Colony (TV Series 2016–2018) - Colony (TV Series 2016–2018) - User Reviews - IMDb
Colony (TV Series 2016–2018) Poster

(2016–2018)

User Reviews

Review this title
515 Reviews
Sort by:
Filter by Rating:
9/10
I Had To Abandon My Policy On Watching Cancelled TV Series - Colony is a Brilliant Show
ukproject15 May 2021
I absolutely hate watching mid story cancelled shows.

More than that, I hate the way companies like Netflix and Amazon etc market a show with the full knowlege that they are incomplete works. I strongly believe that such shows should come with a disclaimer.

I wouldn't start reading a book or watching a movie with the knowlege that the book had the last chapter missing or that the movie theatre would turn the projector off with 20 mins of the movie left, so why these companies get away with misleading marketing routinely is beyond me.

So a few episodes into Colony I thought I'd pop onto IMDB to write a review only to find out that this brilliantly executed show had been axed.

Despite this I decided to stick with COLONY as it is truly exceptional. So good in fact that I am continuing to watch it even though i know with absolute certainty that it will piss me off in the end.

This is definitely my kind of sci-fi. It combines political drama, intrigue, mystery and classical sci-fi themes along with a sprinkling of cop show, detective, revolutinary type elements. It touches on cult worship and religions, whether the right thing to do is to fall in line with your oppressors or resist and risk the possible death of the innocent in the fight.

It also brutally hits home how controllable human beings really are especially with todays technology. Give a regime enough control and at a certain point you simply won't be able to wrench that control back. Convince or coerce enough people to side with the system, and you're freedoms are gone. It's all a matter of when and how that balance tips for or against you.

It also shows advanced aliens truly acting intelligently. Instead of just appearing out of nowhere and nuking everything in sight, they simply take control of those who have control and power to begin with. The scare tactics, intimidation and psychological warfare techniques are spot on.

The shows pacing, acting and directing is good. The atmosphere is oppressive as it should be.

As an early fan of The Walking Dead who finally gave up watching after either the one eyed patch guy, the baseball bat dude or the cannibals (I can't remember which one was the last), I found Colony to be far superior. Having said that though if the makers of Colony also intended dragging the story out endlessly then maybe cancellation was a better option.

At the very least some sort of story should have concluded even if it resulted in the invaders winning in the end.

In any case, from what I've seen so far midway through season 2, Colony would have gotten a 10 from me. The only reason I've taken one star off is because of the absolute morons who decided to cancel Colony.

They should all be sent to The Factory.
113 out of 116 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Why can't series producers behave honourably?
Nemesis4220 May 2020
Series three finished with a cliffhanger and no ending. Why the heck can't these production houses plan things better. I get it, ratings go down a bit, ditch the show. Well in that case, plan and write the series so that the actual ending is at the end of series three without the need for a fourth series. Bloody dishonourable morons. Art and business don't mix so well. I want to know what happened !

They could give the go-ahead like what happened with sense-8. Fund a final chapter. The final act could be compressed into a single movie length episode. So they save money, and appease us fans.
83 out of 88 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
I hope Netflix picks this back up it was pretty good
Prophetik2 June 2019
Right when it starts to get super good you wanna cancel it ? Yeah it starts off slow and you're wondering if it's just another political show but it's not it's so much more they built momentum from season 1 to present it's very sad it was cancelled, i just got done watching it on netflix and thought it was amazing, i wanna know what happens next!
23 out of 23 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
I NEED SEASON 4
MidoriAi6 March 2021
You can't let that ending like this!!

This is an incredible TV Show!!!

WE WANT MORE!!
45 out of 48 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
great writing, casting & acting...
urthpainter10 March 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Can take you a long ways!

What happens when giant space ships land in your city, the ships themselves forming a great dividing wall that traps you, your family - everyone in the immediate environment captive in what once was their city, neighborhood, home? What do they want? What do we do? A lot of questions have been asked, without many answers, but this is part of the entertainment following this well made show.

Colony really is surprising on every level, but in today's era of amazing television this is an easy show to overlook. In a way, this problem is self inflicted. Here we have a show with an extra-terrestrial component - that through a season and a half, has had very few big budget pay offs with regard to the off world oppressors. However...

If you're patient, this actually becomes a good thing. For reasons not yet explained the aliens remain puppet masters using sophisticated drones and recruited people to do their work, which is again, very mysterious in terms of objective. Colony provides very little information with regard to the invasion or whatever type of occupation humanity now faces. Which puts the viewer right into the position of the mystified characters, who are not only trying to put the pieces together, but also learning to survive the new reality.

The people recruited to do the alien's dirty work immediately fall into various levels of collaboration against their own kind. All collaborators work for what is vaguely labeled, "the authority" who are the alien overseers. People are divided, must take sides, choose the greater good - and stand with or against friends, family, co-workers and complete strangers. The potential dynamics of this new reality has been well developed with all the main characters.

And who are they? A dedicated cop, his business running wife (bar owner) and their three children. There are also a handful of periphery characters - but all connect in some way to this core family. The viewers share each of their difficult journeys, and watch their transformation as a result.

The content is timely, too, but I would argue that Colony borrows much more of its content from historical context, such as the French resistance of Nazi occupation. There is a grit and reality to this show that keeps everything grounded and believable - which truly is remarkable, given the premise.

Colony can be surprisingly brutal, but I never feel it is doing so in a gratuitous fashion. The cast have to make difficult choices, and the main character (Dad, Will Bowman, Josh Holloway) is a man of action. I really appreciate the way this show presents the destructive potential of firearms, and really coaching up the actors on how to handle weapons. The last episode I watched included a brutal home invasion that I thought was really well presented.

There are going to be a lot of unappreciated's, underrated's, under-watched type comments handed out to Colony, but I'd just call it a really good TV show. It has the added interest of science fiction elements, but they are utilized in a completely unique way to keep the show about people.

It also helps that Colony is well presented - good technical qualities, occasional special effects where needed, really good audio - and a nice look (that has to do with lighting, set design and again - camera work). The casting is near perfect and watching the characters evolve with the story has been one of the best treats.

Colony is a great example why every show with potential deserves a second season.

Incredible potential fulfilled, and one of my current favorite TV shows. 9 out of 10
116 out of 132 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
This show is underrated and under-appreciated
steefan-9218 March 2016
Title says it all and this got me scratching my head and asking myself, what the heck people want anymore. When I take a look at shows like The Shannara Chronicles (which I finished and don't even ask me why I had do so). with higher ranking, while show had lower production quality or most recent The 100 season, I don't think audience really knows itself.

To cut to the chase, don't be fooled by low ratings of this show because it's TV show with carefully crafted plot and characters.Characters are designed in the way that you are going to like them or hate them, or even find idol among them. Casting crew is good, I have to say that acting is really decent.

Plot is unfolding slowly, by the end of season you have basic grasp of what is going on, since everything is still wrapped in the veil of mystery but what's really important is that plot is strong and rich. Also, it's lightweight, meaning there aren't mysteries under mysteries that will bore you to death while watching a show.

Action is present but it's nothing fancy, CGI generated, it's actually as humanly as possible, show is more about intrigue,crimish orientated.Simply put it's classical thriller.

I highly recommend everyone to give this show a shot, if you are looking for thrilling and enjoyable TV show.
280 out of 317 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
USA NETWORK IS AWFUL
Lcarroll4227 July 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Colony was one of the top 2-3 shows on USA, and not only did they cancel this great show, but they allowed the show to end without ANY storyline completion. USA Network is a bunch of morons for canceling Colony.

I hope that Netflix or any other network picks up this show...
660 out of 678 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
Intriguing, gutsy dystopian mystery
dissanctus21 May 2018
I don't often write reviews, leaving this to more learned critics, but I just had to mention what a successful mix this is of drama and sci-fi thriller. The actors all do excellently, and the show benefits greatly from letting your imagination paint a worse picture due to what you don't see. There are ominous echoes of our own history here and there, as the occupying forces are rarely shown, but their power is obvious, especially given the traitorous collaboration of the government. This show really keeps me looking forward to more of the unraveling mystery; what is the true intention of these mysterious invaders? There are some gritty characters that work well and one feels for the family. The effects are few but shockingly effective. All throughout the series manages to maintain a tense paranoid atmosphere which never allows you to relax. I think it's a really good example of sci-fi TV and hope it continues until completion unlike so many promising shows today.
118 out of 128 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Intellectual Science Fiction
Lebowskidoo9 September 2021
Colony is some pretty high.brow sci-fi for TV. Maybe it was a little too much so for most viewers. It veers from being evasive and mysterious to laying all its cards on the table to finally hitting a good groove in season three...only to be mercilessly cancelled without a satisfying conclusion. Reading what they had planned for seasons four and five is a real bummer, knowing we'll never see the war in space.

This show was admittedly frustrating and sometimes slow. The budget restrictions of being a sci-fi series on cable TV kept it from really gaining a bigger audience. When they did show alien technology, it was very impressive. The parallels between the alien invasion and parts of our own human history kept things going, supplying lots of human drama. The massive TV graveyard of prematurely cancelled sci-fi shows without a proper ending claims another one.
20 out of 22 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
Too close to home
marneederider11 February 2020
One of the best science fiction TV shows I've ever seen. However, I just can't keep watching it, because it is too close to home regarding what is happening in the US.
12 out of 12 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Yes, it starts as kind of a cop show. But it gets much better
arthurcooper31 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Yeah, this is TV without a game of thrones budget, so every single episode isn't packed with crazy sci-fi set pieces. Yeah, it does start off the first season with some slightly aggravating characters, and yeah, the first couple episodes do feel a little TOO much like some serialized cop show you've seen before. And, yes, you don't see aliens -- at first. But there's a lot more in store. If you give this show a shot, it goes in some in some very different directions, with some unexpected twists and great action. Also this is definitely NOT one of those shows where they do not want to move the main plot forward. Things change in very interesting ways and the characters get a lot more real. By season 3, this is nothing even close to a cop show.
211 out of 226 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Definitely don't just go by the Ratings. Read the user reviews. Then watch.
tranat7129 May 2018
Normally, there are just too many great shows to be watching shows rated "7.3".

When I say great shows, I mean Game of Thrones, Homeland, Westworld, Vikings, The Americans, Fargo, American Gods, Billions, True Detective S01 (since S02 was crap), Counterpart, Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead (from S03 and up since S01-02 are 100% pure crap), Ray Donovan, Outlander, Power, and older shows like Breaking Bad, The Wire, Sopranos.

Other shows I got addicted to are/were The Path, 12 Monkeys, Hell on Wheels, Justified, Travelers, The Terror, The 100, Better Call Saul, and Mr. Mercedes.

So when I saw the rating for "Colony" was a 7.3, I didn't even want to give it a chance. Some of the negative reviews didn't help the case.

But after watching Colony episode 1 and especially after episode 2, I was hooked.

Like all great shows, the story is more about family and people and less about aliens.

So give it a chance. You may get hooked on this show.
68 out of 85 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Better as it went on!
danieldwilkinson15 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Gonna be honest I wasnt feeling this one at first, but the moment it turned out that Broussard was one of the "red hats" I got hooked! Since I'm all about the resistance in shows like this he became my favorite character, he was such a bad ass!. Will eventually became a bad ass as well. As for the ending....I recall not being too satisfied with it.
8 out of 8 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Hollywood continues swirling the toilet.
rsvp32129 July 2018
Once again, an outstanding series gets cancelled because it doesn't make social issues, political messages, and pc, as the centre of each episode. All they offered was good sci fi and entertainment lol

It's unbelievable that agenda-driven series like Flash, Arrow, Cloak and Dagger, Impulse, Black Lightning, et al, lower rated and identically social j w motivated, keep going, when the best "just entertainment" series like Colony and The Expanse get cancelled in their early development.

Too bad there's no Colony books to continue the adventure.
40 out of 52 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
Not bad...
tchitouniaram9 January 2022
Probably would rate it a bit higher if not for the unfinished last season...Really unfair to people...Anyway, reasonable time killer, if nothing left to watch...
13 out of 15 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Gets better as the story progresses
fabz23 March 2017
Colony has a fairly original premise. The characters are at times a bit hard to stomach, but overall it's a pleasant watching experience. I found it well worth sitting through an at times annoying first season just to get through to season 2, which is much more interesting. The character development in season 2 has been quite impressive and they are now much more acceptable heroes and anti-heroes. Worth watching.
90 out of 101 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Please Renew This Show!!
courtneyknicely20 December 2018
Please please please bring this show back!! I was always on the edge of my seat. And to end it right when the war was finally starting!! It's all built up to this moment. Please at least give us closure. The Colony was a tremendous show. Please bring it back!!
161 out of 171 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
What a shame!
einarvasvik28 January 2019
The cancelation of this show makes as much sense as the USA in general. Some fat, lazy a$$ decided it wasn´t worth continuing. Well, just as you are wrong in everything else måddafåkkas - you were wrong canceling this.

Awesome Sc-fi series with well written elements of drama. Great acting and decent effects.
58 out of 64 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
Why was this cancelled?
My-Two-Cent12 June 2019
I don't understand why this show was cancelled because it progressively got better and better with each new episode and it's upsetting that Netflix picked up such a good unfinished show that in one more episode I'll be left wondering what would've/could've happened.. It'd be really cool if the creators of Colony could go the Deadwood route and at least give it a graceful exit with a made for TV movie..
15 out of 17 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Both sci fi and realistic
sumerahmet-9532611 March 2019
This series doesn't only include sci fi but also it deals with human relations like what a family can do to protect itself or what sacrifices a human can make. There is both action and emotion in it. Unfortunately, This is an unfinished story. I hope there will be new episodes.
121 out of 129 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Such a disappointment
trudjoh12 May 2021
Was really enjoying binge watching this show until it just stopped. Why do networks do that? Good ratings no ending. Crap.
6 out of 6 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Unfinished. Cancelled after S3
Pat10012 May 2021
I'm guessing this was cancelled because it was too expensive. It's very well done with lots of outdoor action and a huge cast. Everything about it is good. It's completely unfinished so I wouldn't recommend that you start watching it as you will be very disappointed. If you saw S1 & S2 then don't start S3 as it ends in the middle of action and nothing is resolved so you will feel very letdown.
6 out of 6 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Cancelled after three seasons.
Darren258928 July 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I'm so disappointed that they have cancelled the series at the end of season 3. We were just starting to get a grip of what was actually going on and it was about to kick off with the war. I can only imagine that this was going to sap the budget on SFX so they decided to can it.

I really wish they would allow the production to bring the story to a conclusion. I feel sort of ripped off having invested 36 hours of my life on this story only to find the back pages ripped out by the network. Pah :-(.
164 out of 173 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Criminally underrated
JeanDeMichaque19 December 2019
It starts a bit slow, but when it gets rolling it's just exceptional. This is so much more than an alien invasion series. I cant believe they cancelled it at the exact moment when the whole story was about to explode. A real SHAME. Excellent acting, very nicely shot, high quality effects.
6 out of 6 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
Let's play....tick the TV script boxes!
Rob_Taylor17 March 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Yes folks! Sit down and let's check off the sins of this particular, by-the-numbers show.

1. Brooding, perpetually angry looking hero...check! 2. Call it a scifi show but actually have very little scifi to show...check! 3. Annoying and superfluous family drama that dominates the runtime...check! 4. Glacial pacing to ensure that nothing actually ever happens...check! 5. Constantly suggest something more interesting will happen, but never actually get to it...check! 6. Annoyingly try to make human politics interesting...check! 7. Make as many of the show's characters as annoying as possible...check! 8. Have obligatory teen angst and drama tacked on...check!

I could go on, but you probably get the idea. The family drama just never lets up and overshadows the occupation setting horribly. I still don't get why it is felt necessary to shoehorn this dynamic into shows that really don't require it.

If you were hoping this show would be a stirring tale of the rise of the resistance and fighting back against alien oppressors, then think again.

For the most part, the aliens remain unseen and aloof, only sending in their hovering drones when absolutely necessary. Which is fine, but it leaves most of the antagonist work to be done by humans. This sounds good in theory, but in reality...

Remember all those old films an TV shows, where they didn't have the money to show aliens, so they used the plot device of "they can look like us!" as a cop out to have aliens, without having aliens?

Well, Colony feels like that. Except, they aren't aliens that look like us. They are us! We're the aliens in this scifi drama. It may be that this was the intent all along... to show how much scumbaggery we are capable of to our fellow man, but it just seems cheap.

If the story was better, or actually had a plot that progressed from week to week (a la The Expanse) then I might forgive this lack of scifi and aliens. But it doesn't. It just plods along with all the alacrity of a comatose snail.

Think I'm being unkind? Well, how is this... I'm on episode 10 of season 2 and all that has happened since the beginning of season 1 is...

The family recovered a son and (gasp in surprise!) they have discovered the aliens (which haven't been seen yet) have an ulterior motive in rounding up the human population.

That is literally all that has happened of any consequence since day 1 of the series. Beyond that, all that happens is a lot of hand-wringing over decisions that never amount to anything and the ongoing, utterly mind-numbing, never-ending family drama.

It's scifi, for people who don't watch scifi.

SUMMARY: Plot that never moves along, annoying characters, tiresome family drama. The show's conclusion will undoubtedly vie with the heat-death of the universe for the most long-awaited event that no one will ever see.
69 out of 106 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
An error has occured. Please try again.

See also

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews


Recently Viewed