For anybody who didn’t realize, this is my 52nd edition of A Case of the Mondays, meaning I’ve been doing this for a year now. Commence celebration…..NOW!
Speaking of celebration, I hope that all my American readers out there are having a nice 4th of July weekend. I was lucky enough to get off on Saturday, and our store is closed today and tomorrow, so I have a very sweet four day weekend. God bless America, indeed.
THE 4400:
I’ve really, really been digging this season so far. I thought last night was a great episode, with so many positives and virtually no criticisms.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the improvement of the Isabelle character, and the actress who portrays her. I love how she’s slowly but surely getting darker and darker and more possessed by her abilities.
The high point of Isabelle’s scenes had to be when she almost killed Richard, and, in the background, you could see, ever so briefly, Matthew smirk sinisterly. It was a wonderful scene, in large part due to its brevity and subtlety.
Each week, I get more and more intrigued by his character. I’m calling it right now: When Jordan returns, I bet he has no idea who Matthew is, and it will be revealed that he didn’t send him to guide Shawn in the event of his death after all.
I was pleased with Shawn’s decision to tell Richard the truth about him and Isabelle, and I was glad that he actually recognized the fact that he was, in a sense, taking advantage of her.
I was also very, very happy with the fact that Tom believed Diana when she was trying to convince him about Maia. Again, considering all they’ve gone through, I’d find it harder to believe that he wouldn’t believe her. I also liked how they used Alana’s abilities in such a utilitarian way, as it gives depth to her abilities.
I also found all of the stuff with Diana and Maia exceptionally touching, particularly when Diana remembered everything about her, and had the montage of flashbacks. Her inability to leave the fantasy world was also strangely sweet.
The main premise behind the episode was also quite interesting: That, basically, their initial attempt to send people back into the time line with abilities has failed, and they were forced to send a select few even further back into the past.
Ultimately, the bonds that have already been created forced them to rethink that approach, and now Tom has to kill Isabelle, in a highly intriguing twist. While it seems obvious that Isabelle is the evil force that people from the future sent back, I think it’s a distinct possibility that the people Tom has been interacting with (and that kidnapped Maia) may actually be the good guys, and perhaps Isabelle is the salvation.
THE DEAD ZONE:
Regarding last week’s episode, I was particularly interested in the philosophical question of whether people are meant to die, or certain things are meant to happen, and Johnny preventing them from happening may have catastrophic impact. An interesting idea that I hope they venture towards later on.
Last night’s episode was also pretty good. It was especially nice to see Walt again, as it’s been a while since he’s been on the show. While a lot of people probably find it unrealistic, I really like the happy family that Walt, Johnny, John Jr., and Sara all have.
Also nice to get a break from the whole Stillson story arc. Should this be the last season, I’d say they’re doing a good job.
Anyway, that’s all I’ve got this week. Hope everybody has a great holiday weekend!
