In the last couple of weeks, we've had a couple of interesting cases that show us what a double-edged sword it is to have 4400 people walking around possessing gifts that we have no clue about how they are meant to be used. Many people have gifts that they think can be used for good, but often find that there are consequences they never imagined from using them. As I stated in a previous recap, it's this ripple effect of people using their abilities that has become the theme of the show.

Now, there are some people who have great gifts. Shawn Farrell can heal people with his hands and Maia Rutledge can predict the future. Well, actually, she just regurgitates visions she has, but same difference, right? And who can forget the case of Isabel, who can apparently sense danger and compel people to both murder and commit suicide.

Most of the 4400 with extraordinary gifts have tried to keep them under wraps. Shawn Farrell only uses his to pimp money for Jordan Collier and his 4400 centers. Gary Navarro had the ability to read minds, but was quickly taken by the NSA. Maia wanted so desperately to fit in that she hid her gift, and Richard and Lily are running all over the country trying to keep people from getting to their baby. But what if one had a great gift, and not only told people about it, but used it for his benefit, selling his services to the highest bidder? That is exactly what Trent Applebaum did when he discovered that he held the power to dramatic weight loss.

Trent was abducted 15 or 20 years ago, and when he was gone, his wife died, and his daughter gave up her dream of going to college. She now works at a diner, and he is trying to sell timeshares that aren't worth the phone call he makes trying to sell it to you. Trent had to enlist in a loan shark, and when he couldn't pay up, the gangsters came to collect. They pushed him around a bit, and told him they would kill him if he didn't get his act together.

Now, a funny thing happened on the way to being wrapped up in a garbage bag in the trunk of Cadillac. When Trent's gangster friend came to his house, he not only could give a shit about the money, but he had lost weight. And like any good person who lost a bunch of weight, he wanted to let his spouse in on the secret, and she was more than agreeable, considering he was probably getting some boom, boom, boom on the side as well. Trent had done nothing other than share some saliva with the other guy before he started his rapid weight loss. After taking a swig of water from the wife's water bottle, Trent also started her on the path to weight loss as well. Like any good capitalist, Trent immediately thought of how he could make as much money from his saliva as possible without having to worry about making his jaw hurt.

Although Diana and Tom think that this is the first instance that a 4400 is selling his exclusive rights, we know that Shawn has been healing the ultra-sick (and ultra-rich) in order to get more money for Jordan's 4400 centers. We know that Shawn really believes in what Jordan is doing, and so do a lot of followers. So what does Jordan think about his 4400 centers? Well, for one thing, it is a great way to pull some celebrity ass, in this case Chloe Granger.

Chloe Granger is a singer who is interested in the 4400 enters, and Jordan is interested in her, ostensibly because he thinks a celebrity will be good for publicity, and we know how well Kabbalah did after a few Hollywood freaks got into it. He may be interested in the publicity, but he is also interested in boning Chloe, and that is just what he does. In the sex scene, you get quite a shot of Billy Campbell's ass as well (but nothing we haven't seen on network television already). They sort of blurred it out though, or at least I hope they blurred it out. If they didn't, Billy Campbell has the strangest layer of fuzz surrounding his ass this side of Robin Williams.

Shawn, who has always been wary of Jordan even while believing in his cause, disapproves of not only the sex, but the idea that somebody can move up through the level of enlightenment just by paying some more money. That doesn't sound like any sort of cult religion that I know of. He also learns that this Chloe is not the first woman Jordan banged because he is the 4400 Supreme High Master or whatever he calls himself. Devon, the hot little brunette secretary who has been running around the center, has also done a little bit of personal tutoring with Jordan as well. I hear she went from "no teeth" to "use your left hand as well" to "roll them around" in only one night. Now that's what I call a good student!

Posted by J-Unit on June 29, 2005 5:50 PM