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coalescent
Last night I watched The 4400 (official site), a recent miniseries that has been touted in some circles as 'the new X-Files.' Some may see that as a reason to avoid it rather than seek it out; but on the other hand, the executive producers include Ira Steven Behr and Rene Echevarria, both of whom did good work on Deep Space Nine, which I still think is the only really worthwhile incarnation of Trek. So I gave it a go.The premise is appealingly high-concept: for over fifty years, people have been vanishing. In 1947, eight-year old Maia Rutledge. In 1951, black US air force pilot Richard Tyler. In 1979, businessman Orson Bailey. One day in 2004, they all reappear, on the shore of a lake in the shadow of Mount Rainier. All four thousand, four hundred of them. Where have they been? What happens next?
The five installments of The 4400 are packaged as a mini-series, are actually structured more like a very short season, and really want to be a pilot for a full season (which, in fact, has now been given the go-ahead, and is due next summer). It's a slightly incoherent mix, but it starts promisingly; the need to know exactly what is going on is strong enough to overcome some fairly pedestrian plotting and unremarkable acting. And when the government is forced to accede to the demands of relatives of the returnees and release the 4400 from quarantine, it's interesting to watch characters from recent and not-so-recent times try to reintegrate into a society that is more than a little uncertain how to deal with them.
It becomes clear quite quickly that many of the 4400 have been returned changed in some way. They manifest extraordinary talents like clairvoyancy, telekinesis, or the ability to heal. Our main protagonists, then, in an X-Files kinda way, charged with investigating the mystery of the 4400, are agents Diana Skouris and Tom Baldwin--but this being 2004 and not 1994, of course they're agents of the Department of Homeland Security, not the FBI. Other elements echo past genre shows, as well; one plot thread, involving Tom's nephew, Shawn, feels eerily like (of all things) Roswell.
Some episodes are stronger than others. My favourite by some way was 'The New & Improved Carl Morrissey' (written by Echevarria), in which one of the 4400, on discovering that his reflexes and strength have been significantly improved, decides to use his powers to clean up his neighbourhood. An unremarkable concept, but lifted by good performances from David Eigenberg as Carl, and Kathleen Wilhoite as his wife Grace, as well as by an honest and human ending.
In fact, it's fair to say that when The 4400 disappointed me, it was because it strayed too far from the human elements of its story. I kept thinking that the reappearance of four thousand plus people should be a big enough story in itself; that the supernatural powers manifested by the returnees were a bit too much--in fact, a distraction. Because it does feel like an attempt to recreate The X-Files at times (up to and including having their own version of the Lone Gunmen), but nobody involved has the charisma of David Duchovny or Gillian Anderson. And in any, case alien abductions and the supernatural are, well, a bit passe now, aren't they?
Now and again there were hints of what I thought I wanted The 4400 to be about--what people have to go through to adapt to a new society; how people find purpose in their lives; or the implications of the fact that the whole affair is being handled by Homeland Security. On that last point, there's a nicely messy subplot in which Tom and Diane's boss uses deeply dubious means to deal with a hack journalist who seems intent on raising a witch-hunt against the returnees.
Most importantly, though, it ends well. Very well, I'm tempted to say. The agency behind the reappearance of the 4400 is revealed, as is its purpose, and I will admit that the answers caught me off guard. It's not a twist, exactly, but it throws a much-different light on earlier events, and made me much more interested in seeing further episodes. Like The X-Files, it's a story that could easily end up as a self-indulgent mess; but if the show's producers do really have a grand design (and if the writing can be improved a notch or two) The 4400 could end up being very interesting indeed.
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no subject
Date: 2004-12-07 01:36 am (UTC)It's interesting and far more palettable than, say, John Doe but I don't think I'd be really eager to make sure I didn't miss an episode if it clashed with something else.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-07 02:01 am (UTC)I think that's pretty much my reaction. I'd like to see the start of the next season proper, because I think there's potential, but I'm not blown away. The only characters I was really interested in were Richard and Lily, and I really do wish they'd left out the weird powers bit--it only muddles things, I think. I also kinda wish they'd focused more on the members of the 4400 who have been away for more than a decade.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-07 02:12 am (UTC)How would a adult character who went missing in the 30s or 40s react to great-grandchildren his or her own age, and the realities of life as we know it? I'd love to see that done *well*. Of course such storylines have been hinted at before - Ripley in Aliens being the prime example, and even Flight of the Navigator showed an interesting dynamic between an unchanged and unaged character being presented with relatives who are almost strangers to him.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-07 02:22 am (UTC)There is something of that in one of the relationships--I don't want to spoil which one--but it's not played up as much as I'd have liked. Most of the 4400 seem to adapt pretty quickly. Still, I have some hope that with a full season, and more space to do stories about individual returnees, there might be more along those lines.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-07 04:59 am (UTC)I also wish they'd made a bit more effort to distance it from The X-Files when they created/cast the two lead roles. Thinking back I can't remember any of the characters being particularly well rounded, but then there were quite a lot of them introduced in a relatively short time.
I'll definately give the series a chance, but it's not currently something that I'll be waiting eagerly for the latest episode.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-07 04:10 am (UTC)I think the "Roswell" thread is handling the age difference in an interesting way. The resentment of younger brother who has suddenly become the same age and in competition with his brother as a peer is kind of fun.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-07 02:20 am (UTC)Ahahahaha. And they say you can't do funny.
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Date: 2004-12-07 02:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-07 02:30 am (UTC)This amused me far too much - especially given that I am on a re-watch of Angel S4.....
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Date: 2004-12-07 03:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-07 03:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-07 05:04 am (UTC)Anyway - we have just watched the tail end of S3 (not S3.22 though) and *anything* seems good in comparison.....
no subject
Date: 2004-12-07 05:56 am (UTC)Bah to you.
3 words...
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I would add that Matt leBlanc started off in that backwater of softporn too. lol!
no subject
Date: 2004-12-07 05:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-07 05:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-07 02:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-07 02:37 am (UTC)Must get hold of Lost.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-07 04:51 am (UTC)One possible downside to Lost
Lost is far far better than 4400 ever was
no subject
Date: 2004-12-07 03:23 am (UTC)I've watched two episodes and that particular plot's been quite predictable.
but nobody involved has the charisma of David Duchovny or Gillian Anderson.
Word up.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-07 03:30 am (UTC)...
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Date: 2004-12-07 03:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-07 05:55 am (UTC)nngggyyyyaaaaaahhnnnnn
/SeanOfTheDead
no subject
Date: 2004-12-07 06:24 am (UTC)