New Trailer For Syfy’s Defiance Spotlights The Action And The Characters
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It’s been a while since there was a new science fiction series on the horizon that I was really looking forward to. Revolution had the involvement of Supernatural’s Eric Kripke, but the premise didn’t wow me and the show hasn’t really lived up to its potential so for. So, I’m anticipating but trying to manage my expectations for Syfy’s new series, Defiance, arriving this spring from Farscape creator Rockne S. O’Bannon. I’m liking the trailers so far, and Rockne managed to get four seasons and a movie out of Syfy for Farscape…but that was also a decade ago, and Syfy hasn’t really changed for the better. Nevertheless…I really, really want this show to be good. Here’s the latest look:
In addition to the talented O’Bannon, Defiance sports a cast that includes Grant Bowler (True Blood), Julie Benz (Angel), and Jaime Murray (Warehouse 13). I love the mix of different aliens we see inhabiting this post-war Earth, and if handled properly it could explore the dynamics between very different peoples forced to live together, in the vein of Deadwood or Babylon 5. Though probably with fewer uses of “cocksucker” than the former.
Definace is also an interesting experiment. Not only does it have to succeed as a show, it’s also launching a tie-in MMO game, and the two media are supposed to affect the storylines of each. That’s an ambitious prospect, especially given that most new shows don’t last a season, and the MMO market is particularly brutal at the moment. If the show fails, will the game continue? What if it’s the other way around? Either way, it’ll be interesting to see how it plays out.
Defiance’s 12-episode first season will premiere this April on Syfy. Here’s the official synopsis.
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.
