'Defiance' Recap: 'Painted From Memory'

Courtesy Syfy
BY DAWN FEAKES

Last week, "Defiance" brought us the rescue of Kenya Rosewater, the calling of the metallic undead to Irzu/Irisa and Datak and Stahma reconnecting. Let's do this.

Hey Kenya, welcome home darlin' now how about a nice long interrogation. Nolan needs answers, dammit but she can only recall bits and pieces. Mostly, Goggles wanted to know about Amanda. Ah, the side braid works its magic once again. Doc tries to intercede but Nolan isn't buying any of it. Oh, you can accept a demon-god thing co-habitating in your daughter's body but the miracle return of your sometimes-girlfriend's sister is beyond comprehension. Got it.

Stahma heads to the Need/Want for the weekly payment but oh, Treasure Doll gave it to Alak. How enterprising of him. Stahma is clearly overjoyed a prostitute is working for her son. Oh hon, your day's about to get a whole lot worse because guess who's back in town? I'd say that Stahma turned white as a ghost but that isn't saying much. The old gal can move fast though, I'll give her that much. It's weird, Kenya's happy to be home but it doesn't feel...real.

Irisa finally checks in with Nolan; yeah, Dad, I'm fine. No, my friend is just have a rough time and I'm going to help him. Help him overtake a military installation that is. But that's okay, Nolan has more things on his mind. Like Tommy's fist. Dude, what happens in the Need/Want *coughBerlincough* stays in the Need/Want.

Kenya tries to enjoy a stroll through the marketplace but is approached by Stahma who alternately wants to hug her and make her disappear. Again. Kenya wondered if there was ever something between them but if her memory ever comes back, they're going to have a problem.

Interrogation Part Two - this time with trigger objects found in the trunk of the car where they picked up Kenya. She and Nolan reminisce about their old life but hey, he's been seeing your sister. Surprisingly, she takes it rather well. Better than Tommy at any rate. She comes across a hammer and bammo! We've got a connection. It was used by a Votan Collective member to free her from a water tank. There were other people in there too but other members of the collective started killing them. She was saved because she's Amanda Rosewater's sister. So of course Nolan rushes to Belin with the directive: take your shirt off. Uh, okay... No silly, Nolan wants to show Kenya the tatttoo your shoulder to see if it's the same as the one she saw on the other victim. It's the same, but different. But still a member of the Earth Republic.

Stahma and Datak go trekking through woods to find Kenya's grave. Stahma is panicking but Datak doesn't believe she killed Kenya; he didn't need her killed, just under control. I don't care about who is with Amanda Rosewater! Where did you 'bury' her? Just over the next rise and planted a small patch of flowers. The flowers you planted wouldn't be lavender by any chance would it? Haaaa. Sob. Datak being rational and Stahma out of control? Love the juxtaposition here.

Apparently Stahma wasn't the only one who wanted Kenya dead; Potttinger wanted her gone too and is pissed that she turned up alive after the VC burned his facility to the ground. Wait, what? If she remembers then Nolan will come gunning for him and when he's done with Pottinger, Doc will be next. Might this all have something to do with the Ego and Amanda? Only one thing left to do: give her a chemical lobotomy so she never remembers. But what is going on at the facility?

Flashback to ten years ago when Amanda and Kenya arrived in Defiance. Then they were looking for a bar but now, breakfast. Plans are interrupted by Doc Yewll with the news that she has a way of restoring all of Kenya's memories if by 'restoring' you mean 'turning your brain into a vegetable'.

Out of nowhere it's Rafe! He tries to enjoy a cigar only to be chided by Quentin who finally has made it back to town after being out looking for his mother. She's in a bad way, completely broken. Rafe had to choose between her and protecting the kids. He chose the kids and Quentin will never forgive him for it. Rafe, there was never going to be a 'right' decision. Anyway Quentin, welcome home.

In Doc's office, they're about to get underway. This is clearly the prototype for Geordi LaForge's visor. At any rate, Kenya starts seeing things from the facility and Doc is working against the clock to administer the lobotomizing drug before it all registers. She can see someone in the water with her, someone in a bio suit and it's...Doc! Fortunately Amanda rips the visor off of Kenya before she truly understands what she's seeing. How many sides is Doc Yewll playing here? Informed of Doc's failure, Pottinger asks to meet Kenya but Amanda is in no mood to play games with him - she wants to know who in his organization was using her sister as a lab rat.

Stahma and Datak continue digging up the lavender field late into the night and Stahma is losing control when Datak finds a human skull. He's sorry he doubted Stahma but c'mon hon; let the dead stay buried because he's up to his ass in dirt and death stink. But Stahma is tormented by who it is wearing Kenya's face. Pretty sure Datak wishes he'd never heard the name 'Kenya' before at this point.

Back in Defiance, Stahma sees Amanda and tries to make her see that Kenya is dead and the woman at home is an imposter. She read it on the internet so it must be true. Amanda's about ready to unload on Stahma but settles for threatening her if she spreads that story. Well then Amanda, that was surely terrifying.

Kenya looks through pictures but is distracted by the room being so different. Nolan begins a game of 'Do you remember' and is obviously testing her. She's done talking about the past and wants to make some new memories. That would be great except you seem to be missing your scars. Nolan runs out and more memories surface, this time of Pottinger and Yewll talking about the procedure. It's a new technology, grafting memories onto the brainstem of an Indogene. What? But what's the lifespan? It's hard to say but not long. Kenya realizes her hair is coming out and it's all very "Being Human" except that she doesn't seem to have an appetite for flesh. Yet.

Nolan finds Amanda and tries to get her to listen; Kenya always remembers things that Amanda knew about but anything else is a hole. Returning to the Need/Want they find Kenya gone and the room is trashed. Whoever implanted the Ego in Amanda stole her memories and put them in Kenya and just like that, Amanda lost her sister all over again. But where is she now? At Doc's clinic, Kenya demands answers. She was an unwilling Indogene 'volunteer' whose mind had been wiped and then implanted with Amanda's memories of Kenya to function as a spy. Why? So Pottinger could be the hero and get in Amanda's pants? I'm sure there was more to it than that. Pottinger shows up and shoots Kenya who gets away and runs to the safe for a picture of Kenya and Amanda and that's where Amanda finds her. Amanda wants her to stay but she's just an echo, a collection of memories who refuses to play house with a human. And my heart breaks for them all over again.

Doc needs Datak's help now and he's enjoying lording it over her. Over in the Need/Want Amanda hosts a funeral service for Kenya and if Amanda doesn't have a problem with Adreno anymore, she certainly has one with whiskey. Goggle-man is revealed when he burns his mask. I froze on that frame and still can't figure out who it is so if any readers know, hit us up in the comments. And Amanda, I think you owe Stahma an apology, no?

Two more weeks left in this season and we get a double-dose of "Defiance" next week with back to back episodes 'Bottom of the World' and 'Doll Parts' only on the Syfy channel.