Defiance - S3E7 - The Beauty of Our Weapons
Previously on Defiance, ‘Where the Apples Fell’
Starring: Grant Bowler, Julie Benz, Stephanie Leonidas, Jaime Murray, Tony Curran, Jesse Rath, Trenna Keating, Anna Hopkins, Conrad Coates, Nichole Galicia | Director: Mairzee Almas
“The Beauty of Our Weapons” opens with Datak presented to the town council on charges of high treason. Amanda gives an opening speech about how disappointed she is and Tarr is completely not into it. She drops a black ball into a cylinder, stating that she finds him guilty. She passes it around to the rest of the council and what do you know, they all find him guilty! Big surprise there. To conclude the “ceremony”, Amanda asks Datak if he has anything to say.
“Did my wife do that to your face?” Oh, that scamp!
Outside of the marketplace, Conrad Von Bach (Ian Ziering) arrives in his supertruck *coughcoughcompensatingcough* and goes sunglasses shopping. He runs into Berlin (Anna Hopkins) who immediately asks if he sold weapons to the Votanis Collective. Conrad, in his gruff yet already charming Conrad way, says “yeah”. She knocks him on his ass in no time flat then asks if he brought any weapons for them. Well, I guess that’s one way to say hi to your ex.
Conrad, Berlin, and Nolan are unloading weapons from the truck with Amanda on the sidelines, appreciative of the new cache. However, she’s wondering how much it will cost her. Conrad tells her it’s on the house. Huh. Either the punch dislodged his brain or he was extremely happy to see Berlin; it’s likely the latter as Nolan and Amanda practically demand her to become reacquainted with her former beau over drinks. Yeah, I see where this is going.
Meanwhile, Bebe (Billy MacLellan) is given an injection to appear human as “purity requires sacrifice”.
Around the same time, T’evgin (Conrad Coates) is tending to Stahma’s wounds as Kindzi (Nichole Galicia) looks on in disgust. Papa Omec also informs Stahma her husband will be hanged in three days. She lets out a sigh that’s either shock or relief that she can finally marry up the social ladder. Kindzi argues to her dad-lover (EW) in Omec that if the humans find out about her being holed up in their lair, their asses are basically done. T’evgin don’t care. He’s essentially the honey badger of Defiance.
Slinging back a couple shots of whiskey, Conrad and Berlin discover his mother was the one who schemed for the two of them to break up. Apparently the alcohol is kicking in because Conrad continues to call Berlin by her first name and they decide to go upstairs to play Parcheesi. That’s what happens upstairs at the NeedWant, right? RIGHT???
The next day, Nolan is handing out weapons to recruits for the defense of Defiance and meets a talented marksman nicknamed Zero (Spencer MacPherson). His dad is proud to be of service but is worried about the lack of volunteers and Irisa never being around. Tensions build up during basic training and Zero and his dad leave, along with other Votans. Nolan asks Irisa to come to training the next day and she ain’t having it. She kinda sorta killed thousands of people last season. I think she deserves a break.
Alak begrudgingly visits Datak in jail, who requests to see Luke a final time before he’s hung. Alak gives him the hardest side eye and lets loose with his disappointment in him and mom choosing to side with Rahm Tak (Lee Tergesen). Suddenly concerned about the state of his soul, Datak tells Alak to tell Amanda he wishes to be executed by hanging but in the Castithan tradition of the shaming rack. Hey, whatever floats your boat, buddy.
At the Omec lair, Kindzi gives Stahma the most awkward of sponge baths while stating how much she doesn’t like her. She also regales on her tales about how Omecs would bang the life out of their Casti courtesans and give their bodies to their kids as food. That would make anyone want to leave the room as Stahma tries but Kindz is just about to bite into her when T’evgin comes in to save the day. He forces Kindzi to apologize to Stahma while leaving a sizable boot print on his daughter’s throat.
Conrad and Jessica (formerly Berlin) make tentative plans to leave Defiance before the VC arrive; Jess decides to tell Amanda in person and the Mayor is not liking the news one bit. Jessica tries to justify her decision but none of it is reason enough in Amanda’s view to leave so close the potential siege. Jessica apologizes and Amanda stares off and says “You’re a coward”.
Jessica turns in her badge and tries to say goodbye to Nolan and all he has to say to her is “Defiance thanks you for your service.” Irisa joins him on the way to target practice but she’s already unsteady about the exercise. In the middle of practice, Irisa imagines she’s gunning down Tommy (Dewshane Williams) and breaks down in front of the entire militia.
Amanda escort Irisa from the line as Nolan gives a speech about how his daughter isn’t in the right place at the moment. When the time comes Irisa will fight, however, because the strong always protect the weak, and she’s the strongest person he knows.
Dr. Yewll is giving Datak a physical in the cell to make sure he’s fit to be killed (I never understood that logic) and both become sentimental about how they’ll miss one another’s backstabbing. Datak is escorted to the rack and gives one of his tired, empty-hearted speeches that absolutely no one is buying this time around. With little pomp and circumstance, Casthitans began piling boulders in the chutes.
In a rather poignant moment, Alak shows Datak his grandson one final time (???) as he’s slowly being torn apart. No matter what those two have gone through, they seem to have a bit of respect for each other. I’m unsure if it comes from the hardships they’ve both overcome throughout the series, or having to live in the same household with Stahma for all those years.
The scene cuts to what appears to be later that night, at a far corner of Defiance. Bebe and his tunneling crew break through and gun down a hapless worker to keep their arrival quiet. Despite not using a silencer to muffle the shot. Not to mention the equipment they used to make the tunnel was loud as all hell. Also, wouldn’t it cause some kind of mild tremor felt on the surface? I don’t know, I’m not a writer.
“The Beauty of Our Weapons” concludes with Stahma and Kindzi once again getting in some girl time and playing nice before T’evgin heads into town for supplies. Daddy already stomped on her throat not too long ago, yet Kindzi isn’t the type to let a two-bit Casti hussy come between her and her father-lover (IT’S STILL SO GROSS). She can’t eat her without getting into trouble, and licking her face is out of the question. What else could Kinz have planned for Stahma? Hey, let’s force her to eat a pebble! It looks harmless enough until the rock starts glowing and growing. Obviously this isn’t your average lump of carbon. Kindzi makes Stahma swallow it and the screen gently fades to white. Has the bitch we love to hate finally gone to some deep circle of Castithan hell? Nah, too easy. Color us surprised when Stahma has materialized on the Omec ship. Of all the places, putting Ms. Tarr on a ship – fully powered or not – seems like a really really really really REALLY bad idea. Not to mention there are hundreds of Omecs in stasis, as seen at the end of this season’s premiere.
I mean c’mon. Her chivo is obviously magic. The last thing she needs under her control is an army of sex-drunk Space Nubians. Talk about white privilege.
Be sure to watch Defiance on Friday for episode eight, “My Name Is Datak Tarr and I Have Come to Kill You”. Yeesh, long winded much? I’m guessing Datak is going to kill someone, and since the Votanis Collective made their way through the city, shit’s about to get real in Defiance.
