We were left with many unanswered questions from last year’s season finale of “Defiance,” like: what happened to Irisa; what was Datak’s fate after killing Colonel Marsh; what happened to the citizens of Defiance after the Earth Republic had goose stepped their way into control? Tonight we find out, after you grab your cold fire weapon and follow me through the terraformed bad lands.
Occupied
Nine months have passed and the Earth Republic has total control of the town. The Provisional Mayor, Niles Pottinger (James Murray) is giving his weekly televised speech on how nice it is to live in the wonderful world of Oz where law and order reign and everybody is happy. Earth Republic has control of Rafe’s (Graham Greene) mines and although they pay their workers better than Rafe did, they’re kind of lax on the safety issues and one of the workers loses his arm and life.
Pottinger tries to get Amanda (Julie Benz), who is now in charge of the Need Want, to help him convince the people that he’s such a great guy. No Thanks! Amanda and Stahma (Jaime Murray) have some type of shady business deal going on. The envelope of money passing hands was my first guess. Amanda has high hopes that her sister Kenya will return to Defiance. Stahma knows that’s not likely.
Pottinger is second banana to the real boss, Viceroy Mercado (William Atherton). There is some kind of bad blood between the two and when the sons of the mine accident victim call the Earth Republicans no good Nazis, Pottinger is embarrassed big time. He has one of the alien Blue Men arrest the boys and take them to Camp Reverie. They never make it to the camp.
Family Business
Ah, yes, the family that bathes together, rules together or something like that, but Stahma has been bathing alone recently because Datak is at Camp Reverie for the murder of Colonel Marsh. What’s a lonely wife to do, except use something more sensual than bath salts. Unfortunately, her son Alak (Jesse Rath) walks in and finds mother enjoying her bath time a little too much. Season two is already looking a bit risqué. It’s going to be a great season.
Alak is a good boy, but he’s not ruthless enough to gain the respect of his father’s henchmen. They mock him when he gives an order; unfortunately it’s done while Stahma is there. Later, Stahma visits Camp Reverie, which is not a camp and there is definitely no contemplating going on. It is a prison camp and Datak Tarr (Tony Curran) wants out, but he also wants his wife to do her wifely duties. I love to see this man beg.
Nolan
In this episode, the game and show merge on locations and characters when our ex-lawmaker, Nolan (Grant Bowler) heads out to New Chicago and Los Angeles aka Angel Ark in search of his daughter. He gets a lead that she may be in Angel Ark and tracks down a member of the cult who placed the weapons inside Irisa when she was a child. The man’s no help and Nolan kills him. Nolan is ambushed by Varus Soleptor a Liberator Crime lord and one of the characters from the game. Luckily for Nolan, Irisa (Stephanie Leonidas) saves him. She’s alive! But, she’s changed. Somehow her leap into the void had straightened her hair? Something about radiation that made no sense.
Her story about being captured by the Earth Republic and escaping when the caravan was attacked by hell bugs doesn’t ring true. She’s hiding something, but Nolan saw her leap into the void while he was dead and he knows she’s not telling him everything. Nolan wants to head out to tropical Antarctica, but Irisa wants to go back to Defiance. I bet it has something to do with that ship deep in the mines.
Occupied Part 2
Hyatt and Joseph the young men who were being transferred to Camp Reverie were right about the Earth Republic acting like Nazis. The prison camp is a good example. There is a reason that Datak wants out. Living conditions are horrid and the food service sucks. Datak and the others must fight for the scraps that are thrown into the courtyard each day. Luckily for Datak Tarr, our mischievous Doctor Yewll (Trenna Keating) has a plan. They’re going to break out. How? That parts not clear, but the Horney Datak wants some loving, first. Yewll’s reply, “Do you want me to check for lumps?” the classic cold shower comeback. I love this show.
Conclusion
When Joseph returns to tell the townsfolk that Pottinger never meant for them to reach Camp Reverie alive, Amanda decides that the only way to control the sneaky Provisional Mayor is to become his Chief of Staff. What Amanda doesn’t know is that Pottinger has eyes everywhere and I mean everywhere.
Poor Alak is not given a chance to grow into the job of crime boss. Stahma was always the most powerful of the family. She played her cards right and waited for the right opportunity to present itself. Stahma is the new crime boss… at least until Datak escapes.
Irisa has changed and I’m not sure if it’s for the good. Why did she chase after that woman and kill her. Why does she keep seeing the vision of a younger her and why did she have a vision that she kills Nolan? What are the weapons she carries inside her?
We will need to wait a bit longer for our answers, my little Votans. Meet me next week at the mines.
