Early in the 21st century, a race of aliens, the Taelons, arrive on Earth. In exchange for being allowed to take refuge on our planet, the Taelons offer the people of Earth access to their advanced technology. As a result, disease, war, and pollution are nearly eliminated. Despite all these advances, there are some people who think the Taelons are not as benevolent as they seem. A resistance movement is organized.
The show is unusual in that ultimately, the Taelon aliens are not purely evil (except for one character who eventually becomes the main villain in seasons 2-4), nor are they actually trying to "conquer" the world. However, they do have a hidden agenda, and have no problem violating basic individual civil liberties to reach their goals.
