‘Colony’: An Underrated, Mind-Bending Sci-Fi Series From 10 Years Ago

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In the last quarter-century, we’ve seen a lot of thought-provoking science fiction on TV, but the USA Network series Colony hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves. It’s been overshadowed by other shows about alien encounters, such as Invasion, The Strain, and Falling Skies, as well as popular hits like Stranger Things, Westworld, and The Expanse. Now that Colony is streaming on Prime Video, and with its 10th anniversary approaching, it’s a good time to revisit this often-overlooked series.

Premiering on January 14, 2026, the series Colony follows the Bowman family as they struggle to survive an alien invasion of Los Angeles. When Will Bowman (Josh Holloway) becomes separated from his son, he starts working with the aliens to protect his family. Many see Colony as a powerful story mirroring the German occupation of France during World War II, and its themes feel even more relevant today.

‘Colony’ Channels the Past To Paint a Haunting Future Vision


USA Network

Created by Carlton Cuse and Ryan J. Condal, the show Colony presents a frighteningly realistic vision of Los Angeles in the near future, just months after a strange alien invasion. The series centers on Will and Katie Bowman (played by Sarah Wayne Callies), who desperately search for their son, Charlie (Jacob Buster), after becoming separated during the initial attack. Will, a trained former Army Ranger and FBI agent, relies on his strength and smarts to stay safe.

I’m completely hooked trying to find Charlie, and things just got way more intense. They’ve forced Will to work with this group called the Redhats – humans who are actually helping the aliens. Their mission? To destroy The Resistance, the group fighting back against the invasion. And the worst part? They’ve threatened Will and his family – if he doesn’t cooperate with the Redhats, they’ll be sent to ‘The Factory,’ a brutal lunar camp where they’ll be forced to mine for fuel. It’s a terrible choice he’s facing!

Carlton Cuse explained to Collider that the show Colony was intended as a broad analogy for the Nazi occupation of France during World War II. The creators wanted to portray how people might continue living their daily lives even under a controlling and oppressive government, drawing inspiration from that historical period. Considering the resurgence of similar authoritarian governments today, Colony feels remarkably relevant and foreshadowing.

‘Colony’ Fuses Mind-Bending Sci-Fi With Gripping Human Drama


USA Network

Despite declining ratings over its three seasons and 32 episodes, the show Colony actually became more captivating as it went on. A particularly compelling storyline centers around Bram Bowman (Alex Neustaedter), who joins a different group after his mother, Katie, is discovered to be working with the Resistance. This creates major tension within the family, complicates everyone’s loyalties, and forces Will to re-evaluate his priorities as the alien occupation of Earth intensifies.

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Despite a promising start, the show Colony suffered declining viewership and was cancelled in 2018. While the first season averaged over a million viewers per episode, numbers fell to under 600,000 by the final episode (according to Showbuzz Daily). Notably, acclaimed author Stephen King was a strong supporter of the series and publicly praised it on Twitter/X.

Among a year of great television, Colony stands out as truly exceptional – it’s intelligent, keeps you on the edge of your seat, challenges expectations, and makes you think.

Despite initial plans for five or six seasons, the show Colony ended after only three, leaving many plotlines unfinished. Fans were particularly disappointed to miss a large-scale space battle that would have finally revealed the identity of the alien race. According to creator Carlton Cuse in a 2025 interview with Esquire:

We were on the verge of a major conflict, and I was excited to return home as a celebrated soldier. However, the way the story concluded was deeply saddening. Despite that, it has a dedicated fanbase because of its strong writing.

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2026-01-15 01:20