‘Defiance’ recap - 'Past Is Prologue'

This episode entitled “Past Is Prologue” focuses on the election and Nolan’s and Irisa’s past lives. The episode begins with the wake of ex-mayor Nicki. Amanda shares her fond memories with the townspeople and then the Tarrs blow in. Datak interrupts and makes the wake more political than it needed to be.

Then we see Tommy reading a book to Irisa. She gets bored and climbs in his lap and they began to fool around. At the same time, Doc Yewell has the artifact and transfixes it to a machine. When the machine turns on, Irisa begins to scream in agony. Something underneath her skin is activated when Doc Yewell’s machine comes on. That is the first main plot. Doc Yewell examines the object and figures out that the thing is Votan tech. We know now that the artifact is a weapon of some sort and it connects back to Irisa’s past before Nolan rescued her. At the end of the episode, her visions of her younger self sends her into a crazed state. She runs into the woods and then comes face-to-face with Rynn, Sukar’s Protégé.

The second major plot point revolves around the election. This plot was the meat of the show and this recap will focus on that from here on out.
Stahma and Kenya’s relationship has become strained over the last few episodes. Stahma tells Kenya that Datak Tarr plans to kill Amanda. Kenya gets upset because of that and Datak’s mistreatment of Stahma. Then Kenya tells Stahma not to see her again. Kenya goes off and tells Amanda and Nolan that Datak is planning something. She does not disclose the name of the informant but insists that the source is credible.

Nolan goes to Datak’s camp and warns him that if anything happens to Amanda, Datak will pay for it. This moment leads into another event. Alak comes over to the camp where Datak has his supporters making banners and posters. In front of everyone, Datak makes Alak beg for forgiveness for defying him (Datak) during the wedding. He also gives Alak the task of recruiting his best friend to fire a paint ball gun at the mayor during the debate. This event would lead to Nolan’s accidently killing Alak’s friend. The town council also becomes divisive as a result. The Humans side with Nolan and the Castithans side with Datak. Datak and Stahma used Alak’s friend as a martyr to push their political agenda.

Rafe kidnaps Alak and gets some of his miners to rough him up a little. Then Rafe tells him to stop being the way that he is or his marriage to Christie is done with. By the way, Rafe does not believe in divorce.

We soon learn that Datak has been working with the Earth Republic to get Nolan’s files from his days as a soldier. The results of this report are read over the radio. While Nolan visits the victim’s family, the whole town hears how Nolan killed alien children in the war and how much of a bigot he was toward them. Even though, he has an adopted Irathient daughter. So Nolan quits in an attempt to save Amanda’s chances at winning the election. Then he meets Datak in the streets. The two go at like wild dogs. Heads slammed into walls. Nolan was strangled with a chain and Datak was punched in the jaw many times. THIS WAS THE BEST FIGHT SCENE OF THE ENTIRE SEASON!!! The street brawl ended with Irisa kicking Datak in the face. Then Nolan and Irisa packed up to leave but they were detoured by Irisa’s plot.

Also Kenya decides to go over to the Tarr’s home to blackmail the Tarrs. She speaks with Stahma and asks her why stay with Datak. Stahma says that she loves his cruelty and she does not love him the way a woman loves an abusive husband like Hunter Bell. THAT WAS THE CHEAP SHOT OF THE CENTURY. We see that Kenya may have really cared for Stahma and Stahma used that to advantage. Then Stahma tells Kenya that she is a lonely prostitute.

This episode was one of the best this season. Jaime Murray and Tony Curran were brilliant in this episode and are clearly a tour-de-force acting duo. Clearly, the show writers are having a really good time writing their dialogue and those two are really good at delivering such standout performances that bring these political demi-gods to life. The constant mudslinging and blackmail is reminiscent of the real world politics most people do not see. The Tarrs are ruthless and everyone knows it. Next week I will review the entire season as well as the season finale. Defiance airs on SyFy.

Image: NBC Universal