Andre’s continued efforts to study the effects of their new powers on his friends causes him to question a lot about himself. A day release for some of the 4400 leads to some unexpected results.

It’s Andre’s turn in the spotlight this time as we start to see flashbacks of the quiet doctor’s life in his own time which relate specifically to his behaviour in the present. Turns out that Andre was the quite the driven individual back in the 1920s, as he worked to find a cure for a specific kind of illness. But as a black man in 1920s America he was up against various challenges, which would inform a lot of who he goes on to become.

In the present day, Andre is desperate to get more informed on modern medicine, and when the group are told that – in the wake of LaDonna’s video leak to the world – some of them will be allowed to spend some time out in the world, he is excited at the prospect, but unfortunately he isn’t to be picked. That being the case, he chooses to focus on monitoring his fellows with powers. His focus and determination may well prove his undoing though, and it turns out that they may have impacted his life in the past as well.

Meanwhile, Keisha and Jharrell find themselves puzzled at exactly who has been chosen to be a part of the first ‘day release’. LaDonna pairs off with Isaiah to go to a very unexpected place and Shanice and Claudette spend the day together with Mrs Grover. In both cases, there are turns for the unexpected – Isaiah makes some discoveries about his son which take him by surprise, and Claudette and Shanice end up sharing more with Mrs Grover than they necessarily intended.

Back at the hotel, LaDonna’s video stunt ends up with an unintended consequence that sees someone hauled off, and Mildred ends up also being taken away for her own safety after Andre pushes a little too hard with his experiments, causing a further rift between him and Hayden.

What’s interesting is how the show continuously evolves and shapes its narrative. Andre’s surprising reaction to Noah’s confidence last time out gets some context here. Isaiah continues to be a complete enigma as his character constantly seems to shift in unexpected ways, and the way in which the authorities act can never, ever be taken at face value. It means that there’s rarely a dull moment in the show and with a cast this good, that all adds up to compelling TV.

Verdict: Going in some very interesting directions. 9/10

Greg D. Smith