I've always enjoyed The 4400 more for the one-off, spooky element than I have for it's continuing story (which is rare for me, "MrContinuityLover72"). Perhaps the ongoing story isn't gripping enough, but I often struggle to remember the basic facts of the show, like which actor is supposed to be Tom's kids. I was trying to remember at the funeral scene.

I wouldn't want to do an unevolving show featuring one supernatural storyline after another (therein lies the warning that is The X-Files), but 4400 has always excelled at the spooky. So how fitting, then, that the final episode also had the best one-off "special ability of the week" since the first episode this season, featuring a high school deity, yet mixed seamlessly with the continuing story, as Danny gets off'd in an interesting and touching one-off, yet his death, and his ability's effect carries long term ramifications for next season.

Indeed, the last 15 minutes was a montage set to the music of the Pixies, so I may have simply gone weak at the knees and declared whatever visual images to be awesome based upon the soundtrack only. With that disclaimer stated, what a brilliant tease and setup for the next season. What has kept me returning to The 4400 is the fact that it keeps moving forward, and the deliberate plotting is got me hooked, yet again.

Seattle's fucking ground-zero for the P+ movement! I want to know what that means, what that looks like, how it's going to function, is their parliment bi-cameral? Fucking writers going and getting me interested all over again. Well, that and seeing what superb DS9 actor Ira's going to bring into the mix next. (Kasidy's evil and likely dead! Weyoun minus the prosthetics!). The hazy future-plot has always been a weakness, but just compare it to Star Trek: Enterprise, and realize how much better 4400 is. And they've now had equal season running time to develop their future war. And yah, I'm playing perfectly fair, in fact, Enterprise blew it's future-plot load early, it actually had the tactical jump on 4400. But enough ST:E bashing, I'm here to praise 4400.

Hope Isabelle stays dead. I laughed out loud at whatisface NTAC agent being able to transport via pictures. I was happy to see the WhosIt director of crap SciFi conspiracy movies reappear. The threat of Jordan being used against his own movement was chilling (As a viewier, I keep wanting to hate Jordan, but they always use him so well! And Billy Campbell remains infinitely watchable). But 150% full props to Joel Gretsch for making Tom Baldwin so different from Marked Tom Baldwin without any props, gimics or dialog to go on. You just look at the guy, and you know who he is. Wow, I seriously didn't have any idea how great an actor he was until this season. (The series, as a whole, has not been gifted with the best actors). Despite Seeing Joel Gretsch every episode, I was actually missing Tom Baldwin. I didn't realize how much I missed Tom until he's gone, and sure that's a cliche, but I'm it's true!

Well I'm hooked. And I will now rapidly forget pretty much everything about this season's 4400, but I'll know I want to watch it next year. Like always. They've raised the stakes. Again. And I'll be watching.