Please raise your hand if you’re not hooked TV…
Hubby and I like to watch the television to unwind—but I also like to watch it to see how stories and characters are developed, plots twist, themes are addressed, weird things happen.
We’re currently watching Colony, USA Network’s science-fiction drama series starring Josh Holloway and Sarah Wayne Callies. “In the not-too-distant future, Los Angeles has been invaded and occupied by outside forces, causing a rift between the city’s residents.”
So Why am I Hooked on Colony?
In many ways it’s like watching futuristic version of the Nazi Occupation. I was puzzling about that: is it a case of duplication-with-a-twist? I decided it’s a case of human condition. Any human beings put in the same type of situation (sudden violent occupation by someone bigger, badder, and more technologically advanced) would behave in the same general pattern. There’d be rebels, collaborators, and the neutral don’t-rock-the-boat folks in between. I do find it really interesting to see the problem put in a modern day situation, with modern day advancements in communications, weapons, police work, government policies…
The family situations intriguing—and utterly horrifying. I can empathize with the grief and helplessness of losing a child (thank you, overactive imagination!), the anger of being trapped in an untenable situation, the desire to want to “do something bigger than myself.” Sometimes people do really stupid things in the name of love and/or freedom. Are they right? Wrong? What happens to our pretty little moral lines when the whole world goes to pieces?
It’s incredible how many things influence our perception, our education, and our actions. It reminds me of the old axiom, “Don’t judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes.” A burden that is light for one may very well be overwhelming for another.
And that’s as much philosophizing as I want to do today!
Let’s Talk About the People
Let’s talk for a minute about the characters. Katie and Will Bowman both want the same things (safety, unity, justice), but they have really different ways of viewing how to go about getting them. And often, they’re both right. How’s that for a moral dilemma? I call it “juicy.” Especially when each of them have to redraw the lines they previously thought were gold.
Then there’s the Proxy who’s out of his depth, trying to be a good guy (mostly), but sometimes dipping into the Kreep Kool-aid.
The sister who will do anything to keep her sick son safe and get him the treatment he needs.
Her self-serving mercenary boyfriend whose charm probably comes out of bottle of snake oil.
The rebel with military training and a cause to test his skills.
The actors are terrific. I don’t think I’ve seen one that didn’t work. That hair of Holloway’s though—ai ai ai! The actor is great, but frequently the hair steals the scene. And not in a good way.
I don’t know anything about directing, so I’m not saying anything about directing, except that there are some really awesome and clever things going on there. Maybe Hubby and I are easy to please, but neither one of us have groused about how unrealistic a scene was (even it if was technically unrealistic). Some of the segues are just plain awesome.
At the end of every episode, we have our own life-altering decision to make: desperately wanting to hurry to the next one, or wait until tomorrow so we can drag the thrill out…
A Drift of Quills talked about some favorite TV shows. Check it out here!
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What’s your favorite binge-worthy show, and what got you hooked? Share in the comments!