I’ll be discussing the past two weeks of The 4400, so it’ll be two for the price of one this column.
Last week featured Tom, Diana, Meghan, Jordan, Shawn, Kyle, Isabelle, Maia, Marco, and his two assistants trapped in NTAC. The episode promised two deaths, which proved to be Shawn and Meghan. Of course, by episode’s end, it proved to be a ploy, as those two characters actually survived. I’m sure a lot of fans feel cheated, but I’m actually quite pleased that they didn’t die. Aside from being two great characters that still have a lot of juice left in them, they’re only my only two celebrity interviews! And both of them were really nice, down to earth people!
Anybody who has read my columns in the past know how much I’m a sucker for character development, and I think this episode did an impeccable job of doing that with several different characters. It’s easy to recognize Jordan and Tom’s performance, but I think the character of Isabelle was a real highlight.
The last time she and Shawn were together, Isabelle tried to kill him. In this episode, the two woke up lying next to each other in bed. While this was understandably awkward and uncomfortable for both of them, throughout the episode Isabelle showed not only a great deal of remorse over what she did to Shawn, but she displayed a great deal of concern for him as well. When it appeared that Shawn would not join her with Jordan and Kyle, she seemed genuinely worried about him, watching him as he began to walk away. And when the exploding glass killed Shawn, she was the one to scream out for him, and she seemed the most affected by his apparent death. I was particularly harsh towards the character (and actress) early last season, but so far I’ve really enjoyed her role on the show (and more on this later).
As I noted earlier, Jordan’s continued character development is one of my favorite parts of this season. It’s amazing how far his character has come. Just think, when he was first introduced, he was this sketchy, rich real estate mogul who was interested in sensationalizing the 4400 (a drastic contrast to the rest of the returnees, who were hoping to hide in plain sight). What I also like is that despite the huge strides his character has made, his desire to make the 4400 the dominant portion of the population has remained consistent.
Jordan’s relationship with Shawn has also been very nice. The sight of Jordan carrying Shawn’s dead body was quite touching, actually. It showed that Jordan cares so much about Shawn that he didn’t want his dead body left alone somewhere. Instead, he carried Shawn/s body so that he can be surrounded by those that care about him (Jordan’s “enemies” no less). I also appreciated the kind words he said about Shawn later that episode, when talking to Tom. It’s very clear that Jordan’s father-like care for Shawn is genuine, and still very much there, despite their rift.
Finally, the conclusion of the episode, which saw Jordan and Tom sacrificing their “lives” in order to save everybody, was a nice turn of events. What I especially liked was that the sacrifice was Jordan’s idea. Sure, he knew he probably wouldn’t really die, but it was still a powerful moment. Not to mention symbolic, since the two characters had to literally join hands in order for the plan to work. Then, at the end of the episode, when Jordan thought enough of Tom’s relationship with Kyle to call him and assure him that his son is okay, was a nice moment that signified their new bond.
This past week’s episode brought the return of Richard, and man did he come back with a vengeance. I really liked how much they expanded on Richard’s abilities. He’s always been a mild mannered, meek character of sorts. Perhaps that is why his character got away with not displaying any abilities for so long. Quite simply, it wasn’t imperative to his character. This version of Richard, however, was far more aggressive and willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. With that in mind, his telekinesis went into overdrive. As noted by one of the NTAC agents, he’s a definite bad ass. It was also great how the writers thought outside the box by having Richard stop the flow of Isabelle’s blood to make her pass out. A very creative use of his abilities.
Just like last week’s episode displayed Isabelle’s character development, this week’s episode did a wonderful job of showing how much she’s changed as well. And even though Jordan wasn’t willing to rescue Isabelle, it’s amazing how comfortable the two characters have become with each other considering where they were at the end of last season. The budding relationship between Jordan and Richard (dating back to the first season, when they were borderline adversaries) has always been interesting, as well.
One thing I didn’t understand, though, is why Richard is a wanted man (unless I misheard). He didn’t commit any crimes, if I recall correctly. In fact, he saved everybody by injecting Isabelle with the shot and neutralized her abilities. He didn’t take or distribute promicin, which is why pretty much any other character is wanted.
The story arc with Richard youthenizing (bad taste?) Isabelle definitely has a lot of possibilities. We actually still have not seen why Kyle was supposed to rescue her. Sure, she decrypted portions of the book, but it definitely seems like she’s supposed to serve a grander purpose. The question remains: What is that purpose?
Overall, Isabelle’s relationship with Kyle is an intriguing thing. Kyle is undoubtedly committed to Cassie and the prophecies in his book. He seemingly worships Jordan, possibly only because of what the book predicts he will do. He’s very attached to Isabelle, and a big reason for that is seemingly due to the role Cassie insists she will play. Is there something more, though? Does Kyle have romantic feelings for her? Or vice versa? It’s interesting that when Isabelle was reverted to a young girl, she referred to Shawn as “that boy I like” and Kyle as “my friend.” Nevertheless, their friendship is something sweet, and Kyle has undoubtedly played a significant part in helping Isabelle redeem herself.
Another thing I like about this particular arc is that I really don’t know where it is going. As far as I know, Isabelle is not a series regular, so I could easily see them writing her off completely and getting a so called fresh start as a toddler. Possibly to return later with no recollection of what she had done (which is what Richard wants in the first place). I find the return of Lily, which makes sense given that her demise was directly related to Isabelle’s aging, especially interesting. At the same time, the writers did a nice job of covering their bases by having Richard slyly remark that this de-aging can likely be reversed.
I also thought Tom’s brief reunion with Kyle, only to let him return to Promise City, was a nice moment. I am a bit of a stickler, though, about the fact that he openly admitted doing that to his boss, who was more than supportive of him. I mean, SOME major character has to pay a consequence of some sort for taking promicin. Hell, if I was PJ (Marco’s co-worker who was arrested for his promicin use an episode earlier) I’d be pissed. Meghan has Shawn use his abilities (without government sanction) for her dad and doesn’t pay. Kyle’s son uses promicin AND aligns himself with the apparent most wanted man in the world and doesn’t pay. Diana’s sister uses promicin and gets a job out of it. PJ definitely got a raw deal.
Finally, I find the potential of Dr. Burkhoff coming up with a way to figure out if somebody will live or die before they take the injection especially promising. It will be interesting to see how this plays out for the rest of the season.
Before I close this up, I want to comment on the commendable job the writers also did with Richard in general. They managed to make him suspicious, then villainous, then desperate, then dangerous, then sympathetic. Like so many characters on the show, you couldn’t classify him as “good” or “bad.” His intentions seemed pure and unselfish. Turning Isabelle young wasn’t so much about him; it was about her, as he didn’t want her to have to live with what she had done. He wanted to give her a fresh start. The fact that he gave her the option at the end of not taking the drink also allowed him to come off as a little more likable.
So far, this season has been phenomenal.
