Syfy’s ‘Defiance’ premiere: Julie Benz, Jaime Murray talk new series

While we and many others over the years have given Syfy a little bit of grief when it comes to their programming slate, there is no denying that the network has at least taken a pretty interesting (and welcome) risk with their new series “Defiance.”

To say that this show is ambitious would be a massive understatement. After all, Syfy has done more than just spend a great deal of money on an elaborate work of science fiction; there’s also a video game to go along with it, and you can enjoy the game and watch the show at the same time to further expound upon the story. There is also a cast of pretty familiar names, including Julie Benz (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), Jaime Murray (who was with Benz on “Dexter” for a season), and Grant Bowler (“True Blood,” or the host of the Australian versions of “The Amazing Race” and “The Mole”).

The video below at least gives you somewhat of an impression of what the series is going for, which is a look at a world populated by both humans and aliens completely different than what we’ve seen before. In between Benz and Murray’s characters, the writers are also trying to show that the female characters in the series are powerful, and are not weak or subservient in any way. This is actually a calling card of most great science fiction, especially if you look at shows like “Firefly” or even some chapters in the “Star Trek” universe.

While there’s no guarantee that “Defiance” is going to be a home run, it does at least look like there is potential here to be a fantastic bit of genre television. Let’s hope that the show ultimately lives up to the hype, and presents an experience that manages to thrive on what is an extremely busy Monday-night lineup.

Photo: Syfy