Defiance Reporter – MMO Reporter

Chris and Elizabeth Tobey have a chat at PAX about her gaming history, a famous dog, and how she came to be in the gaming industry. Audio Version:

Chris and Ben have a special surprise for the Defiance Community! This week we are joined by none other than @WomenOfDefiance's Michelle! Tune in has we discuss all things Defiance, from the outstanding cast of the show, all the way down to Sensoths, Vibros and bath beads!   Listen now:   OFF THE SET Discussion with Michelle The Defiance Community Diverse community, from the casual watcher to the fervent gamer and the wildly devoted, some might say stalkerish fanboys and girls. this is partly by design: gamers, die-hard scifi fans, and the nerdsbian fanbase that comes along with the Holy Trinity of Gay that is Murray, Benz, and Kirshner (really how WoD started) a melting pot of fans, which has the potential to go horribly wrong, but everyone’s so NICE; like to think as the show continues the fandom will hold creators responsible for great content (gamers already do this quite a bit) really established a culture fandom already, one that makes fun of itself Syfy can be credited with this, partly from engaging fans so early on Twitter - kept them coming back - live-tweeting really gets people to make sure to watch the show live, which can help with ratings Hellbugs in Love, Jamie Murray fans, Julie Benz fans, KTAM and Sam Skatch, Defiance Roleplayers, etc. looking forward to meeting them at DragonCon and next year’s SDCC Interacting with the stars News and tidbits from twitter. Its amazing how much the cast and crew chirp on twitter, about the show and socializing with fans. Twitter increasingly important to many shows in the age of DVR - Even Stephanie Leonidas is now on Twitter (@StephLeonidas) Looks like even Robyn Williams enjoys Defiance http://www.tvguide.com/News/Robin-Williams-Watchlist-1069325.aspx. Strong Women Roles Defiance has one of the largest cast of strong, independent, and badass women on television. Are they breaking boundaries, are they treading the same ones? Thoughts about this article by Katey Rich? http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Why-Writer-Hates-Strong-Female-Characters-You-Should-Too-39018.html http://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2013/08/lawrence-croft-tomb-raider-the-simple-brilliance-of-gender-flipping/278441/ Defiance does a great job at including more female characters - sometimes, they each fit neatly into their own little archetypes, but at least there are more women being represented. (Buffy, Kill Bill, Norma Bates, etc.) Gayliens Lesbian, bisexual and queer women find more apt representations of themselves in science fiction and fantasy - Defiance continues this tradition Ulysses as the ultimate “gaybro” and Pol Madis as an older queen Oddly enough, can apply the Bechdel test to lesbians in many pop culture movies Favorite moments of the show Any line delivered by Doc Yewll - Trenna Keating steals every scene she’s in Killing Kenya - showed complexity behind Stahma’s character Stahma with Christie in the restaurant (early scene, demonstrates how effective Stahma is at manipulating others) Vibro moment - who knows what that really means, but I ran with it Hopes for Season 2 Amanda/Pottinger creepfest Kenya does/doesn’t return (pluses and minuses to both scenarios) More characters from the game More conflict between generations - Alak, Christie, (Defiance Youth) have only known this terraformed world, whereas their parents are first generation immigrants, of sorts - that could make for some interesting character-building Dragoncon Aug 30th-Sept 2 A couple of Defiance parties: https://www.facebook.com/events/475962535818385/?ref=2 & https://www.facebook.com/events/203272063165343/?ref=2   Community Spotlight Question Last week on community spotlight, we want to open up the floor to hear from our listeners. So we pose a really good community question to you:   The Defiance Play the Game,

The information from the San Diego Comic-Con 2013 was so much, we had to make a sequel for last episode! Join Chris and Ben as they discuss everything from the actor's methodology to what they let slip about Season 2! And there's something going on at Trion Worlds Studios. Is it a hint of the big DLC release date reveal? Are we getting close yet? Or is it something else? Listen to find out!   Listen now: BREAKING NEWS Trion Worlds name new CEO and stutter their San Diego Studio Now, when I first prepared this episode I did indeed see signs from Trion, but it was not necessarily about the DLC. First came a tweet from Mathew Everett (Sledgehammer70) on Saturday the 3nd of August about big changes coming and news to follow later in the week. This was followed up with similar forum postings by Matt. There were also tweets from Greg Laabs (Overload UT) and Elizabeth Tobey (Dahanese) about meetings and having new information. All this as well as the leaked achievement list led me to believe that the DLC was finally getting a release date! But then this morning, August 8th, Everett announced his move back to Electronic Arts and Lance James (Myll_Erik) also mentioned being out of a job, even after having JUST been promoted 5 days ago to Associate Producer on End of Nations. SOMETHING was going on. Later, Gamasutra broke the news that ex-COO Scott Hartsman was back with Trion Worlds as the new CEO in place of Lars Buttler (who will remain with Trion as a member of the board) http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/197927/Scott_Hartsman_returns_to_Trion_Worlds_this_time_as_CEO.php In an email to the company, Hartsman said: "We're going to rapidly be laying the groundwork for a new strategy at Trion -- one that's closer to the foundation of how we've had our wins so far, and then extending that base into the enduring success this company can, and will, be." Right on the heels of that announcement, PC Gamer broke the news that the Trion Worlds San Diego studio, the studio in charge of the Defiance development, is being shut down. http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/08/08/trion-shuts-down-san-diego-studio/ In an official statement, Trion Sr. Director of Global Communications Katie Uhlman has confirmed the closure of Trion’s San Diego studio: “We can confirm that the San Diego studio will be closing. The day to day operations of Defiance will be moved to our Redwood City studio where it can be managed alongside Rift and our other in development titles including ArcheAge and End of Nations. As part of this transition, we are working hard to ensure that a number of great people will be making the move from San Diego to the Bay Area and continue their work at Trion.” Ms. Ulman went on to reassure Defiance Reporter that “Defiance is more than OK.” Guest listener and community member Grimjak weighs in on his opinion about the news and how it affected gamers and faithfuls. Voicemail from Sam Scatch of KTAM with his thoughts on how the situation at Trion made him feel and what it means to the future of the Defiance Game?"   OFF THE SET Defiance Season 2 Productions Starts - Press Release http://www.spoilertv.com/2013/08/defiance-season-2-productions-starts.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=b3rt4 Its official! All the actors have packed their bags and made the trek to Toronto to start filming. SYFY’S HIGHLY-RATED, GROUNDBREAKING DEFIANCE COMMENCES PRODUCTION IN TORONTO NEW YORK, NY – August 6, 2013 – Production will commence August 12 in Toronto, ON for the 13-episode second season of Syfy’s highly-rated Defiance. The most ambitious project in Syfy’s 20-year history, and produced by Universal Cable Productions, season one of Defiance delivered an average of 3.2 million total viewers, ranking as the second-highest Syfy scripted original to date among total viewers based on Live +7 data (behind Warehouse 13 in September 2009). The season one finale on July 8 earned a solid 3.4 million total viewers.

It's that time of year again! The San Diego Comic-Con 2013 has come and gone, and with it a wake of Defiance news for Season 2, a few Defiant Cosplayers, and a sneak peek at the up and coming DLC! Tune in to hear Chris and Ben discuss everything they've learned from SDCC 2013 after the break! Listen now: There's lots to discuss this episode: Syfy and Trion’s Defiance presence at Comic Con. Great pictures from fans all over twitter flooded my twitter. Mary Jane’s Cafe was converted into a Need/Want, A few cosplayers dressing up as Castithans and Irathients, and one fan even made himself a giant red hellbug hat! (http://www.syfy.com/comiccon/ ) Hellbug Hat http://t.co/YD09b0zKOt, http://t.co/UGslLB51dQ @Airlily’s photos of Mary Jane’s Cafe  pic.twitter.com/3AGNcZbQUa, http://t.co/DtQO9GrT4A, Other pictures http://t.co/QWWHGoN6fW, http://t.co/EnuXwQ11bT, http://t.co/V9zgynSaU0, http://t.co/T15yW3L7jw The Defiance Panel at Comic-con discussing what’s coming up in Season 2 (and the unfortunate unavailability of the panel in its entirety online). More info on the Castithan Charge DLC, A Staff change at Trion Worlds? New EP and new promises, ...and even an Emmy Nomination.   OFF THE SET Emmy Nomination for OUTSTANDING SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS 2013 http://www.emmys.com/nominations/2013/Outstanding%20Special%20Visual%20Effects Pilot Episode Gary Hutzel VFX Supervisor Michael Gibson VFX Producer Doug Drexler CGI Supervisor Davey Morton CGI Artist Neal Sopata CGI Artist Kyle Toucher CG Artist Sean Jackson CG Artist Douglas Graves CG Artist Derek Ledbetter Compositor What They're Going Up Against: Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome Falling Skies - Worlds Apart Game Of Thrones - Valar Dohaeris Hemlock Grove - Children Of The Night Last Resort - Captain   'Defiance' Season 2 Intel: Everything Has Changed http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/22/defiance-season-2_n_3636476.html (with further info from CinemaBlend’s Defiance Comic-Con Panel Live Blog by Mack Rawden http://www.cinemablend.com/television/Defiance-Comic-Con-Panel-Live-Blog-57617.html and from Rueben of TV Equals http://www.tvequals.com/2013/07/22/defiance-season-2-panel-comic-con-2013/ Maureen Ryan over on the Huffington Post had the pleasure of moderating the panel, which included executive producer Kevin Murphy and stars Grant Bowler (Joshua Nolan), Julie Benz (Amanda Rosewater), Stephanie Leonidas (Irisa), Tony Curran (Datak Tarr), Jaime Murray (Stahma Tarr), Jesse Rath (Alak Tarr) and Trion Worlds senior game producer Rob Hill. "The goal at the end the end of Season 1 was to take the chess board and flip it up and knock all the pieces all over the place. Every single character has a reset." Kevin Murphy Here's a list of things to expect from Season 2, and a few of the panel's many amusing moments: Rawden Kevin Murphy says the goal of the season finale was to "reset every single character". He wanted to mix up the chess pieces and let fans see how characters would do in with different responsibilities. Amanda is a new line of work. Stahma is now the head of the Tarr family, and Irisa's fate will be "front and center of the Season 2 premiere", which will bring up "many, many more questions." Ryan It sounds as though Datak will be away from his family for the first part of the season. "What happened to him" -- which was unclear after he murdered the Earth Republic official -- will be explored in first part of the season, Murphy said. Curran sounded mournful about being away from home: "I won't be bathing with my gal at all," he said. Ryan As for Stahma, she'll be experimenting with the increased power and status that her new role in the business gives her. "Stahma has taken over the family with Alak as the figurehead," Murphy said. During her time in Defiance,

The votes are in and the next Mayor of Defiance is..... the Earth Republic? And is there trouble in paradise for the Tarrs? Maybe, but just remember, the family that kills together, stays together. And finally, Trion Worlds has set up the contest for players to appear in the next season of Defiance! Tune in to Episode 17 to find out the details on how you could win. Listen now: DRAMA IN DEFIANCE EPISODE 12 “Everything is Broken”   Recap EVERYBODY IS DEAD! Everybody died, Defiance is empty, and Earth Republic is taking over. Well... almost. While not everyone is dead, Defiance sure pulled a George RR Martin on the fans. The votes are cast, the winner is announced, and the winner is the Earth Republic.   Thoughts and Observations Winner of the Most Wanted contest, Zachary Prast, had his likeness in the show for a few brief seconds on a Wanted poster inside the Arch. Congratulations again Zac! A horse jab at Trion Games from Syfy? Totally! Hah! Colonel Marsh misses horses and reflects fondly on them for a few minutes, jabbing at the fact that Trion Worlds didn’t want to put horses in the game due to them being difficult to animate and pull off the appropriate look for the game/show. Nolan, Irisa, and the Kaziri Something I almost missed.. Colonel Marsh is working independently of the E-Rep’s major goal! E-rep at large wants the Gulanite Mines but Marsh is after the Kaziri, the Votan ship with an extremely powerful weapons system, thats underneath those mines. The one that the Indogenes have been searching for for the last 3,000 years! What happened to the original passengers of the ship? Why Were They here so early in our past? Is Marsh working without the knowledge of E-Rep or is he doing it FOR E-Rep? You know the Irzu COULD be a terraforming AI. One that maybe Von Bach Industries based their EGO tech off of. Just some wild speculation. The Kaziri needs two keys, just like our nukes. “Black Jonah” Keller is rumored to be “the best” Echelon mercenary, sent by Former Earth Republic Senator Cofer Gray to take care of Nolan and Irisa for their client, Varus Soleptor (revenge for stealing the Libra Nova Gem from him). There’s quite a backstory on Ex-Sen. Gray. Question is, why is Black Jonah working for Colonel Marsh instead of trying to find the Gem? “You're getting soft in your old age Doc. Word is you used to dissect humans while they were still alive and kicking.” I wonder what it is Black Jonah knows about doc and if we will ever find out? Did no-one else notice the Kaziri did not JUST take the form of an Iratheint girl, but THE Irathient girl Nolan rescued all those years ago? Does Doc Yewll turn up the juice on Irisa to HELP the Kaziri come out and attack everyone in the room or for her own selfish reason? And is that what happened? The Kaziri tentacles attacked everyone? Why do you hide these things from us Syfy? Why!? Also, why was Rynn helping rescue Irisa? Sukar. Nothing can keep that old boy down. But is that really him, or a vision? Finally we meet the Kaziri. Two keys that turn on a great destructive force with the power to end life, and to bring it back. Irisa, with little hesitation, gives herself to the kaziri in return for Nolan's life. The Tarrs and Rosewaters Datak and Stahma steal the show once again. This time not only playing the town of Defiance to gain power and respect through ruthless manipulation, but against each other. At first I thought the Tarr sex scene was a bit out of place, but it quickly made sense as Datak connected the dots and discovered his wife’s betrayal. Stahma, being caught and threatened with death, is rightfully scared and we as an audience get to glimpse Stahma lose some control, showing how vulnerable she CAN be (but only to one her equal). I think that Stahma has so many people seeing her as devious and manipulative that when she looses control, no one actually knows it. “The poison was on the flask” Clever Girl.

Remember how last week Datak couldn't get a break? Well this week he hit back hard! Join Chris and Ben as they discuss all the schemes and dirty tactics Datak Tarr employs to insure political victory. Datak. Chupping. Tarr. Listen now: DRAM...

Bachelor parties, dead bodies, and Datak just can't get a break! This week we follow Nolan, Irisa, and Tommy across Defiance to solve a cold case before the Defiance event of the season: the marriage of Alak and Christie! Will the wedding go off without a hitch, or will the father of the groom ruin everything? Tune in to find out! Listen now: DRAMA IN DEFIANCE EPISODE 10 “The Bride Wore Black”   Recap The body of a prominent businessman who disappeared nearly six years ago is discovered in the walls of Need/Want, prompting an investigation by Nolan and Tommy that exposes many secrets and causes unrest on the eve of Alak and Christie’s wedding.   Thoughts and Observations This episode was modeled after the best Colombo episodes. You knew who the murderer was from the very beginning; it's more about how they'll get caught. A lot of Castithan traditions mentioned in this episode.. At the Castithan equivalent of a bachelor party, Alak is pressured to sleep with a porter which apparently is a legit practice. Casti men sure do treat the women like objects. The Telo is a Castithan wedding mask with a beautiful (if not a bit S&M) premise behind it. Castithan Scrolls were protected in a temple and never unattended, even in the face of death. Much isn't known about these scrolls but its obvious that they are some kind of holy relic. Murder Mystery - Hunter Bell Initial impressions (read: with Tommy) were good. They quickly soured. The further we got with the flashbacks, the more I hated Hunter. Kenya and Amanda Interesting.. Kenya sure seems to have the same aspirations as Stahma. She wanted to be the power behind the throne when Hunter ran Defiance. Why did both sisters lie to Nolan? You'd think Nolan has proven his trust in the girls by now. Poor Jerret. "Just like Elan Bandik." Noticed a lot of people thinking Nolan just singled out Datak with nothing to go on but a Casti blade. Datak and Rafe Heh. Seeing Datak with his hair down and wearing rags as a gutter rat criminal thug is deeply satisfying. Rafe chummy with Datak? Wonder what it was that drove them apart.. Was it something to do with WIFE? Wonder how Datak will exact revenge on Nolan. We all know, when Datak is humiliated, it usually results in someone dying. Nicki and Yewll Wow. This episode threw us for a loop! Nikki is an Indogene? She murdered Hunter Bell? And then BAM! Nikki is dead! Remind me to stay off of Yewll’s bad side. I loved that Doc Yewll used Nikki's words to justify killing her. "Its for the greater good." After all, Nicky devolved into a genocidal monster. A White Wedding The Telo is an heirloom and Casti tradition, but Christi doesn't want to wear it. Does Stahma truly love her "Heart Daughter" or is this more of stahma's manipulation? It's hard not to question everything Stahma does now. Rafe tells Datak that he's willied the mines to the Irathients, so there is no way in hell the Tarr family will ever get a piece of them after Rafe dies. "Their your mines Rafe. I don't care what you do with them." "The wedding is off!" Easily the best scene this episode. OK, second best.. Datak has been outsmarted and has lost the mines and there's no point in continuing with the wedding. Furious, he puts a stop to the wedding. Alak will never have to endure the hardships we did!” defending Alak, Stahma drops her mask for a brief spell and responds in kind to Datak. The way that Stahma effortlessly switched gears at one point, moving from aggression to passive admonition was beautifully executed. Alak stands up to Daddy, finally (in a loin cloth no less), then goes to tell Christie the wedding was off anyway.. Pshh. Teenagers. though Alak had an excellent argument when he said he was born on Earth and not wholly Casti because of it. Bringing a charge blade to a good ol' fashioned gun fight, Datak? You know better. I know swords are a gentleman's weapon,

The plague hits Defiance hard, and while there were no Stage 4 Zombie outbreaks, we had plenty of monsters crop up, Datak is running for Mayor, and a campaign to save Charlie the Construction worker. Chris and Ben discuss it all in this episode of Defiance Reporter. Listen now: DRAMA IN DEFIANCE EPISODE 9 “If I Ever Leave This World Alive”   Recap - The Plague hits Defiance HARD. E-rep has circled the wagons around Defiance, ready to contain the situation, and a care package from San Francisco is sitting just outside with the cure.   Thoughts and Observations Sequestering and the Standoff Wow, a room full of Xenophobes and/or speciesists, voting 5 to 1 for quarantining the Irathient “plague carriers.” Truth is they are no more contagious than humans, they only dont get sick. “Get your head out of Datak’s ass.” Love that blunt honesty! Rafe was quick to start rounding up the Irathients without waiting for Amanda to break the news to Nolan. I loved that Rafe was pushed off the roof. Some tense moments when Rafe and Nolan had arms up ready to fire on each other and Irisa. Nolan obviously fighting for the daughter he loves while probably trying to get some brownie points after shooting up Sukar, and Rafe with his hatred for the other Votans and the fear of the plague hitting his own little girl. Two men afraid, only looking to protect what is theirs. I don’t know what to say about the stupid human who walked into the quarantine, disrupting a prayer ritual and insulting every Irath there by doing it.. Part of me wanted that gun to go off and hit her. Stahma Playing the Board While it was Datak showing a bit of kindness (albeit selfish) offering Rafe the pain meds for Christie, you could see Stahma working all the angles here. From the moment Amanda came in sick, to the very end with Datak’s speech, Stahma took every opportunity to further the future of Datak and her family. Idle Chit-chat? Nolan and Connor getting chummy in the car.. forced a bit, but a valuable insight into Amanda. We finally get to hear her “dark secret” though I was kind of hoping it was literal skeletons in the closet. Whelp, Ambassador evil bitch-er, I mean Ambassador Tennety is back in Defiance. Wonder what she has planned for Mayor Rosewater. ESPECIALLY after she finds out about Connor. Why didn't Nolan stop to administer the cure for himself? Shaving off a few seconds to a minute wasn’t going to make a lick of difference for those plague victims. Though it did give enough plausible reason for having Nolan and Conner captured while too weak to defend. Datak's Inner Animal I was very surprised to see Datak walk into the lawkeeper’s office to personally inform the kidnappers that the Irathients were released from the mine and immediately saw what he was up to. Datak didn't take begging for his life to an Irathient woman very well at all. Tony Curran did a great job this episode! Poor Connor, even after helping Datak, had to die. Favorite scenes Not so much a scene but a person. Skeuver makes me laugh because he is such an idiot Castithan, selling surgical masks to the plague victims of Defiance and later afraid that he’d get the plague if Irisa bites him. I laughed both times, but I also have a hope he ends up publicly ridiculed. Datak stole the show when he killed everyone in the room but Nolan. Lucky for Nolan he was out cold and could not witness the actions of Datak, otherwise he would’ve had a hole in his forehead like Connor. Speaking of Datak, anyone else think he is incapable of coming up with a powerful speech all on his own? Its obvious Stahma was responsible for his announcement for Mayor as she was lip syncing in the background. Oh that deliciously deviant woman! Dislikes? Ben This episode had anger, hate, prejudice, bigotry, death, and opportunity. What’s not to like? Chris Irisa is being super annoying.

It's a case of celebrity fever in Defiance, with an astronaut from 2013 found aboard an Arkfall.  Chris and Ben discuss the implications of this episode on the world of Defiance, and the plague fever hitting the game. Listen now: DRAMA IN DEFIANCE EPISODE 8 “I Just Wasn't Made for These Times” Recap Nolan and Tommy find a long lost human astronaut in a crashed Votan ship. And if that isn’t exciting enough, something seems to be wrong with the surviving astronaut Gordon McClintock, and leads to bigger issues that need to be handled delicately. Thoughts and Observations Any Stargate Universe fans out there? Brian J Smith guest starred as an astronaut of all things in this episode! OMG FEMALE SENSOTH! AND BABY! We don’t fly anymore because of radiation and debris. I get the debris part, but going any higher than 400 feet seems very low. The Gateway arch, before the terraforming upheaval was 630 feet tall! If the arch was raised a bit and then buried, wouldn’t Alak Tarr still be above that 400 foot mark and glowing green by now? I’m all about Rafe McCawley this episode and I take back every doubt I had about Graham Greene since the pilot! We get to see Rafe “honor” a hero of his by offering him his son’s clothing and bedroom (best room in the house), come to the defense of Gordon when no one else did, talk him down from suicide when everything was taken away from him, still believing in him even when Gordon wasn't what anyone thought he was, and finally covered for his escape by selling his death. Rafe was eager to believe in what was in his mind, humanity unchanged. What things used to be like. Interesting fact in Defiance Lore: Spitting on one's own hands to clean them is considered a bit coarse by Earth standards, but those don't apply to Castithans. In Casti culture, those of higher liros are culturally superior to those of lower ones. Shanje liro saliva is considered cleaner than alien germs. (Slide 6 http://www.defiance.com/en/series/photos/inside-defiance-episode-8) Indo-Sapiens. Didn’t see that coming until McClintock bled silver. I figured on the cloning bit, but not being part Indogene. Are there still other Indo-Sapiens out there? McClintock: “Could she [my wife] love me… like this?!” You mean as a young, strong, and handsome astronaut? Yeah, I think she’ll be fine with it. Nolan vs. Connor: It's becoming obvious Nolan cares greatly for Amanda, but who will she chose? An old flame whom she almost got very serious with or the gun wielding grunt who slept with her sister? Disclaimer: I can be TOTALLY off on this mark. Connor as a bad guy makes sense. He’s E-Rep and E-Rep hasn’t given us any reason to trust them thus far, but to make us (as an audience) conflicted about his intentions seems a bit forced. I don't feel even the slightest hint of that chemistry between him and Amanda that is supposed to show us Connor wants to be a good guy for Amanda. I almost want Amanda to hurry up and spurn him so that he can immerse himself in whatever villainy he is capable of. And finally, Doc Yewll. I’m happy we get to focus on her now for a bit, even if it might be in a negative light initially. She sure knew quite a bit about the Indo-sapien project to not have been deeply involved in it. How much of what she told us about the VC is true? Obviously enough to piss us off for sure... The idea of planting sleeper agents among the enemy or for reconnaissance in an unknown situation is not an idea so radical that the VC would not have given its full support to. So having the ex-soldier Nolan have his suspicions about what Doc Yewll told them (while no one else well versed in military anything didn’t) gave me a deep sense of satisfaction when he confronted the doc... only to have my moment stolen from me seconds later by a silly plague. Favorite scenes Ben I liked the warm and chummy evening of drinking and talking with fans and friends.

Sickness. Death. Rebirth? ZOMG there are Zombies in Defiance! The Bay Area is fighting off horde after horde of plague victims while trying to find a cure to the mysterious illness causing these zombies, and in Defiance, Sukar is killed and brought back to life with only one thing on his mind. Tune in to this episode of Defiance Reporter to find out what that is!  ... And no, it's NOT brains. Listen now: DRAMA IN DEFIANCE EPISODE 7 “Goodbye, Blue Sky”   Recap - There’s a storm headed to Defiance, only it isn’t rain. Deadly arkship shrapnel is falling fast from the sky in what is known as Razer Rain, shredding everything in their path, including Sukar!   Thoughts and Observations Main Storyline - Sukar and Irisa Holy hell! Sukar is a zombie! “What we must do is for the good of all” Sukar dies saying these words in Irisa’s vision.. how did he ALREADY know what was going to happen? Irathient burial rituals are interesting.. the “purification broth” is basically a chemical reaction between water and what looked like several powders that is supposed to dissolve flesh and leave bones “left to adorn this place.” What do they do with the bones I wonder. (The Irathients kind of remind me of the Forsworn in TES:Skyrim) Its interesting to see the conflict of personality in Sukar.. the savagery of an Irathient while just being used as a tool versus the pious and fatherly leader we’ve come to know already. So Sukar, acting as a tool to nanites from a falling ship, saves Defiance by waiting until the ship was close enough to receive a signal to fire its engines and steer the freighter clear of the town... A hero’s welcome he did not receive from Nolan Nolan done screwed the Sensoth’s pooch now. Will Irisa ever forgive Nolan for his mistake? Can you really call killing someone a mistake? Nikki, Rafe and Quentin Oh yeah, Quentin isn’t hiding shtako. He has allergies? Really? And when he lies to Rafe about destroying the artifact, how can NOBODY see through his lies!? Whoa, Nikki just laid everything bare right away. As Rafe said, she really does have quite a set of balls! Nikki is quite the devious character in this episode. I really didn’t know just how insidious she could be until this episode. She kind of knew what happened before getting to the McCawleys ranch and was cunning enough to snare the truth out of hotheaded Rafe. What’s the truth about Quentin’s mother? Stahma and Kenya “Making love to one of you is enormously complicated.” Another elegant performance by Jamie Murray. Seeing how she was hurt and insulted by something we as humans find strange and funny to suggest shows what kind elegant and prideful presence she brings to Stahma’s character. She also plays a convincing mother.. The conversation about doing something for herself between Kenya and Stahma reveals that not only was Stahma a poet/singer star (or the equivalent) with a following, but that she also let that world go when she came to Earth. Receding into her role as a wife and mother, as evident by the way she deflected and asked for more wine. I know a few of our listeners and friends were happy to see “Stahma’s Secret,” though I’m sure it’ll be the cause of Datak’s ire and tantrum throwing in a later episode. I bet Stahma learned just how complicated human women are for herself.. Alak and Christie Not much interesting happening between these two. We get to see how young and immature they really are, wearing their insecurities on their sleeves. Christie who is uncomfortable (as are we all) with the bathing ritual and Alak who is afraid to stand up to his parents for any reason, even his love. You're way too hung up on your bodies? HAH! Coming from a Casti that made me snort.   Favorite scenes The climax of the episode, while an emotional tug of war, was a fantastic climax as far as climaxes in this show go.

This week we break the mold and do a show about having no show! Yep, you read right. There was no new Defiance this week, so Chris and Ben take a look at all the show predictions to see how they scored. Were they right? Were they completely off the reservation? Tune in to find out!   Listen now: DRAMA IN DEFIANCE NO EPISODE THIS WEEK This week there was no new episode of Defiance so Chris and I are shaking things up and breaking the mold this episode.   Recap - What’s happened on the show so far this season. DJ Alak Tarr of Raider Radio was kind enough to put together a 5 minute segment explaining the things you need to know about Defiance, its history, and its major players. http://youtu.be/3SDT2tSp15I 33 years ago humans were the only intelligent species on Earth, then came the arrival of 8 alien races, the war, exploding arkships, and the accidental terraforming of the planet. (whoops!) A small group from both sides got together and said “this war sucks, lets just chill and be cool.” There are some major players in Defiance all newcomers should know about.. Joshua Nolan - a former soldier and one of the defiant few who grew up in St Louis and came home and became the new lawkeeper. Irisa - a rescued Irathient who is being raised by Nolan and is his badass and deadly right hand. She has some alien psychic power that other think proves she is a God. Datak Tarr - Its hard to describe WHAT Datak does (but we all know its shady and probably illegal) Stahma Tarr - She doesn’t wear the pants in the family (har har har), but she does have her family's best interests at heart. Amanda Rosewater - the stand in mayor after former mayor Nikki who is trying to get everyone to play nice. Kenya Rosewater- She’s kinda the mayor of Pleasureville. She runs the bar and brothel, the Need/Want Rafe MacCawley and his kids - Rafe employs half of Defiance in his mines. There’s an issue between Rafe and Datak. BREAKING NEWS: E-Rep has beefed up its presence in Defiance but no one seems to know why. Also that guy who is seen to hang out with Mayor Nikki is missing. Also some good news, Alak and Christie will be getting married! Word is Irisa and Deputy Tommy hooked up (wonder where she kept her knives, HAH!) The Fast Five with Josh Nolan Did you really grow up in St Louis? Yeah, never thought the city would end up buried Is it difficult having an alien for a daughter? I think teenagers are tough no matter where they come from. Is it true you cheated when you fought the Bioman? Who’s saying I cheated? When are you gonna stop harassing my dad? When he stops harassing my people. Is it true that Kenya dumped you? Thats a load of shtako.   Preview for next episode “Goodbye Blue Sun” http://youtu.be/BaxudRo0tF0 The description reads: Defiance is hit by Razor Rain, forcing its residents to stay indoors – where interesting relationships develop. Irisa’s visions lead her to Sukar and the Spirit Riders, where she finds Sukar under the influence of a strange and mysterious force. FINALLY! Razer Rain. I’ve been waiting to see what Razer Rain was all about. What are Kenya and Stahma discussing and what would make Stahma so upset? Is that an arkfall headed towards Defiance? Absolutely nothing was in the trailer that gave a glimpse of what Sukar was experiencing, so we’ll just have to wait to see.   Watch the first 4 minutes of “Goodbye Blue Sun” http://youtu.be/BZlxwx1cPdE Man that Razor Rain looks exciting, dangerous, and just the kind of natural disaster I was hoping to see in Defiance! Sukar dying?! NOOOooo! Oh, its just one of Irisa’s visions. Really? All that heart wrenching just to push the reset button on Sukar’s death? HAH! Nolan got kissed by a Liberata.. and he doesn’t know if it was a he or she. LOVE IT! “You coming or not.

An old war buddy of Nolan's Eddie Braddock comes to Defiance chasing after Earth Republic's most wanted Pol Madis. Will Nolan and Eddie see eye-to-eye on how to handle this mass murderer? Also, Is there trouble in paradise for couples Tommy and Irisa AND Nolan and Kenya? And finally, DEFIANCE REWIND WEEKEND is coming for both the game and show. Find out what that entails and more on this episode of Defiance Reporter. Listen now: DRAMA IN DEFIANCE EPISODE 6 “Brothers in Arms” Recap This week, Nolan reunites with an old war buddy of his and team up to chase after a mass murderer. Meanwhile Quentin has to decide if what Luke had kept secret is important enough to keep or if it needs to be destroyed for the safety of his family and Defiance. Thoughts and Observations Oooh! What shady past does Doc Yewell keep hidden away? I was so happy to see Nikki! Except she showed her hand too quickly and was then gone too soon. Kenya girl, make up your mind. Do you like the guy or not? Do you want him to save you from your work or be cool with it? Kenya's mixed bag of emotions was predictable and still frustrating to me that I was relieved she ended it with Nolan. Of course this leaves Nolan in the cold with Amanda now showing interest in her old friend. Speaking of mixed signals, Tommy is getting a ton of them. As soon as the scene changed to Irisa and Tommy, first thing out of my mouth was “oh, here it comes!” Totally called it! Who was this “Hunter” that Amanda mentions to Kenya? Notice Pol's wanted poster? Wanted for Mass murder, bombing of public spaces, deployment of poison gas and creation of biological weapons. Now THIS is an enemy. He eludes erep for years, escapes in a flashbang in the middle of a crowded street, discreetly kills a thief by electric shock, manipulates and plans to kill Datak... Datak is not nearly as tough as this guy! Another reference to Von Bach. I'm loving the more frequent nods to the game in the show. One of the reasons the Earth Republic is so desperate to get their hands on Pol Madis is that he was working with Karl Von Bach as one of his chief engineers before escaping with highly sensitive corporate secrets. The Earth Republic is desperate not to let those secrets get into the wrong hands. That's twice Varus was mentioned this episode! For those unfamiliar with the reference, in the game Varus Soleptor hired us to recovered a valuable artifact known as the Libera Nova Gem. We recovered the gem, but instead of handing it off to Varus, Nolan and Irisa kept it for themselves and headed to St Louis. And I've never forgiven Nolan for that. (Can't wait until he comes back in the game). Goodbye Mr Birch. We hardly knew ye. Who will do the heavy lifting for Nikki now? What's the deal with Quentin? Can he see ghosts? Is that a hallucination? Could that be a self preservation or defense mechanism from the artifact? Does it possess intelligence? Interesting fact about the caves and artifacts from last episode.. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/events/1811-1812.php There really WAS an earthquake in St. Louis in 1811 - an earthquake so strong that the Mississippi River seemed to flow backwards. Those items Rafe and Quentin discovered - the bones, the pickaxe, the spectacles - looked like they originated from that time period. But what were those people doing down there in the first place? Favorite scenes Want to come over to my place after work? What's at your place? Me! Best. Scene. Evar. Irisa watching over Nolan as he sleeps was both creepy and endearing. Nolan shot first. No way Greedo..ummm..crap. Dislikes? This Pol Madis character is kinda awesome and I wish he hadn't ended up dead. There was some potential for serious mayhem and a strong enemy (though I understand there's only 12 episodes and much larger and more dangerous enemies to deal with I the show already). I totally didn’t believe that Eddie would give himself up like that.

In this week's episode of Defiance, Tommy boy becomes a man and never trust a priest. Also Trion announces its first DLC and then tragedy strikes. Find out about all this and more on this episode of Defiance Reporter. Listen now: DRAMA IN DEFIANCE EPISODE 4 “The Serpent’s Egg” RECAP Amanda and Nolan cross the Storm Divide to deliver a prisoner to Vegas Prison and pay off the Maglev in Calexico but get ambushed by bandits, while back in Defiance Irisa runs into someone from her past and causes trouble.   Thoughts and Observations Alak Tarr seems to be a competent (and well liked) radio DJ. Who knew. Irisa, Tommy, and Daigo, the man from the past: For me, Daigo was completely believable as a devoted family man and innocent victim... up until he tried to explain away the religious icon. After that I was team Irisa the rest of the way and wanted to smack Tommy for interfering. When Daigo finally reveals himself because “the snake brings clarity,” We learn a lot about his religion. He believes they were ordained to meet again. That he is supposed to be the supplicant she is to sacrifice in order to become Alakta, the chosen one. The Devouring Mother, possessor of both womb and grave. Whose religion is this? Why are Castithans and Irathients torturing female children to bring about a destructive force? Redemption? who’s redemption? (Does this religion have anything to do with Sukar’s religion?) Wow, Tommy has a dark side. I didn’t think the kid had stones, despite what we’ve heard about his background outside the show. Respect. Was that sex scene really necessary? And why isn’t the REST of her body orange? I mean she’s got the rubber forehead and the painted arms, how much does it cost the studio to just get some cheap tanning lotion that’ll turn her skin orange all over? Also, the obvious bored look is obvious and I’ll get to that in my predictions. The Prisoner Transport I think Nolan made a show of putting up the gun on the top shelf for Rynn’s benefit Predictable, but fun. There’s a pen being flashed around and Rynn takes it. OBVIOUSLY she’s going to pick her cuffs. And who called the priest being the inside man? Why didn’t the bandits just kill everyone and loot after? Isn’t that what one does in a wasteland frontier to survive? Is this really the great Storm Divide? Seems pretty placid to me. No wild storms or arkfalls, landscape seems more like Hawaii or Vietnam than anything else. Rynn saves the day? I get that when she escaped, she didn't have water or keys to a roller so Rynn has to stick around and figure out how to get one or both of those things, but taking her chain cuffs (that would've given her up when Nolan was searching for her) and using them as bolas? How did no one hear her twirling those and how did she get that distance? BAM! Triple cross.. Why does E-rep have to play so dirty? Is the mine that profitable that E-rep wants a part of it? Or do they know what’s really down there? Rynn is the unlikely hero of this episode, despite having tried to destroy everyone in town and having animosity towards Nolan, she (they) has a code. I still like Rynn and want to see more of her in the show, so I hope that I will later in the season or next. For right now I’ll join her in San Francisco.   Favorite scenes BEN - I’m a sap for a hero risking his life for his romantic interest in a western. The scene where Rynn makes Amanda realize (and probably Nolan, too for that matter) that Nolan is doing it for her, even if its not the best idea. CHRIS - Rynn’s final words to Nolan and Amanda, and the fact that she let them live, with the understanding that they wouldn't go after her.   Dislikes? BEN - Honestly, nothing. This was a solid and focused episode that was heavy on action and lore, while light on romance and goofball-ery. CHRIS - Great episode. Didn't dislike anything either!   Speculations for Next Week

This week we have a special guest for you from the Defiance Community. Defiance Radio Personality Mr. Beck Altar of KTAM Radio. Join us as we discuss the latest episode "A Well Respected Man" and delve into the gaming community surrounding Syfy's Defiance Universe. Also, is EGO going insane? Tune in to find out. Listen now: DRAMA IN DEFIANCE EPISODE 3 A Well Respected Man RECAP Kenya and one of her “porters” gets kidnapped by the only bioman in Defiance and taken to a secret drug lab outside the city. Now it’s up to Nolan, Amanda, and even Datak to find them.   Thoughts and Observations  Why did the town council decide it needed to quietly have weapons run into town? Was there a reason for their secrecy in their dealings with Datak? And Amanda is STILL mayor, appointed or elected, why is information being held back from her? Side question: Who will be her opponent? Did they say Mag-lev? How is siding with E-Rep to get a Mag-lev through town a bad thing? And why is Amanda so against the idea? Does she have some insight as to how E-Reps work or is she just poisoned by Nicki’s words? Apparently Nolan isn't a stranger to the synthetic Adrino “Blue Devil,” having been forced to take it in the Pale Wars It is clear there is drug running and the question is Who is running the drugs, Datak or the Votanis Collective. Was the plot of Meeko a red herring. Anyone else get the “Of Mice and Men” feel between Ulysses and Meeko. Obviously Meeko is the brains of the outfit, what with being a chemist and Ulysses being all muscle. How is it that Datak’s muscle happens to have another boss? Are we supposed to believe that drugs are being pushed in his town without getting a cut? Interesting tidbit found on the forums: The crashed Stratocarrier crashed 30km outside Bissel Pass. Assuming the pass is at least a few miles from the city center, the stratocarrier crashed where the current city of Defiance, MO is. Of course the whole episode is about building the relationship between rigid Amanda and free spirited Kenya. As most episodes of this type start, there’s an argument or disagreement until one is gone and the other suffers guilt. The nice twist to this one is that Kenya actually gets to be the matronly one to her porter while they flee from the Volge. Of course this led to the lie of St Finnigan and the revelation of their mother. Would Amanda have ever told Kenya about their mother? Ever? Datak seems to get a whole new dimension to his character this episode. When Nolan physically accosts Datak in the streets in his sleepwear, we really get to see Tony Curran shine. Its also probably the only episode you will hear Datak tell the complete and honest truth. From his honest and accurate description of Nolan to his keen understanding of the town’s relationship. Who is leaving the TV show verse to join the game verse? (It’s Rynn) Lack of Game Tie in’s/nods otherwise.   Favorite scenes Ben Datak and Nolan working together. To see Datak trying to look like the hero by setting up a false witness, only to get shut down by Nolan was priceless. Still Datak does have a point in that Nolan does have to stop with the brutish, heavy handed policing and get to know the town and its people. The revelation of St. Finnigan and what happened to Mother Rosewater. To me having a metal of a saint named after a fallen soldier held more weight and sentimentality than actually using the Saint’s name, no matter that it wasn’t the initial intent. There’s more that ties it to the moment. Beck The ending when Nolan Figures out Stahma is the motivator. Though I wonder if it is not going to backfire on her.   Dislikes? Ben Seems to me that Syfy is having trouble with Biomen. With the impressions I’ve got, biomen seem to be nothing but raging killing machines and experts of brute combat. Yet Ulysses seems like the runt of the litter in this episode   Speculations for Next Week

Hellbugs! Hellbugs everywhere! Arkhunters in the Bay area are dealing with a new strain of mutated hellbugs as the residence of Defiance deal with their own infestation of the skittering marrow-chompers. Also, get your likeness in the show! Trion and Syfy are hosting a contest to get a top ranking arkhunter's likeness in an episode of Defiance. Details on the contest and more in this weeks episode of Defiance Reporter. Listen now: DRAMA IN DEFIANCE EPISODE 3 The Devil in the Dark RECAP In this Irisa-centric episode, we sideline the conspiracies to catch a killer bent on revenge.   Thoughts and Observations Ben iPod shuffles still work? Love the costume design. At first glance the jogger looks out of place, but after scrutinizing his outfit, his jacket and pants are patched, worn, and stained, but still clean. His jacket is even missing the draw string for the hood. There’s a lot of speculation from the community about whether the votans have their own clothing or they came to earth naked since they wear human clothing, but Votans have nearly the same physiology as humans do so it makes sense that they wear things similar to ours. I’ve seen swimsuits less revealing and alien than Stahma’s bath attire. What about Sensoths and Liberatas? What do their clothing of origin look like? HELLBUGS!  I am ecstatic that we finally got to see some hellbugs in this show, especially the matron, but I have so many questions about them. Archers could be seen flying around but not flinging explosive projectiles at our heroes. Also absent is the lack of Hellbug Warriors, which I thought would be more around, protecting the Matron. How do Hellbugs eat bone marrow and flay their victims? They have 6 claw and a round mouth I don’t think I’ve ever seen closed. Also. Their teeth are ridiculously white! If hellbugs see by smell (even if no nose is evident), then why do they respond to the rescue party when they arrive if they can’t smell them? Going back to Boyd’s death scene, did a hellbug just eat his way through a floor, a mattress, and a person just to get to his food? We know hellbugs are rapid burrowers from the game, it just seemed a bit odd when he could have easily just scurried to the bed from softer earth. Sukar and Rynn Sukar and Rynn’s trip to the open market. Obviously there is an undercurrent of hate throughout all of Defiance’s citizens. The kind of hate that would make someone act or speak out of stupidity instead of rationally. How can a fruit touched by an Irathient spread a plague? Apparently spirit walks are the same for Irathients as they are for Native Americans; Hookah in a hot house. Is Syfy being a bit too on the nose with the Native American influences in the Irathent race? It’s nice to see that Sukar and Rynn have a similar relationship to that of Nolan and Irisa. Irisa’s visions are getting out of control in this episode. It brings me to ask, if this has been happening for a while as implied in the show, how could she not see that she was having visions before? I know Nolan told her they were some form of PTSD, but if she is seeing images before they happen, even if fragmented, wouldn’t she have noticed the correlation sooner? Will the events of this episode tear her away from her adoptive father and closer to the Irathient tribes? Chris Who the ***k goes running in the apocalypse. I understand that you want a taste of what it used to be like, but DUDE, that’s really dumb. The whole Matron fight was a little weird to me, with the whole see by smell thing. Wouldn’t they smell the blood when Sukar was shot?   Favorite scenes Chris Dinner at the Tarr house Badass Datak. Boo yah! Ben “I’d be busy too, if I had to choke on this otter.” Dinner at the Tarrs was an interesting affair. It’s nice to see that not only are humans struggling to understand Votan ways, but so are the Votans.