The 4400: Season 2, Wake Up Call

SPOILER ALERT: Watch the episodes first!
The second season of the 4400 (“ Wake Up Call�) on USA kick-started with the discovery of Lily, Richard and Isabelle in their rural hideaway by some religious fanatics. I identified Psalm 19:8-10, Proverbs 28:1 as well as these two from Revelations: “[and] a great star fell from heaven, and it fell…on the springs of waters� and “[The] murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone�(8:10, 21:8). Somewhere within the 4400 writing team lies a Biblical criticism but what can we glean from their inclusion of these verses? So far, who would put Lily (Allen) and Richard Tyler (Ali) in the category of murderers, sorcerers, or idolaters, yet here they are categorized as such? With further irony, the 4400 reappeared on earth after the passing of a ‘great star’ (the comet) and they reappeared by ‘springs of water.’ So whose side will the allusions finally fall?

For all accounts, better or worse, Jordan Collier (Campbell) (note his initials) pushes Shawn Farrell (Flueger) into healing, gaining money from the endeavors and gaining temporary respite from the growing effects of Collier’s previous encounter with Isabelle. Collier pushes ahead with a book that claims he can unlock the ‘special power’ of everyone…for a price. His claimed goal: to insure the future and save the planet. When the 4400 Center/foundation is called a cult, Tom Baldwin (Joel Gretsch) remarks that ‘cult is what big religion calls little religion.’ Hmmm…so what defines the norm? Healing for money doesn’t seem entirely altruistic, and neither does unlocking my special powers…. [In random ‘spiritual’ inflection, Collier enters the room and Shawn says, “Speak of the devil� in one scene; in another early scene Shawn ‘calls God’s damnation on Collier.']

On other fronts, Tess Doerner (Glau), one of the 4400 returned to Abenson Psychiatric Hospital, begins effecting the construction of a device she says will allow the people from the future to communicate with her. As Baldwin struggles with his inability to follow through with his part in aiding the 4400 in their mission, he and Diane Skouris (Mckenzie) explore the effects that Doerner has on the rest of the patients, the staff of the hospital, and finally the NTAC staff themselves. The ripple effect motif continues as there IS an impact felt once the ‘communicating tower’ is completed.

Meanwhile, the three religious vigilantes aggressively chase Lily, Richard and Isabelle. Isabelle begins to exhibit the ability to create food and finally to impact the thoughts and actions of the people chasing her family…did I mention that Isabelle is a baby? Are theses actions forced by Isabelle or does she merely challenge the thoughts of the three men? We are not visual witnesses to the first death but the second two….are they the result of the older man’s rage and the younger man’s remorse? Or is Isabelle have some power over life and death, and does she use it for good or evil? If Isabelle does directly impact life and death and with her specific origins unknown, the further questioning is directed toward the wisdom of the people who abducted the 4400…in granting theses powers to an infant! [My further line of thought draws me towards questions about the power over life and death, etc. that Jesus Himself possessed that are undocumented in His early years.]

With the continuing impact of ripple effects both large and small, the ‘unlocking’ of special gifts, the question of mission/destiny and accepting responsibility, and finally, the ‘pre-cognizant’ recognition of future events, the 4400 shows that the show’s opportunities are wide-open. Good and evil do battle in everyday events, and each person is challenged to make a positive impact as best they can in each situation. Baldwin skeptically questions the ‘ball of light, the voice from the sky,’ and their ability to follow instructions…much like questions of everyday life for those of us not in the 4400.

REVIEWS
—The 4400: Life, Interrupted (on blog)
— The 4400: As Fate Would Have It (on blog)
—The 4400: Suffer the Children (on blog) ok
—The 4400: The Weight of the World (on blog)
—The 4400: Voices Carry (on blog)
—The 4400: Season 2, Wake Up Call (on blog)
—The 4400: Season One (on blog)