4400 Review: Harlem’s Renaissance Man (Season 1 Episode 4)

It’s Andre’s turn on 4400 Season 1 Episode 4, “Harlem’s Renaissance Man,” and it’s very clear we are just scratching the surface. 

Andre is an interesting character. He’s 100 years out of time and everyone he knows is dead. As we learn more about him as a character the dimensions of his identity become clear and we really start to see why he may have been among the returnees. 

Andre wants to help people, but his pursuit of the end goal blinds him to what is really important: his patient.

We see this when he tries to work with Mildred and she ends up shattering a chandelier. Mildred and Hayden both tell Andre about reservations that they have, and while we haven’t explored Mildred or Hayden’s stories yet it’s clear that there is trauma there. 

More important, is Andre’s moment where he tells Shanice that he’s transgender. This shows that the writers are dedicated to creating characters that are multi-dimensional and have intersectional identities. That’s true to life and something that we really need more of on television.

4400 has a cast with diverse representation that is trying to tell a story with care and respect, and it’s doing it well; even though we get the pieces of the puzzle somewhat slowly. 

What will ultimately help this storyline move along is proceeding with Project Reintegration. As I have said before, having the returnees in the same space for two weeks has allowed them to form bonds with each other, but it limits what they’re able to find out in this controlled environment. 

The show is reaching a point where this enclosed box isn’t going to serve the story, and they’re going to need to start letting the returnees out so that they can explore what is beyond the hotel.

Letting Shanice and Claudette visit Mrs. Grover, and LaDonna and Issiah go to the library, is a good start. It lets them get their barrings in a world that’s completely different to them, and as they do that they’ll start to have a bigger effect on society and we’ll start to see why they may have been brought back.

The inkling that there’s something going on with the federal government also brings a new layer of intrigue into the scenario. Fans of the original may remember that there was a similar conspiracy with Homeland Security, but giving it a slightly more nebulous quality boosts the intrigue for fans and keeps us focused on what’s going on. 

Stray Thoughts:

• Claudette for president! She’s such a maternal figure and I love anytime she starts to administer friendly advice. Her bit with the magnolia’s on this episode is a strong bit. 
• Hayden and Millie are so adorable together and I am looking forward to seeing an episode centered on them. It makes sense they want to keep Hayden’s story somewhat shrouded in mystery given that he can see the future, but we are going to need those answers eventually. 
• Isaiah’s search for his son builds off his current arc. While we don’t get to know all the details about what he found, it’s safe to say that it’s in line with expanding Issiah’s worldview.
• Best joke of the week is Andre’s misunderstanding of what LaDonna meant by Grey’s Anatomy.

What did you think of this episode of 4400? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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4400 airs Mondays at 9/8c on The CW.

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