Syfy’s *Defiance* is presented as an overlooked science-fiction series that deserves recognition comparable to *The Expanse*. Set after an alien arrival triggers war with humanity, it follows a lawkeeper and his adoptive daughter in a rebuilt St Louis, combining political conflict, crime stories and darker personal mysteries.

The series ran for three seasons and 39 episodes before being cancelled in 2015, reportedly because production costs increased. It gained attention early, being renewed for a second season after only four episodes, and expanded its story through an accompanying online game that allowed players to explore the human-alien conflict and added to the series’ wider mythology.