If ever there was a series that deserved the label "sleeper hit", it's The 4400, and sadly now it will always be compared to the show that followed it - Heroes (even by me) - because of their similar themes of "ordinary people with extraordinary powers". But here the gifted people are known to the public - and feared or worshipped - and it is this dynamic that sets the storylines apart from Heroes.While The 4400 can sometimes be more predictable and cliched than Heroes, it also manages to tug on emotional heartstrings - rather than just thrills and excitement - that Heroes has yet to tap into. And while it lacks Heroes comic book tropes, as this second season goes on it increasingly resembles the X-Men with its "humans" versus "mutants" undercurrents.
I was also impressed by the overt HP Lovecraft references in the opening two-parter, which introduced a recurring character played by a veteran actor with long association with adaptations of Lovecraft's work - Jeffrey Combs.
The show's major weakness is still its reliance on "freak-on-the-week" plots, which keep it firmly in the X-Files camp, although it does allow for a range of guest stars who are a regular Who's Who of TV sci-fi, from Firefly's Summer Glau to Lexa Doig and Robert Picardo from Stargate SG-1.
The mid-season episode Life Interrupted, though, came seriously close to derailing the quality of the whole season with a dodgy alternate reality story that smacked of a weak Stargate SG-1 episode, and shoehorned in a new 4400 girlfriend for the main Government agent, Tom Baldwin (Joel Gretsch) in a very cheesy manner. It doesn't help that he is already the dullest character in the show and this baggage just alienates him further from the rest of the well-defined and interesting characters.
But in fairness, the "freak-of-the-week" stories are just seasoning to the meat of each episode, which concentrates on the on-going story of the main "returnees". What makes this series good is when it tries to do things that you wouldn't expect: such as Richard Tyler (Mahershalalhashbaz Ali) meeting up with old Korean War buddies after his 50 year abduction, including the officer who beat him up for "taking up with a white woman"; or the increasingly cult-like status of The 4400 Center and Shawn (Patrick Flueger)'s rise to messianic status.
A few weak episodes or plotlines though can't distract from the incredible season finale with its closing montage of revelations; sowing the seeds for a spectacular third season (soon to be released over here on DVD; the fourth is currently airing on Sky One).
Woo! Love that 4400 praise!
ReplyDeleteAnd, though I am a big fan, I do agree with you about Life Interrupted.
It only gets better and better, though.
One of the great things about The 4400 is that it doesn't grow stagnant (ala Lost, in my opinion). It steadily changes, but the change always does the show well in the long run.
As an aside: I would have to say that the plots with Shawn and the plots with Maya are my favorites over-all.
Thanks again, J.H., for your comments on The 4400. It really hasn't had the publicity fanfare over here that either Heroes or Lost have had and I think that's a shame, because it would appeal to the same audience (e.g. my wife!).
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