Colony (TV Series) Pilot (2016) User Reviews

People are stupid

[doubleplusungood-39354 · 8/10 · 17 January 2016]

The premise of the show is that people are so stupid that they would accept ubiquitous surveillance, an oppressive Homeland department, and militarized police with armored vehicles - just to keep them safe from a vague, unseen (possibly unreal) threat. And the show is right.

Unfortunately, that also means that some people are too stupid to appreciate a show like this. They will decry it as unrealistic, all the while living in a reality scarcely different from the show's.

In this first episode, Josh Holloway (of Lost) and Sarah Wayne Callies (of the Walking Dead) did a fine job as Will and Katie Bowman, or whatever their names are. The character "Lori" in Walking Dead was not likable, but let's be open-minded and see how Sarah does with "Katie", okay? One of my few criticisms here is that Will and Katie were set up as spy-vs-spy, being on opposite sides of the conflict, which seemed contrived.

There's much exposition in this episode, which may be objectionable to attention-impaired viewers. However, there are many hidden details, if you watch carefully. Some of these things you won't notice the first time, just because of the order in which you are seeing things. On second viewing, pay attention to the billboards (familiar face there), the drones (propulsion method), the guy being hauled away while Katie hides under the armored vehicle (think about whether and how he might know her), the black void (ironically Hollywood, I think) in the nighttime view, and bacon (where did Proxy Snyder get something that tastes like bacon if almost everyone is crammed into the zones?)

There is more to this show than you might think at first glance.

Los Angeles Is Occupied...

[nebohr · 7/10 · 8 July 2021]

But by who (or what)? There is a 50 foot high wall cutting off the city from the rest of the world and some sort of inter-stellar taxi service used by the "hosts". There is a human resistance group that plants bombs and defaces political posters. Will and his family have lost a child and are using fake names to avoid arrest. So far the pilot episode has been good entertainment.

Great opening

[fuad_tarin_58 · 8/10 · 17 January 2022]

Very good opening of this show.

Ive allready watched it once before and got really hooked halfway threw. Maybe for first time watching its a 7/10 but for me after coming back its an very good pilot.

Translated review

[facebook-97904 · 3 January 2016]

USA Network's really going on. The sender wants more daring way. The first achievement was Mr. Robot. Colony will certainly not bring about the same as Mr. Robot, but television followers will agree that this is a whole different series than the series they make common. This move is understandable. USA wants to sit at the grownups table. Always from a distance look at how the big boys hit the ball out of the stadium, will eventually annoying. Participation is not the same as winning in the television world, but you want to participate anyway. I do not know if Colony will participate with the powerhouses of the other cable channels, but it is definitely a series that I can appreciate.

Colony is set in the future in Los Angeles. Every city is a kind of Chinese wall and the city is isolated from other cities. There is a curfew and there is a strict regime. Who or what that regime is exactly is not yet clear. What becomes clear is that the people live in fear. William 'Will' Bowman (Josh Holloway, Lost) is a former FBI agent who is hidden under the name Will Sullivan. This is because he is afraid that his past him eventually obsolete. He has for years endured together with his wife and children, but eventually the inevitable happens. Will fall into the hands of the governor, Alan Snyder (Peter Jacobson, House) of the Los Angeles area and that allows him an ultimatum: either he joins the ruling power, and joins a task force Resistance chase, if he and his family have their lives not sure. Will eventually agreed because he promised to cooperate may result in the reunion with his son. Will make the right choice?

There is still more in the pilot, but it spoiled perhaps explain the inevitable plot twist. However, I assume that the real television warriors relevant twist halfway already see it coming. That is a shame because it was the pilot otherwise made much more effective. Nevertheless, the data (although certainly not unknown) still quite interesting. The pilot does not hold the hand of the viewer and leaves enough scope to interpret things. Information is not too flashy pushed in your face. For who / what is now the ruling power? We're dealing with aliens? It is mainly an indicator light when you hear that during a call, "no one ever sees them." The pilot creates an interesting environment where the viewer certainly want to know how everything came about. So it is an effective pilot that makes you curious for more.

In essence, this pilot is about making choices. You fight for what you believe, or bend your head and obey you? And what impact these choices have on your family and your loved ones? I am curious about how the series finally deal with these questions. Series / movies with this kind of themes always do me good. It is about power relations, dependencies and revolt when needed. For indeed, what would you do in such a situation? As a viewer you move quickly in the shoes of the protagonists. Governor Alan Snyder says at one time "the most important day in the life of man" is coming. And that he "makes use of the opportunities that he has, because everyone should do." Would anyone do that ... At the expense of everything and everyone?

Pilot.

[bombersflyup · 2/10 · 21 July 2022]

How many shows with this exact premise have there been... Has to be quite a few. Like most of the others, lacklustre. The aliens nowhere to be seen, this is happening because of this and this is how it affects people. The two leads less than stellar.