4400 3.13: "Fifty-fifty"
Written by Ira Steven Behr and Craig Sweeny
Directed by Nick Copus
Ever since the season premiere, I’ve been impressed with the level of complexity and continuity present in the third season. In the finale, there are number of elements from “The New World” that come back to pay off in the final hour. A lot of shows have struggled with the idea of a tight season arc; I think I can safely say that this was one of the more satisfying attempts.
Some would say that the finale was predictable, but I think there’s a huge difference between “predictable” and “well-foreshadowed”. An episode is really only “predictable” if the resolution to a new crisis presented in the teaser or first act is telegraphed long before any complication etners the picture. “Well-foreshadowed” is something else entirely. The writers knew where the story was going from the premiere forward, and they made sure that everything was in place well ahead of time.
For instance, it was important to introduce Boyd, because he plays into the ruse that eliminates Ryland’s men in this finale. It was equally important to demonstrate how invulnerable Isabelle could be, so that her survival was a matter of course. Similarly, Richard’s telekinesis emerged in the premiere, and was refined through a desire to protect the world from Isabelle. Tom was given the chance to stop Isabelle without resistance, only to regret it later. (If there was one element that I would call “predictable”, it was the resolution of the final act; I called that in near-perfect detail the minute Richard was practicing throwing knives!)
So now Isabelle is effectively out of the picture, and her effect on the course of the series was certainly unexpected (yet consistent with the end of the second season). So as anticipated, Jordan is able to use his grass-roots movement to spread the stolen promycin to the masses. The question is: will those empowered by Isabelle’s promycin become the forebears of the Future Elite? Could that be the method by which Isabelle preserves the Future Elite and ultimately overcomes the 4400? It would play into the idea that Jordan has been deceived.
I also like how the whole Diana/April/Ben thing addresses one of the concerns I’ve had for quite some time. Tom’s involvement with NTAC seems to be fairly clear: he wants to be an advocate for the 4400 and he can’t have influence in NTAC if he’s not there. But Diana has to protect Maia, and when is enough enough? Now she has the chance to get out of the game and find some safe place to ride out the storm. The kicker is, April has chosen to take the promycin. My guess is that April’s reaction to the promycin will lure or force Diana out of hiding and back in the saddle.
With the series renewed for a fourth season, the status quo looks to be taking another major shift. Alana’s abduction is an interesting twist, though it once again brings into question her role in Tom’s development. With Isabelle neutralized, does the future believe that Tom’s role has been fulfilled? Or is her knowledge gleaned from Jordan seen as a threat? Ryland has even more political currency against Jordan and the 4400, the Center has been closed, and who knows what kind of individuals will get abilities. If the writers can pull off another season like this, then the fourth season ought to be one hell of a ride.
This is the part where the season finale review would usually launch into a discussion about the season as a whole, but things will be done differently moving forward. The “4400” post-mortem (so to speak) will be the main focus of this week’s episode of “Dispatches from Tuzenor”, the podcast associated with my various reviews. That episode should be up after the weekend, so anyone interested is invited to drop by the archive site (www.entil2001.com) and click on the link. (It’s also available on iTunes.)
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10
(Season 3 Final Average: 7.8)
Directed by Nick Copus
Ever since the season premiere, I’ve been impressed with the level of complexity and continuity present in the third season. In the finale, there are number of elements from “The New World” that come back to pay off in the final hour. A lot of shows have struggled with the idea of a tight season arc; I think I can safely say that this was one of the more satisfying attempts.
Some would say that the finale was predictable, but I think there’s a huge difference between “predictable” and “well-foreshadowed”. An episode is really only “predictable” if the resolution to a new crisis presented in the teaser or first act is telegraphed long before any complication etners the picture. “Well-foreshadowed” is something else entirely. The writers knew where the story was going from the premiere forward, and they made sure that everything was in place well ahead of time.
For instance, it was important to introduce Boyd, because he plays into the ruse that eliminates Ryland’s men in this finale. It was equally important to demonstrate how invulnerable Isabelle could be, so that her survival was a matter of course. Similarly, Richard’s telekinesis emerged in the premiere, and was refined through a desire to protect the world from Isabelle. Tom was given the chance to stop Isabelle without resistance, only to regret it later. (If there was one element that I would call “predictable”, it was the resolution of the final act; I called that in near-perfect detail the minute Richard was practicing throwing knives!)
So now Isabelle is effectively out of the picture, and her effect on the course of the series was certainly unexpected (yet consistent with the end of the second season). So as anticipated, Jordan is able to use his grass-roots movement to spread the stolen promycin to the masses. The question is: will those empowered by Isabelle’s promycin become the forebears of the Future Elite? Could that be the method by which Isabelle preserves the Future Elite and ultimately overcomes the 4400? It would play into the idea that Jordan has been deceived.
I also like how the whole Diana/April/Ben thing addresses one of the concerns I’ve had for quite some time. Tom’s involvement with NTAC seems to be fairly clear: he wants to be an advocate for the 4400 and he can’t have influence in NTAC if he’s not there. But Diana has to protect Maia, and when is enough enough? Now she has the chance to get out of the game and find some safe place to ride out the storm. The kicker is, April has chosen to take the promycin. My guess is that April’s reaction to the promycin will lure or force Diana out of hiding and back in the saddle.
With the series renewed for a fourth season, the status quo looks to be taking another major shift. Alana’s abduction is an interesting twist, though it once again brings into question her role in Tom’s development. With Isabelle neutralized, does the future believe that Tom’s role has been fulfilled? Or is her knowledge gleaned from Jordan seen as a threat? Ryland has even more political currency against Jordan and the 4400, the Center has been closed, and who knows what kind of individuals will get abilities. If the writers can pull off another season like this, then the fourth season ought to be one hell of a ride.
This is the part where the season finale review would usually launch into a discussion about the season as a whole, but things will be done differently moving forward. The “4400” post-mortem (so to speak) will be the main focus of this week’s episode of “Dispatches from Tuzenor”, the podcast associated with my various reviews. That episode should be up after the weekend, so anyone interested is invited to drop by the archive site (www.entil2001.com) and click on the link. (It’s also available on iTunes.)
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10
(Season 3 Final Average: 7.8)
posted by John Keegan | 16:19
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