After the visual feast of the previous episode, it was a bit unfortunate that the destruction of New York was just one big long stretch of terrible CGI.  It actually made me wonder if it was designed to overlap with events in the associated MMO, because it looked just like that kind of pre-rendered cut scene that one would expect in that side of the experience.

 

That level of sloppiness was peppered throughout the finale, with even some of the acting being a bit dodgy.  I’m fairly sure that Grant Bowler slipped into his Aussie accent in the middle of delivering more than one line, and that’s usually not something I notice very much!  It was likely a product of having to rush to the finish line, but that’s an example of self-inflicted wounds; they had plenty of time earlier in the season to cut out filler and establish some of what might have allowed this episode to be smoother.

 

All that said, I was surprised at the relative lack of cliffhangers.  Maybe that was the writing staff hedging its bets after what happened to Alphas, but it’s a fair concern.  Beyond the abduction of Alak and Christie, and Nolan and Irisa’s presence in that cocoon, what was held over?  The abduction plot thread would clearly be at the center of what would happen in the third season, but if there is no third season, the main threads of the first two seasons have been essentially resolved.

 

Resolving the whole Karizi situation, and therefore everything related to Irisa since early in the first season, leaves a gap in future exploration.  One could interpret that as a sign that the writers feel confident enough that the characters and their interactions are enough to drive the story, but one could also interpret that as a sign that hewing close to the game’s progression hasn’t given the boost that was anticipated.

 

This season of Defiance ends in fitting form: it hangs together well enough, but it’s also not doing a particularly good job of hiding the seams, either.  It’s not mediocre, but it’s also not rising to the full extent of its potential.  Even so, I’m hopeful that a third season will be coming, because it would be sad to see this concept come to a premature end.