Tag Archives: TV

Review: Defiance, “Brothers in Arms” + Crazy Ideas to Bring Back WoW Players

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Review: “Brothers in Arms”

This is another good, not stellar, Defiance episode. It started slow, but the climax had a good twist and a surprising punch of emotion. This show is getting better, albeit very slowly.

The town of Defiance“Brothers in Arms” features an old army buddy of Nolan’s, now a bounty hunter, traveling to Defiance in pursuit of an infamous Castithan war criminal. But of course, all is not as it seems, and the situation turns out to be far more complicated and dangerous than Nolan ever expected.

Meanwhile, Quentin McCawley continues to search for answers in the mystery of his brother’s murder, placing his own life in danger in the process.

There were also some fairly weak subplots with the sisters Rosewater I really couldn’t bring myself to care about.

This episode, as is so often the case in Defiance, is carried by the strength of the core cast members. Even with a decent twist near the end, it’s a pretty weak story, but Nolan being awesome makes it worthwhile.

I think I’ve figured out why I like Nolan so much: He’s basically Jim Raynor. They’re both down to earth, good-hearted space cowboys who just want to do right by those they love. Simple men in difficult times just doing the best they can.

The cast of DefianceDatak Tarr also had yet another moment of being hilariously badass.

I wasn’t feeling Quentin’s plot so much. I like the mystery they’re developing, but this installment wasn’t well-handled. Quentin transitioned too quickly from the meek middle child of the McCawley clan to someone who will ruthlessly protect his secrets at absolutely any cost.

Also, Battlestar Galactica has given me a knee-jerk negative reaction any time someone starts talking to people only they can see. Please not another “head person” storyline…

The hints of a brewing war were interesting, and I like that every episode seems to be offer a hint of some bigger future threat, but I am starting to worry they’re spreading themselves too thin. Between Defiance’s rivalry with the Earth Republic, the brewing war between the Republic and the Votanis Collective, Irisa’s mysterious destiny, and whatever the hell the McCawley’s are mixed up in, the plot is getting crowded.

There’s two ways this can go. One is that it several of these plots come together, creating a truly epic and exciting story. The other is that it devolves into a jumbled mess where none of the plots get the attention they’re due and nothing quite works.

We’ll just have to wait and see how things turn out.

Overall rating: 7.2/10

New article:

My latest article for WhatMMO is 6 Crazy Ideas to Bring Back WoW Subscribers. Blizzard might not be getting desperate yet, but they’re definitely going to have to do something dramatic if they’re to have any hope of halting the subscriber bleeding.

I tried to not make this article a mere wishlist of features I want to see added. I was… not entirely successful.

Review: Defiance, “The Serpent’s Egg” + Iconic Video Game Heroes

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I’ve come to the conclusion Defiance is a difficult show to write reviews of. Mediocrity is always hard to review. If there are no major blunders to rant about, and no brilliant moments to lavish praise on, what am I supposed to write about, exactly?

A promotional image for DefianceI consider myself a professional, so I shall press on, but I’ll be honest with you, this review could have just easily have been a simple, “Meh, it was okay.”

But if you want more detail, read on.

“The Serpent’s Egg” has two plots that are largely disconnected in both tone and content. In one, Nolan and Amanda battle threats from many different sources while escorting a prisoner to Las Vegas. In the other, Irisa goes more psycho than usual after encountering a Castithan man she believes to be responsible for the horrors she endured as a child.

The first plot was plenty fun, if a little shallow and predictable. A nice space Western adventure with a hint of a further threat down the line. It’s also noteworthy for being the first obvious tie-in with the Defiance the video game. Rynn has now left the show to become a character in the game.

I think the more memorable plot is Irisa’s, though. It packed a bigger emotional punch, and while I can’t say for certain, I get the feeling it will have bigger ramifications down the line.

I’m still not quite sure how to feel about Irisa. She borders on being one-dimensional, but I can’t tell if it’s due to how the actress plays her or how she’s written. I’d really love to see her be something other than crazy for a change, but I’m beginning to think that’s a futile hope.

Nolan and Irisa in DefianceOn the plus side, at least now I understand why her personality seems to consist entirely of an overcharged fight or flight instinct. Makes her a little more relatable and sympathetic.

This idea of her having a greater destiny could prove interesting, as well. Sure, the whole “chosen one” thing has been done to death, but there’s a reason it’s been done to death, and they’ve already got an interesting take on it with the question of what, precisely, she’s chosen for. Is she a savior, or a destroyer?

This could go interesting places.

I don’t really have anything to complain about with this episode, aside from the lack of Datak Tarr. But I’d say that’s compensated by the merciful break from the ongoing saga of the McCawley kids.

Overall rating: 7/10 Needs more Tarr.

New articles:

I’ve got a new article up at ADANAI: Top 10 Iconic Video Game Heroes.

Fun facts about this article: The first and last entries both have goofy accents, two are super soldiers, two have risen to fame on the proverbial backs of their ultra-advanced combat suits, two are female and two are obviously effeminate (but they’re not necessarily the same two), one is also known as green Jesus, and one is not as cool a scientist as Neil deGrasse Tyson.

In other news, my latest article for WhatMMO is 6 Things That Are Destroying MMOs… according to the community.