Datak and Stahma are in bed together, having just had
sex. Stahma clearly thinks it was good – but that they can’t make this a
regular thing because of her crew feeling threatened by him. When he tries to
pull the “rawr they should be!” she points out this is why he can’t come home –
and that she was the one who ordered them to beat him. Let the negotiations for
Datak’s return begin – Stahma lays out her conditions: forgiveness for the men,
he never lays a hand on Alak again, ever and she oversees the business while he
oversees security; they have an equal partnership. Datak realises that since
she has a full package prepared for negotiation that she has planned the whole
deal – including sleeping with him and negotiating in bed. He’s furious and
rages “I will not have my wife pretending she’s smarter than me” Stahma
responds with a perfect “I’m not pretending.”
He kicks her out and as she leaves, someone kidnaps her.
Moments later, someone also kidnaps Datak.
They wake up in a metal room, a grain silo, tied to each
other. Datak begins elaborate revenge fantasies and Stahma loses patience –
pursuing revenge has only ever caused Datak trouble. They snarl back and forth,
oh they really are not happy with each other.
After their snarling match, Datak agrees that he is quick
to anger and he has regrets – what he said to her, not making her a partner.
She has her doubts.
Niles continues to try and get in good with Amanda,
cooking for her and talking about his foreign travels (why would an E-Rep
member be in Prague? I didn’t think E-Rep reached Europe). Niles says he has a
present for her – he has found the people who killed Kenya. He takes her to the
silo where he is holding Datak and Stahma. He knows they killed Kenya because
Raiga, their Sensoth servant, has spilled all their secrets. Niles gives Amanda
a gun, offering her the chance to carry out “justice”.
After repeatedly trying to deny any responsibility Datak then switches to trying to take all the blame, claiming he forced Stahma with violence (which is less “taking the blame” and more “confessing the truth). Amanda tells Stahma Kenya didn’t love her – it was her job and she was good at making people believe she was what they wanted them to be. Datak begs her to kill him instead – or at least as well, because he can’t live without her.
Amanda leaves, tearful – she hasn’t killed them. Niles suggests sending them to prison but Amanda knows removing the Tarrs like that will just destroy the power structure of the city; they need to plan it. She’s also not happy with Niles – they idea that killing Stahma would make her happy outrages her – the fact that it would make her happy causes her to doubt herself.
Datak and Stahma reconcile beautifully (best line Datak: “I married well.” Stahma: “yes, you did.”).
Datak goes to see his men who betrayed him and Stahma,
happily playing cards, apologising and assuring them all that he doesn’t hold
any grudge against them. Stahma, on the other hand… they 3 men die by poison
while Datak praises her.
Outside of Defiance, Nolan is still dragging the stabbed
Tommy back to the city (with flashbacks of time they spent together, Nolan
being an arsehole and Tommy trying to teach him what it is to be a Lawkeeper).
Along the way tommy also tells Nolan that Irisa’s terroformers will
destroy/transform the planet – but that she’s afraid of Mordechai, she thinks
he can stop her. Later we have more flashbacks to Tommy proposing to Irisa and
her refusing him.
All of this belated characterisation is a set up for Tommy dying and Nolan crying over his body. They reach the net and Berlin asks what happened – Nolan tries to make excuses for Irisa.
(whatever that is)
will be harmless. She sobs as she realises they can never be together again.
The ship throws/threw lots of pods down to Earth, including Irisa and Mordechai
(being sure to separate them) before the ship crashes. And Mordechai wakes up
Rafe is in Camp Liberty prison – and is visited by Pilar.
They have a rather touching reunion as Rafe tells her the fake story he told
the kids about her death – rather than the truth that she had a mental illness
and tried to kill them. They kiss and Pilar assures Rafe that he’s well. Next
step is for Quentin to drive her to see Christie for a tearful reunion in the
marketplace. Considering Christie thought she was dead it’s a little…
underwhelming.
Yewl is in her hideout, snarking with the hallucination
of her dead lover. Which is kind of tragic, but it’s like non-stop Yewl snark
which may actually be a special kind of paradise. Alas, since they’re out of
food, Yewl tries to find her way out. (With more snark “know what I miss most
about Defiance?” “the hot lady mayor?” “you have the weirdest taste,” “I’m your
subconscious!” I could listen to them all day).
As she explores, Yewl comes across the buried ship. She
realises the Kaziri has been activated, that it will kill all life – and Irisa
must be the cause since she has both keys (we saw last season). Her
hallucination, Liv, suggests crawling into the pod and the Kaziri will save
her; and Yewl realises that the hallucination caused by the implant is also
arc-brain. Or, as she puts it “you hacked my imaginary wife.” Yewl is not a fan
of the genocide plan nor does “us vs them” work for her any more (with the best
snark EVER). Yewl removes her implant, ending the hallucination.
Time for a vision/flashback/did we ever figure this out? This
one seems to be Mordechai’s. Space Irisa and Space Mordechai take the ship and
each take a key – so long as they’re apart the Kizeri. He wakes up – a whole
crowd gathers round him now, until Nolan arrives trying to recruit him to find
Irisa. Moredchai explains everything the visions showed him –in a past life/ancestor/whatever
he and Irisa saved humanity by stopping the Kizeri (the destruction of humanity
was, it seems, the original Votan plan). Nolan realises the keys need separating
again is the way to save Irisa and the whole world
Irisa starts working some scary woo-woo. She’s activating
the ruined arcs and ships around Earth. She has them send their pods down to
the planet to begin terraforming. They destroy New York City, centre of the
Earth Republic and still very much intact – in an incredible, devastating
scene. The ruin becomes a completely alien landscape.
Irisa’s storyline just got powerful… At last a
culmination of all the woo-woo and science into a truly awesomely powerful
scene that almost justifying me having to put up with her all season. We now
have the original votan plans to make Earth into a votan planet – it stems back
to previous flashbacks we had when it was clear this was always the plan, but
no-one expected Earth to be populated; hence Irisa’s ancestors rebellion. I’m
still curious about the time line – how long ago did this happen? And why so
long ago?
Stahma was terrifying and awesome all season. Datak and
Stahma together may actually be even more awesome next season. I have mixed
feelings with her getting back together with the abusive Datak, but at the same
time it’s very very clearly on her terms, according to her rules coupled with
Datak’s at least theoretical willingness to sacrifice himself for her.
Tommy’s death – all this characterisation in visions just
emphasised how badly he was treated and how grossly undeveloped he was
throughout the season. This scene reminded me of The Walking Dead when T-Dog finally started speaking regularly – it
was just a prelude to his death. The same applies with Tommy – we got some
characterisation just before he died to try and make an abused token seem
meaningful.
Rafe, you need to stop pulling out the grade A acting,
you’re showing up the rest of the cast.
Yewl is awesome – less awesome is her hacked dead wife
now being gone.
Amanda and Niles – that’s an interesting conflict, I think it really brings home to Amanda how fundamentally different her and Nile’s morals are
