S01.E09: Zero Day

[thewhiteowl]

Will wants to remove the family from the occupation; Katie and Broussard prepare for an operation; Snyder tries to protect his office; Maddie makes a bold move.

 

 

[MDL]

I want to confirm what I thought I saw:

When "the resistance" entered the train after they blew it up, was the "VIP" in some sort of space suit/deep sea diving metal suit, and did it seem to have somewhat human proportions?

[bentley]

I'm liking this new cell. They're bringing some humor to the Resistance side. Previously all the funny stuff was from the Colonists' side of the show. They also seem competent despite their inexperience. I had to laugh at the British guy (Eckhart?) being miffed that Broussard wouldn't do the secret knock. 

 

The strobed lighting at the end was frustrating. I thought I spied a spacesuit and some dead soldiers. Could anybody tell what they were looking at?

 

I liked that they avoided the tired trope of having a shooter immobilized by guilt and disbelief at their first kill. Technically not her first kill, but as Broussard warned Katie, this would be different. She made a conscious decision to kill tonight, and to escalate her Resistance tactics, so I was pleased to see that although it affected her, there were no vapors. 

 

The Will/Katie fight at the end was way overdue, and sets things up in an interesting way for season 2.  I actually felt a little for Will tonight. He felt he was doing something good for his family by running. It's just that he was so busy planning their escape he missed the fact that his wife has become radicalized. She isn't interested in running. She wants to fight. 

 

Broussard is still a badass. 

 

 

When "the resistance" entered the train after they blew it up, was the "VIP" in some sort of space suit/deep sea diving metal suit, and did it seem to have somewhat human proportions?

 

Heh. We were posting at the same time. That's what I saw too. An old fashioned looking spacesuit. I'm assuming somebody was in it. Maybe Hyperion?

Edited March 11, 2016 by bentley

[Accidental Martyr]

I want to confirm what I thought I saw:

When "the resistance" entered the train after they blew it up, was the "VIP" in some sort of space suit/deep sea diving metal suit, and did it seem to have somewhat human proportions?

I took these pics off my tv screen.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/139209003@N03/25060943554/in/dateposted-public/

[bentley]

I see a terminator arm.

[GreyBunny]

There had better be an alien bird in that suit.

[ZoqFotPik]

Whatever that was, robot, cyborg, encounter suit, it only had four fingers.

While her plot line is still too separate from the rest, that was a pretty baller move by Maddie. I wonder if they are setting up Synder dying and  Adrian Pasdar taking over as Proxy in Season 2. I wish we could have seen more of the book Gracie was reading.

[eskimo]

Did anybody know till tonight that Will and Beau were planning an escape?  I like Beau and hope we see him again.  Maybe he'll show back up next season with tons of intel. 

[sjohnson]

I laughed out loud when Katie actually had the nerve to call Will's plan crazy. The resistance hasn't even come up with anything that good. The script writing in a "rap" using a subway instead of flying in? She has to be screwing Broussard, that's the only explanation for her.

 

The notion that clergymen wouldn't provide eager collaborators and that the invaders would proselytize is so stupid it has to be explained some other way. It occurs to me that Muslim invaders would want to convert children. 

 

I'll check the last episode, but I'm really getting committed to the proposition that Carlton Cuse is an ignorant hack and, personally, a douche. 

[eskimo]

Paraphrasing...

Broussard:  I'm going to have to disappear.  You won't see me for a while.

*One week later*

Broussard:  I gave you that week to process your feelings and move past seeing your friend and her kids hanging from a bridge. 

LOL

[DoubleUTeeEff]

I took these pics off my tv screen.

https://www.flickr.c...eposted-public/

 

Looks like it's running off a duracell battery.

 

I laughed out loud when Katie actually had the nerve to call Will's plan crazy.

I know, right?  Gee, a woman and two of her three kids escaping from their Alien Overlord's rule under the protection of Beau doesn't sound so bad under the circumstances.  I don't mind that she wants to be part of the Resistance but at least think it over for your kid's sake maybe?  Even if you have to send the kids on their own. 

[xaxat]

A combination of poor storytelling and the fact that I don't find the show engaging enough to really pay attention has led me to a whole lot of "What?" moments.

 

Beau and Will trust each other enough to risk their lives for each other?

 

Adrian Pasdar does what that makes him so important?

 

Broussard (who says he didn't get into relationships because he didn't want to be compromised) trusts Katie why? (I was laughing as he literally ran circles around her when they were killing guards.)

 

It feels like that had a twenty episode story that they had to fit into a ten episode sack. Although I'm not sure extra episodes would have helped.)

 

(And all of those questions ignore the aliens and Katie. Who I have given up trying to figure out.)

 

 

[GreyBunny]

The script writing in a "rap" using a subway instead of flying in

 

That cracked me up so hard.  These super-advanced aliens that could probably beam in or fly in by space shuttle decide to take some dingy subway?  Really?  And then to not clear the subway line by at least sending in some drones ahead of time to scout the safety of the path?  When the president or VP show up someplace the Secret Service scours the route with a fine toothed comb and stay put until the prez/VP has safely passed by.  So stupid.   

 

And as always:  Fucking. Lori. Ruins. Everything.  They should have sent the kids on with Beau.

 

I want a copy of their kiddie rap worship book for entertainment value.

Edited March 11, 2016 by GreyBunny

[NeenerNeener]

 

I want a copy of their kiddie rap worship book for entertainment value.

 

 

I'm getting a Torchwood: Children of Earth vibe from this show, like, this is what happened a few years after Jack blew up that last ship.

[Dowel Jones]

So Beau wants to escape.  To Big Bear?  I mean, it's nice in the summer, and there's no waiting on Chair 1 during the winter, but there's precious little growing season up there, and in all reality life is all about taking care of the basics now.  With all the unoccupied housing anywhere outside the wall it would be a lot easier to survive in the valleys.  Speaking of "outside the wall", one thing confused me tonight (okay, at least one thing).  The frames show the wall more or less going through the Hollywood Hills, and Santa Monica is supposedly shut off, but then so is downtown LA, which doesn't make any sense geographically.  I want to know more about how the aliens subdivided up the world.  Beau made reference to a Capetown riot at the beginning. 

 

Personally I was glad to see the redhats get an asswhippin'  for a change.  Besides being unaccountably brutal, they seem to be barely more competent than the resistance.  Beau and Will stage a shootout on the 30TH FLOOR of a building, and they "lose" the suspects?  Ryan Hardy says hello.

 

If you have the only cars on the road, is it really necessary to work your sirens on the way to a call?

 

I wonder where Bram was going when Katie shut him down for the night?  He had a lot of equipment.

Edited March 12, 2016 by Dowel Jones

[ZoqFotPik]

 

If you have the only cars on the road, is it really necessary to work your sirens on the way to a call?

Especially when you are trying to sneak up on someone. If there had actually been people hiding in that building, they would have heard them coming long before they saw them. Not that spotting them would have been that hard, being the only cars on the road.

 

 

I wonder where Bram was going when Katie shut him down for the night?  He had a lot of equipment.

I'm guessing he was going to try and sneak under the wall with his teacher friend. Remember they want to get to a USC astronomy lab to use the telescopes.

Edited March 12, 2016 by ZoqFotPik

[riverheightsnancy]

This show really jumped the shark for me with this episode. All of a sudden, Will and Lori are sharing personal thoughts and feelings with other people, when we have never seen them act like this before. It is like the show runners suddenly realized that we don't have enough background about the invaders and needed to put all of that exposition into one episode. And while Katie is out playing "resistance gal" who the hell is with her kids? (I'm looking at you Lori-"Where's Carl?") These resistance meetings are like a Friday night book club. No concern about anyone who could be watching or spying on them. Let's just casually and out loud talk about our plans to thwart the alien invaders. Will, on the other hand, is now suddenly bonding with Beau and sharing personal feelings? How does he know that he can trust him? Why are the people at the Yonk partying like it is 1999 with a band no less? Of course Katie can just go into the basement to practice shooting a weapon. Oy. Why does everyone act so blase about being watched all the time? Why aren't they more fearful?  Why the hell does the resistance think that they can do anything against the invaders? The resistance is 5 people, SMH. Makes no sense at all. 

[FishyJoe]

So these aliens or whatever, who have demonstrated total air superiority, choose to travel in the subway instead of in their fancy ships.

[Netfoot]

Ok, this is my album of screen-grabbed images from the last few seconds of the episode:

 

Looks like a man in a spandex suit.  The left arm/hand appears quite spindly and possibly even robotic, but I suppose it could be a spindly alien arm in spandex.  Is it a four-digit hand?  Or is the little finger just curled under and not visible?  The head looks like a cross between a motorcycle helmet and a fencing mask.

 

As you'd expect, this "big reveal", revealed nothing at all.  

 

So glad that Madeline was able to smack down the Pole-Necked Gazoo.  Somewhat surprised that Adrian Pasdar didn't make more of a fuss, but then, if I were him I'd dump one Gazoo for Madeline, any day, in a heart-beat.

 

After (how many?) nine episodes of being told how impossible it was to get permission to cross over the wall, suddenly Snyder waves his wand and they get access not only for the trusted top agents, but for a couple of dozen grunts as well?   Hmmm.

[GreyBunny]

I loved the shot of all of the heaps of cars just outside the wall.  "So that's where they went."  Indeed.

 

If you have the only cars on the road, is it really necessary to work your sirens on the way to a call?

 

To get pedestrians and cyclists out of the way. 

 

I wonder what's going on INSIDE the wall.  Whenever characters go through that tunnel there is a lot of strange noise over their heads.

 

These resistance meetings are like a Friday night book club. No concern about anyone who could be watching or spying on them. Let's just casually and out loud talk about our plans to thwart the alien invaders.

 

One of the biggest facepalm moments was when Fucking Lori demanded to know how they got their intel...and they told her.  GEEZ.  If she wants to play Resistance Gal (love that phrase) then she needs to understand the concept of "need to know."  That's Resistance 101.  She didn't need to know about the bee mini drones or how they're used, or anything else other than her part of the next mission.

[riverheightsnancy]

 

One of the biggest facepalm moments was when Fucking Lori demanded to know how they got their intel...and they told her.  GEEZ.  If she wants to play Resistance Gal (love that phrase) then she needs to understand the concept of "need to know."  That's Resistance 101.  She didn't need to know about the bee mini drones or how they're used, or anything else other than her part of the next mission.

Yeah, I forgot about that, and you are correct. The bee drone is HUGE compared to some of the insect (like flys) drones that I have seen in a documentary on burgeoning military drone technologies. If La Resistance has THAT kind of technology, then why aren't they using it ALL THE TIME?  This show has started to get to end of series "Lost" levels of frustration. 

[Rickster]

Yeah, I forgot about that, and you are correct. The bee drone is HUGE compared to some of the insect (like flys) drones that I have seen in a documentary on burgeoning military drone technologies. If La Resistance has THAT kind of technology, then why aren't they using it ALL THE TIME?  This show has started to get to end of series "Lost" levels of frustration.

I thought they said they only had two of them, and one was no longer functioning? I doubt they have the ability to manufacture more with limited access to materials and equipment under the occupation.

[paulvdb]

Beau made reference to a Capetown riot at the beginning.

I thought that's what I heard, but I thought I must have heard it wrong. They don't even know what's happening in other parts of the United States, so how would they know about a riot in South Africa? Or is there some part of Los Angeles that's also called Cape Town? Edited March 12, 2016 by paulvdb

[Dowel Jones]

I would think that, in the post apocalyptic car-less LA society, the environment would be so quiet that one would hear any vehicle approaching, especially a big diesel MRAP.  But tv sirens is just one thing I notice, that's all.

 

If the resistance has a collective half a brain, they will spirit the body of the VIP away (dead or alive), so that there is still some doubt in management's mind as to his/her condition.  Of course, a VIP would have a tracking device on his person, right?

 

They took the subway because, well, it runs right by MacArthur Park, and the aliens, before the invasion, were getting radio signals from Earth, but it has taken decades for them to get there (remember Contact?).  So all they were getting was really cheesy music from the late 60's.  And he wanted a tour.

 

There is a Capetown, but it is a very rural settlement on the Humboldt County coastline. 

[ZoqFotPik]

He said K-Town, referring to Korea Town a neighborhood in Central Los Angeles.

 

 

 

 

If you have the only cars on the road, is it really necessary to work your sirens on the way to a call?
 

To get pedestrians and cyclists out of the way.

I think the poster was referring to when they were outside the walls and still drove around with their sirens.

Edited March 12, 2016 by ZoqFotPik

[Clanstarling]

Rolling in hot in a zone that is supposedly empty, but where you're trying to catch resistance who might be hiding out there is pretty stupid. Largaza clearly didn't win any academic achievement awards.

The daughter reading a book she know she is not supposed to talk about, and doing it in the living room in front of her parents, shows me the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. It got me to thinking how Katie - who doesn't trust the government - pretty much dismissed the government provided tutor as nothing much more than a convenient babysitter for her resistance meetings. She's such an absent parent that it doesn't even occur to her to ask what the girl is learning, or look at her work.

I so wanted Bram just to walk out the door, like some bratty teenagers do, and leave Katie with no one to watch the girl.

I don't find anything odd about musicians in the Yonk - even in German occupied France, people went to the bars and musicians still played. It's one way to relieve the stress. I was just trying to figure out if the song had a hidden message.

As for Maddie, she could have made that move without robbing her former customers, since her boss already had enough unaccounted for art in her office. So while I can respect the cojones, it sure as heck didn't make me think she's doing anything but stepping up the collaborator ladder.

For some reason I thought this series was taking place three years after the invasion, so I was surprised at the "Day 366."

I did like the confrontation between Will and Katie. To me, their argument/positions boiled down to - who wants the world to be a better place when their kids to grow up, and who wants to make sure their kids grow up. I'm not saying people shouldn't resist - but people with kids have a much more complicated choice than those like Broussard - who only has his neck on the line.

Edited March 12, 2016 by clanstarling

[ottoDbusdriver]

For some reason I thought this series was taking place three years after the invasion, so I was surprised at the "Day 366."

 

Yeah, it seems a little way too organized for being barely a year out from when the aliens showed up and defeated all of the world's military forces within hours.

Edited March 12, 2016 by ottoDbusdriver

[Helena Dax]

Was that an alien? Finally!!

 

Was this the season finale?

 

So Lori's sister reported her boss? Or was it just a coincidence? Anyway, I'm surprised the aliens are interested in keeping famous paintings for themselves. Why would they like the same things we do? I mean, I could understand it if those paintings were just souvenirs to them, but the aliens seem to be targeting only very famous painters which doesn't make any sense beyond a museum about alien cultures in a planet far, far away.

Edited March 12, 2016 by Helena Dax

[ZoqFotPik]

 

Yeah, it seems a little way too organized for being barely a year out from when the aliens showed up and defeated all of the world's military forces within hours.

I think it has been hinted that the Aliens had infiltrated the Earth prior to the official arrival.

 

 

Was this the season finale?

No. Next week

 

 

So Lori's sister reported her boss?

That's how I interpreted events.

[Netfoot]

It seems to me that The Resistance has done more to combat the Redhats in the week since Quayle was killed, than in all the previous weeks for the entire series.

[GreyBunny]

I think the poster was referring to when they were outside the walls and still drove around with their sirens.

 

Okay, I missed that.  Obviously it was meant to alert the viewers that the redhats were on the way but in a real-world situation it would be pretty stupid.

[bentley]

 

It seems to me that The Resistance has done more to combat the Redhats in the week since Quayle was killed, than in all the previous weeks for the entire series.

 

I like the infusion of youth and technology this new cell brings, and the three actors they chose are perfect. The computer geeks will hopefully negate some of the Colonists' database advantages. Makes me excited for Season 2. The members of the old cell told us that Quayle was a good leader, but I never saw it onscreen. I look forward to seeing what Broussard can do in more of a leadership role. Starting with how to cash in on their hostage, dead or alive.

 

I see the show is getting an extra 3 episodes next season. Good! I think with more time to tell the story,there wouldn't be such a disconnect between storylines. Like every time they cut to the Green zone art scene, I lost interest and just wanted to get back to the "real story". And the 2 sisters never stayed in contact throughout the season, which I thought could have helped connect things better. They've both had some major life changes since the first episode. Can't wait for that conversation. Or to see if they both stay silent about their new roles. Either way, the dots are connecting right here at the end.

[GreyBunny]

Maddie finally did something interesting - engineered the ouster of Pasdar's annoying, creepy wife. He didn't look too upset about it.

Edited March 13, 2016 by GreyBunny

[anadyr21]

Edited:

One of the biggest facepalm moments was when Fucking Lori demanded to know how they got their intel...and they told her.  GEEZ.  If she wants to play Resistance Gal (love that phrase) then she needs to understand the concept of "need to know."  That's Resistance 101.  She didn't need to know about the bee mini drones or how they're used, or anything else other than her part of the next mission.

 

Edited:

The daughter reading a book she know she is not supposed to talk about, and doing it in the living room in front of her parents, shows me the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. It got me to thinking how Katie - who doesn't trust the government - pretty much dismissed the government provided tutor as nothing much more than a convenient babysitter for her resistance meetings. She's such an absent parent that it doesn't even occur to her to ask what the girl is learning, or look at her work.

I so wanted Bram just to walk out the door, like some bratty teenagers do, and leave Katie with no one to watch the girl.

As for Maddie, she could have made that move without robbing her former customers, since her boss already had enough unaccounted for art in her office. So while I can respect the cojones, it sure as heck didn't make me think she's doing anything but stepping up the collaborator ladder.
 

 

Edited:

I like the infusion of youth and technology this new cell brings, and the three actors they chose are perfect. The computer geeks will hopefully negate some of the Colonists' database advantages. Makes me excited for Season 2. The members of the old cell told us that Quayle was a good leader, but I never saw it onscreen. I look forward to seeing what Broussard can do in more of a leadership role. Starting with how to cash in on their hostage, dead or alive.

 

I see the show is getting an extra 3 episodes next season. Good! I think with more time to tell the story,there wouldn't be such a disconnect between storylines. Like every time they cut to the Green zone art scene, I lost interest and just wanted to get back to the "real story". And the 2 sisters never stayed in contact throughout the season, which I thought could have helped connect things better. They've both had some major life changes since the first episode. Can't wait for that conversation. Or to see if they both stay silent about their new roles. Either way, the dots are connecting right here at the end.

To touch on the bolded points:

 

I've been wondering where La Resistance has been getting their intel. I figured Broussard provided some. However, the drone/"bug" was pure Dues Ex Machina. Like, the writers really couldn't come up with a more reasonable explanation for knowing important information, and there was absolutely no way a viewer could guess or extrapolate this from previous information in earlier episodes.

 

I'm not jumping for joy about young, tech savvy characters, mainly, because I think it nigh impossible for them to be anything more than an annoyance in dealing with alien tech. Without Broussard, they really didn't have a plan that could be implemented. Yeah, they've got the tech, explosives, and location. You still needed someone to actually get you there. Frankly, why are these 2 cells just now collaborating after 1 year?

 

The Fucking Kids. I thought it was rather telling that Bram yelled at Fucking Lori to be a parent and watch her own kid. No wonder the youngest is being so easily indoctrinated. And, while I've never "popped" my kid, the way that little girl pulled at that book and threw a tantrum, well, she'da got "popped." HARD. Not an, "Excuse Me!" with Fucking Lori's typical wide-eyed look.

 

And, speaking of kids. In the first 2 episodes, Maddie and her son were always hanging around and the kid needed insulin. Sooo, whose been watching this kid while mommy is having 3-ways, cleaning kitchens, and procuring art? It appeared that Maddie was injecting her son with insulin, not him injecting himself. Sooo, is someone else injecting him, babysitting him, indoctrinating him. etc? Is he not being "tutored" with his cousin? When Will was talking about running away, was there no thought to Maddie and her son? Do they not live in the guest house anymore? Maddie has had so little interaction with the main characters that it could be easy to forget who her sister is.

[bentley]

 

I'm not jumping for joy about young, tech savvy characters, mainly, because I think it nigh impossible for them to be anything more than an annoyance in dealing with alien tech. Without Broussard, they really didn't have a plan that could be implemented.

 

Well now, you obviously haven't watched enough TV to know what a scrappy band of misfits is capable of. ;)  Seriously though I call it a good start. I doubt they will stay a gang of 5. As for why they hadn't merged cells earlier, it sounds like the attempted Snyder assassination attempt is what put Quayle's cell on the map.  It also doesn't help build connections with other cells if you get a reputation for killing the other cell members if the mission fails...another reason I don't think Quayle was a good leader. One thing I'm hoping for in season 2 is more unified efforts among the various cells.

Edited March 13, 2016 by bentley

[Red Bridey]

I guess I don't pay enough attention to this show, but I don't remember when Will and his partner decided to high-tail it to Big Bear.  Have they mentioned it at all in previous episodes?  Did I miss the discussion about getting the missing son?

[Anela]

Edited:

 

Edited:

 

Edited:

To touch on the bolded points:

 

I've been wondering where La Resistance has been getting their intel. I figured Broussard provided some. However, the drone/"bug" was pure Dues Ex Machina. Like, the writers really couldn't come up with a more reasonable explanation for knowing important information, and there was absolutely no way a viewer could guess or extrapolate this from previous information in earlier episodes.

 

I'm not jumping for joy about young, tech savvy characters, mainly, because I think it nigh impossible for them to be anything more than an annoyance in dealing with alien tech. Without Broussard, they really didn't have a plan that could be implemented. Yeah, they've got the tech, explosives, and location. You still needed someone to actually get you there. Frankly, why are these 2 cells just now collaborating after 1 year?

 

The Fucking Kids. I thought it was rather telling that Bram yelled at Fucking Lori to be a parent and watch her own kid. No wonder the youngest is being so easily indoctrinated. And, while I've never "popped" my kid, the way that little girl pulled at that book and threw a tantrum, well, she'da got "popped." HARD. Not an, "Excuse Me!" with Fucking Lori's typical wide-eyed look.

 

And, speaking of kids. In the first 2 episodes, Maddie and her son were always hanging around and the kid needed insulin. Sooo, whose been watching this kid while mommy is having 3-ways, cleaning kitchens, and procuring art? It appeared that Maddie was injecting her son with insulin, not him injecting himself. Sooo, is someone else injecting him, babysitting him, indoctrinating him. etc? Is he not being "tutored" with his cousin? When Will was talking about running away, was there no thought to Maddie and her son? Do they not live in the guest house anymore? Maddie has had so little interaction with the main characters that it could be easy to forget who her sister is.

I was just going to ask about Maddie's son. I must have missed the 3-way. (?) I thought I caught a glimpse of her sleeping with that woman's husband (which doesn't make me a huge fan of hers, and it was understandable that his wife wouldn't want her around, or would want to punish her). 

I guess she did report her boss. 

[Accidental Martyr]

I must have missed the 3-way. (?) I thought I caught a glimpse of her sleeping with that woman's husband (which doesn't make me a huge fan of hers, and it was understandable that his wife wouldn't want her around, or would want to punish her). 

I guess she did report her boss.

The wife joined in. At least that was the implication since she was in the room.

[Raja]

I was just going to ask about Maddie's son. I must have missed the 3-way. (?) I thought I caught a glimpse of her sleeping with that woman's husband (which doesn't make me a huge fan of hers, and it was understandable that his wife wouldn't want her around, or would want to punish her). 

I guess she did report her boss. 

 

 

The wife joined in. At least that was the implication since she was in the room.

I would have to rewatch but I remember the wife saying after punishing Maddie that the deal was threesomes only. Her husband could not have a one on one mistress.

[ZoqFotPik]

 

I guess I don't pay enough attention to this show, but I don't remember when Will and his partner decided to high-tail it to Big Bear.  Have they mentioned it at all in previous episodes?

No, this was the first they mentioned it. However, during the end of episode 8, Beau says that their cover story regarding Quayle's death won't hold up if anyone starts looking into it. It was probably at that point they decided they needed to get while the gettin's good.

 

The wife joined in. At least that was the implication since she was in the room.

I thought she liked to watch.

[bentley]

I also thought the wife just liked to watch.

 

Going to Big Bear was mentioned in the previous episode, seemingly jokingly. Beau mentioned there was a 300 ft wall stopping them.

[RedheadZombie]

I kind of stumbled across this show after the first episode had already aired, so I missed all of the buildup.  The audience seems to know that the hosts are aliens, but do the colonists?  The reason I ask is the show runners have compared the situation to Nazi occupation of France.  They talk about pictures in which Parisians just went about their lives, visiting with friends, hanging out at cafes.  The difference is, they were humans invaded by humans, and using human technology.  On this show, they seem strangely complacent about the fact that they were invaded and put down in eight hours.  They are shot on site, and (according to what I've read elsewhere) things like insulin are no longer available because the hosts have determined that people with diseases like diabetes are unworthy of treatment, and are being culled from the population.  Yet they go about their lives with (seemingly) minimal fear.

 

My problem is I'm starting to dislike Will.  If not for my residual affection for Sawyer, I'd definitely be over him.  Here's this man who, out of everyone left, is most able to fight off the invaders.  Yet he's content to pretend to be an auto mechanic, and watch those around him get picked off and sent to the factory.  Sure he risks his life to search for Charlie, but that's motivated by selfish reasons, and he actually gets a group of men killed in the process.  So when he's caught by the enemy and forced to work for them, he suddenly turns back into super-spy.  He couldn't work this hard on behalf of man-kind, but he's practically omnipotent when working for the invaders.  It bugs.  And we know that Beau's been half-assing all this time, and getting along just fine.  And I don't buy that Will is just so great a spy that he can't half-ass a job.  He was living in apparent ease while doing nothing.  Now, in short order, he's single-handedly destroyed the resistance.  He's not the hero.  He's the traitor.

 

Then there's Katie who's doing what humans have historically done when fighting invaders.  And yet people insist on calling her Lori (I'm sorry, that's extremely irritating), calling her a horrible person, mother, wife.  And apparently finding her morally corrupt for fighting against the hosts.  Without a resistance, we'd still be paying our taxes to the Queen.  Without a resistance, most of Europe would be speaking German.  And all of those people who fought against invaders had families.  All of them risked their lives as well as their families - and in some cases small children.  Sure she's stumbling along and making a lot of mistakes.  I imagine I would, too.  I appreciate that the character is very ambivalent about her actions, feels torn about revealing what her husband (the enemy) is doing, and worries how this will impact her children.  She's frightened a lot of the time.  It's a lot more realistic to me than Superman Will.

 

And while I appreciate that Jennifer's motives have been explained, I think they suck.  So her boyfriend died as collateral damage of the resistance, therefore that means the invaders are the good guys?  I don't care for her.  Hundreds of thousands were killed by the invaders.  Because of Jennifer's work, many more colonists are killed.  All of these people mean nothing because Jenny's man is dead.  Give me a break.  I see her as no different than Jewish people who worked for the Nazis in the concentration camps.  Except they turned traitor out of fear, and the desire to live.  Jennifer volunteered.

 

The show is coming perilously close (for me) to allowing Broussard to eclipse the so-called hero.  The situation reminds me a lot of one on the first season of The Americans.  On that show, "Katie" had recruited "Broussard", and they had a romantic relationship.  I hated it.  But here, I really think Katie and Broussard are more fascinating.  I'm not necessarily wishing for them to become involved, but I wouldn't hate it.  And that surprises me.  Having said that, when Katie and Will start working together, I think everything will come together.  I'm still in, and I do like the show better than most things out there.

[bentley]

RedheadZombie,

 

I swear you are my Colony soulmate. Preach it, sister.

 

If you go back and read past threads, you'll see that several of us have had problems with Will the Occupation Wondercop and his taste for koolaid. I haven't liked him since episode 2, and nothing that happened in episode 9 changed my mind. The latest argument between Will and Katie illustrated how very much he has internalized the Occupationists' mindset. It was very much "us" and "them" and he was identifying with his captors/colleagues. He was outraged about Phyllis's death, but pretty callous about the death of Rachel and her two sons. He sees Katie's side as "killers" and never acknowledges what his side has done and is doing. And he's become the fricking ringleader! I have hopes that whatever happens in the finale will convince Will to wake up and start using his position to help, not hurt, the Resistance. I'm just not sure this is the story they're telling. And it still won't make up for everything he's done, or failed to do, this season. 

 

And I too am glad there is a Resistance movement, no matter the odds of success. I want to see people standing up and trying to do something. The challenge of watching them try to overcome the resources, power and advanced technology of an alien race or a higher intelligence, is half the fun for me as a viewer.

 

 

 

The show is coming perilously close (for me) to allowing Broussard to eclipse the so-called hero. 

 

I was already there by episode 6, when he trained his gun on Katie and dared her to shoot him.

Edited March 15, 2016 by bentley

[Dowel Jones]

The audience seems to know that the hosts are aliens, but do the colonists?

 

Posters have more or less assumed the invaders are aliens because of the quantum leap in technology displayed on the show.  The issue is still unsolved.  I would think the colonized people, after a year, would have a very good idea of who they are, but nobody's sayin' just yet.

[eskimo]

Early on I kept waiting to find out that some of the collaborators were really trying to help the population because they knew what would happen if things got out of hand.  But it doesn't appear that this will be the case.  They really seem to be sympathetic to the occupation. 

[sjohnson]

The series shows us early how sexy Broussard is when he shoots one of his own men for being wounded and susceptible to interrogation. Will shoots down Quayle who''s going to talk in interrogation. Will is a part of the resistance, with the same credentials as Broussard, murdering human beings. 

 

What has any of this to do with fighting aliens? Damned if I know, which is my problem with the resistance. I suppose has one-upped Broussard and Will by killing a resistance comrade who wasn't about to tell all to the interrogators? I haven't actually thought much about Katie, being more dismayed by Quayle's and Broussard's blood lust combined with total indifference to the aliens.