The 4400 Blog

Written by Ira Steven Behr and Craig Sweeny
Directed by Nick Copus 

Ever since the season premiere, I’ve been impressed with the level of complexity and continuity present in the third season.  In the finale, there are number of elements from “The New World” that come back to pay off in the final hour.  A lot of shows have struggled with the idea of a tight season arc; I think I can safely say that this was one of the more satisfying attempts.

Some would say that the finale was predictable, but I think there’s a huge difference between “predictable” and “well-foreshadowed”.  An episode is really only “predictable” if the resolution to a new crisis presented in the teaser or first act is telegraphed long before any complication etners the picture.  “Well-foreshadowed” is something else entirely.  The writers knew where the story was going from the premiere forward, and they made sure that everything was in place well ahead of time. 

For instance, it was important to introduce Boyd, because he plays into the ruse that eliminates Ryland’s men in this finale.  It was equally important to demonstrate how invulnerable Isabelle could be, so that her survival was a matter of course.  Similarly, Richard’s telekinesis emerged in the premiere, and was refined through a desire to protect the world from Isabelle.  Tom was given the chance to stop Isabelle without resistance, only to regret it later.  (If there was one element that I would call “predictable”, it was the resolution of the final act; I called that in near-perfect detail the minute Richard was practicing throwing knives!)

So now Isabelle is effectively out of the picture, and her effect on the course of the series was certainly unexpected (yet consistent with the end of the second season).  So as anticipated, Jordan is able to use his grass-roots movement to spread the stolen promycin to the masses.  The question is: will those empowered by Isabelle’s promycin become the forebears of the Future Elite?  Could that be the method by which Isabelle preserves the Future Elite and ultimately overcomes the 4400?  It would play into the idea that Jordan has been deceived. 

I also like how the whole Diana/April/Ben thing addresses one of the concerns I’ve had for quite some time.  Tom’s involvement with NTAC seems to be fairly clear: he wants to be an advocate for the 4400 and he can’t have influence in NTAC if he’s not there.  But Diana has to protect Maia, and when is enough enough?  Now she has the chance to get out of the game and find some safe place to ride out the storm.  The kicker is, April has chosen to take the promycin.  My guess is that April’s reaction to the promycin will lure or force Diana out of hiding and back in the saddle.

With the series renewed for a fourth season, the status quo looks to be taking another major shift.  Alana’s abduction is an interesting twist, though it once again brings into question her role in Tom’s development.  With Isabelle neutralized, does the future believe that Tom’s role has been fulfilled?  Or is her knowledge gleaned from Jordan seen as a threat?  Ryland has even more political currency against Jordan and the 4400, the Center has been closed, and who knows what kind of individuals will get abilities.  If the writers can pull off another season like this, then the fourth season ought to be one hell of a ride. 

This is the part where the season finale review would usually launch into a discussion about the season as a whole, but things will be done differently moving forward.  The “4400” post-mortem (so to speak) will be the main focus of this week’s episode of “Dispatches from Tuzenor”, the podcast associated with my various reviews.  That episode should be up after the weekend, so anyone interested is invited to drop by the archive site (www.entil2001.com) and click on the link.  (It’s also available on iTunes.)

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

Final Rating: 8/10

(Season 3 Final Average: 7.8)
 

Written by Bruce Miller and Ira Steven Behr
Directed by Scott Peters

Once again, the writers demonstrate how a clear vision and a strong season arc can be a powerful storytelling tool.  Nearly everything that happened in this episode was set-up from the very beginning of the season, and when the inevitable DVD set comes out, I’m sure a lot of people will be stunned at how well it all hangs together.  I, for one, will not be, because I’ve noticed the difference from the moment the season began. 

Another fan put it perfectly when discussing this episode: the best thing about the series is that you never know who the good guys really are.  In other words, each side of the coming conflict has a damned good point, and in terms of general philosophy, one might agree with all sides.  It’s the extreme nature of the steps taken in implementation of that philosophy that becomes troubling.

Jordan laid it all out in this episode.  The catastrophe is not one single event, but the culmination of a societal flaw.  The accumulation of resources and power by a select and elite few will result in the majority of humans dying in a future wasteland, trapped outside of a vast walled city of plenty.  As science fiction concepts go, this is an old one, but it touches on the class and social struggles of the current era. 

The implication is that the masses secretly sent back the 4400 to challenge the elite, changing society by changing humanity.  The Future Elite, one might assume, then seeded the 4400 with Isabelle, their attempt to preserve the circumstances of their own rise to power.  Jordan’s gambit in this episode fits into this conception perfectly.  He is taking away the chance for the Elite to co-opt the 4400 abilities and giving it to the masses.  It is a sensible enough plan.

To use the “X-Men” analogy, Jordan is playing the Xavier role.  He’s using former terrorists (like formerly criminal mutants) and convincing them to use their talents to level the playing field in a non-violent manner.  Yet there’s also a touch of Magneto in Collier, and it remains to be seen how far he will go to preserve and protect his own kind. 

Of course, there is a potential twist to all of this.  What if Jordan is actually fighting for the wrong side?  It’s an assumption that Ryland and Isabelle are working to preserve the Future Elite.  What if Jordan’s plan to distribute the promycin to the masses is the first step in creating the Future Elite?  What if Jordan’s best intentions are actually being manipulated?

The interesting thing to consider is that Jordan is acting to change something, but he has no idea what effect his actions might have.  He may not even know the circumstances that led to the rise of the Future Elite, beyond vague and general changes over time.  For the short term, Shawn’s visions of the conflict to come seem close at hand, and that does not bode well for some of the characters!  My guess is that the bloody events foreseen by Shawn will be the result of Ryland’s forces attacking the 4400 Center, under the banner of “anti-terrorism”. 

This is all culminating in one hell of a finale, and I can only hope that USA Network once again sees the light and supports this series with another season.  This has been the highlight of the summer season in many respects, and I certainly look forward to seeing where the writers can take it from here.

(As a sidenote: I also have a podcast associated with my various reviews called “Dispatches from Tuzenor”.  Recent episodes cover the “The 4400”, so it might be something of interest.  Go to http://entil2001.libsyn.com if you want to listen!) 

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

Final Rating: 8/10
 

Written by Ira Steven Behr, Craig Sweeny, and Adam Levy
Directed by Fred Toye

With only three episodes to go, including this hour, the season has been above average nearly the entire stretch.  This installment simply continues the trend, and unless the writers completely miss the mark on the finale, this will be the most successful season of the series yet.  This is something that other shows should take note of: it is possible to maintain quality over an entire season and still explore new ground.  Stacked next to this, it’s no wonder that “Dead Zone” seems to be struggling and stagnating week after week.

All that said, this episode was not perfect.  The “A” plot was about as good as it gets, with an awful lot of positioning and politics tossed into the mix.  Jordan’s return is, indeed, messianic, as was always expected, but it worked a lot better than I would have anticipated.  Having him create a quasi-religious movement, without even knowing his own identity, before he re-emerges?  Brilliant.  Using this situation to grant Alana some kind of quick dispensation to come back when it counts?  More brilliant. 

Jordan is now in the perfect position to exert political and social pressure to achieve his goals.  Socially, his grass roots quasi-religious return supplies him with non-political pressure behind the 4400 and their future destiny.  He has a lot of people willing to listen to his words and warnings, and in the wake of the Nova Group’s disintegration, the disaffected 4400 need a purpose.  Jordan is even more of a perfect leader than he ever was before, and more to the point, he’s far more dangerous because of that influence.  He would be the perfect candidate for leading the 4400 in a pre-emptive strike against Ryland’s forces, especially if he has seen the future and he knows that such action is necessary.  Similarly, his move against Isabelle suggests the knowledge of her choices to come.

At this point, speculating on the shape and scope of the near-term conflict is almost impossible.  There are signs that Jordan and Shawn will be at odds.  Jordan and Richard seem probably allies against Isabelle, and if Shawn sticks with Isabelle, that could explain Shawn’s visions from the previous episode.  Tom got what he wanted from Jordan, who acted decisively once he had what he wanted.  Could Tom ally himself with Jordan and against Shawn?  This is all going somewhere, and the best part is that the pieces have been clicking into place all season. 

Alana’s return should put to rest any fears that Tom will be having a romantic relationship with Diana, and it also helps to alleviate my concerns about Alana’s role in Tom’s life.  The writers have restored my faith in that regard; I probably should have known better, but they have me on the edge of my seat.  Alana was critical to Jordan’s return, and she also knows a lot of what Jordan experienced.  That could be very important.

The only element of this episode that annoyed me was Diana’s subplot.  Taken in concert with Alana’s return, it keeps Tom and Diana as professional partners, which is good.  But this is even more abrupt that Alana’s initial appearance, and it seems like an odd reason to bring back April.  It was nice to see Diana looking so hot and in this unusual plot thread, but it was a bit jarring to have this overlap with Jordan’s return.  But when an episode needs a “B” story, something has to happen! 

(As a sidenote: I also have a podcast associated with my various reviews called “Dispatches from Tuzenor”.  Recent episodes cover the “The 4400”, so it might be something of interest.  Go to http://entil2001.libsyn.com if you want to listen!)

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

Final Rating: 8/10
 

Written by Amy Berg and Craig Sweeny
Directed by Allison Liddi 

The season continues to march towards one hell of a confrontation in the finale, and if this episode is any indication, the battle lines are already drawn.  Through two very different types of storytelling, the shape of the near-future is placed in relative focus, leaving more than enough room for debate.  And of course, there’s the end of the episode, which sends the story into further chaos.

The main plot of the episode set up one side of the equation.  Ryland’s stockpile of promycin, extracted from Isabelle, has been used to create the prototype for a new kind of army.  This effectively fulfills Isabelle’s role as the agent designed for the destruction of the 4400.  Not only is she the source of promycin used to create an enhanced army capable of taking on the 4400 and their mission, but she is nearly invulnerable, making it all too easy to keep creating reinforcements. 

Two items come to mind as immediate implications.  The short-term question would be the desire to stop the extraction of more promycin, to prevent the further creation of anti-4400 forces.  Tom’s ability to take down Isabelle could play into that, especially if it’s seen as a way of limiting the scope of conflict that is sure to come.  The other implication could play into the whole “catastrophe”.  Once the anti-4400 forces eliminate the 4400, they themselves become a threat to humanity.  Does Ryland have a way to deal with that possibility, or will the instability among the anti-4400 soldiers lead to the catastrophe itself?

Shawn’s plot thread may play into all of that.  While I found the means of his visions to be somewhat annoying, since it easily could have been something that came from Maia instead, it served the purpose of leaving the audience very worried about the near future.  It really does look like a choice between the lesser of two evils, and it all comes down to Shawn’s relationship to Isabelle. 

If Shawn marries Isabelle, does that keep her within reach, so Tom can do what must be done?  And does that, in turn, push Shawn to become more of a leader?  There are a lot of open questions, but it also seems that Richard needs to take more control of the 4400 Center, and that leads to a “pre-emptive strike” against Ryland’s forces.  That could be a necessary action to prevent the catastrophe.  On the other hand, if Shawn doesn’t marry Isabelle, it could be that her wrath and instability leads to a widespread escalation of conflict, perhaps because she could not be eliminated early enough and the war between the 4400 and the anti-4400 leads to the gradual destruction of humanity.

I thought that the episode provided more than enough foreshadowing and maneuvering to last the rest of the season, but the return of Jordan Collier adds a wild card into the mix.  Where will he stand on the whole issue of Isabelle and Shawn?  If that relationship is so important to the fate of humanity, and Jordan is convinced that he is meant to shepherd the 4400 towards their proper destiny, Isabelle stands in direct conflict with his assumed goal. 

Whatever the case, this series continues to deliver.  Throughout the season, every episode has been packed with enough detail and potential for pages and pages of analysis and speculation.  It’s exactly what fans of shows like “Lost” and “BSG” need in a summer series.

(As a sidenote: I also have a podcast associated with my various reviews called “Dispatches from Tuzenor”.  Recent episodes cover the “The 4400”, so it might be something of interest.  Go to http://entil2001.libsyn.com if you want to listen!)

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 Scott Peters

If the previous episode felt a bit more “stand-alone”, then this is a massive return to the strong continuity that has been the hallmark of this season.  There are three major plot threads in this episode, and all of them promise to result in future plot twists.  And then there’s the ending, which points to a finale with implications that far exceed those of the second season finale.  Any worry I might have had about the pacing of the season has been addressed. 

The main plot thread for the episode, of course, is the alliance between Dr. Burkhoff and Tess, the schizophrenic patient played by Summer Glau in the second season premiere.  With her inclusion in the story, Dr. Burkhoff’s arc becomes a lot more substantial.  Now the circumstances of his reawakening links into the current events, adding seemingly stand-alone elements into the big picture.  I’m very happy to see that Burkhoff’s experiments are connected to his role as the “father of the 4400”, and I’m even more convinced that it ties into the catastrophe at the core of the mythology.

The question remains: will Burkhoff’s experiments, definitely known by Ryland’s allies within the government, lead into the “military applications” that Burkhoff mentioned in an episode earlier this season?  It’s only speculation, but I would guess that Ryland’s interest in Isabel and her ability to produce promycin, key to her ability to save the 4400 at the end of the second season, is designed to level the playing field.  Burkhoff would be the perfect case study to determine how best to use the promycin to create an “anti-4400” force.  (And my guess is that the ensuing conflict will lead to the catastrophe, thus creating that time paradox loop that I’ve speculated upon before.) 

Diana’s forced evolution further complicates her relationship to the 4400.  The injections might have been stopped in time, but it’s also possible that permanent changes have been made to her physiology.  If so, how would that compromise her position within NTAC?  This could go in a lot of directions, because it’s quite possible that she could end up a renegade, with Tom forced to choose between allegiance to his partner and the 4400 and the demands of his superiors.

Back at the 4400 Center, Shawn is getting a chance to rebel, but that opportunity is also reminding him that his ability puts him in a bad position.  He could easily compromise his morality and run off with the band, leaving the Center to Richard and damning the consequences.  He’d have a lot of fun with the groupies, and since his new friends have a deathwish, who cares if Isabelle finds him and takes a few of them out as an example?  Shawn, of course, is trying to deal with the fact that he’s trapped, and it’s taking him into a bad place. 

Richard, meanwhile, is finally getting an interesting arc of his own.  Along with some alone time with the gorgeous Heather, he’s also learning how to control his emerging telekinesis.  He obviously intends to use that power to stop his daughter, and there’s an interesting possibility with that.  Tom has a syringe with the means to eliminate Isabelle.  Isabelle knows that Tom will eventually come for her, and she could probably deal with Tom.  But would she expect her father to use his ability to drive the syringe into her with an ability he wasn’t supposed to be able to control?

Like many “4400” episodes this season, there’s almost too much to talk about and speculate.  It’s easily the most consistent series of the summer, and it’s driving towards one hell of a finale.  With only four episodes left for the season, there’s a lot to cover.  But something tells me that the writers are more than capable of the challenge. 

(As a sidenote: I also have a podcast associated with my various reviews called “Dispatches from Tuzenor”.  Recent episodes cover the “The 4400”, so it might be something of interest.  Go to http://entil2001.libsyn.com if you want to listen!)

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

Final Rating: 8/10