Save 'The 4400'

If we've learned anything from those devoted Jericho fans, it's never give up on saving your favorite shows. The latest canceled show getting a huge boost from its devoted fan base is PTR fave The 4400. USA Network decided late last year not to renew the series for a fifth season, essentially leaving fans in the lurch without any sort of conclusion to the serial drama's ongoing storylines. Well, the fans want to change that with a new push to encourage USA to reconsider their decision to cancel the show. If you want to bring The 4400 back, join in on the Sunflower Seeds Campaign. It even made The New York Times! Series star Jacqueline McKenzie (who informed PTR about the campaign through MySpace) is a strong supporter. She wrote to her MySpace friends, "It's really easy to do... so please head over there and send a bag of 'Dr Burkhoff's' favourite snack! That way we can all get back to 'Promise City' and get everyone back to good work!!!" Click on over to the campaign site to buy your bag of sunflower seeds to send to the heads at USA Network and help save The 4400!

Visit SaveThe4400.net for more on the efforts to resurrect the series.

USA Cancels Two Faves

Cable's USA Network has decided NOT to renew two summer favorites. Both The 4400 and The Dead Zone aired their final episodes this past September. In a press release obtained by TV Guide's Mike Ausiello, Exec. VP of Original Programming Jeff Wachtel expresses his "deep sadness" over the decision. "We wish we could keep all our great shows alive forever. But we feel we need to give some of our new shows a platform to grow, and it's with great sadness that we say goodbye to two shows that had a great run and helped create the resurgence of original programming on our network and on all of cable."

Meanwhile, The 4400 series creator Scott Peters addressed the bad news with the show's fans on USA's message board. "So let me raise my metaphorical glass to you all and thank you for being so loyal and so dedicated. I wish we could go on forever, but the party has come to an end. Be well and on behalf of all of us at The 4400 -- thank you, it's been a pleasure."

Sorry for the two HUGE lumps of coal today. But remember that awesome Kathryn Morris video that LillyKat posted AND the exciting new trailer for Kristen Bell's new movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall that we posted just the other day? See, PTR is all about spreading the holiday cheer!

In other recent TV news, ABC has decided to give Lost a new time slot when it returns next month. The series moves to Thursday nights at 9 p.m. ET instead of its usual Wednesday slot. The highly anticipated return comes January 31st after current time slot holder Grey's Anatomy runs out of new episodes.

'The 4400' Ups the Body Count

I have mixed feelings about last night's finale of The 4400. Some things were wrapped up too easily (Tom going back to being, well, Tom), others too out of control (Danny's promicin-infecting power), and then there was the seemingly high body count (Danny, his mom, and Isabelle just to name a few). And then there was the most obvious misstep -- little to no Maia! I was shocked, shocked I tell you to see her in two scenes (one of which was simply an appearance at Danny's funeral). What happened to her screen time this season? It felt like she was never around. Her final scene with Diana was a good one, but not enough to correct her absence during the rest of the hour. She's quick to jump on the Jordan Collier bandwagon, isn't she? She believes he's a good guy and assures her mom that the "P-positives" are in charge now, and that's a good thing. Well, anything is better than The Marked. Speaking of them, their future wasn't looking so bright after Isabelle sacrificed herself in order to save Jordan, Tom, and the fate of the world. Turns out, she was human after all and not just a weapon created by Bad Future.

I hate to sound as if I didn't like this one because in reality, I found it quite enjoyable. Yes, there were missteps, but the episode as a whole was strong and it managed to raise some interesting prospects for next season (fingers crossed that we get another season). What will happen now that Seattle has been turned into Promise City and Jordan Collier is running it? Is Maia right? Can the "P-positives" be the right change at the right time? And what about Tom? Will he finally take the shot? I'm dying to know what ability he'll get. Then there's NTAC and all of the new abilities the agents are forming there -- Marcos, Meghan, etc. We found out last night that Diana is resistant to promicin thanks to Dr. Burkoff's early experiments, so it doesn't look like she's developing anything. There are so many roads to explore here, and I can only hope that we get the opportunity to do so next season. Overall, a mixed ending to an otherwise excellent season.

Bang Bang Tom's Dead?

Do you find yourself watching The 4400 and thinking, "Self, is it just me, or do these writers constantly write themselves into a wall? Not just any wall, but the tallest titanium wall ever, like say, critically shooting one of the main characters or injecting Good Future's poster boy with 'tiny machines' that will cause him to act in Bad Future's best interest??" I know I'm not the only one who carries on lengthy conversations in my head about how they're going to get themselves outta this one and then has to rewind my DVR to catch the next shocker that I just missed while pondering the creative genius that is The 4400 writing staff. I swear, it takes me twice as long to watch this show than any other. Titanium walls be damned because somehow, some way, the writers come up with an incendiary device that blows them up and the story goes on. I can only assume the same will be true with tonight's shocking ending because there's no way they killed Tom Baldwin (and Not-Tom in the process -- although, hopefully that part is true). But how are they going to write themselves outta this one?? How?? And how is Jordan going to get the "tiny machines" out of him so he can continue to lead the movement?? It's not like I'm usually rooting for him, but he's a lot better than Not-Tom and The Marked. Plus, we can't have Jordan Marked and using his power against his own people! And for what purpose is all this Marked upheaval, you ask? So Bad Future can ensure that the oceans and rivers dry up and the world slowly dies off. EXCEPT for those who adapt and live behind security walls like the people who sent The Marked to make sure it happens by fighting the 4400 (who were sent back to prevent it). And who wouldn't want to sign up for that side? Doom and gloom all the way!

Not-Tom, along with being a murderer (did he have to kill Curtis Peck???!!!), is really mean. He threw words like daggers at Diana about her personal life. He even brought up Ben and her inability to make things work with a hand-delivered fiance. Ahem, at last check, Ben and Diana were still together. He's in Europe doing his photography thing and she's in Seattle doing her NTAC/save the world thing. This could still work, Not-Tom! Please, just because you're angry at Diana for discovering your identity doesn't mean you have to take it out on those of us rooting for her to make it work with Ben. Anywho, things have been taking an increasingly shocking turn these last few weeks, and I can only imagine what next week's finale will bring. Hopefully, it involves the return of real Tom and a Ben/Diana reunion (hey, a girl can dream, right?).

PROGRAMMING ALERT: Be sure to join stars Joel Gretsch (Tom), Jenni Baird (Meghan), and Chad Faust (Kyle) in a live video chat this Friday (8 p.m. EST) at The4400.com. Sign up now to join in.

Trouble Lies Ahead for 'The 4400'

Is it just me, or has The 4400 really upped its game these last few weeks?? I just sit back and marvel at its awesome-ness for an hour each week. Not-Tom, Bad Future (or is that No Future considering this week's revelation?), Isabelle The Almighty (pt. 2), and now Diana and Meghan hot on the dangerous trail of Not-Tom. I knew I was right to worry about Diana's safety. There's no way that Not-Tom doesn't know that she and Meghan know the truth about him. He killed an old man on life support just to prevent this ghost in the machine from destroying Emroth's software company (which just happens to be bank rolling Bad Future's end of the world plan), so I shiver at the thought of what he'll do to Diana given the chance. It's all a ploy to ensure that the 4400 and the promicin positives fail at their attempt to prevent the tragedy. According to what Tom told Isabelle, that tragedy sounds like it's the end of the world and Isabelle is charged with ensuring that it happens. But why? Why does Bad Future want the world to end? And why when I was just beginning to really like Isabelle do they go and turn her bad again (against her will, I should point out)? All I know is, if Bad Future is able to use Jordan Collier as their next host, interesting times are ahead.

Elsewhere, it was Maia's birthday and the writers had me all excited that Ben was going to make an appearance. I know, I know Diana told me not to get my hopes up because London is far away, but damn it, I can't help it! And unlike Maia, I'm not over "all that." It was nice to see Lindsay again, and her gift for Maia was pretty cool. BUT, I'm worried that this is leading somewhere not good. Remember how earlier this season I said that Jordan would love to get his hands on Maia? Well, I just hope he isn't in on Lindsay's gift. And speaking of gifts, we were totally robbed of seeing Maia's birthday dinner at the fancy restaurant with Diana. I was sooooo looking forward to that scene! So to recap, no Ben, no awesome birthday dinner scene, and yet somehow, this episode managed to rock my socks off anyway. All is forgiven (except the week off next Sunday for the US Open).

If you missed last night's episode, check out the 2-minute replay at the show's official site.

'The 4400' Breaks Richard's Heart (Again)

The 4400 is so mean!! It giveth and then it taketh away. I knew that Lily wasn't sticking around permanently, but that didn't make her departure sting any less. So, now I'm stuck mourning the loss of Richard and Lily for the second time. Damn you 4400 ability that makes Richard see his dead wife! And what's up with Cassie?? It was her idea to use the ability and it led to Not-Tom getting his hands on Isabelle. Who's side is Cassie on, anyway? It seems like she might be playing for the other team from the future, but nothing is as it seems on this show. Boy, never a truer statement has been spoken with tonight's episode. This was one of those hours where I was never sure that what I was seeing was really happening -- Lily, Tom, the head of National Security... it all seemed like a bizarro nightmare. So, now Tom is "Not-Tom," and I can't even begin to imagine where this story is leading. And is it just me, or is Not-Tom really evil?? I was a little worried for Diana's safety more than once. He sent a scary look in her direction when she told him she was getting her coat so they could go after the Tylers together, and I was sure that he was about to tranquilize her after he found Isabelle. Maybe it's Meghan's safety that's in jeopardy. Or maybe that's just my wishful thinking. Either way, Not-Tom is still evil.

This was an episode filled with intrigue and I found myself glued to every scene and hanging on every word, but the ending scene between Tom and Isabelle gets the prize. We know that Tom is working for the future (presumably a different group than the one that sent the 4400 back) in trying to regain control over Isabelle in order to make up for Matthew Ross' failure. But, what's up with him asking Isabelle to get her powers back? I knew that bull about her being allergic to promicin was all a ploy! The last thing anybody needs is a Powerful Isabelle sequel. From Tom's dreams, it looks like the Bad Future is also responsible for Lily getting pregnant with Richard's baby. Not surprising since that baby was Isabelle, but it was interesting to confirm it. Talking about Lily is making me all misty-eyed again. Why 4400 writers, Laura Allen, Bad Future, and everyone else responsible for her death??!! Whyyyyyyyyy!! You know, if she were truly back, I'm pretty sure I could completely overlook the nausea-inducing Tom/Meghan story line. Alas, she is not and we're stuck listening to Tom call Meghan "Hunny." Thank goodness there's everything else to LOVE on this show.

Best Line of the Night:
Garrity (to Meghan): "You can't fire this!"

Thankfully, he was right. Who else would I derive my humor from if she could?

Richard Discovers the Fountain of Youth

Well, you can't say that The 4400 isn't full of surprises! Isabelle is back to being a toddler??!! I'm not even sure how I feel about this development, but it is pretty cool. Plus, there's a 4400 who can make you younger? Yet another awesome ability. And Richard's back!! I've missed him this season, so it was good to see him (even if he was kidnapping Isabelle and returning her to a much younger state). Interesting Isabelle developments and the return of Richard aside, this episode was a little blah for me. Maybe it was the lack of NTAC involvement holding this one back (Tom and Diana just seemed like wallpaper this week) -- I'm not sure. This just didn't feel like the awesome 4400 episodes that I've come to expect. No Maia, no Marco, no 4400 or promicin positive focus left me feeling a little ambiguous this week. BUT, I am curious to see how this Tom thing plays out. He had the mole removed, but of course it grew back. It seems like it's only a matter of time before the future begins controlling him and/or using him for their advantage. That coupled with Isabelle's sudden transformation kept me hooked.

There was also an interesting Tess and Kevin side story. Her schizophrenia had gotten out of control and she was holding a diner hostage (by making them dance). I was feeling tired just watching those poor people dance for two days straight! Luckily, Shawn stepped in and cured Tess before they all keeled over dead of exhaustion. And the best part -- it looks like both Kevin and Tess are going to play a bigger role now. Otherwise, I think that was everything that happened this week. Yup, nothing else occurred during the hour. Just those two stories to keep us occupied. Oh wait, Tom and Meghan slept together. Well, at least that's over. No more annoying build-up. You know, I'm pretty sure I could get past her not being Alana if it weren't for the fact that she's his boss!! It's bugging me for some reason. Woman in power sleeps with her subordinate -blah, blah, blah. I don't remember Dennis Ryland getting' it on with Diana. Thankfully! Oh well, this too shall pass.

If you missed last night's episode, check out the 2-minute replay at the show's official site.

No Way Out on 'The 4400'

This close. We were this close to getting rid of Megan last night, but it was all a dream. I knew her "death" was too good to be true, so I didn't get my hopes too far up. I want to like her, I really do, but I wind up rolling my eyes when she's involved in the story (for the record, I have nothing against the actress). On the plus side, I can now say with complete confidence that my dislike for her comes from her ability to take story lines away from more worthy characters. Apart from the Megan "Non-Death," I found this episode to be pretty awesome. I just love how this show manages to do something different every week. It keeps me guessing and interested. Four seasons in, and it's still packed with originality. This week, the writers managed to get all of the main characters together for the entire hour -- not a small feat considering the different paths they're on. One of Marco's crew had taken the promicin shot and developed a whammy of an ability. He dreams a virtual reality where people from different sides have to work together in order to overcome an obstacle. Once the obstacle is neutralized, the "game" ends and everyone wakes up back in the real world. Ideally, the teamwork in the virtual reality forms bonds that carry over to the real world, but this was going to be a tall order for a group that includes NTAC, Jordan Collier and Isabelle Tyler. In the end, they managed to put their differences aside for the greater good, but this doesn't mean that things will change in reality. Although, Jordan called Tom to let him know that Shawn was OK, and Tom actually referred to him as "Jordan" instead of Collier. Baby steps.

I know a lot of you are still smarting over Diana and Marco's break-up last season, so last night's little heart-to-heart between these two was a nice olive branch from the show. Personally, I think they make great friends, but not-so-great lovers. And Maia was right; things have been (understandably) awkward since Diana dumped him. Meatloaf is a nice launching point for a return to their friendship, though. LOVED Diana's "knock it off" look toward Maia when she kept pushing the conversation about the awkwardness between her mother and Marco. In fact, LOVED everything about the continued Diana/Maia dynamic this week. The second Maia began cozying up to Isabelle and Shawn, Diana was right there to make sure the girl who threatened her daughter wasn't working closely with her. Don't mess with Diana when she's in "mommy mode."

If you missed last night's episode, check out the 2-minute replay at the show's official site.

Collier's City of Promises

Did anyone else do a double take when we saw Tom having dinner at Diana's?? It was totally unexpected and I think it threw me off the rest of the episode. Like Tom, I'm sure her reasoning was pity, but she never did clarify that point. Whatever the reasoning, it was a cute scene that further developed the importance of their friendship outside their partnership. Later, Tom took a beating for Diana so she could sneak into Promise City to retrieve Maia. Wouldn't Jordan Collier just love to get his hands on Maia on a more permanent basis? He seemed to have her drinking the Kool-Aid by the end of her brief stay. She was even singing his praises to her mother later. I figured she was lying about the war, but this does beg the question whether she has lied in the past (most notably with Ben). I don't think she has, and this one occasion certainly seems justified, but it is an interesting development. Speaking of Maia, I can't seem to get over how grown up she has gotten since last season! She's morphing into a teenager before our eyes, and I can't believe it. Her relationship with Diana has morphed as well into more of a real mother/daughter one. I'm such a fan of their scenes together, so tonight's multiple moments were a real treat. LOVED the phone call when Maia told Diana that she needed to save Jordan (never mind the Enhanced Soldiers assigned to kill him), and Diana tells her that she'll do what she can. It was such a great scene because they easily could have been discussing something mundane like getting Maia out of an activity at school, but this is The 4400, so they were discussing soldiers with abilities taking out a man who seems to have become a Christ-like figure for those with promicin pumping through their veins. Good stuff.

I saw the Tom/Megan thing coming from about 20 miles ahead (apparently Diana did as well), so no surprises there. I don't know why, but I just can't accept Megan. She has the lack of authority problem, but it's something more than that -- something I can't put my finger on. She takes up time that other, more interesting characters could have -- maybe that's the problem, who knows. In any event, Tom and Megan - blah. I think I have a hard time seeing Tom with anyone other than Alana anyway (sorta like if they were trying to pair Diana up with someone other than Ben). I am enjoying the complicated relationship between Tom and Kyle. Kyle is Jordan's closest advisor. He's making sure that White Light's prophecy is carried out, and yet, his father is part of an organization designed to stop it. But, Kyle holds nothing against his father -- instead, he sets out to change his mind. When he tells his father how important he is to the movement, he adds, "And not just to me." Tough times for Tom; good television for the rest of us.

If you missed last night's episode, check out the 2-minute replay at the show's official site.

'The 4400' Get Marked

The 4400 is on fire this season! Some weeks it's "Freak-of-the-Week" (promicin positives or 4400: original flavor alike), others it's Tom almost getting a heaping helping of promicin, and yet others, it's conspiracies surrounding a group from the future known as "The Marked." I'll admit it -- I never knew whether to believe Peck's theory or not. This show kept me guessing this week, and for that, I have a huge smile on my face. I like when shows catch me off guard and leave me wondering where it's all leading. I never thought it was leading to Tom as an agent of this rogue future group. "When we need him, he'll be there for us," said the fictional head of the fictional dominating software company in the world (LOVED the Microsoft allusions). Once again, poor Tom. The man cannot catch a break. I wasn't surprised to learn that Matthew was a member of "The Marked." I had theorized for a while that Isabelle was the creation of the future, but not the same future as the one who sent the 4400 back to stop the catastrophe. And Matthew was always there guiding her down a seemingly evil path and ensuring that his group's work was carried out and the 4400 were destroyed. This week's episode tied it all together with a very interesting turn of events.

There were a lot of excellent things going on in this one. First, the hilarious low-low-low-low budget films from Peck coupled with NTAC's reaction to them. I think Diana had me cracking up the most because she just couldn't get past how much they sucked. Second, Diana's "Play it Cool" act in the software CEO's office. The way she laughed when he mentioned that he always hoped Jeff Goldblum would play him in a feature film had me laughing as well. And then there was her description of the film and the revealing ear check. Nice comic relief this week. Third, the Jordan and Shawn reunion draped in cloak and dagger. I know Jordan assured Shawn and Kyle that he had nothing to do with the councilman's stroke, but I'm still suspicious. Fourth, Shawn's unexpected healing session with the councilman. I was wondering what would happen since Maia predicted that he would round up the 4400 concentration camp-style. The end cleared this up. Finally, the suspenseful parking garage showdown between Diana and an assumed assailant who turned out to be none other than the missing Peck. For someone so petite, she's pretty menacing when she's coming at you with a gun! As if this week's outing wasn't awesome enough, they had to throw in the history-laced comment from Marco that Diana's visit to his place was the first in a long time. Oh, you gotta love The 4400.

If you missed last night's episode, check out the 2-minute replay at the show's official site.

Won't You Take Tom to Freaky Town?

Alright, The 4400 got me! I totally thought that Jordan's goons gave Tom the shot. I spent the entire commercial break wondering what that was going to mean for the future of the show. Thankfully, all of my worst-case scenarios were erased once the break was over. A few scenes later, Diana confirmed that Tom was promicin negative. Kyle is really sold on this prophecy and carrying it through. Somebody has been drinking too much of the Kool-Aid! He has always been one of those "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for everything" characters, so I'm not surprised to see him so wrapped up in this book and Jordan's movement. Just one more complication for poor Tom. I know that Evanston was supposed to be a utopia, but it was freaking me out. I got the creepy vibe the minute Tom walked into that diner, and it continued throughout his stay. Was the town story line familiar to anyone else? I feel like The X-Files did something similar back in the day - maybe not. Anyway, after meeting all of the residents of Evanston, it became apparent that Kyle wasn't the only one drinking the Kool-Aid.

Meanwhile, Maia's visions turned into scary dreams about a Nazi-like round-up of 4400s. Question is, are they predictions or just manifestations of Maia's imagination? I wasn't too sure at first, but once the councilman's face popped up, I felt pretty sure that what she was seeing in dream form was, in fact, her visions of the future. It looks like scary times are ahead for the original promicin-positives. Finally, it was super fabulous to see some Diana/Maia scenes again. This season has been a little light on them (in fact, non-existent), and I've missed them terribly. These two have my favorite mother-daughter relationship on TV (they were second to Gilmore Girls, but that show is gone, ergo, Diana and Maia move up to the top spot). There's just something awesome about Maia telling her mom not to call her "Sweetie" when she's trying to comfort her, and Diana correcting herself after falling right back into the trap. Let's hope their relationship continues this season. So, tough times for Tom, the 4400 and everyone who cares for them. This show never fails to pack plenty of punch.

If you missed last night's episode, check out the 2-minute replay at the show's official site.

Nothing but the Hard Truth on 'The 4400'

Wow! Just... WOW! It's not very often that a show gives me goose bumps, but the end of this week's episode of The 4400 sure did! When Kyle read Isabelle's translation of the text from 85 years ago and got to the names, the goose bumps starting coming on strong. Then to see Tom's name at the bottom - oh boy! And this was only one of the compelling story lines last night. This show gets better every week. The main event was finding April and her new ability as a human lie detector. It's handy to have when you want to blackmail important people or get a cushy job at NTAC or if you just want to embarrass your sister's partner. When she asked Tom if he ever had sexual fantasies about Diana and he said yes, I about died!! How embarrassed must he have been?! It really is rough being Tom Baldwin and you can add "his partner knows that he fantasies about her" to the list of reasons why. It isn't too easy being April Skouris either, although, she causes a lot of her own misfortune. I felt so badly for her when she found her latest boyfriend dead on the hotel room floor. I was already feeling badly because of the whole Diana/Ben thing, and then they hit us with the dead boyfriend. I really hope this job at NTAC is her ticket to a happy life.

My heart broke a little when Diana told Ben that she was staying in Seattle, especially when she said, "Don't hate me, Ben. Please." Working for NTAC and searching for Jordan Collier really are a big part of who she is even if she wants to be someone who can pack up and move to Spain without giving it a second thought. Diana is Diana, and Ben has to accept her if they're going to have a future together. I'm still not sure that they're destined to walk down the aisle, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that these two crazy kids can work this out. I'll miss hottie Ben in the meantime. And is it just me, or does Diana look absolutely fabulous this season?! Week to week she looks amazing. That time in Spain did her some good (Actually, I think it might be her hair). Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing how things unfold with April at NTAC and what Tom does with the knowledge that his son is promicin positive. And what about the fact that his name is on the 85-year-old list?? Here come the chills again...

If you're wondering what a typical day is like on the set of The 4400, then you will want to click over to star Jacqueline McKenzie's official site. Her June 11th News posting details the hectic pace and funny moments that comprise her usual workday. Click on over to her site to find out what happens in the hair and make-up trailer, which cast member causes the most mischief, and which serious scene from season 1 had everyone hysterical at 4 in the morning!

If you missed last night's episode, check out the 2-minute replay at the show's official site.

'The 4400' Gets Back on Track

One of the best things about returning from a week-long vacation is back-to-back recorded episodes of my fave shows. First up was last week's episode of The 4400, followed by this week's outing. All I can say is, thank goodness Diana is back!!! And as an added bonus, her hottie boyfriend just rolled into town with Maia in toe. I was so afraid that they were going to drop this story line this season, so I'm excited to see these two still going strong. They sorta have a Brenda/Fritz vibe ala The Closer, so fingers crossed that that continues. Like the couple on TV's other best summer series, Diana and Ben had a few rocky moments that worked themselves out by the end of the episode (for now anyway). She wasn't exactly thrilled that he surprised her - not because she didn't want him there, but rather, she feared that his presence was the nail in her not-going-back-to-Spain coffin. We all know she's going to be sucked right back into her work at NTAC (pretty sure she already has), and that means decision time down the road. Then she gets a case that really strikes a cord with her, a woman who ended up all alone before she died, and she realizes that the choices she has made have led her to the important people in her life and she wouldn't want it any other way. Cue wonderful, hottie boyfriend Ben, "Dream a Little Dream of Me" on the radio and a cute personal moment between one of my fave TV couples.


The episode wasn't all about Ben and Diana (as much as I would have enjoyed that) because it was focused on a fantastic case-of-the-week and excellent surprises. We learned last week that Isabelle is allergic to promicin (how awesome was that development??), so she was being moved from her prison cell to a less prison-like facility, but things got very interesting at the end of this week's outing when her Department of Corrections van crashed while Kyle looked on. Plus, that girl who has been following him around is his ability and she guides him to ultimately help Jordan Collier become the Messiah he was sent back to become. Apparently, it's all been prophesized in a cult bible that's centuries old. But, should Kyle be aiding this long-gone cult's prophecy or is this all leading down the wrong road? And then there was the excellent case this week. A murdered woman who had taken promicin and developed the ability to allow her conscience to leave her body undetected was sending messages to Diana via electronic broadcasts in order to solve her own murder. The entire story had a very X-Files vibe to it, which meant I LOVED it. In fact, I'm loving this season so far, rough start be damned.

If you missed last night's episode, you can watch it for free at the show's official site.
EDIT: The4400.com has 2-minute replays ONLY. Sorry for the confusion (the ads misled me).

Diana in Spain Makes 'The 4400' a Little Plain

Diana's lookin' hot in Spain and all, but The 4400 isn't the same without her right there beside Tom as they take out the latest promicin-injecting threat of the week. She needs to get back to Seattle stat, and of course; she can bring her hottie beau with her. Needless to say, the previews for next week made me very happy. Separate story lines aside; there was a lot of interesting stuff going on in this 4th season premiere. Where are Richard and Alana? The ending gave us a pretty revealing clue for the latter's location. Based on the painting in Alana's gallery, she has been transported back to the 1800s courtesy of the future. Remember how Tom traded Isabelle's life for Maia's in order to save Diana? Well, he never paid up on his end of the bargain with the future, so they collected Alana. High price to pay for Isabelle's life. Speaking of a high price, it looks like the promicin is taking some lives and enhancing others. And who would have thought Jordan had the ability to reverse the powers of the promicin-injectors?? The man is full of surprises!

In other surprising news, either Kyle has a stalker or a dangerous new friend. Unfortunately for him, there's no way to find out because she didn't give him her real name. I thought something was up with her when she mysteriously knew his name. Sure Kyle has been in the news, but this chick seems to know a lot more than the average news junkie. This doesn't bode well for Shawn since she's the one who suggested that Kyle inject him with the promicin (that she somehow knew he had by the way). The question is, what is her agenda? Meanwhile, NTAC has a new boss, and I'm not so sure that I like her yet. She seems a little wet behind the ears and not very authoritative. We'll have to see how they develop her character. As long as they bring Diana back, I don't care what they do with Megan Doyle and her affinity for foreign films. If this episode is any indication of the season ahead, though, I think we're in for a terrific, wild ride filled with promicin-inspired freaks of the week, an ambiguous line between good and evil, and the usual amount of intrigue to keep us coming back each week. Yup, The 4400 is back.

If you missed last night's premiere, you can watch it for free at the show's official site.

Playing Catch Up with Some PTR Faves

With the television season keeping all of us busy here at PTR, I haven't had much time to keep you updated on your favorite TV stars' recent appearances. Since Heroes is on hiatus, I thought that today would be the perfect opportunity to get you up to speed. Can you believe that these guys have the time to keep up appearances?? Anyway, here's a look at what some of your faves have been up to lately:

Cold Case star Kathryn Morris attended the The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment Power 100 Breakfast last week (Dec. 5th). Here are a couple of photos from the event (courtesy of Kathryn Morris Online).


Meanwhile, Veronica Mars' Kristen Bell attended the Billboard Music Awards last Monday. She presented along with members of Def Leopard for the "Best Rock Single" category. Here are a couple of photos of her at the event (courtesy of Getty Images).


Elsewhere, The 4400's Jacqueline McKenzie was busy helping with the launch of The Sci Fi Channel in her native Australia (the channel will air The 4400). The actress attended the event with her parents (Nov. 16th).


And finally, that zany cast of Scrubs was out and about celebrating the kick off of the show's 6th season. Check out members of the cast (Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke and Zach Braff) and creator Bill Lawrence having fun at the Season 6 party (Nov. 15th).


These are just a few of your faves and what they have been up to lately. You can click over to Getty Images for more pictures from these events and to keep up with all of your faves.


Get even more of your TV fix at PassTheRemote.net! A comprehensive television site with news, reviews, photos and much more!

'The 4400' Leaves us Guessing! Plus 'The Closer' and Federline Does 'CSI'

In my initial post on the season finale of The 4400, I focused on its awesomeness and all of the plot twists and turns. Today, I wanted to focus a little more on what the episode didn't tell us, but left us questioning until next season. The biggest and most intriguing question is, who was the man talking to while he was handing out the promicin at the end? Was the character "breaking the 4th wall" and talking to the audience? Or was he addressing another character off-camera that we'll see next season? And if so, whom? Perhaps, Isabelle left the hospital and wanted to reclaim her powers or Dennis Ryland decided to take a stab at it. The possibilities are endless! How shocking would it be if the recipient were Tom? Of course, it may have been a simple hypothetical question for the audience, but the show doesn't have a track record of doing this, so it seems unlikely. I think it was a little bit of both. He was talking to a character whose identity will be revealed next season, but the writers purposely left it ambiguous because the entire episode was a big question mark about whether or not you would take the shot. It was so well done, and an excellent way to end the episode and the season.


Two other question marks that hang over the season finale are whether Isabelle is really without her powers forever and whether Diana will return to NTAC. Regarding the latter, I haven't heard anything about star Jacqueline McKenzie leaving the show, and I keep up with her official site and MySpace account. I think she'll be back as Diana next season. The former is harder to call. The future gave that injection to Tom and told him to "Kill Isabelle." We learned that the injection simply took away her powers, but didn't kill her. Tom had the opportunity to shoot her and make it count, but decided to simply incapacitate her with a shot to the shoulder. This means, he didn't do what he promised in exchange for Maia's life. Maybe Isabelle's powers are only temporarily removed and Tom missed his opportunity. After all, the future didn't tell him to simply take her powers away with that injection. And what about the fact that he didn't fully live up to his end of the bargain? Is this why the future took Alana again? Was it payback for Tom's defiance? Maybe the future simply needs her again like they did with the children earlier this season. So many questions, and such a long wait until we get them answered next season! What do you think about all of the questions raised in the season finale? Was the man talking to the audience or another character, and if so, whom? What about Isabelle and Tom's promise to the future? Leave me a comment with your thoughts.


Overall, the third season of The 4400 was fan-freaking-tastic!! There were so many strong outings from Maia's abduction to Tom and Diana's 4400- induced hallucinations that left a memorable impression. We learned more about the regular characters and we met some new ones as well. I've heard criticism about the character of Isabelle, but I felt that she added a new, more deadly element to the show that led to a stronger sense of urgency. It was fun to watch the dichotomy of the innocent girl and her evil powers. Even though the show abandoned the "Freak of the Week" format this season, they managed to introduce us to new 4400s and their abilities seamlessly while they were continuing to tell the season-long and episode-long stories. They weaved in and out beautifully and it made for a nice ride. One of my favorite elements of this season was getting to know the character of Diana better. She was more hardass and cold during the first season, but warmed up a bit more during the second with her relationship with Maia. One of my favorite moments of any season is the party she threw for her during season 2. This season, we watched as she lost her will to live after Maia's abduction. It was a real moment, and it showed just how attached to Maia she had become in a relatively short period of time. We also learned that she had been jilted by a former fiance right before their wedding, and how it affects how she enters into relationships. And then there was my favorite part, her relationship with Ben, which showed a different side to our all-work, no-play NTAC agent. So, season 3 was one of growth, change and personal development for the characters that we love and the new ones that we were getting to know. It was a fun ride that I'm sorry to see end... until next summer. Be sure to stop by The 4400's official site for blogs, pictures, episode guides and much more! You'll definitely want to check out Maia's final diary entry for clues on next season. And while you're checking out more info on The 4400, be sure to read IGN's exclusive interview with Jacqueline McKenzie for insight into her Diana character, the show and plenty of extras. She tells the site all about the cast's laughing fits during filming (it seems Billy Campbell is the worst offender) and one particular incident where she and Joel Gretsch (Tom Baldwin) couldn't get it together for an ad for England's Sky TV:

The 4400 shows on Sky TV in England. And their company went away for some kind of working [retreat], so they asked Joel and I to stand up in front of the cameras and say, "Hey, we hope you have a great holiday," and do this [bit]; the two of us, side by side, reading to the camera. We had these cue cards to read from, Joel had his and they'd hold up mine. We could not stop laughing! It was so bad… They kept the cameras rolling, and we did 25 minutes of this! The crew were doubled over. The camera's shaking, because the guy with the camera could no longer hold it. It was just outrageous. I hope they played the whole thing for them. And we have no idea why we went off… Oh, that's right, I think the thing was I could see Joel in the lens of the camera, and he could see me, because we had to do it straight down the lens. And as actors, you never have to do that. God, it was just a nightmare. So Joel and I are dreadful; we go up a lot. But when Billy Campbell's in the mix, it's over!

To read more of McKenzie's interview with IGN, click on over to their site.


Brenda Learns Why You Never Work With an Ex
Think about your most embarrassing moment. Got it? OK, now mulitple it by about 100 trillion and you have Brenda Leigh Johnson's *new* most embarrassing moment! It was so horrible that I was blushing from my couch watching it unfold on The Closer. I really can't think of something more uncomfortable than having the ex-wife of your former boyfriend come in to your work and divulge secrets about your private affair with her husband many years prior. I have to give a big standing ovation to Taylor, though, for not capitalizing on the information. He took the high road, and I, along with Brenda, couldn't have loved him more at that moment. Just wow. Anyway, the case was interesting as usual. I had a feeling that the right person was behind bars for the double murder at the convenience store, but I couldn't figure out how it was all connected until Brenda and co. discovered the partner. My heart broke a little for the young girl who was duped into the scheme. Her poor self esteem! And what about the closing moments of the episode? Brenda didn't seem too happy about getting rid of the things from her relationship with Pope. Could it be that the reason she hasn't made things clear with him is because they're not too clear with her? Poor Fritz!


QUICK CUTS

*And finally, the apocalypse must be near because Mr. Britney Spears, Kevin Federline, will try his "talents" at acting. The rapper will guest star on an upcoming episode of CBS' CSI playing, wait for it... an annoying teen who harasses the CSI team as they work to solve a string of attacks on tourists. No air date on the episode yet.

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That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow as the summer-long countdown continues! We're cracking the top 5 best episodes of the season with #7-5! What do the end of the world, two missing kids and The Wizard of Oz have in common? They're all apart of the next set of episodes, and PTR will reveal all tomorrow. Plus, a Justice preview and all the latest television news!


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