Colony - 2.01 "Eleven. Thirteen" - Advanced Preview

Colony kicks the second season off with a exciting and enticing start. There's no good way to preview the first episode without revealing that a certain amount of the episode is a flashback to the day that Los Angeles was taken over by the aliens and when the Bowmans were somehow separated from their third child, Charlie!

Last season laid a lot of foundation down for the story to take off and go down some interesting roads, but overall it fell a bit flat in convincing audiences that most of the characters, outside of Will Bowman (Josh Holloway), are justified in their endeavors, whether because they are unlikable or come off as unreasonable with not much about their former lives being revealed to help support choices the characters make. The show also took it's time getting more into it's science fiction premise and it also didn't have the continuous suspense needed to make it more enjoyable to carry viewers through slower-paced story telling and/or slow turnovers of bigger plot twists given the show's science fiction and espionage predilections. --But this first episode back does a great deal to remedy that!

In terms of returning characters, the episode homes in on both Will and Katie Bowman (Sarah Wayne Collins), Alan Snyder (Peter Jacobson), Eric Broussard (Tory Kittles), and with brief appearances from Maddie (Amanda Righetti) and her son, Helena Goldwin (Ally Walker), and the Bowman's children, including Charlie.


We are also introduced to a few new characters including Will's former partner from the FBI, Devon (Carolyn Michelle Smith) and a new organisation that seems to be a missing link for how the aliens are able to execute their designs on what viewers know is the new proxy government.

For me, this episode was the best episode to date, because it was able to hold up the first season by finally informing it's story with providing the beginnings of much-needed back stories that give credence in whom the characters have become and are becoming. In addition it was executed in such a way as to highlight it's main cast, rather than relying solely on the performance of Josh Holloway. It also was very suspenseful, showcased some interesting mythology, and offered the beginnings of bridges between the current time period and the past with an origin tale with conspiracies afoot.

On the downside, there was one character-related connection that I think is still needed that wasn't made, but given that Colony may continue with flashbacks from time to time, I'll hold my tongue, because it's something that can still easily be touched on in later episodes.

Colony returns next Thursday, January 12 at 10:00 PM EST on USA Network!

Darthlocke4

Laura Becker (Darthlocke 4) is a long time commentator, TV addict, and aspiring writer participating with other fans on SpoilerTV. She writes reviews and analytic type articles. Some of her other interests include philosophy, cultural anthropology, reading, drawing, and working with animals, as she grew up and continues to work on her family's horse farm.

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