Syfy's most ambitious original series in a long time is set in 2046, following an alien attack that destroyed Earth's cities and seeded it with plants and animals of extraterrestrial origin. Survival now depends on coexistence with the invaders, who are all from races that have fled their own dying planet—leading to a collision of cultures that can be combustible. The narrative plays out more as a futuristic Western, complete with rakish cowboy lawman Nolan (Grant Bowler) and his adopted alien daughter, Irisa (Stephanie Leonidas), who give up their wandering ways to stake out a place in the titular frontier mining town that was once St. Louis (the damaged arch still rises over the land, providing a distinctive visual signature). The tribalism of the various populations isn't that much different from real-life urban melting pots—varying individual motivations give Defiance its share of heroes and villains, but most folks fall somewhere in between. While there is nothing new here, the show sports an engaging production design that suggests a mix of industrial practicality and scavenged technology, and within this landscape all sorts of schemes, conspiracies, and political machinations are stirred into familiar stories of suspicious strangers, criminal activity, a Romeo and Juliet cross-cultural romance, and outside forces trying to take over Defiance and the mines that give it value. Although not complex enough to attract viewers from across the genre divide, it should satisfy otherwise underserved TV sci-fi fans, as well as those playing the tie-in video game—a massive online third-person adventure mirroring events on the show. Compiling all 13 episodes from the 2013 debut season, extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel. A strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)
Defiance: Season One
Universal, 3 discs, 558 min., not rated, DVD: $59.98, Blu-ray: $69.98 Volume 29, Issue 1
Defiance: Season One
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