‘COLONY’: Highlights from episode 3.06 ‘The Emerald City’

Things are looking up for Alan Snyder but dire for the Bowman family.

*Spoilers ahead if you have not watched Colony 3.06 ‘The Emerald City’*

Episode 6 finds Alan Snyder in a fancy house in Switzerland as part of the IGA. He is thrilled to be “safe, warm and dry” as he puts it. Meanwhile, the Bowmans are traveling north on foot. Gracie’s has a broken arm, but they all have broken hearts after the loss of Charlie. We also get a glimpse into a new character, Evan Kynes.

Are you hiring?

The episode opens with a flashback to actor Dale Godboldo resuming his role as a hiring agent for the IGA. You may recall that the same character approached Snyder about working for the IGA in a season 2 flashback.

We also meet Everett Kynes, the creator of the algorithm being utilized by the IGA in their hiring process. While the IGA is pleased with the algorithm’s accuracy, they have chosen to use it differently than Kynes intended.

Frustrated with the IGA repurposing his algorithm, Kynes asks his colleague to download the entire database without detection by the IGA.

Back on his throne

Snyder finds himself in Switzerland with clean clothes, a fancy home, a sporty new car, and a man named Julian at his beck and call. All the while living like a king, Snyder claims he is done with working for the IGA. He is ready to rest on his laurels and enjoy retirement.

His pal Chief Minister Helena Goldwyn has other plans for him. She tries to sway him with accolades and a fancy neighborhood party. Helena wants Snyder to get back to work. She needs to convince Proxies Lee and Fleming of the Santa Monica and San Fernando blocs to agree to rendition.

Despite commending Alan on his ability to adapt and succeed beyond the expectations of the Kynes Algorithm, Alan carries on with his plans of retirement. Gradually, memories of the lives lost in the raid on the Resistance camp, especially Charlie’s, catch up with Snyder.

Snyder flips the switch and puts himself back into a power role. He does not convince Proxies Lee and Fleming to agree to rendition. He simply fires them after accusing them of treason. Problem solved. Snyder is back in full form. We cannot, however, deny the fact that he was moved by Charlie’s death.

The actor seems to agree based on a tweet during the episode.

BOOM! That’s the character, right there. Well said. #colony https://t.co/wgtHflhzsx

— Peter Jacobson (@Official_PeterJ) June 7, 2018

There it is! Pragmatist, sure, but Snyder FEELS! #Colony @Official_PeterJ

— Tracey Phillipps (@scrappnfan) June 7, 2018

Three Billboards outside Seattle, Washington

Yes, that’s a play on the movie title Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. As the Bowmans journey north through the elements and their grief, they come upon three consecutive billboards promoting Seattle as a place of refuge.

Gracie most certainly needs medical attention for her broken arm. At one point, Will suggests she is on the verge of going septic. They scavenge a neighborhood for supplies, sleep on the side of the road, and are herded by drone walkers in the direction of Seattle.

When time is running very short for Gracie’s survival, Will commandeers a family’s vehicle at gunpoint to transport them to Seattle. The car runs out of gas short of Seattle, but the Bowmans manage to make the rest of the trip on foot.

A different kind of arrival

I am not talking about the original arrival of the hosts but rather the Bowmans’ arrival in Seattle.

They know they are taking a huge risk entering the Seattle bloc. They could very easily be recognized. Grace gets immediate medical attention. The Bowmans who are now calling themselves the Daltons wait in a small nook while a woman named Iris begins “processing” them through the SRMA (Seattle Refugee Management Agency).

Bram looks around the refugee area while Will and Katie take a moment alone. Will breaks down. They have lost Charlie and may now be ripped from their children if identified as the Bowmans. Bram returns and tells his parents that the refugee center has a lot of surveillance.

Iris returns and advises them that Gracie has pulled through. Will, Katie, and Bram and relieved. Iris then tells Will/”James” that he needs to come with her.

We then see Iris process him through the algorithm we saw at the beginning of the episode. The equipment is the same as well as the monitor analyzing his facial features.

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Colony episode 3.06 raises suspicions about Seattle and how the Kynes algorithm is being used. Are the Bowmans/Daltons about to be exposed? Is Seattle the safe haven it claims to be or not?

The episode title ‘The Emerald City’ can refer to both Seattle and the IGA headquarters in Switzerland. Seattle is often called the Emerald City for its greenery.

The IGA headquarters in Switzerland can be likened to another Emerald City, Oz of The Wizard of Oz. No one really knows the whole truth about the IGA or who is pulling the strings. Will Snyder take a turn as the “wizard” of the IGA?

Tune in next Wednesday 6/13 for more Colony and hopefully more answers!