The 4400

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 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.

This is an extremely ambitious but well-written and well-acted sci-fi story. The key is that it is not just about weird goings-on but rather, what people might do under weird circumstances. The answers are touching and thought-provoking. There are drawbacks and potential drawbacks. The show is not over yet; we don't know what it will look like when it is over, but so far, very good. I wish they had a larger budget so they did not have to skimp on special effects. But then, like early X-Files episodes--which this most closely resembles, the show relies more on the viewers imagination than on special effects.

Watching the 4400 is a bit like going to quiet café for a quick bite to eat and, unexpectedly, having one of the best meals of your life.

Hard to follow, and occasionally borderline kitsch, somehow The 4400 keeps you hooked with the fascinating characters, deep plot and unpredictable turns.

The storyline is highly original. The actors and the characters that they play are highly engaging. It tests some scientific and moral boundaries and makes some other programmes seem like music videos in comparison.

I think it is a sci-fi classic which, like Dune, will be loved by a small hardcore of fans, whilst most will just scratch their heads wondering what it is all about.

The 4400 pays homage to a number of different science fiction shows, but manages to consistently put its own unique and original spin on the story lines week after week.

The tone and the atmosphere of the show hit just the right notes. The acting is good all around with standouts Billy Campbell playing a totally different kind of character than in "Once and Again" and Conchita Campell convincingly playing equal measures of cute and creepy.

After seeing the first couple of shows in Season 2, I am looking forward to seeing where the 4400 is going to take us.