns something about how holding on to hate and rage can kill you inside when he visits Lee. I wish more of the episode had been devoted to that part of the story.

But the character moments didn’t keep me from wincing whenever Angry!Tom stepped into a scene. It was jarring, and it felt more like the writer jumping on a soapbox (however justified) than a genuine reaction from the character. It took me out of the episode more times than I can count, and so I found myself less than pleased with the episode as a whole.

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

Final Rating: 6/10


*****


2.9: Hidden

Written by Frederick Rappaport
Directed by Vincent Misiano

This episode has a lot of great tension. It’s essentially a race against time to save Kyle from the consequences of the “future humanity” and their decision to use him for their own gains. The season is definitely building towards a major confrontation between Tom and Diana and NTAC, and it’s not going to be pretty.

Moving back to the main story in this episode avoided many of the pitfalls that I felt hurt the previous installment. It’s all about character, and this time, everyone is acting in a manner consistent with earlier episodes. I still suspect that Tom’s anger in the previous episode was related to his underlying resentment towards the “future humanity” and their manipulation of his family, especially after seeing the beginning of this episode.

Tom is just about ready to lose his mind. His support system is essentially a “wife” who was all but forced into his lap for reasons that are still hard to pin down and a partner who is also dealing with her own secrets and personal agenda. It takes him a little longer than I would have expected for him to figure out that Kyle killed Jordan Collier, but once he does, his actions are consistent with a desire to protect his son from paying for decisions that weren’t his own.

Unfortunately, that involves some seriously illegal actions. Tom is completely compromised now. He’s attempted to destroy evidence, but his methods were haphazard at best. He’s left his fingerprints all over the place, and it should soon be clear that he was impeding the investigation. The real question is whether or not Diana will be the one to find out about his involvement first, and whether she will feel more loyalty to him than to NTAC.

This is likely, from my point of view, because Diana has Maia speaking in her ear. NTAC believes that they have a suspect in custody, so they won’t be looking for anyone else until the prints don’t match. Maia’s comment should have Diana suspicious of something beyond the obvious, and Tom’s behavior has been more than a little unusual. Taking all of that into account, I can’t help but think that this will bring Tom and Diana, by virtue of Kyle and Maia, in direct conflict with NTAC. (I’m also seeing that warning that Tom received at the beginning of the season with respect to all of this.)

Of course, the fun part is that it’s impossible to predict where events will force the characters to go. Even taking into account character consistency issues, there are a ton of factors that play into the coming maelstrom. Tom has a tendency to work outside the box of protocol, and Diana has a tendency to rely on the comforts of procedure. But how long will that continue to work for them? Diana is already making choices against NTAC as it is.

The whole Sean/Liv thing finally comes back into play, and since history repeats itself, there’s tension with Danny when both brothers realize how incredibly hot the redhead is. Frankly, I felt Sean was completely justified in telling Liv that a kegger wasn’t a great idea, but he failed in the most important respect: he should have immediately explained that her recovery from addiction was the root cause of his decision. Leaving it open left both Danny and Liv thinking that Sean was being a jealous tool.

Liv continues to be a great foil for Sean. Liv represents the kind of personal connection that Sean would certainly prefer to make, all things being equal. His treatment of her, however, has changed since he has taken over control of the 4400 Center. How Liv reacts to Sean is reflective of how much he’s changed, even if he doesn’t see it.

This was a classic transitional episode, with all of the major plot threads in play. Considering how often the major plot threads are relegated to subplots behind some “4400 of the Week” story, this is a refreshing change of pace. This is a lot better than the previous episode, and it plays on many of the strengths of the premise. While I hope there are still some strong stand-alone episodes in the works, I also hope that the producers continue to let the story evolve more consistently, like in this case.

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

Final Rating: 8/10


*****


2.10: Lockdown

Written by Douglas Petrie
Directed by Douglas Petrie

As the short season draws towards its conclusion, the major plot threads seem to be coming together. At least, I think they are. Things are still wide open enough that I can see many of these plot threads still awaiting resolution when the summer ends. Unlike “Dead Zone”, where the next season has already been ordered, the fate of “The 4400” is up in the air. (OK, I fully expect a renewal, given the ratings and critical acclaim, but it’s still not a done deal.)

This episode is something of a chaotic mess, but for once, that’s a good thing. Events spiral out of control when NTAC gets a taste of how unprepared they really are for a direct attack by the 4400. Therein lies the biggest challenge: what happens if someone with truly destructive abilities decides to make Jordan Collier a martyr?

Now the leadership of NTAC is in tatters, just in time for the 4400 to come down with a mysterious plague. I’m not sure where the writers are going with that. I was leaning towards some kind of genetically engineered virus, but now? I doubt anyone in the “present” understands the 4400 well enough to create something like that. So now I’m wondering if this is something built into the 4400 themselves by the “future humanity”…a momentary loss of ability, prior to an evolution of their abilities.

Of course, I’m also wondering if Kyle’s blackouts were only related to the shooting of Jordan Collier. There’s Kyle’s new love interest, who seems obsessed with him. Does she know more than she’s letting on? There has to be a reason why that plot thread had such a prominent place in the episode. I may not be making much sense with this speculation, but I just get the feeling that Kyle, the “future humanity”, and the apparent plague are all connected.

The episode is dominated by the situation at NTAC, which gets violent fast and never lets up for the rest of the hour. I was impressed by that. It must have been hard for the male cast to put that much energy into every scene, for days on end. It also didn’t come across as too contrived a plot device, since people acted with just the right level of desperation. I like it when the plot says that people are acting unrestrained, and then it actually looks that way. Too often, the actors hold back.

While NTAC is busy falling apart at the seams, things are getting ever more interesting at the 4400 Center. Sean is continually finding new ways to be compromised, and this plague isn’t going to make things any better. Which brings me to another possibility that I’m toying with. From the very beginning of the season, Isabelle has been shown as doing bad things to people who threaten her well-being. The jury is still out on Jordan, but she certainly seems to have been involved.

So the question is: does Isabelle realize that something is going on with all these secret psychological tests? Just who is ordering them? I have the feeling that Matthew is behind it. Would Isabelle have the power to strike back at the other 4400, if she believes that they were straying from their intended purpose? (And I’ll mention the fact that I’m glad Isabelle and her family has come back into the picture.)

And then there’s Jeffrey Combs, whose character returns to the story in this episode. He’s not at all happy with the 4400, and he’s still a bit unstable. Could he have been the source of the plague? The problem with that character is that he’s something of a paradox; he’s the father of the 4400 in the eyes of many, but the presence of the 4400 must inevitably affect his choices and actions. How that plays out could toss many of the assumptions about the 4400 and many earlier revelations out the window.

All these open questions are actually a good thing at this point. It gives me hope that the writers are looking to expand the series’ premise into new and unexpected directions. A lot of the recent episodes have defied my expectations, branching out from the “4400 of the Week” format that had become predictable. There’s equal potential for the storytelling to become disorganized, contradictory, and muddled, but for now, I like the fact that so many basics were overturned.

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

Final Rating: 8/10


*****


2.11: The Fifth Page

Written by Ira Steven Behr and Craig Sweeney
Directed by Scott Peters

This episode really brings back a lot of the tension that was promised by the episodes earlier in the season, and I’m very happy about that. As it turns out, the government was behind the plague afflicting the 4400, and there was a hidden agenda behind it. The search for that agenda is really a subplot, but it speaks more to the future of the series than anything else.

Of course, that wasn’t the only thing working for the story. The line between the 4400 and the rest of humanity has been drawn, and in a sense, Jordan Collier was right. They really were better off working together, because his resource may have saved dozens, if not hundreds, from becoming tools of the government. Above all, regardless of what Lily might think, those tests on Isabel might have been more important than even Matthew believed.

OK, so…the plot against the 4400. It’s actually a rather crude but effective means of controlling a population with powerful abilities, many of which can be used against the controlling authority (as seen in the previous episode). Take the entire population and trick them into getting regular doses of a substance that they become dependent upon for their continued existence. Then take it away. Wait for people to start getting seriously ill, and then come through with the “cure” to the disease…which, of course, will require regular doses of the treatment to prevent the return of the ailment.

What’s not clear is how far the suits in Washington are willing to take this, and what Dennis is going to allow Tom and Diana to do with the information they’ve received. Diana has the scientific expertise to find a way to turn the situation around, perhaps, but Tom has other issues than Alana’s health. While he’s trying to save his “wife”, Kyle is basically handing everything but a confession to the girlfriend of the main suspect in Collier’s shooting. I strongly suspect that Tom’s glimpse of Kyle’s arrest, during his vision with Alana, will come to pass in the season finale.

While our intrepid agents are unlikely to get the job done on their own, a possible solution is waiting in the wings. Isabelle is out there somewhere, and I find it interesting that she wasn’t affected. Two things come to mind: Isabelle has never been given the treatments required by the government, and as a result, the only medical information is in whatever file the 4400 Center happens to hold.

So if there’s a third season (which from what I understand, is less certain than I thought it was, given the ratings slump this summer), I can’t help but think that Isabelle will be the key to saving the 4400. Of course, saving them would only open the door to retaliation. No matter how it falls, attacks like the previous episode are just the beginning.

One thing that does make me wonder, though…NTAC still talks about the 4400 as if there are actually 4400 of them still around. Some have died, haven’t they? And even more of them are dying now. It might be nice for someone to mention, at some point, how many are left. Something like what they do in the opening credits of “Battlestar: Galactica”, where the number of survivors is slowly but surely reduced over time as people are killed in action.

I really enjoyed this episode, because the chaos of the previous episode was never resolved in some artificially clean manner. Things are getting about as messy as one would expect them to get, and interpersonal relationships are tested in the process. That gives scope to the story and personalizes the larger plot concerns, and that brings back a lot of the elements that made this series work so well in the first place.

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

Final Rating: 8/10


*****


2.12: Mommy's Bosses

Written by Ira Steven Behr and Craig Sweeney
Directed by John Behring

This short summer season for “4400” has been bittersweet. Looking back, it’s hard not to think that some of the early episodes wasted time that could have been spent on the kind of strong storytelling that marked the last few episodes. The writers managed to take something that felt rather disparate, without a clear vision, and make it all look like a cohesive (if chaotic) whole. I feel as though this episode really made a case for the series to continue on stronger footing.

So what did this episode give us? Turns out I was right about the promycin, at least so far as the fact that it was being used as a means of control. It’s just that the government didn’t know what to do once things started getting deadly. I’m happy to see that it was due to NTAC’s lack of information and understanding; NTAC simply ran with what they had. It means that their one weapon is now apparently gone, and the 4400 will all gain the abilities they were meant to have.

Maia is entirely correct: this will lead to a war between “normals” and 4400s. Casualties are already beginning to mount on both sides, and it’s just a matter of time before things explode. This is a lot more interesting to me than the “4400 of the Week” mentality that drove earlier episodes. I can easily see the third season being all about the struggle to stop the conflict from turning into a full-blown world war. (Anyone out there read “Rising Stars”? I foresee something similar to that, and have from the beginning.)

I wasn’t expecting Kyle to turn himself in, or for Tom to be there at his side when it happened. Was the crisis that Tom would experience, as foretold by Alana earlier in the season, really the “plague”, or is something worse coming on its heels? I also wonder how Kyle is going to be able to defend himself legally, now that the controlling consciousness is gone.

A couple of things were too easy. It’s a little convenient that Sean would be able to heal the other afflicted 4400 so soon after being given the promycin boost. No treatment works instantly, and if his immune system was compromised, it would still take days or weeks for it to be restored, once the neurotransmitters were back to normal levels and the body chemistry was back to equilibrium. Also, Tom’s standoff with Dennis was a little too public, and Dennis backed down far too quickly.

Still, it brought a lot of plot threads to a satisfying momentary resolution. Isabelle was, as predicted, the source of the “cure”, and the events of the second season premiere actually led directly into the events of the finale. So far as that’s concerned, I’m damned impressed. Even better, the stage is already set for the (hopefully) third season, beyond the obvious escalation of the conflict.

Why Jordan Collier is running around as a bum, I don’t know. I have a hunch that it’s somehow connected to the consciousness that was controlling Kyle, since Collier’s “removal” was orchestrated by the “future humanity”, who clearly knew he wouldn’t die (I pointed out the Jordan Collier = Jesus Christ metaphor a long time ago). Whatever the case, he seems to be awaiting the right moment to return; perhaps Isabelle’s vision of his Nobel Peace Prize weren’t so far from the mark, especially if he comes back and manages to stop the war from happening.

In this episode’s latest lesson in Awkward Temporal Mechanics, there’s the little issue of Kevin Burkhardt. Kevin is supposed to become the “Father of the 4400”. What better way than by testing the ability to transform an ordinary human into something more? Of course, this brings up an automatic “chicken or the egg” issue: was the creation of the 4400 directly predicated on their arrival at an earlier date in the timeline?

And then there’s Isabelle. I’m on the fence about this. While it will certainly enable the writers to explore Isabelle’s purpose and agenda in far more detail, this “rapid aging” thing is one of the oldest tricks in the book. The only thing that keeps me from rolling my eyes is the fact that mentally Isabelle was already operating at an adult level. The question is this: without years of influential nurturing with Richard and Lily, will Isabelle manage to have a moral compass? Or will she continue to manipulate others on a whim? (And as an aside: just how hot will she turn out to be?)

Seems like Isabelle could make a play to control Sean through various means, and that should make things interesting. She’s the ultimate wild card, because NTAC doesn’t know a thing about her. One interesting possibility is a rift within the 4400, should the war come to pass. Whatever the case, Isabelle’s presence and purpose lies at the very heart of the questions surrounding the “future humanity” and their true goals.

At this point, there’s no word on the future of the series, though the producers and writers speak as though renewal is a done deal. Apparently, even with the ratings slump experienced this season, the ratings were good enough at the end to beat out some heavy competition (“Six Feet Under”, for instance). That ought to make a third season worthwhile to USA Network, but who can truly understand network executives? Hopefully they will continue to see “4400” and “Dead Zone” as a powerful summer line-up, so that the writers can continue to take this series to the next level.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 3/4

Final Rating: 9/10





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