''Colony'' is an American

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...

television series created by

Carlton Cuse Arthur Carlton Cuse (born March 22, 1959) is a screenwriter, showrunner, producer, and director, best known for the American television series ''Lost'', for which he made the '' Time'' list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2010 ...

and Ryan J. Condal, starring

Josh Holloway Josh Lee Holloway (born July 20, 1969) is an American actor best known for his roles as James "Sawyer" Ford on the television show ''Lost'' and as Will Bowman on the science fiction drama ''Colony''. Most recently he had a recurring role in sea ...

and

Sarah Wayne Callies Sarah Wayne Callies (born June 1, 1977) is an American actress. She is known for starring as Sara Tancredi in Fox's ''Prison Break'' and as Lori Grimes in AMC's '' The Walking Dead''. She has also starred as Katie Bowman in USA Network's ''Col ...

. A ten-episode first season premiered with an online preview release of the first episode on USA Network's website on December 15, 2015, following the launch of a game-like website to promote the show. The series had its broadcast premiere on

USA Network USA Network (simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. It was originally launched in 1977 as Madison ...

on January 14, 2016. In April 2017, ''Colony'' was renewed for a third season which premiered on May 2, 2018. On July 21, 2018, USA Network announced they had cancelled the series after three seasons.

Setting

In a dystopian near-future

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

, residents live under a regime of

military occupation Military occupation, also known as belligerent occupation or simply occupation, is the effective military control by a ruling power over a territory that is outside of that power's sovereign territory.Eyāl Benveniśtî. The international law ...

by an organization known as the Transitional Authority. The Authority serves an extraterrestrial group referred to as the "Hosts", about whom little is known until later in the series (an alien robotic race finds itself hunted, who came to Earth to use humans as allies and labor in their own battle). The symbol of the collaborating forces features stylized birds of prey, or raptors, which gives rise to their nickname, the "Raps". The Authority enforces Host policy via

militarized police The militarization of police (paramilitarization of police in some media) is the use of military equipment and tactics by law enforcement officers. This includes the use of armored personnel carriers (APCs), assault rifles, submachine guns, fla ...

called Homeland Security and nicknamed the "Redhats" for the red helmet cover of their otherwise black tactical attire. The Hosts took control on a day known simply as the "Arrival". That day began with massive worldwide communication interference and jamming, which came after a weeklong hunt for relevant key figures around the world. Late that day, massive rectangular blocks descended from the sky, linking together to build walls dividing the city. One of these walls, 20 to 30 stories tall, many meters thick and many miles in length, surrounds the central part of Los Angeles, where the series is set. Other similar walls have been constructed around neighbouring urban areas, called "blocs", with the whole referred to as a "colony". Traffic passes through the walls at heavily secured checkpoints, called "gateways", which allow the Authority to strictly control the movement of people and the distribution of consumables, such as food and fuel, which are

ration Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, services, or an artificial restriction of demand. Rationing controls the size of the ration, which is one's allowed portion of the resources being distributed on a particular ...

ed. The geographical extent of the alien invasion is unclear, but later scenes in the series shows Authority members from all over the world - hence making the invasion scale worldwide. A privileged class of elites, drawn by the Hosts from the local population, are denigrated by some bloc residents as collaborators. The ruling forces maintain control through the separation of family members, shoot-on-sight

curfew A curfew is a government order specifying a time during which certain regulations apply. Typically, curfews order all people affected by them to ''not'' be in public places or on roads within a certain time frame, typically in the evening and ...

forced disappearance An enforced disappearance (or forced disappearance) is the secret abduction or imprisonment of a person by a State (polity), state or political organization, or by a third party with the authorization, support, or acquiescence of a state or po ...

random checkpoint A random checkpoint is a military and police tactic. In a military context, checkpoints involve the setup of a hasty roadblock by mobile truck- or armored vehicle-mounted infantry to disrupt unauthorized or unwanted movement or military activi ...

s, frequent electronic identity checks, limitation of motor vehicle usage (most people walk or ride bicycles), pervasive visual propaganda,

slave labor Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

in a place called the "Factory" (later revealed to be located on the Earth's moon to mine radioactive materials), and massive continuous electronic surveillance with both hidden cameras as well as host-provided

drone aircraft An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controlle ...

that launch from hangar bays inside the wall and capable of killing humans by extremely lethal high energy weaponry. Some medical problems, such as

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...

, have been "deemed unworthy for treatment" by the Hosts, to

cull In biology, culling is the process of segregating organisms from a group according to desired or undesired characteristics. In animal breeding, it is the process of removing or segregating animals from a breeding stock based on a specific tr ...

the population. A

resistance movement A resistance movement is an organized effort by some portion of the civil population of a country to withstand the legally established government or an occupying power and to disrupt civil order and stability. It may seek to achieve its objective ...

is referred to as both the "Resistance" and the "

Insurgency An insurgency is a violent, armed rebellion against authority waged by small, lightly armed bands who practice guerrilla warfare from primarily rural base areas. The key descriptive feature of insurgency is its asymmetric nature: small irr ...

". An informal barter-based black market has also sprung up, trading in surplus materials and home-produced goods.

Allusion to historical events

In a May 21, 2015, interview with ''Collider'', executive producer Carlton Cuse stated that the show was "conceived as a metaphor for France during the Nazi occupation". In a separate interview with ''Entertainment Weekly'', co-creator Ryan Condal detailed that the original concept behind ''Colony'' was that they "were actually inspired by Nazi-occupied Paris during WWII, where people went on living their lives, having coffee in street-side cafes while Nazi officers marched along the roads".

Plot

The series begins less than a year after the arrival of aliens who occupy Earth. It follows the Bowmans and their extended family in Los Angeles. Their son, Charlie, was on a school sports trip and was separated from them when alien walls sectioned off part of the city. The father, Will Bowman, is a former FBI agent and retired Army Ranger who reluctantly joins the Redhats (humans collaborating with the aliens) and is tasked with tracking down members of the Resistance, after being threatened that he and his family would be sent to "the Factory" if he did not comply. Unbeknownst to Will, his wife, Katie, is an operative in the Resistance. She later reveals this, and they begin to trade information. Their son, Bram, discovers a way under the wall, and later joins a rival resistance group.

Cast and characters

Cast of Colony at Camp Conival at Camp Conival

Main

as Will Bowman: A former U.S. Army Ranger and FBI special agent initially working under the alias Billy "Sully" Sullivan as a truck driver and mechanic. To protect his family from being sent to the Factory, and to find his missing son Charlie, Will starts working for the Redhats hunting down Resistance members. *

as Katie Bowman: Will's wife and a secret Resistance operative. She owns and operates "The Yonk", a New Orleans-themed bar. *

Peter Jacobson Peter Jacobson (born March 24, 1965) is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Dr. Chris Taub on the Fox medical drama series ''House''. He also starred on the USA Network science fiction drama ''Colony'' as former Proxy Snyd ...

as Alan Snyder: The Proxy Governor of the Los Angeles Bloc and an unrepentant Collaborator. Snyder claims to be a former Stanford University provost but is later revealed to have been the corrupt purchasing manager of a small

community college A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior se ...

. Snyder is removed as Proxy and made warden of a labor camp outside the bloc. *

Amanda Righetti Amanda Righetti (born April 4, 1983) is an American actress. She is known for her role as Grace Van Pelt on ''The Mentalist'', as well as her roles in '' Friday the 13th'', ''The O.C.'' and ''Colony''. Early life The youngest of eight children, ...

as Madeline "Maddie" Kenner (seasons 1–2): Katie's younger sister *

Tory Kittles Tory Kittles is an American actor. He has appeared in the films '' Malibu's Most Wanted'' (2003), ''Get Rich or Die Tryin (2005), ''Next'' (2007), ''Miracle at St. Anna'' (2008), and ''Dragged Across Concrete'' (2018). He is known mostly for h ...

as Eric Broussard: A former U.S. Marine Corps Force Recon officer,

CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...

paramilitary operator and

private military contractor A private military company (PMC) or private military and security company (PMSC) is a private company providing armed combat or security services for financial gain. PMCs refer to their personnel as "security contractors" or "private military ...

. Now a Resistance operative, he infiltrates the Redhats and is Katie's main Resistance contact. *

Alex Neustaedter Alexander Francis Neustaedter (born March 29, 1998) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Bram Bowman in ''Colony''. Career In 2009, Neustaedter debuted in the film ''Albino Farm'', playing Samuel. In 2010, he starred as Caleb Johnso ...

as Bram Bowman: Will and Katie's teenaged son * Isabella Crovetti as Grace Kathryn "Gracie" Bowman: Will and Katie's young daughter * Jacob Buster as Charlie Bowman (guest season 1; season 2–3): Will and Katie's younger son, who was separated from the rest of his family a year before the start of the series, when the wall went up. He is found by Will at the beginning of season 2 and reunited with his family.

Recurring

Kim Rhodes Kimberly Rhodes (born June 7, 1969) is an American actress who is known for portraying Cindy Harrison on the soap operas '' Another World'' (1996–1999) and ''As the World Turns'' (2000–2001), Carey Martin on the Disney Channel sitcoms ''The ...

as Rachel (season 1): A doctor and Resistance cell member *

Paul Guilfoyle Paul Vincent Guilfoyle () (born April 28, 1949) is an American television and film actor. He was a regular cast member of the CBS crime drama ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', on which he played Captain Jim Brass from 2000 to 2014. He retu ...

as Alexander Quayle (season 1): A former CIA Berlin

station chief A station chief is a government official who is the head of a team, post or function usually in a foreign country. Historically it commonly referred to the head of a defensible structure such as an ambassador's residence or colonial outpost. In G ...

and

Defense Intelligence Agency The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is an intelligence agency and combat support agency of the United States Department of Defense, specializing in defense and military intelligence. A component of the Department of Defense (DoD) and the ...

officer turned Los Angeles Resistance leader * Cooper J. Friedman as Hudson (seasons 1–2): Madeline's diabetic son *

Carl Weathers Carl Weathers (born January 14, 1948) is an American actor and former professional football player. He is known for his roles as boxer Apollo Creed in the first four ''Rocky'' films (1976–85), George Dillon in '' Predator'' (1987), Action Ja ...

as Bolton "Beau" Miller (season 1): A retired San Francisco Police Department officer and

Homeland Security Homeland security is an American national security term for "the national effort to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards where American interests, aspirations, and ways of life can thrive" t ...

officer and Will Bowman's partner *

Ally Walker Allene Damian "Ally" Walker (born August 25, 1961) is an American actress. She made her television debut in the NBC daytime soap opera '' Santa Barbara'' (1988) before landing the leading roles on the short-lived dramas '' True Blue'' (1989–199 ...

as Helena Goldwyn: Chief of staff and later Governor-General of the Los Angeles Colony of which the Bloc is a part *

Kathy Baker } Katherine Whitton Baker (born June 8, 1950) is an American actress. Baker began her career in theater and made her screen debut in the 1983 drama film '' The Right Stuff''. She received the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Suppor ...

as Phyllis (season 1): Will's boss at Homeland Security whom he suspects (and she implies) is a former CIA agent *

Kathleen Rose Perkins Kathleen Rose Perkins (born November 15, 1974) is an American actress. Life and career Perkins was born in New Baltimore, Michigan, the daughter of Leonard and Donna Perkins. She graduated from Anchor Bay High School (1992) and enrolled in We ...

as Jennifer McMahon (seasons 1–2): A former

online dating service Online dating, also known as Internet dating, Virtual dating, or Mobile app dating, is a relatively recent method used by people with a goal of searching for and interacting with potential romantic or sexual partners, via the internet. An onlin ...

database administrator Database administrators (DBAs) use specialized software to store and organize data. The role may include capacity planning, installation, configuration, database design, migration, performance monitoring, security, troubleshooting, as well as ba ...

turned Homeland Security agent, below Phyllis and above Will and Beau * Gonzalo Menendez as Captain Lagarza (season 1): A Redhat officer *

Erin Way Erin Way (born September 13, 1987) is an American actress. She is known for her role as Kat in the Syfy drama series '' Alphas''. She joined the show in the third episode of the second season. A former ballet dancer, Erin Way started acting ...

as Lindsey (seasons 1–2): The Proxy government-provided tutor for Gracie Bowman * Kathryn Morris as Charlotte Burgess (season 1): A cultural director in the green zone who becomes Maddie's boss * Adrian Pasdar as Nolan Burgess (seasons 1–2): Charlotte's husband and an important player in the politics of the occupational government *

Bethany Joy Lenz Bethany Joy Lenz (born April 2, 1981) is an American actress, singer-songwriter and filmmaker. She is known for her portrayal of Haley James Scott on The WB / The CW television drama '' One Tree Hill'' (2003–2012). She also starred as Michell ...

as Morgan (season 2):Guest star

Thora Birch Thora Birch (born March 11, 1982) is an American actress and producer. She made her feature film debut in 1988 with a starring role in ''Purple People Eater'', for which she received a Young Artist Award for "Best Young Actress Under Nine Years ...

played Morgan in season 1 A software engineer and Los Angeles Resistance member * Charlie Bewley as Eckhart (seasons 1–2): A Resistance cell member *

Victor Rasuk Victor Rasuk (born January 15, 1984) is an American actor. Early life Rasuk was born in New York City, to Dominican parents. His mother worked as a seamstress, and his father at an auto shop. He has one brother, actor Silvestre Rasuk, with whom ...

as BB (seasons 1–2): A Resistance cell member * Carolyn Michelle Smith as Devon (season 2): Will's partner at the FBI before the Arrival *

Mac Brandt Mac Brandt is an American actor best known for his roles as C.O. Mack Andrews on the Fox crime drama ''Prison Break'' (2005–06), and as Mac Sullivan on the Audience Network sports drama '' Kingdom'' (2014–17). He is a native of the Lombard ...

as Sgt. Jenkins (season 2): A labor camp guard *

Jessica Parker Kennedy Jessica Parker Kennedy (born October 3, 1984) is a Canadian actress. She played Melissa Glaser on the CW series ''The Secret Circle'', Max on the Starz original series '' Black Sails'' and Nora West-Allen / XS on ''The Flash'', and has also app ...

as Maya (season 2): A prisoner at the labor camp who befriends Bram *

Max Arciniega Maximino Arciniega Jr. is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Domingo Gallardo "Krazy-8" Molina in the crime drama television series ''Breaking Bad'' and it's spin-off/prequel ''Better Call Saul''. A native of the Northwest ...

as Edison (season 2): A prisoner at the labor camp and accomplice of Maya *

Christian Clemenson Christian Dayton Clemenson (born March 17, 1958) is an American film and television actor. He is well known for his portrayal of Jerry "Hands" Espenson in the television series ''Boston Legal'', for which he was nominated for three Emmy Awards a ...

as Dan Bennett (season 2): The new head of Homeland Security *

Toby Huss Tobias Huss (born December 9, 1966) is an American actor, known for portraying Artie in the Nickelodeon series '' The Adventures of Pete & Pete'' (1993–1996). He is also known for his voice-over work on the long-running animated series ''King of ...

as Bob Burke (season 2): A scheming former Internal Affairs detective who is assigned as Will Bowman's new partner at Homeland Security *

William Russ William Russ (born October 20, 1950) is an American actor and television director. He played Alan Matthews on the sitcom '' Boy Meets World'' (1993–2000) and appeared in the television series '' Wiseguy'', the soap operas '' Another World'' an ...

as Hennessey (season 2): An ex-spy and friend of Broussard *

Laura Innes Laura Elizabeth Innes (born August 16, 1957) is an American actress and television director. She starred as Dr. Kerry Weaver in the NBC medical drama '' ER'' from 1995 to 2007 and reprised her role from 2008 to 2009 in the final season. She also ...

as Karen (season 2): The leader of a violent anti-collaboration group in Los Angeles *

Keiko Agena Christine Keiko Agena (born October 3, 1973) is an American actress. She is mostly known for playing Lane Kim in ''Gilmore Girls'' and NYPD medical examiner Dr. Edrisa Tanaka on FOX's crime drama ''Prodigal Son'' (2019–2021). Personal life Ag ...

as Betsy (season 2): A co-worker of Will Bowman and Jennifer at Homeland Security * Meta Golding as Noa (season 2): A member of a Resistance cell from outside the walls * John Hoogenakker as Scott Garland (season 3): A former FBI agent turned Greyhat lieutenant who is charged with hunting the Resistance in the Pacific Northwest * Peyton List as Amy Leonard (season 3): A doctor and Resistance dispatcher who works with Broussard but distrusts Will *

Graham McTavish Graham McTavish (born 4 January 1961) is a Scottish actor and author. He is known for his roles as Dwalin in '' The Hobbit'' film trilogy, Vlad Dracula Țepeș in the Netflix animated franchise ''Castlevania'', Loki in various Marvel animated ...

as Andrew MacGregor (season 3): A former conspiracy theorist who now leads a Resistance cell based in the forest * Waleed Zuaiter as Vincent (season 3): The second-in-command of MacGregor's Resistance cell *

Wayne Brady Wayne Alphonso Brady (born June 2, 1972) is an American television personality, comedian, actor, and singer. He is a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' He was the host of ...

as Everett Kynes (season 3): Head of the autonomous Seattle colony *

Stephen Lobo Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...

as Roy Morrow (season 3): Everett Kynes' long time friend and colleague * Nicki Micheaux as Michelle (season 3): Katie's superior at her job at the Seattle Refugee Assistance program * E.J. Bonilla as Harris (season 3): An investigator and bodyguard for Everett Kynes * David Paetkau as Adam Ford (season 3): An investigator and bodyguard for Everett Kynes *

Will Brittain Will Brittain (born August 10, 1990) is an American actor. He has had roles in the films ''A Teacher ''A Teacher'' is a 2013 American drama film written and directed by Hannah Fidell, in her feature directorial debut. It revolves around a fem ...

as Dave O'Neill (season 3): A mysterious acquaintance of Harris and Ford * Elise Gatien as Meadow (season 3): Bram's new girlfriend in the Seattle colony *

Chris William Martin Christopher William Martin (born January 17, 1975), also known as Corky Martin or Chris Martin, is a Canadian actor.Glen Schaefer, "Felicity's hair-raiser: Vancouver actor Chris Martin's job was to stir the pot and divert attention from star Keri ...

as Roger (season 3): Everett Kynes' assistant *

Barclay Hope Barclay Hope (born February 25, 1958) is a Canadian actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Clifford and Claudius Blossom on '' Riverdale'', Mike Hayden on '' Street Legal'', Peter Axon on ''PSI Factor'', Col. Lionel Pendergast on ''Sta ...

as Sal (season 3): Meadow's father and Bram's superior in the Citizens Safety Patrol

Notes

Episodes

Season 1 (2016)

Season 2 (2017)

Season 3 (2018)

Specials

Reception

Critical response

The show has received generally positive reviews. On

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

it holds a score of 69/100, based on 22 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". On

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

, it holds a score of 84%, based on 31 reviews. The critics' consensus reads: "''Colony'' offers an engaging enough narrative, a few scares, and an overall good time, even if none of it is particularly original". Stephen King praised the series, saying: "In a year of remarkable TV, ''Colony'' is really something special: smart, suspenseful, subversive... thought-provoking".

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * {{USANetwork Shows 2010s American drama television series 2016 American television series debuts 2018 American television series endings 2010s American science fiction television series Dystopian television series English-language television shows Television series about extraterrestrial life Television series by Universal Content Productions Television series created by Carlton Cuse Television shows filmed in Vancouver USA Network original programming Television series by Legendary Television Drones in fiction Fiction about rebellions Alien invasions in television Mass surveillance in fiction Unfinished creative works