The 4400 - The Complete First Season
2004
When 4400 alien abductees return to earth just as mysteriously as they vanished, the Department of Homeland Security demands answers. But even more pressing than the concerns of the government are the experiences of the 4400 victims as they readjust to life on earth. Upon their return, these formerly missing persons lose all .. Read more
| Starring | Joel Gretsch, Jacqueline McKenzie, Laura Allen |
|---|---|
| Genres | Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Television |
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Most helpful members' reviews (3)
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62 out of 74 people found this review helpful
Season One makes season two a must watch
Saw the first season sky one. Story line was such you had to watch the next one to get your question answered. Characters got better as time went along. The question is why were they sent back? Who is the father? etc
Heard that it reminded people of x files - see why , but i was never an x-files fan. If you like sci-fi you will like this. -
14 out of 16 people found this review helpful
Great TV
I thought this was really good, keeps you guessing and you cant switch off after only one episode you have to keep watching to see what happens next.
Would recommend this even to people who didnt like the x files. -
11 out of 11 people found this review helpful
under-vauled and over shadowed unfairly
I've watched this series from the beginning and have just finished series 4. I personally thought it was a little slow off the mark to begin with, series 1 and 2 plod along at a reasonable pace, there's a lot of intertwining story lines and it's still an interesting watch, although with the popularity of Heroes a lot of people will probably be thinking that the 4400 is it's less interesting cousin.
Sure, people get powers, it's not the most original idea, and some episodes don't seem to move the plot very far along at all. Like the X-Files, most early episodes are just about a duo of special agents solving crimes surrounding those with abilities. That is, regarding the first two series.
Series 3 kicks off nicely, and a constant underlying storyline becomes more prominent. The actors are now well connected with their characters, and while it's no where near as flashy or expensive as Heroes, the slow burning series finally begins delivering. A brilliant cliffhanger at the end of series 3 guarantees that you'll be back for series 4. And if you have had the patience to sit through some rather mediocre episodes over the past 3 series this is where you'll be rewarded.
Series 4 is absolutely fantastic. You're already immersed with the characters, and their personalities are all constructed, while it took 3 series to do, the writers have created some brilliant characters and interesting twists on the 'super-human' genre. Series 4 blazes along, maybes one or two duff episodes through-out, but now that the back story is all there the writers have been able to build on it so much. I won't give anything away but they shift gears brilliantly, you could read whatever metaphors that you like into it, and there's quite a few parallels you could draw to the real world, but when it comes down to it's a brilliant piece of sci-fi.
In summary it really is a slow burning show, and while it's never boring, there just doesn't seem to be much to hold your attention after the first few episodes, but if you do, you really will be rewarded. I'm a huge fan of Heroes, Lost, 24, and the 4400 is almost an amalgamation of all three (although i know 4400 came before Heroes), but still so uniquely executed. I cannot wait for series 5 now (if there is going to be one), and while it may not be as main-stream popular or profitable as Heroes, it certainly seems to have a long term story arch, while could and should run for many more series, where Heroes seems to focus a lot on the current series. -
Most recent members' reviews (2)
View all -
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
The 4400 first impressions
This is an excellent series, plenty of things going on to make you think. The story line is very good and the effects are brilliant.
I would recommend this series to anyone. -
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Excellent for Sci-Fi fans!
Excellent series, especially the first and last episodes. I can't wait to see the second season!!! If you love Science-Fiction, this will be for you!
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62 out of 74 people found this review helpful
Season One makes season two a must watch
Saw the first season sky one. Story line was such you had to watch the next one to get your question answered. Characters got better as time went along. The question is why were they sent back? Who is the father? etc
Heard that it reminded people of x files - see why , but i was never an x-files fan. If you like sci-fi you will like this. -
14 out of 16 people found this review helpful
Great TV
I thought this was really good, keeps you guessing and you cant switch off after only one episode you have to keep watching to see what happens next.
Would recommend this even to people who didnt like the x files. -
11 out of 11 people found this review helpful
under-vauled and over shadowed unfairly
I've watched this series from the beginning and have just finished series 4. I personally thought it was a little slow off the mark to begin with, series 1 and 2 plod along at a reasonable pace, there's a lot of intertwining story lines and it's still an interesting watch, although with the popularity of Heroes a lot of people will probably be thinking that the 4400 is it's less interesting cousin.
Sure, people get powers, it's not the most original idea, and some episodes don't seem to move the plot very far along at all. Like the X-Files, most early episodes are just about a duo of special agents solving crimes surrounding those with abilities. That is, regarding the first two series.
Series 3 kicks off nicely, and a constant underlying storyline becomes more prominent. The actors are now well connected with their characters, and while it's no where near as flashy or expensive as Heroes, the slow burning series finally begins delivering. A brilliant cliffhanger at the end of series 3 guarantees that you'll be back for series 4. And if you have had the patience to sit through some rather mediocre episodes over the past 3 series this is where you'll be rewarded.
Series 4 is absolutely fantastic. You're already immersed with the characters, and their personalities are all constructed, while it took 3 series to do, the writers have created some brilliant characters and interesting twists on the 'super-human' genre. Series 4 blazes along, maybes one or two duff episodes through-out, but now that the back story is all there the writers have been able to build on it so much. I won't give anything away but they shift gears brilliantly, you could read whatever metaphors that you like into it, and there's quite a few parallels you could draw to the real world, but when it comes down to it's a brilliant piece of sci-fi.
In summary it really is a slow burning show, and while it's never boring, there just doesn't seem to be much to hold your attention after the first few episodes, but if you do, you really will be rewarded. I'm a huge fan of Heroes, Lost, 24, and the 4400 is almost an amalgamation of all three (although i know 4400 came before Heroes), but still so uniquely executed. I cannot wait for series 5 now (if there is going to be one), and while it may not be as main-stream popular or profitable as Heroes, it certainly seems to have a long term story arch, while could and should run for many more series, where Heroes seems to focus a lot on the current series. -
10 out of 11 people found this review helpful
a good start but will it maintain the tension
A good premise and good production qualities lift this above the norm, however it remains to be seen if this can be maintained over the season. Lets hope it doesnt stretch its life into to many seasons and loose its momentum..
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9 out of 13 people found this review helpful
Alien abuduction?
An interesting series. A group of 4400 humans are taken at various points in time and returned all on the same day. The series follows their troubled re-integration into a cautious sceptical world. Which is made more difficult by the strange abilites displayed by some of the returnees.
Despite the short 5 episode season, it presents some interesting ideas and stories, which will be explored in the second season.
There are two minor criticisms, which are more technical than anything.
1. The whole season could easily have been put onto one disc.
2. There are no extras.
Definetly worth viewing if you like Sci-Fi and drama. -
8 out of 10 people found this review helpful
Very
very bad. Also worryingly fascistic, like 24 really.
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8 out of 11 people found this review helpful
A great idea - done on the cheap a little....
Like I said - nice idea, very, very ?X-Files? though - a different story every week, a male/female investigation team with different views on the task in hand... Sound familiar..? All in all a pretty decent watch, if let down by a presumably low production value. A ?could have been? were it not for ?24?? One to keep on top-of-the-telly for those quiet nights in.
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5 out of 5 people found this review helpful
A clever idea poorly executed
A ball of light from outer space lands in Earth's atmosphere, hovers over a lake and blasts open leaving behind 4,400 people that have been, presumably, abducted by aliens anywhere from a few weeks to a half century ago. They haven't aged a day and have no memory of what happened to them. After a six week stay in a department of homeland security holding center they are released back into society. Some are reunited with their families, others have to deal with the fact their families are long dead and have to adapt to living in a strange new world, only to learn as time goes by they have all developed strange powers. Although the series revolves around a core group of main characters, each episode includes additional sub-storylines from other members of the 4400. With only a 90 minute pilot and an additional four 40 minute episodes, it?s all over before it gets a chance to get going. There are too many characters and most never really get a chance to develop. Also the plot seems to jump around with glaring omissions from the timeline, (one minute one of the main characters is in the process of divorcing and barely speaking to his estranged wife, the next they?re hugging and kissing like nothing happened!). And the male & female Homeland Security agent partnership will remind even those that aren't purists, of 'X-Files' heroes Mulder and Scully. All in all, ?The 4400? is pretty bog standard, TV science fiction but with a concept that is too epic and ambitious for its own medium TV scale budget. However, if you?re into sci-fi based drama series like the X-Files, Millennium or Stephen King TV adaptations, then ?The 4400? is a moderately enjoyable and watchable series.
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5 out of 5 people found this review helpful
What a second disc!
A continuation from the first disc and what a follow on it is in the plot and mind bending experiences for the 4400.
After watching the first disc I had to order the second straight away because I just wanted to know what happened next! And boy I'm glad I did, the story carries on with more twists than you can imagine to keep you on the end of your seat its spectacular!
You have to watch this series!
Can't wait for the next series to come out on DVD so that the questioning can continue on what, where, how, if.......? -
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful
Take me with you!!!
I didn`t think that there could be a better series than "Taken", but "The 4400" is it. By the end of the first series, 5 programmes, SOME of the questions are answered. Everything we see is "plausible" in the world of sci fi.
Can't wait for the new series to come out on DVD. It`s going to be twelve episodes long!
Buy from the LOVEFiLM shop
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The 4400 - The Complete First Season
When 4400 alien abductees return to earth just as mysteriously as they vanished, the Department of Homeland Security demands answers. But even more pressing than the concerns of the government are the experiences of the 4400 victims as they readjust to life on earth. Upon their return, these ...
-
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