The Colony: Difference between revisions

 

 

Emphasis is placed on dealing with resource scarcity, novel uses of common (and not-so-common) found items to provide for the group in such a situation, and weighing the survival of other groups against the survival of one's own (i.e. stealing). There are several semi-scripted encounters with others (various wanderers, raiders, and a trader), which demonstrate possible social interactions in such an environment and the play between compassion (give them food because it's the right thing to do?) and pragmatism (keep it for yourself because you need it more?). All actors are forbidden to directly harm the Colonists (lest they risk an [[Executive Meddling|insurance nightmare and subsequent cancellation]]), but panic, emotion, and malnutrition (on the Colonists' side) meant that accidents could still happen.

 

With a bevy of [[MacGyvering|improvisation]], survival tips, the lack of a "game show" atmosphere, and the lack of a tangible "prize" other than the experience itself, ''[[The Colony]]'' is an interesting series that breaks from the typical reality show mold.

* [[Abandoned Hospital]]: In one episode, the colonists raid one for medical supplies.

* [[Abandoned Warehouse]]: The colonists take one over and live in it for the entirety of the series.

* [[Face Heel Turn]]: To some extent, the colonists turned alignments for a temporary time. While adamantly against raiding and stealing from "other people", they do it twice anyway in the name of their continued survival.

* [[Fan Disservice]]: The first episode ends with John C. happily laughing and running around completely naked in the rain. ... any other member of the show would have been preferred.

* [[Fridge Logic]]: The colonists create a very lethal flamethrower for defense. It works great, and is a fantastic weapon. But who the hell are they going to use it on? Whether or not they are "role playing," they surely must realize that they can't actually kill a human for the show, right?

* [[Grand Finale]]: The last episode, the Colonists had to use the vehicles they had been building since about the fourth episode to escape. They also got to use their lethal weapons, like flame throwers, electric fences and molotov cocktails. Obviously scripted and meant to be a spectacle.

* [[Happy Rain]]: Both the first and second seasons seem to miraculously have a huge rainstorm the minute they're done building a water collecting device.

* [[Hospital Hottie]]: Two of the more attractive members of the first season cast are a doctor and a nurse. Who both manage to remain clean and pretty looking throughout.

* [[Jerkass]]: Mike was not a very happy or pleasant person. To the point where some people on the show actually monologue about how "I'm sure Mike is actually a nice guy, deep down..."

* [[MacGyvering]]: A lot of the show is about how the colonists can build extremely useful things (such as an ozone water cleaner or even cars and trucks) out of junk that has been scavenged.

* [[Once Per Episode]]: Several times per episode, the colonists come under "Phases" in which some kind of situation is forced upon them. It can be as simple as someone begging for food at their doors, or all the water pipes in the warehouse suddenly bursting.

* [[Product Placement]]: There are a few moments where the camera seems to "pause" on the logo of Harbor Freight Tools on certain items the colonists have acquired or are in the process of acquiring.

* [[Scary Black Man]]: Andre subverts this trope by turning out to be the original owner of the warehouse. {{spoiler|He plays it straight by returning in the finale.}}

* [[Scavenger World]]: Of course.

*** In fairness, he changed his tune when it counted.

** The "colonists" in "Recon Mission". Seriously, you leave your home and all of your belongings completely unguarded and then get pissed when others don't realize someone's living there?

* [[You Can't Go Home Again]]: The colonists can't just simply go back home because it is assumed that everyone in their hometown is dead from [[The Plague]].

 

* [[The Ace]]: In a way, "Tick." As an ex-Marine sniper, hunter, and survivalist, he's essentially the exact guy they needed since the beginning of the season.

* [[Bald of Awesome]]: Deville's gloriously shiny dome.

* [[Break the Haughty]]: Amber was repeatedly shown to be out of her element, and from the start seemed to be just slightly distanced from the group. Throughout the season it showed her trying to let down her guard and try to be a team player, but still isn't very good at socializing.

* [[Confession Cam]]: Again, used liberally throughout each episode.

* [[Cool Old Guy]]: Deville. A 70-year-old retired contractor, he's apparently stepped up as the ''de facto'' leader of the Colonists, with his experience providing many of the ideas they adopt to survive.

** As of the latest episode, Sally has been elected as the "leader". However, Deville remains an incredibly capable, level-headed and productive member of the group, having constructed a cistern, which will provide them with weeks of water.

* [[Downer Ending]]: {{spoiler|As the colonists escape on an airboat, they are met by a gang of armed thugs at their destination.}}

* [[Mr. Fanservice]]: Reno appears to be allergic to shirts.

** In fact, all of the mid-to-young age guys tend to enjoy working up a sweat with their shirts off.

* [[Fan Disservice]]: A bunch of pretty girls stripping down to their underwear? Hot. A bunch of girls ([[Walking Shirtless Scene|and]] [[Mr. Fanservice|Reno]]) gagging, sobbing, and about to vomit while dragging around a bunch of maggot infested rotting pig carcasses in their underwear? Not so hot.

* [[Gosh Dang It to Heck]]: Jim. "Son of a biscuit!" indeed.

* [[A House Divided]]: Chronic lack of food has stressed the Colonists so badly that they're blowing up at each other regardless of the seriousness of the issue.

* [[I'm Not Here to Make Friends]]: Amber is being portrayed somewhat as this, being confrontational with the other colonists, saying that she unashamedly always speaks her mind, and taking a "good of the many" approach with Becka's kidnapping, telling the other colonists not to give away too much, and even insulting Becka in [[Confession Cam]] to argue she's not worth it.

* [[The Ladette]]: Amber and Sally, a logger and mechanic respectively. Their presence will no doubt lead to the most butch cat fight ever seen.

* [[The Load]]: Subverted. In the first episode, George appeared to be this. He takes a nap during dinnertime and rides a bicycle instead of walking with the group when they went out searching. However, he since became one of the most productive colonists after constructing a forge and bellows, allowing them to craft metal into weapons.

* [[The Stinger]]: So the colonists escape the raid on their fan boat to live in a nice 2 floor house in the bayou right? {{spoiler|When they get there, there is already a bunch of people living there!}}

* [[Male Gaze]]: When the girls stripped down to put on smocks in the second episode, the viewers got two loving, lingering shots of their panty-clad behinds.

** Then the scene between Reno and Sally, of him saying that he doesn't like the idea of someone besides him working with her. He then had to clarify that he didn't mean as a jealous boyfriend way.

** And how about when Sally says if she was just being self-centered and not thinking about the group, she would hop on the motorcycle with Reno and just take off together. Try watching any scene with them together after that and not seeing a touch linger, a hug extended.

* [[Never Split the Party]]: Hoo boy...

* [[No Animals Were Harmed]]: The first episode of season 2 averts the ''hell'' out of this.

* [[Sliding Scale of Fourth Wall Hardness]]: When the colonists receive happy videos of their family members saying hello and asking if they're having fun. [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|it's really emotional]], but it seems to completely demolish the fourth wall.

* [[Team Mom]]: Sian. Does most of the cooking, takes care of inventory with the food, but also comforts Jim when they find a macaroni painting made by "his kids".

* [[True Companions]]: Deville, at least, feels this way about the colony members.

** Jim started off as a praying loving Christian man who intended to be moralistic. But ''very'' quickly he became a bitter, angry, distrusting individual, all of the fighting and stress took a toll on his view on life.

** Taken to its extreme when Tick arrives. Jim is so suspicious of him that he sleeps outside. Becka comments that looking at him, hairy, greasy, and hunched over a fire outside looked more like some kind of creepy animalistic cave man than the nice guy he was at the start.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Discovery Channel]]

[[Category:The Colony]]