Rent The 4400: Series 1 (2004)

A clever idea poorly executed - The 4400: Series 1 review by CP Customer

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. However, 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. 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. 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.