Dammit, USA

Dammit, USA

Jun 26

Gaaaaargh! My USA Network summer entertainment has been fucked with. I was all set for the salty, popcorn-flavored treat that is The 4400/Dead Zone Sunday double-header. Both shows are terrifically entertaining and over the years, they’ve done a bang-up job of employing some of the best former Star Trek writers around (Ira Steven Behr, Rene Echevarria, Robert Hewitt Wolfe, Michael Taylor and of course, the late, great Michael Piller). Plus, unlike the multiplex-based big-time summer entertainment, I do not have to leave my house to enjoy these offerings.

BIG FAT SPOILERS FOR BOTH SERIES AHEAD!

Both season premieres, however, contained some nasty, cast-changing surprises. The 4400 seems to have permanently ditched My TV Girlfriend, Karina Lombard, trapping her in the past and/or in some stupid fucking painting. They’ve also gotten rid of the deliciously brittle Samantha Ferris (also seen last year in Supernatural), replacing her with Jenni Baird as Tom and Diana’s supremely irritating new boss. And hey, possibly Tom’s new love interest, so I guess she’s replacing Karina as well. New Boss Lady’s idea of a litmus test is asking all of her employees if they’ve seen La Dolce Vita (only Diana has, naturally). This is just one example of why she sucks. Also, Richard is nowhere to be seen (I’ve heard he returns later in the season), but his hellbeast daughter is still around. Bah.

At least the cast of The 4400 is large enough to cushion the blow a bit — I still have Diana and Maia and River and Weyoun. The changes to The Dead Zone are more troubling, because they alter the core of the series. In the season premiere, they killed Walt, ditched Bruce and it seems like they might be sending Purdy packing as well (though I could be wrong about that, as I was in sort of a state of glazed disbelief throughout the hour). Also, they replaced JJ with a completely different JJ who looks nothing like Johnny. Wha…?

The last two moves aren’t such a big deal. Purdy isn’t completely necessary to the show and the new JJ seems to be a somewhat better kid actor…so, uh, there’s that. But Bruce is Johnny’s confidante! His interactions with Johnny provide for some of the best comedic moments on the show. A lot of times, the so-called sidekick illuminates the protagonist of a series in a way that other characters just can’t (think Buffy and Willow). Bruce does that.

As for Walt, well…one of my favorite elements of the series has always been the delicate dance between Johnny, Sarah and Walt. It’s a rich three-way relationship wherein there are few easy answers: Johnny pines for Sarah; Sarah loves Johnny, but has moved on; Sarah also loves Walt, but always wonders “what if”; and Walt’s a decent guy who cares for Sarah and JJ and has a genuine friendship with Johnny. One of the best parts of last season was Sarah finally allowing herself to be completely happy in her relationship with Walt. It looked like Johnny was actually going to move on and I just love the bizarre family dynamic these characters share, thanks to their sometimes-awkward, sometimes-awesome three-way parenting of JJ. Instead, the writers have laid the groundwork for Sarah and Johnny to be together in a way that’s easy and guilt-free. Because Walt’s dead! Problem solved! Gross.

So did they jettison like half the cast because they needed to do some belt-tightening in order to return for a sixth season (I’d initially heard that a sixth season was sort of iffy, hence my based-on-nothing speculation)? Or did they just feel the need to introduce a hot new sheriff for Johnny to buddy up with? Either way, I don’t like it.

And obviously, there is much POWER in me NOT LIKING something! That’s why they cancelled Charmed.