Colony Episode 2.02 Somewhere Out There

Will puts his trust in an old friend in the Santa Monica bloc; Jennifer visits Katie; Bram meets the camp commandant.

We kick off with a flashback to the aftermath of a 1969 space mission. A roomful of scientists listens to an audio recording in which astronauts discover a beacon on the dark side of the moon, and hear a coded musical message (note: it's not Pink Floyd). A room of scientists later decides to respond. Is this where the invasion began?

Back in the near future, both Bowmans are fighting to save a son in an episode that has Will (Josh Holloway) acknowledging the invasion has changed him -- and proving it. With Bram (Alexander Neustaedter) in the hands of the Transitional Authority, Charlie (Jacob Buster) on his own for a year, and Grace (Isabella Crovetti) undergoing some serious Greatest Day brainwashing, parents Katie (Sarah Wayne Callies) and Will have to work even harder than before to rescue their family. What's more, Katie's sister Maddie Kenner (Amanda Righetti) pledges allegiance to someone other than her own blood, Jennifer McMahon (Kathleen Rose Perkins) feels the heat at work, and the Bowmans face tough odds. AND there's a spaceship!

McMahon under the microscope

Homeland Security has installed surveillance on the Bowman house, and Jennifer McMahon keeps sneaking peeks. With Beau's disappearance and Will leaving for Santa Monica, McMahon's new boss, Dan Bennett suspects she may be up to something. Still, he gives her a chance to prove herself by putting her in charge of finding Broussard and an "object" that belongs to the hosts (maybe the RAP Katie's Resistance team was about to unmask?).

McMahon later comes home to find a team of Red Hats searching her house, in case she needed any reminder of her tenuous status. She then puts pressure on Katie by claiming she knows about Katie's ties to the Resistance. While McMahon demands access to Broussard (Tory Kittles), Katie begs her not to destroy what's left of her already-fractured family.

Factory workers?

Bram and his teacher are put on a bus along with dozens of others. When they stop, they're interrogated about their skills. Bram lies and says he's a 20 year old who knows how to lay concrete. While he's assigned to a labor camp and distribution center, his teacher is put back on the bus.

In the camp, Bram befriends a young woman. The prisoners are warned that if they steal even once, they'll be beaten -- and a second instance earns a trip to the Factory. Soon, Bram sees a familiar face in the labor camp's mess hall: Alan Snyder (Peter Jacobson), who seems to be in charge and is trying to crack down on the thievery. Snyder recognizes Bram, but keeps quiet. While carrying supplies back to the prison, Bram hears an an ear-splitting noise. Looking up, he sees a spaceship rocketing off into the sky.

Maddie drinks the Kool-Aid

After Katie learns that Bram has been transferred out of the zone, she frantically goes to Maddie for help. At first Maddie begs Noland Burgess (Adrian Pasdar) to intervene, but he's wary of using all their good will with the Hosts to help Bram. Maddie then calls Katie and tries to twist Bram's transfer to labor camp as good news. But Katie isn't satisfied, and goes directly to Burgess for help - only to quickly be dismissed. When Maddie learns of Katie's plea, she is furious. She confronts Katie, accusing her of tearing her own family apart and not respecting boundaries. Later, Maddie undergoes an initiation ceremony to join the Greatest Day, taking an oath in which she accepts that if she talks about the Hosts' plans, the punishment will fall not just on her, but her family.

Grace sips the Kool-Aid

Grace has been spending time at Maddie's house with her old tutor Lindsey (Erin Way), who we know to be crazypants. Katie is aghast one night when Grace tells her that Lindsey says helping to prepare for the Greatest Day is what makes you a good person. Grace thinks maybe it's her fault her dad and Bram haven't come home, because she hasn't been working hard enough to prepare.

Dealing Devon

In the Santa Monica bloc, Devon (Carolyn Michelle Smith) helps Will gain an audience with Solomon, the man who has Charlie. To get near him, Devon and Will have to earn credits for turning in a preschool teacher on a bounty list. After a brief struggle at her apartment, they hand her over and Will is horrified to see people being kept in cages. Devon explains later that there are rumors the war lord and Occupation made a deal: as long as the war lords turns over a certain number of people a month to go to the Factory, the Red Hats leave them alone, which is why the bloc has no Occupation presence. Before the Arrival, Will would have had serious moral qualms about turning over an innocent person to save his son. But that was then.

Solomon the sleazebag

After turning over the teacher, Devon escorts Will to Solomon (Johnny Whitworth), a grunge lord of the streets who is guarded by the man who had stabbed Will in the shoulder. Will offers to trade his transit pass for Charlie. Solomon acts like he's reluctant to let Charlie free, saying the once-rebellious child has become one of his best earners. Solomon is cocky and arrogant; he demands Will show gratitude for keeping Charlie alive for a year. Will somehow manages to stay calm, ignoring a series of insults. Eventually, Solomon tells Will where to find his son, warning Will that Charlie might not want to go along with him.

Charlie, at last

When his father finally finds him, Charlie is helping a group of kids beat up and steal from a woman in an alley. Solomon watches their reunion from the shadows, menacing Charlie. Will is overwhelmed by the father-son reunion, but with Solomon watching, Charlie seems more tepid. Back at Devon's house, Charlie is distant and aloof. The next morning, Devon catches the kid trying to run back to Solomon. Will sees scars on his son's ankle and Charlie explains that Solomon caught him trying to run away once and put him "on the chain," and he learned his lesson. Now he's worried if he doesn't go back, something will happen to his friends - or even his father.

Strong Will

Will is guilt-ridden and enraged as he begins fully grasp the hell that Charlie has been living the past year. Over Devon's objections, Will leaves to deal with Solomon. He returns to Solomon's hideout, blasting his way inside - starting with the joker who stabbed him. He goes on a rampage, tearing through Solomon's men. Fighting Solomon, he shows no mercy, apparently killing the bandit. While the violence brings him some catharsis, Will knows he has a long way to go with Charlie.