The 4400 Season 4 Disk 4:

Episode 13: The Great Leap Forward
It's over. The 4400 is 86ed, so to speak. Sorry, that's the best I've got.
This was definitely a series finale episode. Sure, life goes on for most of our characters at the end, but all the lingering questions are answered. I was afraid that they were going to leave a lot of openings, perhaps even create a couple, just in case, you know, there was a grassroots ground swell that got the show brought back. But they did the honorable thing and put her to bed.
In the very first episode we're introduced to Tom who has been recruited into NTAC from the FBI and Diana who has been recruited into NTAC from the CDC and for about the first half of the season they would reference her training as an epidemiologist. It got brought up again in season two when they needed a reason for Diana to be helping Kevin with his research. Throughout the course of the show, however, she acted more like an FBI agent than Tom ever did. I only bring this up because I would like to mention that it would have been nice if they had actually utilized her medical background, and because the way they arrive at the "Great Leap Forward" in the finale is through a power induced promicon virus. Suddenly there were quarantine and airdrops and Diana coordinating with FEMA and the Red Cross. It was nice to see it come full circle.
I've mentioned several times about episodes that remind me of episodes of Alphas, which while coming later than the 4400, I saw first. There have been a lot of similarities and even whole plots lifted by Alphas and I had complained away from the blog about one show ripping off another one. Then, after watching the finale, I watched some of the special features on the dvd, and lo and behold the two main producers for the 4400 are the two main producers for Alphas, also known as the shows creator and shot-caller. Too bad that they made the same show twice. There are so many interesting possibilities that one could do with the super hero genre, it's kind of sad that they limited themselves to this one vision. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed both shows. When the third season of Alphas starts up, and I guess I need to make sure that has not happened already, I will watch it. I do feel like I understand it's characters quite a bit better now, and while the motivation behind certain characters has remained shrouded, I think I know what they're up to.
So, here's the deal with the 4400. Watch the first season. If you like, it, the rest of the series will prove to be worth it. If you can force yourself to get through the first season and are unsure, or maybe just hate Laura Allen, I mean her character. No, I think I actually mean her. If you can hold on just a little longer, the show will change for the better and you will be rewarded. If you can't make it through that first season, it's okay. I understand. Try giving Alphas a shot, it's actually quite good from the very beginning. And yeah, Summer Glau is in both, so you'll be okay on that front.

The 4400 at IMDb