GregHowley.com

Not long ago, Linda and I heard about a show called The 4400. The first season had just ended, and the show was getting rave reviews. So we rented the first season DVD, which thankfully had come out quickly. What an excellent show. We were immediately hooked.

Because I don't want to give away the true basis of the show, which is only revealed during the final episode of the first season, I'll only give the synopsis as it was originally introduced

When a comet that was supposed to harmlessly fly by the Earth suddenly changes course, the extinction of mankind seems imminent. Countries around the world launch nuclear missiles to destroy it before it can destroy the planet, but surprisingly, the missiles have no affect. The reason: this is no comet.

The ball of light enters the atmosphere, and just when it looks like humanity is about to go the way of the dinosaur, the ball slows, hovers, and eventually touches down. Soon after, the light shrinks to an intense point, then explodes outward in a concussive burst, leaving behind 4400 people, including men, women and children of all ages. All are missing persons who have been gone anywhere from a few months to 50 years - and none have aged a day beyond when they were last seen.

The 4400 are rounded up, quarantined, and eventually released back to their families. As they begin to try and reconnect with their "life interrupted," not all is well: soon after their release, some of the returnees begin to experience unexplainable, and for some, uncontrollable new abilities. It's up to Tom Bishop and Diana Skouris, two Homeland Security agents, to unravel the mystery behind the 4400.

As the show progresses, you learn the reason behind the abductions - both individually and as a whole - and the reason for the abductees' return. As good as the plot is, the show is very character-focused, and the characters are excellent.

The opening sequence and music for the show is probably the best I've seen out of any TV show. It's like a slideshow of very cool photographs, slowly panning or zooming. Some of the shots age quickly as you watch, such as the side of an adobe building which develops a crack. It's hard to explain, but it's a great effect. The theme song, A Place in Time by Amanda Abizaid is a great tune written in a harmonic minor scale to give it a spooky kind of feel.

The show only had five episodes in season one, but season two is about to air episode eight, which doesn't seem like a finale. If you haven't seen the show, I'd highly recommend getting ahold of the season one DVD. The show's official site has some good info, but watch out for spoilers.