Episode:Trial by Fire

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"Trial by Fire"

Episode No.	Season 1 Episode 5
Writer(s)	Robert Hewitt Wolfe
Story by
Director	Nick Gomez
Special guest(s)
Production No.
Nielsen Rating
US airdate	August 1, 2004
DVD release
Episode Chronology
Previous Episode:	Becoming
Next Episode:	White Light

1 Synopsis
2 Detailed Summary
3 External Links
4 Episode Gallery

[edit] Synopsis

The 4400 are attacked by a series of fire-bombings after reporter Barbara Yates made their names and addresses known to the public. Tom, Diana, and Ryland try to put an end to the bombings. Meanwhile, Tom tries to deal with the disturbing behavior of Kyle, and Diana tries hard to be a good substitute mother to Maia. However, the arrival of a Homeland Security agent from Washington, Warren Lytell, makes their work even harder. Jordan Collier tries to provide his followers with safe shelter, but Richard and Lily continue to question his intentions as the bombings intensify.

[edit] Detailed Summary

Tom and Linda bring Kyle home from the hospital. Dr. Mayhew warns them that Kyle needs to be in familiar surroundings to recover properly, so Tom reluctantly moves back in with Linda. Kyle doesn't seem to recognize his room or house, which unsettles Linda.

Later, Tom goes to see his nephew Shawn. Shawn is being hounded by passers-by who found his name and address on the Internet. Tom acknowledges that Shawn brought Kyle out of his coma, and wants to explore Shawn's gifts. But Shawn doesn't want to be tested any further.

Meanwhile, Richard and Lily are heading home when they notice people staring at them. When they arrive at their apartment, Lily's baby starts reacting and she recoils. Richard hears a tripwire and covers both of them, just as a firebomb goes off. Later, Tom and Diana scope the apartment for bomb fragments and Richard asks them what they're going to do about it. Back at HomeSec, Ryland admits to Tom and Diana that this is the third bombing targeted at the 4400. He thinks Barbara Yates is behind the 4400 address leak and he will deal with her on his own.

Tom talking to Shawn

Over at the Arcadia Estates, Jordan Collier offers Richard and Lily a new house in his gated community and tells them he's going to build safe havens for as many of the American 4400 as he can.

Elsewhere, Shawn comes home to find his mom, Danny and Nikki putting in a new alarm system to protect them from the onlookers. Danny is resentful . Later, Shawn runs into Nikki at a burger joint. She tells him she knows he was responsible for Kyle coming out of his coma. She also confesses that she wants to break up with Danny.

Later, Tom comes home to find Kyle ripping up the family photos. Although he logically knows who the people in the photos are, he has no emotional connection to them. He's frustrated and begs for Tom's help.

The next day, Ryland meets with Barbara Yates and hands her an envelope. It's information about a hit-and-run accident that she tried to cover up. She is taken away by the police.

Meanwhile, Glen and Dean Keating, the brothers of record store clerk Gayle Keating (who was murdered by proxy by the Friday Harbour killer, Oliver Knox), work on their homemade bombs to kill the 4400 as revenge for their sister's death.

Elsewhere, Ryland meets Warren Lytell, a DC agent sent to clean up Ryland's "mess." Ryland will have none of it. Tom and Diana are working on the Knox Ripple Effect, to see if it has anything to do with the current bombings. They head over to Arcadia Estates to talk to Collier. Lily has just finished moving into their new house and Richard has started his job as security for Collier. Diana tries to warn Richard of the dangers of housing all the returnees in the same spot, because it could make them bigger targets. But Richard refuses to leave.

Later, Diana goes to the school to pick up Maia and is informed by the principal that it is too risky to keep Maia at their school. Heartbroken, Diana tells Maia they'll have to find her a new school, to which Maia replies, "It'll be okay. Someone is coming who'll make everything better. We just have to wait a little longer."

Warren Lytell

The next day, Tom and Diana investigate the murder of a 4400 florist -- Mary Deneville. The same type of bomb was used as the others. Before they can dig too deep, they are summoned back to HomeSec, where Lytell all but accuses them of being too close to the case. He admits he knows Diana is fostering Maia and that Shawn is related to Tom. He tells them that Ryland is on his way out, and if they want to stay on board, they'd better get in line with him.

Meanwhile, Shawn catches Nikki breaking up with Danny. Elsewhere, Lily confronts Collier about catering her support group. He's ordered lobster and Chilean Sea Bass, which she feels is way over-the-top. She asks him why he is giving all of his money away, and what he expects in return. He tries to blow it off, but she asserts herself and lets him know she loves Richard and is not available. He tells her that is not his motivation, but before the conversation can go any further, he is interrupted by a call.

Over at Tom's house, Linda comes into the room as Tom hangs up from Diana. Diana traced one of the caps used in the florist bombing to a construction company, and is going to try and trace it to Knox to see if they can find a ripple effect. Tom goes in to check on Kyle at Linda's urging. Tom finds Kyle pouring over a Seattle map, filling it with wild drawings. When Tom questions him, Kyle tells him he's trying to find himself on the map.

Ryland and Yates

Diana uncovers the Gayle-Glen Keating connection and calls Tom. Tom rushes to meet up with her. When the cops get to the Keating house, it's empty. There is evidence of bomb-making and worse-it looks like the men made a car bomb and are on the move. Tom and Diana realize that while Glen and Dean are trying to exact their revenge on the 4400-it's causing a reverse ripple effect of making the abductees seem like victims.

Later, they trace the Keating work truck to Richmond Heights, where Danny, Susan and Shawn live. As they fly in a helicopter, Tom frantically tries to call his sister's house. Danny is the only one home and he's got his headphones on. Tom and Diana land the helicopter in front of the truck, only to discover it's the wrong men. The Keatings must have changed trucks.

Meanwhile, Shawn runs into Nikki and he takes her to where he was returned. They are pretending to talk about how her breaking up with Danny had nothing to do with him, but before long, they are kissing. They make love.

Minutes later, satellites have found a newly painted brown truck in front of Arcadia Estates. The Keating brothers cut the phone lines as Tom tries to call Collier to warn him. Tom and Diana swarm down towards the estate. Lily comes out of the house to tell Richard the baby is upset, but he yells for her to get back inside.

Taking the truck out

The brothers rig the van to roll into the complex while they jump out. Tom shoots them both before they can escape. Richard blows the tires of the van out, and it rolls away, exploding without harming anyone. Glen and Dean survive Tom's bullets, and when he lands, he arrests them as terrorists.

Back at the hospital, Lytell questions Dr. Mayhew about Kyle's miraculous recovery. Later, Tom comes home to find Kyle sitting naked in the middle of running sprinklers in the back yard. He asks Kyle what is the matter. Kyle replies, "There's only one explanation. Why I remember everything but can't feel anything. Why people in my life all seem like strangers. You're not the strangers. I am."

[edit] External Links

Episodes
Season One
Pilot \| The New and Improved Carl Morrissey \| Becoming \| Trial By Fire \| White Light

[edit] Episode Gallery

Kyle comes home	Apartment bomb	New house	Shawn and Nikki
Diana and Maia	Tom and Diana	Lily visiting Collier	Kyle calculating
The truck	Shawn and Nikki	Arcadia Estates security	Kyle sitting in the rain