Defecation/Dumbinion CANCELLED!

[Joelist]

Hi! OM,

Actually they never explained the backstory like you just did onscreen. You have to go online and play the game or read wikis to get the backstory. Instead we're told thing happened - like the Pale Wars - with next to no exposition on the events.

When you go online and read wikis and stuff you get a backstory:

- Votans solar system star goes nove - they escape in fleet of refugee ships
- Refugee fleet arrives on earth - initially things go okay
- Pale Wars break out
- Refugee fleet explodes in orbit, which causes uncontrolled terraforming technology to be turned loose on earth
- Pale Wars end
- Humans and votans have various areas under their control - Defiance is a place where they try to form a common community

Where they screwed up was how they started the show. Instead of dropping us "In Medias Res" into the adventures of Nolan and Irisa Defiance should have dedicated the first couple of installments to showing us the Pale Wars and such. Then we would have context for the plots and character actions.

 

[shavedape]

Hi! OM,

Actually they never explained the backstory like you just did onscreen. You have to go online and play the game or read wikis to get the backstory. Instead we're told thing happened - like the Pale Wars - with next to no exposition on the events.

When you go online and read wikis and stuff you get a backstory:

- Votans solar system star goes nove - they escape in fleet of refugee ships
- Refugee fleet arrives on earth - initially things go okay
- Pale Wars break out
- Refugee fleet explodes in orbit, which causes uncontrolled terraforming technology to be turned loose on earth
- Pale Wars end
- Humans and votans have various areas under their control - Defiance is a place where they try to form a common community

Where they screwed up was how they started the show. Instead of dropping us "In Medias Res" into the adventures of Nolan and Irisa Defiance should have dedicated the first couple of installments to showing us the Pale Wars and such. Then we would have context for the plots and character actions.

I'd also like an explanation for the fact that all the aliens are humanoid. In fact, as I understand it they can even breed with Earth humans. How is this possible? It's a HUGE flaw that anyone with a fifth grade understanding of biology should notice. (Didn't the human girl have a baby with the Voltan disc jockey?)

BTW, just to reiterate to everyone, I don't consider non-show sources of context to be valid (webisodes, wiki explanations, etc). To me, if it doesn't happen on the TV screen during a show it doesn't count. Since this show refuses to explain the premise in a cogently detailed, logical manner than it may as well be a cartoon.

 

[Joelist]

Yep. The now deceased human girl had a baby with the Castithan guy - the son of Datak and Stahma Tarr.

And I fully agree that if something is not explained onscreen it is not explained. I think if you look up Defiance threads in here I nailed it on that exact charge in season one.

All the aliens being humanoid is an issue, albeit one that a LOT of science fiction (including Trek) is guilty of. It also could use explaining (along with a raft of questions that could have been answered easily by just showing us the Pale Wars).

 

[shavedape]

Yep. The now deceased human girl had a baby with the Castithan guy - the son of Datak and Stahma Tarr.

And I fully agree that if something is not explained onscreen it is not explained. I think if you look up Defiance threads in here I nailed it on that exact charge in season one.

All the aliens being humanoid is an issue, albeit one that a LOT of science fiction (including Trek) is guilty of. It also could use explaining (along with a raft of questions that could have been answered easily by just showing us the Pale Wars).

I understand the humanoid-alien thing is used for a host of reasons, not the least of which is production economics. But to me that's not valid any longer considering how far make-up and FX have come in the last 50 years. People were getting tired of this gimmick back when ST.NG was putting silly putty on the actors faces to denote a different alien species each week. Remember how lame that was?

At any rate, whatever excuse shows had for doing so as recently as the 90's is gone. Even Failing Skies manages to give us alien species that are better than just contact lenses in the actor's eyes and/or a layer of green stage make-up plastered on their faces. So if a show as weak as FS can do it then there's no good reason a show like DEFECATION can't do it also.

 

[Jim of WVa]

BTW, I wasted a chunk of time catching the DEFECATION season premiere the other day. It was kind of interesting to see the winter setting for the show as Tripler was posting those shots from the set areas back in winter.

As for the show itself, I didn't watch hardly any of last season because it's a lame show. But that didn't stop me from figuring out what's going on in this new season. It didn't look horrible but it also didn't look great. The problem I'm having with the show is the egregious amount of humanoid aliens species that populate the show with no explanation to their existence. How did they end up as humanoid? Why the hell are they all here on Earth?

Even the new aliens they introduced were just human actors with the occasional bout of CGI thrown in. Their reason for existing, at least to me, is still unexplained. This show really, really needed to lay a better foundation for this world at the very beginning.

Because in 2015, the cheapest, most effective way to have an alien in a science fiction show is to put a human actor in a mask. Even the better aliens on Babylon 5 (compared to Star Trek) were just human actors in masks.

 

[shavedape]

Because in 2015, the cheapest, most effective way to have an alien in a science fiction show is to put a human actor in a mask. Even the better aliens on Babylon 5 (compared to Star Trek) were just human actors in masks.

You also forgot laziness on the part of the producers/writers. It takes time and effort to craft a story that has the challenge of trying to communicate with and understand a non-humanoid alien life form. (B5 had aliens like that btw.) With both CGI technology and advancements in make-up prosthetics there's not a lot of reason to avoid writing interesting non-humanoid alien characters and situations, other than economics* and sheer laziness on the part of the producers/writers.

*And there's an argument to be made that economics really aren't the hurdle that many claim they are in this regard.

 

[Overmind One]

Hi! OM,

Actually they never explained the backstory like you just did onscreen. You have to go online and play the game or read wikis to get the backstory. Instead we're told thing happened - like the Pale Wars - with next to no exposition on the events.

When you go online and read wikis and stuff you get a backstory:

- Votans solar system star goes nove - they escape in fleet of refugee ships
- Refugee fleet arrives on earth - initially things go okay
- Pale Wars break out
- Refugee fleet explodes in orbit, which causes uncontrolled terraforming technology to be turned loose on earth
- Pale Wars end
- Humans and votans have various areas under their control - Defiance is a place where they try to form a common community

Where they screwed up was how they started the show. Instead of dropping us "In Medias Res" into the adventures of Nolan and Irisa Defiance should have dedicated the first couple of installments to showing us the Pale Wars and such. Then we would have context for the plots and character actions.

Okay, that is the backstory...I was just rolling it out from general memory (which wasnt all that complete!). The point was that they already gave all the backstory they are going to give. I have the game. Got bored with it They made changes in the game, then messed it up and the game is now not doing well.

This show, from day one, was always meant to showcase drama and interpersonal relationships. They had poorly conceived aliens cast in conventional dramatic roles (the rebellious mixed couple, the scheming vixen, the power hungry mob boss, the seedy merchant cartels, the hothead hero with a heart of gold, etc.). It wasnt ever supposed to be about the aliens, their technology or the far more interesting backstory. It is a showcase for millennial concerns. A vinyl playing DJ alien? Raves? Uh huh.

Not my cuppa!

 

[heisenberg]

LMAO it tanked in the ratings.

DEFIANCE SYFY 8:00 PM 1.111 0.2

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/20...hospital-girl-meets-world-tanked-more/417272/

vs


http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/20...-runway-black-jesus-sportscenter-more/297728/

 

[Tripler]

There still working on the set as of yesterday . I saw Nolans trailer and a few others . They have a security guy watchin the trailers so I can't walk over and take pics . That guy is not friendly either . Is Brent Spiner in season 3 ? . I thought I saw his face in one of the adds for upcoming eps ...

 

[shavedape]

There still working on the set as of yesterday . I saw Nolans trailer and a few others . They have a security guy watchin the trailers so I can't walk over and take pics . That guy is not friendly either . Is Brent Spiner in season 3 ? . I thought I saw his face in one of the adds for upcoming eps ...

Are they going to be filming more this summer? Perhaps the second half of the current season?

 

[Tripler]

Are they going to be filming more this summer? Perhaps the second half of the current season?

I think you nailed it shaved ...

 

[Gate_Boarder]

According to the Toronto production sheet it looks like June 11th was their due date unless all that location shooting outside of Toronto put them behind schedule.

Maybe they are adding a few minutes of film to the last show of this season?

 

[shavedape]

According to the Toronto production sheet it looks like June 11th was their due date unless all that location shooting outside of Toronto put them behind schedule.

Maybe they are adding a few minutes of film to the last show of this season?

If I recall correctly it took quite awhile before they dismantled the SGU sets so they will no doubt sit on the stuff for DEFIANCE until they get a definite cancellation. And with the ridiculous multi-season guarantee that they got to produce the show that could be anyone's guess really.

 

[Tripler]

From what I saw of the previews theres a lot of winter shots as I did not see much action at the defiance town site during the winter months . There are at least 5 or 6 actors trailers on site with at least room for 4 actors per trailer . I'll ride by today and see if I can sneak off a few pics ...

 

[Overmind One]

So....anybody watching Dominion? It gets a mention in the title of the thread, but nobody here seems to be actually peeking in on the show. I refuse to, after choking down the first 45min of the premiere and not being able to take any more. I will never accept the premise.

 

[Joelist]

Abso-freaking-lutely not!

Defiance is one thing but Dominion is so bad it gives dreck a bad name....

 

[Bluce Ree]

Because in 2015, the cheapest, most effective way to have an alien in a science fiction show is to put a human actor in a mask.

And give them British accents, especially the villainous ones.

 

[Overmind One]

Because in 2015, the cheapest, most effective way to have an alien in a science fiction show is to put a human actor in a mask. Even the better aliens on Babylon 5 (compared to Star Trek) were just human actors in masks.

In Defiance, they just put them in MAKEUP! Contact lenses can go a long way as well. Especially the full sclera types:

 

[shavedape]

So....anybody watching Dominion? It gets a mention in the title of the thread, but nobody here seems to be actually peeking in on the show. I refuse to, after choking down the first 45min of the premiere and not being able to take any more. I will never accept the premise.

I had completely forgotten about this show until I saw a commercial for it the other day. My only thought was 'Why is this show still on?'

 

[Bluce Ree]

I was thinking of having a Defecation marathon (OMG that sounds so wrong) to catch up so I can join the critique but the ep I happened to catch at this moment is too uninspiring.

Edit:

They just introduced Linda Hamilton and had her do the "Come with me if you want to live" cliche.