Tuesday, October 28, 2008

The 4400 - The Complete Series on DVD 10/28

I never caught this sci-fi series when it aired from 2004 to 2007, but now the complete series is available on DVD. 


All 43 episodes.

On fifteen discs! 

It's a bit daunting. But at the same time, I'm finding the series completely addictive.

It's sort of a combination of Heroes, The X Files and Invasion. Over a period of 60 years, people all over the world have gone missing. Then in July of 2004, they all return in a flash of light in a remote area of Seattle. All 4,400 of them.

As it turns out, they were not abducted by aliens, but by future humans who chose them to help save mankind--which is in danger of extinction in the future. When they are returned--months, years and sometimes decades after their abduction--they haven't aged a day, remember nothing and possess unusual new abilities. Clairvoyance, telekinesis, super strength--to name a few.

Sound familiar?

The series balances procedural drama with sci-fi thriller; episodic structure with serialized story lines; and a mystery that unravels over the course of the series along with personal stories and dramas of the characters we come to root for.

While The 4400 is fiction--science fiction--it also illuminates issues we face currently: homeland security and loss of civil rights, fear and hate crimes, ideological factions and persecution. It's entertaining and thought-provoking and, while I'm only about halfway through the second season, I'm totally invested in finding out what happens to these people and how the story turns out.

The DVD set contains bonus features including:
  • Video Introduction by Series Creator Scott Peters
  • Pilot Episode – Audio Commentary (by Scott Peters & Joel Gretch)
  • The Great Leap Forward – Audio Commentary (by Ira Baer & Craig Sweeny)
  • The 4400: The Ghost Season
  • Promicin: The Moral Choice
  • Deleted Scenes (with optional commentary) Seasons 2 & 3
If you're into sci-fi thrillers, I highly recommend checking out The 4400.  

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