4400 season 1, episode 3: That LadDonna Life

The 4400 are still trapped in the hotel but this episode gave us hope that the returnees will be released.

As crowds protest outside the hotel following the leak to the press about the 4400, the government scramble to repair the damage. They need a returnee to address the press and show how well they are being treated even though that’s far from the truth. LaDonna is missing her old life and decides to cooperate in order to be in the spotlight once again and get her phone back.

Exploring the past: LaDonna’s story

That LadDonna life gave us a look into LaDonna’s past and how she was on the verge of getting the fame she so desperately craves.

LaDonna doesn’t have a clear memory of what happened before she was taken. She does know she wanted to be a reality TV star and was filming the premiere episode of her show when she was taken. In her flashback we get to see her overbearing mother Loretta Landry (Anji White), who I guess we can compare to the Kardashian’s mum, Kris Jenner I guess – I don’t know, I don’t watch reality TV shows.

Ladonna wanted to study computer science but her mum wrote it off as a waste of time. As far as she is concerned her only job is to be fabulous. What a vacuous hag. She’s not just vacuous she’s also a colourist. When LaDonna was by a window Loretta told her to move away because she “can’t afford to get any darker.”

It’s easy to see why LaDonna is the way she is when she has a mother like that. Loretta had her own reality TV show and the idea was to launch LaDonna’s show off the back of that. It seems Loretta can’t get enough of the fame game as she totally hogged the spotlight. LaDonna was knocking back drinks to the point where she stumbled off of a balcony and was falling to her death when she was taken into the future.  

Soraya is a stan

LaDonna has her first stan in Soraya who has found unaired footage of That LadDonna life. Knowing that LaDonna was a computer nerd, why did Soraya leave her alone with the computers? I think it was deliberate. She seems empathetic to the 4400. I only hope she doesn’t get into trouble for it.

After learning that her mother had lied about her disappearance, claiming she was in rehab, Ladonna searches the computer CTV footage from the hotel. She sends footage of how the 4400 are really being treated to Mariah and asks her to release it on the web.   

Shanice

During Mariah’s visit with her mum, Shanice’s powers finally kick in as she hugs her daughter and sees a flashback of Mariah hugging Logan’s current wife Bridget (Clare Cooney). I was devasted for Shanice as she witnessed Mariah hugging Bridget and telling her that she loved her and calling her mum.

Then I got pissed off that the damned letter was still a barrier to Shanice getting some peace. I wanted the meeting between mother and daughter to go well but the writers had other ideas, hoping to squeeze out more drama. How hard is it to say “I wrote the letter but I was unwell at the time?” I get it, they set the scene that way so they could have the big family meeting later on but still some of the dialogue is contrived and obvious it takes me out of the story.  

The show seems to be leaning more into the drama than the sci-fi. And some of that drama is heavy-handed at times. I’m not writing off that drama as it drives character development, which I appreciate as it bears fruit in three-dimensional characters who go on to have clear motivations. That said, I’m looking forward to more sci-fi driven plots and fewer third-act misunderstanding tropes.

Anyway, I’m glad Shanice’s story finally came together and she has reconciled with her family.

Superpower logs

We got two superpower revelations in this episode. Shanice seems to be clairvoyant as she can see visions of people’s past. I wonder if this is by touch alone.  

Ladonna seems able to manifest things. I don’t know if what she manifests is real or an illusion. Can’t wait to find out.  

Episode 3 wrap up

I enjoyed this episode and was happy that it managed to move the story along to the point where we can see a tiny light of freedom at the end of the tunnel for the returnees. I’m looking forward to a time when their superpowers take centre stage. Mildred could easily slap curly cop Ken about without him even knowing it. Not that I’m advocating violence or anything.

My favourite parts of the episode were the exchange between Noah and Doctor Andre. I loved how Andre was sympathetic to Noah’s needs and unfazed by his revelation and thanked him for expanding his vocabulary.

I also like the small interactions between the 4400 with each character learning something new about the world based on the experience of a character taking from a later time. This week it was LaDonna explaining to Hayden and Mildred what a TV was and the format for a reality TV show.  

One thing that stuck out for me was Hayden saying that he is 91-years-old. This would mean he was born in 1930 and therefore couldn’t have been taken from that time as he looks to be in his teens. He would have to have been taken from the late 40s/early 50s. the log lines state he was taken from the 1930s so the math is not mathing unless he counts the year he was taken as a rebirth.