Dystopian television shows are everywhere these days, and most of them are indistinguishable from each other. A few shows manage to innovate on the tired genre and rise above the pack. “Colony,” unfortunately, is not one of these shows. Although it shows promise, “Colony” is a largely forgettable addition to the vast science fiction catalogue.
In near-future Los Angeles, Will and Katie Bowman (Josh Holloway and Sarah Wayne Callies), try to maintain normalcy after an alien invasion.
After a failed attempt to rescue his son from the aliens — called Red Hats — Will is forced to work for the Red Hats and hunt for members of the Resistance. Will and Kate are conflicted, as they must choose which side to fight for, the Red Hats or the Resistance.
“Colony” has an intriguing premise, but it fails to capitalize on the points that make it interesting. The core of the show are the moral conflicts between the Red Hats and the Resistance faced by the main characters, but this is only briefly touched upon in the first episode. Hopefully, that will develop throughout the rest of the season.
The pilot is also frustratingly slow-paced, inching along without revealing much information central to the plot. “Colony” needs to pick up the pace if it wishes to keep viewers interested.
Holloway is a strong lead, and portrays his moral conflict well. He is believable and likable as a father torn between protecting his family and staying true to his own beliefs. Other characters, however, remain underdeveloped, making it difficult to sympathize with them.
The circumstances of the Red Hats’ occupation of Los Angeles is very vague. It is implied that the Red Hats are extraterrestrial, but it is never explicitly stated.
This could allow the story to be an interesting commentary on real-world military invasions. The Red Hats resemble a militarized police force more than aliens, which makes the show more of a political allegory versus pure science fiction. Despite the grand themes, the vagueness surrounding the Red Hats is often more confusing than interesting.
The pilot episode raised many questions, but doled out few answers. Although “Colony” has potential, the show will only succeed if it can separate itself from the countless other “alien invasion” television shows with a new breath of originality.
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