Defying Gravity had been all but abandoned by ABC before the first episode even aired. The network only broadcasted eight episodes leaving five unaired. Fans had to wait for a DVD release to see what ABC felt was so unworthy of their network. Any of this sound familiar Firefly fans? The year is 2052 and the crew of the Antares embark on a six year long grand tour of the solar system. Flashbacks are used to show how the crew came together and began their training 10 years prior. Relationships are made then broken. Loves and fears are shared then kept secret. And as the mission progresses, the crew comes to realize that there is a secret agenda to their voyage, one that involves an alien artifact found on Earth that appears to be signaling other objects spread throughout the solar system. Kiss was the last episode of the series and ends up serving as a coda to the story up to that point. Focusing mainly on the first manned landing on Venus, the episode uses the flashbacks to reveal the full extent of the relationship between Maddux (Ron Livingston) and Zoe (Laura Harris). It is Zoe, while on Venus, who nearly turns the mission into a one way ticket, determined to find the first alien artifact, believing it will provide insight into her life and the choices that have brought her to this fateful moment. Despite its brief run, Defying Gravity is well worth watching, as this episode proves. Its the perfect balance of sci-fi thrills and deep heartfelt moments. And for those seeking some closure: creator James Parriott conducted an online interview a year after the show was canceled in which he details where the story would have gone and how the entire series would have ultimately ended.
I've been a huge sci-fi fan ever since going to see "Star Wars" at the tender age of 3 (and yes I actually do remember it! I love pretty much any intelligent and entertaining film and television series (some of my all time favorites are 2001, Lawrence of Arabia, Battlestar Galactica [SyFy], and The West Wing). Must thank the stars above for such things as HBOGO and Netflix (Am thoroughly enjoying Ripper Street btw). I've also been an avid comic book collector since childhood. I earned a bachelor's degree in creative writing with a second emphasis in film studies from Florida State University (Go Noles!) and definitely enjoy sitting back and watching pretty much any sports. I wish I had a joke to end with, but I don't so I'll simply say "The End."