After persuading Jarok to disclose detailed tactical information about Romulan capabilities, Picard orders the Enterprise to Nelvana III.
On June 6, 1995 "The Defector" was released with "Vengeance Factor" on LaserDisc in the United States by Paramount Home Video,[1] and in Japan on July 5, 1996, in the half season set Log.
[4] In 2019, Screen Rant ranked this episode's character introduction, Admiral Jarok, as the tenth most important Romulan of the Star Trek franchise.
[5] Later that year, they noted "The Defector" as one of the top ten important episodes to watch in preparation for the series Star Trek: Picard.
[7] They note the episode highlights the layers of trust and mistrust between the forces at work in the Romulan Star Empire, and how this complicated its relations with other quadrant inhabitants.
[7] In 2020, Vulture recommended this episode to accompany viewing Star Trek: Picard, noting how it establishes the Romulans' lust for power and tendency for deception.