Rockne S. O'Bannon

Two Defiance residents are killed under mysterious circumstances, and Nolan soon confirms that that they were torn apart by mutant Hellbugs. Meanwhile, Irisa is plagued by visions from the past, and Datak and Stahma try to reconcile the situation between Christina and Rafe so that her marriage to their son can proceed as planned.

On his first case as Lawkeeper, Nolan explores the old St. Louis underground with Rafe, looking for a Votak criminal. Meanwhile, Irisa runs up against Defiance's Castithan community when she discovers they're performing a distasteful native ritual.

In a world 30 years after the Votans have invaded and terraformed large portions of Earth, scavengers Joshua Nolan and his adopted alien daughter Irisa make their way through the wastelands. A quirk of fate brings them to the town of Defiance, where St. Louis once stood and where Humans and Votans now live in peace. Father and daughter soon become embroiled in a feud between two families and a murder, all of which is a prelude to an invasion.

E.J. finds out Detective Sakelik's history where she spent time in a house for abandoned children, and Jeff and Skye check the place out. Meanwhile, Stuart continues befriending Roger. On the show, Kelly finds a vital clue to her missing sister's location that connects Billy to the abduction.

As Skye slowly dies from the hallucinogenic slipped to her at the Cult party, Jeff searches for a sample of the drug and suspects that Detective Sakelik has the answers he seeks. Meanwhile, Skye confronts hallucinations of the Cult characters and her missing father, who try to convince her to stop her investigation.

Jeff and Skye attend a Cult fan party to track down a friend of Nate's. However, Skye is slipped a hallucinogenic in a drink, a drug similar to one on the TV series. Meanwhile, Roger meets a mysterious stranger, Stuart at the same party. On the TV show, a flashback explores how Billy and Kelly married.

Jeff and Skye meet with Alma, a woman with a missing husband. Alma puts them into contact with a man who specializes in tracking down and deprogramming cult members and returning them to their families. Meanwhile, E.J. comes up with information on Nate's location, and on the TV show, Kelly encounters her own deprogrammer... at Billy's compound.

Jeff receives word of an on-campus game known as Being Billy which features fans of Cult recreating their favorites scenes from the series. Working with Skye, Jeff sets out to find out what scene the players will recreate next. Meanwhile, E.J. continues his investigation into Nate's disappearance and discovers his brother was communicating with a hidden recipient list. On the program, Kelly confronts Billy in a climactic showdown.

Jeff tries to track down his brother Nate, while Skye confesses to her fascination with Steven Rae. However, she finds herself up against a dead-end when her associate producer doesn't believer her claim that Cult fans are seeking out hidden messages in the show. Meanwhile, on the program itself, Kelly and Paz get a message from Billy.

Investigative journalist Jeff Sefton doesn't pay attention to his younger brother Nate's obsessions and especially his latest one about a TV show that plans to hurt him. However, his disappearance makes Jeff take him seriously and leads him to the dark world of the TV series Cult. Its obsessive fans believe that the show's fictional cult leader, Billy Grimm, holds the keys to enlightenment. As things in the show come true in real life, Jeff enlists Skye, a young research assistant on the show, to help him.