'Defiance' review: Sci-fi study required

Some of the "eight races" on Earth now, circa 30 years hence, have managed to assimilate, while maintaining their traditional values. There's the white-haired race of the crime lord and his conniving wife (Jaime Murray) with the clothes-phobia. There's the white-scaled race of the local doctor-science whiz (Trenna Keating). There's the flat-nosed race of the rough-and-ready daughter (Stephanie Leonidas) adopted by hero Nolan during his wanderings.

Nolan is in the familiar "Firefly"/"Farscape"/"Eureka" mold -- a vagabond loner who settles among a crew to dispense justice, plus witty repartee. Soon, he's the local lawkeeper -- while keeping his salvager's eye out for tech treasures lurking thereabouts. He wouldn't mind making friends, with the "lady mayor" (Julie Benz) and/or her sex-and-saloon-running sis (Mia Kirshner).

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Beyond the genre conventions, we get Shakespeare, with Lady Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and other references I'm sure went straight over my head. So many touchstones lend the show a prefab feel. The pilot is so busy establishing its new world, performances are afterthought generic.

But "Defiance" gets more distinctive, and dramatic, through its next two hour episodes. I'm intrigued by the human-alien dynamics. The monsters and battle action don't do as much for me. They should for fans also immersed in the "Defiance" online-console video game that's simultaneously sketching this multi-platform universe. That leaves Syfy with a tricky balancing act. Four hours in, I'm guardedly curious enough to play -- make that watch -- along for a little while.