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Over the last century thousands of people have gone missing
and were presumed dead. When a meteor impacts over Earth,
suddenly and inexplicably all 4400 people are returned at
once as they were on the day they vanished; however a chain-reaction
of events is set in a motion that will alter the destiny of
mankind forever...
The
second season of The 4400 is set six months after the
events that unfolded in the first
season. After a period of intense medical observation,
Tom has returned to NTAC in a limited capacity, assigned only
to desk duty. He eventually secures his son's release from
a similar government study and is excited by the prospect
of returning to a somewhat normal life. However, professionally,
he's also anxious to re-team with Diana and get back out in
the field.
Diana,
having been through a series of inept partners, finally finds
a way to cut through the red tape and get Tom back, all while
in the midst of formally adopting Maia. Meanwhile, Richard,
Lily and the baby - who is now six months old and showing
that she is far from an ordinary child - are still living
in meagre conditions in a mountain cabin far away from Jordan
Collier.
Collier
has now closed Arcadia Estates, his mansion and compound for
The 4400 refugees, and is on the verge of opening "The 4400
Centres," a place for non-members of the 4400 to discover
"the 4400 within themselves". And Collier and Shawn have developed
a strong father-son bond after Shawn healed Collier from the
detrimental effects he suffered after touching Lily's stomach
while she was pregnant. Collier becomes Shawn's guardian and
enlists him to heal important benefactors of The 4400 Centres.
With the world understandably curious about The 4400, rumours
begin to spread about their mysterious abilities and public
opinion soon becomes divided between those who embrace The
4400 and those who fear them. As the members of The 4400 struggle
to resume and rebuild their "life interrupted", each will
come to play a pivotal role in events still to come... events
that will shape the destiny of the human race.
The
second season builds well on the events that unfolded in the
first season and to be honest this is not really the sort
of show you can dip in and out of that easily. The ongoing
story arc makes missing an episode virtually impossible -
which is not a problem, obviously, with this collection but
when shown on TV is a risky gamble if ratings are what keeps
your show alive. Thankfully the gamble seems to have paid
of as a third season is ready to start broadcasting in the
US as I review this set (at the end of May 2006).
Sure
you can dip in and out on one level, as the
producers have opted to go down the X-Files's "monster
of the week" style of show for the majority of the episode's
A-plot story lines. But to be perfectly honest his never feels
like the main driving force behind the show, because there
is an ongoing arc surrounding Tom and Diana's family as well
as the goings on at NTAC.
Episodes that revolve around 440 members include Wake-Up
Call (Which sees a returned schizophrenic attempting to
build a large structure that will act as a receiver of some
sort); Voices Carry (in which one of the 4400 suddenly
starts to hear people's thoughts); Weight of the World
(a man suddenly discovers that his saliva can make over weight
people lose that excess fat); Suffer the Children (a
teacher who can channel children's artistic talents in them
is witch hunted); Life Interrupted (Tom's reality is totally
changed but the only other person who seems to remember the
original reality is a member of the 4400); Carrier (a woman
believes that she was sent back to spread a plague across
the Earth, when she realises that she is killing innocent
people without knowing why); Rebirth (in which a Rwandan refuge
- played by CSI: New York's Hill Harper - learns he
can heal any abnormality in unborn babies);
Guest
stars that you'll recognise from other sci-fi shows include
Summer
Glau
(Firefly/Serenity);
Jeffrey Combs (Star
Trek: Deep Space Nine); and Robert Picardo
(Star Trek: Voyager). Glau plays a schizophrenic (typecast
already bless her); Combs plays a recurring character who,
when we are first introduced to him doesn't speak (unlike
his Trek roles of Weyoun and Brunt where they couldn't
shut him up); and Picardo plays a down on his luck salesman
whose ship finally comes in - so he thinks - when he discovers
he has a fantastic ability. His saliva can make people shed
lbs in weight overnight.
Now
here comes the whinge... This collection contains 12 episodes
spread over four discs for £40. There are no extras
(not even a behind the scenes featurette) so why this couldn't
have been released over three discs with a slightly lower
price tag is anyone's guess. But it is the lack of extras
which is really disappointing.
If
some effort had gone into this release it would have gained
another valuable mark (or maybe even two - this series is
that good) but £40 seems a little expensive for just
12 episodes.
Darren
Rea
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