Violet gives a recap of Episode 11 of Syfy’s Defiance, entitled “Past is Prologue,” where Amanda and Datak give their speeches for the mayoral election! This is the last episode before the season finale. Look for Josh’s commentary in blue font!
The episode opens to Amanda speaking at a memorial for Nicky which is taking place at NeedWant. Datak takes the opportunity to make a speech and get a little political. Colonel Marsh tries to get Amanda to accept an endorsement from the Earth Republic, but she refuses. Dr. Yewll takes the artifact out of the compartment where she placed it last episode, then brings it somewhere and places it in a device, then activates something which shoots some sort of blue laser at the artifact, causing it to open and expand a bit. Meanwhile, Tommy and Irisa are busy getting it on, and for some reason some weird markings appear on Irisa’s back, then Irisa all of a sudden is in pain and can’t feel her legs. It appears that Dr. Yewll’s actions with the artifact may have something to do with that.
Irisa gets checked out by Dr. Yewll, and Nolan has also shown up, but she seems fine now. Irisa then has flashbacks to her childhood, and starts to wander around in Dr. Yewll’s office, until Dr. Yewll finds her. Over at NeedWant, Stahma is having a session with Kenya, and she confides in Kenya that Datak is planning on having Amanda killed, as it would be a great shame upon him if he lost the election. Kenya reports this information to Amanda and Nolan, but does not reveal her source, although she insists that the source is credible. However, Amanda refuses to hide, saying she trusts Nolan to protect her.
I agree that the artifact has something to do with Irisa’s reaction she is having. Could this also be the reason for her visions? Stahma revealing to Kenya that Amanda is in danger seemed odd, as obviously Kenya is not going to keep this secret safe. They’re sisters. Stahma had to have expected that.
Nolan goes to talk to Datak, and threatens his life if anything at all happens to Amanda between now and the election. Datak sends for Alak, and tells him that he shamed him at his wedding. Datak then makes a gesture with his fist, which begins a “shaming ritual,” where Alak kneels before Datak and begs his forgiveness. To earn Datak’s forgiveness, he assigns Alak an important job to do, for which Alak recruits his friend.
Probably not wise to threaten someone as a lawkeeper. Aren’t they supposed to keep the peace? As for Alak, seems like he is trying to get back in his father’s good graces.
The next day at the election, Alak is talking to his friend up on a balcony about whether the friend thinks he can hit her from there, and reminds him “right between the eyes.” We then see the friend has a large gun. Meanwhile, Nolan and Tommy are scanning the crowd during Datak’s and Amanda’s speeches, searching for any signs of trouble, while Irisa sneaks off to Dr. Yewll’s office to the area where Dr. Yewll had been keeping the artifact. Irisa starts to have more flashbacks to her childhood. Alak’s friend aims his gun at Amanda and Nolan sees him and shoots him. Alak’s friend falls off the balcony to his death, and we discover that the weapon was only a paintball gun. The Town Council has a meeting, where Datak moves that Lawkeeper Nolan is stripped of his badge, while Amanda says that she stands behind Nolan 100%.
When this scene between the friend and Alak took place, I had a feeling it wouldn’t be a real murder. I didn’t not think Alak would agree to that even if it was his father asking him to do it. The paint ball gun makes sense once you put the pieces of the episode together though, Stahma knowing Kenya would talk to Amanda leads to extra protection for her, which sets up Datak’s plan. One thing I was curious is how Datak knew it would be Nolan that would catch the fake assassin? Perhaps it didn’t matter too much for Datak, it was just icing on the cake for Nolan to be the one to kill the boy.
Irisa and Nolan look on as Castithans anoint Alak’s friend’s body with incense. Irisa thinks Datak set Nolan up, and Nolan agrees, but takes responsibility for shooting to kill. Meanwhile, Datak is busy looking at some “restricted documents” of Nolan when he was a soldier. Alak walks in and questions his father about whether he knew the Lawkeeper was going to be there, ready to shoot, when he asked Alak to get one of his friends to shoot the paintball gun at Amanda. However, before Datak answers, Stahma steps in and praises Alak for being brave enough to question his father’s motives, and Datak tells Alak he is proud of him.
Seems Alak didn’t plan for the death of his friend. Although you would think he might question what the motives were with it.
Dr. Yewll returns to her office to find it a mess due to Irisa snooping around in there. However, the artifact is still in the hidden, locked compartment where she left it.
As the body is delivered, Nolan apologizes in Castithan to the boy’s parents. However, just then, Datak is broadcasting information over the radio about all the wartime atrocities in which Nolan participated as a soldier, and even a recording, plus the fact that he was a scavenger, all of which put him in a bad light and seem to portray him as a racist against the Votan races. Datak then brings up Amanda’s words from the Town Council meeting that she stands behind Lawkeeper Nolan 100%.
This scene felt reminiscent of some other war movies, where soldiers are accused of similar crimes. It certainly does put Nolan in a bad light, as no one knows his true feelings in the present time.
This prompts Nolan to hand over his badge to Amanda, because he does not want to be the reason that she loses the election. He tells her he’s not resigning, she’s firing him, and that she needs to go on the radio to disavow him. However, she protests, saying she’s going to go on the radio to defend him. But Nolan tells her that’s exactly what Datak wants, and that the only way he could have gotten that information about him is if he’s in bed with the Earth Republic, because that file was supposed to be sealed. Nolan tells her that if Datak wins, she won’t even recognize the town, and that he cares about the town and he’s not going to be the one who kills it. Amanda then realizes that Nolan intends to leave.
To me, I would think the best solution would be to try to find evidence that implicates Datak in the fake assassination attempt. If they picked up Alak and questioned him, Alak would probably eventually come clean due to his conscience.
Alak goes to see his friend’s mother, and signs something that appears to offer his condolences, but she doesn’t seem to accept. Just then, three guys put a bag over his head, drag him into the alley, and beat him up. We find out that Rafe has arranged this little abduction. Alak tries to tell Rafe that he didn’t know Nolan was going to shoot, and that it was just supposed to be a joke, but Rafe tells Alak that if he ever again acts in a manner that is unworthy of his daughter, his marriage will end — and he doesn’t believe in divorce. So, basically saying that next time he’ll kill Alak.
In-laws from hell for Alak it looks like, although he is not undeserving of his punishment. Again, I feel rather than simply let Alak go, he should force him to admit his involvement. This would sink Datak’s chance at mayor.
Dr. Yewll takes the X-ray she had gotten of Irisa, and mixes it up with some fluid, which makes a lot of flowery looking things visible on the X-ray. Not really sure about the significance of what she’s looking at though.
Kenya shows up at Stahma’s house and accuses her of setting Nolan and Amanda up so that Datak could win the election. Kenya threatens to tell Datak everything, but Stahma says that Datak already knows all about them. Kenya calls her bluff, saying that Stahma wouldn’t have told Datak about them, that it would be a great shaming. Kenya questions why Stahma is like this, that Datak is so cruel, and she just lets him dominate her. However, Stahma explains that she loves Datak because of his cruelty, that it shows his strength, and that he’s willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals. They are a team. Kenya calls Stahma pathetic, and Stahma reminds Kenya that she is alone. Guess this means Stahma and Kenya have broken up now. Sadness.
More of Stahma’s true colors showing. Kind of makes you wonder, did Stahma have this plan in motion from the get-go? Or was it something that just happened to develop as their relationship continued…
Nolan confronts Datak on the street, tosses aside his firearm, and they fight each other. Datak tries to go for Nolan’s gun, but Nolan is able to get to it first. However, before he is able to do anything with it, Irisa stops him. Nolan walks away, saying “I’m done with this town.” Datak is laughing hysterically and yells at Nolan to finish the job. Irisa comes back and kicks him in the face.
Seems odd Nolan would attack a Castithan after being “proved” a racist. It was probably best that Irisa stopped the fight, or Nolan could really be in some trouble.
Dr. Yewll places the artifact in her device again, and activates the blue laser as Nolan and Irisa are packing up a roller to leave town. Dr. Yewll sees that the device has caused Irisa to collapse in pain, so she turns it off and goes back inside. Nolan picks up Irisa and carries her into Dr. Yewll’s office. We see that there are weird markings on Irisa’s back that appear to be moving around. Dr. Yewll claims that it is a Votan parasite and that she needs to operate on Irisa immediately. She demands that Nolan wait outside.
Yewll definitely is wanting to open up Irisa for more selfish reasons. What could be in Irisa that would cause this pain?
As Dr. Yewell cuts a small incision into Irisa’s lower back, a lavender colored tendril emerges, and we also see several golden tentacles emerging from the artifact in the other room. Irisa, unconscious, has a flashback to her childhood, where she was also laying on her stomach, and there was a silver artifact placed on her lower back, which was absorbed into her body. It appears that the incision in her back has now released several silver tentacles, presumably coming from the silver artifact that was absorbed into her, and look to be combining with the golden tentacles. We also see a cave drawing of a girl with red hair, with a silver artifact in one hand, and a gold artifact in the other. Irisa imagines that an Irathient girl comes into the room and tells her to wake up. Nolan hears some commotion going on inside, and tries to check it out, but the door is locked, so he busts it open. When he gets inside, he finds Dr. Yewll on the floor, her office in shambles, and Irisa is gone.
Does Irisa have another artifact “implanted” in her body? Where are these artifacts from? So many questions regarding these. Also, what is Yewll’s plan now? Does she feel the necessity to take Nicky’s place as “fixer” of the world? Does the Artifact hold some sort of mind controlling factors?
Datak and Colonel Marsh are conspiring a way to strip Rafe McCawley of his mines, thus returning them to the city, which Datak as Mayor will then deed to the Earth Republic, and get a big kickback from it. Datak brings up that he’s not mayor, but Colonel Marsh says that he’s sure Datak has stuffed enough ballot boxes to ensure a win.
I hope that Datak does not win the mayor position. Curious to see if Datak will cheat as the Colonel suggests that he might. Hopefully Rafe and Amanda can come up with a solution, as they both have good reason to not allow Datak into office.
The episode ends with a cover of “Time After Time” as Irisa stumbles through the forest. Rynn, the Irathient girl from several episodes ago, finds Irisa laying on the ground. She tells Irisa that she saw what Nolan did to Sukar, and pulls out a knife, asking for a reason why she shouldn’t kill Irisa, because she is at a loss.
Surprised to see Rynn back. What is her role? How did she see what happened to Sukar?
This was an okay episode, but a lot of weird stuff was going on that doesn’t really make sense at this point, but hopefully will become clearer in the next episode. It better, since that is the season finale! I’m not really sure about the extent of Stahma’s planning in regards to getting close to Kenya. Was any of her time with Kenya genuine, or was it all an elaborate plot from the beginning? I’m pretty sure that Kenya was right when she said there’s no way Datak knows about the two of them. Other than that, I really have no idea what’s going on with Irisa. So she’s some sort of “chosen one,” but what does that mean? What is the purpose of the artifact, well artifacts plural now? I’m not sure how many of our questions will be answered by next episode, since I’m sure there will be some sort of big cliffhanger at the end of the season finale, but we’ll see!
I thought this episode was pretty good. Things are heating up, although I am still disappointed that Mayor Nicky is gone. I am curious to see what happens to Nolan. In order for Nolan to be allowed back as Lawkepeer, I feel Datak has to be found out about his less than kosher plans. Does Datak wind up in jail or worse? Or does Datak succeed? If he does succeed I am not sure where that leaves Nolan, as I feel Datak would want to do his best to eliminate him as a witness to his plans. I am also curious to see the E-Rep’s plans regarding Datak. Clearly they are hoping to set him up as a puppet leader. I have a feeling Datak will not like those terms though, as he is definitely a pride-filled Castithan.
Take a look at the first four minutes of the season finale, “Everything is Broken,” where Nolan and Tommy try to track Irisa through the woods!
