After Four Seasons, the Original ‘The 4400’ Came to an End With an Interesting Twist
Published Oct. 25 2021, 9:19 p.m. ET
Spoiler alert: This article covers spoilers from the TV show The 4400 but may also contain spoilers for the reboot 4400.
Fans of The 4400 are thrilled at the chance to see it new and improved. With a reboot of the show over a decade later, people are curious about if the two series will be similar. But how did the show end, and why was it canceled?
The world of television and movies has never been more interesting as studios and production houses work hard to get our attention. Sometimes this means bringing back old favorites, like The 4400, and hoping to capture the attention of old and new fans.
How did ‘The 4400’ end?
The 4400 was a show that aired on the USA Network and ran for four seasons. The show wasn’t a smashing viral success — it was hard to achieve that before streaming. However, the series became a cult classic. And producers are hopeful for an even bigger success with the new reboot.
The 4400 first premiered on July 11, 2004, with an interesting and unique plotline that was more like a mystery than just sci-fi. It was often compared to shows like The X-Files with strange mysteries to solve and the supernatural feel of The Twilight Zone.
Each new season revealed a little bit more about the mystery of why 4400 random people dropped from a bright light in the sky, revealing themselves to be people who lived nearly 100 years ago before vanishing from the Earth.
The series ran for four seasons, with the final episode airing Sept. 16, 2007. The final episode left viewers with a cliffhanger. Which is confusingly the best and worst thing for viewers.
Instead of the show wrapping up with all the drama tied nicely in a bow, fans are left to wonder and likely never feel closure. And that’s exactly what happened to fans of The 4400.
Danny Farrell’s (Kaj-Erik Eriksen) ability became uncontrolled, which ended up subjecting the general residents of Seattle to the substance that gave him his ability. However, the result was mixed, causing the deaths of thousands of people while also giving humans new powers.
It was a disaster for the National Threat Assessment Command (NTAC), a new agency responsible for tracking the 4400 and the issues related to them. At the end of the series, with so many new people with abilities, the show ended with the NTAC taking over Seattle.
In the end, Jordan Collier (Billy Campbell) was put in charge, and he pledged to build the future he had been promising the residents. This opened the way for his militia to keep control of the new city. And left fans wondering what happened after that.
Why was ‘The 4400’ canceled?
With the television show making it to cult-favorite status, people were surprised to hear of the cancellation, especially since the show ended with that cliffhanger.
Co-creator and writer Scott Peters announced the show would not return for a fifth season. According to a Reuters article published that year, Scott said that the cancellation of the show was due to a few factors.
Around that same time, there was an ongoing strike with the Writers Guild of America which slowed production down and created issues for The 4400. Adding to that, budgetary issues and lower-than-anticipated ratings were also reasons given for the cancellation of the show.
While that abrupt cliffhanger episode wasn’t ideal, the open-ended series finale also leaves the door available should the show get rebooted. And now fans will get to see more in the upcoming 4400 reboot on the CW.
4400 premieres Monday, Oct. 25 at 9 p.m. EST on the CW.