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Season 4 of Sanctuary premiered on October 7th and concluded on December 30th, 2011 on Syfy in the United States and SPACE in Canada, and some time later in the United Kingdom on WATCH and on Syfy in Australia.

Synopsis[]

Helen Magnus is able to thwart Adam Worth and prevent any major changes to the timeline, then returns to the present by living through the intervening years again. She and her team manage to end the abnormal assault on humanity without too much bloodshed, but still must contend with increasing persecution from the Specified Counter-Insurgency Unit (SCIU), an anti-abnormal agency. Magnus is forced to cut the Sanctuary Network's ties to the UN, reputable banking institutions, etc. in order to maintain independence, a move made possible by her extensive preparations during her second trip through the twentieth century. Additionally, a number of Hollow Earth abnormals refuse to remain quietly underground and engage in terrorist activities against humans. Matters come to a head when a contingent of these abnormals, led by Caleb, agree to cease their violent activities in exchange for Magnus' help in establishing a homeland in Old City. She agrees, but SCIU is highly suspicious due to the group's former attacks. This skepticism proves justified, since Caleb plans to release a substance that would bring out latent abnormal traits in normal humans, effectively eradicating the species. Magnus is also prepared for this betrayal, taking Caleb out with a massive explosion that destroys the Sanctuary. Now presumed dead, she is free to begin anew in an edenic underground city based on the work of Buckminster Fuller and Albert Einstein, one last secret from her repeated century.

About the season[]

The fourth season of the Canadian science fiction–fantasy television series Sanctuary was commissioned by Syfy in January 2010.

In describing what the fourth season would be about, Amanda Tapping stated that the Hollow Earth storyline would still be dealt with. She also requested that Magnus be given a love interest. At San Diego Comic-Con, Amanda Tapping and Robin Dunne stated that season four will contain a musical episode called "Fugue".

Starting with this season, the episodes are split into six "acts" instead of five, to afford an additional commercial break. Months after the fourth season ended, Syfy announced on May 21st, 2012 that Sanctuary will not be returning for a fifth season and that the show is cancelled.[1]

Cast[]

Amanda Tapping Robin Dunne Ryan Robbins Christopher
Heyerdahl
Series regulars
Guest starring
Featuring
Uncredited
Mentioned

Episodes[]

  Tempus October 7th, 2011 4x01
4x01 Sanctuary IMDb 3
Written By: Damian Kindler
Directed By: Martin Wood
Adam Worth destroys Praxis and travels back in time to 1898 London to save his daughter, Imogene. Helen Magnus follows Adam back in time to stop him before he damages the timeline and destroys her future along with it.
  Uprising October 14th, 2011 4x02
4x02
Written By: James Thorpe
Directed By: Amanda Tapping
With Helen Magnus gone, Will Zimmerman is appointed the head of the Sanctuary Network. The abnormal uprising continues to get worse. Bigfoot and Kate Freelander are kidnapped. As expected, the surface governments respond to the uprising with deadly force.
  Untouchable October 21st, 2011 4x03
4x03
Written By: Gillian Horvath
Directed By: S.A. Adelson
The UN Security Council sends a task force headed by a weasel of a man, Greg Addison, to investigate the Old City Sanctuary. His disdain for abnormals is matched by the disdain that Helen Magnus and team have for him.
  Monsoon October 28th, 2011 4x04
4x04
Written By: Damian Kindler
Directed By: Martin Wood
Since the UN no longer backs the Sanctuary Network, Helen Magnus makes other arrangements for her finances. A planned meeting in Africa with a potential banker turns into a hostage situation. Will Zimmerman and Henry Foss search for an abnormal in the Old City tunnels.
  Resistance November 4th, 2011 4x05
4x05
Written By: Alan McCullough
Directed By: Lee Wilson
Helen Magnus and Henry Foss break into a government abnormal research facility in Area 51 - only to find it is run by Nikola Tesla. Bigfoot and Will Zimmerman deal with an annoying Hollow Earth abnormal named Galvo.
  Homecoming November 11th, 2011 4x06
4x06
Written By: Damian Kindler & James Thorpe
Directed By: Robin Dunne
Will Zimmerman's trip to Liberia turns bad when he suffers a head trauma from an attack. The trauma brings up powerful memories about his mother's death and the inadequacies of his father. Helen Magnus and Henry Foss deal with be-winged scam artists.
  Icebreaker November 18th, 2011 4x07
4x07 Sanctuary IMDb 7
Written By: Martin Wood
Directed By: Martin Wood
Henry Foss and Declan MacRae lead a UK Sanctuary team to rescue a crew of a Russian icebreaker and the abnormal passengers.
  Fugue November 25th, 2011 4x08
4x08
Written By: Damian Kindler
Directed By: Damian Kindler
FBI Agent Abby Corrigan's life is endangered after she is suddenly attacked by an unfamiliar abnormal during an investigation; Helen Magnus and Will Zimmerman's heated debate over the best way to help Abby threatens to permanently alter their relationship.
  Chimera November 29th, 2011 4x09
4x09
Written By: James Thorpe
Directed By: Martin Wood
There is a sentient organic nanite causing havoc in the computer system in the Old City Sanctuary. Helen Magnus and Nikola Tesla connect their minds to the system in an effort to isolate the nanite. They find Adam Worth instead.
  Acolyte December 9th, 2011 4x10
4x10
Written By: Alan McCullough
Directed By: Lee Wilson
A radical group of abnormal beings plan a terrorist attack with the goal of starting a war between surface dwellers and Hollow Earth inhabitants. To Helen Magnus's disbelief, Greg Addison, at the SCIU, has proof of Bigfoot's leadership of the group.
  The Depths December 16th, 2011 4x11
4x11
Written By: Gillian Horvath
Directed By: Martin Wood
When Helen Magnus and Will Zimmerman learn of a SCIU plan to capture very a rare and dangerous abnormal, they travel to a remote cave in the Bolivian Andes to prevent the hunt.
  Sanctuary for None, Part I December 23rd, 2011 4x12
4x12
Written By: James Thorpe
Directed By: Damian Kindler
When the Sanctuary is approached by an abnormal leader about a radical plan for peace, Helen Magnus goes all in and pledges her full support. However, when Will Zimmerman is forced to leave the Sanctuary, his decision may just put everyone at risk.
  Sanctuary for None, Part II December 30th, 2011 4x13
4x13
Written By: Damian Kindler
Directed By: Damian Kindler
SCIU has surrounded the Fifth Ward with troops and an electric shield that prevents them from leaving. Caleb has a virus that can turn the human population into abnormals. Helen Magnus enacts her ultimate plan for the Sanctuary Network.

Production[]

In January 2010, Syfy officially renewed Sanctuary for a fourth, 13-episode season, to air starting Autumn 2011. According to Tapping, producing a thirteen-part season was more practical than a twenty-episode season, stating "I think thirteen is a good number for us. Twenty was really hard. It was a great joy because we were able to flesh things out more. And I think had we been given more lead-up to starting our season, although we had a network pickup early. [...] We really only had five weeks to prep this entire season. And if we were doing twenty, I think we'd all be in an insane asylum by now. Thirteen was like, we can do thirteen with five weeks. There's no way we could've been prepared for twenty." Robin Dunne has said that he will direct the sixth episode of the season, having had an interest in doing so. In describing what the fourth season would be about, Tapping stated the Hollow Earth storyline would still be dealt with. She also requested that Magnus be given a love interest. The Sanctuary panel during the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con International revealed that there will be a musical episode sometime this season.

Broadcast and ratings[]

The season returned to Friday nights and premiered on October 7th, at 10:00 PM. The fourth season was the 64th most watched cable show in 2011, averaging 1.262 million viewers per episode and a 0.4 rating for viewers aged 18 to 49 years. It was up from the 997,000 average of the second half of the third season earlier in the year. However, ratings for the fourth season were down 13.44 per cent compared with the first half of season three in 2010.

Home media release[]

Sanctuary 4 DVD Cover Art

Cover art of Sanctuary: The Complete Fourth Season DVD boxset.

BELIEVE IN THE UNBELIEVABLE

Dr. Helen Magnus (AMANDA TAPPING) is a brilliant and beautiful scientist who - along with forensic psychiatrist Dr. Will Zimmerman (ROBIN DUNNE), tech expert Henry Foss (RYAN ROBBINS) and the real Bigfoot (CHRISTOPHER HEYERDAHL) - tracks down, studies and protects the monstrous creatures that secretly live among us. Now that their allies have turned against them, the work of the Sanctuary team and, indeed, their lives are at stake, forcing them to make their own rules.
Features
Content 13 Episodes / 4 Discs
Running Time 585 minutes approx
Aspect Ratio Format DVD Blu-ray
16X9 (1.78:1) 1080p High Definition 1.78:1
Audio DVD Blu-ray
5.1 Surround Sound / 2.0 Dolby Digital DTS-HD Master Audio / 5.1 Dolby Digital
Language English
Subtitles English SDH
Studio E1 Entertainment
Contents
Disc 1
Disc 2
Disc 3
Disc 4
BONUS FEATURES
Release Dates
DVD Region 1 Region 2 Region 4
July 17th, 2012 July 2nd, 2012 August 29th, 2012
Blu-ray July 17th, 2012

Notes[]

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. Syfy cancels Sanctuary.
  2. Character name/title is conjecture. Neither character name nor title is officially listed on IMDb.
SanctuarySeason 4
● 01 Tempus ● 02 Uprising ● 03 Untouchable ● 04 Monsoon ● 05 Resistance ● 06 Homecoming ● 07 Icebreaker ● 08 Fugue ● 09 Chimera ● 10 Acolyte ● 11 The Depths ● 12 Sanctuary for None, Part I ● 13 Sanctuary for None, Part II
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