Tell-Tale TV Series Premiere Panels: Colony

USA’s latest drama takes us into a world that’s not all that different from our own, except for the alien invasion. Colony takes place in the near future where the Hosts set the rules for how people live. For Will and his wife Katie, the invasion meant that they lost their son, and are forced to live with the question as to whether or not he is alive.

Will’s offered a new job that would change the way his family lives for both better and worse – his family would be offered certain luxuries, but it would mean going after the Resistance, a group dedicated to getting rid of the Hosts.

Our panelists are:

• Lissete Lanuza Saenz, senior writer for Tell-Tale TV
• Ashley Bissette Sumerel, founder and editor-in-chief of Tell-Tale TV
• Allison Nichols, contributing writer for Tell-Tale TV
• Kim Rogers from Head Over Feels
• Carissa Pavlica from TV Fanatic

Give it to me straight, did you like the premiere?

Kim: Given that I am a die-hard Lost fan (and more importantly I BLEED for James “Sawyer” Ford), I feel like I am genetically predisposed to love Colony.  We were shown the first 15 minutes of the pilot this past summer at San Diego Comic Con and I loved it. The sentiment remains true now that I’ve seen the entire episode. What I LOVED about Colony is that it jumped right into the world of the characters without explaining to the audience what exactly has happened (whatever it is, it was bad and there are aliens, that’s all we need to know). It is confident and it trusts that the audience will go on the ride without having to be spoon-fed all the exposition. It’s quite refreshing. And like I said, anything that gets Josh Holloway back on my screen, especially at his Sawyer-iest, is peachy keen.

Lizzie: Yes, I did. I liked it very much, but I’m not willing to go out on a limb and say I love it yet. Like Kim, I really liked that the show didn’t waste any time with superfluous explanations, and that it dived right into the plot, but without being predisposed to like it because of the actors, I felt the characters (other than Will) were a bit flat. There was chemistry, yes, but maybe it’s because the plot feels a lot like been there, done that, but I need more. More of an emotional connection. Just, a little more.

Allison: I really did. I went into it not knowing all that much about it, but I’m invested in it now. I love that this show takes place in the near future, so it looks just like our world today, but, you know, with an alien invasion. The characters are captivating, and I like that the war between the Resistance and the Occupation will have high stakes for the viewers. We’re being forced to chose between husband and wife, essentially.

Carissa: Yes. I find the idea of occupation of the US very intriguing, especially since we’ve managed to come out of so many real life war scenarios unscathed. I’ve always wondered what it must have been like for the Germans and those they occupied during WWII to make the types of decisions they’re facing on Colony. It’s big stuff.

Ashley: Definitely. I’m just really, really excited about this show, and like Kim, I’m also a die-hard Lost fan. I think the concept is really intriguing, and the way the story is being told is just incredibly smart.

What’s the show’s biggest problem?

Kim: Right now, I don’t see too much of one. It’s an excellent pilot that made me very curious to see the next episode. Going forward, if it is too stingy with dealing out backstory of the invasion/the intention of the “Hosts,” it could be frustrating. This kind of show is right in Carlton Cuse’s wheelhouse and hopefully he won’t make the same mistakes that were made with Lost. (And no, I’m not talking about the finale, I’m talking about seasons two and three.)

Lizzie: The dialogue. Oh, God, the dialogue. Some of the things they were saying were actually painful. No one talks like that! Also, as I said before, this feels a lot like retracing old ground. If this show is going to separate itself from the pack, it needs something different. Anything.

Allison: The mystery behind the “Hosts.” No one has really seen them. We don’t know how they arrived or took control. I mean how do they instill such fear if no one has seen them? Do they just operate via drones? For the pilot, we learned enough about them, but I’m going to need to see them and/or learn more about them.

Carissa: Audience. I’m surprised at some of the comments after only seeing the pilot. Since I’ve seen more, I believe they’re unjustified and hope viewers stick around.

Ashley: The only thing that comes to mind is that there’s a lot to digest, and that could easily become overwhelming or get in the way of things like character development. Hopefully, that will be done well, and everything will be balanced, but I could see that as a potential pitfall. Overall, though, I think the show is off to a really strong start.

USA’s Colony is Your Next Sci-fi Addiction

Who or what do you want to see more of?

Kim: I’ve already declared my love for Josh Holloway, so allow me to gush about Sarah Wayne Callies and her performance. Katie Bowman, you guys. I can already tell I’m going to become a major stan for her. She’s clearly still grieving her lost son. She’s a Mama Bear who fiercely protects her own. (My response during the standoff in the Trading Post over the insulin was “These people should know better than to f— with Lori Grimes.”) She refuses to sit at home and wring her hands when Will goes missing. And she demands that Will be upfront with her when she’s returned. When so often the wives in genre shows can be reduced to the one dimensional “supportive” type, Callies has ALREADY revealed a multi-faceted character in one episode. GIMME MORE.

Lizzie: Katie. For sure. Mainly because we saw more of Will than we saw of her, but also because, she’s hiding a lot of things, and I’m pretty sure that her backstory is the thing that’s going to make or break this show. If it’s interesting, we’re golden. If not …

Allison: Aside from the aliens, I want to see more of how everyday people are living and what exactly the restrictions are. Clearly some foods are hard to get, but why is that? I’m really interested in how society functions during the Occupation.

Carissa: Why people choose to do what they do. Why did Proxy Snyder side with their hosts against his own people? What does he know that others don’t?

Ashley: Gah, I kind of want to take the opportunity here to gush over Josh Holloway, because wow, that guy is amazing. I love seeing him in this new role, and I’m excited to see everything he has to offer. I also do really want to see more of Katie — I liked her immediately, and I’m dying to know more about what she’s up to and what she’s hiding.

Favorite quote/moment from the premiere?

Kim: When Katie walked straight into the Resistance headquarters, revealing that not only was she a member, but she was willing to be their Inside Person, I just wrote “YAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSS” in my notes. Does Will know how deep she is in with the Resistance? I don’t know but I’m excited to find out.

Lizzie: I have to agree with Kim. I didn’t exactly write that down, but I will say this was the moment where I went from cool show, might watch, might not, to okay, definitely checking out the next episode.

Allison: Katie pulling out a gun when the lady tried to sell her shitty insulin. That movement revealed a lot about Katie, and it made her tie to the Resistance not all that surprising. This woman will do whatever it takes for her family and for what she believes is right.

Carissa: For me, it was the feeling I got seeing the barbed wire in the back yard, realizing how everyone was acting as if life was normal, but it was anything but normal. It’s such a general feeling of unease, and I can’t imagine living like that everyday.

Ashley: I’m with Allison on this one. We didn’t really know what to expect from Katie until that moment, and it turns out she is not someone who can be taken advantage of. This is a tough, confident woman.

 

What did you think of Colony? Leave your thoughts in a comment below.