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4400

4400 Review – The Way We Were (1×05)

4400 -- “The Way We Were” -- Image Number: FFH105b_0101r -- Pictured (L-R): Jaye Ladymore as Claudette, Khailah Johnson as Ladonna, Ireon Roach as Keisha and Brittany Adebumola as Shanice -- Photo: Adrian S. Burrows Sr./The CW -- © 2021 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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The past always comes back to haunt you. 

Everyone learned that the hard way on 4400 Season 1 Episode 5, particularly Keisha, who was given a rather intense backstory. 

While she initially seemed rather one-dimensional, it turns out her stoic disposition comes at the price of great loss. 

Keisha lost her sister, Kenya, who was her world, and since then, she’s dedicated her life to keeping the streets safe. 

Of course, Kenya’s husband, Tarik, doesn’t see it that way. He butted heads with Keisha on several occasions throughout the episode, especially after informing her that the man who killed Kenya wants to talk as he feels reformed in prison. 

It’s understandable that Keisha wouldn’t be interested in hearing him out after the pain he caused her and her family, but Tarik also had a point about letting go so that he doesn’t steal any more of her happiness. 

The moment was important for two reasons: Keisha is finally seeing that the 4400 don’t have to be the enemy. She can let them in, open up, and treat them like humans instead of pushing everyone away. 

Secondly, it allows her to care deeply for Hayden. His character has been tough to crack, but since he’s a minor, he needs someone to look out for him. 

The fact that Logan has agreed to be his guardian is fitting because it means that there is still a connecting point to Shanice even if she decided not to move in with her ex-husband and his new wife. 

And who can blame Shanice? That’s one hell of an awkward situation. 

It wouldn’t be healthy for her, and it wouldn’t be healthy for Mariah. 

Logan has spent 16 years thinking that Shanice walked out on him and Mariah, so he clearly has a lot of resentment towards her. 

While it’s heartbreaking for Shanice since their relationship is so fresh to her, you can’t exactly blame Logan for being skeptical or struggling to accept a reality in which she’s back again. 

Having Shanice move in would be much too much too soon. 

Plus, I think a part of her stuck around for Andre. They have a good thing going whether they want to remain friends or pursue something romantically when she’s ready. 

I don’t exactly understand why Logan was so rude to Andre when they met. Was it a jealous thing? He saw the pride flag, so questioning Andre about “all the clubs” he frequents was pushing it. 

And why are the guards so hostile towards the 4400? I know that the idea is that they are being held against their will and treated like prisoners, but the hostility from the white cops doesn’t exactly add up with what’s being presented by Jharrel, Keisha, and the government. 

It just feels rather forced rather than a natural situation indictive of the current realities between cops and minorities, a point that Soraya honed in on when talking to LaDonna. 

I know she emphasized that she was being cautious because she’s a Muslim queer woman working for the government, but I do wonder what they did to her during the questioning. 

Gone was the bubbly “texpert” that made such a powerful impression; she was sullen, invisible, and almost looking over her shoulder. 

Did they threaten her? Does she know too much?

Based on the new head honcho in charge, Mr. Greene, they’re eliminating anyone who might potentially jeopardize their mission or get in the way. 

Soraya was scared into silence, and Jess was reassigned to Ypsi Med, where Mildred and Noah are currently locked up. And based on the preview, it seems like this might be taking a Stranger Things turn rather quickly.

We haven’t even seen what’s going on within the halls of Ypsi Med, but we all know that it’s not good. 

The question is — will Jess see the light or will she help Greene keep tabs on the 4400. He may have spearheaded the effort to release them into the world, but it’s just a positive PR illusion. 

As he mentioned, they’ve just been given bigger cages. But since everyone was outfitted with trackers, the government will be able to get deeply engrained in their personal lives. 

It’s only a matter of time before they find out about their powers if they don’t already know. 

My guess is that Soraya’s findings about the singing on Belle Isle paired with what they discovered about Mildred and Noah (which is why they aren’t releasing them) is why Greene was even brought into the mix in the first place. 

Of course, Keisha confirmed what she thought she saw during her first outing with Claudette when she got into a bar fight and her wound healed instantly.

Keisha then confided in Jharell, who formed a pretty close relationship with Claudette himself and even allowed her to rent Manny’s apartment. It’s a convenient way to connect the storyline to Manny, plus, it allows them to form deeper connections with the 4400. 

Jharrel has always been on their side, so I’m glad that he’s still supportive and trustworthy even with this knowledge. 

And is it crazy that I’m rooting for Claudette and Jharrel? He was really smitten when he saw Claudette in her element talking about baking cornbread and listening to sinful men on the record player. She’s a warm soul that doesn’t deserve what’s happening to her.

Speaking of what’s happening… the mystery is still “why” these people. Why the 4400? Were they chosen at random? Or do they have business in 2021?

Keisha and Jharrell were able to piece together that Claudette isn’t the only one with powers after Soraya suggested it wasn’t as much about the singing as the singer. 

And we saw that even without these powers, the returned are already being viewed by the public as a threat. You always fear what you don’t understand, and simple-minded men at bars simply can’t comprehend that something as complex as time travel could possibly exist. It’s easier to call them alien lizard people, I guess, which goes back to that “the nation is more divided than ever” situation. 

I couldn’t be the only one cheering on Claudette when she punched the guy. He deserved it. 

However, since the government is supposedly always watching a la Big Brother, why wasn’t this situation flagged? Why weren’t Andre and Shanice caught when they snuck out?

For a menacing force hoping to keep them all prisoners, they really aren’t doing such a good job. 

It’ll be interesting to see who can be trusted, who sides with the wrong team, and where “freedom” takes our time travelers in the future. 

Up first — a prison break to Ypsi Med where Hayden is determined to break Mildred out. You know Mariah is going to get involved, which means Logan, Shanice, and Keisha will also find themselves smack-dab in the middle of the drama. 

But maybe they’ll finally be able to bring the truth to light?

What did you think of the episode? Let us know your thoughts about the 4400 in the comments below! 

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Lizzy Buczak is the founder of CraveYouTV. What started off as a silly blog in her sophomore year at Columbia College Chicago turned her passion for watching TV into an opportunity! She has been in charge of CraveYou since 2011, writing reviews and news content for a wide variety of shows. Lizzy is a Music Business and Journalism major who has written for RADIO.COM, TV Fanatic, Time Out Chicago, Innerview, Pop’stache and Family Time.

4400

4400 Season Finale Review – Present is Prologue (1×13)

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4400 Season Finale Review - Present is Prologue Season 1 Episode 13

Everything was blown up on 4400 Season 1 Episode 13. 

Thankfully, not literally, though if Manny has his way, the Bois Blanc would’ve gone up in smoke.

The season 1 finale picked up right where it left off — with the 4400 like sitting ducks while Manny explained to Jharrel that he traveled from 2064 with a plan to basically let all of them die in order to create a change in society. 

He definitely sounded like a lunatic, but he also wasn’t wrong about his desire to evoke real change; a change that would stick. 

The measures seemed extreme to someone like Jharrell because he was only thinking about his closest friends, while Manny was thinking big picture. 

The bombs he was planting were to serve in addition to the wrath inflicted by the 4400 haters. 

However, Manny never anticipated meeting so many obstacles, including Keisha, who managed to land a shot even when he triggered his invisibility. 

Manny was seemingly one of the victims of the raid at the Bois Blanc, along with Logan, Hayden, and Rev, but in a time-warping twist at the end of the episode, it’s revealed that the green light may have restored them all to their rightful timeline without any memory of what transpired.

Manny walks into his place and comments about being gone for a “few hours.” He doesn’t seem to remember the raid, his desire to kill everyone for the greater good, or even Claudette.

And if that’s the case for Manny, then it’s safe to say that it’ll be the same situation for Logan also.

Obviously, Manny was already a 4400 (or a stowaway), so he was returned to the timeline of when he was taken. 

But what about Logan? Will he go back to the day Shanice disappeared? 

In order to shake up the plot, it would only make sense for Shanice to get home to take care of Mariah only to find Logan there and thinking that she’s still his wife. 

If that’s the case, I can’t wait to see this plot twist pan out. 

Shanice had every right to declare that she was done with all 4400 business and wash her hands of it. While everyone’s lives were uprooted by the green light, she’s suffered the worst of it. 

She never got to see her daughter grow up, she lost her husband yet still had to be around him, she carried the burden of everyone’s hardships, and then she had to watch Logan die again. 

Her desire to cut herself off from all 4400 business allows Andre to pursue his real mission of working for Sienna Stone on the time machine. 

4400 Season Finale Review - Present is Prologue Season 1 Episode 13

Credit: Netflix

Stone, the founder of BHN, has a vested interest in the 4400 because she’s from the future.

Her goal was to keep Andre safe from the raid knowing that in every version of their timeline, it doesn’t end well for him. And she had an ulterior motive — she needs him to help her build the time machine. 

It’s unclear if Stone is a good person at the present moment, but she knows much more than she’s letting on, so it’s a good “in” for Andre to find out more information. Particularly, what is ZMT, how the 4400 were chosen, and what their actual mission is. 

There’s a grand scheme that we haven’t been privy to just yet, so we have to remain skeptical. 

Though, I’ll say that Stone has shown the 4400 more kindness than Bill Greene so that’s saying a lot. 

Mildred was pretty badass during the episode as she rallied the troops to stand their ground and fight for themselves. Even though she couldn’t make good with her sister, Milicent, at least we know that it’s possible in the future because Millie saw the light. 

She saw, with her own eyes, that the anti-4400 terrorist groups were only using her to lure the remaining “iguanas” so that they could kill them. 

Despicable. 

Mildred got an assist for LaDonna, but I couldn’t really get behind the oversized dancing iguana bit, even with that Dua Lipa bop playing in the background. 

Why did she have to resort to such silliness? It ruined the whole tone of the episode. The iguana was on-brand, but it just felt like a mockery of the seriousness of the situation.

Though the anti-4400 were put in their place, the fight for the truth and justice is far from over. 

Other Observations

  • The future looks really cool.
  • Millie’s power is that she has an iron fist. She should’ve used that to knock some sense into these men!
  • Jharrel and Claudette shared a sweet kiss!
  • Jessica finally came around — better late than never. This whole time she thought she was on the right side only to find out Bill was the actual iguana. 

Do you think Manny had a point in acting so irrational in order to help humanity? Or was he too impulsive and ruined everything?

Season 2 can’t come soon! Let us know your thoughts in the comments below now! 

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4400

4400 Review – You Only Meant Well (1×11)

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4400 Review You Only Meant Well Season 1 Episode 11

Sometimes, the person you think you can trust might not be so trustworthy after all. 

4400 Season 1 Episode 11 dug further into Manny’s return and revealed that he might not be the man Jharrel thinks he is. 

Even worse — he might be more sinister and dangerous than the government itself. 

Manny and Jharrel’s reunion was short-lived as the latter seemed to be keeping secrets from his brother. And while Jharrel wanted to believe him, Soraya and Claudette both suggested that maybe he should keep his guard up. 

While Manny told Jharrel that he arrived at Belle Isle with the other 4400 and quickly realized his power was invisibility, that wasn’t exactly the case. 

Manny, as he revealed to Claudette when he introduced himself as Jorge and recruited her to join the resistance, explained that he wasn’t a 4400 but somehow closely connected. 

He took Claudette under his wing so that she could harness her powers and fight back when the time came. 

So, when Jharrel introduced Claudette to his brother, the two of them already had a pretty deep history. Only this was the first time that Claudette found out Jorge was actually Manny. 

When she confronted him, he informed her that Jharrel wasn’t ready to hear the truth thus putting her in a truly awkward situation. 

The thing is — if Manny doesn’t want Jharrel to know the truth, why did he want to make his presence known? It surely has to do more with just making sure that his brother can be trusted, right?

Soraya’s warning was a bit more detailed than Claudette’s blanket statement to Jharrel. As a triple agent, Soraya did her due diligence to find out exactly why the government is so interested in finding Manny and she learned that Manny is connected to ZMT, something in the blood that makes the 4400 unique. 

Apparently, Manny is holding all the answers and can fill in all the blanks that the government has about the 4400 — namely why they all just showed up. 

And, if we didn’t already think Manny was shady as hell, upon learning that the Rev took away his powers, he grabbed the cake knife and stabbed him in order to regain them. 

Of course, this triggered everyone else’s powers to return simultaneously. 

When Logan found the Rev, he was bleeding out while Manny, now invisible again, slipped away after explaining that his actions were for “the greater good.”

This could be a situation where Manny is actually trying to help everyone and is choosing the lesser of two evils. 

He needs his powers to remain off of the government’s radar, and if the only way to get them back was by stabbing the Rev, then maybe it was justified. 

He seems determined to help Claudette build up the strength to fight back against the haters and the 44orum’s, so maybe he has seen the future and knows exactly what needs to be done?

If Manny is the one who invented this green light, maybe we shouldn’t dismiss him as a bad person immediately without getting the full story?

Speaking of full stories, we also saw what happened to LaDonna after she left the hotel to reconnect with her father. 

While things were going well for them, her father believed the conspiracy theories being thrown around by those who wanted the world to fear the 4400. 

After seeing Mildred in action, her father decided that the people on the radio brainwashing him to hate the 4400 were surely right, so he turned against his daughter. 

Even when LaDonna shared a deeply personal memory, her father figured that whatever stole his daughter’s body also stole her memory. 

This narrative is not only dangerous but, like most conspiracy theories, spreads like wildfire. 

LaDonna booked it at the first chance she got, but the sting of her father turning against her isn’t something she’ll shake soon. 

She informed Andre that the reality is that the world is an ugly place right now, and all that anger and hatred is directed right at them — the people they consider to be mutants. 

With only two episodes left this season, a war is brewing, and they need to be prepared. 

I don’t necessarily know if they can trust BHN and this Sienna Stone lady that keeps sending them money, but I guess they have to take anything they can get at this point. 

While the wedding didn’t end on a positive note, at least Shanice and Logan got to dance to their wedding song one more time. I don’t think it was a good idea considering that it’s a deeply vulnerable position to be in that could reignite memories and feelings, but it was a sweet moment to see pan out. 

I know that Logan is married to Bridget and that he’s happy, and alternatively, that Shanice has moved on with Andre, but a part of me really wants Logan and Shanice to take back what was taken from them.

Are you rooting for Logan and Shanice? Did LaDonna’s backstory make you sad? Are you happy she’s back?

Do you think the 4400 can trust Manny? Is he the key to finding out all the answers?

Sound off in the comments below!

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4400

4400 Review – Give Up The Ghost (1×11)

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4400 Review Give Up The Ghost Season 1 Episode 11

In the words of Kevin Pearson — who is not related to this show whatsoever — “Manny say what?!”

While the war between the 4400 and their enemies is bubbling up to the surface in the background, 4400 Season 1 Episode 11 focused solely on the mystery of what happened to Manny. 

Jessica was determined to break Jharrel so that he would tell her what Manny was working on before he vanished. 

She tried to convince him that the government had Manny is in custody and that Jharrel would be helping her keep him safe, but he quickly caught on that if that was the truth, she would just ask Manny himself. 

Her interrogation methods were pretty weak. Sure, blasting obnoxiously loud music was meant to drive him to the truth, but Jessica cracked out of desperation way before Manny did. 

And eventually, she brought in Soraya for an assist. 

While Soraya’s allegiances were questioned after she turned over a thumb drive to Manny, I let out a sigh of relief when it was made clear that she’s simply playing Jessica and the government while still assisting the 4400. 

I hope she forgives me for losing faith in her. 

Using the “Wrinkle in Time” book to not only get facetime with Jharrel but also to show him that she cracked the wall-clock code was brilliant. 

They have a secret language that keeps the government in the dark.

Jharrel was able to use what she learned along with his memories to piece Manny’s messages together — and he found him in room 437. 

So, where has Manny been all along? He’s been in the space within the space, which seems to be some kind of like the liminal space like on Nancy Drew. 

It was clear that Manny’s power was invisibility, but I thought that Jharrel and co. were going to have to try to pull him out of this space and into their timeline, but I was wrong. 

It turns out, Manny can reappear and disappear whenever he pleases. And I can count all the ways that is going to come in handy when fending off enemies and the government. 

This means that Manny has been here this whole time simply trying to get Jharrel to a safe space where he can reveal himself.

It also means that answers are coming!

Through flashbacks, it was revealed that Manny and Jharrel’s relationship wasn’t always as solid as it is now, but the COVID pandemic definitely brought them together. 

4400 Review Give Up The Ghost Season 1 Episode 11

4400 — “Give Up The Ghost” — Image Number: FFH110a_0032r — Pictured: Sophia Echendu as Mariah — Photo: Adrian S. Burrows Sr./The CW — © 2022 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

When Manny finally opened up to Jharrel, we found out that the former works for the government. Not only that, but Manny was unclear about what his job actually was. 

Right before Manny disappeared, he confided in Jharrel about the golden ratio, the Fibonacci sequence, and the space between reality. Basically, I think Manny is the creator of the green light. 

And I think when Jharrel moved the pineapple and picked up the seashell, he unintentionally set it into motion, which is when he saw the green light flash and Manny disappeared. 

Manny is the key as he has all the answers, which explains why the government is desperate to get its hands on him.

It’s also concerning that this was a position within the government in the first place. Were they testing time travel?

Wouldn’t it be something if it turned out that the government is responsible for creating the 4400 and yet, they’re purposefully making the public fear them?

I can’t wait to see how Manny plays into the plot moving forward as this only juices up an already exciting series that’s hitting all the right notes — it’s entertaining while being an excellent commentary on issues of race, LGBTQ, and more. 

The government was determined to make the 4400 suffer, so they killed the power at the Bois Blac hoping that they’d run back to them out of desperation. 

They never expected that some organization would singlehandedly fund a fundraiser, but, as Andre pointed out, it’s also slightly concerning that some group by the name of BHN is willing to shell out that much money on them.

What do they want in exchange? It’s almost like they are trying to buy them from the government. 

Shanice should be very weary, even though it’s understandable that she just wants to celebrate something good happening for once. 

BHN could be tomorrow’s problem. 

Her relationship with Andre seems to be heating up, and it looks like she has both Logan and Mariah’s blessing. 

There was quite a bit of tension between Andre and Logan when the latter showed up to help the returned after learning about the power outage. 

Andre thinks Logan is trying to get closer to Shanice, so he’s in overprotective mode. A part of him is likely also jealous considering the deep history between Logan and Shanice. 

However, from the looks of it, there’s nothing left to revive there. They seem to have both given up on the idea that they could go back to how things were, and Shanice is much more focused on the here and now, which includes forming some kind of relationship with her daughter. 

And Mariah opening up to her about having a crush on Mildred is not a bad start. It takes a lot to come out to a parent, so it was a very special moment for the two of them. 

Speaking of Mildred, there are definitely some anger issues for her to work through if she wants to get her powers back and make amends with the 4400. Her anger is understandable given everything that happened at the hospital, but it’s also not good to hang onto it and let it fester. 

She needs a proper outlet for it — she needs to turn that rage into action, and there’s no better person than Claudette to inspire her. 

Claudette understands a thing or two about fighting back against the opposition, plus, she gave Mildred a killer makeover. But though unrecognizable, I don’t think she necessarily blends in. And that may be a good thing. If the 4400 need motivation, Mildred is the poster child for fighting back. 

Elsewhere, the Rev and Keisha were trapped in an elevator together when the power went down, and I could not think of a worse experience. 

The Rev was very thrown off to find out that Keisha was gay. He’s old school, so he still views homosexuality as a “sin,” which didn’t sit well with Keisha in the slightest as she made it clear that those who hate are sinners and not those who love. 

And then she knocked him down even further when she told him that he would’ve vanished from his son’s life even if he hadn’t vanished from the green light. 

That one hit home, but it was true. 

The Rev has been one of the most unlikeable characters, and while he has redeemed himself ever so slightly over the last few episodes, if he doesn’t get with the times and practice acceptance, he’s going to be turned away by his own people. 

After everything he’s been through, he should know better than to hate someone for being different.

There’s an energy leading into the final three episodes that indicates the 4400 will not go down without a fight. 

What did you think of the episode? Are you glad Manny is back? And is he their secret weapon? Sound off in the comments! 

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