The exploration of dystopian society isn’t exactly a new one for television, but it’s certainly one in which star Josh Holloway has plenty of experience. USA Network’s “Colony,” which reunites the actor with executive producer and “Lost” collaborator Carlton Cuse, pits Holloway in a not-so-distant L.A. future in which invaders (alien or otherwise remains unclear — the show never says) have taken over and humans are forced to live in oppression.
There are those who have aligned with the invaders, such as Proxy Alan Snyder (Peter Jacobson, in a seemingly tailor-made role) and are privy to a luxurious world of goods and comforts. Then there are those like mechanic Will Bowman (Holloway) and his wife Katie (Sarah Wayne Callies), who manage to get by with their two children and a dog by exchanging oranges they grow in their backyard for other necessities, all the while pining for their missing son, who was separated from them during the invasion.
On the surface it’s a calmer existence than most futuristic offerings, in which citizens abide by a curfew and pedal bikes everywhere in lieu of cars. But upon closer examination necessities like insulin and freewill are hard to come by, creating an underground resistance of people that helps open up the pressure points of the show on a weekly basis.
In the pilot the story begins to crack when Bowman makes a play to find his missing son, resulting in his capture and exposure as a former FBI agent with skills the invaders need to fight the resistance. Through what essentially boils down to blackmail he eventually agrees, with the seeming support of his wife. But as viewers quickly note, Katie herself is a part of the resistance, and this quickly sets up an internal family conflict within the larger context of the societal turmoil. If at this point you’ve managed to become invested in the characters, odds are you’ll be on board for the rest of the season.
The first hour, though rife with setup, is also packed with tense moments that showcase both Holloway and Callies’ dramatic range free from the comedic relief that typically pairs with these types of offerings. Perhaps that’s to the show’s detriment in Holloway’s case, as the actor has proved time and again he’s a leading man worthy of glib one-liners while saving the day. In Callies’ case though it’s important to set Katie up as an independent heroine away from her husband, given the actress’s track record of picking projects (“Prison Break,” “The Walking Dead”) in which audiences have turned on her for “meddling” too much in the leading men’s lives.
Through it all, it’s clear this is a project intent on focusing on the aftermath of the invasion rather than addressing the cataclysmic event itself, as the show addresses human nature and just how far one will go to survive. Does one choose family or humanity when backed into a wall, and where does one draw the line between the two?
Although there’s nothing new here, per se, it’s still a solid hour of watchable drama that often plays out more like a movie than a television series. In terms of cinematic experience this works, but beyond a first season it’s hard to see where the show can open up and take viewers beyond that initial run without delving into the events of the past.
Given the origins of the story (the show was inspired by images of French collaborators at extravagant dinner parties while Nazis occupied the streets of Paris) it’s a place the writers will eventually have to go to lock in audiences and avoid the procedural tone that threatens to weigh the show down. For now, it’s enough to secure a first season investment.
“Colony” premieres Thursday, Jan. 14 at 10 p.m.
Scene at TCA 2016 Winter Press Tour (Updating Photos)
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EPs Brad Simpson, Ryan Murphy, Nina Jacobson, co-EP Anthony M. Hemingway, Consultant Jeffrey Toobin, and actors Sarah Paulson, John Travolta and Cuba Gooding Jr. on stage for FX's "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story" panel on Jan. 16
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Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys on stage for FX's "The Americans" panel on Jan. 16
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Jay Baruchel and Eric Andre on stage for FX's "Man Seeking Woman" panel on Jan. 16
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Creator/star Donald Glover on stage for FX's "Atlanta" panel on Jan. 16
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Co-creators/EPs Zach Galifianakis and Louis C.K. for FX's "Baskets" panel on Jan. 16
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FX CEO John Landgraf on stage during his executive session on Jan. 16
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Actors Rebecca Liddiard, Micahel Weston, Stephen Mangan, Co-Creator/EP David Hoselton, EP David Shore and Co-Creator/EP David Titcher on stage for Fox's "Houdini & Doyle" panel on Jan. 15
Amber Grimes and Nick Cannon on stage for Oxygen's "Like a Boss" panel on Jan. 14
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EPs Philip D. Segal, Kevin Williams and investors Lauren Maillian, Randi Zuckerberg, Ido Leffler and Sarah Prevette on Oxygen's "Quit Your Day Job" panel on Jan. 14
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Actor Kieran Bew on stage for Esquire's "Beowulf" panel on Jan. 14
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Candis Cayne, Caitlyn Jenner and Ella Giselle on stage for E!'s "I Am Cait" panel on Jan. 14
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Nathan Phillips, Britne Oldford and Julian McMahon on stage for Syfy's "Hunters" panel on Jan. 14
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Stars Olivia Taylor Dudley, Hale Appleman, Arjun Gupta, Summer Bishil, Jason Ralph, Stella Maeve and EPs Michael London, Sera Gamble and John McNamara for Syfy's "The Magicians" panel on Jan. 14
EPs Ryan Condal and Carlton Cuse for USA's "Colony" on Jan. 14
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Jamie Kennedy, Maya Erskine and Joshua Leonard, Melissa George, Dave Annable and Co-EP Dr. Kathy Magliato on stage for NBC's "Heartbeat" panel on Jan. 13
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Executive producer and star Eva Longoria and actor Jencarlos Canela on stage for NBC's "Telenovela" panel on Jan. 13
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NBC's "Game of Silence" panel on stage on Jan. 13
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Executive producer Dick Wolf on stage for NBC's panel about "Chicago Med," "Chicago Fire" and "Chicago PD" on Jan. 13
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Actress Miranda Cosgrove on stage for NBC's "Crowded" panel on Jan. 13
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Jennifer Lopez on stage for NBC's "Shades of Blue" panel on Jan. 13
Mark McKinnon on stage for Showtime's "The Circus" panel on Jan. 12
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Luke Wilson, Carla Gugino and Imogene Poots on stage for Showtime's "Roadies" panel on Jan. 12
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EP Bill Lawrence, EP Blake McCormick, EP Steve Franks, and actors Wendie Malick, Page Kennedy, Justin Hires, Jon Foo, and Aimee Garcia for CBS's "Rush Hour" panel on Jan. 12
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Daniel Henney on stage for CBS's "Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders" panel on Jan. 12
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CBS News panel on Jan. 12
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Chairman CBS Sports Sean McManus, "The Super Bowl Today" host James Brown, analyst Phil Simms, announcer Jack Whitaker and announcer Jim Nantz on stage for CBS Sports panel on Jan. 12
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Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney for Amazon's "Catastrophe" panel on Jan. 11
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Director Alex Gibney and producer Kahane Cooperman for Amazon's "The New Yorker Presents" panel on Jan. 11
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Titus Welliver for Amazon's "Bosch" panel on Jan. 11
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Ben Chaplin for Amazon's "Mad Dogs" panel on Jan. 11
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Alycia Debnam-Carey on stage for CW's "The 100" panel on Jan. 10
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Actor David Gyasi on stage for CW's "Containment" panel on Jan. 10
Series creator Tom Rob Smith on stage for BBC America's "London Spy" panel on Jan. 8
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Creator Peter Moffat on BBC America's "Undercover" panel on Jan. 8
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Producer Huw Cordey on BBC America's "The Hunt" panel on Jan. 8
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Host Chris Evans for BBC America's "Top Gear" panel on Jan. 8
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Executive producer John Legend on stage for WGN America's "Underground" panel on Jan. 8
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Series creator Peter Mattei, EP Peter Tolan and stars Ryan Hurst, Gillian Alexy, David Morse, Kyle Gallner and Christina Jackson for WGN America's "Outsiders" panel on Jan. 8
Host Craig Ferguson and EP Brian Vok-Weiss speak on stage during History's "Join or Die" panel on Jan. 6
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Viceland creative director Spike Jonze introduces new network's panel on Jan. 6
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Viceland creative director Spike Jonze and the network's hosts speak on stage on Jan. 6
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John Rhys-Davies speaks on stage for MTV's "The Shannara Chronicles" on Jan. 6
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Nikki Glaser on stage for Comedy Central's "Not Safe With Nikki Glaser" on Jan. 6
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Stars Sutton Foster and Hilary Duff speak on stage during TV Land's "Younger" panel on Jan. 6
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Improv group The Katydids (Caitlin Barlow, Katy Colloton, Cate Freedman, Kate Lambert, Katie O'Brien, Kathryn Renee Thomas) and EPs Alison Brie and Jay Martel speak on stage during TV Land's "Teachers" panel on Jan. 6
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"Chasing Destiny" EP Jason Sands, host Kelly Rowland, creative director/choreographer Frank Gatson and EP Danny Rose speak on stage on Jan. 6
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Brandy Norwood speaks onstage during the BET "Zoe Ever After" panel on Jan. 6
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Connor Schell (left), senior vice president and executive producer for ESPN Films, and Ezra Edelman, director of "OJ: Made In America" on Jan. 5
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Vince Vaughn, executive producer of "The '85 Bears," speaks during the ESPN Films "30 for 30" panel on Jan. 5
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"Rough Draft" host Reza Aslan speaks alongside writer Norman Lear on Jan. 5
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TV stars and executives promote new and returning shows at the annual Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour