TV REVIEW: DEFIANCE Premiere

Defiance is the much anticipated Sci-Fi series from the Syfy channel developed by Rockne S. O’Bannon, Kevin Murphy and Michael Taylor. As well as a TV series there is also a cross platform MMO game tie-in. It premiered in the US on April 15 2013 and in a number of international markets later that week.

PLOT

The series is set in the near future, where aliens known collectively as Votans have come to Earth seeking a new home after their solar system was destroyed. However, when they reached Earth, they discovered despite a prolonged negotiation with the government on Earth, they were not welcome. Rather than turn away, they began a war with the humans as they are determined to make Earth their new home. During the war, the Votans drop terraformers on the planet and transform the surface of the planet; scorching the earth, opening chasms in the ground and covering the surface of the planet in dust and debris. After decades of war, a ceasefire is declared when both sides realise they must focus on survival on this new almost alien planet. 

WHY I CHECKED THIS OUT

First off the hype for this show has been slowly gathering for more than a year so long in fact I thought it would be a series starting last year. I can remember way back when it was just that new show that starred Julie Benz now it is so much more, it is the new Hail Mary Sci-Fi programme hoping to actually get past its first season.

Then consider the cross platform game (which I have yet to play, not having managed to get into the beta) and you have a HUGE marketing plan which I sincerely hope doesn’t go pear-shaped on us in the first season.

WHAT I THOUGHT

Defiance had so much to live up to with the hype but after the 2 hour premiere well I can’t say it has delivered 2 episodes in but it certainly has not let itself down. The show instantly manages to convey that feeling of epic that this is a whole new world that we the viewers instantly want to know all we can about and the info dump at the beginning is just enough without going overboard.

I am not sure if I would say that the show has echoes of Firefly or not but it has the aesthetic of most Sci-Fi shows set in the near future after a disaster. From what I have seen of the lore (the background if you will) I see a richly detailed world including a language or two which sounds great. For the Sci-Fi fans we have cool weapons (look at those knives) lots of new slang terms and more than multiple alien races each with their own significantly different cultures by the look of things.

The storytelling itself is tight and interesting which it could well be argued is to be expected in a two hour premiere but I can point you to a few examples where Sci-Fi shows have tried to start big and failed. I get the feeling that the next few episodes will continue on at this high level and hopefully get even better after all a lot of the fun of true Sci-Fi shows it finding out about the people who inhabit this brave new world.

One of the reasons that I like Science Fiction is the central cast actually matters, look back at Babylon 5 and you know it isn’t just about Sheridan and Battlestar Galactica isn’t just about the Adamas. The same is true with Defiance being about the various factions who live in Defiance so you don’t have to be a fan of one or another or like me you might be a fan of them all.

If I have not peaked your interest yet in Defiance I don’t know what will. Defiance is a very ambitious project with its game tie-ins especially on a network that doesn’t have a great track record of standing by its more ambitious shows. Don’t me wrong the show is worth watching and striving to do something that real fans of Sci-Fi have been without for far too long, the question is whether or not the network is going to blink if ratings aren’t record breaking.

Syfy and Sci-Fi Movies

So over the last few days after the death of my gaming laptop I have found myself watching a few more movies than I normally would.

Quantum Apocalypse is just one of the seemingly dozens of disaster themed movies or which I have watched a fair few. Generally Syfy-created movies are mediocre but rarely bad in my opinion they just don't have the budget to do the actual Sci-Fi stuff like with aliens you see or stuff set on alien worlds that is when the movies start to fall on the wrong side of cheesy, their disaster stuff is generally pretty good.

For me though the real reason to check it out was that it featured an appearance of one Gigi Edgley who I first saw on Farscape as Chiana. Now it may surprise you to know that I tend not to film-stalk the actors and actresses I like the most, one because even on an actor by actor basis that can become a WHOLE LOT of movies and also simply because just because I like the fan oriented image of that person doesn't mean I'll love them in every role and I am very picky on films.

Anyway before I get into THAT let me just say that the movie was pretty good held my attention and didn't do anything that made me immediately facepalm. Gigi played a rock star scientist who helps save the world, the writers made her way over the top quirky but tone it down as the film progresses, I definitely appreciated the outfits she wore.

The second movie I thought I would mention is Red Werewolf Hunter.

Felicia Day with weapons? And I'm sold seriously though I had seen this come up a few times in movie searches and when I looked at Felicia Day's IMDB page AS YOU DO. This is an OK film again but you can see its limitations like the two locations and the distinct lack of people. The plus points is Felicia and Kavan Smith from Eureka but I couldn't really recommend it in the way that I could Quantum Apocalypse.

So this is what I have been up to while trying to figure out how to get a new computer. Talk to you later.

TV with Shaft

In which surprisingly there is talk of TV based shenanigans. 

EUREKA

It has come to an end. Such a great show, I can just about remember way back to when it started, this new show announced to a fair bit of hype. Back then it was “A Town Called Eureka” and it was notable because it got a start on Sky here in the UK either at the same time or very close to it premiering in the US. A big step up from having to wait a year or more to get a show to cross the atlantic.

The show itself was something new obviously comedy but with a lot more science fiction than was popular at the time. The show took awhile to find its legs but all good shows do especially those with the often expanding ensemble tasks.

The only issues I had was the huge shifts that used to happen at the end of seasons. Like Jack being a Jack from the future and going back to save time. There was A LOT of time travelling in Eureka which made a complex and sometimes confusing plot even more so.

So if you were a fan like me be thankful for a well written show and hope against hope that networks won’t give up on creative shows and leave us swimming in a sea of scripted reality shows.

Well I’m still watching and it is still the weirdest, funniest supernatural show out there. All the crazy dreams and the personal drama that manages to take place even with all the fur, claws and scales. The thing that works so well about this show is that it is really about a couple of losers who somehow get way above their High School social caste. One guy gets his dream girl while the other pines for hers, the werewolf stuff is just great extra flavour.

The only issue I really have is how ridiculously bland they are making Derek’s pack I can’t even remember their names and furthermore I’m too lazy to IMDB it, other than the fact that I can’t take my eyes of Gage’s character they are not memorable in the least and lack depth. Look at the depth of Stiles for instance that dude is DEEP, we need to see a little more about those three hopefully with the show returning there will be a chance for that although I kind of think one or two of them might be dead before next season.

I can’t tell you how awesome it is to know that next time Teen Wolf is going full length season. I don’t know how things will change but I am fairly happy with how the writers are doing things so with more time I am fairly sure they won’t mess things up.

Have you started watching Teen Wolf yet? Definitely consider this a time to get caught up.

So those are two shows that I thought were worth mentioning, if you guys and girls out there in blog land have some shows you think I should check out or talk about then leave it in the comments.