'Defiance' Recap: 'The Cord and the Ax'

Courtesy zap2it.com
BY DAWN FEAKES

Well. Sorry about that folks; apparently the Votanis Collective decided to take control of my computer while I was watching the show and publish my thoughts. So that's what the inside of a recapper's head looks like - you're welcome. But! We've got a lot to cover so let's do this.

Hiding up in the Arch, Alak is transferring his precious radio station duties to a refugee from the Need/Want whose name I really don't care about. In gratitude she starts rubbing up on him, telling him that the town knows he killed Skeevy and he's a badass like his dad. Murder is hot. Who knew? Alak is really not liking himself right now but no time to wallow as it's off to the in-laws for dinner! Not only are the Castithans crazy, they also have the power of super smell as they deduce that Christie is pregnant and dinner turns into a party Yay! Well, until Rafe threatens Alak that he better get out of the gangster business as he'll stop at nothing to protect his daughter and grandchild.  Alas, Rafe's...girlfriend (?) Bernie, disappears at the hands of Irisa/Izru. Irisa comes to covered in blood and a dead Bernie at her feet. Really Irisa? Hasn't this possessed-by-Izru-teenaged-rebellion thing gone on long enough? Meanwhile, over in Camp Reverie,Datak begins to suspect that Stahma is trying to keep him in there. He may be completely unhinged but he's not stupid.

Irisa stumbles into the Lawleeper's office after burying Bernie in the woods and Nolan is rightly concerned with where she's been. Shockingly, she's less than forthcoming. Bernie is dead/missing  what could have happened to her; she has no enemies but is friend of Rafe who has plenty of enemies to spare. Irisa, how about you go see Berlin for any video surveillance footage? While there you can play 'Finders, Keepers' with her for Tommy.

Continuing the whole 'As Defiance in High School Turns', while Pottinger walks with Nolan through the town; he brings up that he 'fancies' Amanda. We cool bro?  Berlin  is zeroing in on the footage she needs and Irisa moves into killing range. Oddly though, Izru holds back at the last moment and just blows the transformers instead. Maybe she's not worth it?

Ever the dutiful son, Alak visits Datak in the camp. He's had a moment of clarity - he doesn't want to be like Datak. Well, if he's not running things, who is? Aha! It's Stahma and she will rue the day! No, power belongs to the men! Change is bad! GET OFF MAH LAWN! Oh, well done Alak. Okay, last season I dubbed Datak 'Albino Butthurt' and given his reaction, I'm resurrecting that name. He threatens to destroy Stahma and Alak finds his voice (and balls) and shouts that Datak did it to himself by not being able to control the one thing he needed to control  - himself - and hopes he rots in the cage. YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO! YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME! Datak takes it quite well.

When Alak returns home; Stahma wants a word. She knows he visited Datak and knowing that he can push Alak's buttons, is all but certain that Datak knows all about her power moves. She gives Alak Datak's glowing knife telling him that he needs to protect his wife and child. But won't Datak want it back? Not if he never comes home....

Have you noticed that when Nolan has moments of doubt, he ends up in the Need/Want? Hon, booze never fixes anything; it just deadens the pain for a while. Anyway, story time with Amanda where the moral is when even things seem hopeless, sometimes just not giving up is enough.

Pottinger offers Yewll her finger back and her old office - if she works for him. Aw, I didn't get you anything. (Did it look like a dildo to anyone else, just sitting there on the table? No? Just me then. Moving on.) She doesn't want to get involved with Irisa and her magic tunneling spaceship but the chance to get out and have all of her old toys? She considers the offer and takes it contingent on an assistant. You get three guesses as to who and the first two don't count.

Amanda gets ready for work when she hears a customer starts roughing up one of the girls. Oh no he di-n't! She beats the tar out of him and Nolan (surprise) has to pull the enraged Amanda off the drunk (and impotent) fool. She goes to Pottinger to clear the air; she thinks he's judging her about judging him for the Adrena when she was mostly just startled and confesses she uses it too. Smoke em if you got em. So not only is he the posturing, preening mayor, he's also the resident drug dealer. It's a party in the office now. Nolan searches Irisa's belongings and finds her diary when Tommy calls him on his snooping. C'mon Toms, he's just being a dad and you can't have it both ways my friend. But Nolan knows Irisa well enough that she can piece the clues together that she is the reason Bernie disappeared.

Sukar sighting! Everyone's favorite Muppet-skinned Irathient has set up camp where Irisa finds him. She needs his help but he's still in full-on 'Izru-is-your-path' mode. She doesn't want to kill anymore but one death is more important in the grad scheme of things...except it's been a lot more than one death. Huh. She wants out but Izru is having none of that. So the god takes her over and she vomits silver stuff into Sukar. Nice way to treat your friends Irisa. Stealing his gun, she heads into the woods to kill herself but nope. Nopeity nope nope nope. She's not done until Izur says she's done. She's able to finally pull the trigger but only succeeds in blowing a hole in her neck. She can't even shoot herself properly; girlfriend is having a really bad day. Silly Irisa, those that were killed are under Izru's protection. Huh, guess that's why Berlin lived - she wasn't worthy. Oh snap! Waiting for her to bleed out, Izru takes a seat on a nearby rock and sings her a song that Nolan sang to Irisa. Okay, mocking isn't called for. I will stand up and cheer when someone takes that little god-bitch out. Lying on the ground, who should wander up to an alive Irisa but...Bernie. Whaaa?

Stahma helps Amanda with detoxing from the Adrena and they talk Kenya. Stahma is going to slip one of these days and then Datak will be the least of her worries. On the road, Nolan and Rafe find Irisa and Bernie; he believes that they are both lying about what happened and where they've been. Sukar comes to and after communing with the fire for a while, starts walking through the woods. A mysterious hooded figure who looks suspiciously like the Punk Castithan Irisa 'killed' a few episodes ago finds a Castithan camp and transfers the Silver Spit to a child. Nolan gets a drink then goes to visit Amanda and the competition is on. Datak stumbles home to the dismay of his family in the bath (drink) and promptly tries to drown Stahma for her disloyalty. Alak rushes to defend his mother yet is ineffectual once again. Datak is even crazier than before and family dinners are going to be super-awkward now.

We've got the Berlin-Tommy-Irisa triangle and the Pottinger-Amanda-Nolan triangle. Maybe they just all need to have one giant orgy and get it out of their systems. What's going on with the Silver Spit carriers? What is Izru's plan for them? Will we see real reform of Castithan culture or will Datak assert his dominance by putting Stahma on the Shaming Rack? Will someone please slap Irisa?

What are your theories? Hit us up in the comments and tune in to "Defiance" next week at 8 p.m. ET on Syfy for the next episode: "Beasts of Burdens."