4400 3.7: "The Home Front"

Written by Craig Sweeny
Directed by Nick Copus


This episode is the mid-point of the season, and as such, one would expect some major shifts in the direction of the season arc. I’m not sure that happened, but to some extent, there were some serious changes to the status quo. Ryland remains a powerful force within the world of the 4400, and characters find themselves compromised on a number of levels.

I’ve often said that Tom and Diana find themselves in a compromised situation because of their relationships to members of the 4400, and this episode is a perfect example. Everything Tom does is a reaction to Alana being in jeopardy, and he circumvents NTAC and every other law enforcement agency in the process. Even as it stands, Tom will be lucky if Alana’s sudden disappearance doesn’t lead to an inquiry into his activities.

Though he eventually changed his mind, largely because of the realization that Alana would never forgive him for screwing over Navarro, Tom was prepared to hand a man over for private execution to prevent his wife from being punished for a crime she actually committed. While the writers do try to soften this particular decision by making it clear that Ryland is on questionable moral ground in terms of his ability to hold Alana and others, the fact is that Alana aided and abetted the escape of a known terrorist.

Alana is guilty, and she confessed to her crime. Legally and ethically, Tom should have taken her into custody, regardless of her motivations. Her justification was that she was protecting one of her own kind, but that was essentially the same justification given by the Nova Group for their actions. Tom may have disagreements with how society is treating the 4400 (including how easily Ryland escaped punishment for his actions), but he’s a law enforcement officer, and his wife committed a crime.

While that should be difficult for Tom, I think he crossed the line in a major way when he sought to allow her to escape the consequences of her actions. Trading her freedom with Navarro’s life is just an expression of the amoral nature of his thought process. Diana, however, is equally compromised, because she allows her relationship with Maia to influence her own reactions to the 4400.

It may be difficult for the audience to sympathize with Tom now, because his decisions have become so questionable. As long as the writers are willing to explore this twist honestly, without pretending that it was the right thing to do, I have no problem with it. In fact, it could work out better this way, since it adds another layer of relativism to the story. How long can Tom and Diana continue to support the 4400 in their current role, before they make the wrong move and get caught?

Of course, this episode also brings up a rather big question: what was the point of introducing Alana in the first place, if she would simply end up leaving, thus depriving Tom of the psychological and emotional support Alana was supposed to provide? One gets the feeling that the actress wanted to leave for something else, or that the writers hadn’t worked out her role in Tom’s future. Whatever the case, it’s a plot point that needs to be addressed before too much time passes. (Especially since the “future humanity” didn’t intercede, which suggests they didn’t see an upshot to it.)

Given Ryland’s current position of power, it’s rather disturbing that Isabelle has become his willing ally. After all, Ryland sees the 4400 as a massive threat, and Isabelle was apparently created to destroy the 4400. Ryland could give Isabelle the means and opportunity to achieve that goal, and this episode continues to demonstrate her lack of moral development. Isabelle has become so powerful that opposing her isn’t even an option, as Shawn’s decision to avoid Nicki emphasizes. When Shawn and Richard are brought together in common cause regarding Isabelle, it’s telling.

(As a sidenote: I also have a podcast associated with my various reviews called “Dispatches from Tuzenor”. Recent episodes cover the “The 4400”, so it might be something of interest. Go to http://entil2001.libsyn.com if you want to listen!)


Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 7/10