'Defiance' Recap: 'My Name Is Datak Tarr and I Have Come To Kill You'

Photo courtesy Syfy.
BY DAWN FEAKES

There is so much awesome going on with this title that I don't even know where to begin. But to refresh: Berlin bailed on the town with Conrad, Nolan issued his "Independence Day" speech to rally the town to defense mode, Stahma is incredibly unconcerned about Datak seeing as Kindzi's looking for an excuse to eat her and Datak? Well, he's just hanging around...on the shaming rack. After weeks of preparing we might finally see some action. Y'all ready? Let's do this.

Opening with a flashback to Datak as a kid bodes well. He's basically the alien Inigo Montoya, but instead of his father being dead and practicing fencing, his father is very much alive and displeased to find young Datak playing with a charge blade. I agree, Daddy Tarr (or Datak 1.0); at that age blow guns are much more appropriate. No matter how painful the past, it has to be better than the pain of the present because shaming rack. With everyone so focused on the punishment of Datak, no one sees the VC advance guard arming themselves right down the street. This will probably come back to bite you. Just saying. All this torture is making me peckish, dinner? Amanda and Nolan don't get to finish though as the VC burst in, ordering the humans to line up on their knees behind the bar. I'm betting it's not for shots. To be shot though, that's a likely possibility. All of this pomp and circumstance is really just so Tak can demand the town's surrender. Amanda takes the 'offer' really well which means that a fire fight breaks out, killing every human in the bar except Amanda and Nolan. She's going to have a helluva time finding new staff as no one will be caught dead working there now. They had a little help though from a mysterious stranger who looks a lot like the disguised Bebe but sure, we'll take him at 'face' value. (I am sorry for so much in that last paragraph.)

Stahma still wanders the Omec ship wanting to apologize and be apologized to and hoo boy, she'll make Kindzi pay for this humiliation big time. Nolan, impressed  by the new guy's shooting skills immediately elevates him to second in command status. *Facepalm* Nolan, how exactly is it that you're alive? Because you make terrible decisions even when Alak thinks he's met this person before. No matter, 'Beckman' is Nolan's new BFF and we all know that this isn't going to end well.

In the Lawkeeper's office, Irisa sharpens her knives getting ready to fight and Nolan wisely picks then to kinda-sorta apologize for being an ass. Folks, we've had a breakthrough! Let's roll out, we have to find the VC. New guy, you're with me. Wait. What? Dammit Nolan. The militia goes door to door as the VC seems to be a step ahead. In the midst of all the carnage, T'evgin decides that he's hungry which means that someone is about to have a really bad day. He follows an Irathient VC into a trailer and ends up saving the family by eating the assassin. (Fun fact: the mother in this scene is also played by Trennna Keating, or as we love her, Doc Yewll.) Nolan tries to recruit the Omec (again) and is shot down (again) and he clearly knows that Beckman/Bebe is not human but he's not saying anything. Jeebus people, it's like you want Tak to take over! Thanks to the Omec transporting pills, Stahma realizes that she's on a ship full of sleeping Omec and lo, the orgy possibilities are endless. Her fantasies are shattered by Kindzi joining her there and gloating that now she knows the Omec's plans to invade and conquer, T'evgin will have to kill his favorite whore who has just now returned and woken them up. It was a consciousness transport only? Bummer. Kindzi crows about how Stahma knows their secrets and he'll have to kill Stahma but Kindzi underestimates the power of chivo and humanity as he's more inclined now toward inclusion rather than consumption. Predictably Kindzi throws a temper tantrum, Stahma gloats, and T'evgin threatens. Ah, what a happy little family.

As Nolan interviews the survivor, 'Beckman' helpfully finds a clue. And by 'find' I of course mean 'planted.' It's a map showing the tunnel into Defiance and of course no one thinks 'it's a trap!' because Admiral Ackbar isn't around to point out such foolishness. Nolan gets busy organizing a strike force but Amanda wisely suggests blocking it up from the inside. No, this is our chance at Tak, we've gotta take it! He'll never expect the Spanish Inquisition! Not even the Side Braid can dissuade him. Selecting his group of young sharpshooters to the uneasiness of their fathers, they proceed down the tunnel where they fail sneaking 101. Alak is waiting for them up top and Nolan and Irisa take up flanking positions, leaving Beckman with the young guns. Telling them to hold position, he follows Nolan and Irisa because evil spy is evil. He shoots Alak, stabs Irisa, and beats the crap out of Nolan before tossing a grenade into the tunnel killing the kids. To borrow a line from 'Sharknado', oh hell no! Just as Nolan is about to get his throat cut, Irisa gets her homicidal groove back in the form Knife of Fury. Can someone explain how Nolan stays in charge of military and planning because he's terrible at this stuff.

Datak's still hanging in there. We know because of another flashback to a Castithan house where they hang paper from the ceiling. His dad's an ass and now we see where Datak gets it from. In the present, Nolan blames himself for the death of the squad and well, yeah, you're not wrong. With Irisa and Alak recovering in Doc Yewll's clinic, it's the perfect place to plan their next move which is using the stasis nets as a weapon. Doc explains that that they can reverse the polarity of the electromagnetic thingamabob and focus the blast on Rahm Tak who has so helpfully made his camp right next to a giant bomb. There's a catch: it's a suicide mission as someone will need to get close enough to blow it with a trigger switch implanted in their forearm. Amanda and Nolan bicker for the right to die when Doc points out that uh, y'all are humans and therefor the worst possible candidates for this mission. The answer comes from Alak but the messenger is a bit tied up at the moment. Ah, the classic 'step backwards to volunteer someone else' ploy. Works every time.

Flashback time! Young Datak won passage on an ark to escape from their dying planet but Dad is all 'Im'ma stay here and guard the banners.' He doesn't want to leave his father but is persuaded to with the ritual passing of the charge blade. Dad's a priest-type monkish person and reminds Datak that pride, greed and ambition are weaknesses of the flesh. And Datak's reason for being. Only honor endures and when honor dies, the spirit goes with it. Aw, Dad, why'd you have to go and be all noble? He comes to, nope, still on the rack. Are they out of stones in town or something; what in the world is taking so long? Amanda offers him a deal: be our bomb delivery person and I'll pardon you and Stahma plus you get the chance to kill Tak.  Everyone wins! Except Tak and Datak who will probably end up dead but sacrifices must be made. He promises to make Alak proud and with that, it's through the stasis net. He isn't killed on sight as Tak isn't a military genius either so arm the bomb to go off....in four minutes.

Datak's brought into Tak's tent where he's openly mocked for not being drawn and quartered as well as bringing in completely unacceptable surrender terms. Don't send me back there, give me a chance to prove my loyalty...with my knife. In what is clearly a bizarre initiation ritual, Datak saws off his own arm to the hoots and cheers of Tak's army. Asking their leave to compose himself because: pain, Tak allows it, high-fiving his group with Datak's arm. Datak however knows the countdown is on and hauls ass outta there before the nets blow. Boom goes the dynamite, er, stasis net and 'bye' goes Rahm Tak . Game, set, match: Datak. Only problem (?) now is that there is not protection for the town. Oh, and the Tarrs have been granted full pardons. I really hope this doesn't come back to bite you Amanda.

Now that the VC threat has been neutralized, they'll have to contend with something even more terrifying: Kindzi's revenge. Man, this town cannot catch a break. Tune in to Syfy next Friday at 8 p.m. ET for 'Ostinato in White.'