Defiance

My house is all about sci-fi so when I heard about Defiance from some friends at work I decided to give the Pilot episode a go. When I finally sat down and watched the Pilot I felt conflicted. Science fiction/fantasy television has grown very formulaic over the years. The whole Western themed science fiction show has been done to death in everything from major motion picture to live action television to anime. The main component in the sci-fi/fantasy genre these days is heavy doses of sexuality. Lexx had its sexpot, Firefly had its companion, Battlestar had its sex crazed Cylons, and don’t even get me started on Lost Girl. Defiance seems to stake its claim to the sex craze as well, a brothel house being one of the major locations and its owner one of the major players in the overall stories. 

 

When Defiance landed in my workload I wasn’t to bummed out about it since I obviously hadn’t gone back to the show after its Pilot, but wanted to give it another try. 13 episodes later and I’m back to square one with the show. I’m just not a huge fan. 

 

My first gripe with the show is that there is zero character development. I can’t feel one way or another about Nolan and Irisa, two key figures in the show that spend little time together to help form some sort of connection with the audience, whose entire existence seems to be based on the pilot episode and the fraction of info you’re given. The newly appointed mayor? Where is she most of the time? She only pops in now and again. The mining family McCawley who seem to have so many stories going on all at once but which lead nowhere. It’s pretty much the same for everyone in Defiance. I wish they would have just chosen a main story and stuck with it. It’s just bits and pieces here and there that lead up to a weak climax that does little to bring you back to the series. 

 

The pros of the show are that the effects are amazing and the props really immerse you in a dirt road town mixed with human and alien terrestrials trying to find common ground in the midst of a society rebuilding itself. The show does a have nice look to it even if its wasted by lazy writing and somewhat mediocre acting and or poor casting choices. 

 

PICTURE QUALITY:

Despite the fact that I disliked the show I found that the HD transfer looked magnificent. Detail is especially high in this crystal clear presentation that offers up robust color, texture, and depth. There are a scattered few moments when the picture goes a bit wonky, low light scenes where green screen is obviously involved, but the majority of the show is amazingly vivid. Even if the show doesn’t float your boat you won’t be dissatisfied with the picture quality you purchased. 

 

BONUS FEATURES:

~UV version

~Deleted Scenes

~Defiance: A Transmedia Revolution

~Making Defiance

~Behind The Scenes with Jesse Rath