Defiance Wiki Guide

Goofs, Plot Holes, and Easter Eggs

A Goof is something the show-makers have gotten wrong, such as an error in continuity, a microphone visible in a shot, or a CG special effects developer's interpretation providing a logical conflict with the script. A Plot Hole is a writing element that makes little or no sense under scrutiny. An Easter Egg is the insertion, intentional or otherwise, of a joke, artifact, or reference not directly related to the show within the show’s universe. A Troupe is a cliche or plot device commonly employed by television programs or film. A WTF Moment is a bizarre or shocking occurrence.  

When adding content to this Wiki Page, please identify your observation as either a Goof, a Plot Hole, an Easter Egg, a Troupe, or a WTF Moment.

Episode 1 and 2: "Pilot" Plot Holes, Goofs, and Easter Eggs[edit]

Plot Hole: Clancy dies in a bar brawl, but no one really seems to care.

Gary Clancy is portrayed as a level-headed and respected Lawkeeper and a valuable member of the community. While attempting to diffuse Rafe McCawley’s temper over his son’s death, Gary is accidentally shot and killed. Christie McCawley leans over him in tears, cut to commercial, and when we return...nothing. Nobody in jail for manslaughter, no investigation of who fired the shot no accusations. Instead, Rafe McCawley, the man at least indirectly responsible for Clancy’s death, is encouraged by the mayor to hunt down Luke’s killer. What about the Lawkeeper killed in the line of duty midst a crowd of witnesses? With the exception of a brief mention by Tommy during a sentimental reflection on his own past, Gary is nary heard of again.

Goof: The controls which manage the Stasis Net defending Defiance aren’t actually protected by the Stasis Net.

Much of the plot of the first episode revolves around the destruction of the Stasis Net, a force field blocking access to Defiance. Terraforming has ringed St. Louis in a natural wall of sheer cliffs, and the Net blocks the only easy way in or out of town. Ben uses a bomb to destroy the Stasis Net control center from the inside, opening Defiance to attack. Except...

The Stasis Net controls are housed in a control box clearly located above the Net, visible and accessible from both sides of the wall.

Seriously, take a look at this. The building Ben must destroy to bring down the shield isn’t protected by the shield. The Volge, who pack heavy artillery on their walking tanks, could easily destroy the controls from the other side of the barrier, and without alerting Defiance to their approach a day in advance.


Plot Hole: The Volge are defined and depicted as climbers, but opt to attack up a narrow choke-point.

Beyond the Stasis Net Goof mentioned above, a large plot hole exists concerning the Volge approach. Though Defiance is protected by sheer cliffs, the defenders note that “the Volge are climbers.” During the battle, they are depicted easily scaling vertical stone slopes while under fire. If the Volge are so good at climbing, why is it imperative the stasis Net falls, and why advance up a narrow valley that screams “Ambush Me”?!

Episode 3 Plot Holes, Goofs, and Easter Eggs[edit]

Plot Hole: Why doesn't Birch just plant the bomb himself?

In Episode 3, Mr. Birch disables a guard, uses a powerful biological agent to awaken Ben, frees him from confinement, and then orders him to sneak beneath the city into the ruins of old St. Louis and plant a bomb in the abandoned nuclear reactor. Ben is wounded on the head and leg. He's limping heavily, yet Birch expects him to carry a large bundle of explosives down a series of subterranean shafts. His escape puts the whole town on alert and puts Nolan on the trail of the plot to empty the town. Had Birch left Ben in jail, sneaked into the mines, and set the explosives himself, it seems unlikely that he would have been detected. Why involve Ben at all? Because Ben had to knock out a guard to steal the Gulamite and get into the mine and was seen by other miners of Rafes so why would Birch expose himself?

Episode 4 Plot Holes, Goofs, and Easter Eggs[edit]

WTF Moment: Calamari

In one of the more bizarre scenes in television history, Kenya Rosewater prepares a pan-fried dinner for a client, then proceeds to mount and ride him while pouring hot grease from the pan and rubbing it into his chest. Kenya glances at a kitty cat clock out of the corner of her eye. Her client then begins screaming the word "Calamari" (the name of a delightful Mediterranean fried squid dish) and then a giant insect bursts through his abdomen. So yeah.

Episode 5 Plot Holes, Goofs, and Easter Eggs[edit]

Troupe:It Was All a Dream

Hardly the most egregious use of this time-honored trope, but still worth noting. The fear-inducing labyrinth trapping Kenya Rosewater near a prowling Votan proves to be the result of an electro-chemically induced dream. When Kenya realizes this, she wakes up.

Episode 6 Plot Holes, Goofs, and Easter Eggs[edit]

Troupe: Pens and Pins

It's a widely understood fact that any character in a Hollwyood production can escape handcuffs with the aid of either:

  1. A disassembled ink pen
  2. A safety pin

In Episode 6, Rynn uses both items to escape her restraints. Double-troupe attack!

Troupe: The Sinister Minister

Turns out Reverend Sy Preston, minister of the Lord, is in fact a bad guy in disguise. It's a troupe as old as Republic Pictures, and viewed in conjunction with the whole stagecoach robbery theme, probably a nod to old Westerns.

Troupe: Size Matters


As Amanda, Nolan, Tennety, Kaspar, and Ziggy are held at gunpoint, one of the robbers asks which of the two husbands Tennety fancies most. The bandit then proceeds to grab Kaspar by the crotch, look back over his shoulder at his boss, and says "This one. Definitely." Nice to know shallowness and racial stereotyping are alive and well on post-apocalyptic Earth. 

Plot Hole: Why did Tennety bring Kaspar and Ziggy along?

E-Rep ambassador Tennety plans a stage robbery in cooperation with a gang of thieves led by Preston. The Defiance stage will be carrying the uncooperative mayor Amanda Rosewater, as well as the town's funding for a new railway project. By neutralizing Amanda and stealing the payroll, Tennety hopes to bring Defiance into the Earth Republic fold and secure herself a promotion.

The only catch? She's traveling with her two husbands, so when she meets up with Preston to split the money after the robbery, her husbands are as good as dead. They'd both be witness to a murder/robbery. Tennety goes so far as to tell Ziggy he would never have survived, no matter what happened.

So...why did she bring them on the trip at all? Why bother with the extra murders of two people, and the extra risk of their interference? And even if she doesn't value their lives above her career, why would Tennety go out of her way to kill two men she went to the trouble to marry?

Episode 7 Plot Holes, Goofs, and Easter Eggs[edit]

Plot Hole: Run!

Razor Rain starts falling from the sky. Meteorite shards bombard the Spirit Riders. Sukar, the level-headed Irathient leader reacts with the most useful advice for people confronted with stellar disaster: run away.

Yeah, cause that's gonna help.

In This Wiki Guide

Defiance Image


Rated "M"
DeveloperTrion Worlds
PublisherTrion Worlds
Release DateApril 2, 2013
PlatformsPC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3