“Trial by Fire” is episode five of season one of The 4400.
In the previous episode, “Becoming”, Shawn had brought Kyle out of his coma. Kyle’s doctor is now telling Tom and Linda that their tests are inconclusive; there must be something missing. They don’t care; they’re just glad to get Kyle back, and want to know when they can take him home. They’re told now, but patients like Kyle do best when their environments are as similar as possible to what they were before they went into a coma; people, places, everything. Kyle is taken home – Tom is moving back in – but he doesn’t recognise it as his home. Or his room.
Jordan Collier is on Barbara Yates’s show; he’s saying that whoever released the names and addresses of the 4400 violated their privacy and committed a crime. They should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. She’s saying that people have a right to know they live next to a public menace when Shawn turns her off. The door goes; it’s Tom. Though there are many others outside. Tom just stopped by to say thank you. He didn’t tell Linda; he thought Shawn would prefer that. Shawn doesn’t know what he did; he just laid his hands on Kyle and Kyle woke up.
Richard and Lily have been to watch a film. Richard was impressed with the screen size and the sound and the special effects; he just didn’t like the film. They arrive at the apartment and Lily’s baby sends a warning. The door is wired and Richard gets her out of the way as a bomb explodes.
Tom and Diana are looking through the debris; this is the third such attack. All pipe bombs with a tripwire trigger; about as basic as they can get. Tom has had his sister upgrade her security; Diana is worried about Maia. They talked over going back into quarantine; Maia cried and wanted to stay with Diana. Diana also asks about Kyle, and Shawn; Tom again denies knowing anything about Shawn.
Ryland is filled in; the bombs were identical, made from plastique created using bleach. The recipe is on the internet. Ryland believes Yates is responsible for leaking the list.
Jordan is showing Lily and Richard around a community, one he wants the 4400 to move into. It’s opening a little earlier than planned. And they can move in. The house is a gift.
Nikki is waiting for Shawn; she knows about Kyle. He hasn’t told Danny and doesn’t want her to either. Nikki sounds to be thinking of splitting up with Danny. She calls him sweet. A bad sign.
A Warren Lytell arrives in Ryland’s office. He’s supposedly been sent to help and wants access to everything. Ryland says if Lytell really wants to help, get him more people and DC off his back. But that isn’t really why he’s here, is it? No. Lytell says he’s there to clean up Ryland’s mess. And it seems he wants Ryland’s job.
Kyle is ripping up photos when Tom enters his room. Kyle doesn’t know the people in them. Kyle knows Tom is his father as he recognises him, but he doesn’t know him. He’s a stranger.
Tom speaks to Diana about the ripple effect she and the theory people talk about. Diana says every case but the Friday Harbor Killer has one. Tom suggests the bombings are the ripple. Knox killed prostitutes before he was abducted; random women after he returned. What if they aren’t random?
Which may well be the case. Two people are making bombs, including a fertiliser bomb by the sounds of it. There’s a photo of them both, with a woman, one of the Friday Harbor Killer’s recent victims.
Kyle is sitting in the garden in the rain when Shawn arrives. Shawn doesn’t get much response from him. Kyle thinks his parents have sent him round; Shawn says not.
Ryland is waiting in a limo for Barbara Yates when she leaves the studio. He has a story for her; a TV talking head involved in a hit and run last year in which someone died. Really ugly; no wonder she spent so much money covering it up. Yates thinks Ryland is blackmailing her. What does she need to do to make the story go into a vault? He isn’t. He gave her a chance and she refused. The DA is outside the car; he wants to have a word with her regarding vehicular manslaughter amongst other things.
Kyle is definitely not right. Shawn had a memory of him pulling Kyle out of some tendrils that latched onto him, which then grabbed Shawn. It’s not clear what they did, on top of putting Kyle into a coma.