S01.E01: Pilot

[formerlyfreedom]

Available on the USA.com site, and On-Demand prior to broadcast airing. Entering before viewing WILL spoil you!

 

The city of Los Angeles has been occupied by an unknown force. Former FBI agent Will Bowman and his wife Katie are separated from their son during the invasion, and are willing to do anything to be reunited with him. When they are offered a chance to get their son back by collaborating with the occupational government, Will and Katie find themselves faced with the toughest decision of their lives.

 

 

[numbnut]

Strange pilot. I felt like was like watching episode 2 or 3 because the hook of the story was missing. Why is there a giant wall in Santa Monica? Why are some people stuck living outside of the wall? Why is there a resistance movement? Who are the antagonists? I'm assuming it's a show about aliens. Are they hiding the alien invasion because the premise so clichéd? The leads aren't grabbing me (Callies still seems like Lori from TWD; Holloway has no range) and every tense moment is telegraphed. The limited budget also doesn't help (the explosion at the wall was lame). I may watch episode two but I'm not hopeful.

Edited January 3, 2016 by numbnut

[mjc570]

Thank you,USA, for making this available.  Now I know not to waste my time watching.  I apologize to anyone who likes it, but it just did not work for me, although I very much like a number of the actors in it, as well as the central idea.  It started off on a bad note for me, with Josh being such a jerk to his kids - he doesn't allow his teenage son to have a second egg, but he pushes 2 eggs on the young daughter, and when she refuses, he goes into a whole "unborn chicken" riff.  I guess that shows that he is immature and a bad parent?  Or, am I just missing something? 

 

Some foundation SL would have been useful, although it was pretty clear that LA is under occupation.  I wasn't sure how the wall works - is it around LA?  Santa Monica?  What's the exclusion zone?  Thanks to Exposition Heloise, we know that the "weak" are being refused medical treatment, which is bad, but on the other hand, there is no longer horrendous traffic in LA and more people are biking, which is good.

 

I'm kind of surprised I didn't like it enough to even watch a few more episodes, because (1) I like scifi (ha, I started to write "syfy"); (2) I have low expectations; and (3) I'm a huge Peter Jacobson fan.  I even like WD Lori, but not enough. 

[Netfoot]

Why is there a giant wall in Santa Monica? Why are some people stuck living outside of the wall? Why is there a resistance movement? Who are the antagonists?

 

The people inside the wall don't know the answers to these questions, and neither do we.  I presume that during the course of the series, answers will be forthcoming to at least some of these questions, and to others which will no doubt arise.

 

I for one, see some potential here.  It could develop either way, but I'm hoping it turns out good!

[shapeshifter]

I for one, see some potential here. It could develop either way, but I'm hoping it turns out good!

Knowing that Netfoot can be a tough customer, I figured I'd give it a look, and I agree.

ETA:

It started off on a bad note for me, with Josh being such a jerk to his kids - he doesn't allow his teenage son to have a second egg, but he pushes 2 eggs on the young daughter, and when she refuses, he goes into a whole "unborn chicken" riff.  I guess that shows that he is immature and a bad parent?  Or, am I just missing something?

I interpreted the scene to mean he had managed to acquire just one egg--a precious commodity--and was offering it to his son. Both he and his son knew the young daughter would turn her nose up to the egg offer, so he offered her two--probably to assure her that there were plenty, even though there was only one. When he broke it, he felt really bad. Edited January 4, 2016 by shapeshifter

[mjc570]

Shapeshifter, thanks for your explanation of the breakfast scene. That makes so much more sense. I still just couldn't get interested in the show, not really sure why.

[Netfoot]

I interpreted the scene to mean he had managed to acquire just one egg--a precious commodity--and was offering it to his son.

 

I think there was more than one, but not enough for everyone, and certainly not enough for anyone to get two!  When he broke one, he did without, so the family could get.

 

I'd imagine that under the circumstances, any produce would be valuable, which they hinted at with the coils of razor wire protecting the back yard with the citrus tree. I'm not sure if money has been banned/outlawed, and I don't know how that could work, but there was a lot of bartering going on.

 

Scariest thought:  No internet.  (No forums!!!)  But seriously, unless the wall encloses a very good library, it will be difficult to make a lot of stuff.  The process for making insulin, for example, isn't entirely straightforward.  If you can't look that process up, and nobody has the process clear in their memories...

[kikaha]

I loved the pilot.  Not knowing so much of the what/why/when intrigued me even more.  The parallels between the world of Colony and any number of dictatorships was eerie: the show brought across real well the horror of living under a powerful tyranny.   

 

We're only seeing LA.  I assume similar scenes are taking place all over the world.  I also don't imagine the 'hosts' have sanguine intentions towards humanity. 

[CooperTV]

I like how in this show everyone has electricity, hot water and payphones are working, and also the climate is so good oranges are growing on the trees, but there's shortage of eggs and not enough pigs to make insulin out of them. But somehow people have dogs as pets and feed them with meat products (I assume)? And people still wear expensive jewelry (wedding rings) and gold watches but alcohol is universal bargaining chip.

 

So sad :/

Edited January 8, 2016 by CooperTV

[Netfoot]

there's shortage of eggs and not enough pigs to make insulin out of them.

 

Not that hard to believe.  If an impenetrable barrier suddenly appeared around a section of a modern city, I doubt there would be many pigs and chickens found within it's confines.  Eggs and pork chops are items I'd expect to be produced outside the city, on a farm somewhere.

[sjohnson]

The wall is not impenetrable. One aspect of the shortages is the blockage of normal trade. Possibly another aspect is the owners shutting down production because the occupation is taking their profits. Or possibly unspecified resources are being diverted into another project. 

 

There was an old Larry Niven story about space aliens who arrived and basically threatened annihilation unless humanity built gigantic lasers to propel them on the next leg of their journey. The forthright statement that after whoever got the resources they needed, everything would go back to the way it was sounded to me much like that, if the occupation is aliens. And I really can't see it being a normal country, because it was also said nobody saw the occupiers. Mutants maybe, or a cult of mad scientists?

 

The episode to me seemed devoted to setting up husband forced into collaboration by a nasty combination of carrot and stick, versus idealist revolutionary wife. Usually when the resistance is supposed to be people like us, there's much angst about the morality of violence, like everybody's an old style Quaker or Dorothy Day. I wonder how the wife would have felt if the husband had died in the bombing instead of the smuggler? It didn't seem to cross her mind. 

 

Depending upon how much the show withholds, hubbie can be in on her membership and they're trying to play one double agent in two persons?

[Netfoot]

The wall is not impenetrable. One aspect of the shortages is the blockage of normal trade. Possibly another aspect is the owners shutting down production because the occupation is taking their profits. Or possibly unspecified resources are being diverted into another project. 

 

At one stage in the pilot, there was speculation as to whether anything outside the wall still existed.  Inside the wall, there are three (I think) separate divisions, isolated from each other.  There is some transmission of cargo between divisions, with trucks being handed off to different drivers, as we saw.  There has also been some illicit movement of people, back and forth.  But obviously, not much.  We don't even know if the upper echelon folks -- the mayor, etc -- get to move between divisions.

 

So, the walls between divisions is not 100% impenetrable, but is practically so.  And the external walls separating the colony from the Rest Of The World, probably even more impenetrable, since colonists don't even know if the ROTW still exists.

 

There was an old Larry Niven story about space aliens who arrived and basically threatened annihilation unless humanity built gigantic lasers to propel them on the next leg of their journey. 

 

Don't recall that Niven story, but it seems pretty dumb of an alien race to threaten us with annihilation, unless we build huge laser canons to shoot them with...

 

The forthright statement that after whoever got the resources they needed, everything would go back to the way it was...

 

... and the Jews are going to be relocated to new, modern, comfortable living facilities where they will have lots of food and plenty of leisure time, and everyone will have a high-paying job!  Sieg Heil!

 

Why would anyone take the words of an oppressive conqueror at face value?

 

Usually when the resistance is supposed to be people like us, there's much angst about the morality of violence, like everybody's an old style Quaker or Dorothy Day.

 

The usual idiots who refuse to allow their kid to play with a pop-gun.  But when they find themselves in the middle of a home-invasion, do they call and ask for help from unarmed police?

[sjohnson]

^^^Lasers are over-rated as weapons. Mirrors, for a start. 

 

As to why anyone would believe aliens plan to leave? If Earth isn't pleasant real estate for them to live on would be one reason. Wishful thinking is another. 

 

"But when they find themselves in the middle of a home-invasion, do they call and ask for help from unarmed police?" 

 

Even though the fictional premises are that "we" are the victims, the contemporary world always intrudes into these SF scenarios, even as ignorance of or distaste for science tries to keep out reality. And "we" are always the occupiers, not the occupied. So yes, there always has to be a ginger approach to the morality of revolutionary violence. And it has nothing to do with actually being a pacifist, which is actually a fairly uncommon position. But it's the only acceptable alternative position, so that's what they have to flirt with to fake some drama. (Not just this show, but pretty much all.) In a sense the lower-class parts of "US" are under occupation. This part would benefit in many respects from an unarmed police force...something which has been found to work rather well in other countries, by the way.

[tvsoothesthespirit]

I'm feeling kind of excited about this show and can't really figure out why. In any event, I'm in until the excitement dissipates.  I enjoyed the pilot and am hoping for a better understanding of what the characters themselves understand.

 

I guess I'm hoping for an intriguing mystery along with an interesting story. Maybe the mystery could move towards some sort of conclusion that both makes sense and can't be guessed from the pilot episode!

[zxy556575]

I liked the pilot, too. I'm a little tired of Josh Holloway and his greasy hair but not enough (yet) to make me turn it off.

 

Was kind of annoyed at the wife for rushing out and putting herself in danger so close to curfew. That drone totally should have spotted her hiding under the truck.

[Cthulhudrew]

I couldn't even get through halfway with this show. Just didn't appeal to me. :(

[Lion]

... Josh Holloway and his greasy hair but not enough (yet) to make me turn it off.

 

Hahah.  So when I was watching, all I could think about is how they seemed to purposely cast the actors with the worst hair for the leads.  I'm always so disgusted with Holloway's and Callies' hair.  Holloway is always nasty and greasy and Callies apparently writes it in her contracts that her hair must always be unbrushed and stringy.  Not going to lie, it's for hair alone that will likely not keep me around past episode two.  

[Cthulhudrew]

Not going to lie, it's for hair alone that will likely not keep me around past episode two.  

 

In other words, for you it's hair today, or gone tomorrow? :D

[Primetimer]

USA sends Sawyer from Lost and Lori from The Walking Dead to a different apocalypse. Should you join them?

Read the story

[that one guy]

I like how in this show everyone has electricity, hot water and payphones are working, and also the climate is so good oranges are growing on the trees, but there's shortage of eggs and not enough pigs to make insulin out of them. But somehow people have dogs as pets and feed them with meat products (I assume)? And people still wear expensive jewelry (wedding rings) and gold watches but alcohol is universal bargaining chip.

So sad :/

 

These things often happen in occupations or just plain dictatorships, because tightly controlled planning simply never allocates resources as efficiently as the market. A command economy can mistakenly order the production of too much dog food and not enough eggs, etc. It may be a sign that human labor is being diverted from the production of food, medicine, and consumer goods to some other purpose. And gold doesn't have any inherent value, it's just historically been rare enough that it could be used as currency - money is a unit of measure more that it is a thing in itself, its purpose is to match a certain amount of work with a certain amount of stuff, in a way that recognizes that some work is more valuable than other work and the same is true of stuff. If people are cut off from the international gold market, gold is pretty but only worth as much as somebody wants it. Booze is always worth something to somebody. In the past, cigarettes have been used as the underground currency of choice, but since most people don't smoke anymore the value has gone way down. The problem with alcohol as a currency is that hard liquor comes in big bottles that are worth a lot, and you can't open them and pay for stuff shot by shot because it's hard to prove that the booze hasn't been watered down once it's been opened.

 

I'm actually only looking at this thread to decide whether or not to watch the show. I think I'll watch tonight, but with very low expectations.

[rab01]

Don't recall that Niven story, but it seems pretty dumb of an alien race to threaten us with annihilation, unless we build huge laser canons to shoot them with...

 

Unless he wrote more than one with that premise, the aliens were traders with light sail ships. There was no conquest and no threatened conquest. It's just that if Earth wouldn't or couldn't build the laser cannons, the aliens had an emergency device that would have made the sun flare sufficiently to send them on the next leg of their journey. The by-product of the flare for us would have been lethal. (In the story the aliens were too polite to even threaten us, the downside of refusing was discovered by accident. It's a short story that's really just a joke.)

Edited January 14, 2016 by rab01

[Trisan]

KInda liked it ! I'll still wait to see where it goes though.

I liked the ambiguity about Snyder's character, mostly his line about taking advantage of his opportunity. Made me wonder if he's truly colaborating or just buying his time, getting as high as possible in the hierarchy and as close as he could to the invaders before biting them in the ass (although when undercover that deep, the lines always get dizzy, so very curious to see that character evolve !)

[Clanstarling]

Knowing that Netfoot can be a tough customer, I figured I'd give it a look, and I agree.

ETA:I interpreted the scene to mean he had managed to acquire just one egg--a precious commodity--and was offering it to his son. Both he and his son knew the young daughter would turn her nose up to the egg offer, so he offered her two--probably to assure her that there were plenty, even though there was only one. When he broke it, he felt really bad.

I got a feeling there was more to it than that - but then, rethinking the bartering scenes (especially at the school) - maybe I was reading too much into it.

 

I like how in this show everyone has electricity, hot water and payphones are working, and also the climate is so good oranges are growing on the trees, but there's shortage of eggs and not enough pigs to make insulin out of them. But somehow people have dogs as pets and feed them with meat products (I assume)? And people still wear expensive jewelry (wedding rings) and gold watches but alcohol is universal bargaining chip.

 

So sad :/

IIRC, they specifically said the (aliens?) stopped making insulin on purpose, that diabetes was one of the diseases they decided to stop treating (to cull the "weak", I believe they said) - not because there weren't enough pigs. As for some of the other things, jewelry and such they would already have had - but things that get manufactured/farmed/distilled elsewhere would be pretty rare commodities as with the wall curtailing long distance hauling (or walls, depending on how the rest of the US and world is divvied up). Likewise, electricity and cables for phone lines can be managed locally, especially in a large urban area that already has the infrastructure. As for oranges - they grow pretty well in California. I had orange trees in my back yard (regular subdivision house) when I lived there.

 

I liked the pilot, too. I'm a little tired of Josh Holloway and his greasy hair but not enough (yet) to make me turn it off.

He did wash it! I couldn't help noticing that it was clean for at least the last part of the show.

 

I wasn't interested in Colony at first, but I think I'll give it a go. I got a little confused about the ... sister (the grownup with the kid who needs insulin) it didn't seem like she lived there, and then it did, and then it didn't. But I'm sure that will get explained as it goes on. 

Edited January 15, 2016 by clanstarling

[anadyr21]

Like many sci-fi shows before it, Colony has an interesting premise, but problematic execution.

 

As someone else made reference to, by starting the story in media res, I feel like I'm missing information that would make a lot of characters' actions make more sense. I realize this will gradually be filled in, and I'm fine with that. However, I end up yelling at the tv, because nonsensical, irrational actions that may appear to be based on bad writing, may have logical reasons, specifically, most of the scenes/actions of Lori from TWD/wifey. And I literally mean, darn near every scene, as in, too many to list, I questioned why she took any of the actions that she took. Like, why would you risk getting caught during curfew, knowing the potential consequences, and that you've still got 2 kids living at home, to simply to ask a co-worker what happened to hubby?

 

Unless I missed it, or it will be addressed soon, how/why was their 11 year old (at the time), separated from them in the Santa Monica bloc during the initial invasion? Was he at school? On a field trip? With relatives? Alone, with no parents or siblings? They made reference to wifey blaming husband for this, but does she have a legitimate gripe, or is she just trying to blame someone, anyone? This seems to be the driving force of their actions, yet, I'm worried that this separation was done strictly to create drama for dramas sake.

 

Anyone else get a weird vibe between wifey and the resistance guy fixing the house? It almost played like they were having an affair at some point. Which I would totally understand, cuz dude was hot!

 

I'm interested enough to try the next episode, but I need logic soon. Otherwise, I'm out.

[dr pepper]

Well i like Josh's hair. I'm looking forward to when he finally meets one of the occupiers, grins and says "alrighty then!".

I agree about getting a feel of the Hunger Games. But this is a kind of generic occupation. It's Palestine, the Warsaw Ghetto, Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Manchuria, etc. I'm hoping for some decent scifi, but i think more likely it's going to look like a workshop on the ethics of collaboration and resistance.

[Shaynaa]

 

Anyone else get a weird vibe between wifey and the resistance guy fixing the house? It almost played like they were having an affair at some point. Which I would totally understand, cuz dude was hot!

 

I'm interested enough to try the next episode, but I need logic soon. Otherwise, I'm out.

 

I was wondering if it was just me.  I noticed and I usually miss subtext.   They seemed overly familiar and I guess he used to be military/LEO as well.

 

I'm pretty sure Sawyer made a comment at some point about how he should have picked Charlie up.  So was he late or was a situation where the aliens arrival warranted a pick up.  One would think it would.  That leads to another question.  How fast did this all happen?  Did the aliens show up with insta-walls?  The red hats are human so it would have taken time to train these people.  A sudden, instantaneous split within hours or whatever doesn't seem possible.  I'll watch for a while but I need plausible backstory. 

[ottoDbusdriver]

I was wondering if it was just me.  I noticed and I usually miss subtext.   They seemed overly familiar and I guess he used to be military/LEO as well.

 

I'm pretty sure Sawyer made a comment at some point about how he should have picked Charlie up.  So was he late or was a situation where the aliens arrival warranted a pick up.  One would think it would.  That leads to another question.  How fast did this all happen?  Did the aliens show up with insta-walls?  The red hats are human so it would have taken time to train these people.  A sudden, instantaneous split within hours or whatever doesn't seem possible.  I'll watch for a while but I need plausible backstory. 

 

There was a line in the episode about how all the world's armies were defeated in hours after the aliens arrived, so I think it did happen very quickly. Which led to a lot of chaos -- look at all the buildings that they show that still have evidence of a violent attack -- so if Charlie was on a school field trip out of town or something similar he may have easily gotten trapped behind the wall at whatever location he was at.

 

If the armies of the world were defeated so easily, I suspect that the walls went up very soon there afterwards -- since it has only been a year since the aliens arrived, and those walls are massive built by some really advanced alien tech.

[SimoneS]

I thought this was okay. The premise is familiar with the wall and the secretive alien occupation. I expect that it be same as most other alien invasion stories; they want the earth's resources (including humans) for their own survival. Unfortunately, it is yet another show that lacks diversity in the main cast. 

[zxy556575]

Oy, I'm going to have to rewatch this more carefully. Are there really extraterrestrial aliens? I did not get that at all. I thought it hadn't been explained who the occupying forces are.

[shapeshifter]

As for oranges - they grow pretty well in California. I had orange trees in my back yard (regular subdivision house) when I lived there.

Me too.

Unfortunately, it is yet another show that lacks diversity in the main cast.

Good point. They could add someone, but a quick look at IMDb of the complete cast reveals that most (if not all) of the actors of African descent have names like Red Hat and Red Suit. You know. Like red shirt. I wonder if no one from the show even noticed the unintended sociological significance of that naming convention.

I hadn't noticed until reading this thread that while Holloway has a strongly charismatic screen presence, he doesn't really have any range of emotion.

If we're keeping score, I liked the return of The Hair. At least he's still got it.

But, yeah, now-nearly-bald TV journalist Matt Lauer could probably emote more in the role.

[Lion]

Oy, I'm going to have to rewatch this more carefully. Are there really extraterrestrial aliens? I did not get that at all. I thought it hadn't been explained who the occupying forces are.

It wasn't explained, but that's a best guess based on what we've seen.  Super advanced technology that doesn't exist amongst humans, something being shot into space creating a beautiful light effect, etc.  

[Clanstarling]

I was wondering if it was just me.  I noticed and I usually miss subtext.   They seemed overly familiar and I guess he used to be military/LEO as well.

 

I'm pretty sure Sawyer made a comment at some point about how he should have picked Charlie up.  So was he late or was a situation where the aliens arrival warranted a pick up.  One would think it would.  That leads to another question.  How fast did this all happen?  Did the aliens show up with insta-walls?  The red hats are human so it would have taken time to train these people.  A sudden, instantaneous split within hours or whatever doesn't seem possible.  I'll watch for a while but I need plausible backstory.

I took the comment about picking Charlie up as literal - that he should have picked him up in his arms. I picture a scene of chaos, where they were running away from the invasion and Charlie got left behind. In my head, I saw Captain Jack Harkness' memory of how his brother was lost to the aliens, I guess.

As for diversity - I think it's early to tell. But I would imagine that the leader of the resistance, and their friend, will be a major character. And his co-workers, who also seem important, are Hispanic. It's not a lot, granted, but they also cast POC in some of the other scenes (the hospital for example, and I believe in some of the bartering scenes), so I'm hoping they'll continue with the trend and round it out better.

[DonitsYum]

It kept my attention. I figured out the breakfast scene pretty fast when he dropped the egg and wasn't just mildly annoyed. During the insulin trade scene, I liked the fact that Callies was holding a firearm like a person who isn't familiar with one (rather than looking like a WD badass). However, her character is so much like Lori it's almost like she dropped into this show from there. Same with Hollaway. The scenery for this (the neighborhood they live in) all seem to have been stolen from Fear The Walking Dead, I swear it's the same house as the main family's.

[that one guy]

So I watched it. I liked it, and after The Walking Dead I'm stunned to be saying this, but I like Sarah Wayne Callies in it. A lot. I don't think she's that different, either, just that this is a different situation and her schtick is appropriate here.

It's Palestine, the Warsaw Ghetto, Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Manchuria, etc.

 

I liked this about it. It's grounded. You don't have to explain too much assuming the audience is familiar with these types of situations, the scarcity, the paranoia, the turning on each other.

 

I'm glad there aren't fake looking CGI occupiers on the show. Yet. My guess is the aliens are super powerful but not very numerous. They keep sending people up to the "factory" - possibly instead of water or minerals or something, slave labor itself is the resource they are after. This would explain things like forbidding insulin to cull the weak from the herd - they only want strong, resilient, healthy slaves. But it seems like curing diabetes is a much more realistic goal than travelling to another solar system, so I'd think any aliens who could occupy us would find it cost effective just go patch our genetic code instead? But then they wouldn't be unambiguously bad...

 

I like the mayor. The job hasn't changed that much. In the real world, being mayor of a big city forces you into the same relationship with the state and the feds that Snyder? has with the aliens.  It's probably all the same people running LA, faced with many of the same problems. Not even super high tech aliens could cure the permanent urban fiscal crisis. I wish instead of being a self-described opportunist, he just said something like, "somebody's still gotta pick up the trash." Because he'd have a point. At this point I've seen LA overrun by zombies, aliens, and robots already, and this looks like a pretty tame occupation. Actually I think if the aliens would do something about the food and medicine shortages, the resistance would probably die down - the insulin thing is just crappy PR. People respond much better to being bribed than to stylish fascist flags and stuff, typically.

 

I could instantly relate to Will here. There is very little I wouldn't do to 

 

Visually I couldn't help thinking of Fear the Walking Dead every five minutes. Not just because of the sets and SWC but because this is more where I though that show would go than where it actually did. I wish it reminded me of that brilliant half season of BSG where they were on the occupied planet, and some of the characters blew themselves up a suicide bombers and others were killed as collaborators. I loved that show. This one doesn't even have to be half as good to get me to watch it.

[whiporee]

I thought it was solid, and I'll keep watching. The only hitting i didn't are for was that the proxy was a bit too over the top -- too much like the later Roman Emperors with the lavish parties and the decadence.

But aside from that, I thought the pilot did a good job of setting the scenes, upping the tension and making you give a crap about the characters and their situation. The world there seemed believable and scary, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the rest develop.

Don't like JH's greasy hair, but I guess girls do.

[LittleGreyCells]

I'm not all in but I'll watch one more time. I've never seen the lead actor in anything before. He's really terrible! It's like he can't control his facial expressions - he's always smirking during really dramatic scenes. And his hair is just bad. I'm hoping that it's meant to show despair and as he gets more involved in the resistance he'll clean up some.

[Dowel Jones]

That drone totally should have spotted her hiding under the truck.

 

Not to mention that she dropped her bicycle right in front of the vehicle, which should have been a red flag for the goon squad that came out.  But, oh well.

 

I kind of liked it, simply because I prefer my mysteries to be laid out over a few episodes rather than a full exposition right away. 

 

Random thoughts about the occupation: 

-Absent the Warsaw Ghetto theme mentioned above, you have to have the support of a majority of the population in order to use people from that population to subdue the rest of the populace.  I really don't think all the redhats and assorted gunslingers would turn on the rest of the population like that unless they had good reason to do so.  Obviously the occupation has been going on for quite some time in order to establish this sort of proxy dictatorship.

-In real life, the amount of guns in the Los Angeles area would make a takeover relatively costly for the occupiers, unless they can somehow explain this away.

-They built a wall around Los Angeles, but they didn't include the beach?  The bastards!  Are there other proxy cities located through the state/nation/world?  I'm sure at least one person is happy about an ironclad wall along the Mexican border.

-As everyone in California knows, the overriding shortage in southern California, Los Angeles in particular, is water.  LA has none.  It has to come from somewhere else.  Showers would be prohibitively expensive, and agriculture would have to be prioritized for food value.  Not to mention this incredibly complex and maintenance-dependent system we have for delivering water to the Southland.

 

More thought later, as it progresses.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Obviously the occupation has been going on for quite some time in order to establish this sort of proxy dictatorship.

 

-As everyone in California knows, the overriding shortage in southern California, Los Angeles in particular, is water.  LA has none.  It has to come from somewhere else.  Showers would be prohibitively expensive, and agriculture would have to be prioritized for food value.  Not to mention this incredibly complex and maintenance-dependent system we have for delivering water to the Southland.

 

It was info in the background during the episode that the Hosts/aliens had arrived less than a year before the events of the first episode.  And the aliens had defeated the world's armies within hours of their arrival.

 

There were way too many green lawns (and orange trees) if the sources of water from California aqueduct system were obstructed by the walls.

 

ETA: one glaringly odd thing -- when Will and that smuggler were inside the freezer in the trailer before it blew up, one of the images they saw on the iPad was from way in front of the cab of the truck.  I get that they maybe planted wireless cameras all of the trailer and cab, but how did they tap into a video feed from inside the transition point in the Wall ?

 

Also caught a voice on the TV when Katie was in that house to buy the insulin -- about how there were thousands of jobs available at Homeland.  I guess not everyone wants to be a labeled a collaborator.

Edited January 16, 2016 by ottoDbusdriver

[Peanut]

I just watched and I got really annoyed with Lori doing Lori things.  As mentioned above, leaving your two children minutes before curfew to go look for your missing husband is just about the most Lori thing ever.  I'm surprised she didn't overturn a car, but I suppose tipping over a bicycle and hiding under a tank (?) is close enough.  

 

Speaking of that scene, was the guy who saw her one of the resistance?  I couldn't tell if they were meant to recognize one another or not.  

 

I'm intrigued by the premise, but I'm not sure how much Lori I can take.  

[cynic]

Is this going to be one of those scifi shows that is actually going to be more about family drama, like Fear the Walking Dead? 

 

Like many sci-fi shows before it, Colony has an interesting premise, but problematic execution.

 

As someone else made reference to, by starting the story in media res, I feel like I'm missing information that would make a lot of characters' actions make more sense. I realize this will gradually be filled in, and I'm fine with that. However, I end up yelling at the tv, because nonsensical, irrational actions that may appear to be based on bad writing, may have logical reasons, specifically, most of the scenes/actions of Lori from TWD/wifey. And I literally mean, darn near every scene, as in, too many to list, I questioned why she took any of the actions that she took. Like, why would you risk getting caught during curfew, knowing the potential consequences, and that you've still got 2 kids living at home, to simply to ask a co-worker what happened to hubby?

...

It really irritated me that she did that, especially since she risked her kids being completely parentless just to ask the question. It's not like she would have had any time to go rescue him even if the coworker knew where he was. And the coworkers would have to be really crappy people  if they knew he was somewhere in trouble and they were just chilling at home instead of  trying to help him or at least let his family know, so it's not likely that they would have had any info that would be immediately helpful. I just wondered what she thought the point of her little excursion was. 

 

 

...Not to mention that she dropped her bicycle right in front of the vehicle, which should have been a red flag for the goon squad that came out.  But, oh well.

 

I know, right? Not only that, but I was waiting for them to drive over it. It seemed like it was laying where it should have gotten run over. But no, she had it the next day. 

 

I'm going to give this show a few more episodes, but I'm pretty sure I'll be bailing soon. I'm not a fan of Holloway or Calles anyway.

[MissLucas]

Whenever they showed the Wall I had to think of 'Almost Human' - not sure I'm ready for another show that might get canceled before I know what's behind the damned thing.

Family trying to survive under alien occupation isn't exactly a breath-taking new concept and neither is the conflict between collaboration - resistance. Compelling characters are needed to make it work and the next few episodes will show if the writers can deliver on that front. The pilot was too busy with world-establishing to get that job done yet.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Whenever they showed the Wall I had to think of 'Almost Human' - not sure I'm ready for another show that might get canceled before I know what's behind the damned thing.

 

First thing I thought of as well.

[bunchofgrapes]

 

I'm going to give this show a few more episodes, but I'm pretty sure I'll be bailing soon. I'm not a fan of Holloway or Calles anyway.

 

Same here. I'm only watching for Paul Guilfoyle. If they kill him off, then I'm out. Can't see myself getting invested in this for any other reason. 

[Dowel Jones]

ETA: one glaringly odd thing --...

 

I thought that the view was from the tail camera of the truck in which they were riding, and the view was of the next truck to enter the checkpoint, which of course was carrying the IED.  Could be wrong. 

[ottoDbusdriver]

I thought that the view was from the tail camera of the truck in which they were riding, and the view was of the next truck to enter the checkpoint, which of course was carrying the IED.  Could be wrong. 

 

Good question -- I just assumed it was the trailer that Will was hiding in was the one that blew up, but that would make more sense if it was the truck behind them, and then the camera would have been on the back of their trailer.

 

Went back and checked -- @Dowel Jones you are correct.  The truck behind them was completely destroyed and you could see the remains of the truck cab from that truck in the background, while the trailer Will climbed out of was relatively intact by comparison, and that truck cab was intact near the front of the trailer.  Nice catch.

[Macbeth]

The first person we see as an oppressor is a black man.  The first person who has a gun drawn on her is a black woman.  The answer to me watching another episode is a major no.  YMMV.  It is too offensive for me to even hate watch.  

 

On a minor point - the fact that Holloway's character expected his phone call from the armed forces working with the alien occupiers was just too ridiculous for words.  Apparently the writers have no clue what this show is really about.  But then neither do I.

Edited January 18, 2016 by Macbeth

[Lion]

The first person we see as an oppressor is a black man.  The first person who has a gun drawn on her is a black woman.  The answer to me watching another episode is a major no.  YMMV.  It is too offensive for me to even hate watch.  

 

I've tried really hard to pretend this didn't happen because I want to like this show and am curious to see what the second episode will bring.  But it was one of those moments where I thought that they must have done it on purpose because how on earth can writers, casting agents and directors not realize how this will come across to viewers

[Macbeth]

Unfortunately I don't think it occurred to them at all Lion.  And that is what is truly sad.

[WearyTraveler]

I'm Latina, and as a woman and what the US people consider POC, I feel compelled to ask (without intending to inflame anyone or cause trouble, I'm seriously wondering about this):  If we are all equal, why does it matter who is a bad guy or a good guy?  Wouldn't it be equally unbalanced to have POC only be good guys?

 

I honestly didn't even notice that until you guys pointed it out.  I guess I just look at the story and the quality of the performances, I really don't care what color/gender the people are.

Edited January 18, 2016 by WearyTraveler

[Lion]

I'm Latina, and as a woman and what the US people consider POC, I feel compelled to ask (without intending to inflame anyone or cause trouble, I'm seriously wondering about this):  If we are all equal, why does it matter who is a bad guy or a good guy?  Wouldn't it be equally unbalanced to have POC only be good guys?

 

I honestly didn't even notice that until you guys pointed it out.  I guess I just look at the story and the quality of the performances, I really don't care what color/gender the people are.

 It's not about wanting all black men on tv to be only good guys.  It's about being sick of them being disproportionately portrayed as bad guys.  It perpetuates all sorts of nasty stereotyping.  

 

We are obviously not all equal, though that's what I'd hope to strive for.