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| Courtesy Syfy |
Last week on "Defiance," Stahma gave Datak the business, Rafe lost more than just his business and Pottinger was up in Amanda's business. Let's do this.
Amanda, who has developed quite an addiction to Adrena, lights up in the bath when everything goes dark. She goes to investigate only to be attacked by the flashlight-wielding maniac who raped her in New York but this time she fights back by tossing him out the window. Or was she? At any rate, there was a bath involved so you know what to do.
Hm, maybe it was not a dream as Nolan is bandaging her hand. Good and freaked out, she tells him about what happened in New York. It's really kind of adorable how protective he is of her.
Datak is getting his wounds bandaged by Doc and reads from his bible about what he should do, namely kill Stahma slowly and painfully but he's a changed man, ready to embrace the new world order...at least until he gets his way of life back. Doc puts him in his place that he really did it to himself but as a close friend, which admittedly is hardly a crowded field, the best thing to do is to heal his family from the inside. This will be a tad difficult as Stahma has barred him from the house but details, details. Apropos of nothing, Doc is my spirit animal. Unexpectedly, she meets another Indogene and is less than pleased.
Trying to put the events of the previous night behind her, Amanda's out shopping when she senses she's being followed. It's Nolan but things go from strange to trippy when he tells her that no one could love her, she's damaged goods and it's just sex. Wait, what? But Nolan is another street over with Tommy and Irisa. Did Amanda get a bad batch of Adrena? Methink you might want to kick that habit now. Just saying. She runs in to Pottinger but he's not having any side effects. Maybe she is just crazy. They take her to a safe house which is apparently Rafe's old house. Let's check in with Tommy. Still butthurt? Still butthurt. Moving on, Nolan finds nothing at Amanda's place but her pipe, the implication being that the drugs are causing her to hallucinate. Amanda, consider this an intervention.
For all of his recent run of bad luck, Rafe has landed on his feet, in the Tarr house. And to properly welcome him to the house, hereeeees Stahma in all her beaded glory. She assures a dazzled and mortified Rafe that Alak is just a figurehead to pay lip service to the Castithan male orthodoxy. They're all family now so enjoy your bath. Drink.
Phase One of Datak's plan to regain his place in society is underway. For his troubles he gets punched in the face but perseveres to present the Castithan tradition of groveling with flowers in front of Rafe in his blinging red plaid bathrobe. He quotes some scripture asking for forgiveness, Stahma forces herself to accept and Christie has had it with all of them. He's nothing but a stuck up, scruffy looking Nerfherder who will never come near her child. This house is just one big abode of crazy.
Back in the safehouse that Rafe built, Amanda is hearing and seeing things again. She tells Tommy who is her babysitter this evening that she sees someone out there. Because Tommy is not only butthurt but also stupid, he hands her a gun. The masked figure comes for her but this time she shoots back. Luckily Amanda is a decent shot. Unluckily, she shot Tommy and Irisa. This is the last time he'll do any babysitting I'm guessing.
Doc's friend is alternately taunting her over what they did in the name of experimentation on kids and seducing her but all may not be as it seems as there is a lot of flashing in and out. Is anyone not hallucinating in this town? But enough about that, she came to say goodbye as she's dying from a virus that was designed to kill humans. Wanna go for a walk? Doc walks out, ignoring the phone buzzing on the table. In case you were wondering, Indogene foreplay looks a lot like a cat nuzzling your head. But why is the phone ringing? Well, Amanda ran off after shooting Tommy and Irisa so not only do they need a doctor, they need to put out a post-apocalyptic APB on her and what better place to do that than via the radio station manned this evening by DJ Treasure Doll. Christie ends up there looking for Alak and just as alone as Amanda is, she spills frustrations and fears to the person who tried to seduce her husband. She's doing everything she can to fit in - learning their language, cooking their food, but she's still second class and Datak gets welcomed back for reciting a bit of poetry and a flower. I'll bet xenophobia is looking pretty darn good right now. Helpfully, Treasure Doll offers her first a drink and then some side action. Wait, what?
If that's not weird enough, Datak is in the Need/Want making out with a male Irathient prostitute. Though Datak's appetite is legend, that's not what he's after right now - he's actually trying to drum up support for rising up against the Earth Republic. You guys, keep an eye on the whorehouses; rebellions always start there.
Nolan and Pottinger get into a pissing match about Amanda; Nolan is convinced that Pottinger tampered with her drugs and Pottinger fires him. Nolan basically laughs in his face when Pottinger sees a long-dead Connor Lang. Nolan has other things to worry about as Amanda has been found in the Need/Want, foaming at the mouth and convulsing. MBA students, take note: this is how to NOT do marketing.
Pottinger confronts Connor and they argue about Amanda. They were captured by the Votans together and looked out for each other and Connor is really upset with him. He accuses Pottinger of being a sick pervert who deserves to die as Pottinger wanted to be Connor and things just went seriously Single White Female. Pottinger is having the visions now and is wracked with guilt. Was he the one who attacked Amanda in New York all those years ago?
They discover an ego implant in Amanda's neck is causing her hallucinations and it needs to come out or it will kill her. They need Doc but Doc's getting brain busy. Talking with her girlfriend, we see more emotion from Doc in this scene than in the entire series thus far. Still not understanding that this is a hallucination, she swears to heal her girlfriend but she can't remember how she left her. But will Doc forgive her leaving? She died 8 years ago after opening her veins as she couldn't live with the guilt of what they did anymore. Doc can take a leap of faith (literally) and join her.
No sign of Doc and Amanda needs surgery now so Irisa and Nolan will operate. Is there anything these tow can't do? I mean, other than live quiet lives. Just as Amanda starts crashing, Doc appears and takes over. Where were you? Booty call. Later, the hallucination asks why she didn't jump. These people need her; she's not allowed to die yet. Serving them is her penance and I love Doc just a little bit harder.
Datak crashes Rafe's dinner and man, he's had a really bad day. But they are bounded by blood. Datak wants his place in his family and society back. Rafe should be jumping up to help as he lost his mines, his house, everything. Even though it was Datak's fault, life has take a turn for the worse since the Earth Republic arrived and it's time to take back their town. What say you?
Amanda's recovering from her ordeal but is still coping with what she saw. But what happened was this: either she came into contact with a defective ego or someone infected her on purpose. Dun dun dunnn!
Flashback to Amanda toking up with Pottinger; as she blacks out, we see Doc there and it's Doc who implants her with the ego to upload her memories in the good of the public interest I'm sure. Now we know why Pottinger is so obsessed with Amanda but not what they plan to do with her memories. Unfortunately, it was damaged which meant that Pottinger and Doc were also infected. Doc reassures Pottinger that his memories were not uploaded and removes his device. She says she removed hers but she didn't. She wasn't ready to let her girlfriend go.
Some big questions are starting to arise: Can Datak remain focused on rooting out the Earth Republic or will his need to reclaim his place undermine all? What does the Earth Republic want with Amanda's memories? Is this truly all that Doc was working on for Pottinger or just the tip of the iceberg? Will Christie become fed up enough with the Castithan lifestle to leave but more important, did Rafe enjoy his bath? Izru has been quiet recently; what's her game?
Tune in to Syfy next Thursday, July 24 at 8 p.m. ET for "This Woman's Work."