Tom finds a way to get Kyle back home, but he really needs a way to get back on the case of the 4400 and his partner, Diana, is on the case. Her partners are going down faster than reality contestants at a casting call. Diana is not without her connection to the 4400 as well. She adopted Maia Rutledge, a young 4400 who was abducted when she was about 9 years old. She returned with the ability to tell the future. Maia didn't really understand her ability, so she would often blurt out what would happen to people, even though it would frequently freak people out. This made it difficult to find a foster family or regular school. Diana adopted Maia, and for some reason, Maia's abilities sort of disappeared, although she was still having trouble adjusting to her new life and was therefore homeschooled.

Diana eventually finds a way to get Tom back on the case of the 4400s, although he is on a short leash. They start out with the case of a returnee, Tess Doerner, and her apparent ability to get people to do what she wants just by thinking about it. Tess is crazy, possibly schizophrenic, and spends her time drawing charcoal pictures of this huge structure people are telling her to build. At first, the administrators at the hospital think it is no big deal. After all, the only people who are listening to Tess are other patients, who are also crazy. Unfortunately, one of the orderlies dies while grabbing an item off the roof of the mental hospital that is supposed to be used in this communication structure they are building. This tips off the people at the hospital, and they call Homeland Security for help.

When Tom and Diana ask Tess, she says that she has been told she has to build it, and that it is a communication device to reach the future humans. They want her to come back, or so she says. Her explanation is so crazy, that it might just be plausible. Honestly, stranger things have gone on since the 4400 have returned. Then again, she also believes that there are scientists in submarines listening to everything she says, so maybe we should take it with a grain of salt. It would be easy to just dismiss this as crazy, but soon, there are tons of people working on this thing, including the hospital administrators, doctors, and some of the team Homeland Security sent to investigate these matters. Tom and Diana take her into detention, hoping that by removing the source of all the thoughts, the people will stop.

Now that Kyle is out of custody, there are a number of things that he wants to do. He wants to get some semblance of a normal life, and therefore wants to get in touch with Shawn, who was his best friend before the whole abduction/coma fiasco. Problem is that Shawn is under the careful watch of Jordan Collier, who hasn't exactly kept him in captivity, but isn't exactly letting him go out whenever he wants. Like any good cult leader, Jordan keeps Shawn's old friends away (he had security kick Kyle out when he said he didn't need an appointment to see Shawn), as well as telling him that his old friends won't understand his new life. To distract Shawn, Jordan is sure to provide plenty of money, a great apartment, and as many happy-ending massage therapists as a young man could need.

Despite all of this, Shawn is not happy. He doesn't care what Jordan might do, he wants to see his cousin. Jordan threatens to cut him off, which we know is an empty threat, because a) Jordan still needs money for his centers and b) ever since touching Lily and Richard's baby, he has these sort of seizures that wreck his body, and Shawn is the only one who can stop them. Shawn does finally get a chance to see Kyle, but the reunion is not like they planned. Kyle wonders why Shawn can't just leave, and starts to wonder when Shawn starts talking like - well, Jordan Collier. Shawn is starting to believe in the centers, and Kyle thinks that Shawn is being used. Still in denial about what is happening, Shawn leaves his cousin to return to the 4400 center, where he finds Jordan Collier ready to welcome him back with open arms.

Jordan Collier has had an effect on other people besides Shawn Farrell. His book is selling millions, and everybody is trying to read it, include most of the 4400s. That includes Lily and Richard, who are anxiously waiting its appearance in their small town. Lily has a special connection to the baby Isabel, and the baby has been telling her that they need to get out of town. Richard noticed that somebody has been leaving some notes with Bible verses around town telling of the upcoming apocalypse and how God will punish this or that. Basically, some crazy man got hold of the Old Testament and is applying some crazy logic to justify his hatred for the 4400.

Posted by J-Unit on June 12, 2005 3:54 PM