Meghan Doyle, played by
Jenni BairdJenni Baird is an Australian actress, perhaps best known for her role as Meghan Doyle in The 4400.-Early career:Baird attended the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, graduating in 1999...
, is a major character in the fourth season of
The 4400The 4400 is a science fiction TV series produced by CBS Paramount Network Television in association with Sky Television, Renegade 83 and American Zoetrope for USA Network. The show was created and written by Scott Peters and René Echevarria, and it stars Joel Gretsch and Jacqueline McKenzie...
, and the new head of NTAC.
Doyle graduated summa cum laude from
Yale UniversityYale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut, and a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. Yale has produced many notable alumni, including five...
with a joint degree in
economicsEconomics is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and
sociologySociology is the scientific or systematic study of human societies. It is a branch of social science that uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop and refine a body of knowledge about human social structure and activity, often with the goal of applying such...
. She studied at Cambridge University as a Marshall Scholar before returning to the states and earning a
PhDPHD may refer to:* Parisada Hindu Dharma, an Indonesian reform organization* PHD, a track on The Crystal Method album Tweekend* PHD finger, a protein sequence* PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company...
in
political sciencePolitical science is a social science concerned with the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behavior. It is often described as the pragmatic application of the art and science of politics defined as "who gets what, when and how",...
, specializing in conflict negotiation.
She was recruited by a
governmentA government is the body within a community, political entity or organization which has the authority to make and enforce rules, laws and regulations.....
think tankA think tank is an organization, institute, corporation, or group that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economy, science or technology issues, industrial or business policies, or military advice...
where she designed response protocols for
natural disasterA natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard that affects the environment, and leads to financial, environmental and/or human losses...
s and terrorist attacks.
Meghan Doyle, played by
Jenni BairdJenni Baird is an Australian actress, perhaps best known for her role as Meghan Doyle in The 4400.-Early career:Baird attended the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, graduating in 1999...
, is a major character in the fourth season of
The 4400The 4400 is a science fiction TV series produced by CBS Paramount Network Television in association with Sky Television, Renegade 83 and American Zoetrope for USA Network. The show was created and written by Scott Peters and René Echevarria, and it stars Joel Gretsch and Jacqueline McKenzie...
, and the new head of NTAC.
Before Season Four
Doyle graduated summa cum laude from
Yale UniversityYale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut, and a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. Yale has produced many notable alumni, including five...
with a joint degree in
economicsEconomics is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and
sociologySociology is the scientific or systematic study of human societies. It is a branch of social science that uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop and refine a body of knowledge about human social structure and activity, often with the goal of applying such...
. She studied at Cambridge University as a Marshall Scholar before returning to the states and earning a
PhDPHD may refer to:* Parisada Hindu Dharma, an Indonesian reform organization* PHD, a track on The Crystal Method album Tweekend* PHD finger, a protein sequence* PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company...
in
political sciencePolitical science is a social science concerned with the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behavior. It is often described as the pragmatic application of the art and science of politics defined as "who gets what, when and how",...
, specializing in conflict negotiation.
She was recruited by a
governmentA government is the body within a community, political entity or organization which has the authority to make and enforce rules, laws and regulations.....
think tankA think tank is an organization, institute, corporation, or group that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economy, science or technology issues, industrial or business policies, or military advice...
where she designed response protocols for
natural disasterA natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard that affects the environment, and leads to financial, environmental and/or human losses...
s and terrorist attacks. Integral in the writing of a 2004 document outlining the government's response to the 4400's return, Doyle proved herself an expert in the field. She was nominated by Rebecca Parrish, Director of National Intelligence, to take over for
Nina JarvisNina Jarvis is a fictional character on the USA Network science fiction television series The 4400.Nina became the director of NTAC in season two after succeeding Dennis Ryland; Ryland took his role back temporarily while Nina recovered from a gunshot wound...
at NTAC-Seattle.
Character
Meghan Doyle said she took the position at NTAC as she felt that is where she could "do some good". Although she is initially dismissed by Agent Garrity to be a purely political appointment, she shows her abilities by giving Tom Baldwin classified information on
Isabelle TylerIsabelle Tyler is a fictional character on the USA Network science fiction television series The 4400.-Background:The daughter of Richard Tyler and Lily Moore, Isabelle is technically not a 4400; she was born after the 4400 were returned, after the first season of the show.- Season 1 :Lily...
as a means to discover the whereabouts of
Alana MarevaAlana Mareva is a fictional character in the USA Network science fiction television series The 4400.- Background :Alana was born Oct. 17, 1969, in Tahiti, and disappeared Sept. 5, 2001, from Seattle, Wash. Prior to her abduction, her husband and only son Billy had been killed by a drunk driver...
. She knows that this is an illegal act, but is fully aware that her primary mission is to bring in
Jordan CollierJordan Collier is a fictional character on the USA Network science fiction television series The 4400. He is portrayed by American actor Billy Campbell.- Character Profile :...
; and that, should she fail, "no amount of toeing the line" will protect her.
Meghan quickly shows her interest in the cases of the 4400s themselves, specifically
Shawn FarrellShawn Farrell is a fictional character in the USA Network science fiction television series The 4400.- Season One :Shawn was born December 12, 1983, and disappeared April 22, 2001 from Highland Beach near Seattle, Washington, while with his cousin Kyle Baldwin...
's healing ability; it is then revealed that her father is suffering from pnemonia and Huntingdon's disease and is not expected to live much longer. She leans on Tom for support, revealing that DC have forbidden her to ask Shawn to heal her father using his 4400 ability; as the head of NTAC she is supposed to "set an example" and not gain from the use of these now-illegal abilities. After DC is forced to back down by public reaction when Shawn re-opens his healing centre, Doyle later takes her sick father to be healed by Shawn, stating "They blinked. Let them fire me."
She shows significant signs of a love for classic foreign films, even going so far as to put up posters of
La Dolce VitaLa dolce vita is a 1960 film by the critically acclaimed director Federico Fellini. The film is a story of a passive journalist's week in Rome, and his search for both happiness and love that will never come...
in her office. When Meghan reinstates
Diana SkourisDiana Skouris is a fictional character in the USA Network science fiction television series The 4400.-Season One :Initially portrayed as somewhat cold and removed, Diana Skouris was partnered with Tom Baldwin in the pilot episode to investigate the 4400 returnees. She expresses displeasure at being...
, she asks Dianna if she has seen the movie; after a brief exchange on the superiority of subtitled films (as opposed to dubbed) Meghan welcomes Diana back, amusedly saying Diana's appreciation "doesn't hurt your case."
Unlike previous leaders
Dennis RylandDennis Ryland is a fictional character on the USA Network science fiction The 4400 portrayed by Peter Coyote.The original supervisor and director of NTAC during season one....
and Nina Jarvis, Meghan regularly spends time in
Marco PacellaMarco Pacella is a fictional character on the USA Network science fiction The 4400.- Character :Marco is in charge of NTAC's theory room, and is the one who initially proposed that each 4400 has caused a "ripple effect"...
's theory room, a fact Tom commented on when
Diana SkourisDiana Skouris is a fictional character in the USA Network science fiction television series The 4400.-Season One :Initially portrayed as somewhat cold and removed, Diana Skouris was partnered with Tom Baldwin in the pilot episode to investigate the 4400 returnees. She expresses displeasure at being...
asked for information on Doyle. Doyle's management style is different than her predecessors, and she appears to lack the overt authority exhibited by Ryland and Jarvis, preferring a more informal approach. Diana later mentions to Tom that Meghan appears sweet on him; shortly after, the attraction of Tom to Meghan grows, and he is visibly upset when she seems to have died in
No Exit"No Exit" is the eighth episode of season four of the science fiction television series The 4400. The episode aired on August 5, 2007 on the USA Network.- Synopsis :Opposing sides all wake up inside NTAC without any memory of how they got there...
and holds her tightly when he discovers her alive.
In "
Daddy's Little Girl"Daddy's Little Girl" is the ninth episode of season four of the science fiction television series The 4400. The episode aired on August 12, 2007 on the USA Network.- Synopsis :...
", Meghan visits Tom at home after a night out with friends, having seen "Be [promicin] positive" leaflets and realized that they are losing the war to
Jordan CollierJordan Collier is a fictional character on the USA Network science fiction television series The 4400. He is portrayed by American actor Billy Campbell.- Character Profile :...
. The two kiss and have sex twice in the night, but the next morning Meghan informs Tom that they are still just friends. However at the close of the episode, she visits him again, kissing him and saying "
Very good friends." After being infected by a promicin-inducing virus in "The Great Leap Forward", Meghan's power emerges as she transfigures her pen into a flower.
External links