# Questions about The 4400 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 3, 2006, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-4400/363021 "2006-07-03T05:03:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-4400/363021/1 "2006-07-03T05:03:04Z")
Tonight, for the first time, I watched an entire episode of the 4400. It was the episode where Maia and several other 4400 kids have been taken and placed further back in the past, for some reason. Most of the episode involves some of the main characters trying to clarify their memories of Maia. Some things I didn’t get: [spoiler]1. Once people started claiming that some of the kids from the 4400 had been retaken, why didn’t the agency overseeing the 4400 check their records to see whether, in fact, they had a list of 4400 names, or some smaller number of names instead? (If some of the 4400 hundred had been retaken, then their record would be missing from the rosters of the 4400–the 4400 would be the 4126 instead.) It’s a very easy way to disprove the claim, so why didn’t they do it? 1. Why did the main character know he would survive hanging himself? Why would he even suspect he might survive? 2. Do we know the borg queen to be trustworthy in this show? Or is this an issue that is up in the air?[/spoiler] -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-4400/363021/2 "2006-07-03T05:20:42Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > [spoiler]1. Once people started claiming that some of the kids from the 4400 had been retaken, why didn’t the agency overseeing the 4400 check their records to see whether, in fact, they had a list of 4400 names, or some smaller number of names instead? (If some of the 4400 hundred had been retaken, then their record would be missing from the rosters of the 4400–the 4400 would be the 4126 instead.) It’s a very easy way to disprove the claim, so why didn’t they do it? > > I can only assume that… uh… some other people were taken instead, getting the number back up to 4400? Good question. > > 1. Why did the main character know he would survive hanging himself? Why would he even suspect he might survive? > > He’s been demonstrated to be “important” to the future. His wife was abducted and given her “holodeck” power strictly for his benefit- since he was going to be so key to the future’s plans, he needed the stability a family would provide. Her power enable them to give him an instant family. > > How’d he know they’d save him? It was basically a good guess on his part. > > 1. Do we know the borg queen to be trustworthy in this show? Or is this an issue that is up in the air? > > Nope, there’s no real reason to trust her. For all we know, she’s on the other side. I’m always distrustful of Alice Krige, anyway- have been ever since Ghost Story. > > [/spoiler] So there ya go. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-4400/363021/3 "2006-07-03T05:23:54Z")
I love this show. Open spoilers… … … … … … … 1: Because the people from the future changed everything, it wouldn’t have been “The 4400,” it would have been “The 4359” or whatever. Or even, they may have abducted people just to make up for the ones they did abduct. 2: He didn’t know for sure that he would survive, but he thought he just might because in the first season he was told that he was very important to the plan. Key, in fact. If you’ll remember right before when he was talking to Maia’s mother (I can’t believe I forgot her name) he was saying things like, “If you were here you’d stop me” and “I’m not sure if this would work.” And when he went into the future, the first thing he asked was, “Did I survive?” 3: It seems as if the borg lady from the future is trustworthy, they have been upfront with everything so far. I think the question isn’t “can they be trusted” but “is sacrificing our lives worth saving their’s?” What I like about this show is that it seems as if the writers knew what they were doing from the start, that they had a plan from the beginning, and not just making stuff up as they go along. I do wonder what’s the catastrophe is though. P.S. Isabelle needs to die. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-4400/363021/4 "2006-07-03T14:12:06Z")
[spoiler]BTW, you know about as much about Alice Krige as we do - as an individual at least. She was introduced in the previous episode - it’s not like she’s a character we’ve seen throughout the series. As far as the people who took the 4400 as a group, I think everything we’ve seen supports the story that they are trying to save the world in the future, but they are pretty Machiavellian about it. So I wouldn’t say they’re good or on the side of the 4400. And now it seems an opposing and similarly powerful group is trying to undo what they’re attempting, probably through Isabelle and Matthew (how creepy is he? Gotta love Garrett Dillahunt). And yes, grown-up Isabelle needs to die soon. I hate her, not because she’s evil, she’s just irritating to watch.[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-4400/363021/5 "2006-07-03T17:20:36Z")
So what happened to all that cool synthetic petroleum that had been developed when Maya and company had traveled back in time? Now that Maya is back where she “should” be does the NTAC crew go back to driving around in gas-guzzling, carbon-emitting SUVs? ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-4400/363021/6 "2006-07-03T19:08:14Z")
> [@BobT](#): > > So what happened to all that cool synthetic petroleum that had been developed when Maya and company had traveled back in time? Now that Maya is back where she “should” be does the NTAC crew go back to driving around in gas-guzzling, carbon-emitting SUVs? Yup. Cyborg lady, while arguing with Tom said, “You’ll erase everything these kids accomplished.” Or something like that. So no synthetic petroleum or lunar colonies. About the colonies though, that means people’s attitude towards space exploration changed drastically. I’m sure someone today could invent the material they talked about, or something similar, but isn’t because there’s no point. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-4400/363021/7 "2006-07-03T22:51:26Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > So no synthetic petroleum or lunar colonies. I loved that. Such a minor throwaway line about lunar colonies and synthetic petroleum, ho-hum, much like we are about the internet and TiVo. Matthew tried to kill Isabelle before, remember? He gave her the syringe and told her it was the only way to save her mother. She emptied it on the floor and Lily died. So, is Matthew from the future? He gave her the syringe. But if Lily came back pregnant with Richard’s child, resulting in Isabelle, how could that be contrary to the 4400 abductors’ plans? Unless there’s a mole and Lily was impregnated against their agenda? I love this show. On top of the fact that it’s produced by some of the creators of _Star Trek_, the 7/2 episode had me guessing…Maia has to come back, but how?? I want to know how Marco dies. Hopefully it’s about 60 years in the future, even it it is “pretty cool,” according to Maia’s diary. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-4400/363021/8 "2006-07-03T23:11:19Z")
I think Matthew’s evil, or at least he knows what’s going on. Remember, he talked Isabelle into not trying to kill herself. Even when he gave her the syringe he knew she wouldn’t do it. I saw it as more of a bluff. Or at least a tool to manipulate her into doing what he wants. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-4400/363021/9 "2006-07-03T23:44:15Z")
Yea, Matthew was definitely bluffing. Remember, he slapped Isabelle for trying to kill herself in the first place, and told her that she was too important to die. He probably is working for the other side. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-4400/363021/10 "2006-07-04T00:02:55Z")
But who dies next week? ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-4400/363021/11 "2006-07-04T00:15:41Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > But who dies next week? I don’t know, but I do hope it’s Isabelle because she’s the only character I don’t like. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-4400/363021/12 "2006-07-04T00:24:10Z")
I have a feeling it’ll be Richard. His character really isn’t of much use. What I wonder is when Jordan and Kyle will be back. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-4400/363021/13 "2006-07-04T00:32:04Z")
> [@Omega Glory](#): > > I have a feeling it’ll be Richard. His character really isn’t of much use. What I wonder is when Jordan and Kyle will be back. Yeah, Richard does seem to be the most expendable character, although he could be used as a foible against Isabelle? Perhaps even Jordan kills him… I can’t wait for next week. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-4400/363021/14 "2006-07-04T01:08:24Z")
But the also said, it’s not who you think… I was thinking Isabelle or Shawn…so ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-4400/363021/15 "2006-07-04T01:24:42Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > But the also said, it’s not who you think… > I was thinking Isabelle or Shawn…so For one I know it’s not Tom. Good chance it’s not Alahna because her sole purpose is to be there for Tom. Not Maia, they’d never kill a child like that. Shawn’s too important. I’m thinking either Richard or Marco. We’re all expecting Isabelle to die after Tom got his mission. ---
**Author:** ![threeorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@threeorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threeorange)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-4400/363021/16 "2006-07-06T10:57:08Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > But who dies next week? If this were a more conventional show, I’d say it would probably be someone we’re familiar with, but not attached to, like Matthew, or the Nova Group leader. But I’ll guess it will someone we like, like Richard or Marco. It certainly won’t be Isabelle; she’s the most powerful of the 4400, and won’t be going out any time soon. ---
**Author:** ![thwartme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@thwartme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thwartme)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-4400/363021/17 "2006-07-06T14:07:44Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > I don’t know, but I do hope it’s Isabelle because she’s the only character I don’t like. As long as she keeps wandering around in underwear, she can stick around for as long as she like, IMHO. 🙂 My guesses as to who might die would be either the NTAC director, Nina Jarvis, or the wacky scientist, Kevin Burkhoff. I hope it’s not Kevin. I love Jeffrey Combs. But I HOPE… I actually HOPE they kill off Shawn “I have the hands of a televangelist and acting skills of a young Keanu Reeves” Ferrell. Really. Peter Flueger is pretty terrible, and I think his character’s death might set Isabelle on a crazed rampage, which would be fun. thwartme ---
**Author:** ![threeorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@threeorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threeorange)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2006, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-4400/363021/18 "2006-07-09T11:53:43Z")
One more thought: Knowing what we know about Jordan Collier, we can’t assume that whoever dies will stay that way. ---
**Author:** ![thursday\_next](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8797f3/32.png) [@thursday\_next](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thursday_next)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2006, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-4400/363021/19 "2006-07-09T22:02:06Z")
Thank goodness other people don’t like Isabelle 🆒 . I thought it was just me. I miss Lily and liked baby Isabell much better. Go ahead and slam me, but I’m fond of Shawn so I hope its not him. I like Richard too … :: sigh :: I’m awfully hard to please aren’t I? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2006, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-4400/363021/20 "2006-07-09T23:25:15Z")
> [@thursday next](#): > > Thank goodness other people don’t like Isabelle 🆒 . I thought it was just me. I miss Lily and liked baby Isabell much better. I didn’t even like baby Isabelle. She’s been creepy since she was born. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-4400/363021.md?page=2)