The 4400--Season Three

[neglet]

Our favorite "returnees" are coming back June 11. USA is running a marathon of "essential episodes" on June 4, plus at their website (http://www.usanetwork.com/series/the4400/) they have a special, "Unlocking the Secrets," you can watch online now before they air it on June 4.

With no new BSG this summer, plus all my network favorites in reruns, I'm really glad this is coming back!

[tstone]

So with you, negs. This is an EXCELLENT quality series that is passing under lots of folks' radar. I finished season one on DVD and can't wait to see how the story continues.

[Belledame]

It should be even more interesting now that Isabelle has grown up and the surviving 4400s have all had their powers unleashed.

I'm dying to know the point of some of these people's powers. Like the woman with the plague hands. How was she supposed to save mankind exactly?

[omicron]

TVguide.com article (http://www.tvguide.com/News/Insider/default.htm?cmsRedir=true&rmDate=06022006&cmsGuid={781A1AE6-2649-473B-9EDC-3DAC645BC589}) with Jacqueline McKenzie, who plays NTAC agent Diana Skouris.

There might be spoilers within!

Omicron

[omicron]

So far this season is looking good. I was expecting all out war, but it was an interesting tactic Nova Group took.

I think some of the biggest questions to be answered are these: What exactly is Isabelle's limits? Does she have any?

Will Dr Burkhoff be able to synthesize 4400 abilities in normal people? What will this do to society and the coming conflict?

What is the deal with Matthew Ross and where is Jordan Collier?

Overall, this season has been very good, and I am torn on how I feel about Nova group. One minute they seem terroristic, and the next they seem solely defending themselves against an oppressive government. Sure some of the themes are taken straight from the Xmen mythos, but it seems to work here.

Can't wait for sunday nights now. :)

Omi

[TrixieB]

I've liked this show since the beginning and this season seems to be the best yet. It was sad that Lilly had to go, but with an ensemble cast like this, when you add new members, some have to depart.

I have heard that Jordan will be back, but Billy Campbell has some other committments, so it won't be until later in the season. This Matthew character is just mean... I hope that Jordan will be a "kinder, gentler leader" than he is.

[omicron]

Ok, if Jordan does come back, what will happen to Shawn? Fade back into the shadows as Jordan's second, or will there be a fight for control of the 4400 center?

Omi

[DarkJedi]

I saw the actress who played Lilly on a rerun of the newest Dead Zone show yesterday and was wondering how it was explained why she was off 4400.

I may have missed that part of the new 4400 show.

Did they explain why she was gone? What was it?


Excellent show, the 4400 is...been watching it from the beginning as well and it's continuing getting better.

[omicron]

Ok, I'll assume you missed the season premiere ODJ. :) She rapidly aged and died quietly with Richard at the cabin they once lived in. Apparently it was related to Isabelle's rapid aging.

I was thinking about this show yesterday and I am wondering about the 'conflict' that the 4400 are suppose to save humanity from. Orginally I thought it might have been an alien invasion, or some worldwide catastrophy, but now I am wondering if it's not government prosecution. Which would mean that by sending the 4400 back in time, the futurists actually created the conflict themselves. Or something like that :)

Omi

[omicron]

Last night's episode was pretty good. It was interesting and as a part of a continued episode, I was very surprised by the twist at the end.


Is Maia really going to be reinserted into the timeline? What does this mean to the current timeline? It was interesting that they said they returned them to the wrong period. Is it possible that there are 2 factions of the futurists like ST:ENTERPRISE?


Omicron

[Belledame]

I don't know what's gonna happen, but these future people are officially the most selfish bastards ever. If they can walk right into any time they wish, why didn't they send some people to be the stewards of the 4400 and show them what they are supposed to do to change the timeline? I'd much rather be plopped down in the future than pre-1942. Maia's lucky she's from the automobile age. Now she's supposed to go back to the past with her Frank Sinatra crush and knee-length skirts and all? How far back are they planning to send her? The Depression? Post-Civil War? The arrogance of these people.

[omicron]

Well, guess I was right about there being factions in the futurists. Personally I think that Tom was quite selfish making them return the children. I guess that returning them was a moot point since apparently the changes they made to the time line (lunar bases, synthetic gas) didn't stop the Catastrophe.

I always suspected that Isabelle might be the problem or at least the focal point of the conflict, and it appears that is the truth. So, is Matthew part of the futuruists who want Isabelle dead, or is he a pawn of the futurists who want the Catastrophe to happen? He seemed to enjoy it a little too much when she attacked her dad.

Omicron

[Belledame]

What Tom should be asking is which team is he fighting for? He doesn't know what is coming or if he works for the good guys or the bad guys. How naive can one man be? He never even asked them about his son being possessed and used as an assassin.

Matthew is pitching for the pro-Isabelle team. He has cultivated her powers and also her childish, amoral use of said powers. She read up on ethics and choice and she still chose to enslave Shawn and give her dad a heart attack. She could have thwarted Richard a hundred other ways, but she went for the gold and nearly killed him. Matthew was sent to cultivate ruthlessness in her while she was still learning about the world.

The only thing that keeps Superman in check is his own desire to be good as established by his Kent upbringing. Isabelle lacks such a foundation.

I'm bettin' next week Isabelle puts down the NOVA group with a blink of her eyes.

[omicron]

Well, it was close. Isabelle did take out some Novas, but she also took out Matthew. I guess it's certain now that he was sent from the future by the people who don't want the 4400 to save humanity.

More and more I am thinking that Isabelle might be the crisis they are talking about. Both group of the Futurists want her dead.

I was unsure about the Alena storyline. I thought she may have used her powers to force him to live his life over and recall all the bad things about the accident, and that caused him to start drinking again and kill himself, but the episode recap on the4400.com says he just felt guilty over the deaths and started drinking on his own.

What does Isabelle want with Nyland and what is the company he is working for now?

Another interesting episode. I like this show alot, and they move at a much quicker pace than say, Lost, but still have alot of mystery and unanswered questions.

Omicron

[Belledame]

Who said Matthew's people want Isabelle dead? They want her to kill the 4400. It's only Tom's set that want her wiped out. When you suggest that she is the coming catastrophe you introduce a real chicken or the egg time problem. If Isabelle was created to stop the 4400, how can she be the problem they were created to thwart?

I think Isabelle will join forces with Ryland to monitor/control the 4400. She potentially has the power to do what he wants ultimately. He's the obvious choice since she has no other non-4400 or NTAC allies.

Why did Isabelle ask Richard to take all the agents's guns? Didn't she used to be able to do that? And much worse?

[neglet]

Maybe she can only do so much at one time; besides, we need reminders that Richard actually has an ability now.

I like how this show is exploring ideas about time travel and self-fulfilling prophecy: has Isabelle always been a threat, and it there anything she (or anyone else) can do to change that? Obviously, nothing is set in stone, or we wouldn't have the whole 4400 experiment.

I can't wait for Jordan Collier to come back and complicate things.

[omicron]

Who said Matthew's people want Isabelle dead?

You're right, I guess they don't. However, Matthew did try to get her to kill herself when Lilly was dying. Maybe he just was bluffing.

I agree, Negs. Be interesting to see what Jordan has been up to and how the 4400 Center will handle his return. Especially now that Matthew is dead, Richard has been promoted and Shawn appears to be losing control.

Also, what's up with Dr Burkoff? Last we saw he was falling apart but developing some 4400-like powers.

Omi

[neglet]

I'd forgotten about him. I'd say that's the main flaw of the show--they often set up someone to do something interesting, like Burkoff, or Tom's son (will we ever find out who set him up to assassinate Jordan?), and then ignore them for several episodes.

Still, they dole out enough new information each episode to keep the storyline going at a respectable pace, which is one thing I think "Lost" could learn from this show.

[omicron]

caught last night's episode and I wasn't too impressed by it. They really didn't advance the story much at all, although the Shawn/Isabelle storyline was interesting. And the ending was very interesting.

Shawn trying to kill her was surprising. I wasn't too surprised by her ability to survive though. More and more I think she will be the key to the coming crisis. On which side, I don't know

[Belledame]

Matthew bated Isabelle with that syringe as a test of her will to live. Once she got rid of that serum, she was on the road he was sent to guide her on. Tom's son was also part of the Others' plan. They hijacked him as an assassin to get Jordan out of control of the 4400 center, this has put Sean at the top with Matthew as his advisor. Matthew then insisted Isabelle get close to Sean, and then he asked Sean to step down and allow Isabelle's father to take over. I won't be surprised if it turns out Matthew was instrumental in founding the Nova group.

Also, Matthew spoke with someone over the phone discussing Jordan's return and the need to keep him away from Isabelle. So he wasn't acting alone and they did - by his exact words - expect Jordan to resurface bearing a grudge against Isabelle.

Kyle just isn't interesting now tht he is no longer being used as an assassion. There are too many other interesting characters that need to be dealt with.

[omicron]

Warning: Spoilers possible:


Nice episode this week. We finally get to see what's happening with Dr Burkoff. It didn't look good. I was surprised but not shocked that he was injecting others with Promicin. Apparently his work is successful since he shakes off four 9mm shots to the chest. :) Wonder what other powers he developed?

Who wouldn't want an instant healer like Shawn as the ultimate roadie? Drink, pop pills and shoot up until you collapse, and have him bring you back. I am surprised more people haven't tried this. It would be an interesting storyline to pursue. I was under the impression that Jordan was weeding out the crackpots and hyprocondriacs(and the poor :)) so that Shawn could concentrate on healing the really sick and influencial. Wonder who's doing it now? They haven't shown much of it lately.

What is Ryland's company doing with a room full of Promicin? Is it possible they are stockpiling it in the event it does allow 4400 abilities to develop? Maybe they are going to create their own soldiers. That's another storyline I am quite interested in.

Man I really like this show. It really jives with my whole X-men/comic book geek personality.

Omi

[neglet]

What is Ryland's company doing with a room full of Promicin? Is it possible they are stockpiling it in the event it does allow 4400 abilities to develop? Maybe they are going to create their own soldiers. That's another storyline I am quite interested in.

Well, we know that in the future there are two factions, one pro-Isabelle, one anti-. Perhaps they grew out of the 4400 Center and Ryland's company/the gubmint, although that's a bit circular (who created what when?). Still, we don't know how far in the future the 4400 creators are--perhaps it's not that far, and our present-day people are soon to discover the time machine. Wouldn't that be fun?

Anyway, with Isabelle cooperating with Ryland yet marrying Shaun, now would be a very cool time for Jordan to reappear. I also wonder whether Diana will develop an ability with such a short exposure to the promycin. Remember, Maya saw "mommy as a monster," so she may get worse before (if?) she gets better.

[Belledame]

I wonder if Ryland's employers don't plan to use the Promycin to create their own 4400s (a private army) or begin genetic/prenatal experimentation in an effort to create a new breed altogether. They said "stockpile" so that raises the question of whether it's for use... or for sale.


Why the hell is Sean going along with this wedding?!

[omicron]

Why the hell is Sean going along with this wedding?!

Would you want to piss off a girl who can do just about anything and not die? :smirks:


Yeah, I really think HaspelCorp have a plan to create their own '4400'.


Omi

[Belledame]

Yes. Sean and Richard should go off the grid and found the anti-Isabelle movement. Just keep lobbing nukes at her until she loses the will to live and begs Tom for the syringe.

[omicron]

SPOILERS!




Jordan's back!! Please tell me they'll give us some details about where(or when) he's been!

Those visions of the future were strange. I am not sure what was going on, but from what I gathered, they made it look like Richard started a war between 4400 Center and NTAC/government. Looks like Shawn has even more reason to marry Isabelle; to keep an eye on his father-in-law.

Guess we were right, it sure looks like HaspelCorp is creating their own 4400s. Although Ryland made it sound like it was coming from much higher up. President? Congress? Army Chief of Staff?

At least we appear to have gotten some answers for why they 4400 returned to Seattle. It also seems that the 4400 powers might be inheritable!

Another great show.

Omi

[neglet]

So, Jordan knows what the plan is, and it doesn't include Isabelle. Is she going to leave quietly, or will she go to Haspel Corp and get this party started?

Only two shows left in the season. How tragic. :(

[DaForce]

So, Jordan knows what the plan is, and it doesn't include Isabelle. Is she going to leave quietly, or will she go to Haspel Corp and get this party started?

Only two shows left in the season. How tragic. :(


I'm thinking the Haspel Corp may actually work with the 4400 against Isabelle, eventually.


I did love the way that Jordan confronted Isabelle and just told her to get out. I'm still thinking that Jordan's major power was persuasion, getting others to follow, so I'm still not entirely sold on his intentions.

[omicron]

Hmm Daf, looks like you were close but wrong. Looks like Haspel and Isabelle have joined forces.

I am really liking the main story line. I like how the factions are lining up against each other and I think all it will take is one little spark and we are going to see the shit hit the fan. :)

I am not really into the whole Diana/Ben thing. Unless there's something else involved, it just seems like a b-story that doesn't have much affect. I guess it could be related to giving her more depth, like they did with Tom. But at least Alana had some intricacies to her and overall to the main plot.

I don't trust Jordan and I think he might be a little deranged from his death and resurrection. That haircut and beard certainly don't help. :) Although his plan to freely distribute Promicin to the people sounds like a good idea. If anyone can get it, then it would prevent the US Gov't or the 4400 from being looked at as targets or people greater than the rest of the humans. It would also checkmate the Gov't plans to create their own enhanced humans.

There are things I want to see still(Jordan's powers, Burkoff's Powers). I am also interested in the Starzl mutation and what effect that might have.

Omi

[neglet]

Burkhoff's powers are regeneration--remember the scalpel he showed Diana?--but I've always wondered what Jordan's power was besides having a lot of money. I wonder if it's some sort of super-charisma--Richard was quick enough to side with him against Sean, even with the bad blood he had against Jordan because of Lily.

The Diana/Ben thing could have been done better, I'll admit. It is an interesting idea to explore, whether Maia's clairvoyance is infallible or whether you can change a future she sees, but it would have been better if Diana had fought against it for more than a quarter of an episode. (Although it did give Natasha Gregson Wagner a great scene this week.) But when you recall the Starzl mutation, it makes me wonder: was Diana given enough promycin to change her DNA? And if Ben has the Starzl mutation--this would be a fast track to showing that aspect of the plot through characters we already know about.

I love the way this show is paced--we're getting just enough new information to keep the story moving and things interesting. We've had updates on characters who'd gone missing for a while (Kyle and Dr. Burkoff), and there aren't any huge gaps in logic. I'll miss this show, but I'm so glad it's here to keep the summer interesting!

[omicron]

SPOILERS for you that haven't seen it yet!














Wow, talk about going out with a bang! I think I've said it before, Don't Piss off Isabelle. She survived the ambush at the warehouse, and almost killed Tom, Shawn and Diana. Nice to see Richard use his powers and take her down. What the heck is that white stuff, and why hasn't NTAC or Haspel synthesized more of it? You'd think Tom would have turned over a sample to the lab so they'd know about it.

The ending was had a real twist for me. I thought he wouldn't shoot her, and then BANG! I was watching it on tape, so I thought that was the end of the show. I can't believe they didn't kill her. Although it would have made season 4 alot less interesting :)

Nice twist on the Promicin. It's not gaurenteed to enhance you. And frankly, I wasn't surprised to see Kyle or April trying it. They both have had their lives profoundly affected by the 4400.

Where (or probably more likely, WHEN) was Alana taken at the end? Why is she an important part of the plan? Possibly it's a way to take Tom out of the fight, like Diana removed herself to go to Spain with Ben.

I feel bad about Marco. He has basically been ignored ever since Diana dumped him.

Can't wait to see this show next season. Has the future been saved, or is Isabelle merely restrained temporarily?

Omi