‘Defiance’ Season 2, Episode 8: ‘Slouching Toward Bethlehem’ Review

Kenya’s earth-shattering return continues sending shock waves through Defiance as Stahma tries to reconcile Kenya’s reappearance, while Doc Yewll works to keep her own dark secret hidden.

Here is the thing about Defiance: when it’s good, it’s really good but when it’s not, it can be really campy. The world building and concepts are top-notch and continue to draw me in as a viewer. However, in the middle of each season, the show’s episodes drop in quality and focus less on the main plot line which is the most interesting one. They focus more on minor characters and the strangely-awesome concepts get explored. For example, the idea that humans cosplay as Castithans in an underground club in order to “connect” to them is a cool idea. Episode eight is always the beginning of the good stuff.

Leading up to this episode, the show has been setting up the reemergence of the Voltan Collective which is simply an alliance of the aliens on Earth. Datak and Rafe have teamed up to carry out the plans of the Collective and take back Defiance with their help. They plan to do this with the help of an Irathient arms dealer and part-time sex worker at the Need/Want.

In this episode, the arms dealer is taken in for questioning by E-Rep for plotting an attack on New York. He is tortured a bit but refuses to talk.

This episode has three things going on. The first is that Stahma and Datak are getting closer because she reveals to him that the Irathient arms dealer is connected to Kenya. They also have aggressive sex in his apartment. The second is that Kenya is alive and has been taken captive by the Voltan terrorists. She is freed by Amanda and Nolan but her captors are still at large. The third thing is that Irisa may be the prophetic leader of the Voltan Collective. She is meeting with a group mixed with Castithans, Irathients and others. Most people are people she came in contact with this season. This episode sets up the possible war between aliens and humans.

Overall, this was a much needed episode after so many previous episodes were off track. This show is really good at portraying the conflict between aliens and humans. The surprising moment of this week’s episode is that Kenya is alive. It seems that Kenya will stir up old tensions between Nolan and the Tarrs. It is inevitable and highly probable. Also after, eight episodes Irisa’s plot line is finally taking shape and getting to the point. I think she will play a major role in the last four episodes of this season. Defiance airs on SyFy.

Here is a sneak peek for the next episode:

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