The 4400 - Complete 1st Season [DVD]

 

 

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This story centres on 4400 people who, at various times throughout the last 60 years have gone missing. One night a huge ball of light appears by a lake in Washington state. The light disappears leaving behind the 4400 missing people. They have no memory of where they have been or what has happened to them. As far as they are aware, no time has passed.
The tale unfolds as various key characters are introduced and the realisation hits that the 4400 are now 'different', they have strange gifts or powers. What remains to be discovered is where they have been, why they were taken and, most important of all, what is the purpose of their return.
This dvd set features all of series 1 over 2 discs. There are no extras except for subtitles for the hard of hearing (definitly there on my set although a previous reviewer says there are none). In spite of there being no extras this is a set still well worth buying, the story alone is worth the purchase price.

The last year had a lot of creepy-suspenseful shows, sort of crosses between "X-Files" and "Lost." But before those shows came out, there was the most underrated one: "The 4400," a suspenseful, intelligent show that looks not at mysterious abductions -- but mysterious returns.

1946: A little girl vanishes in the woods. 1951: A black GI vanishes from a tent. 1979: A corporate head vanishes from his car. 2001: A teenager vanishes from a camping trip, leaving his cousin in a coma. In 2004, a comet is on a collision course with Earth, causing widespread panic. But instead of crashing, it hovers over a Seattle lake -- and leaves 4400 bewildered people around the lakeside.

These people all vanished over the past sixty years, and have been returned without any aging, and with no memory of what happened to them in the time they were gone. Tom Baldwin (Joel Gretsch), whose son is the one in a coma, is desperate to find out what did happen, so he rejoins Homeland Security to keep tabs on the "4400," as they are now known.

Some like his nephew Shawn (Patrick Flueger) return to their old lives, only to find that they are reviled. And some like ex-GI Richard (Mahershalalhashbaz Ali) and his girlfriend's granddaughter Lily (Laura Allen) find that they have no lives to return to. Ostracized and threatened, they start to draw together. But the strangest thing is that the 4400 are starting to show signs of X-Men-like powers: super speed, clairvoyance, telekinesis, healing, and mind control.

Tom and his HS partner Diana Skouros (Jacqueline McKenzie) track down both rogue abductees, and try to prevent harm from coming to the innocent 4400s. But when Shawn heals Tom's son Kyle (Chad Faust), Kyle comes back changed -- and his strange behavior holds the key to the 4400's purpose on Earth.

Okay, the complete first season of "4400" is only five episodes long, making it about the length of a miniseries. But unlike most shows on TV, its writers cram a whole season's worth of plot into only six hours. In most movies and shows, people who vanish and then are returned are always welcomed back. This time, they are treated with suspicion and even hatred, and many are completely alone.

There are standalone "4400 of the week" stories, like the one about a 4400 serial killer, or a vigilante who is using his powers. But there are also intertwining plots about how the 4400s try to survive in a new world that fears them. We see Shawn trying to fit back into high school, and Richard and Lily finding that they have no homes left, and building a home together.

And the final episode is absolutely mind-blowing, with sudden shifts in Homeland Security's power, a sinister megamogul, and Tom desperately trying to save his son. While the mystery of the 4400s is partly solved, there are lots of questions left over for the recently released second season. It's satisfying, but will leave you wanting more.

The acting is kind of stiff in the first episode or two, but when the actors settle into their roles they do a solid job. Gretsch and McKenzie have good-cop/bad-cop chemistry, and they do a good job playing off each other's personalities. Flueger soon does a good job as a a tormented teenager, and Ali is nothing short of brilliant with his confused, bittersweet Richard. The one real problem is Conchita Campbell, who spends most of the season playing the Smiling Little Kid Who Makes Creepy Pronouncements.

"The 4400" is one of the more intelligent new shows on TV, with a new spin on the typical "abducted by aliens" plot. Suspenseful, smart and well-written, this is one to keep an eye on.

Don't worry I am not about to actually list 4400 reasons here. I just want to say that this is a refreshing take on alien abduction/ sci fi drama. This is like the flipside to the "X Files" or "Taken" where they concentrate on abductees coming back to earth. OK 4400 return at once but they just focus on a handful and take it from there. Why have they returned, where have they been etc, the usual questions asked and probed in this brilliant series. Only 1 complaint! Only 5 episodes in season 1 and ends in a cliffhanger.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Series
The plot has been well described by other reviewers so i won't cover it again.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes sci fi dramas. Read more

Published 12 months ago by Tina

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent, plausible, thrilling series that will trigger many feelings
No, I won't list the full plot and characters. That's all for you to discover. I just want to say that I love this first season. Read more

Published 13 months ago by T. C. Binder

4.0 out of 5 stars Promising sci-fi series
There is only one problem with this show - Series 1 was WAY too short. The premise is intriguing - 4400 people who have disappeared over the last century are returned - from... Read more

Published 15 months ago by Callistoangel

3.0 out of 5 stars Starts off well, but it's all downhill from there.
Starts off well, but it's all downhill from there. I suppose it's an ok mini series, nothing really bad about it, it just lacks something, like it's been rushed into making. Read more

Published on 13 Nov 2009 by Dirty Harry

4.0 out of 5 stars good price
The delivery was fast, and the price was good. However, the dvd case was a little bit damaged but I guess that was the reason for the competitive price.
Thanks

Published on 15 Sep 2009 by Ms. Catherine Bourreau

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding writing, acting and filming
I just watched the whole 1st season of the 4400 in one day with home made popcorn. What a treat! The location shots including the lake where the returnees re-appear are beautiful... Read more

Published on 13 Sep 2009 by Zigguratclimber

4.0 out of 5 stars A real surprise treat
Having just finished watching Heros seasons I and II, and my wife having spotted this series on sale for next to nothing in a second hand DVD shop, I had a definite feeling that... Read more

Published on 17 Feb 2009 by The Jolly Juggler

4.0 out of 5 stars Get through it just to get Season 2
As the title says, if you can make your way through this series (and are either interested or entertained by the idea and plot) then the second series gets a whole lot better... Read more

Published on 24 Aug 2007 by Dax

2.0 out of 5 stars No Heroes Here!
Over the past 50 years people have been disappearing in America without a trace. Where are they? Well, they are back, all 4400 of them in one go. Read more

Published on 15 Aug 2007 by Mr. William Oxley

4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant storyline ...
This is a great idea, with a great plot and plenty of potential to keep the good storyline going through a few more series. It's easy to keep watching. Read more

Published on 13 July 2007 by Jaydee

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