Title:
The 4400: Third Season Premiere
Stars:
Billy Campbell, Joel Gretsch, Jaqueline McKenzie, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali,
Patrick Flueger, Conchita Campbell, Karina Lombard, Samantha Ferris, Jeffrey
Combs, Garret Dillahunt, Richard Kahan, Jeffrey Combs,
Created
By Scott Peters and Rene Echevarria
Executive
Producers: Ira Steven Behr, Scott Peters, Maira Suro, and Perry Simon
Running
Time: 85 minutes without commercials
Media:
USA Network Original Series (NTSC DVD Screener)
Third
Season Premiere Sunday, June 11, 2006, at 9pm (ET/PT)
Network:
USA Network (Check your local cable/satellite listings for channel)
TV
Rating: Not Available At The Time Of Review
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
The hit USA original series “The 4400” is coming back and the tensions between the evolving 4400 and normal human beings is rising with elements that quite honestly remind me of something I would probably associate more with “X-Men” than “The 4400” upon first glance. Upon receiving the DVD screener and press kit there was a kind note reminding all journalists to please keep certain plotlines undisclosed in order to preserve the suspense factor for the audience. Since so much occurs in this special two hour (including commercials) third season premiere I am just not sure what could be a potential spoiler or not. Therefore I am not going to even attempt a synopsis of the episode’s basic plot, but instead I am going to give my general impressions.
Personally
I found the third season premiere of “The 4400” to be thoroughly compelling
so much so that I loved every moment of the episode. Outside of “Battlestar
Galactica” and “LOST, “The 4400” is in my opinion one of the best genre
dramas on television. These programs have pretty much defined sci-fi in the
first decade of the twenty-first century by moving away from overt conspiracy
driven and monster stories that made “The X-Files” a hit in the 1990s and
all three programs have created a human drama that just happens to have
fantastic or science fiction elements to it as opposed to the space operas like
“Babylon 5” and the various incarnations of “Star Trek” that along with
“The X-Files” dominated the genre television landscape in the 1990s.
For those
new to the series, there are a few ways to get caught up in the show. On Sunday,
June 4, 2006 USA will air “The 4400 Special: Unlocking The Secrets” at 10pm.
Prior to this program, from 9am to 10pm (ET/PT) USA will air “The 4400:
Marathon: The Essential Episodes.” One can also purchase the first two seasons
on DVD, which are available at
retailers on and offline courtesy of Paramount Home Entertainment. A review of
the second season DVD set is now online here at GENRE ONLINE.NET. Additional information about “The
4400” can also be viewed online by visiting http://www.usanetwork.com/the400.
Regardless do not miss the two hour third season premiere, which will air
on Sunday, June 11, 2006, at 9pm (ET/PT) only on USA.
©
Copyright 2006 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.