This episode begins the turn from the complication phase of the season arc towards resolution, and as one would expect, a number of issues come to the forefront. Richard’s return to the series is a major development, considering the effect on Isabelle, and the developments regarding Kevin and Tom appear to be important.

Richard’s plan to “de-age” Isabelle reveals something of a psychotic break on his part, since he’s acting more out of self-gratification than any concerns for his daughter. Until the end, he has little or no regard for her rights or feelings as an individual, and one could argue that her ability to make a clear decision had already been compromised in the end. Her current status is unlikely to hold, but it does open the door to some interesting changes for her character (quite possibly, the end of her allergy to promicin).

Richard also reveals something unseen to this point: a group of original 4400 independent of Jordan’s crusade and Shawn’s political movement. It makes sense that there would be a segment of the powered population eager to stay out of the limelight in every respect, but Richard’s actions could force that underground out of hiding. They may represent a wild card as events build to an inevitable clash at the end of the season.

Of course, the nature of that clash is still to be seen, and things will definitely change if Kevin’s research holds true. This episode poses the indirect argument that Tess and her mental health has prevented Kevin from making much progress. (Speaking of which, Summer Glau is growing up very well!) Kevin’s research may save thousands of lives, but it will also clearly identify a division within the human race: those who can gain power, those who cannot.

This could give scope to the future conflict at the heart of the series’ mythology. We know that the 4400 were originally developed by an oppressed group in the future, those kept out of power by a select “elite” ruling over the remnants of human civilization. These Future Elite were also the ones who seeded the past with “the marked”, working against the alterations to the timeline introduced by the 4400 and Jordan Collier. Could the Future Elite be those who, in the end, were unable to take promicin and therefore did everything possible to ensure that the powered were kept under control (or eliminated)?

This brings Tom directly into the conflict beyond his interest in Kyle’s situation. Evidence continues to mount that he has been “marked”, and that could place him in violent opposition to Jordan Collier, Shawn, and Kevin. The Future Elite might also see Richard and his current activities as a threat. His fragile relationships are already begging for trouble (especially his affair with Meghan); bring forced to act against his personal and professional interests could rip him apart. That gives the audience someone to identify with through all the changes, which is always an important consideration.


John Keegan
Reprinted with permission
Original source: c. Critical Myth, 2007
All rights reserved
Link: http://www.criticalmyth.com

uh?

It was clear he was doing it for her as much as anyone or anything else. If Richard had only selfish motives, and, say, just wanted to be a father, it would be much easier for him to have another child.



She never had any ability to make any real decisions. She became an adult overnight. She never developed emotionally, socially, morally. She killed people without blinking, and is incapable of feeling true remorse. Exactly what kind of responsible choices is she supposed to be able to make?

What Richard did may be the only chance for Isabelle to develop as a human being, and develop the conscience she lacks. Then she can make her own choices.

Wow, thanks, Entil! This is just what I've been saying, only when I say it I get yelled at. So I'm in accord with the Critical Myth Review? That makes me feel a little better-I just knew Isabelle was in no shape to make a choice at the end, and that Richard was being selfish and not thinking of Isabelle's welfare. I know he loves his daughter, but that doesn't mean what he did to her was right. I think it was terrible.

as opposed to the little or no regard that was shown by whomever aged Isabelle in the first place.



You know people who complain about Isabelle being turned back into a child should complain if anyone turns her back into an adult again with the same ferver.

They don't complain that she was rapidly aged in the first place.

Tell me who to complain about for aging her in the first place, Sinjun. Just put a face and a name to whoever aged her in the first place, and I'll complain.

I wish i knew as well *sigh* the show doesn't show it.. hmm all i can suspect is that it is the marked or people from the future who want destruction. They after all were using isabelle, in fact they immediatly began manipulating her leading me to suspect they had something to do with her premature aging.

Which is why I agree with you that whoever aged Isabelle in the first place did her as great a disservice as Richard. This girl was denied her childhood-now she has been denied her adulthood. At least next week she will be back to normal-well, as normal as she can get. However she arrived at adulthood, she did arrive. Every one of us has a character built on our past-Isabelle needs her past to continue with her effort to reform. Erasing her memory does not erase what she did, or her need to deal with it. I just hope Richard hasn't done irreversible damage of some kind.

I think Richard was doing this for the both of them, but with putting complete blinders on in regard to Isabelle! He was so determined to become the perfect father, he didn't see, or didn't want to see, that she was doing okay. She was reforming, little by little, demonstrating she could make choices competently.

When Isabelle took that final sip, I couldn't contain my "No!" Some choice Richard gave her. He waited until she was practically de-aged. I mean, little Isabelle looked at her daddy's face, saw he wanted her to be young, and then took a sip. I'm thinking it was more for him. Poor Isabelle. I hope they grow her up again.

she'll grow up again if left alone. Plus didn't Richard return her to normal? I still can't get past the fact you argue that being an adult at 3 is normal when the original problem is still the fact she became an adult not that Richard helped return her to being a child. I mean if that's the case then it would be equally wrong to change her back to being an adult as Richard changed her into a child.

I say enough of playing with her in such a way and let her age normally.

I guess in the end i have a big problem with fixing the later problem (returning Isabelle to being a child which fixed the other problems) while ignoring all the other problems that were caused by the first problem (aging Isabelle in the first place). sometimes it's a little difficult for me to explain.

problems

1: Giving too much power to a mind that is nowhere near ready for it (in fact i think Lily's power was empathy wasn't it? I think Isabelle copied and used it and Richards, then later Shawn's and everyone elses around her...)
2: Aging Isabelle well before her time in a way that she never learned what morals were or even ethics making her very vulnderable to the marked
3: Keeping her within reach of other 4400s hello she mimics other 4400 abilities wasn't this even a little bit obvious to the think tanks?
4: NTAC losing hold over Isabelle, you know she could have worked off what she did after she was depowered and might have worked with the think tank towards a type of redemption. Who was the genius who tried to transport her in the way they did anyway.
5: Deaging her which might have lead to her gaining her powers back (hello she was rather a sociopath/psycopath when she had them.. i don't think we need that again luckly this didn't happen and this might have fixed problem 2, but she could learn ethics and morals without that)

listing them like this helps me clear my ideas with msyelf as well. Now that i think about it more i think this is a plan of the marked that might have lead to giving Isabelle back her powers. I'm very suspicious now.

I get what you're saying, Sinjun, and if there was a way to go back BEFORE Isabelle was aged in the first place, I would say that was a good thing to do. It would be before she grew up, did terrible things, lost her powers, repented...But she's grown up now. What Richard is doing is like picking up all your food off the floor after you've dropped your plate-you can still eat it but should you? Isabelle's past has happened-taking away her memory of it, and the strides she has made in character development because of it, is not going to change what she did. And because she was an adult, it was especially wrong of him to not take her wishes into account.

That's what I think, Zippy. Isabelle was all alone, far from help, and Richard had completely terrorized her. I know he loves her and he didn't mean to, but she was terrified by that point. He had taken her from her home, destroyed the person she had become, attacked someone she cared about in front of her, and thrown other people around like confetti. Certainly she's going to do whatever he wants at that point.

it might save her from a legal standpoint.. unless they want to lock up a toddler, or put a toddler on trial. did they even have a trial for her? But at a major trade off. When i thought about it before i was thinking about other things. It might be far more dangerous to change her into a child if there is a chance that the change in chemicals might give her, the same abilities that turned her into a sociopath. I still think a childhood would have helped her sanity but I think now that the Marked have planned this all along. i'll find out next episode i guess there are enough hints about it >.< no spoilers tho i like to figure out things on my own.

There's no way of knowing if Isabelle is a sociopath, Sinjun-heck, we don't even know if she's human! But one thing is sure-having all that power and no consequences last year turned her into a rotten person. There's no reason to think she would turn out differently if her powers come back and she's too little to be reasoned with, and she doesn't have the remorse for her crimes any more to hold her back. Maybe the Marked are behind the whole thing-maybe they made Richard crazy, or even Marked him, to cause him to do this. Poor Isabelle-first she was deprived of her childhood, which is a bad thing, and now she's deprived of her adulthood, which is also bad, AND she might be getting her powers back along with a blank slate, which will be truly terrible for anybody who annoys her. AND she's vulnerable now-she was safe and happy in Promise City, but now Tom is going Marked and he's going to catch her.

I think if she weren't human all those little test they did on her would have revealed that.

I have to admit Jordan might have made a mistake and i think it might be too late to take it back now. Even if they age her back up the damage might already be done. I don't think it's too much damage that it'll threaten mankind but it could turn quite disasterous for everyone.

Oh, I was just SO disappointed in Jordan, Sinjun! I thought when he went rushing out the door with that look on his face, he was off to rescue Isabelle. Maybe his first response was an emotional one to rescue her, but if so, it didn't last very long. He went all rational and contented himself with telling NTAC where they might find Richard. Bad Jordan!

On the other hand, he could have stopped Kyle from going after Isabelle and he didn't. Still, I think you're absolutely right-Jordan was wrong and it's too late to fix it now.

I think he calculated that NTAC would be able to handle it and keep Isabelle safe. The people at NTAC know that Isabelle is dangerous, but they want her alive. Now many Promicin Positives don't like Isabelle and it wouldn't be hard for them to cause a accident. I think Jordan should have done something but i can understand his calculation. If that was his calculation. If he had known that Isabelle was going to be turned into a child i think he might have acted quickly on the worry that Isabelle might get her power back.

You're probably right, Sinjun. I guess Jordan thought as long as Isabelle was with Richard she would be okay, and he never did seem to warm up to her. I wonder if she tried to get to know him, or if she avoided him. As the old saying goes, make your friends before you need them. Considering their history, maybe Jordan and Isabelle avoided each other. They were leader and follower, not friends.

Looking at the preview, I REALLY wish Jordan had gone after Isabelle-things are not looking good for her, and if Tom can convince her that the only way to save her father is to take out Jordan, things look bleak for him. And if Maia's vision is correct and everything goes black if Jordan dies...

Jordan seemed kind of hurt by Richard, and it's only natural. Anyone's ego is bound to be hurt by such a spurn, but Jordan's ego is slightly greater. He opened up his gates and arms for Richard, only to be totally betrayed. He tends to take those things personally. I think those feelings got the best of his judgement. Jordan should've tried something to retreive Isabelle.