Home > Defiance > Season 1 « TV Series Page Defiance: Season 1 (2013) SEASON: Season 1 Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 Want to see Episode List Season 1 Defiance Critics Consensus Defiance is watchable for its keen loyalty to science fiction and a well-told story. 61% TOMATOMETER Critic Ratings: 18 83% Audience Score User Ratings: 144 See score details Submit review Want to see Submit review Super Reviewer Super Reviewer Tap to review this movie Review this tv season Edit Review Super Reviewer Rate this season Oof, that was Rotten. Meh, it passed the time. It’s good – I’d recommend it. Awesome! So Fresh: Absolute Must See! What did you think of this tv season? (optional) Submit Continue Super Reviewer Step 2 of 2 How did you get your ticket? Submit By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie. You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket. Super Reviewer Rate this season Oof, that was Rotten. Meh, it passed the time. It’s good – I’d recommend it. Awesome! So Fresh: Absolute Must See! What did you think of this tv season? (optional) Submit How did you get your ticket? Submit By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie. Episodes 1 Defiance Pilot - Part 1 & 2 Air date: Apr 15, 2013 In a future Earth largely devastated after lengthy war with alien invaders, Jeb Nolan and his adopted daughter Irisa live in the badlands, open areas that have no government. After an encounter with Spirit Riders, a roving motorcycle gang, they find themselves in the city of Defiance, formerly St. Louis. They have been at peace now for 15 years and the new mayor, Amanda Rosewater, wants to keep it that way. There are tensions in the community however particularly between the McCawleys and the Tarrs. More 2 Down in the Ground Where the Dead Men Go Air date: Apr 15, 2013 After the battle, the residents of Defiance count their dead. A Castithan, Elah Bandik, is to be cleansed - tortured to death - after running away from the fight. Nolan steps in to stop them but the mayor intervenes, continuing a policy of allowing all 8 races to follow their cultural traditions with respect to their own people. Amanda's assistant Ben - who blew up the stasis net - escapes. There's been an explosion at the McCrawley mine and it seems Ben is responsible. More 3 The Devil in the Dark Air date: Apr 22, 2013 Having helped fend off the attack the spirit riders now have access to the city. They do set people's nerves on edge however. Nolan meanwhile has a murder to solve after they find the remains of Dalton Taggart in the nearby woods. There's not much left of him but after a second citizen. Boyd Bowen, is butchered Nolan believes he was attacked by a particularly vicious creature known as hellbugs. After a second attack on Datak Tarr and his family, Nolan concludes that pheromones are being used to target people. More 4 A Well Respected Man Air date: Apr 29, 2013 After the body of Elah Bandik is left on his doorstep, Nolan goes after Datak Tarr with a vengeance. He starts by arresting two of Tarr's drug and gun dealers and seizing their goods. It turns out however the weapons were destined for the town's defenses with some of the councilors having kept that information from Amanda. Meanwhile, Amanda's sister Kenya is taken by Ulysses, who works for Talak, and is destined to be sold to the highest bidder. More 5 The Serpent's Egg Air date: May 6, 2013 Nolan and Amanda head out on the overland express, a form of bus service that runs through Defiance every few weeks. Nolan is there to deliver Rynn to jail so she can serve her two year sentence. He's also there to protect a suitcase full of cash that Amanda is taking to Las Vegas to pay for the rail connection to Defiance. Once the bus is in the middle of nowhere it's hijacked leading to a standoff. More 6 Brothers in Arms Air date: May 13, 2013 Nolan welcomes an old army buddy, Eddie Braddock, who is now working as a bounty hunter. He's tracked Pol Madis, a Castithan weapons developer, to Defiance and now wants to take him to the Earth Republic where Masis will receive his just punishment and he would no doubt get a generous reward. After the Castilian escapes from his jail cell, Nolan and Eddie set out to recapture him. More 7 Goodbye Blue Sky Air date: May 20, 2013 Defiance is bombarded with razor rain, metal object falling from the sky as their orbit around the Earth deteriorates. Irisa has a vision and heads off to the badlands when she sees that Sukar is in danger. They arrive seemingly too late to save him but his funeral ceremony is something of a surprise. A resurrected Sukar is on a mission and takes Irisa with him. If he succeeds, it may be the end of the town. More 8 I Just Wasn't Made For These Times Air date: Jun 3, 2013 Nolan and Jefferson decide to check out the Voltan ship that crashed just outside of town. They are more than just a bit shocked when they find American astronaut Gordon McClintock in suspended animation. McClintock is a hero of the war with the aliens but was believed to have died 40 years ago. Books have been written and movies have been made about his life. Doc Yewll examines him and he gets a clean bill of health. When McClintock attacks Amanda Rosewater in the middle of the night however, it's clear something is wrong. More 9 If I Ever Leave This World Alive Air date: Jun 10, 2013 The illness infecting Defiance appears to be carried by the Irathient; all Votans appear to be immune. The town council overrules Amanda and imposes a quarantine on the Irathient, holding them in a tunnel at McCawley Mines; one of the Irathient is shot and killed during a scuffle with the miners. Amanda, Nolan and Christie McCawley are all infected. A vaccine for the infection is dropped outside Defiance; Nolan and Connor Lang go to retrieve it, with Lang talking them through the Earth Republic quarantine around Defiance. More 10 The Bride Wore Black Air date: Jun 17, 2013 The body of a prominent businessman who disappeared nearly six years ago is discovered hidden in the walls of NeedWant, prompting an investigation by Nolan and Tommy that exposes many of the secrets held by the people of Defiance. It also causes unrest on the eve of Alak and Christie's wedding. More Show More Episodes Defiance: Season 1 Photos View All Photos (20) Tv Season Info 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 dropped terraformers on the planet and transformed the surface; 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. Genre: Action & Adventure Network: SyFy Premiere Date: Apr 15, 2013 Cast Grant Bowler as Jeb Nolan Julie Benz as Amanda Rosewater Graham Greene (II) as Rafe McCawley Jaime Murray as Stahma Tarr Tony Curran as Datak Tarr Mia Kirshner as Kenya Stephanie Leonidas as Irisa Fionnula Flanagan as Nicky Dewshane Williams as Tommy LaSalle Trenna Keating as Doc Yewll Nicole Muñoz as Christie McCawley Jesse Rath as Alak Tarr Brittany Allen as Tirra Noah Dalton Danby as Sukar Justin Rain as Quentin McCawley Anna Hopkins as Jessica "Berlin" Rainer Show More Cast News & Interviews for Defiance: Season 1 10 TV Shows You Should Binge-Watch This December Weekly Binge: Defiance WB Enlists Carter to Helm "Freedom House" View All Defiance: Season 1 News Episodes 1 Defiance Pilot - Part 1 & 2 Air date: Apr 15, 2013 In a future Earth largely devastated after lengthy war with alien invaders, Jeb Nolan and his adopted daughter Irisa live in the badlands, open areas that have no government. After an encounter with Spirit Riders, a roving motorcycle gang, they find themselves in the city of Defiance, formerly St. Louis. They have been at peace now for 15 years and the new mayor, Amanda Rosewater, wants to keep it that way. There are tensions in the community however particularly between the McCawleys and the Tarrs. More 2 Down in the Ground Where the Dead Men Go Air date: Apr 15, 2013 After the battle, the residents of Defiance count their dead. A Castithan, Elah Bandik, is to be cleansed - tortured to death - after running away from the fight. Nolan steps in to stop them but the mayor intervenes, continuing a policy of allowing all 8 races to follow their cultural traditions with respect to their own people. Amanda's assistant Ben - who blew up the stasis net - escapes. There's been an explosion at the McCrawley mine and it seems Ben is responsible. More 3 The Devil in the Dark Air date: Apr 22, 2013 Having helped fend off the attack the spirit riders now have access to the city. They do set people's nerves on edge however. Nolan meanwhile has a murder to solve after they find the remains of Dalton Taggart in the nearby woods. There's not much left of him but after a second citizen. Boyd Bowen, is butchered Nolan believes he was attacked by a particularly vicious creature known as hellbugs. After a second attack on Datak Tarr and his family, Nolan concludes that pheromones are being used to target people. More 4 A Well Respected Man Air date: Apr 29, 2013 After the body of Elah Bandik is left on his doorstep, Nolan goes after Datak Tarr with a vengeance. He starts by arresting two of Tarr's drug and gun dealers and seizing their goods. It turns out however the weapons were destined for the town's defenses with some of the councilors having kept that information from Amanda. Meanwhile, Amanda's sister Kenya is taken by Ulysses, who works for Talak, and is destined to be sold to the highest bidder. More 5 The Serpent's Egg Air date: May 6, 2013 Nolan and Amanda head out on the overland express, a form of bus service that runs through Defiance every few weeks. Nolan is there to deliver Rynn to jail so she can serve her two year sentence. He's also there to protect a suitcase full of cash that Amanda is taking to Las Vegas to pay for the rail connection to Defiance. Once the bus is in the middle of nowhere it's hijacked leading to a standoff. More 6 Brothers in Arms Air date: May 13, 2013 Nolan welcomes an old army buddy, Eddie Braddock, who is now working as a bounty hunter. He's tracked Pol Madis, a Castithan weapons developer, to Defiance and now wants to take him to the Earth Republic where Masis will receive his just punishment and he would no doubt get a generous reward. After the Castilian escapes from his jail cell, Nolan and Eddie set out to recapture him. More 7 Goodbye Blue Sky Air date: May 20, 2013 Defiance is bombarded with razor rain, metal object falling from the sky as their orbit around the Earth deteriorates. Irisa has a vision and heads off to the badlands when she sees that Sukar is in danger. They arrive seemingly too late to save him but his funeral ceremony is something of a surprise. A resurrected Sukar is on a mission and takes Irisa with him. If he succeeds, it may be the end of the town. More 8 I Just Wasn't Made For These Times Air date: Jun 3, 2013 Nolan and Jefferson decide to check out the Voltan ship that crashed just outside of town. They are more than just a bit shocked when they find American astronaut Gordon McClintock in suspended animation. McClintock is a hero of the war with the aliens but was believed to have died 40 years ago. Books have been written and movies have been made about his life. Doc Yewll examines him and he gets a clean bill of health. When McClintock attacks Amanda Rosewater in the middle of the night however, it's clear something is wrong. More 9 If I Ever Leave This World Alive Air date: Jun 10, 2013 The illness infecting Defiance appears to be carried by the Irathient; all Votans appear to be immune. The town council overrules Amanda and imposes a quarantine on the Irathient, holding them in a tunnel at McCawley Mines; one of the Irathient is shot and killed during a scuffle with the miners. Amanda, Nolan and Christie McCawley are all infected. A vaccine for the infection is dropped outside Defiance; Nolan and Connor Lang go to retrieve it, with Lang talking them through the Earth Republic quarantine around Defiance. More 10 The Bride Wore Black Air date: Jun 17, 2013 The body of a prominent businessman who disappeared nearly six years ago is discovered hidden in the walls of NeedWant, prompting an investigation by Nolan and Tommy that exposes many of the secrets held by the people of Defiance. It also causes unrest on the eve of Alak and Christie's wedding. More Show More Episodes Critic Reviews for Defiance Season 1 All Critics (18) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (11) | Rotten (7) Syfy's Defiance is the Frankenstein of TV series - built from the parts of other shows. Apr 15, 2013 | Rating: C+ | Full Review… Mark A. Perigard Boston Globe Top Critic I am engaged by the show's lively metaphor for a polyglot culture fractured by tribalism and Otherness, for a world that can easily put aside past pain and present differences to tackle a common threat. May 15, 2013 | Rating: B+ | Full Review… Jeff Jensen Entertainment Weekly Top Critic The narrative energy flags, and the characters become less interesting. Apr 16, 2013 | Full Review… Tom Conroy Media Life Top Critic On a channel dedicated to science-fiction fans, Defiance could certainly attract the core audience it needs. Apr 15, 2013 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review… Gail Pennington St. Louis Post-Dispatch Top Critic The scripts and story lines tend to be cliche-heavy and sense-dulling predictable. Now, please get to work on the basics. Apr 11, 2013 | Rating: C+ | Full Review… Ed Bark Uncle Barky Top Critic Four hours in, I'm guardedly curious enough to play -- make that watch -- along for a little while. Apr 16, 2013 | Rating: B- | Full Review… Diane Werts Newsday Top Critic Defiance's first season was never appointment television like Battlestar Galactica, but it's solid meat-and-potatoes sci-fi that has the potential to get better the longer it remains on the air. Oct 15, 2013 | Full Review… Ethan Alter Television Without Pity Defiance is not just a smart, well-crafted TV show with a good cast and an adventurous flavor, it's also indisputably science fiction, which is a relief. Apr 16, 2013 | Full Review… Maureen Ryan Huffington Post Overall, I'm very pleased with the pilot; the show has done a good job of telling an engaging story IN the future without it being entirely about the future. Apr 16, 2013 | Rating: 4.7/5 | Full Review… Jim Garner TV Fanatic It's a promising start for the series and should be a hit with audiences hungry for ambition and scale in a sci-fi show. Apr 16, 2013 | Rating: 7.9/10 | Full Review… Josh Jackson Paste Magazine The new drama doesn't live up to the expectations set by its reportedly $100 million price tag. Apr 14, 2013 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review… Curt Wagner RedEye With a hefty dose of darkness and some strong character growth on various fronts, this episode really showcased Defiance's storytelling potential. Jun 26, 2013 | Rating: 9/10 | Full Review… Jesse Schedeen IGN Movies View All Critic Reviews (18) Audience Reviews for Defiance: Season 1 Aug 28, 2019 Too many characters, no focus, dialogue is 50% gibberish, Maralyn Manson has his own alien race, sound effects are at deafening volume, & I couldn't even tell you what the plot was. Allaiyah W Nov 25, 2018 This sci Fi series was very creative. A lot of detail went into the back story. The plots were complex. Many intriguing characters including multiple aliens. Likeable leads. However, there was always a little too much violence. Several main characters were nasty psychopaths. Season one is the best of the three seasons and perhaps the only one worth watching. Not for kids. Another V Apr 02, 2018 Although hampered a bit by budget constraints, Defiance quickly develops its own identity and brings complex and dynamic characters and stories to the table in a very compelling and interesting show that occasionally reminds me of Farscape and the glory days of the Sci Fi channel. Christian K Jul 01, 2016 So far so good. The acting is surprisingly ace for a Sci-Fi, the alien races are really well done and there's nothing too cringey going on (cringe often seems to sneak into Sci-Fi). I also love Graham Greene, he's one of my favourite actors. I'm sticking with it. Caroline S Oct 14, 2015 This series has a 90s sci-fi vibe to it, and I mean that in a good way! It's sorta like Stargate SG-1, Farscape, Star Trek TNG, and Firefly all rolled up into one. The series takes place in a post war ravaged earth, where aliens and humans struggle to survive in a world of violence and deadly politics. And it's all set to the great soundtrack of Bear McCreary ( the musical talent behind the BSG reboot soundtrack). If you're a fan of the sci-fi genre this show will probably hit the spot for you. It's HEAVY on the sci-fi. I'm talking alien languages/slang and customs, distinct alien species, and funky costumes. If you're looking for sci-fi, well, this show has it. Overall, the cast is pretty strong, with the weakest performance coming from Julie Benz as Mayor Amanda Rosewater. Grant Bowler (Nolan), Stephanie Leonidas (Irisa), and Tony Curran (Datak) are the standout performances for me. As I heard mixed reviews about this show, I was hesitant to watch it. But, man, am I glad I gave it a chance. Stargate B Aug 14, 2015 Defiance is the type of show that I have been waiting on for years. It's a true sci-fi show, that isn't horrible. Although the different species can be hard to remember, or even follow sometimes, it's worth getting into. I watch it religiously! Belle P Jul 24, 2015 It's so kitsch it's giving me shivers. Series like that who take themselves seriously with those crappy cgi effects can only be targeting a stupid auditory. I just can't stand this. Beli A Jun 22, 2015 I just finished Binge-watching both Seasons 1&2 and the first 3 episodes of S3 so that is what this review is based upon. I will start by saying OMG this show is Phenomenal. I had nothing to watch since GOT ended and I decided to watch this and thank God for that bc this show killed it in every area. I will start with the story it takes place on Earth in the year 2046 after multiple alien species landed years prior and centers upon Nolan and Irisa in the Town of Defiance. The story is simple but gets even better as time progresses. I will now talk about the cast which is in my opinion the best part. I will credit the 2 best actors in the show that being Nolan played by Grant Bowler and my favorite character Datak who is played by Tony Curran both are astounding actors. I will also say that all of the actors and actresses did an Amazing job of keeping the story engaging. I will now movie onto the action which I will say is sometimes a tad corny but the majority of the time it's Insanely Epic. I would recommend this show in a heart beat and S3 is so far the Best season yet. F.Y.I one of the main villains in S3 called General Rahm Tak who is played by Lee Tergesen is an absolutely mind blowing villain who is now probably just after 3 episodes my favorite villain of any television show to date. Go and Watch this show Now lolz. Adam B Sep 01, 2014 Great science fiction! Caitlin G Jul 25, 2014 Very 'Deep Space Ninish' R C See all Audience reviews News & Features 150 Erotic Movies Coming attractions for you 2020's Most Anticipated Movies What and when to watch Video Game Movies Ranked 43 ranked worst to best Best Netflix Series and Shows What to watch right now More News & Features TOP HEADLINES Sundance 2020 Movie Scorecard – Rotten Tomatoes Everything We Know About The Lord of the Rings Amazon Series – Rotten Tomatoes 2019 Rotten Movies We Love – Rotten Tomatoes The 43 Most Anticipated Movies of 2021 – Rotten Tomatoes 100 Fresh Movies You Can Watch for Free Online Right Now – Rotten Tomatoes Who Is the Best Joker? – Rotten Tomatoes All 26 James Bond Movies Ranked – Rotten Tomatoes 100 Essential Spanish-Language Movies – Rotten Tomatoes More Headlines View All Results Go back More trailers