“Pilot: Part 1” is episode one of season one of The 4400.
March 3rd, 1946, and in woods near Crescent City, California, a young girl heads away from her parents. There’s a light above her. She disappears. May 11, 1951, and a man named Richard is being beaten up by fellow pilots after they discovered photos of him and his girlfriend. She’s white; he isn’t. They leave, there’s a light above him and he’s gone. June 11th, 1979, in Tacoma, Washington, and a man named Orson vanishes. Kyle and Shawn, two cousins, are drinking on Highland Beach, Washington, April 22nd, 2001. There’s a light. Shawn is gone; Kyle collapses to the ground, unconscious.
Present day, 3 years later. Kyle is in a coma in a hospital room. There’s a man with him, presumably his father, and on the news there’s something about a comet. A woman arrives; she calls the man Tom. It looks like she’s Kyle’s mother and that she, Linda, and Tom are at the very least no longer together. Linda can’t make it every day, not like Tom, not after three years. She loves Kyle but can’t live at the hospital like Tom does. And in his mail, there’s a bill for a private detective. Tom says someone matching Shawn’s description was seen. Linda says even if Shawn is found, that won’t wake Kyle. Tom says it would give answers. Figuring out what happened to Kyle is his job.
Two young people are kissing by a telescope when the girl asks if the comet is supposed to be that bright. A woman on a treadmill answers a phone and is told to get in now.
The woman, Diana Skouris, arrives at the Department of Homeland Security, Seattle. Her boss, Dennis Ryland, is telling everyone they’re at Defcon 1; they’re evacuating people to shelters. The comet is no longer doing a flyby; it’s heading right at them. And it’s changed course and acceleration again. Diana says comets can’t do that. She’s told this one has. She states it’s not a comet then. Impact in 28 minutes. China has already launched missiles, and the US will follow suit, as will others. They have no effect. Ryland asks how hard it will hit. Diana tells him he doesn’t want to know.
People are saying goodbye to loved ones as the comet enters the atmosphere. And slows down to subsonic. It’s acting as if it’s coming in for a landing. Near Mount Ranier, Washington. Everyone heads out to the scene where a glowing ball descends over the lake. It starts changing shape and shrinking, then sends out a blast wave. The ball is gone, leaving only mist behind. Leaving people there. Lots of them. So0me those who disappeared earlier. Tom recognises Shawn, as does Shawn’s mother, his sister.
Tom arrives at the DHS and is speaking to Ryland, his old boss. Tom wants back in. Ryland has over 4,000 people to deal with, some gone for 60 years, and none have any memory of what happened. Tom says he can help. Ryland needed Tom’s help before, but only got five months from him. Tom says he wanted to find out the truth about his son. Ryland says Tom still does; that’s why he wants back in. Tom admits this, but he wants answers and will come through.
Ryland takes Tom to see Diana. He’s heard of her; she’s former CDC. She’s heard of him; she’s not pleased at the idea of working together. Ryland says they are his best field scientist and lead investigator and they will, no options, make a good team.
The two watch interviews with the returnees. Tom asks Diana what she thinks happened. Some sort of intelligence was behind it she thinks. God? Little green men? Too soon to rule anything out. Maia Rutledge was the first one to disappear as far as they can tell. She’s 8. (In Maia’s interview she says she’ll be okay. Mostly. The line is rather similar to the identically-aged Newt’s famous line from Aliens.) Tom wants to interview Shawn personally.
The returnees are all being kept in the same place. Orson is watching a woman on the television arguing for their freedom whilst another is anything but. Maia tells Orson the second woman doesn’t like them much. He says the feeling’s mutual. Richard is reading People; to say he’s stunned by some changes is an understatement.
Maia is the first one to show a trait of something odd, but others start to follow. When the returnees are released, things are not easy. Absences of years to decades mean loved ones are at best older and sometimes dead. The returnees were almost all declared dead, and many have moved on. Relationships have changed, assets are gone and there’s culture shock for more than a few.
The story continues in the next episode, “Pilot: Part 2”.