User reviews

Defiance is a fine piece of a sci-fi show: unique world-building, good actors and a very good production (without CGI overload) makes Defiance one of a few (like e.g. Firefly, Farscape). In the end the show maybe did not hold the level of the first two seasons but anyway, still good enough to beat many of those "modern" sci-fi abominations of the last few years.

The first season started off a bit shaky but the characters and story line really developed over time.

It worth sticking with it to get to season 2 and 3. Both seasons had me much more emotionally invested with the characters and almost in tears at some points.

I have read reviews on this site by viewers who do not like Defiance, sometimes comparing it to Firefly. Granted, Firefly is a great show, but what did we learn from its early departure from TV? The network wanted Firefly to capture the minds of its viewers quickly, so they did not air the first episode first. Believing that a more action-packed episode would grab new viewers more quickly, they shuffled the episodes--a strategy that alienated viewers and led to the show's demise. When I read criticisms about the pace of Defiance's first episode, I say let the show develop and see where it goes.

Now that we have seen a number of episodes, I for one am glad I stuck with Defiance. Here are some of my reasons:

1. It has an array of interesting characters. They are not interesting only because the different races are interesting. Each character is well developed and multi-layered. They are not one dimensional--all good or all bad---but portray strengths and frailties, positive and negative traits.

2. The cast is wonderful. Starting with Graham Greene, you have Grant Bowler (Hank Rearden in Atlas Shrugged)and Mia Kirschner (great in The L Word) Julie Benz and Stephanie Leonides, etc.

3. The music. I have particularly enjoyed some of the songs they have used as background, masterpieces of mood.

4. The innovation. Some have criticized the weaponry or languages used, for instance. But the action does not take place on an alien world, so it makes sense that the weapons are a combination of past and future, mixed with earth-based technologies (same with the vehicles). Considerable time was spent devising different languages for this show. I find them interesting but not distracting.

5. The various cultures represented are deeply portrayed, with their own music, rituals, prayers, languages, religions, prejudices, and personality tendencies.

6. Although the various races/cultures have distinctive features, characters still seem to live in the same world, coping with the same issues. As one character said, "In this world we live in, there's no place for the fragile." Everyone who has survived to exist in Defiance bears the scars of their struggles, literal and figurative. Defiance is named after the town/valley where it is set, and everyone in Defiance seems to believably come from the same town, living in a hard-won and dynamic harmony of different voices.

7. Defiance is a show about values. Love can overcome bigotry. Cooperation produces better results than warfare. These are examples and I am sure we will encounter more as the show continues.

8. There are also larger story arcs developing, and this gives me hope for much more to come.

9. Last but not least, Defiance has genuinely likable characters--one of the most necessary elements for a show you want to watch.

Update 7/21/14: After many episodes, this show is still good. Good characters and challenging stories.

Reminds me of the old Masamune Shirow manga series, "Appleseed". Combine that with Mel Gibson's "Road Warrior" and a bit of "Babylon 5" with maybe a dash of "Command & Conquer" (yes, the video game), and you've got yourself "Defiance".

Now, this sort of story has been tried before many times, and it has failed each time. (Earth 2, Revoloution, Dark Skies, Terra Nova, Outcasts) Either the writing was too naive and silly, or too dark and serious, or the casting failed to deliver engaging characters we liked and cared about. Or the budget simply fell apart. Any one of a dozen problems can sink this sort of show.

"Defiance" might just get it right.

The story is nothing we haven't seen before, but so what? There are no new stories; it's all in the delivery, the fun of the retelling.

A pair of tough-as-nails left over warriors, survivors of a planet-wasting future war carve out a nomadic life for themselves in the badlands. They are tightly bonded, mismatched family for one another, an alien warrior princess and a human super soldier; they don't need anybody but themselves.

So when their path takes them into the middle of new colony filled with politics and problems, desperate, hopeful people of many races trying to build new lives, our heroes have every reason to make tracks and head for the horizon. Such a town is just too much trouble, a great place to get bogged down and probably get killed. No thank-you.

But of course, heartstrings are plucked, making it impossible to leave these babes in the woods to their own demise. Our heroes become protectors in the middle of impossible odds and ego-driven, racist rivalries and all the dirt which makes life a difficult place. A stupid, ugly town filled with stupid, ugly people. Who are also, people with good stuff inside them as well. An unfortunate mix, because if they were all bad, you could just leave them to rot without a second thought. But no, the audience is shown enough hope to want to see these people rise above themselves and just get along. It's fun as viewers to hope. And so our heroes decide to stay.

Such a story would be an unbearable cliché if it weren't done, as this one is, with such a good deal of competence.

The pilot worked, was entirely watchable, was fun, and shows plenty of promise.

No, it doesn't have the unique charismatic spark of a Firefly, or the (albeit wooden) broad-stroke genius of Babylon 5. But it does have all the parts you need for a thrilling series, and better yet, it has the casting and acting chops to make the characters engaging. And best of all, in the midst of all that grime and calamity, it retains the up-beat bounce to make the world a place to want to visit next week.

For a series pilot, getting so many difficult parts to work this well together is extremely hard to pull off. But they did it.

Presumably, as the actors settle into their roles over the course of several episodes, on-screen chemistry can only get better. Hopefully, they've got some good script writers on board to make good use of all this potential, and the budget and executive smarts needed to give this show the chance it needs for a good run.

I think it's just possible that we're looking at a winner. *Just*.

Because this particular road through the sci-fi wilderness is littered with the remains of the fallen. If they pull it off, it'll be a big first.

So I wish good luck to the aptly named, "Defiance" in the face of these long odds.

They'll need both!

I just saw the pilot episode. I am not sold yet on whether it will crash and burn or it will be decent.

Good points: The "many peoples tossed together" idea has been done before but it's a good one. Almost anything is possible.

It's got Rockne S. O'Bannon who was one of the creators of Farscape as a "developer." This is hopeful.

I like the alien wife.

Bad points: The special effects were on a par with SyFy channel TV movies. That's pretty low. If it's a show that depends on crashing and action, they're going to have to up the budget.

I'm not sure on the Romeo and Juliet angle on the two alien kids. That can turn boring really fast.

Could it all gel into something really good? Yes. But I don't see it yet.

While the pilot wasn't jaw-dropping, it was very entertaining and in my opinion it is worth recommending this show to sci-fi fans. I believe there is a rich world here with a story worth telling. This is not Game Of Thrones, this is not Breaking Bad.... this is a "popcorn show". Sit back, relax & enjoy the ride. Don't let the super negative reviews fool you, because, as always, they are the extra critical vocal minority. Most people don't go online and write personal reviews for TV shows / movies they like.

I look forward to more episodes and I hope the hate-train doesn't stop potential viewers from giving it the chance it deserves. =]

So judging from what I've read, it seems that most these reviews are only aware that Defiance existed as a TV show. Most video gamers know that Defiance also exists as a MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online) video game that went hand-in-hand with the show. While the show takes place in St. Louis, the game takes place in San Francisco. Each week with a new episode of the show, came new missions in the game which were loosely tied to events of the episode. Characters from the show would periodically make appearances in the game while characters from the game would periodically make appearances in the show. While DC and Marvel have their crossovers and spin-offs, never has a TV show and a video game crossed over in such a way before. This was an innovative idea for sure! I get that not everyone plays video games but you're missing half the story. It's like writing a review about Harry Potter after only reading books 5, 6 and 7.

Now that I've sung the high praises about the concept of Defiance, let's mention the elephant in the room. Gamers know the developers rushed the game to be in-sync with the production of the show. The game could be pretty buggy at times which eventually lead to it's being taken over by another developer and rebranded. Even with all it's bugs and broken bits, it was still a game I enjoyed playing!

For the actual show itself, most of the acting was great, Grant Bowler and Stephanie Leonidas are hilarious together. He's clearly not the parenting type and he couldn't be more over his head with a crazy, rebellious alien! They made such a great team. This show had a "small community" feel to it while it still provided much action. Tony Curran and Jesse Rath play a convincing father and son butting heads over just about everything. His relationship with his mom is a bit creepy but it's a Casthithan thing I guess??

Overall it's still a good watch without playing the game, most of the important story points are touched on in the show but having a game that played out with it just makes the show that much more interactive.

Over the last decade I have had some difficulty warming up to many of the sci-fi shows produced. For me it was a case of being to conventional and uninspiring.

Initially, I watched Defiance and tuned out after the first three episodes. I revisited the show later and gave it another try. And to my surprise I was rewarded with solid acting and good scripts. Hopefully, the show survives into season four it would be a shame to see it end prematurely in the ratings game. Good quality Sci- Fi shows are hard to find these days.

So like many other admirers of this show, I will wait to see the outcome. The Killjoys and Dark Matter are watchable but these shows do not have the depth and quality IMO

I don't regret watching two seasons of it so its not that bad. Still, they seriously could have done a better job on many things.

This is a mix of Western, Mad Max and Star Trek. So nothing in this show is very new. Overused concepts recycled, but having 3 of them mixed together make things a bit more interesting.

There is some good characters, good actors doing their best with their sometimes poor lines and scenes. Girls are cute and some of the men are rough and tough. The story get better and deeper as you watch it and subplots are not so bad in general.

Now what really ruined the whole thing for me as it mostly always does is the family friendly thing. Its not a teen show but its not an adult show either. Its between the two categories. So if you're an adult it gets to teenage-like sometimes and I hope that if you watch this with your kids you'll find it too mature for your kids sometimes. This is the kind of show that doesn't have swearing or nudity. Yet they have alien words very close to the real ones that they use all the time. Also there's references or allusions to hardcore stuff sometimes. They also have scenes that really are for adult. For example in one scene there's a prostitute feeding an old man who's wearing a diaper and she sit on him and spread food all over his chest and they have sex for awhile... How is that family friendly in any ways ? Its like if they wanted to make a serious adult show but had to deal with rating or channel rules. So they cheated as best as they could to make it watchable for adults.

Finally there's the issue of the extraterrestrials. I mean I get they were limited by money and all but still... There's 4 species so far, 4 different species and they all are humanoids, Seriously ? How is that possible... Anyways, there's the Wookies or bearded apes, there's the guys that look like Darth Vader without his suit, there's the very white people who just are powdered with white hairs and finally there's the savages with mean cat-like faces... Their cultures and customs are so lame, boring and ordinary. None of it is new, its all mixes of cultures and customs we have or had on Earth.

As I said its watchable. I'd say if you don't have a lot of time there's a lot of shows better than this out there, but if you are looking for something to watch to pass time its not the worst show out there.

You ever watch those shows where the actors and their 'issues' don't fit the surrounding environment? Where Emo and Juliet still try to live life as it was in the 'good old days', except the good old days refer to a time when shopping malls still existed and kids went to public school, not scrounging in gutters for scraps to eat amongst rubble left be either a bomb, aliens or mother nature?

You ever get the impression that writers just can't envision an apocalyptic future that's actually bleak, without it's hope pride parade, racial tolerance and sharing is caring characters who always look on the bright side and make cliché promises to children about how 'everything is going to be OK, because now more than ever, we have to stick together, no matter our differences.' It's as if Hollywood can't ever stop with the subliminal political messages about the state of identity politics, and just actually make a television show.

Programs such as Defiance, Falling Skies, Revolution and Terra Nova all suffer from this double life leading paradox where they have large budgets, promising actors, fantastic set pieces and costumes...yet the writing and dialogue is diabolical and over dramatic.

Defiance is another one of those in-house workshop projects that are synonymous with the now cheapened 'Sy Fy' channel designed to appeal to the masses of sheep TV viewers.

It stumbles under it's own star struck weight, of Battlestar Galactica ex employees, Bear McReary's repetitive soundtracks and a viral marketing campaign of being connected to a video game.

If you appreciate true post apocalyptic scenarios, then give this a miss. Like the other shows mentioned above, everything is too convenient, clean and transparent.

I would have liked to give it a five for the CGI and setpieces, but they too are poor.

Let me first point out that most of the highly negative reviews are from people that are either REALLY upset that their favorites shows were canceled, only want some super techie expensive POS, or don't have the mental capacity to understand what kind of depth and hard work went into this show.

That being said, I am a very picky viewer. Half the shows on network TV claiming to be Sci Fi are watered down and barely beyond their "grounded" approach to the genre. Defiance is first and foremost, Science Fiction.

I admit, the show started out really rocky. The pilot was confusing to a degree, and the limited budget was apparent. But unlike a lot of attention inept who've posted reviews after giving the show 40 minutes of their time, I stuck it through. Two seasons and a lot of emotions later, I can definitively say Defiance has found it's groove.

It's not going to hold your hand. This is in the day of the life of kind of drama. The show wants you to get the sense that these characters really feel, and have their own inner demons. Just when you think someone is an unabashed hero or villain without any dimension, the show begins to peel away at the outer shell and reveals multi-faceted layers.

From the whimsically religious, barbaric and sarcastic kingpin Datak Tar, his submissive yet secretly conniving wife Sahlma; Nolan the nomadic gun for hire and his mysteriously haunted alien daughter Arisa; intelligent Mayor Amanda Rosewater and her prostitute/madame of a sister Kenya who just happens to know the truest face of her clients, there is no shortage of unique interactions and dilemmas. Just when you think you know all there is to know about your favorite character, they surprise you with undeniably real and game changing actions.

The Aliens in Defiance do look human-like. So what. There is enough there to make them both familiar and yet completely other-worldly. The Linguist behind the Dothraki tongue in Game of Thrones has created some of the most beautiful and poetic languages for the major species that needs to be heard to be believed. A lot of time and thought has gone into complete religions, social structures and traditions for each of the 5 (6?) dominant species. Castithans are pale and beautiful, snobbish and cruel with severe repercussions for defying one's long standing cultural beliefs. Iratients are in tune with nature but love to fight and make love. You really must discover the others for yourself.

Special effects are here and there sometimes, but make do to progress the story along and sometimes can leave you in complete awe. And the Music? Amazing. From the Synth themes to the alien takes on well established earth tunes, it has to be heard to be appreciated.

All in all, this show surprised me, and continues to surprise me with it's depth, it's pain, and it's humanity, even if the world is completely alien to me. I never felt this honesty with Stargate, or even my fav, Farscape. With the exception of Ben Browder, they still felt like actors playing a role. These characters inhabiting Defiance seem like neighbors. With mix matched tech and the willingness to end you if you get in the way of their survival.

Give it a shot. Be defiant stop listening to the sore losers.

Obviously, I did not expect anything before watching its first show.I didn't even believe such a sci-fi show could maintain a well-done performance. And lets be honest there hasn't been a satisfactory sci-fi entertainment perhaps since "Firefly".

However, it seems as if it has successfully leaped forward to meet the necessary qualities to be a good science fiction series. There are many similar "bits n' pieces" that was shown in other major sci-fi T.V projects. And the interesting characters and atmospheres that do well to pretty much cover up some of the flaws and setbacks of the scenario.

As overall it has my deepest respects.And what's better than a survival story these days?Then why not give it a chance?

I know the show is old, but I shame myself by not giving it attention earlier. I somehow get the same feeling that I got when Fringe finished: I want more, but I don't want it to spoil with overcomplicated plots and lifeless seasons.

For the 3 seasons this show got, it was seriously well made, with a lot of attention to details. I know the special effects lacked in ...well, everything, but that didn't break the narrative one bit.

Languages and dialects for all the alien races, specific music, well developed characters who blur the lines between good and bad, nice twists here and there, great dialogue, compelling storyline. I was amazed on how much love was put in this particular show.

For everybody saying it's underrated, believe them. It truly is a show that could've gone further with ease, but at the same time, it's good it didn't get to spoil at some point.

Watch it, love it, miss it afterwards.

OK so there were some dodgy effects, some awful acting, clichéd characters and back stories and at times poor scriptwriting. But having said that, it held my attention for some reason and has the potential to grow on me. This series will live or die on the quality of it's story-telling and inevitably it will have it's hater's and it's liker's. I am reserving my judgement for now to see which group I fall into. Well done though for at least investing in a new sci-fi series. I just hope the writers have the stones to give us something more challenging, intelligent and contemporary than the majority of the drivel on the Syfy channel.

It was decent, I guess.

There were cheesy moments, there were clichés, but somehow it worked in a way where there's a story that needs to be told and it's done successfully. It's sort of a Firefly (wild west) Terra Nova (earth but not really) Enterprise Season 5 (Collective of aliens) mix.

The special effects and CGI were pretty good though, which if it continues throughout the series with an improvement to the dialogue and storyline it could be the next sci-fi successful TV show. And I can't stress this enough that clichés like forbidden love between teenagers and calling the mayor "sweetheart" must be removed from the concept. The cast is doing it's job, but don;t expect miracles.

All in all I am willing to give this show a fair chance.

I don't normally write reviews on IMDb, but I thought I'd make an exception for this show. I find it rather weird that it has an overall rating of 8.1, but all the reviews so far range from mediocre to bad.

Personally, I really enjoyed the pilot. While most of the themes are "cliche", the show does a great job of still adding an original twist to almost all of them. I've always enjoyed shows that follow numerous characters, so I think there is potential in that aspect. I also enjoyed the two "main" characters; they have great chemistry together (if a little awkward at points) and are intriguing. I feel there is a lot more to learn about them, and that makes me want to keep watching the show.

I don't watch many SyFy shows, so I can't really compare it to anything they have done in the past. I can see the resemblance to Jericho, as some people have stated, but with a larger sci-fi theme. A lot of reviews state that they have "seen shows like this before", but I personally have never seen anything like this show before. The graphics are sub-par, but are better than a lot of other shows I have seen. Truthfully, I would take a great story over amazing graphics any day.

After watching the show, I have decided to pick up the video game. I find the show/ video game integration very intriguing. Now that both are officially out, I hope they compliment each other even more in the future. It would be fun to watch an episode, and then play the video game and get background info on the episode, and on terraform earth as a whole.

These are just my thoughts on the first episode. I encourage everyone to at least watch the pilot to decide for yourselves whether this is a show for you or not.

I found season 1 absolutely riveting and was super glad to hear when season 2 was released.

Season 2 failed for me as the episodes did not hang together well. The silver thread through the entire season was weak and the writers appeared to glue the series together with "soap opera" like story telling.

Season 3 provides the writers an opportunity to fix the weak plot and mild story telling.

Modern television is boring but this show has the potential to be fresh and bring new ideas to a new genre.

Please don't turn this into yet another crappy TV show that the network tries to milk for 8 seasons and beyond? Keep it fresh, keep it new!

At very i had my reservations about this show, but I've stuck with it and it's got progressively better, I've found a lot of my friends are in the same camp as me there. I often find when shows or films are quite new to IMDb they are more likely to heavily criticised than praised and that gives a sort of negative bias, until more of the positive reviews come in later. I seem to recall some very highly regarded films and TV show's being stuck on a score of around five / seven but then once they'd be through the judgemental tunnel of fire they did just fine.

This show has began to gather dept and feel and also has plenty of mystery and wonderful plot threads developing, it's a lot of fun and has many elements. Don't believe what people say about it being a huge mellow drama or just a sci fi soap, yes it has an element of that but not has much as people are making out.

The acting ranges from poor, average to superb, with mixed styles and feel and that is the only thing some people might find jarring, personally i don't mind it.

It's sort of an ethical, detective, sci fi western, shoot em up, mystery, drama, new earth world, adventure .... it's got everything and it's really starting to piece together and take shape as a show. It's about family, hope, feuds, survival and making a new world.

The plotting is really getting smarter as the show progresses, the pilot i was unsure about, but now i am hooked! it's got lovely sets and some great tunes on the soundtrack...there's a lot to love about Defiance...i feel some people are judging it too quickly and worse wanting it fail for whatever reason, well i had this show to succeed , because it's fresh and quirky and like i said fun.

You don't need to worry about playing the game to follow the TV series either, in case you were wondering.

Defiance really keeps you guessing with unanswered questions, but the web is taking form now and i can't wait to see how it all comes together...if your new to the show bare with it, the pilot try's to do too much in my opinion and the second episode is average, the third is a little better, the forth and fifth are fantastic and a lot stronger.

It's a little monster of the week for a while but the over running plot lines are coming in now. I'd say it has elements of firefly, Farscape, Buffy and a Town called Eureka in pace, feel and style. Also with touches of various post apocalyptic role games and books featuring gathering of alien races, but that makes it cool, because it's fun to spot possible influences for sci fi games and books i enjoyed. Don't get me wrong though it also has an originality of it's own that is fantastic. Enjoy!

It's 2046 and over 30 years since aliens travel to Earth. Failed diplomacy, a devastating war and mysterious destruction of the alien ships known as Arkfall led to the planet transformed and human civilization battered. Survivors from different alien species are trying to coexist uneasily in Defiance, what once was St. Louis. Joshua Nolan (Grant Bowler) and his Irathient adopted daughter Irisa (Stephanie Leonidas) arrive. He's put in charge of security of the town run by mayor Amanda Rosewater (Julie Benz). Datak Tarr (Tony Curran) and his wife Stahma (Jaime Murray) are manipulative and ambitious with their rebellious son Doc Yewll. Doc Yewll is an Indogene who tends to have superior technological knowledge.

This is an unabashed sci-fi show. That's its strength as well as its weakness. It's overloaded with aliens, technology and futurism. The only thing missing is space travel. I would have preferred fewer kinds of aliens. It's questionable how such an alien menagerie could survive together before arriving on Earth. The future technologies require a lot of CGI and it pushes the limits for a TV show with budget limitations. The story is more in-line with an old fashion western. It has some interesting bits but this is for sci-fi fanatics only.

Defiance is one of those shows that you want to like, but often you just sit through episode after episode just shouting at the television.

Be it a weak script, nonsensical twists or just awful CGI, everyone has their issues with this show. When you first hear about the concept, it sounds almost like it couldn't fail, and in a way that's true. I find myself drawn to this show even though i'm constantly let down by it, because even with all of its shortcomings it still has its own charm.

The main characters are somewhat likable (mostly through good work of the cast who are the main reason the show is still watchable), even if you can't connect with them. And the settings are interesting even if they look awful on screen, but you will find yourself drawn to the world of Defiance nevertheless.

This is one of those shows that i would only recommend to hardcore SciFi fans, if you have enough patience then Defience might be an enjoyable experience as long as you don't expect to much of it.

You have been warned.

The show started a bit slow in the first 4-something episodes. In the past couple of episodes, especially 6 and onwards the show has really picked up. More stuff is happening, new plot lines are opening up and the characters are getting broader and deeper.

I would agree with those that say the show is not the best thing ever, and a lot of it still seems random or unbelievable. In my opinion this is mostly because of the lack of back story. The latest episodes have begun to give us some flashbacks, so I expect this particular complaint to be resolved soon.

In a day where Original Sci-Fi on TV are slim pickings indeed, I find the show to be a breath of fresh air.

The quality of the show is definitely on an upwards trajectory, so I suggest everybody that can't quite get in it yet,to bear with the series. To those who haven't given the show a chance yet, I suggest you do.

Watching Sci-fi is the only way to keep it on the air after all.

This show started out with great promise, but now reminds me of another show I really, REALLY wanted to like: Terra Nova. Great premise, great cast, great design and effects, but then devolves into predictable, clichéd plots. Shouldn't the aliens with whom we humans are now sharing Earth act -- I don't know -- kind of ALIEN? Instead they act just like what they really are: humans wearing a lot of makeup but with all the predictable passions, appetites and vices.

Those who get involved with the associated interactive Defiance game may be getting something more out of the series than I am, but I can only judge it by the series itself, and that is becoming more and more of a disappointment the more I watch.

SOMEWHAT of a sad, bad soap opera. The production folks spent a lot of time on makeup for the aliens while providing them with absolutely no difference between each alien species. All aliens have the same human-like values, local politics ( Deadwood on planet Zeeno ), dialog, personal problems, sexual identities, motivations, and issues like teen anxiety. A knife fight between the local human teen bully and the heroic smaller alien boy. OH Pah-lees . Nothing original, unique, or even interesting here. Males of the main races are chauvinistic, females docile and submissive - for the most part. The only thing really alien about the aliens is the makeup. So how could they ever possibly write any kind of interesting plot....Well, they can't.

Why is it that almost all of these sci-fi series are so poorly thought out? Obviously far more is spent on effects and makeup than on good writing. And to think they canceled " Firefly" !

Aliens are humans with makeup and no discerning difference in personalities from the average human. The sets are filled with phony looking plants and some Mad Max wreckage. Occasional special effects are thrown in to keep the fourteen year old male audience coming back for more ... but this 'show' has very little value for anyone who thinks, is an adult, or simply appreciates thoughtful and well told science fiction stories.

The amazing thing to me is that huge piles of money and effort are spent on such huge piles of trite, trivial, and troubling tripe. But, I guess, that's the way it is: with the lowest common denominator being a fourteen year old male with a two digit IQ. BIG YAWN. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME...Read some old Heinlein or Tolkien.