The 4400: Season 4

Well written, well acted. Basically, 4400 abductees return in a ball of light, each with a special ability. The central tale revolves around a core group but each week there is a guest ability featured. There are many organizations trying to use the 4400 to its own ends so we have vilains from government, industry and family all trying to take advantage of the talents demonstrated by the returnees. Sometimes it's hard to keep track of who's good and who's bad (and even who's dead and who's alive).This show draws from many sources but still manages to be unique and stand on its own. It has a bit of the Andromeda Strain, H.G. Wells, Biblical figures, but mostly Dr. Seuss's "The Sneetches". (The star bellied Sneetches had bellies with stars; the plain bellied Sneetches had none upon thar's"). That's basically the whole premise - Do you want a star or not? Is having a star better than not? This may sound simplistic but the writers weave episode after episode, season after season's stories around this age old question - Is what we want really best for us?In my estimation, each season is quite equal so I'm using this review for each. Watch and enjoy....bg

The 4400 was one of my favorite shows (along with Quantum Leap which I have the whole series) & I thought that it would last a couple more seasons but of course that never happens with the best shows in television. I ended up buying the entire DVD set of The 4400 & was going through the entire thing again from the beginning again & I was loving every episode again!I just thought it was strange where before I started watching a couple episodes they would start out saying "previously on the 4400" & then would show what happened on the last episode & I had never seen any of it before, like they were leaving out parts or even entire programs, especially during the last one (The Great Leap Forward) there wasn't ANY of that shown in a previous episode. I just think that is strange. Also I noticed when I looked on the "episode guide" on USA Network" & there seems to be 2 parts to some of the episodes (Wake up Call-Season 2) & The New World - Season 3) ) & there only seems to be first part on the DVD's. I dunno about anybody else but this stuff drives me crazy. I hope it just wasn't me who got ALL defective DVD sets. LOL

The 4400 is an interesting concept. The idea of having people of different ages, as well as different walks of life, all of a sudden disappear, and then years later show up thinking that it's the next day, but actually several years have passed for them, since their abduction! Another interesting concept is that most, if not all of the 4400, have returned with a special talent.

The 4400 has had a bumpy ride. Canceled, given a reprieve, and then done to death by low ratings and the writer's strike, it hits its stride at last in the fourth and final season and delivers a satisfying send off. Season four is not without its problems, however. This last season focuses on the crisis caused by the widespread dissemination of the Promicin shot. Anyone willing to risk their lives can have a 50/50 chance of receiving a power...but those that don't get a power, die. While NTAC struggles vainly to put the Promicin genie back in its bottle, Jordan Collier's movement transforms into a true cult of personality.The plots in the fourth season finally move away a bit from the "mutant of the week" format that plagued earlier episodes. Unfortunately, there is one very silly plot arc about body snatchers from the future called the Marked that takes up a lot of screen time, and is almost completely uninteresting. Couldn't the writers have come up with better villains than this? Oh well. The real excitement in season 4 comes from watching Jordan Collier's machinations and his conflict with the more moderate Shawn Baldwin. Bill Campbell once again steals the show as Jordan Collier. He is both menacing and charming, and leaves viewers genuinely unsure of his intentions right up to the end of the show. Patrick Flueger also does a good job as a conflicted leader trying to walk a middle path. Other actors are fine, with no particular standouts. Another gripe with the 4400 is the tendency of actors to quickly be written out of the show, with little explanation or aftermath for their departure. Billy Campbell took time off from the show to sail around the world in an earlier season, and the show suffered for it. The main character's wife disappears this season, and after an episode of moping, he's in bed with a new beautiful female lead. That was fast. Richard and Lily Tylor re-appear to almost no purpose late in the season, and are gone just as fast. Why bother bringing them back at all? They don't move the story forward. Minor complaints aside, I enjoyed this last season. The show ends on an ambiguous note, and I hope a TV movie can be worked out to clear things up for fans. It's a pet peeve of mine when watching television on DVD that sometimes clicking the "next" button not only skips the, "previously on" recap at the beginning of each episode, but also the beginning of the new episode. That doesn't happen here. I don't know who worked on putting the actual DVD together, but the chapters are logical, and easy to navigate. Thanks!

There are many television shows that will never be forgotten, and among these shows are Star Trek, Prison Break, House, Stargate, and 24. There are also groundbreaking, brilliant television shows that have left us too soon such as with Jericho, Journeyman, and Life on Mars, and the 4400 from start to end promised to be one of the most delivered tv shows of Science-Fiction with talented writers, cast, and crew. But this show was only aired for four years, but within those years are we captivated by the fate of the world, who rests with a group of people changed by the hands of the future. And as 4400 people returned to a pivotal time, they struggle with their fate and the challenges of their new lives, and in the face of new dangers and the possible end does this rollercoaster ride of suspense and drama reach its conclusion.

Arrived in prompt service,driven tp buy this fourth and last season as been engrossed in previous ones that are compelling. Since the return of 4400 who emerged together after dissappearing,now moved on taking different paths from the abilities,new cases have formed with twists and turns in gripping accounts as each episode something new emerges,but keeps track of most characters lifes, perfect balance,but a little over the top sometimes, shame this is last season as it had much to offer,find cast arr engaging blend in roles okay.moving stories.

For three years we've had to go on wondering who are the good guys, who are the bad guys, and this really deflects us from the big question: do we really care? The series was better when it followed the lives of indivdual abductees, seeing how they pulled together the strings of their former lives, rather than following the good guy/bad guy divide. This fourth season focuses on the Big Question, who is for us and who is against us, or does the series end in a cliff hangar...you'll need to watch to find out.As TV series go this is about middling, modest scripts, so-so-acting, attractive male and female leads and a supporting cast who appear on all these series, from Firefly to Stargate. Now and then there's an apocryphal moment as an actor gets an exceptionally good dialogue line, or the SFX department pulls and unexpected rabbit out of the hat, but by and large its all run of the mill. All the cliches concerning alien abductees gathered together in one easily accessible TV series...nothing new, everything old, and you get to see supposedly on-location shoots all taken in and around Seattle, so at the very least the landscapes are good. If you want all your questions about the 4400 ansered, you'll have to watch right through to the final episode...and then maybe not have those questions answered, who knows."Previously on the 4400" introductions take up about a minute and a half of every episode, but at least you can flip on to chapter 3 to skip these.

The fourth series of the 4400 took the series to a new edge. It was dynamic, surpising, compelling and enthralling watching. Every episode left me on the edge of my seat.In this 4th series, the 4400 drug Promicin is now available on the black market with a 50% chance of working and a 50% chance of it killing you. This series shows the propaganda of promicin use being seen as worse than heroin and the effects of a world rapidly changing through the expanded abilities of previously "ordinary" people.Jordon Collier sets up "promise city" a place where 4400s, whether original or new, can live and use their abilities. It is a place where the government want to infiltrate.Isobelle, the anti-4400 weapon from the future, goes through major life changes to find her ultimate destiny. There is even a re-appearance of her mother.I was one of the millions of fans who sent sunflower seeds to USA network, with a message that the 4400 was a programme valued worldwide. I live in the UK and quite a number of us internationally wanted to show our disgust at the cancellation fo teh show that a US based website accepted international orders for the first imt in its history.Despite tons of suflower seeds (a nod at the favourite snack of the "father" of the 4400) being sent to the Head of USA network, their decision to cancel the 4400 in its heyday shows a lack of thought for the people who pay their wages ultimately.As soon as I have the funds I will be buying this boxset to complete my collection. I only hope that fan pressure and dvd sales worldwide will encourage some network to pick up this amazing series and give us a film or further series. I am sure Sky would still be co-funders as it is still one of the most watched programmes on repeat.If you enjoy gritty drama with a sci-fi edge then the 4400 is for you. Forget Heroes, this is the future of great sci-fi.

fourth and alas final season of the 4400.a science fiction show about 4400 people who disappeared over the course of several decades, and them all of whom were returned to earth one day in a ball of light. and they all turned to have no memories of what had happened to them, plus a special power each. the show centres on two agents of a government task force called NTAC, tom baldwin and diana skouris, who deal with problems resulting from 4400's using or misusing their powers.the first season was six episodes long, and the second and third thirteen each. whilst there were single storylines complete in each episode in most parts there was also a big ongoing storyline about how the 4400 were destined to change the world. thus you will miss out on a lot if you start with this season. so if you've not seen the show before go back and watch season one to begin with.but if you've made it through the first three seasons, read on. not least because you'll have gotten totally hooked on the programme as a result.the thirteen episodes of season four are presented here, over four discs. there are four episodes each on the first three discs, and the season finale is on the fourth one. over the course of this season, several factions are at war with each other over the future course of humanity. jordan collier has his own vision as to how those with abilities will change the world. sean reocvers and starts his own group, that preaches a more moderate way. NTAC as representatives of the government, are trying to keep a lid on everything. and also we meet the marked. beings from the future who want to stop the 4400. totally amoral and uncompromising, they possess powerful people in the present and use them to achieve their aims.whilst the story of the week does still occur in a few episodes of this season, the main story of the factions at war is prevalant, and the story of the week does rather vanish as the season goes on.this is a quality season, as the strength of the story is enough to keep you hooked. as are the moral dllemmas the characters face. because nobody here is necessarily evil [even perhaps the marked] they all want they think is best for humanity, but they all disagree on how to go about improving the world.and for long term viewers who've come this far you will care about these characters. possibly more so by the time the year is over.because it's the last you will see of them. the thirteenth episode rounds off the season, but there are loose ends left and the promise of bigger things still to happen. and you will never get to find out what, because the network then decided the show had run it's life. it really did need one more year to wrap everything up. and it will never get it. which is a shame.the discs have language tracks in english french and german, and subtitles in english danish dutch finnish french german norwegian and swedish.the only extras on the first three discs are a few minutes worth of deleted scenes from some of the episodes on them. these are short and the kind of thing that usually gets trimmed for timing reasons, but they're worth a look.the last disc includes a directors cut of the final episode. but this is only a few minutes longer than the broadcast version, and there are just a few extra scenes that could easily have been cut for timing reasons, so there's no real need for this. it could have just been done with deleted scenes instead.there are three featurettes:a four minute long blooper reel. this is better than most because it's not stylised and does include a few good and genuine bloopers and not too many shots of people pulling funny faces as you usually find in these things.jordan collier: the grey man. an eight minute long look, with contributions from cast and writers, at the character of jordan collier and the moral dilemmas his viewpoint entails. It's thought provoking stuff.plus a twenty seven minute long documentary about the season as a whole. dont watch this till after you've seen the final episode. not a making of documentary more a look at the show itself with contributions from cast and crew this is a detailed and interesting discussion about the season and the course of the show as a whole. and it does drop hints about what they'd had planned for the fifth year.so this is the only way you'll get to find out what might have been.a good package for a thoroughly entertaining season of a good show. I just wish it wasn't the final one

Every now and then our transatlantic cousins come up with a well written, well acted and well characterised series that leaves you wanting more right through to the last programme. While disappointed that it finished it is always good when you watch a series with a reasonable end point and have a wee twinge of regret that their is not more to come. Some I have watched have had endings that have fallen into the "hitting a brick wall" or the "what was that all about?" categories. It is always good sign when you actually care what happens to the characters in the production. All four series are worth watching again and again. Import the Region ! versions if you can, they are a lot cheaper.