4 Great Things About USA's "The 4400"

My wife and I just picked up the first season of USA's "The 4400" on DVD last week. And since that first season is only five episodes long, we just finished it, too. We've enjoyed other abduction-type programs like "The X-Files" and the miniseries "Taken," but in some ways "The 4400" was unlike both of those great series...and became a great series in its own right.

The two-hour pilot (the first episode of the series) is about 4400 people who mysteriously appear out of a ball of light in the Pacific Northwest. They're kept by the government for as long as Homeland Security can justify it, and are then released to go back to their homes. These people have all been abducted--but we're not sure by whom. Aliens? The government? God?

Some of the "returnees" begin to exhibit paranormal abilities--some of them use their new gifts for good, others for their own purposes. Teams of special agents follow and investigate the returnees, and we follow a pair, Tom Baldwin and Diana Skouris, who each ends up with a vested interest in the well-being of these mysterious people.

This program gets a lot of things right to keep it from being a standard "Alien Abduction" series. The "4 Great Things" we loved about "The 4400:"

1. Writing. I recognize a lot of the writing and producing staff from "Deep Space Nine," one of my favorite television series of all time. They're obviously setting up a number of arcs in this first season, and I'm hoping all of these seeds they're sowing are going to grow into great things. The turns that several episodes take are exciting, and it's a smart series--one you need to pay attention to to really enjoy.

2. Powers. Goodness knows I'm a comic book geek, and this season sort of plays out as a "secret origins" of various returnees. They're each discovering their own powers, although none of them understands where their "superpowers" came from. Everything from psychic powers to the power to kill with a thought or heal with a touch are included. In the five episodes we see enough to get hooked, and they open up possibilities for humanity that we've all thought about, sometimes coveted, and often feared. Giving the returnees these gifts was a stroke of genius that sets this apart from other similar series.

3. Suspense. One of the thrills about "The X-Files" and "Taken" was the unknown--you know these returnees are going to come into conflict with other characters and institutions, but you're not sure what form those conflicts will take. The episodes are each filled with suspense--sometimes due to peril, other times just because after a handful of episodes we already care about what happens to them. It's a tribute to the writing, direction, and acting that we got sucked in so quickly. Great stuff.

4. Answers. One of the criticisms of "The X-Files" was that there wasn't enough resolution to the overall storyline as time went on. By the time the 9th Season played out, I know I wasn't watching any more, and I bet many of you weren't either. Too much mystery without answers becomes a burden, and it seems the people behind "The 4400" realize that. The final episode for the first season answers some big questions, and resolves a few storylines while nurturing other seeds for larger arcs. Finishing that episode last night was very satisfying, and wanted me to pick up the next season as soon as we can. Which, knowing us, will probably be this week. Something needs to tide us over until "Lost" starts up again.

If you're looking for a new sci-fi fix, and you've enjoyed other abduction dramas, give "The 4400" a try. I recommend starting with this first season--I believe USA is broadcasting Season 3 right now, and Season 2 is already available on DVD. So it's a perfect time to jump in and see what these 4400 people are up to. You'll be glad you did.

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