(S04E11) Even though I thought this episode was more of a filler episode than anything else, it was still a solid episode with solid performances, particularly, once again from Joel Gretsch (Tom Baldwin). It also certainly laid the scene for a promising season finale (to come in two weeks, after the US Open). It was great to see more of Maia in this episode, though it is startling to see how grownup she is now. Last season, we had more Diana storylines, with her sister and then her romance with Ben. This season hasn't given her very much to do, but Jacqueline McKenzie maintains her role with stalwart integrity. We also get the distinct impression that her relationship with Ben is now dead in the water.Of course, it didn't take very long for Diana and Meghan to figure out that Tom isn't actually Tom anymore. But The Marked would have to be fools to think that their hosts' friends and family wouldn't figure it out eventually. Particularly about Tom Baldwin, who was told what The Marked were before he became one of them. I gave Meghan credit for doubting she'd be able to continue an intimate relationship with somebody who was no longer Tom.
One complaint: There should be a law against previews for the next episode promising us that Tom is going to get medieval all over Kyle with a shovel and then that turning out to be nothing more than a fantasy. That was a total ripoff.
This episode did leave me with a question: If Imroth is dead now, how will The Marked maintain control of his company, which funds their efforts? I'd say that it isn't very important, except that Alter Ego Tom was pretty determined to kill Walter Trask in order to stop the computer virus from tanking the company's stock. (Note to Alter Ego Tom: I don't think Tom gives much thought to his pension, so in order to just being a little off, that was probably a big red flag). So, although it's very cool to think of Jordan Collier being taken over by one of The Marked, if only to watch the fun Billy Campbell will get to have with the role, I thought it was contradictory plot-wise to have Imroth die. I'm sure The Marked has accounted for it-- but we didn't get an explanation of how.
Patrick Flueger (Shawn) has had a pretty thankless role this season as well, but considering how much heavy lifting he had to do last season, maybe it's a bit of a relief. I loved it when he decided to call in Tess to get Kevin back: We will undoubtedly see some fireworks in the season finale now. Especially now that Isabelle has her abilities back.
It has been great to see Isabelle as a normal, powerless person this season. I wonder if that will make her kinder, gentler, and wiser now that she has her abilities back. Do you think she will really turn on Jordan? I thought she had a touching monologue about power and loneliness. The scene in which she and Kyle were reunited and finally kissed each other, was great too. Perhaps last season she thought she had genuine feelings for Shawn, but she was being so ruthlessly manipulated by Matthew Ross (who is now The Marked inhabiting Tom Baldwin) that it's hard to be sure. Especially given that she didn't have the maturity to be having an adult relationship. She has had the chance to mature and to experience emotions without the confusion of ultimate power, and I think that will redeem her in the end. Do you buy the thought that there is a kill switch in her if she tries to strike down Alter Ego Tom? I think that is bull, but she did have to have an IV drip to get rid of her allergens to promicin, so who knows?
I wonder what, if anything, will come of Maia's being able to visit with her parents again? It's interesting that they don't want to interfere with her homework-- but they don't say anything about her new mother. Is it possible that they don't know about Diana? And will Maia's joy at being reunited with her parents cause a rift between her and Diana, that will separate them even more than the tiny cracks in their relationship caused by adolescence and the fact that Diana works for NTAC, while her daughter is a 4400?
I don't know how the season will be resolved. If there is an ultimate battle next week, that doesn't leave a lot left to happen in a new season. But it doesn't seem like they will be able to resolve the battle between the haves and the have nots in one simple episode. That means maybe there will be a cliffhanger!
Comic-Con Countdown: You ask Sci Fi the questions, we deliver
Giveaway Monday: ER - Season Nine DVD
Giveaways reminder: Stargate: Atlantis, X-Files, Fastlane
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-27-2007 @ 9:16AM
Ian said...
The ep helped to differentiate between the 2 competing future groups. Those hosting in curent people are clearly being made out to be evil. i.e. taking lives is routimey acceptable. Though their hetred of promicin is weird when they have to use it on Isabelle to restore her powers... It's also unclear why promicin makes her evil once more or was that the second injection? Cleearly though she is a more complex and rounded personality and perhaps stronger so it should be interesting seeing her play the part.
Why does NTAC think they they can "get back the old Tom"?
In reality neither future gropup appears exactly "nice" since the Collier group wants to kill 50% of all humans to enable a new master race....
Question: Is there a third group which ultimately will have as a core Tom, Sean and some converts such as Kyle (who is increasingly manipulated but shows signs of resistance) etc?
Reply
8-27-2007 @ 11:00AM
darthpragus said...
Personally I think that the marked are actually good whilst Jordan Collier is evil. The core of the 4400 prophecy goes along the lines of when all have taken the elixer the messiah will reveal his true face and heaven will reign on earth. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression that in the book of revelations, the anti-christ originally appears christlike. Also the language of it, I mean the use of the word reveal, however, that could very well be nothing. My theory is that Jordans promicin campaign is the catastrophe. I mean 50% dying that sounds pretty catastrophic to me.
Reply
8-27-2007 @ 11:59AM
Joe stalin said...
Yeah, maybe the marked aren't so bad. I mean, master races and exterminations, thats Hitler kind of shit. He thought he was doing good too, doesn't make it good though. And Kyle is so clearly being manipulated.
Is next season the last?
Reply
8-27-2007 @ 1:37PM
Oreo said...
I HATED the ending, it was just "Why didn't you do that in the first place?" type of thing.
Reply
8-27-2007 @ 3:48PM
Punkey said...
Actually, I think this episode lays the groundwork for a big twist later on in the season. I've had a suspicion about exactly who Cassie really "works for", given her increasingly radical suggestions, and the outcome of the storyline with Isabelle escaping the showdown with Richard confirms it. She has known every detail of what's going to happen with her suggestions before, and we're just supposed to take it as a mistake that she delivered Isabelle straight into the arms of The Marked? Every suggestion she's made since the founding of Promise City (and even that's somewhat suspect) has done nothing but antagonize. First it was NTAC, and now it's Shawn. If Kyle and Jordan really believe that the names in that book can take the shot without dying, a definitive test would only help their cause. Jordan's somewhat genocidal statements throw doubt on that, but it's equally likely that he's fallen under Cassie's spell as well. I suspect that within two or three episodes we'll find out about Cassie's true motivations.
Reply
8-27-2007 @ 5:37PM
Tom said...
There’s some weird stuff going on here
First to Punkey’s point, I too am getting more and more suspicious of Cassie. Her advice did have the net result of breaking Isabelle out of prison and delivering her into the hands of the Marked so that they could recreate their ultimate-4400-killing weapon.
Then you have to remember what Jordan saw when he went to the future. If you recall, he saw one utopia like remaining city where the upper class lived and ruins everywhere else. Now, ask yourself, who on the show is building a utopian city in the present?
It seems to me that the Marked’s plan could be…
1. Get Isabelle back to the Marked.
2. Have Isabelle deliver Jordan and turn him into one of the Marked
3. Have (Marked) Jordan finish Promise City while Isabelle kills off all the current 4400s and Extra Crispies
Then what you have is a single city run by the marked just as Jordan’s dire future predicted.
Reply
8-29-2007 @ 11:57AM
Darrel Hormeku said...
I can't believe no one mentioned that he received death threats from Steve Jobs seeing that Imroth is Bill Gates. I almost died when they wanted to check if he was p positive. Maybe that why there are so many applefanboys who are so loyal.
According to the wiki and past 4400 season's the next episode will not the the season finale because that would only be the episode 12 out of 13.
Reply