Defiance, which is found for a few short weeks on the Syfy Channel in the Summer, is currently one of my favorite sci-fi series on television. Not since the new Battlestar Galactica has their been a sci-fi series that takes place in the future so well written with a remarkable ensemble cast of characters. The series is set in a town called "Defiance", which was once St. Louis, Missouri, and the Earth has been inhabited by many different alien species who attempted to terraform Earth, which started a war that ended in a tense truce among the species. It is a show worthy of much more than thirteen episodes a season, but the writers try to make up for the shortened time by showing flashback scenes and pointed conversation to give the characters more depth and substance than thirteen episodes allow.
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| Mayor Niles Pottinger and Berlin shake things up in Defiance. |
This sophomore season saw some changes to the series with several new faces in the cast including three Earth Republic characters: Viceroy Berto Mercado, new mayor Niles Pottinger, and Jessica "Berlin" Rainer, which complicated the lives to former Mayor Amanda Rosewater, reluctant Lawkeeper Nolan, and Deputy Tommy LaSalle. The show, which originally focused on Nolan and his adopted daughter, Irisa in the first season, gave more screen time to the alien Castithan Tarr family, who are basically the town's top gangsters, particularly focusing on the liberation of Stahma Tarr, played brilliantly by actress Jamie Murray.
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| Stahma and her daughter-in-law Christie grow closer. |
My favorite episode of the season was "Painted From Memory" written by one of the show's frontrunner's Kevin Murphy, (who worked the short-lived sereies Caprica). The episode saw the return of Kenya Rosewater, (Amanda's sister), who Nolan and Amanda had just rescued from kidnappers. Kenya's re-appearance in the town is praised, but it is soon discovered she may not be who everyone thinks she is.
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| Nolan suspects Kenya may not be Kenya. |
The only thing I disliked about this season (besides the fact that it needs to have twenty-two episodes), was the "Irisa" storyline, which dragged on far too long and resolved far too quickly. Irisa (Nolan's adopted daughter) has never been a favorite character of mine, but this season she was more annoying than usual. The only saving grace for her is Nolan's unconditional love for the child he sacrificed his career for and raised on his own. Even though I did not agree with his actions in the Season Finale, he stayed true to his character.
It has not been announced if Defiance will have a third season. I do not trust Syfy in the least in this respect, but the show ended on several cliffhangers, which I hope will have a chance to be resolved next Summer. Defiance is not a show for everyone. Due to its dark overtones and adult themes I would not recommend it for younger audiences, but I always enjoy quality writing and character depth and development, which this season did brilliantly.
Until next time, I am...
Sci-Fi Fan FL
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