SummaryIn 2046, Joshua Nolan (Grant Bowler) returns to his hometown after the wars with aliens have transformed Earth.
Created By:Kevin Murphy, Rockne S. O'Bannon, Michael Taylor
Defiance
Season 1 Premiere:
Apr 15, 2013
Metascore
Generally Favorable
61
User score
Generally Favorable
7.5
My Score
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All Seasons
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
61
45% Positive
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
50% Mixed
10 Reviews
10 Reviews
5% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Jun 19, 2014
90
Syfy's Defiance doesn't just cement its place as a well-made and enjoyable show, it continues to serve as a welcome corrective to some recent trends in TV sci-fi.
Apr 15, 2013
80
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.
Jul 20, 2015
67
Defiance faces its fair share of problems, too, but like Datak, it has its redeeming moments. [24 Jul 2015, p.55]
Apr 15, 2013
60
Defiance the TV show may not break new ground in its two-hour premiere Monday, but it does stand on its own as a watchable sci-fi series, with a Wild West vibe mixed with a bit of "Farscape"-meets-"West Side Story.
Apr 15, 2013
50
Defiance is less gritty than Syfy's best series, "Battlestar Galactica," and the characters aren't as well drawn as on the superior "Farscape." "Defiance" lands at a slightly higher end of the murky middle ground of quality.
Apr 12, 2013
50
There are only fleeting moments when you feel you're seeing something brand new in Defiance, but in its imitative way, it's fun to watch, thanks to some competent CGI effects and decent performances.
Apr 15, 2013
20
If you’re a sci-fi fan for whom this stuff can never be too complex, have at it. If you’re not, wait an hour and watch “Revolution.”
User score
Generally Favorable
7.5
74% Positive
255 Ratings
255 Ratings
14% Mixed
49 Ratings
49 Ratings
12% Negative
42 Ratings
42 Ratings
Oct 9, 2025
6
Good pitch, bad execution.
I've put this show as "background noise" while doing my chores and I still couldn't tolerate the cliches, generally weak writing, over-acting, plain old bad acting, ...
It's generally way too immature for me. If I had to describe it, I'd say the writing gives me some sci-fi "Texas Ranger" vibes, but better. (Which is still pretty bad in my book.) I'm a bit disappointed because it could have been a good fit for me, and I like some of the actors. (I said it had bad acting, I didn't say every actors were bad. On the plus side, it's not utterly stupid, it's not woke (so far) and if you are "easy" (lucky you) you may like it. I don't believe I'll be able to stomach the end of the pilot, let alone the 3 remaining seasons.
Production Company:
- Five & Dime Productions
- Universal Cable Productions
Initial Release Date:Apr 15, 2013
Number of seasons:3 Seasons
Rating:TV-MA
Awards
Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA
• 1 Nomination
Primetime Emmy Awards
• 1 Nomination
IGN Summer Movie Awards
• 1 Nomination
