The 4400

Amending my statement as to the greatness of this show, which, I should point out, has been online since '05. Let me reiterate most vehemently: this was by far one of the best shows ever on TV. I think that Heroes is such a corporate fraud of this program. I liked Heroes for a while, but never forget that I knew from the beginning that it was a corporate takeover of the much better 4400. Now I can barely stand it. The plot is all twisted and crazy. The 4400 at least deserves a mini-series followup in which some of those tangled threads are sown up. This is by far one of the best shows ever. Take a look and see. The hero vs. villain plot was really fleshed out in season 4, only to end to abruptly. I know that the writers strike had a part in the shows demise, but still: NBC owns USA and thereby at least could grace us with a replay on SciFi, another NBC holding. They replayed KINGS or whatever its called, and it is no where near this caliber. I say again: mini-series of 4400 to resolve some stuff or else!

Man I hope it's not just me, but Season 3 was terrible, and even though Season 4 just started my hopes that it would be better this year have been dashed so far. It's not just me that thinks that is it? The 1st season was great (mini-series included) and even the second was pretty good. But now it just seems to be lost! I don't know what the hell the deal is with it, but it seems like the writers are snoozing or maybe they are off on other more important projects, I don't know. It is a real shame because there is nothing else to watch during the summer. I really wish they would get with program and make it enjoyable to watch again. If this keeps up, I doubt we will see a fifth season.

i didn't watch "The 4400" from the beginning, but when I tuned in, it hooked me and reeled me in, in a quick 60 seconds. What interested me the most was how the people left behind reacted to the people who had returned. Some freaked out, shouting crude and spiteful remarks to some of the returnees; others just were afraid to go near them. They couldn't seem to handle a person whose disappearance was mystifying, and whose reason for returning, place from which they had returned, and a source of a power, so extraordinary...could just not been explained. Those returning from a past unknown don't remember where they came from--where they had been for so many lost

years...They come back unchanged, physically and emotionally-fully capable of functioning, fully remembering the life they last saw before they vanished. But when they come back, they realize the life they had left behind was not the life that re- greeted them was landing on the place called home.

People grew up. People changed. People died. And the returners felt an emptiness like never before---like, they lost out on some wonderful life they knew they would have had, if only, they never left.

it's like coming back from heaven and realizing that everything has changed. But you're still the same. You're still you. An old man, married for 20 years. A little girl with parents still well-alive. A brother and a son, in high school, tall, handsome and healthy. In your heart and mind, you have taken these memories with you--memories of the life and the people you once loved have embedded themselves deep within your heart, and you wonder why the world has kept spinning without you. You were gone, but can't quite remember where you had gone to and what you were doing in that period of time...you don't remember....you can't remember, and you feel like an alien on your own planet. A stranger to your own world....your own home...Earth.

The 4400 is in a word - amazing! The acting is excellent and I'm glad it's an ensemble piece. The vulnerability of Shawn as he struggles with his abilities & social life is well captured by Patrick Flueger. Maia (Conchita Campbell) is innocently cryptic. The romance between Richard & Lily is sweet and deals sensitively with racial issues. Tom & Diana learn to care about the returnees as people, not subjects, and certainly prove themselves in the fantastic finale. The remainder of the cast including Kyle (Chad Faust) in a mysterious coma and Jordan (Bill Campbell) as the sinister, self appointed leader of the 4400 are also well cast. The storyline kept me gripped throughout. The music was well chosen, especially "Bye Bye, Baby" in the pilot. I love the title sequence too. The effects are superb. The second season proved to be just as exciting and emotional, as the first. It also introduces Jeffery Combs, my favourite Star Trek actor. It's his best role yet. Each key character gets a storyline of their own, which intercut nicely with the overall arc. For every question answered, there's a new one raised, so you're never bored. This is essentially a show about people, rather than solid sci fi, which is a definite plus. Well worth buying the DVDs. I'm sure Season 3 will be equally fantastic. I can't wait. A+++

I actually quite enjoyed the first series. I was compelled to watch through to the final episode to see the characters story arc's develop.

Yes there are the typical Sci-fi clichés (maybe 4400 by the time the show is finished?). But I would say that this is a Sci-fi show and not a Sci-fact show, and by it's very nature it's a work of fiction, thus real world science doesn't really matter or nessecarily apply.

The scene the first post was alluding to was (I'm sure) not intended to be a dazzling display of the script writers grasp of near and outer orbital rocket science, but a characterization of both the governmental paranoia and hopeless desperation that humans can exhibit when faced with seemingly futile situations.

Personally, I don't think the acting is too bad, yes it does smack of countless other Sci-fi shows and draws heavily on many common themes running through all Sci-fi series, but what shows don't? There is little originality in Sci-fi these days, but the premise of this show is at least relatively unexplored.

How many shows do you know that effectively try to portray the multitude of challenges that face abductees when they try to re-integrate into a society that seemingly doesn't want them, can't understand them or are jealous of them?

Comparisons are inevitable, but when you're subconsciously thinking "Mulder and Scully" or "Rouge and Wolverine" while you are watching supposedly new characters then as a script writer you've got to try to distance yourself from what could easily be considered as stereotypes. This is probably my greatest (and only real) criticism.

If the script writers were just a little less derivative, and a bit more adventurous then I think we have a winner.

P.S. Oh, and they need to stop the re-caps at the start of every darn episode, the fast forward button on my Tivo's getting worn out as it is.

Mqark.