One of my favorite shows is The 4400. It’s a show about 4400 people who were kidnapped by people from the future, genetically altered and seeded back into the present day in order to save the world from catastrophe. They haven’t aged a day but some have been put into a time that is far into the future from when they were taken. Many of the people they knew are either dead or several years older than they last remember. They try to rebuild their lives despite being out time and out of place. Many try to pick up where they left off but find it impossible. Too much has changed.
As the story continues the people become commonly known as “The 4400″. Eventually, they begin to display special abilities which make others fear them. Rebuilding their lives becomes even more difficult. Some are attacked out of fear, many have no where to go and still others feel so isolated by their experience that they simply cannot adjust. Many begin to group together finding sanctuary among those with similar experiences. They organize under the leadership of a successful businessman and the story continues…
I love the show for obvious reasons. There’s so much to relate to in the sense of isolation, of ostracism and the need to find a purpose for all they’ve experienced. Within the subplots, there are stories that involve human nature, one of which is the need to belong, to find those who share their experiences and understand their feelings. In a group, they find strength and support, courage and purpose.
Another thing that got my attention is that there’s one character who’s experience doesn’t fit with all the other 4400′s. The process of his kidnapping went terribly wrong causing him to instead go into a coma for three years. Though others see him as victim of the same circumstances, his experience was very different and left him even further isolated. He was neither “normal” or an actual 4400.
I wanted to jump up and down screaming, “That’s me! That’s me!” But currently he’s sitting in prison awaiting trial for the murder of the leader of the 4400s. Ugh. Just my luck.
Okay, boring post, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Oh wow, I love sci-fi that metaphorizes (I doubt that is a real word but it gets my point across without me having to crack a thesaurus) normal life. Is it on the Sci Fi channel? I am totally checking it out, so this was not a boring post. I really miss having my shows (not that I get control over the remote often enough). It’s been awhile.
Of course, adoring sci-fi and fantasy, I must watch this show! Sounds great. And how interesting! That’s what I really appreciate about sci-fi. The thought and concepts blow me away. Some of the most visionary and yet human-related ideas/storylines come from sci-fi. In fact, i’d look there for human development to really see what’s going on, collectively.
Do you watch BSG? I don’t have access to it, but i want to rent it. Grace Park is pretty hot.
Your ending paragraphs made me laugh out loud. I, too, find characters I relate to and say AH HA, and YES, and then find out they are serial killers, felled by monsters, or some other nefarious occurence happens …
Clever title for the post!
Sue, it’s on the USA channel. They show the new shows on Sundays in my area and have show repeats throughout the week according to my listings. It use to be on the scifi channel, that’s actually where I first saw it. For some reason, scifi dropped the show..BOOOOO! Luckily, USA picked it up and continued the series.
Mudeng, Yes, I love that show. Grace Park rocks!
And that’s the only real gripe that I have with The 4400. Not one Asian American actor among them! You’d think out of four thousand and four hundred people, there’d be at least one. I’m thinking of writing them a long scathing letter.
Thanks Jaye.
The current shows I just picked up on DVD were actually Space: Above and Beyond and the BBC mini-series Ultraviolet. (Not to be confused with the recent Milla Jovovich film) Both get my recommendations for different reasons.
Space: Above and Beyond has some really well-written characters, particularly characters of color who take prominent roles within the series. They’re not ‘tack-ons’ and they grow throughout the 23 episodes that were produced. I’m not going to oversell it- it may well not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there were several really extraordinary episodes. If you get a chance to check it out, I’d recommend it.
Ultraviolet is also a nice, 6-episode mini-series with some really intriguing naunces. Sort of the anti-Buffy that shows you how great a series confronting vampirism could be if it was played straight- no snarkiness and pop culture overload, etc. Very grounded and very moving. The line is grey- you can see how each side comes to believe what it does, and you’re never left feeling everyone is right.
Unfortunately, coming in from England, it’s a little harder to come across out here, and you should see the episodes as close to back to back as possible, I think. But hey, that’s the same thing with 24.
Salaam!
I’m also a 4400 fan, so I had to come out of hiding and leave a comment.
What about Leanne Adachi? I believe she was in the episode “Mommy’s Bosses” and another before it called “Rage Bomb”. 1 out of 4400 is pitiful, but it’s a start. I’m hoping that as the show continues, we’ll see more Asian Americans. We’ll see what happens…
Bryan, I caught a few episodes of Space:Above and Beyond back when it was on TV just before they canceled the show. I forgot about that one. Just last night, I saw a commercial for Ultraviolet. I’m not sure if it was for the mini-series or a movie. I’ll check into it though.
Wa Salaam onairelav, yeah I remember those but what I meant was no “tack-ons”, as Bryan put it. I’d like to see a character with depth that grows and develops with the show. I hope it continues, too but I hear it’s been touch and go so far. I’ve been having bad luck when it comes to series. I no sooner get into the show then they cancel it.
I enjoyed the show the first time it was on. I was happy to see it was going to be coming back. Well, until I realized it is on a cable station and we don’t have cable. I’m a bit disappointed.
Hi Sume, it’s 3am of a Sunday morning, and I am both relieved and disappointed to have plowed through the first two seasons on DVD. Now I have to wait for the show on my TiVo like everyone else. I had forgotten which character you identified and was actually surprised that it was Shawn, but come to think of it, that makes so much sense. And that Maya, wow, what a great character and actress!