“The Fifth Page”

“The Fifth Page” does a great job of setting up a finale out of a somewhat mediocre season.  Each individual episode thus far had been decent, but the overall season was hit or miss and somewhat aimless.  The Fifth Page gives the show a more solid focus.

As a preamble, Alana moves in with Tom, to solidify their “eight year” marriage.  In a bizarre display she asks Kyle for a prescription because her allergies are acting up, counfusing her made up world with the real one.

We soon discover that the 4400 are all falling ill all around the world, with the same disease that Maia and Shawn has come down with.

In a good move for the show, Dennis Ryland makes a triumphant return to take over for Nina while she heals from her gunshot wound and help figure out this epidmeic that is passing through the 4400.  I always thought he was missing from the show after Season 1. I hope he sticks around this time.

Kyle is drawn to visit the house of the man who they picked up for killing Collier.  Feeling guilty he tries to help the suspect’s girlfriend even as she lashes out at him.  It’s a nice sequence because it shows that at heart Kyle is a good guy, further distancing him from his “other” self.

Alana mistakenly goes to the 4400 Center, thinking it’s the Collier Museum and Tom has to go to talk her down, when they discover that she too has the rash, indicating that she is sick as well.

Ryland goes forward by announcing that all of the 4400s are being put back into quarantine until they could figure out what was going on.   The move causes some consternation amongst the crew like Tom and Diana, but they go along.  Their first step is to go to talk it over with Matthew Ross at he 4400 Center to try to get them to assist in the roundup by announcing their support of the initiative.  Matthew agrees to tell those with symptoms to go, but not to those who aren’t sick.

While Shawn has to go into quarantine, he and Ross ask Richard to step up as visible leader.  Although he is hesitant, RIchard eventually agrees.

Meanwhile Kevin Burkhoff gives his notes to NTAC doctor Max Hudson but is visibly perturbed when Hudson won’t return the favor due to it being classified.

Back at the Center, Lily, being untrusting, follows Isabelle and her day care provider down to a secret room where her and Richard discover that they are running unauthorized tests on Isabelle.  Lily wants to leave immediately but Matthew is able to convince Richard that they need him around especially while there is the risk of NTAC rounding them all up.

As always Diana is able to use her feminine wiles to convince Marco to break the law by giving them the classified information that Kevin Burkhoff needs.  Marco is hesitant but as always he comes through.

The round up begins, but it seems that Collier left behind several safe houses across the country that NTAC wouldn’t know anything about.  The 4400 at the Center all make it to the house avoiding the quarantine.

Meanwhile Kevin discovers that the 4400 all share a common thread.  They all have a promicin inhibitor which is causing the illness.  THey further discover that the promicin inhibitor was actually given to all the 4400ers.

By NTAC.

It’s a great set up for the season finale and overall a decent run.

B+

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