What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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T10 WHATS UP! January 16 - 22, 2022 er"), the son of televangelists from the 1990s, who believes his experience was a sign from God (even though he'd been having doubts about his church before the abduction); misun- derstood reality TV star La- Donna Landry (newcomer Khailah Johnson), who only just disappeared in 2015; Mil- dred Bell (newcomer Autumn Best), a teen from the 1970s; and another teenager, Hayden (Amarr Wooten, "American Housewife"), who disappeared in the 1940s. Crystal Park also stars as young Korean woman Ji-Eun Jeong. The characters' stories are told in flashbacks in this ver- sion of "4400," juxtaposed with how they are doing now. View- ers also find out how the peo- ple they left behind coped with their loss. The new take on the series allows viewers to see what kinds of challenges the characters have faced through- out time, shining a spotlight on what has changed and what has not, something executive pro- ducer Nayar pointed to in the same EW interview. "Even though time has passed, a lot hasn't changed," Nayar said, "and the people are seeing that we have so much progress still to be made, even when we thought we were go- ing to be making progress." Other characters in "4400" include modern-day govern- ment workers tasked with con- taining the group and their sto- ries as they try to solve the mystery behind the phenome- non. They include social work- er Jharrel Mateo (Joseph Da- vid-Jones, "Nashville") and cor- rections officer Keisha (Ireon Roach, "Candyman," 2021). Fans of the original series may also recognize a special guest star. Patrick John Flueger, who had the leading role of Shawn Farrell in the original, is set to guest star as a "charis- matic figure" in Season 1 of the reboot. In fact, the gig will serve as a reunion for him and Peters, who has signed on to di- rect an episode featuring Flueger scheduled for later this season. While the supernatural as- pect may not be the biggest fo- cus this time around, there is still plenty of mystery for fans of the sci-fi genre. No one real- ly sees any of the abductions take place, and the only clue that appears to be a common thread is a green light that ap- pears at the time of their disap- pearance. What's more, the characters try to make sense of their new seemingly magical abilities, adding to the show's intrigue. With such a fascinating premise, a talented cast and a seasoned behind-the-scenes team, the time is ripe for such a socially conscious series. As the Black Lives Matter move- ment continues around the globe, this unique series takes a look at the history of Black peo- ple in America. Don't miss the midseason premiere of "4400," airing Monday, Jan. 17, on CW. continued from page T2 A new take: '4400' reboot returns with fresh perspective TV FEATURE 5 x 5 Derrick A. King and Crystal Park in "4400"