Josh Holloway is great in HBO’s new series,Duster, but his underrated 2016 sci-fi role is just as good. Holloway leads thecast ofDusteras Jim Ellis alongside Rachel Hilson as Nina Hayes, creating an unlikely pairing of an expert getaway driver and a novice FBI agent. Holloway’s easy but rough-around-the-edges charisma as Jim pairs perfectly with Hilson’s keen and intelligent Nina, despite Jim’s unease with their arrangement. The expertly played main characters are aided by an intriguing, old-school crime thriller plot.
Unsurprisingly,Dusterhas received great reviewsthat have highlighted the strength of the series' cast and the fun 1970s setting. Likewise,Dusteralso has an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score, giving Holloway critical success to match several seasons ofLost. Though the latter will likely remain Holloway’s most famous work,Dusteris a solid addition to his filmography that actually gives the actor a similar character toLost’s Sawyer. This gruff but charming type may be what the actor is best known for, butHolloway does have a very different role in 2016’s Colony.
The Sci-Fi Series Allows Holloway To Excel In A Very Different Type of Role
Nine years ago, Josh Holloway took on the lead role of Will Bowman in the USA Network seriesColony, giving him his biggest leading role sinceLost. The series follows the Bowman family, including Will’s wife, Katie (Sarah Wayne Callies), and their children as they attempt to maintain their lives under the rule of the alien Hosts and the people who collaborate with them. While people continue living their lives,the world is forever changed by massive walls that enclose cities, often separating family members, including the Bowmans' son.
Colonybecomes an engagingscience fiction showfrom the start and builds a very detailed world. The new enclosed colonies are ruled by the aliens through military occupation and strict social rules, allowing the series to highlight the strange dichotomy between seemingly normal aspects of life and the brutality of being punished for something as simple as looking for one’s family.Colonymakes full use of its great premise, exploring both the complicity and resistance that springs up in such circumstances, and this is done partially through Holloway’s great leading performance.
In contrast to the effortless persona that Holloway has channeled forDuster, Colonyshows a man on the verge of losing it all.
Thanks to its extraterrestrial spin,Colonyis quite a different watch fromDuster, but both shows are perfect for fans of Josh Holloway. In contrast to the effortless persona that Holloway has channeled forDuster, Colonyshows a man on the verge of losing it all. Sure, Jim’s position as getaway driver and FBI informant has its risks, but Holloway plays it off coolly.Will Bowman allows Holloway to showcase his talents in a very different and more emotionally fraught mannerwhile maintaining some of his rugged charm.
Holloway Reunited With Lost’s Carlton Cuse
Just asDusterhas given Holloway aLostreunion with creator JJ Abrams,Colonygave Josh Holloway aLostreunion with showrunner Carlton Cuse. Holloway’s skill as a believable leading man made him the right fit for the part, and the show was a perfect spiritual successor toLost. Cuse served asColony’s co-creator along with Ryan J. Condal, who is now best known as being the showrunner forHouse of the Dragon.
BeyondHouse of the Dragon, Condal is also known for writing the filmsHerculesandRampage. Cuse has had many well-known projects throughout his career too, including creating, directing, and writing credits on shows likeBates Motel, The Strain, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Locke & Key, and more. Needless to say, the team both behind and in front of the camera forColonywas supremely talented. WhileDusterfalls into a very different genre than Holloway’s older series,Colonyis definitely worth a watch, both for Holloway’s performance and its intriguing sci-fi premise.
Colony
Cast
Colony is a sci-fi drama TV series set in a dystopian Los Angeles, now surrounded by a massive wall controlled by a mysterious extraterrestrial regime known as the Hosts. The show follows former FBI agent Will Bowman and his wife, Katie, navigating a divided world of collaborators and the resistance. Forced to make impossible choices to protect their family, the couple faces the dilemma of maintaining the status quo under an oppressive regime or a potential future of freedom with high risks along the way.
