The 4400 – Season 3
By Mal Simons, Blockbuster.co.uk
Recently there has been a lot of noise about the new ‘superhero’ series ‘Heroes’. While Heroes is an excellent show, The 4400 in many ways is better, with a fewer number of episodes forcing tighter writing; great special effects and a very likable cast. Now on its fourth season in the States, I’ve been looking forward to the release of Season 3 of The 4400 for what seems like a very long time.
First things first, who are the 4400? Put simply, over the past fifty or so years, 4,400 people have disappeared off the face of the earth – many were presumed to have been abducted by aliens. Then one night just three years ago, in a deserted Seattle lake, they were all returned together. The people who have returned have no memories of what has happened to them and they have not aged a day since their abduction however they all have special superhuman powers, many of which have the potential to both save and destroy humanity.
By Season 3 we have learnt that The 4400 were abducted by humans from the future in the hope of stopping a disaster from wiping out the human race. The 4400 themselves have polarised world society, certain countries refused to take their abducted citizens back for fear of their abilities. At the end of
Season 2, it was discovered that the US Government were secretly drugging the members of the 4400 in their monthly checkups and making them critically ill in the hope of suppressing their abilities. It was only the fast actions of NTAC agents Tom Baldwin and Diana Skouris that stopped the 4400 from being wiped out.
Season 3 of the 4400 opens after the shocking events at the end of Season 2. The former head of NTAC Dennis Ryland is on trial for drugging the 4400 and attempting genocide; a new terrorist group consisting of members of the 4400 is intent on getting revenge by killing him. Agent Tom Baldwin is mourning the loss of his son Kyle who is now locked away in jail after being used by the future to kill the 4400 leader Jordan Collier; even more shockingly, baby Isabelle, a ‘virgin baby’ sent from the future, is now fully grown and has powers above and beyond all other members of the 4400. If all this wasn’t enough, the final scene of Season 2 showed Jordan Collier back at the lake where the 4400 were first found, alive and well (although looking a bit like
Robinson Crusoe).
There’s a lot going on, so if you haven’t seen Seasons 1 or 2 then I’d advise watching these first.
Through the course of Season 3, we learn more about the 4400 than ever before and find out that they have a very powerful enemy that cannot be stopped through conventional means. NTAC has to catch the rogue 4400, keep the peace between enhanced humans and normals and also keep the secret of the 4400 ability out of the hands of the general public. They also have to deal with the second coming. Needless to say, they’ve got their hands full.
This is the best Sci-Fi series on TV; The 4400 simply gets better and better. What began as a simple six episode mini series has grown into something that seems to add more and more depth all the time. There is not a bad episode in Season 3 and every episode gets better and better. If you’ve seen Seasons
1 and 2, you are guaranteed to be gripped by the latest year. Add to your list now.
Episode Information:
The New World
Richard (Mahershalalhashbaz Ali) must contend with profound changes in both his wife and daughter, while Tom (Joel Gretsch) and Diana (Jacqueline McKenzie) tracks down a radical 4400 organization called the Nova Group.
Being Tom Baldwin
It’s an ordinary morning for Tom Baldwin, that is until the NTAC shows up to arrest him for a crime he can’t remember committing. Is Tom losing his grip on reality, or is someone setting him up?