USA’s Colony is Your Next Sci-fi Addiction
There is something endlessly fascinating about seeing everyday people cope with living in a dystopian society.
It’s become a common idea on movies and television — for a story to be set in a futuristic society that is somehow oppressed and characterized by human misery. It’s also an idea we can’t seem to get enough of.
USA’s new series, Colony, explores this concept in a whole new way. I got a look at the series premiere, and I have to say, I couldn’t take my eyes of the screen. Colony is smart, surprising, and completely captivating.
The series comes from Lost creator Carlton Cuse and Ryan Condal. It even feels a little like Lost in the way that the story is told, though the premise is entirely different.
Colony stars Josh Holloway (Lost) and Sarah Wayne Callies (The Walking Dead) as a married couple struggling to keep their family safe after a mysterious invading force has taken over Los Angeles. They have two choices: to become “collaborators” and work with the occupation, or to be a part of the resistance.
The series premiere wastes no time in moving the action forward while also making the audience become deeply invested in these characters. Every single moment is important to the story — even something as simple as Josh Holloway’s character, Will, preparing breakfast for his children is more significant than it may at first seem.
Speaking of Josh Holloway, if you’re a fan of Lost, you’re going to love seeing him as Will Bowman. This role feels like it was made just for him, and it’s amazing.
Sarah Wayne Callies also gives an awesome performance as Will’s wife, Katie, a character who isn’t afraid to take risks and do what’s best for her family. She’s clever, tough, and fearless.
It’s impossible not to become invested in the relationship between these two characters, which is one of my favorite things about the show so far. You care about these characters almost immediately. And though the mystery of what exactly is going on around them is important, it’s not nearly as important as seeing how that environment affects Will, Katie, and their family.
Colony is set to premiere Thursday, January 14th at 10/9c on USA.
Photos from the pilot episode of Colony:
Ashley Bissette Sumerel
Ashley Bissette Sumerel is a television and film critic living in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is editor-in-chief of Tell-Tale TV as well as Eulalie Magazine. Ashley has also written for outlets such as Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, and Insider. Ashley has been a member of the Critics Choice Association since 2017 and is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. In addition to her work as an editor and critic, Ashley teaches Entertainment Journalism, Composition, and Literature at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.