4400 3.11: "The Gospel According to Collier"

Written by Ira Steven Behr, Craig Sweeny, and Adam Levy
Directed by Fred Toye


With only three episodes to go, including this hour, the season has been above average nearly the entire stretch. This installment simply continues the trend, and unless the writers completely miss the mark on the finale, this will be the most successful season of the series yet. This is something that other shows should take note of: it is possible to maintain quality over an entire season and still explore new ground. Stacked next to this, it’s no wonder that “Dead Zone” seems to be struggling and stagnating week after week.

All that said, this episode was not perfect. The “A” plot was about as good as it gets, with an awful lot of positioning and politics tossed into the mix. Jordan’s return is, indeed, messianic, as was always expected, but it worked a lot better than I would have anticipated. Having him create a quasi-religious movement, without even knowing his own identity, before he re-emerges? Brilliant. Using this situation to grant Alana some kind of quick dispensation to come back when it counts? More brilliant.

Jordan is now in the perfect position to exert political and social pressure to achieve his goals. Socially, his grass roots quasi-religious return supplies him with non-political pressure behind the 4400 and their future destiny. He has a lot of people willing to listen to his words and warnings, and in the wake of the Nova Group’s disintegration, the disaffected 4400 need a purpose. Jordan is even more of a perfect leader than he ever was before, and more to the point, he’s far more dangerous because of that influence. He would be the perfect candidate for leading the 4400 in a pre-emptive strike against Ryland’s forces, especially if he has seen the future and he knows that such action is necessary. Similarly, his move against Isabelle suggests the knowledge of her choices to come.

At this point, speculating on the shape and scope of the near-term conflict is almost impossible. There are signs that Jordan and Shawn will be at odds. Jordan and Richard seem probably allies against Isabelle, and if Shawn sticks with Isabelle, that could explain Shawn’s visions from the previous episode. Tom got what he wanted from Jordan, who acted decisively once he had what he wanted. Could Tom ally himself with Jordan and against Shawn? This is all going somewhere, and the best part is that the pieces have been clicking into place all season.

Alana’s return should put to rest any fears that Tom will be having a romantic relationship with Diana, and it also helps to alleviate my concerns about Alana’s role in Tom’s life. The writers have restored my faith in that regard; I probably should have known better, but they have me on the edge of my seat. Alana was critical to Jordan’s return, and she also knows a lot of what Jordan experienced. That could be very important.

The only element of this episode that annoyed me was Diana’s subplot. Taken in concert with Alana’s return, it keeps Tom and Diana as professional partners, which is good. But this is even more abrupt that Alana’s initial appearance, and it seems like an odd reason to bring back April. It was nice to see Diana looking so hot and in this unusual plot thread, but it was a bit jarring to have this overlap with Jordan’s return. But when an episode needs a “B” story, something has to happen!

(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: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10