Colony: The Garden of Beasts
February 14, 2018 9:54 PM - Season 2, Episode 10 - Subscribe
Will, Katie, and Broussard search for a way out of the colony. Maddie gets some visitors in the Green Zone. Bram looks for closure.
** San Fernando Bloc
* Chuy's angle grinding in a soundstage to metal, Daniel barges in "Motion sensor just tripped.", everyone scrambles to establish an ambuscade
* Defenders are picked off in the dark while another ineffectively fires a heavy machine gun into the night until he is captured alive
* Only to be intubated and shoved in a RAP pod
* Black Helmets admit Alan into the Bowman's former home, a leather jacket is overseeing a search of it
* Alan plays nice, denigrates Alcala, lets him know that Team Helena's on his side
* Leather jacket recall's Proxy Alan Snyder, presses on Alan's relationship with Will, is unimpressed
* Madeline and Nolan oversee the commissioning of their new Greatest Day church
* Katie corners Madeline in the restroom, offers to bring Madeline with, the sisters bicker
* Madeline and Nolan return home, Nolan indicates that he's Team Alcala
* Leather jacket and his like-enjacketed goons are waiting for them, (Van Warmerdam) introduces himself as an agent of the Global Authority's Intelligence Directorate - and has some questions for Madeline
* Nolan barely even half-arses at intervening, Van very efficiently questions Madeline while a goon frowns on
* Madeline breaks easily and rats Katie, Van: "You are a convincing liar."
* Nolan is asked to step outside, flanked by a couple of Red Helmets, steps into smarmy Alcala's SUV/office
* "You're dating the sister of a terrorist." ../.. "Are you questioning my commitment? Because I sent my wife to the factory." / "Don't ruin it for a piece of tail."
* Noa news up Broussard on places further along than LA "... and then they have big drone walkers that break up any major settlement, so most of the survivors are scattered."
* Noa wants the gauntlet, claims to have someone who understands the comm interface, leaves to contact the Red Hand - who currently have the gauntlet
* Broussard offers to get her back across the wall afterward, if his group can join Noa's out in the desert
* Katie and Will slouch into Broussard HQ, start gaming a plan to cross the wall
* Katie walks up to a house in the 'burbs, knocks asks for Toby, gains entrance with a flash of her pistol
* Broussard closes the door behind them, inquires after the whereabouts of Howard Anderson, Toby's husband
* Toby calls for Howard, Will shows up coming in from the back, Howard comes down
* The Andersons think its a shakedown, Broussard only wants info on getting across the wall
* Current security has been upgraded to be a double redundant and blind passthrough system
* "'The Full Nine' - Heat scans, Walk-arounds, Sniffer dogs; the only one who get across are the 'blackjacks.'"
* Will fills in info: fasch black leather jackets are IGA agents and IGA oversees proxies and governors general
* Broussard thanks them with a $50k to $70 roll (assuming that all the bills were $100s, hard to estimate with older wrinkled bills)
* Will and Broussard chat in an alley, Katie cool-ey lounges against a poster pasted brick wall
* Bowman & Broussard noodle some more on A Plan, think they can use Broussard as bait
* B&B are suffering through a boring stakeout
* At Broussard HQ, Bram's kind of adolescent creepy and creeping on Morgan, Morgan's working on an iteration of the bee micro drone with dollar store mini salad tongs
Bram: "You don't really look like someone who'd be in the resistance.
Morgan: "Why? 'cause I'm not Sarah Connor?"
* Morgan (actor age 36) bites, opens up with regrets and vulnerability, Bram (19) literally licks his lips
* Morgan has some bullshit lines about "not being fully trained"
* Alan visits Secret Police HQ and walks into Dan's office, who acknowledges him as 'Proxy' Snyder and that Proxy is is (now again) current status, Alan concurs and adds that he's Team Helena
* Alan plays fast and loose with truth, puts Dan on the defensive, is good at what he does
* Dan leaks, spills anti-Alcala info; Alan: "YOu seem like a man on the rise. Nice suit. Nice office. Word of advice, you don't want to bet on a loser"... "You report to me now."
* "I've returned from the dead, Mr. Bennett. Do you really want to bet against me?"
* Nolan is essentially under house arrest, breaks, offers to help break Madeline
* Nolan seeks an ally, Madeline is broken, Nolan wants out from under the RAPs
* Madeline (compromises everything - but apparently not in this distopiaworld) by tying a shoestring where Katie told her to
* At the Burgess mansion, Madeline is tired, Nolan is anxious
* In the end, Raps don't have Katie (or her immediate crew)
* Katie has second thoughts, Will is fully supportive, plan is a go
* Bram watches his parents and Broussard lock and load
* Katie has emotions, Will tries to be a decent husband, Brand has more cis-het teenage feelings
* Which he directs on Will, Katie and Will leave Bram unsatisfied; Gracie and Charlie are allright until Bram takes off
* To visit a seedy apartment claiming to be "a friend of Maya's."
* Seedy apartment is very seedy; Bram gives his bona fides, is given access to Maya's stuff
* Bram discovers a secret compartment/ sketch book
* Later, Madeline is faced with picking up a calling phonecall, drops 'black jackets'
* Madeline is scared, Katie's offer stands, asks Madeline to meet
* Madeline reveals that she has been helping IGA with that call
* Katie is picked up, Broussard-style resistance reponds with live automatic fire
* Will has an insight, orders Broussard to abandon his vehicle, managed tp save a larger part of The Resistance than otherwise`
* Broussard and Will spar; talk about the RAP pod, discuss "laying low"
* Bram Bowman appears and introduces himself; trading on knowing "Maya." - asks for the 'Cardinal,' as asked
* Bram is introduced to Frankie's mom (Karen)
* Karen is super anti-RAP, and acknowledges Bram and does a little psych work; Bram's FThatShit
* Karen sees ason drone
^ my sub source is super sketchy on capitalizations (capitalize beginning of every onscreen phrase, typically 4-7 words in a single line), but I don't think I've seen an instance of "Rap" nor 'rap" to start an onscreen phrase. I've seen LA but never RAP. So <shrug> caption writers, even official ones, might not have authorial intent applied very well consistently?
** San Fernando Bloc
* Chuy's angle grinding in a soundstage to metal, Daniel barges in "Motion sensor just tripped.", everyone scrambles to establish an ambuscade
* Defenders are picked off in the dark while another ineffectively fires a heavy machine gun into the night until he is captured alive
* Only to be intubated and shoved in a RAP pod
* Black Helmets admit Alan into the Bowman's former home, a leather jacket is overseeing a search of it
* Alan plays nice, denigrates Alcala, lets him know that Team Helena's on his side
* Leather jacket recall's Proxy Alan Snyder, presses on Alan's relationship with Will, is unimpressed
* Madeline and Nolan oversee the commissioning of their new Greatest Day church
* Katie corners Madeline in the restroom, offers to bring Madeline with, the sisters bicker
* Madeline and Nolan return home, Nolan indicates that he's Team Alcala
* Leather jacket and his like-enjacketed goons are waiting for them, (Van Warmerdam) introduces himself as an agent of the Global Authority's Intelligence Directorate - and has some questions for Madeline
* Nolan barely even half-arses at intervening, Van very efficiently questions Madeline while a goon frowns on
* Madeline breaks easily and rats Katie, Van: "You are a convincing liar."
* Nolan is asked to step outside, flanked by a couple of Red Helmets, steps into smarmy Alcala's SUV/office
* "You're dating the sister of a terrorist." ../.. "Are you questioning my commitment? Because I sent my wife to the factory." / "Don't ruin it for a piece of tail."
* Noa news up Broussard on places further along than LA "... and then they have big drone walkers that break up any major settlement, so most of the survivors are scattered."
* Noa wants the gauntlet, claims to have someone who understands the comm interface, leaves to contact the Red Hand - who currently have the gauntlet
* Broussard offers to get her back across the wall afterward, if his group can join Noa's out in the desert
* Katie and Will slouch into Broussard HQ, start gaming a plan to cross the wall
* Katie walks up to a house in the 'burbs, knocks asks for Toby, gains entrance with a flash of her pistol
* Broussard closes the door behind them, inquires after the whereabouts of Howard Anderson, Toby's husband
* Toby calls for Howard, Will shows up coming in from the back, Howard comes down
* The Andersons think its a shakedown, Broussard only wants info on getting across the wall
* Current security has been upgraded to be a double redundant and blind passthrough system
* "'The Full Nine' - Heat scans, Walk-arounds, Sniffer dogs; the only one who get across are the 'blackjacks.'"
* Will fills in info: fasch black leather jackets are IGA agents and IGA oversees proxies and governors general
* Broussard thanks them with a $50k to $70 roll (assuming that all the bills were $100s, hard to estimate with older wrinkled bills)
* Will and Broussard chat in an alley, Katie cool-ey lounges against a poster pasted brick wall
* Bowman & Broussard noodle some more on A Plan, think they can use Broussard as bait
* B&B are suffering through a boring stakeout
* At Broussard HQ, Bram's kind of adolescent creepy and creeping on Morgan, Morgan's working on an iteration of the bee micro drone with dollar store mini salad tongs
Bram: "You don't really look like someone who'd be in the resistance.
Morgan: "Why? 'cause I'm not Sarah Connor?"
* Morgan (actor age 36) bites, opens up with regrets and vulnerability, Bram (19) literally licks his lips
* Morgan has some bullshit lines about "not being fully trained"
* Alan visits Secret Police HQ and walks into Dan's office, who acknowledges him as 'Proxy' Snyder and that Proxy is is (now again) current status, Alan concurs and adds that he's Team Helena
* Alan plays fast and loose with truth, puts Dan on the defensive, is good at what he does
* Dan leaks, spills anti-Alcala info; Alan: "YOu seem like a man on the rise. Nice suit. Nice office. Word of advice, you don't want to bet on a loser"... "You report to me now."
* "I've returned from the dead, Mr. Bennett. Do you really want to bet against me?"
* Nolan is essentially under house arrest, breaks, offers to help break Madeline
* Nolan seeks an ally, Madeline is broken, Nolan wants out from under the RAPs
* Madeline (compromises everything - but apparently not in this distopiaworld) by tying a shoestring where Katie told her to
* At the Burgess mansion, Madeline is tired, Nolan is anxious
* In the end, Raps don't have Katie (or her immediate crew)
* Katie has second thoughts, Will is fully supportive, plan is a go
* Bram watches his parents and Broussard lock and load
* Katie has emotions, Will tries to be a decent husband, Brand has more cis-het teenage feelings
* Which he directs on Will, Katie and Will leave Bram unsatisfied; Gracie and Charlie are allright until Bram takes off
* To visit a seedy apartment claiming to be "a friend of Maya's."
* Seedy apartment is very seedy; Bram gives his bona fides, is given access to Maya's stuff
* Bram discovers a secret compartment/ sketch book
* Later, Madeline is faced with picking up a calling phonecall, drops 'black jackets'
* Madeline is scared, Katie's offer stands, asks Madeline to meet
* Madeline reveals that she has been helping IGA with that call
* Katie is picked up, Broussard-style resistance reponds with live automatic fire
* Will has an insight, orders Broussard to abandon his vehicle, managed tp save a larger part of The Resistance than otherwise`
* Broussard and Will spar; talk about the RAP pod, discuss "laying low"
* Bram Bowman appears and introduces himself; trading on knowing "Maya." - asks for the 'Cardinal,' as asked
* Bram is introduced to Frankie's mom (Karen)
* Karen is super anti-RAP, and acknowledges Bram and does a little psych work; Bram's FThatShit
* Karen sees a
^ my sub source is super sketchy on capitalizations (capitalize beginning of every onscreen phrase, typically 4-7 words in a single line), but I don't think I've seen an instance of "Rap" nor 'rap" to start an onscreen phrase. I've seen LA but never RAP. So <shrug> caption writers, even official ones, might not have authorial intent applied very well consistently?
Bram's such an asshole. He can't sit still for five minutes to take care of his PTSDed-out brother and panicking sister?
Broussard playing around in the blackjack van drops a confirmation of something we already knew/suspected: the RAPs havea plan a list, and Will's on it.
I kind of lost my read on Maddy starting in this episode. The Mystery Box Opening scene from earlier made it seem like she had been fully initiated into the Greatest Day, at the very least, if not fully taken over, pod person-style. I kind of suspected that she intentionally let Katie steal the info on Bram, but that's sort of a believable action in terms of a true believer bending the rules for the sake of sentimentality. But now she's just fully acting like the Mystery Box thing never even happened. So what was the point of that scene?
posted by tobascodagama at 7:52 AM on February 15, 2018 [1 favorite]
Broussard playing around in the blackjack van drops a confirmation of something we already knew/suspected: the RAPs have
I kind of lost my read on Maddy starting in this episode. The Mystery Box Opening scene from earlier made it seem like she had been fully initiated into the Greatest Day, at the very least, if not fully taken over, pod person-style. I kind of suspected that she intentionally let Katie steal the info on Bram, but that's sort of a believable action in terms of a true believer bending the rules for the sake of sentimentality. But now she's just fully acting like the Mystery Box thing never even happened. So what was the point of that scene?
posted by tobascodagama at 7:52 AM on February 15, 2018 [1 favorite]
I thought the show was going to use the Greatest Day as a means of showing us how fanaticism can be used by both sides - occupiers and resistance (the Red Hand). But now that its been confirmed to the audience that there is nothing behind the Greatest Day it seems to not have meaning anymore.
I've always viewed Maddie's prime motivation as being the safety of her son, so I don't mind her not being a fanatic about everything, but the way the whole idea has largely just dropped from the show since the reveal is kinda puzzling. I'm putting it in the box alongside the other things that show up when plot convenient - the thousands of security drones, the omnipresent surveillance, the idea that there were resistance cells like Broussards in the bloc.
posted by nubs at 9:24 AM on February 15, 2018 [1 favorite]
I've always viewed Maddie's prime motivation as being the safety of her son, so I don't mind her not being a fanatic about everything, but the way the whole idea has largely just dropped from the show since the reveal is kinda puzzling. I'm putting it in the box alongside the other things that show up when plot convenient - the thousands of security drones, the omnipresent surveillance, the idea that there were resistance cells like Broussards in the bloc.
posted by nubs at 9:24 AM on February 15, 2018 [1 favorite]
It feels like the writers have been fighting themselves the last couple/few eps - or they've been waging a war with the editors - the intra-episode plot arcs have been all over the place, this ep in particular ping pongs really badly.
Yeah; the Red Helmets have been shown to be pretty ineffectual stormtroopers, Dan is revealed to be weak, and Bob's down with a tummy ache. Need moar villains.
I thought that the introduction of the 'blackjackets' was handled ok; in ep 4, IGA tells Helena that they have agents already in place in LA Bloc, we see them for the first time in ep 6 when they find Eckhart's mom in England, Will mentions them last episode before scrambling the radio. But, yeah, a little on the nose with the faschie fashion (and slicked back hair).
I don't know what's up with Greatest Day anymore; my read was that Madeline hadn't been body snatched yet, I was leaning towards Nolan (I have no idea why I keep referring only to his by surname) being pod-personed already but after his talk with Alcala I'm leaning away from that unless that scene was very poorly acted.
posted by porpoise at 9:29 AM on February 15, 2018 [2 favorites]
Yeah; the Red Helmets have been shown to be pretty ineffectual stormtroopers, Dan is revealed to be weak, and Bob's down with a tummy ache. Need moar villains.
I thought that the introduction of the 'blackjackets' was handled ok; in ep 4, IGA tells Helena that they have agents already in place in LA Bloc, we see them for the first time in ep 6 when they find Eckhart's mom in England, Will mentions them last episode before scrambling the radio. But, yeah, a little on the nose with the faschie fashion (and slicked back hair).
I don't know what's up with Greatest Day anymore; my read was that Madeline hadn't been body snatched yet, I was leaning towards Nolan (I have no idea why I keep referring only to his by surname) being pod-personed already but after his talk with Alcala I'm leaning away from that unless that scene was very poorly acted.
posted by porpoise at 9:29 AM on February 15, 2018 [2 favorites]
For the #1 cable scripted series on Thursday nights in total viewers, I'm kind of impressed with how strong the women characters are, Madeline notwithstanding.
Helena's tough as nails and competent; Jennifer was a baller despite her lack of formal training; Karen (Red Hand leader) punked Will like a champ, Nao's looking tough and competent; Morgan had the courage of her conviction in taking down Eckhart and requested more mentorship from Broussard; Madeline made that power play to get rid of Nolan's wife to set up protection for her kid; Katie is tough, competent, makes good decisions (most of the time); even Lindsey invokes physical authoritarian threat to instill the fear of RAPs in a bratty Charlie.
For that matter, Will's a pretty kick ass dad/husband; demonstrably affectionate towards his kids, goes through Hell to recovery Charlie, actually works on his relationship with Katie.
But I'm less surprised than how (mostly) progressive The Mick is, especially for a prime time comedic show on Fox.
posted by porpoise at 10:02 AM on February 15, 2018 [2 favorites]
Helena's tough as nails and competent; Jennifer was a baller despite her lack of formal training; Karen (Red Hand leader) punked Will like a champ, Nao's looking tough and competent; Morgan had the courage of her conviction in taking down Eckhart and requested more mentorship from Broussard; Madeline made that power play to get rid of Nolan's wife to set up protection for her kid; Katie is tough, competent, makes good decisions (most of the time); even Lindsey invokes physical authoritarian threat to instill the fear of RAPs in a bratty Charlie.
For that matter, Will's a pretty kick ass dad/husband; demonstrably affectionate towards his kids, goes through Hell to recovery Charlie, actually works on his relationship with Katie.
But I'm less surprised than how (mostly) progressive The Mick is, especially for a prime time comedic show on Fox.
posted by porpoise at 10:02 AM on February 15, 2018 [2 favorites]
I'm kind of impressed with how strong the women characters are, Madeline notwithstanding.
I think Maddie's strong; she has just made some bad choices that I think are starting to catch up with her. Whatever the relationship with Nolan is, she started it and continued it to enable her to protect her son; I'm not sure how much genuine affection and commitment there is between her and Nolan. When the chips start to fall, I'm not sire a relationship that started on the basis of selling out Nolan's first wife (and has continued on the basis of Maddie selling out her sister) is built strong enough to last.
posted by nubs at 10:32 AM on February 15, 2018 [1 favorite]
I think Maddie's strong; she has just made some bad choices that I think are starting to catch up with her. Whatever the relationship with Nolan is, she started it and continued it to enable her to protect her son; I'm not sure how much genuine affection and commitment there is between her and Nolan. When the chips start to fall, I'm not sire a relationship that started on the basis of selling out Nolan's first wife (and has continued on the basis of Maddie selling out her sister) is built strong enough to last.
posted by nubs at 10:32 AM on February 15, 2018 [1 favorite]
Bob's down with a tummy ache. Need moar villains.
Bob was, honestly, the best possible villain for this season I think. He was relentless, he noticed every little discrepancy, and was the right mix of detail oriented and bloodhound to give the characters fits. Along with what seems like the perfect sociopathic personality to fit right in with the Authority.
Bob should have been promoted to blackjack. He would be scary with that level of authority and apparent autonomy.
posted by nubs at 12:33 PM on February 15, 2018 [2 favorites]
Bob was, honestly, the best possible villain for this season I think. He was relentless, he noticed every little discrepancy, and was the right mix of detail oriented and bloodhound to give the characters fits. Along with what seems like the perfect sociopathic personality to fit right in with the Authority.
Bob should have been promoted to blackjack. He would be scary with that level of authority and apparent autonomy.
posted by nubs at 12:33 PM on February 15, 2018 [2 favorites]
I'm not sure how much genuine affection and commitment there is between her and Nolan.
Yup, and Alcala sees straight through that.
I'm not saying that Maddy isn't strong, but her character got stuck with the idiotball a little too unfairly much, and is being used by the writers to serve as a bridge between Resistance and Authority (the other being Alan, but he seems to have a lot more agency; Maddy's only "power" is through her relationship with Nolan).
Bob should have been promoted to blackjack.
Bob's great.
But the blackjack Van Warmerdam (I don't think he's ever named in this ep, I got it off IMDB) seems competent enough - he saw right through Alan's game, broke Maddy inside of a minute, and is sufficiently creepy.
Definitely lacking Bob's superior people skills, though.
posted by porpoise at 12:52 PM on February 15, 2018 [1 favorite]
Yup, and Alcala sees straight through that.
I'm not saying that Maddy isn't strong, but her character got stuck with the idiotball a little too unfairly much, and is being used by the writers to serve as a bridge between Resistance and Authority (the other being Alan, but he seems to have a lot more agency; Maddy's only "power" is through her relationship with Nolan).
Bob should have been promoted to blackjack.
Bob's great.
But the blackjack Van Warmerdam (I don't think he's ever named in this ep, I got it off IMDB) seems competent enough - he saw right through Alan's game, broke Maddy inside of a minute, and is sufficiently creepy.
Definitely lacking Bob's superior people skills, though.
posted by porpoise at 12:52 PM on February 15, 2018 [1 favorite]
I really hope Bob recovers from his gutstab.
posted by tobascodagama at 1:27 PM on February 15, 2018
posted by tobascodagama at 1:27 PM on February 15, 2018
An orange soda bottle to the gut will take the wind out of you. Even if all you do is drink the contents.
I'm not saying that Maddy isn't strong, but her character got stuck with the idiotball a little too unfairly much
That's fair, and I completely agree. Maddie played her hand for all it was worth, but sucking up to someone in power isn't going to be enough in the end, I fear...especially since we've already seen how fast people fall out of favor.
posted by nubs at 1:49 PM on February 15, 2018 [2 favorites]
I'm not saying that Maddy isn't strong, but her character got stuck with the idiotball a little too unfairly much
That's fair, and I completely agree. Maddie played her hand for all it was worth, but sucking up to someone in power isn't going to be enough in the end, I fear...especially since we've already seen how fast people fall out of favor.
posted by nubs at 1:49 PM on February 15, 2018 [2 favorites]
I remember thinking "man, i wonder if Bram is going to have to turn on his parents one day if he joins up". That was my biggest anxiety for the characters after seeing this episode.
Also, is it "Secret Police" HQ? I always thought it was just a Homeland regional branch.
posted by numaner at 8:33 AM on February 16, 2018
Also, is it "Secret Police" HQ? I always thought it was just a Homeland regional branch.
posted by numaner at 8:33 AM on February 16, 2018
Ah, you're right. Will used to be FBI, but I guess he was recruited into the new incarnation of Homeland.
posted by porpoise at 9:14 AM on February 16, 2018
posted by porpoise at 9:14 AM on February 16, 2018
So here's my question - if Will is on the list of people they want to put into the pods, why the hell did they wait so long? The man's been working for Homeland for a while, easily within their grasp.
posted by nubs at 9:44 AM on February 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by nubs at 9:44 AM on February 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
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The show goes full gestapo with the introduction of the "blackjacks" here, complete with menacing accents. I guess they had to escalate on the feel of Homeland.
So...the pod people are maybe not what we expect? I'm now wondering if the RAPs are after specific people for "host" duties. Makes me start to wonder about the body possession/body snatching vibe porpoise mentioned in an earlier thread...its been present, but the pod people stuff starts to make it more real for me.
Suddenly Bram can play covert agent and he has a great poker face. Not sure what angle he's playing anymore.
posted by nubs at 7:09 AM on February 15, 2018 [1 favorite]