Defiance- does this look good or what?

POSTED BY: RiverTam1
UPDATED: Thursday, October 9, 2025 20:23
VIEWED: 29998
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RIVERTAM1

Sunday, February 17, 2013 10:13 AM

http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/01/07/defiance-trailer-2/

So I was on Twitter a couple of days ago, and I saw some pics for this on Jaime Murray's feed. Thought, "yeah, this looks pretty cool, I'll go have a look."
I am now drooling rainbows and waiting impaitently for April 15.
It's got a bit of a Firefly ring to it.
You like?

ECGORDON

Sunday, February 17, 2013 12:48 PM

Syfy has been promoting the hell out of this show, but so far I've stuck to my usual tactic of avoiding as much of that as possible. I prefer to watch a show with as little preconceived notion of what it will be like as possible. What I have seen leads me to believe it will look good, but the story is what interests me more. I couldn't care less about the video game tie-in since I'm not a gamer.

Some of the characters might be Firefly-esque, but since there are aliens it can't be that similar.

MOOSE

Sunday, February 17, 2013 7:10 PM

Well, until we get more details about it, I'm calling it "Tales of Earth That Was".

Who's to say that aliens didn't show up after the exodus?
Or even that they were the cause of it?
(yeah, Joss and whoever created Defiance but that's beside the point.)

I see the potential for some crossover fics here.
Shame I can't write worth crap.

TWO

Monday, February 18, 2013 1:37 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by ecgordon:
. . . since there are aliens it can't be that similar.

Defiance has seven alien races while Morena Baccarin's very canceled V had only one. Maybe seven is lucky?

Official description:

“Set in the near future, Defiance introduces an exotically transformed planet Earth, its landscapes permanently altered following the sudden – and tumultuous – arrival of seven unique alien races. In this somewhat unknown and unpredictable landscape, the richly diverse, newly-formed civilization of humans and aliens must learn to co-exist peacefully. Each week, viewers will follow an immersive character drama set in the boom-town of Defiance, which sits atop the ruins of St. Louis, MO, while in the game, players will adventure in the new frontier of the San Francisco Bay area. The dramatic tapestry of the series and the intense action of the game will exist in a single universe where their respective narratives will inform one another and evolve together into one overall story.”

The Joss Whedon script for "Serenity," where Wash lives, is
Serenity-190pages.pdf at www.mediafire.com/two

CLJOHNSTON108

Monday, February 18, 2013 10:47 PM

Lots of great videos on their YouTube channel...

The game tie-in is pretty interesting, too.

ECGORDON

Tuesday, February 19, 2013 12:20 AM

Oh yeah, I forgot. Julie Benz! And Jamie Murray!

RIVERTAM1

Tuesday, February 19, 2013 1:50 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by ecgordon:
Oh yeah, I forgot. Julie Benz! And Jamie Murray!

That's actually how I found out about it... I was stalking... sorry, looking at Jaime Murray's twitter feed.
https://twitter.com/DefianceWorld/status/299638799019954178/photo/1
THAT PIC.
*fangirls everywhere*

The human body can be drained of blood in 8.6 seconds, given adequate vacuuming systems.

STORYMARK

Tuesday, February 19, 2013 9:52 PM

Fingers crossed. We need some good sci-fi, dagnabbit!

Excuse me while I soak in all these sweet, sweet conservative tears.

"We will never have the elite, smart people on our side." -- Rick "Frothy" Santorum

"Goram it kid, let's frak this thing and go home! Engage!"

MOOSE

Wednesday, April 10, 2013 9:36 PM

So, anyone going to be watching?

After learning more details, it isn't so Firefly-ish as I initially thought, but still does look interesting.

ECGORDON

Thursday, April 11, 2013 12:17 AM

Yeah, I'll be watching, with fingers crossed.

AURAPTOR

Thursday, April 11, 2013 1:46 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by ecgordon:
Oh yeah, I forgot. Julie Benz! And Jamie Murray!

To quote Jayne...

" I call this a win "

But I'm in a wait and see mode here.

I like the bold concept of interweaving the t.v and the gaming words.
It can be meh, hoaky, or really wickedly cool.

I just hope it's not another Terra Nova. Blech.

Fathom the hypocrisy of a government that requires every citizen to prove they are insured... but not everyone must prove they are a citizen

Resident USA Freedom Fundie

" AU, that was great, LOL!! " - Chrisisall

AURAPTOR

Friday, April 19, 2013 4:14 AM

Not a bad start.

Really like Irisa. Great attitude she has.

Fathom the hypocrisy of a government that requires every citizen to prove they are insured... but not everyone must prove they are a citizen

Resident USA Freedom Fundie

" AU, that was great, LOL!! " - Chrisisall

WHOZIT

Friday, April 19, 2013 4:41 PM

Syfy has a bad habit of not spending a lot of money on their shows and movies, hopefully if this is any good they'll take good care if it.

SHINYGOODGUY

Friday, April 19, 2013 6:45 PM

I read online that SyFy has committed over $100M to this show. It's filmed in Canada, I guess to reduce overall costs and for it's terrain. So looks like SyFy really wants this show to succeed. Remember Universal is behind this and they supported Firefly (only they had to call it Serenity, damn you Faux!)

So I say let's support this show, at least until we see it's a cheap knockoff. But so far it's looks good, only time will tell.

SGG

quote]Originally posted by whozit:
Syfy has a bad habit of not spending a lot of money on their shows and movies, hopefully if this is any good they'll take good care if it.

SHINYGOODGUY

Friday, April 19, 2013 6:48 PM

I agree with you on this, not bad for starters. I like Irisa too - she's a cross between Zoe and River, with a little Jayne thrown in for spice.

SGG

Quote:
Originally posted by AURaptor:
Not a bad start.

Really like Irisa. Great attitude she has.

Fathom the hypocrisy of a government that requires every citizen to prove they are insured... but not everyone must prove they are a citizen

Resident USA Freedom Fundie

" AU, that was great, LOL!! " - Chrisisall

SHINYGOODGUY

Friday, April 19, 2013 8:09 PM

EC, it warms my heart to know that you're on "watch" duty (I'm smiling as I write this)...........

My gut reaction to Defiance: Universal/SyFy did their homework, but I have a few minor quibbles.

1. I felt they took things a bit too seriously, a bit much with the drama.

2. I felt they rushed the storyline of Nolan becoming the sheriff; the poor actor who played McCawley's eldest son (see I can't even remember his name) he was killed off rather abruptly and so I didn't really care, very little build up (what I call the set-up to the payoff, it has to make sense and develop). They could've taken more time - it's a TV series.

3. Nolan bedding Kenya right off, ok, I give 'em that one - She's fine
(she's no Inara, but on a cold night, hubba, hubba!)

4. Sorry but Graham Greene didn't convince me, at least in the pilot, that he's this angry hothead father who like a frontiersman/landowner (that's a John Wayne role if ever I saw one). Maybe he'll be better in future episodes.

2 reasons why here: a) When they killed his son, I wasn't convinced he cared
and b) when they killed his best friend, the sheriff, I wasn't convinced he cared (I'm sensing a pattern here).

Part of it is due to the set-up. If the sheriff wasn't going to be a main character, why write him in at all. Why not just infer his death and have Tommy, his deputy, take the reins and try and stop McCawley from killing Alak.

Score: C-

Enough with the negatives, let's see what I did like:

I like Nolan. I like Irisa. Both are solid and their chemistry is spot on.
I like them as characters and how their story flowed, it was natural (not rushed or forced) and set the tone almost immediately. The studio did the right thing casting these two as leads. They are both good together and separately, each has gravitas, but each has that little spark in their eye that can lead to comic situations when needed within the show's storyline.

I like Julie Benz as the mayor. She's solid as well.

I really like the Tarrs. Both of them are solid actors and drive the show's more wicked side. Solid casting there as well. I could do without the star-crossed lovers bit between the 2 teens, but the jury's out on that working or not (at least for me).

Jury's out for me on Kenya (horrible name) Mia Kirschner is fine but....

Grade: B-

That's about it, not much but I still liked it. But please note that I'm a sci-fi geek and watched Flash Gordon when I was a boy. Despite the terrible FX (wires flying the ship) I was in heaven. 100 hundred years later, along comes Firefly and everything seemed to gel and make sense.

The potential is there. Good thing about it is that they can make it anything they want, but hopefully will listen to fans and incorporate what makes us smile. Time will tell.

Similarities:

Nolan - former soldier, salvager, father figure to a wounded teen, lovable scoundrel (tightpants not included)

Irisa - wounded teen, special skills with knives, may have other special powers (that may yet come to the surface)

Amanda/Kenya - they took Inara and split her into 2 women/the ambassador and the whore

Need/Want Bar - Maidenhead Bar anyone, good choice and I like the name

Datak and wife - Badger x 2

Earth That Was - well, we all knew that was coming

Pale Wars - The Alliance didn't have those cool Arks floating about

Defiance - named after a battle for freedom, hmmmmm, where have we heard that before (I actually like that part of the storyline in the show)

Reavers? - didn't quite catch the name of the baddies at the end, but Nolan fought them during the war, not sure about this part of the story.

Well, you get the picture. Universal couldn't, or wouldn't, get Firefly so they create a similar vibe with this show. Well, not quite, but they use elements of our beloved series. Smart move, they have a ready-made audience clamoring for our BDH and do their best not to ruffle any feathers

STORYMARK

Friday, April 19, 2013 8:18 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SHINYGOODGUY:
It's filmed in Canada, I guess to reduce overall costs and for it's terrain.

That would explain the mountain range that suddenly appeared in Missouri.

Excuse me while I soak in all these sweet, sweet conservative tears.

"We will never have the elite, smart people on our side." -- Rick "Frothy" Santorum

"Goram it kid, let's frak this thing and go home! Engage!"

AURAPTOR

Saturday, April 20, 2013 12:42 AM

Quote:

That would explain the mountain range that suddenly appeared in Missouri.

Yeah, that one bugs me a bit too. Sure, it LOOKS cool, but explain to me the tectonic forces which would uplift a mountain range in St. Louis, in just 30 some years, but some how that arch still remains standing ?

Not likely.

And w/ the tech that's available, is there really no way to find out what Antarctica is REALLY like with out having to travel all the way there to find out ?

This isn't the world of Mad Max, where the current apex of technology is a gas powered engine.

But over all, I really dig ( most of ) the characters and early plot lines. That the smokin' hot mayor is sister to the town doxy, and Nolan has already nailed one, and looks to be wanting to hook up w/ the other, is a situation ripe w/ sexual tension.

Fathom the hypocrisy of a government that requires every citizen to prove they are insured... but not everyone must prove they are a citizen

Resident USA Freedom Fundie

" AU, that was great, LOL!! " - Chrisisall

ANONYMOUSE

Saturday, April 20, 2013 1:45 PM

Hmmm. Firefly it's not, but it doesn't half feel like it.

And the reference to the Yellowjackets - not-so-veiled reference to the Browncoats, or what?

I'm in two minds about this show, but...well, we'll see.

CEDRIC

Monday, April 22, 2013 5:49 PM

Y'know how people who haven't seen Firefly are turned off when you say it's a sci-fi western, because that phrase just doesn't sum up the brilliant writing, the surprising plot twists, the intricate layers of Joss Whedon's work?

Well, from what I've seen so far, "scifi western" pretty much sums up Defiance.

From the minute that our hero and his indian sidekick--I mean, alien sidekick!--got surrounded by a bunch of hootin' and hollerin' indians--I mean, aliens!--who came riding in on their horses--I mean, motorcycles!--to the moment when the virtuous and apparently virginal schoolmarm--I mean, the virtuous and apparently virginal mayor!--handed the badge to the hero, so that there's a new sheriff in town--I mean, Lawkeeper!--this was a western with a very thin sci-fi veneer.

What it lacked was the brilliant writing we love from the Mutant Enemy team. As soon as it was clear that doom was impending, I knew our hero would think about leaving but go back to save the day. As soon as his alien sidekick left him in a huff, I knew she'd come riding into the battle at a critical moment (though in truth, that moment didn't seem terribly critical--it felt more like she and her insta-friends were getting in the way). As soon as I saw Juliet--I mean, the daughter of the man who owns the mines--making eyes at Romeo--I mean, the son of the well-dressed Victorian vampire, I mean, alien!--I knew one of them would lose a kinsmen. Even as our hero was speculating after the battle concerning who might have been behind the attack, I knew the final scene would reveal that . . .

Maybe we'll see some better writing as the series progresses. Maybe they'll venture beyond the predictable. Maybe they'll realize that "terraform" means "make a planet become like Earth"--so by definition, you can't do it to Earth!

But for now, I'm still thinking there's a committee out there that believes what will sell is westerny-alieny-gritty-scifiishness--with a top-hat and goggles thrown in to get the steampunk demographic--without realizing what really sold Firefly:

QUALITY.

SHINYGOODGUY

Monday, April 22, 2013 6:37 PM

Agreed..........the writing needs to improve. There were far too many predictable scenes and plot contrivances, and not in a good way. There were few scenes where I felt something fresh was being offered, what I mostly liked was the chemistry between the two leads. But yeah, the jury is still out.

I'm gonna give them a few episodes to hit their stride, but so far the first episode was uneven and sometimes flat. We'll see what happens tonight. Pity though, $100M and they forgot to get some strong writers.

P.S. Where are the horses?

SGG

Quote:
Originally posted by Cedric:
Y'know how people who haven't seen Firefly are turned off when you say it's a sci-fi western, because that phrase just doesn't sum up the brilliant writing, the surprising plot twists, the intricate layers of Joss Whedon's work?

Well, from what I've seen so far, "scifi western" pretty much sums up Defiance.

From the minute that our hero and his indian sidekick--I mean, alien sidekick!--got surrounded by a bunch of hootin' and hollerin' indians--I mean, aliens!--who came riding in on their horses--I mean, motorcycles!--to the moment when the virtuous and apparently virginal schoolmarm--I mean, the virtuous and apparently virginal mayor!--handed the badge to the hero, so that there's a new sheriff in town--I mean, Lawkeeper!--this was a western with a very thin sci-fi veneer.

What it lacked was the brilliant writing we love from the Mutant Enemy team. As soon as it was clear that doom was impending, I knew our hero would think about leaving but go back to save the day. As soon as his alien sidekick left him in a huff, I knew she'd come riding into the battle at a critical moment (though in truth, that moment didn't seem terribly critical--it felt more like she and her insta-friends were getting in the way). As soon as I saw Juliet--I mean, the daughter of the man who owns the mines--making eyes at Romeo--I mean, the son of the well-dressed Victorian vampire, I mean, alien!--I knew one of them would lose a kinsmen. Even as our hero was speculating after the battle concerning who might have been behind the attack, I knew the final scene would reveal that . . .

Maybe we'll see some better writing as the series progresses. Maybe they'll venture beyond the predictable. Maybe they'll realize that "terraform" means "make a planet become like Earth"--so by definition, you can't do it to Earth!

But for now, I'm still thinking there's a committee out there that believes what will sell is westerny-alieny-gritty-scifiishness--with a top-hat and goggles thrown in to get the steampunk demographic--without realizing what really sold Firefly:

QUALITY.

BOOKONBOARDSYSTEMCOM

Monday, April 22, 2013 8:48 PM

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this gets better. I hope that the Firefly like qualities were purposeful rather than coincidental.
Hopefully that means either a Browncoat is involved in some aspect or someone who understands that a show like Firefly can create a large following.

I've said in the past(and heard others as well) that I'll take Firefly anyway I can get it.

Well this might not be what I had in mind but it may be the closest we ever see, so I'll support it and hope for the best.

WISHIMAY

Tuesday, April 23, 2013 6:53 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Cedric:
Y'know how people who haven't seen Firefly are turned off when you say it's a sci-fi western, because that phrase just doesn't sum up the brilliant writing, the surprising plot twists, the intricate layers of Joss Whedon's work?

Well, from what I've seen so far, "scifi western" pretty much sums up Defiance.

From the minute that our hero and his indian sidekick--I mean, alien sidekick!--got surrounded by a bunch of hootin' and hollerin' indians--I mean, aliens!--who came riding in on their horses--I mean, motorcycles!--to the moment when the virtuous and apparently virginal schoolmarm--I mean, the virtuous and apparently virginal mayor!--handed the badge to the hero, so that there's a new sheriff in town--I mean, Lawkeeper!--this was a western with a very thin sci-fi veneer.

What it lacked was the brilliant writing we love from the Mutant Enemy team. As soon as it was clear that doom was impending, I knew our hero would think about leaving but go back to save the day. As soon as his alien sidekick left him in a huff, I knew she'd come riding into the battle at a critical moment (though in truth, that moment didn't seem terribly critical--it felt more like she and her insta-friends were getting in the way). As soon as I saw Juliet--I mean, the daughter of the man who owns the mines--making eyes at Romeo--I mean, the son of the well-dressed Victorian vampire, I mean, alien!--I knew one of them would lose a kinsmen. Even as our hero was speculating after the battle concerning who might have been behind the attack, I knew the final scene would reveal that . . .

Maybe we'll see some better writing as the series progresses. Maybe they'll venture beyond the predictable. Maybe they'll realize that "terraform" means "make a planet become like Earth"--so by definition, you can't do it to Earth!

But for now, I'm still thinking there's a committee out there that believes what will sell is westerny-alieny-gritty-scifiishness--with a top-hat and goggles thrown in to get the steampunk demographic--without realizing what really sold Firefly:

QUALITY.

^ THIS. Yes. So rarely do I agree with an entire post, but I totally agree with it all. This is sci-fi in a blender to cast the widest net and then hit it with the biggest mallet they can find, with a lot of "do not look at that man behind the curtain" effect. But they do have a LOT riding on this one. I am so conflicted watching it, it's like someone switched out my Genuine Firefly for a Firefly Diet from Mexico- it could be exotic but it could also be crap! in no time (groan)

Seeing as there's not much else to drink around here I'll sip it, for now....

I think the mountain valley thing bothered me the most too. I've been to St. Louis many times, and while they do have quite a few "cut throughs" in stone on the way I think 40 or fifty feet is about high as they get, 4- or 5 HUNDRED is ridiculous... Really negligent storytelling....

ECGORDON

Tuesday, April 23, 2013 7:17 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Wishimay:
I think the mountain valley thing bothered me the most too. I've been to St. Louis many times, and while they do have quite a few "cut throughs" in stone on the way I think 40 or fifty feet is about high as they get, 4- or 5 HUNDRED is ridiculous... Really negligent storytelling....

Rafe McCawley did say that the terraforming process sort of folded the landscape over on top of old St. Louis, so that could account for the mountains there now.

WISHIMAY

Tuesday, April 23, 2013 11:42 PM

And what would be the bloody purpose of THAT anyway??? Tilling the garden, but on super massive scale? Why not just find another planet? There's one about 1500 light years away, I hear....Shouldn't have anything to fight back on it either.

They've got some massive 'splaining to do to convince me that was plausible or necessary.

ECGORDON

Wednesday, April 24, 2013 2:04 AM

I agree that they need to give us more information, but they have put out quite a bit relating to the game and in other promos. I'm waiting for them to explain it in the show with some flashbacks, but apparently the Votans must have been stupid because they came here thinking Earth was uninhabited. The terraforming began accidentally when one of their ships crashed. There was a war when some humans couldn't accept that it was an accident, then the war ended with an uneasy truce and alliance.

OLDGUY

Thursday, April 25, 2013 4:57 PM

I downloaded epi 2 Tuesday night ( I hate commercials) from Itunes... honestly, I can't half remember what the episode was even about..it was that forgettable.... I rode out the first season of Star Trek TNG while the actors shook off the cardboard and settled into their roles, I'll give Defiance time as well, cause I like what it could be...but they might want to call Joss up and see if he has any phone numbers for some of his old writers

and what the heck?...did the little red haired girl get a makeup change or is it a different actress?... she was much cuter in the pilot

AURAPTOR

Saturday, April 27, 2013 5:04 AM

Irisa continues to intrigue me. I don't know if it's her personal story, or that we don't know much of her species yet. My impression is that she's feisty, clever and independent ,but has a streak of the latter that gets her into trouble. She must be good at fighting, or sticking close to Nolan. My guess is they keep each other out of trouble a bit.

Also, I'm liking the alien doctor, when ever she ( it ?) is on screen.

As for the 2nd ep... meh. The whole 'cleansing' ritual nonsense really does seem ridiculous. Their planet blows up, and yet they cling to " the old ways ", such as public torture for the high crime of cowardice, and a social cast system, in a world where there's no need for it. Oh yeah... there's a foundation for an advanced society. ( sarcasm )

And jumping to the part of 'Old St. Louis'... where there's a fairly intact nuclear power plant, just sitting there, unused, unprotected, doesn't seem to concern anyone ?

Fathom the hypocrisy of a government that requires every citizen to prove they are insured... but not everyone must prove they are a citizen

Resident USA Freedom Fundie

" AU, that was great, LOL!! " - Chrisisall

SHINYGOODGUY

Saturday, April 27, 2013 6:47 AM

I just keep remembering the quote from Zoe:
"We live in a spaceship dear!"

We suspended our belief for a rag-tag crew of 9 once.......

SGG

Quote:
Originally posted by ecgordon:
Quote:
Originally posted by Wishimay:
I think the mountain valley thing bothered me the most too. I've been to St. Louis many times, and while they do have quite a few "cut throughs" in stone on the way I think 40 or fifty feet is about high as they get, 4- or 5 HUNDRED is ridiculous... Really negligent storytelling....

Rafe McCawley did say that the terraforming process sort of folded the landscape over on top of old St. Louis, so that could account for the mountains there now.

SHINYGOODGUY

Saturday, April 27, 2013 6:50 AM

Head of the class.............

SGG

Quote:
Originally posted by ecgordon:
I agree that they need to give us more information, but they have put out quite a bit relating to the game and in other promos. I'm waiting for them to explain it in the show with some flashbacks, but apparently the Votans must have been stupid because they came here thinking Earth was uninhabited. The terraforming began accidentally when one of their ships crashed. There was a war when some humans couldn't accept that it was an accident, then the war ended with an uneasy truce and alliance.

SHINYGOODGUY

Saturday, April 27, 2013 6:51 AM

I agree 100%, even about the little red-haired girl.

SGG

Quote:
Originally posted by OLDGUY:
I downloaded epi 2 Tuesday night ( I hate commercials) from Itunes... honestly, I can't half remember what the episode was even about..it was that forgettable.... I rode out the first season of Star Trek TNG while the actors shook off the cardboard and settled into their roles, I'll give Defiance time as well, cause I like what it could be...but they might want to call Joss up and see if he has any phone numbers for some of his old writers

and what the heck?...did the little red haired girl get a makeup change or is it a different actress?... she was much cuter in the pilot

SHINYGOODGUY

Saturday, April 27, 2013 7:02 AM

This whole show is a metaphor Mr. Auraptor for our experience here on boring old Earth.

I do like Irisa as a character, especially because she reminds me of River, in a sense. From next week's promo it looks like she'll be having some dreams foretelling something or some-such. It was very brief. But I'm giving it a chance despite some lame plot contrivances. I still say that this is Universal's answer to the Fox television rights of Firefly, we're in the presence of an end around folks - soak it in, such as it is.

Someone earlier posted that maybe they should hire some of the writers from FF to get more of the show's flavor. I second that motion. Hey is Jane Espenson or Tim Minear available?

SGG

Quote:
Originally posted by AURaptor:

Irisa continues to intrigue me. I don't know if it's her personal story, or that we don't know much of her species yet. My impression is that she's feisty, clever and independent ,but has a streak of the latter that gets her into trouble. She must be good at fighting, or sticking close to Nolan. My guess is they keep each other out of trouble a bit.

Also, I'm liking the alien doctor, when ever she's ( it ?) is on screen.

As for the 2nd ep... meh. The whole 'cleansing' ritual nonsense really does seem ridiculous. Their planet blows up, and yet they cling to " the old ways ", such as public torture for the high crime of cowardice, and a social cast system, in a world where there's no need for it. Oh yeah... there's a foundation for an advanced society. ( sarcasm )

And jumping to the part of 'Old St. Louis'... where there's a fairly intact nuclear power plant, just sitting there, unused, unprotected, doesn't seem to concern anyone ?

Fathom the hypocrisy of a government that requires every citizen to prove they are insured... but not everyone must prove they are a citizen

Resident USA Freedom Fundie

" AU, that was great, LOL!! " - Chrisisall

AURAPTOR

Saturday, April 27, 2013 2:11 PM

Jane keeps showing up in shows I like, and then they get cancelled. Last I saw her name, was the revival of Torchwood - Miracle Day. And I can't think of Tim w/ out also thinking of Wonderfalls, too. Don't know how long that show could have endured, had it survived, but I fully enjoyed the premise and the first season.

But I digress.

Fathom the hypocrisy of a government that requires every citizen to prove they are insured... but not everyone must prove they are a citizen

Resident USA Freedom Fundie

" AU, that was great, LOL!! " - Chrisisall

ECGORDON

Saturday, April 27, 2013 2:13 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SHINYGOODGUY:
I still say that this is Universal's answer to the Fox television rights of Firefly, we're in the presence of an end around folks - soak it in, such as it is.

It's nice that you are willing to give Universal such credit since they did take a chance on our BDHs, but you do realize that the corporate structure of the company has gone through several changes since. Defiance was created by Rockne S. O'Bannon and Kevin Taylor, not by some Universal execs. Any similarity to Firefly is sheer serendipity and coincidence...and you reading into it what is probably not there at all.

WISHIMAY

Saturday, April 27, 2013 4:57 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SHINYGOODGUY:
I just keep remembering the quote from Zoe:
"We live in a spaceship dear!"

We suspended our belief for a rag-tag crew of 9 once.......

One of the things I really really liked about Firefly was it's air of believe-ability. I can stretch to go there but I'd really prefer a good explanation and a wee bit of logic before they ram it down my throat. Sometimes Sci-fi has to stretch boundaries just to get in a story, but there is a breaking point, at least for me....

I always thought Lord of the Rings and Star Trek were more metaphors for Earth life too. Ferengi=Jews Cardassian=Italians Vulcans=Japanese ect..
Dwarves=German Hobbits=U.K. Elves=French
Write what you know...

Here is a page at Sci Fi hubby ran across last night that explains a bit about the Defiance 'Verse...
All of the Aliens are Votans, apparently from the same solar system, and I'm getting the vibe that each race represents complex issues of society like the original Star Trek did.

http://www.defiance.com/en/series/world-of-2046/town-of-defiance

ECGORDON

Saturday, April 27, 2013 5:28 PM

I'm not sure how much patience I'm going to have with this show. Yes, it is SF on a network that at one time was devoted to the genre, but it has a long way to go before it reaches the level of Firefly greatness, or Farscape, or even Eureka, as far as I'm concerned. I hope we will get some of that information in the show itself, but I think it is a sign of poor story-telling if you have to search elsewhere for the info.

AURAPTOR

Saturday, April 27, 2013 5:48 PM

Quote:
Dwarves=German Hobbits=U.K. Elves=French
Write what you know...

I get the first two, especially w/ the Hobbits, and Tolkien's view on nature and a 'small' people, just wanting to be left alone, but the Elves as 'French' ?

I suppose. A bit arrogant, pretentious at times, and w/ a love for wine.

Fathom the hypocrisy of a government that requires every citizen to prove they are insured... but not everyone must prove they are a citizen

Resident USA Freedom Fundie

" AU, that was great, LOL!! " - Chrisisall

WISHIMAY

Saturday, April 27, 2013 6:25 PM

I do have to give credit for the Johnny Cash intro though... classy!

AURAPTOR

Saturday, April 27, 2013 7:44 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Wishimay:
I do have to give credit for the Johnny Cash intro though... classy!

THAT was a gutsy move, and I was a bit leery when they started into that bit. I mean, it could have gone well, or it could have gone really really poorly. But once she started in w/ JCC's lyrics, I was like "Whoah!" I think she may have won me over right there, on that scene alone.

*eta* Dang.. now I've got that song stuck in my head. Appreciate it. lol!

Fathom the hypocrisy of a government that requires every citizen to prove they are insured... but not everyone must prove they are a citizen

Resident USA Freedom Fundie

" AU, that was great, LOL!! " - Chrisisall

REAVERFAN

Sunday, April 28, 2013 2:37 AM

I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees analogs to Dungeons and Dragons races.

Elves, orcs, bugbears, etc. I'm giving it a chance because I want
it to be good, or at least entertaining. Most Scifi-fantasy leaves me flat, though I yearn for something good.

It's no Firefly, but nothing is. The quality of that show won't be equaled until Mars aligns with Neptune in Libra in 2117...

(Just making up that last part.) Firefly was a perfect storm of talent and potential that leaves us wondering what it could have become, had it just lived a little longer. It's the Jimi/Janis/Jim of TV.

AURAPTOR

Sunday, April 28, 2013 3:54 PM

Just another 2 cents. I'm not buying Graham Greene as the angry, grief stricken father, ready to start a blood feud with the Tarr's, ala Hatfield and McCoy's.

The guy just doesn't seem right for that part. He's too NICE! I wanna see him dishing out quite, reserved wisdom, like some tribal sage, not as some crazed, blood thirsty father w/ a grudge. It just doesn't sell for me.

Fathom the hypocrisy of a government that requires every citizen to prove they are insured... but not everyone must prove they are a citizen

Resident USA Freedom Fundie

" AU, that was great, LOL!! " - Chrisisall

WISHIMAY

Sunday, April 28, 2013 10:37 PM

If they picked such a nice guy for this particular role what possible reason could they have for that???

Well, for one there's the symbology of him being Native American and here's these people coming in and.... well, history repeats itself...
I think he also represents the United States and to a lesser extent humanity. We already know that there is a plot against his life, so they had to pick someone who is likable because as humans we should all be pulling for him to come out on top... I didn't really care for him in this role either, but there isn't exactly a large pool of Natives to work with...

AURAPTOR

Monday, April 29, 2013 9:12 PM

Wish - while I'm intrigued with your post, do writers really put that much thought into their characters?

I mean, it makes sense, what you're saying about an Indian and the symbolism, of aliens coming in and tossing his world into an unrecognizable heap.

Fathom the hypocrisy of a government that requires every citizen to prove they are insured... but not everyone must prove they are a citizen

Resident USA Freedom Fundie

" AU, that was great, LOL!! " - Chrisisall

WISHIMAY

Tuesday, April 30, 2013 3:10 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by AURaptor:

Wish - while I'm intrigued with your post, do writers really put that much thought into their characters?

Not half as much as I'd want, but I for sure have a feeling that there will be many symbols in this one. They could've picked a myriad of people for that role sure 'nuff, but they went Native, and in St Louis? I might not have looked twice if it were say...The Dakotas, but it sure seemed like a man out of place.

Also, I'm not sure a lot of writers put the thought in there for them to be symbols half as much as they just rip off a storyline from reality and slightly alter it because it's cheap and easy, but I can't blame them too much...

OLDGUY

Tuesday, April 30, 2013 1:16 PM

looks like I'm done with Defiance...disapointed on many levels...last night's episode seemed like I was watching a rerun of 5 other movies..old movies.... "run..run for the stronghold Thunderheart....must smoke the peace pipe in order to open your mind"

never mind the gratuitous sex scene that was just gross.... think I'll just go watch Mr. Maggoo

WISHIMAY

Tuesday, April 30, 2013 6:37 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SHINYGOODGUY:

I do like Irisa as a character, especially because she reminds me of River, in a sense. From next week's promo it looks like she'll be having some dreams foretelling something or some-such. It was very brief.

She should've threatened to smear soup on someone and then the analogy would be complete

Next week maybe she should play with some marbles and whisper "Jossss" heh.

WISHIMAY

Tuesday, April 30, 2013 6:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by OLDGUY:

never mind the gratuitous sex scene that was just gross.... think I'll just go watch Mr. Maggoo

Glad you brought that up...I actually had hopes I could watch some episodes of this show with mah kid, but even I was blushing (and a little wretching)at that and I don't blush... I can't watch just about ANYTHING as a family anymore without being bored stiff or maternally horrified...

But then, I guess that's an old fashioned notion anymore, spending time as a family

ECGORDON

Tuesday, April 30, 2013 11:23 PM

Irisa is still my favorite character, but the stories have been very weak. I don't care at all about the romance between the Castithan boy and the human girl, Graham Greene has been a big disappointment, and sad to say but Julie Benz has been relatively useless too.

There is so much they could be doing to get us to not only understand the various alien species, but also to care about them or the humans. So far that has not happened. They plopped us down in the middle of "Alien Melting Pot" post-apocalyptic America, with no knowledge of how it all happened. Were they expecting all of us to be playing the game and learning the information from other sources?

I WANT THEM TO TELL ME ABOUT IT IN THE SHOW ITSELF!!!!

Sorry for shouting.

AURAPTOR

Wednesday, May 1, 2013 2:33 AM

I'm not giving up on the show just yet, but there's a boat load of history, recent history of the planet, the invasion, etc... that's being glossed over, or saved, for later. Problem is, I feel too many viewers will start tuning out before the important back story stuff comes to the surface. And it sure as hell better, because the stuff they're laying out so far has been weak. Very weak.

Fathom the hypocrisy of a government that requires every citizen to prove they are insured... but not everyone must prove they are a citizen

Resident USA Freedom Fundie

" AU, that was great, LOL!! " - Chrisisall

TRAVELER

Wednesday, May 1, 2013 3:33 AM

I'm going to hang in there to. Not much else to watch. That says a lot for the show. Hoping it will get better as everyone settles into their task.

http://www.imdb.com/list/1pzry-tpdaI/

RAHLMACLAREN

Thursday, May 2, 2013 11:14 AM

Right there with you, Traveller.

I usually have pretty low expectations for any "Syfy Original Series", but I thought Defiance was alright. Probably more so for someone from Missouri. And as someone who used to live in STL (ok, Overland, but close enough), it's a very welcome change of pace from movies and TV shows ALWAYS set in New York or LA.

Random Brain Droppings:
-Remember that shot of the alien army with the walkers crossing the Hwy 40 bridge 150 miles from STL? I would place that as one of the bridges around Boonville, although probably not as big in real life; unless they decide to renovate between now and 2030.

-Is it just me or does the CGI "clean" version of the Arch, at the end of the pilot, look worse than the beat-up one?

-Hey, that Native American mine owner (Graham Green) was the explosives expert (enthusiast) Edger Montrose from The Red Green Show!

-Maybe it's called "Defiance" because the actual city of Defiance, MO -which is about 30 miles straight west of St. Louis- was "landslid" on top of downtown. Oh good, they didn't destroy the old Wainwright Building, they just locked it away underground.

-Chow Down is probably supposed to be the non-product placement alternative to Ralston Purina, the world HQ of which is in STL.

-Hmm, I wonder who would win in a fight: Chewbacc-a-like VS the Bioman. Ohh wait, I don't want to know; I like Chewbacc-a-like.

--------------------------------------------------
Find here the Serenity you seek. -Tara Maclay

PIRATENEWS

Thursday, May 2, 2013 1:41 PM

Machivellian ex-mayor trying to murder everyone in town, just like Joss Whedon's BTVS, and USSA in general.

Beware predictive programming -- the reason the new vampyre mayor allows torture rendition murders on the public streets of Defiance is 'because citizens refused vaccines'.

BOOKONBOARDSYSTEMCOM

Thursday, May 2, 2013 3:27 PM

I'm sticking with it as well. Not because it's good yet, only because I'm hoping it will be. It could use a little more humor. It's a huge concept all the alien races, arks, creatures, cultures, large cast, and environments that can be used to tell stories, but it only works if you have good characters.

Nolan in the first episode was more enjoyable than peacekeeper Nolan. I would like to see more of the roguish behavior he had. Having him turn into Sheriff Carter from Eureka doesn't seem right.

Irisa is coming along. Hope she stays a bad ass. Her visions seem to incapacitate her. I'd like to see her turn it into another weapon in the arsenal, rather than fall in the fetal position whenever she has them.

The mayor and her hooker sister are ok. Seems one character either way could have worked. "Shes the mayor and a hooker? What a great town."

The Tarr's I almost dismissed after the first episode. I took it as "OK here are the villains." Turns out they could be the villains you love to hate. They seem to have the most going for them character wise. There are motivations behind the moves they make. At the core they are looking out for their family over everything else.

The McCawleys are disappointing. The Romeo and Juliet story seems pointless. So many possibilities and they pick the same retread story that has been told a thousand times. I'd rather an old school blood feud than R&J again. I don't see where it goes that it hasn't been before.

The Spirit Riders are just confusing. Biker outlaw, ark hunters, riding the wasteland. No wait, misunderstood spiritualist's just seeking a place in a world that despises us. They should establish themselves as a rival to the Tarr's business. They bully the locals, the locals pay protection to the Tarr's. Ready? Fight.
Or leave the outlaw life behind and open a Irithaint monastery. Have them hand out pamphlets and flowers at the gate.

The Volge "enemy of the week." Being mostly CGI I assume that's all they will ever be used as.

The Ex mayor and secret item I can live with but hope they wrap it up this season. She can show back up seeking revenge for being foiled, or terrorize the town with the secret item if she wins, but don't leave it as mystery forever.

As you can see there is a lot going on in this town. Maybe too much to if they want to build characters that will people will care about. Maybe they are hoping to spin off like CSI and NCIS. Defiance: NeedWant.

PIRATENEWS

Thursday, May 2, 2013 7:42 PM

Hot naked elves having sex with their kids...woohoo!

What more do you want?!

SHINYGOODGUY

Tuesday, May 14, 2013 7:16 PM

I agree. So far, it hasn't knocked my socks off. Hell, it hasn't even brushed up against them. My main pet peeve with any show is storytelling, and this show has very little going for it. So far, I only care about Nolan and Irissa, but I'm starting to like Mr. & Mrs. "Badger" - I especially like the very sneaky "Mrs" - but very little else. Mia Kirschner is a fine actress but even she can hardly breathe life into her character, Kenya.

And I stopped comparing it to Firefly after the 2nd episode.

SGG

Quote:
Originally posted by ecgordon:
I'm not sure how much patience I'm going to have with this show. Yes, it is SF on a network that at one time was devoted to the genre, but it has a long way to go before it reaches the level of Firefly greatness, or Farscape, or even Eureka, as far as I'm concerned. I hope we will get some of that information in the show itself, but I think it is a sign of poor story-telling if you have to search elsewhere for the info.

SHINYGOODGUY

Tuesday, May 14, 2013 7:40 PM

That is so true. They haven't shown us anything other than a bunch of aliens now live on what used to be earth, and that's it. I don't care at all about the teen romance (perhaps they thought that the would get young demographics to watch the show). Poor writing will always doom a show.

I agree about Graham Greene, Julie Benz looks lost, and the young deputy hasn't distinguish himself either. This may turn out to be TV's version of Heaven's Gate.

SGG

Quote:
Originally posted by ecgordon:
Irisa is still my favorite character, but the stories have been very weak. I don't care at all about the romance between the Castithan boy and the human girl, Graham Greene has been a big disappointment, and sad to say but Julie Benz has been relatively useless too.

There is so much they could be doing to get us to not only understand the various alien species, but also to care about them or the humans. So far that has not happened. They plopped us down in the middle of "Alien Melting Pot" post-apocalyptic America, with no knowledge of how it all happened. Were they expecting all of us to be playing the game and learning the information from other sources?

I WANT THEM TO TELL ME ABOUT IT IN THE SHOW ITSELF!!!!

Sorry for shouting.

RAHLMACLAREN

Wednesday, May 22, 2013 3:07 PM

In this latest episode "Brothers In Arms", at about 5 mins in, there seem to be some similarities between the placement of the sherrif's desk relative to the holding cells, and the ones on Paradiso from "The Train Job".

--------------------------------------------------
Find here the Serenity you seek. -Tara Maclay

TRAVELER

Wednesday, May 22, 2013 11:21 PM

This is not getting better. What's with all the sex? I think the SyFy Network thinks nobody will watch if they don't have people naked and humping. That is getting tiring.
I'm saying good-by.

http://www.imdb.com/list/1pzry-tpdaI/

PIRATENEWS

Thursday, May 23, 2013 7:36 PM

Shoot an unarmed guy dead...check.

Crooked mayor wants to kill everyone in town...check.

Naked alien hotties having sex...check.

And you can never go wrong with space hookers. Lots of space hookers...

JAYNEZTOWN

Wednesday, July 3, 2013 9:43 AM

Has a bit of that Henson/Farscape feel to it

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Tuesday, March 7, 2017 5:46 AM

Finally ran across this thread, not when I was looking for it.

JAYNEZTOWN

Thursday, June 10, 2021 2:01 AM

Review on an old cancelled show, any chance of a remake or reboot?

https://nickkelly.com/2021/02/22/tv-review-defiance/

Syfy channel, so maybe not

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Thursday, June 10, 2021 2:37 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by piratenews:
Machivellian ex-mayor trying to murder everyone in town, just like Joss Whedon's BTVS, and USSA in general.

Beware predictive programming -- the reason the new vampyre mayor allows torture rendition murders on the public streets of Defiance is 'because citizens refused vaccines'.

hmmmmm.

This is Sci-Fi? or foretelling?

JAYNEZTOWN

Thursday, October 9, 2025 8:23 PM

Rockne S. O'Bannon's last project was Evil TV series, Grant Bowler might be back in New Zealand or Australia doing tv?