4400 Review: Empowered Women Empower Women (Season 1 Episode 7)

People are starting to pair off on 4400 Season 1 Episode 7, “Empowered Women Empower Women.” There is increasing distrust of the returnees and romantic bonds that are starting to form.

It’s about the time in the series where those nascent relationships start to come to life, but it’s also important to acknowledge the broader picture as well. 

Don’t Read the Fine Print

The episode starts off with the 4400 being asked to sign a contract before they can live at the hotel under the hotel as a sanctuary. Shanice reads it over and finds that technically they are laying the groundwork for a conservatorship. 

We already saw a bit of what the government has been doing to the returnees on 4400 Season 1 Episode 6, “If You Love Something,” and we know that they aren’t going to let them out of their sight. 

It should be concerning they are laying the ground for conservatorship, especially since, in the real world, we just saw Britney Spears fight to get out of one. 

Clearly, many of the returnees are fully capable of working and getting by in the world. They are anachronisms, but they have skills and can be of use. They are definitely not the type of people who would be under a conservatorship.

Personally, I’m predicting a war machine. 

Out of the Shadows

I have been waiting for a Claudette-centric episode and “Empowered Women Empower Women” doesn’t disappoint. Her desire for independence is so strong and I love that we get to see her assert some control and make her own choices. 

The parallel between her work with the civil rights movement and the way she unseated Barney is an interesting juxtaposition. It also serves to highlight to a modern audience just how much has really changed. 

Claudette can see that bigotry has really just changed its shape and hasn’t been irradicated altogether, and that’s an important aspect of the story to highlight. 

It’s also really important that we see Claudette in her own space. Yes, she’s decorating and making her new home hers, but she’s also making choices and taking up a hobby that she can actually own in 2021. 

Claudette’s story has been one of the strongest so far and I am looking forward to seeing how it might continue into the next part of the series. 

A Little Help From My Friends

LaDonna’s story also takes a turn. So far, 4400 has done a good job of showing us how LaDonna is different from the reality show personality we saw on 4400 Season 1 Episode 3, “That LaDonna Life.” However, this episode took some steps in showing us how LaDonna views friendships. 

It’s understandable that her world has been full of performative relationships. She’s outside of that now and she can explore who she is.

Her relationships with the 4400 have been strong and genuine and when Claudette invites her over for drinks there’s a genuine joy there.

Her decision to leave the hotel feels a little out there, but it also feels necessary. The talk LaDonna has with Soraya illuminates how she feels about these people, but the best way to help them is outside of the frame right now. 

While LaDonna says this is goodbye, I would venture to say it’s a see-you-later. I think that she’ll be using her computer science brain to come up with a solution that will be pivotal in later episodes, but only time will tell. 

What’s To Come

As 4400 continues to focus on the characters instead of the greater mystery, it presents compelling stories that draw us in.

Each week, even though we don’t have answers as to what happens to the returnees, we get to see a little bit more of what drives them. That makes this incarnation of the series more compelling and makes us keep watching.

And as they start to form connections with each other, the stories get even richer and pave the way for more stories to come. 

Stray Thoughts:

• Soraya is adorable. I give her props for taking the reigns and telling Keisha that she likes her. They’re cute and it’s hard to mourn the loss of Keisha and Jessica when we saw them on screen so little. 
• We can’t let this episode rest without talking about Andre’s ability. While we saw him heal a guard in the previous episode, the twist that he carries the ailment until he passes it on is an interesting turn for a Doctor who took an oath to heal. 
• Andre’s “I don’t care” is one of his best moments so far. It’s easy to see that he’s trying to say it doesn’t matter to him and that the phrasing has been lost. 

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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