Defiance: The Awakening (recap and review)

With the death of T’evgin becoming general knowledge last week in Defiance, along with Doc Yewll busily collecting “food” for the new Omec leader Kindzi (who is now the show’s new “Big Bad”) just the title The Awakening has an ominous ring. This foreboding feeling does not abate by the episode’s end and this penultimate season end installment sets the stage for a big finale.

Before the episode ended, Datak Tarr once again proved that, like a magician, it helps to be the smartest person in the room/Defiance. Nolan learns that Kindzi is now practically indestructible, Stahma finds out that T’evgin, the one person who could protect her from his psychotic daughter is dead, Amanda learns of the full Omec threat, Doc Yewll is discovered as the Omec Dark Harvest enabler and Joshua and the mayor “have a moment.”

At the start of The AwakeningNolan arms up and goes Kindzi hunting. Later, when they catch up with the Omec “mother” he shoots her in the head, with a long range rifle. The bullet knocks her down but she then removes the spent round from her forehead and starts toward Nolan. He shoots her a few more times with the rifle and then empties his pistol into Kindzi. She does not flinch as she runs up the hill toward Nolan.

After this attempt on her life, Kindzi sets herself up for a fall with her own people. Lying about T’evgin’s demise, she tells the Omec that Defiance denizens murdered her father, and she opts to rule behind this lie. The enchanters are following her lead but it is doubtful that they will continue when she is found out.

Amanda proves just why she is in charge of Defiance be revealing that she knows why Kindzi is so powerful. Nolan and the rest learn that Doc Yewll’s recent patients have all gone missing, a total of 13 and they go to question her. Meanwhile, Kindzi orders more takeout and Yewll obliges.

Kindzi notices Datak on the menu and they talk. The new Omec leader tells Tarr, “You Castithan, I recognize you. You’re Stahma’s mate.” “I’m also the last person you’ll see before you die,” he says. She makes a threat against Stahma and Datak scoffs at her, reminding the Omec that Earth will not give up easily. Mixed into his diatribe are a number of insults, including one about inbreeding. Kindzi tells her captive meal that she is going after Stahma.

Nolan and Amanda reach Doc Yewll’s office and she is not there. Mayor Rosewater has a moment of crisis. She feels responsible for the Omec invasion and it concerns her. Amanda tells Nolan that it is all her fault. The Mayor heads to a corner and starts crying and Nolan pulls out that motivational streak inside him and regenerates Amanda. Joshua tells her that he believes Defiance needs her to be in charge and that he, Nolan needs her.

They kiss.

Yewll is ordered to bring out another meal for the newly arrived Omec and there is a short comic moment where two of the intended meals argue about who should be next. Datak Tarr pushes all of the doctor’s buttons forcing her to let him out to be the next Omec “un-happy meal.” He insults the Indogene and when he calls her a “golem” Yewll lets him out.

Alak and Jake are sharing a moment and interrupts by Andina bringing Stahma for a visit.

Meanwhile back at the Defiance smorgasbord Tarr reveals that he really does have a trick up his sleeve, or to be more accurate up his Votan manufactured bio-replacement arm. Datak shoots a long blade out of his fist and the first Omec that gets in range is skewered in the head. Tarr holds off the others and while the rest of the captors cheer his victory, he escapes.

Yewll puts the injured (and bellowing) Omec in the back of her roller and turning up her music takes him away to be treated. Stahma tells Alak that Datak is missing. Nolan and Amanda stop the doctor and as she protests Rosewater removes the control stem. Yewll is relieved and borrows the mayor’s pistol, emptying the entire clip into the Omec in the back of her roller. “Looks like momma got her groove back,” Yewll says looking at her victim.

*Sidenote* This has to be mentioned, was anyone else “freaked out” by the appearance of the Omec that Yewll dispatched with Amanda’s pistol? If nothing else this scene spoke volumes of just what the race really are. The dead Omec, face frozen in a overly large snarl, fangs extended and mouth stretched, and one eye distended looking for all the world like a giant fish eye. This viewer took that image to bed last night. Defiance delivered one shudder scene on a roller platter.

Alak and Stahma talk further and after he declares that his family is a fraud, she reveals a few home truths of her own. The two sort of make up. Stahma decides to leave, after Alak informs her that she put Luke in danger by showing up. Stahma leaves and Alak asks Andina if he should go after her.

Andina: (Holding Luke) “Do you want an honest opinion?”
Alak: “Yeah of course.”
Andina: “Forget your mother. Think about Luke. He’s in danger if we stay here.”

Andina is a clever castithan handmaiden, she knows the way to Alak’s heart is not through his stomach but through his half-human son.

Samir is removed from his cage to be the next Omec offering and true to his belief (stated earlier to Datak, who offers to urinate in Samir’s cage as a response) Nolan does indeed save him. The veterinarian rolls in the Defiance dirt laughing hysterically as dead Omec surround him.

Back at the Alak household, Andina makes her move and her target responds. While Alak tells Andina that it is too soon, she responds that she is patient and her “Favi” tells the handmaiden to call him Alak. There is a knock on the door and in stumbles Stahma, “Run, Run.”

Kindzi follows.

The Omec knocks Stahma down the length of Alak’s hallway and Alak goes for Luke. Andina rushes to intervene and Kindzi snaps the ambitious handmaiden’s neck. The Omec leader follows Stahma down the hallway and in the kitchen Alak’s mother grabs a knife. “Really?” Kindzi says, amused and as she starts to kill Stahma, Kindzi is stopped by Luke’s cries.

The Omec heads to the baby’s room and Alak empties his pistol into her. Knocking Alak away, Kindzi grabs the baby and sniffs him.

*Sidenote* Right up till Kindzi snapped her head back to touch her spine, the Castithan handmaiden Andina looked to be moving into her own. Alak seemed to be in danger of being “owned” by this beautiful hair brushing servant. As she proved last week in her scene with Favi Tarr Stahma, this young lady had plans and the will to make them happen. Baby Jake was definitely set to get a new mommy. Sadly, with one push of Kindzi’s hand, Andina is now out of the equation. So long Andina and Amy Forsyth the actress who brought her to life.

This week’s episode of Defiance was brilliant. In one go, the show started the invasion and then pretty much shut it down before the end credits rolled although now it seems that Kindzi is about to “up the stakes.” The denizens of Defiance still have to defeat the seemingly un-defeatible Kindzi but she really has set herself up for a big fall with her own people.

Kudos to Julie Benz who proved, yet again, that this performer is not just a beautiful face, this gal’s got chops mate. Great big beautiful ones that are capable of knocking everyone else off the screen. Grant Bowler gave a lot in the Doc Yewll’s office scene, but the lovely Ms. Benz rocked it.

*Sidenote* It seems that Berlin might be suffering from a severe lack of intestinal fortitude since she got back from her boyfriend’s loving arms. The lawkeeper seemed pretty freaked out by the Omec threat, it looks like she may just bolt again if things get too bad.

The season finale is next week. As things stand, Datak Tarr is set on rescuing his Stahma, Alak is either unconscious or dead on the floor, along with Stahma. Andina is in Castithan heaven, or its equivalent. Doc Yewll looks set for a little payback, Nolan and Amanda are dangerously close to being an item and Kindzi looks to be seriously considering a snack of baby back ribs. (Sorry, could not resist that one, it begged to be used.)

Defiance airs Fridays as part of SyFy Fridays. At this point, the network have not revealed their plans for the series, so news on whether it has been cancelled or renewed is still up in the air. Till then, tune it to see how this season ends next week.