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Colony

Colony

2016–2018Ended3 seasons36 episodes~42 min/epTV-14Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

In the near future a family must make difficult decisions as they balance staying together with trying to survive. They live in Los Angeles, which has been occupied by a force of outside intruders. While some people have chosen to collaborate with the authorities and benefit from the new order, others have rebelled — and suffer the consequences.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Colony?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Colony streaming on Prime Video, The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Rent / Buy

Buy

Highlights

What stands out about Colony?

Colony earns 2 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Preferred by Men.

Reception

Is Colony worth watching?

Colony's Midcredits score is the 65th percentile of all shows, from 43K ratings across 2 sources. 81% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

65th percentile

Better received than 65% of shows

56th percentile among Action63rd percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)54th
Approval (how many liked it)74th

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

72 /100

54th percentile of all shows

48th percentile among Action52nd percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

Approval

How many liked it

81% liked it

74th percentile of all shows

65th percentile among Action73rd percentile among 2010s
81% rated it 7–1019% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

96th percentile

42K ratings across platforms

86th percentile among Action96th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 6% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

It's a character-driven occupation drama that withholds its alien sci-fi elements, which some find compelling and others find frustrating.

Fans praised

  • gripping, tense dystopian world
  • strong performances from Holloway, Jacobson, and Kittles
  • carefully developed plot and characters

Detractors panned

  • virtually no aliens or sci-fi elements
  • wooden acting, especially Callies and Holloway
  • slow, meandering pacing with little plot progression

What stands out

TensionDivisive75

edge-of-seat suspense and paranoia

AtmosphereDivisive72

oppressive, tense mood of occupation praised

ActingDivisive68

Strong lead performances, but some cast members criticized as wooden

CharactersDivisive62

Complex, evolving characters, yet some deemed unlikable or flat

Plot and storyDivisive55

slow-burn mystery, but criticized for lack of progression and unresolved story

Effects and spectacleDivisive45

sparingly used but effective, often criticized for lack of alien tech

PacingDivisive40

glacial in early seasons, picking up later but still criticized

Ending15

cancellation without resolution leaves almost everyone unsatisfied

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 15 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 3 points apart
  • Critics vs users 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US 3 points apart

Episodes

3 seasons

Season 3 · 2018 · 13 episodes · 7.6 average across 13 rated episodes

  • S3E1

    Maquis

    May 2, 201843 minTMDB rating 7.6
  • S3E2

    Puzzle Man

    May 9, 201843 minTMDB rating 7.4
  • S3E3

    Sierra Maestra

    May 16, 201843 minTMDB rating 7.7
  • S3E4

    Hospitium

    May 23, 201843 minTMDB rating 7.3
  • S3E5

    End of the Road

    May 30, 201843 minTMDB rating 7.7
  • S3E6

    The Emerald City

    Jun 6, 201843 minTMDB rating 7.8

Watch experience

What is Colony like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, dark and intense — an even-paced watch that leaves you unsettled.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
TenseDreadMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
SerializedNew arc each season
ToneThe series plays its material straight, treating the occupation as a grim reality rather than a metaphor to be deconstructed.
The rideThe series maintains a constant tension and dread throughout, with the emotional weight increasing in later seasons as the stakes for the family escalate.
StructureThe story is serialized and told in a conventional three-act structure across seasons, with no deviation in its chronological narrative.
Episode formatThe series tells a single continuous story across all 36 episodes, with each installment advancing the family's arc and the larger resistance plot.
Season formatEach of the three seasons follows a distinct arc within the overall occupation storyline, focusing on different phases of the resistance and family evolution.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
UnsettlingInfuriating · 4% of shows: Leaves you angry at an injustice the film shows, never at the film.
Why it leaves you this wayThe unresolved cliffhanger cancellation leaves a lingering unease about the occupied world and anger at the unfinished story.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Monster
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18% (this title): Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% (this title) · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Oppressive state: A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).

18% of shows fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe series revolves around a family resisting an alien occupation; the oppressive occupying regime is the monster, and the protagonist collaborates undercover to bring it down.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31% (this title): Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% (this title) · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4% (this title)
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsSurvival · 12% of showsFreedom · 4% of shows
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film is fundamentally about a family trying to stay together under the strain of an alien occupation, exploring how love and loyalty are tested by oppression and survival.
StanceThe series examines what family bonds mean under oppression, questioning how far one goes to protect loved ones in a compromised world.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticScience fiction
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score
SettingAn occupied Los Angeles under alien rule, blending everyday life with a police state and resistance hideouts.
MusicThe score blends synth and orchestral elements to underscore tension and emotional family moments.

Content guide

Is Colony okay for kids?

TV-14

Colony is rated TV-14. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (65/100), sexual content at moderate (46/100), language at moderate (51/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (17/100) and frightening material at moderate (54/100). Its drug and alcohol content has too few votes to rank. Overall it is heavier than 61% of TV-14 shows.

Ratings in 24 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada14+
  • AustraliaMA15+
  • Germany16
  • France16
  • Ireland15
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil14
  • Austria16
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK16
  • Hungary16
  • IndiaU/A 16+
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • Poland16
  • Portugal16
  • Russia16+
  • SingaporeNC16
  • Spain16
  • SwedenFrån 15 år
  • Switzerland16
  • Taiwan15+
  • THน 15+
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 48% of all showsHeavier than 61% of TV-14 shows
Violence & Gore
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-14 show
heavier than 72%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-14 show
heavier than 67%
Profanity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-14 show
heavier than 74%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (2 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-14 show
heavier than 58%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence. Everything else sits at or below what TV-14 shows usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does Colony have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Colony?

Cast

Josh Holloway
as Will Bowman
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Sarah Wayne Callies
as Katie Bowman
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Peter Jacobson
as Alan Snyder
Tory Kittles
as Broussard
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Isabella Crovetti
as Gracie Bowman
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Alex Neustaedter
as Bram Bowman
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Amanda Righetti
as Madeline
Jacob Buster
as Charlie Bowman
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Ally Walker
as Helena
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Kathleen Rose Perkins
as Jennifer McMahon

More like this

What are shows like Colony?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like Colony include The Man in the High Castle (2015), Heroes (2006) and The Outpost (2018).

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What other shows share a tag with Colony?

65 other shows share the rarest tag below, kind of show: alien contact. Each tag opens Browse with the shows that share it.