This past Sunday gave us the premiere episode of The 4400 season three. I think it is a really great series, and if you Lost fans are looking for conspiracy and mystery to get you through the summer, this is one way to do it. Those of you who are still in mourning over The X-files will like the way it handles the supernatural. And for the rest of us, it's a great story with some great characters. I'll admit, it is a little difficult to get into a series like this after it's been going on for so long, but it is very addictive once you give it a chance, and I think this two-hour premiere was a good way to start.
For those of you who haven't seen the series, here are the basics. 4400 people who have disappeared over the last 50 years were returned to, well, Seattle. We're not sure why, but I think it was because the aliens who took them wanted to make sure that when a cable network told the story, they would be able to film in British Colombia for 12 the price and nobody would know the difference. Sorry, a little inside humor there.
Anyway, early on, we find that a lot of the people who returned have special powers. Some can see the future, some can cure disease, one can even create alternative universes with only her mind. But why were they taken and why would these aliens give them abilities? Well, the answer is that they weren't taken by aliens, but by future-humans, and these when these time traveleres returned, they said that these 4400 were the key to saving the future.
All of that may seem fine and dandy, but the cold reality is that there is a group of people out with special abilities and nobody is sure if these people will use their powers for good. That brings us to the government. Since the 4400 (or returnees as they are sometime called) landed on US soil, they were originally the problem of our government and like other proud moments in our history, when we couldn't figure out what to do with the outsiders, we threw them into quarantine.
Since it didn't seem like any were a threat, we sent them out into the world. It was only then that we learned of the abilities some of them had, but as long as they reported back to their local government their whereabotus, evertything was fine. What the government didn't tell them was that each time they came in, they were being experimented on. Government scientists discovered that the key to the 4400 abilities was a compound called promycin; humans barely have it, but the 4400 have it in gobs. So the governement started giving them a promycin inhibitor to make sure that nobody got too special.
The only problem with the promycin inhibitor was that it caused this disease among the people who took it. Several were killed, and the as the government conspiracy and coverup were discovered, it became apparent that somebody was going to have to explain themselves. That's where we start the third season, with Dennis Ryland, former head of NTAC (National Threat Asssessment Command - a fictional government agency) before Congress, explaining why it was that he allowed all of this stuff to go on and the Senators demanding that somebody take some accountability.
In his testimony, Ryland was unapologetic. He said that he thought the program was necessary and that it was a national security issue, and governments around the world agreeed with him. Nobody knows if the people that sent them back are really trying to help, and in a battle between "us" and "them", Ryland would do it all over again.
One of the biggest surprises at the end of last season was the revelation that Isabelle Tyler suddenly grown from a baby to a teenage girl (and a very well-developed one at that) in the space of about five minutes. Isabelle had always been a powerful baby, with the ability to do amazing things with her mind, like causing the fruit to grow on trees where ther was none, or exploding the heads of people who were coming after her parents.
For some reason, Isabelle came to the room fo Shawn Farrell. Shawn is the leader of the The 4400 center, a group whose mission is to serve the needs of any 4400 in the world; a mission that is often at odds with the government. When Shawn saw Isabelle, he was surprised, not only that she was now a young woman, but that she had walked into his office completely naked. Unfortunately, he didn't have his cameraphone to capture the moment.
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Comments (12)
I love this show! I am so glad you are doing recaps of it. You filled in a lot of blanks for me. I think the character Maia is really interesting, I hope they use her storyline more.
1 of 12 | Posted by OD-TV
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Posted on June 21, 2006 1:07 PM
The 4400 were not kidnapped by aliens. They were taken by humans from the future, altered and sent back to save mankind from a nebulous destruction somewhere down the line.
2 of 12 | Posted by Lady J
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Posted on June 21, 2006 1:17 PM
Lady J - it says that in the recap "But why were they taken and why would these aliens give them abilities? Well, the answer is that they weren't taken by aliens, but by future-humans, and these when these time traveleres returned, they said that these 4400 were the key to saving the future."
3 of 12 | Posted by OD-TV
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Posted on June 21, 2006 1:27 PM
I enjoyed this episode. I am sorry to see Lily go; she was kind of irritating, but I thought she was a cutie-pie. Of course, Big Naked Isabelle is a nice replacement.
I thought the most interesting moment of the episode was when you see Matthew looking at the picture of Jordan, talking on the phone and saying, "Well, we knew he's be back..."
And what about Kyle? Gone forever?
4 of 12 | Posted by dumbanddumber
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Posted on June 21, 2006 2:01 PM
Hey J-Unit, did you know that Joel Gretsch (Tom Baldwin) is the son-in-law of William Shatner? What a kick that would be to have Capt. Kirk come on the 4400, perhaps as a "Future Human."
5 of 12 | Posted by boomersmommy
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Posted on June 21, 2006 2:46 PM
I liked this episode, but I thought it could have been a lot better. I suppose we'll have to wait and see where things go from here. I'm really interested to see how Matthew knew about Jordan being back, and where he is now. Are they going to keep Jordan hidden, in which case Kyle will have to stay in jail for his murder? It's difficult to tell who's on what side, and which side is good and which one is bad.
It was interesting to see Tippi Hedren playing the older Lily. I've liked her ever since I saw her in "The Birds". The only think I don't like about her is the fact that she gave birth to one of the worst actresses of our time.
6 of 12 | Posted by Pie
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Posted on June 21, 2006 4:39 PM
Responding to bomersmommy (#5 of 6)
What I find even more freaky is that for the longest time, I believed that Joel Gretsch was the same actor as Mark Valley, who plays Brad Chase on Boston Legal, with- WILLIAM SHATNER! I just figured out today that they are infact two different guys. I was sure they were related. Kinda funny how they in a way are, by ways of Mr. Shatner.
Just thought I would share that. ;>
7 of 12 | Posted by BunkitaSarita
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Posted on June 21, 2006 4:58 PM
I really don't like the character of Isabelle. She said she wasn't used to wearing clothes. Uhhh it's not like she was naked all the time as a baby! Slut.. Also, sexual tension with Shawn? Ewwwww come on she was a one-year-old baby a few months back! Does no one else think Shawn's attraction to someone with the maturity of a BABY is a little sick? Lastly, the explanation that Lily aged along with Isabelle doesn't make sense, since Isabelle aged 21 years and Lily 50 or more. Regardless, I'm looking forward to the rest of the season and how NTAC will try to respond to the very powerful 4400
8 of 12 | Posted by katybee
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Posted on June 21, 2006 5:43 PM
OK, o I want too thrilled with the premiere. A lot of set up adn no payoff. And where is Jordan Collier? it was all a lot of set up for the future season so im not worried, but still. I as expecting more.
i heard they shit canned the Lily actress so they had to kill her off in the first season.
9 of 12 | Posted by EdHill
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Posted on June 21, 2006 6:36 PM
EdHill-- I think someone's trying to impersonate you in here.
10 of 12 | Posted by boomersmommy
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Posted on June 21, 2006 7:22 PM
boomersmommy, don't worry. my horrible typing skills are impossible to impersonate.
11 of 12 | Posted by EdHill
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Posted on June 22, 2006 8:53 AM
Good to know. ;>)
12 of 12 | Posted by boomersmommy
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Posted on June 22, 2006 10:50 AM