The Dead Zone: Season 4

Description

The fourth season may fall a little short of the three that preceded it, but The Dead Zone remains one of the smartest, most intriguing series on television. As its adherents well know by now, the show, based on Stephen King's 1979 novel of the same name, was adapted for TV by Michael and Shawn Piller, with actor Anthony Michael Hall (who's also one of the producers) starring as Johnny Smith, who recovered from a horrific car accident and resulting six-year coma to find that his fiancee (Nicole deBoer) is now married to the town sheriff (Chris Bruno), who's helping raise her and Johnny's son. What's more, Johnny is now possessed of some remarkable and unsettling powers: simply by touching another person, or objects touched by others, Smith experiences visions that illuminate events that have happened, will happen, or are simultaneously taking place elsewhere. It must be handy to know which elevator button to push when you're looking for someone who's in trouble, or to realize that it's okay to jump off a hundred-foot bridge because you've seen yourself surviving the fall, but Smith's visions are rarely comforting and not always reliable, leading to moments of genuine suspense and intrigue. With eleven episodes (plus a "bonus episode" from December, 2005) spread out over three discs, The Dead Zone is at its best when dealing with the series' one ongoing storyline: i.e., the machinations of Congressman Greg Stillson (Sean Patrick Flanery), the dumb, arrogant puppet of sinister forces who aim to put him in the White House, where, by accident or design, he may preside over Armageddon, according to Smith's visions. Unfortunately, only three Season Four episodes address that story, and they fail to advance it much further; indeed, Episode 11, "Saved," serves mainly as a cliffhanger for subsequent seasons. The remaining stories, in which Johnny helps the cops pursue various psychopaths, perverts, missing persons (including a Lennon-esque rock star presumed dead many years before), and such, are good but considerably more pedestrian. Still, while other shows may have cooler special effects, more action, and larger doses of tension-relieving humor, The Dead Zone stands out for its overall smarts and classy production values. Bonus features include deleted scenes, audio commentary on a few episodes, and a featurette focusing on production design. --Sam Graham Anthony Michael Hall, Nicole de Boer, David Ogden Stiers. The near-fatal car crash that put Johnny Smith in a six-year coma also gave him psychic powers when he awakened. This psychological thriller based on Stephen King's bestseller hit it's fourth season in stride with all 12 episodes on 3 DVDs. 2005-06/color/6 hrs., 24 min/NR/widescreen. Review: Awesome Show - I love this show! I've watched it alot and it never gets boring. Waking up from a coma and finding out you have this amazing yet unsettling ability must have been a shock to him. However, he learned to use his new found ability and helped alot of people. Review: Good season; great show - Honestly, this season has its share of high and low points. "Broken Circle" gives the viewer a sense of closure to the third season. "The Collector" gives provides an expected twist to an ending. Although some regard "Second Sight" as the high point of the season, I was not sold on this episode. The addition of a second psychic cheapened Jonnn's powers in my mind, but I suppose it depends on one's point of view. Moving on, "Still Life" and "Grains of Sands" are neither stellar nor deplorable. Average at best. I thoroughly enjoyed "Vanguard", and "Heroes and Demons" was a stand out episode. An austic kid helping Johnny? Good stuff. "Babble On", though, is one splendid piece of writing. While the fourth season did not further the Armageddon Saga all that much, it enhanced the show's character backgrounds and personalities. Unique plots? You bet!