Thursday, September 13, 2007

The 4400: Tiny Machines

The 4400: Tiny Machines

This episode is a prime example of why I'm loving The 4400 this season. I know I keep going on about not knowing where this show is going but I can't stress how important that is. So many sci-fi shows *coughs*Flash Gordon*cough* get lazy and rely on a predictable format and stale, reused plots. The only thing that bored me about this episode is that the totally midicholrianed Evil Tom Baldwin. We learn that the marked people have been infected with nanotechnology. This means that they can be cured and restored. (I still don't remember seeing these episodes that introduced the marked people and I swear that I've seen every episode of The 4400.)

Tom's character went all out this episode. All pretenses were dropped and he showed his true colors. He even went so far as to inject Maya with the promicin inhibitor. She's not permanently rid of her 4400 ability but it's still a scary thought. Near the end, Diane and Tom get into a shoot out. Diane shoots Tom. (don't worry, it was a gut wound) A lethal dose of radiation will get the nanobugs out of him but it will also kill him... if the gunshots don't do that first.

Sean and Tess brakes Dr. Burkhoff out of the Promised City so that he can continue his research. With her powers restored, Isabelle was returned to Promised City to abduct Jordan Collier. She brought him to Evil Tom and Jordan will become one of the marked. His mission is to render all 4400 normal again. It will totally ruin his "movement".

It doesn't stop there, Sean's brother Danny takes the promicin shot against Sean's wishes. It turns out that Sean got a healing ability but Danny might have a disease- giving ability. I'm already bored with the "I told you so" speech Sean is going to have to give Danny. I wonder if they will have to exterminated Danny. His mother looks like his first victim. If he can't control his new powers they might have to kill him to stop him. This won't end well for Danny.

4 comments:

umberhaven said...

I'll agree that this is a great season. I was a little worried at first because the abilities we've seen this season have been so bizarre. I thought the show was taking a weird direction, perhaps intentionally distancing itself from similar shows like Heroes.

But, the story arc has taken some interesting turns. I don't always like what has happened to the characters, especially Tom turning evil, Kyle siding with Collier, Richard Tyler going renegade, and Isabelle being manipulated (again). But, that's because I like the characters and wish the best for them. That'd be kind of boring though.

J. Michael Straczyncki, creator of Babylon 5, once said that the job of a good writer is to chase his characters up trees and throw rocks at them. In terms of 4400, I guess you could say that I don't always like the rocks being thrown, but it's made the show very interesting seeing the characters in the trees. (Did that make any sense?)

Theories on the finale: With his family imploding around him, Shawn will have to do something drastic, perhaps even illegal and/or morally questionable, to save either his mom, brother, Tom, or Kyle (if not all four). The prophecy of Tom taking Promicin will probably come true, because Promicin will probably be the key to saving him from being Marked.

scifirantergirl said...

YES!!!! This *is* probably how they are going to get Tom to take the Promicin. Brilliant Umberhaven!

umberhaven said...

Woops. Nope, looks like I was wrong about Tom Baldwin and the Promicin.

I just watched the season finale, and without giving away any spoilers too soon... This was a major episode. Like the rest of the season, I don't necessarily like everything that happened in the episode, but it all made things very, very interesting for the overall story arc.

Wow. This show knows how to knock season finales out of the park!!!

scifirantergirl said...

That season finale was impressive but it was so good that it scared me. I'm gonna post about it later.