The 4400 Season 4 (1 Viewer)

[Sean Bryan]

One little gripe I forgot to mention:

I didn't like the explanation of how they knew Skouris' sister obtained the shot. In the final episode of last season, they show the shot being distributed by basically homeless people to whoever wants it (with the proper warning) on the streets, as per Collier's direction. It was portrayed as being a completely anonymous transaction. We see that she was in one of these lines and got it and walked off.

So it just didn't work saying that they found her name on a list of people who obtained the shot in an apartment that was raided. It doesn't fit at all with how it was handled in last season's final episode.

So I didn't like that. But it was pretty easy to get past it because I knew it was just a short cut (though a cheat) to get this info to Skouris and move that plot forward.

As I said, a little gripe. Probably not noticed by most viewers if they hadn't recently seen the season three final episode.

 

[BrianW]

Hopefully, we won't sink too much back into the "Freak of the Week" syndrome with the new batch of Extra Crispy 4400s. I want to see new powers and be tantalized with their consequences, but I also enjoyed the way the story moved along in this episode, and I hope they keep that up.

Graham's a dope. With a power like that, subtlety is your friend. Sure, he's only 16, but at that age, I think I would have come up with better things to do with it than getting my face YouTube and the local cable-access channel. If Collier hadn't shown up, it was just a matter of time before a vigilante sniper took him out.


Ha! Thumb Wrestling!


I'm hooked for the season.

 

[Patrick Sun]

It took me a while to recognize the young kid with the leadership power as Cameron Bright, who looks like he's going to grow up to be pretty normal looking (and not odd looking as an adult as some kid actors do sometimes).

 

[Chris]

Now we know Kyle's gift.. and we know how wrong Promicin can be used by a public who's divided on whether or not they want to be "evolved".

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Good episode tonight. They're really keeping the momentum going from the season finale last season.I like the way that Shawn is going down his own path now. It looks like he might become the opposite pole to Jordan Collier is the inevitable civil war to come; the Professor X to Collier's Magneto. It'll be particularly interesting to see where people line up when you consider Kyle's power. He is for all practical purposes, like Maia, a clarevoyant even if the mechanism is different. I could see each ending up in the opposing camps, using their "visions" against each other.

I wonder, considering the two duds we've had these last two weeks, if the original 4400 were specifically screened to do well. Even the ones that caused problems/murders served a higher objective. With the "extra crispies", that's no longer really a given.

I also liked the scene at the end with Shawn and the autistic boy. It's nice to know, with all of the complex mythology they've built up over the series, that they haven't forgotten the sheer awe of a world full of people who can do the extraordinary.

Well, Diana's back in the fold. I spent the episode wondering if she'll get under blondie's skirt, since the latter seemed to have the hots for Tom. Now I'm not so sure. Shawn's nephew heals people. Blondie's father needs healing. The woman's got good intelligence, so I don't really think she'd miss putting two and two together.

(What's blondie's character's name? Not that I don't love sexist nicknames, but in this case they're woefully vague.)

 

[NeilO]

Right, all of the 4400s in the first seasons had a "ripple" effect to promote some change. The effect that Graham might have had was more people seeing Collier and possibly more will follow him. The effect this week was getting Diana to be Tom's partner and getting Shawn to heal again.

Neil

 

[Chris]

See, I think they look at Isabelle with a really dark lens. Isabelle is "alergic" to promicin and it would kill her. I think the government likes that idea, and is looking to come up with a "take down" shot that will kill anyone who exhibits powers they don't want.

 

[Jason Seaver]

Or at least, that's what they've told Isabelle.

 

[Bryan Toth]

Exactly what I was thinking. The best way to try and prevent her from ever re-acquiring any power is to tell her that it would kill her. Then it just comes down to whether or not she's got the desire to try it. Although the whole "we'll transfer you to another prison" thing seemed a little off to me anyway. Those guys certainly do not appear to be dept. of corrections personnel, and also don't appear to be NTAC (unless there's a serious lack of communication within NTAC).

 

[Joe_H]

Also, don't forget how they made it sound last season I think it was, that there were multiple different factions from the future that had different ideas on what to do to save the world.

 

[NeilO]

Given that the "other faction" was behind Isabelle's agenda to kill the other 4400s and she was just freed during a prison transfer (they borrowed some CTU guys it appears), it seems they might be the ones behind White Light & Cassie.

Kyle's Cassie power definitely is weird. If it was just a guiding force, providing extra information that would be one thing, but saying that if he doesn't witness Isabelle's escape, she'll go away? Definitely more than meets the eye here.

Neil

 

[Andrew Beacom]

My DVR cut out just after the crash on the last episode. What happened after that? Did we see that it was Isabelle in the van?

 

[NeilO]

We saw Isabelle free herself using a guard's keys, Kyle approached the van and said, "Isabelle?" and I think that was it.

Neil

 

[Andrew Beacom]

Neil,

Cool. Thanks.

 

[BrianW]

There's something of a Reset Button component to Diana' return to NTAC that doesn't sit well with me. But that's fine. I'll see where it goes.

So far, none of the regulars who took the promycin shots has died. Statistically, half of them should be dead, though all of them still being alive is certainly a possible, though not probable, outcome.

When did it become illegal for a 4400 do use extra-human powers in service to humanity? Did they slash and burn the Saharan wheat and produce made possible by the 4400 rebel group last season?

Now that promycin is available at large, the introduction of the Starzl genetic mutation seems to have no purpose for advancing the plot. I thought the Starzl mutation would end up being a plot device to produce more people with abilities (indeed, it was postulated that that's why the 4400 were dumped in Seattle, so they could mate with Starzls and produce offspring with abilities), but with the magic elixer, that's no longer necessary.

And something we're all wanting to know: Does Kyle's ability come with benefits, like Baltar's ability?

 

[Jason Seaver]

To be fair, we don't know about April yet. Until I see Natasha Gregson Wagner in an episode, I'm assuming that Diana's got some bad news waiting for her. And I wouldn't count Kyle; he was changed enough already that I figure the promycin was just a booster shot for him. Which I think just leaves Jeffrey Combs's character as a semi-regular to take it and survive.

 

[NeilO]

Now we do. I was waiting for her to get killed all episode. I knew that her boyfriend was going to be toast right after I saw what they were doing with her power.

Kyle is quite the trusting guy - believing the full translation that Isabelle gives him. Quite convenient that he needed her to translate parts of it. Was his father's name on the list or did she put it there as a kind of revenge? How much of her original programming is still in her or does she know? When is her father going to show up again? What role will he have?

Neil

 

[Chris]

Yep, Kyle seems way too trusting. I'm wondering on the political aspiration side too.. how far could that go?

 

[Andrew Beacom]

Interesting episode. Good to see April have a chance to do something good for a change. The political stuff could be interesting although like Kyle I thought Shawn was being very trusting of a former enemy.

 

[Bryan Toth]

Yep ... I think Shawn is getting played. He seems to be a little too trusting these days, and it could end up really causing problems down the road. I imagine a number of 4400's (original and extra crispy) might have some problems with his stance against Jordan Collier. Kyle obviously seemed to feel betrayed (although Kyle also looks like he's quickly going off the deep end with this whole "White Light" cult). He's *also* a little too trusting - how does he know what she translated is even remotely close to what's on the page??? - he's just going on blind faith there.
Although this episode had one of my favorite 4400 lines ever, when April asked Tom if he'd ever had a sexual fantasy about Diana. I loved her reaction when he said "once or twice" ....