By John Keegan
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By the end of the third season, I was thrilled with the direction taken by the series, if only because the producers were taking chances. Some of the story points were predictable, but in a good way; the writers had established the character motivations and abilities so well that foreshadowing was rather matter of fact. But the real strength was the risky decision to set up a solid season arc with massive long-term consequences for the future of the series.
The third season ended with the widespread distribution of illegal promicin, the neurotransmitter at the heart of the 4400’s unusual abilities, as extracted from Isabelle during the third season. The odds were clearly delineated as 50/50: heads, you live and eventually exhibit an ability; tails, you die from a horrible brain hemorrhage. Three months after the beginning of the distribution, the world is beginning to feel the effects, positive and negative, and the toll is mounting on those responsible.
The purpose of the episode is to bring all the players into a starting position, as facilitated by Graham, the young man whose abilities bring the potentials of promicin into a clear context. Graham’s ability to control the will of others as an ersatz messianic figure certainly demonstrates how one injection of promicin can precipitate a world-changing crisis. It also points out how normal, non-powered individuals could easily fall prey to those with abilities, which was one of the concerns about the 4400 in the first place.
The new threat ushers in a new regime at NTAC, led by the young and gorgeous Meghan Doyle. While it’s obvious that she’s meant to bring additional sex appeal to the show, and Isabelle’s similar role in the third season was often exploitive, the writers have shown an ability to make sense of it within the story. At least they resisted the urge to bring Diana back too quickly, since her desire to leave NTAC behind should translate into a struggle to stay out of the escalating fight.
Kyle’s return to prominence in the series is a welcome turn of events, after his odd absence from the third season (apparently the actor had previous obligations). His ability, when it arrives, should add to Tom’s usual angst, and his relationship to Cally (the intriguing redhead) might serve to open more doors to the mythology, especially if she turns out (as subtly implied) to be another interloper from the future.
The episode wasn’t perfect, however. For one thing, the writers made a big deal out of Collier’s need for seclusion, especially when they focused on Tess’ mental instability (which had to remind “Firefly” fans of Summer Glau’s turn as River on that series). Yet Collier, after demonstrating his ability with Graham (perhaps implying that his release of promicin was anticipated by the forces from the future), is allowed to walk away without a bit of resistance. That didn’t quite make sense.
The second issue, also from the final act, concerned the reaction of Graham’s followers after their release. If Collier’s quick removal of promicin from Graham’s body was a bit underplayed, the reactions of the controlled were similarly subdued. One would have expected Amber to react to what amounts to sexual assault, at the very least. Despite the odd tone of the final act, this was a solid start to the fourth season, introducing a number of major and minor plot points to be explored over the next twelve installments.
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