“Carrier” is episode eight of season two of The 4400.
Tom and Alana are explaining to Kyle what happened in the previous episode, “Life Interrupted”. Kyle says they spent eight years in love and married in no time at all. That about sums it up. Alana tells Kyle he may be meeting her for the first time, but she knows all about him. Kyle thinks there must be differences; no 4400 or coma. He’s told that’s true. He was happy and successful and graduated from Stanford as a neurologist.
Marco finds Diana in an office reading legal books; she has 24 hours before she has to hand over Maia’s diary to NTAC as demanded in the subpoena received in “As Fate Would Have It”. There’s no legal option, mentioning the diary didn’t save Collier’s life and it’s making hers hell. Marco offers coffee.
Kyle is reading about Co0llier’s assassination; Alana asks if he thinks they’ll find the person who did it. Meaning Tom. Kyle thinks so. Unfortunate; he is the man responsible. Alana is heading out; she has to keep reminding herself she doesn’t live here. Kyle is pleased she and his father love each other. But he’s just met Alana; give him a few days before he calls her mom. Alana says he already has one of those. She’ll settle for good friend.
In a diner, everyone has collapsed and died. So have the people on the street. Even birds have fallen from the sky. The only person alive is Jean DeLynn Baker, a 4400. She runs off.
At The 4400 Centre, a Matthew Ross arrives in a limo. Shawn is inside trying to deal with paperwork Lucy has when Ross enters. He says there will be no press interviews. Ross signs a number of forms for Shawn and dismisses Lucy. Jordan made it clear that Ross was to step in to help if he died. Shawn didn’t know. One of many things he didn’t. Ross says they’ll need a new lobbyist, as he will be moving to the home office. Jordan planned to reveal Shawn’s healing power, but in stages. That’s not going to work now. Shawn tells Ross that sick people follow him everywhere. Ross tells him they will for the rest of his life.
Jarvis is briefing NTAC on how they are going to find Collier’s killer before the FBI. But she pulls Tom and Diana off the case to deal with an incident reported by FEMA in Granite Pass, Oregon. Population 273, except now it’s zero. Everyone died from a virus. Only one resident isn’t accounted for; Jean Baker, a 4400. There are two possibilities. She’s immune. Or she’s the carrier.
Jean is in an HGV, crying and fiddling with her hands. The driver is chatting to her and, when she says she’s going to The 4400 Centre, he says she needs to give herself over to a true religion. The end is coming; pestilence and plagues. Jean believes him; she says she woke up in a town full of dead people. And she thinks she caused it. The driver doesn’t believe it, but she says she believes him talking about the end of the world. The palms of her hands are covered in nasty-looking blisters.
Tom and Diana are at the scene in protective suits. One of the people already there takes his helmet off. The virus is airborne, but it dissipates in half an hour. That was still rather risky. Tom is concerned; when a 4400 manifests an ability, it quickly gets more intense. Things could get a lot worse, very fast.
Shawn is reading pleas for help in his office when Lucy knocks on his door. He isn’t coping. Ross is offering a job to Lily. Richard is going to be travelling and Jordan said nice things about Lily. Ross thinks she can do the job.
Tom and Diana meet Marco and the others at Jean’s house. Tom wants them to go through everything. Jean is on the run and they need to find clues as to where. Jean is ringing The 4400 Centre, saying she didn’t mean to kill anyone; the blisters itch so bad. This is passed up the line to Ross, who wants to speak to NTAC.
Jean’s disease is of a virulency never before seen. And if she isn’t stopped, she could kill a lot of people. Maia spends the episode with April, who is gambling. It turns out that Maia’s ability works with scratch cards and other types of gambling. Maia is worried that April only likes her because of this. April reassures her. And Kyle seems to be starting to remember things.