Thankfully I have a new show to keep me entertained while “Being Human” is on hiatus. Defiance is a science fiction series that was developed by Rockne S. O’Bannon, Kevin Murphy, and Michael Taylor, who are also the executive producers, along with Nathan Richardsson.

The show is shot in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and is produced by Universal Cable Productions in collaboration with Trion Worlds who produced the video game which will be tied in to the series. The action starts in the year 2046, on an apocalyptic Earth with aliens and humans trying to live together under barbaric conditions. How barbaric? Meet me after the jump.

Plot

In the year, 2013, the Votans, a collection of different species of aliens decide to move to Earth after their star system was destroyed. Supposedly the Votans didn’t know that Earth was inhabited and they had plans to do some major terraforming to make Earth more to their liking. There was just one little glitch to that plan; Earth did not have a “For Sale” sign on it and the humans were not moving. Tensions were high and while some Votans were allowed to drop down from their big Arks (spaceships) the majority of aliens were put on ice (hibernation) until negotiations could solve the problem, but like in real life (think Middle East) peace talks dragged on and on, until war broke out.

The Pale War

A Voltan Ambassador was assassinated and some of the Arks were blown up killing many hibernating aliens and causing big chunks of Arks to fall to earth. Good for the humans, right? Wrong, the technology for terraforming was accidently released and it created some dangerous conditions on Earth, climate change, the mutation and hybridization of plants and animals. Earth was a disaster; there goes the neighborhood! The war went on until both sides were close to extinction and with the help of the Defiant Few (alien and human soldiers working together) a strained peace was obtained.

The Votans

There are seven different aliens on this show. Do you have your score card ready? Castithans, very pale, yellow eyes, aristocratic with caste system, Indogene, bright white skin, scales, hairless, hexagonal shaped irises, technologically advanced, Irathient, affinity for nature, bronze skin with patterns of white marks, aggressive and tribal, Liberata, broad shoulder, thick necked, block heads, used as servants, Sensoth, larger than humans, resemble humanoid orangutan, long life span, Gulanee, an energy based race, wear special suits and will die without the suit, Volge, a race of automatons, 8ft tall, covered in dense armor, hostile to humans and Votans alike.

The Town

Joshua Nolan (Grant Bowler), former member of the famous Defiant Few and his adopted alien daughter, Irisa (Stephanie Leonidas) an Irathient collect the debris that falls to Earth from the destroyed Arks. They hope to raise enough money to go live in sunny Antarctica. Yes, because of the alien technology, Antarctica is now a tropical rainforest. Nolan and Irisa run into trouble, get injured and are saved from mutant ratbugs (I swear that’s what they looked like) by a Law Keeper from the town of Defiance (Formally known as St. Louis). The town is protected by a laser grid. Did I lose you yet? Not yet? Better buckle up for the next part.

Doc Yewell (Trenna Keating) an Indogene heals Nolan and Irisa. The new mayor, Amanda Rosewater (Julie Benz) wants Nolan to leave town as soon as possible, but he needs to find work and makes some money fighting a Bioman (think Data with an off button). Nolan also makes nice with the owner of a bar, Kenya (Mia Kirshner) who just happens to be the mayor’s sister. There is a murder and the Law Keeper is killed trying to break up a fight between Alak Tarr (Jesse Rath), son of Datak (Tony Curran) and Stahma Tarr (Jaime Murray) and Raf McCawley (Graham Greene) whose son was murdered. The Tarrs and McCawley are enemies. What none of the parents know is that Alak and Christie McCawley (Nicole Munoz) are in love.

Sabotage

I told you to buckle up. Nolan is hired as a tracker to find the real murderer and learns that the murder is part of a plot to destroy the laser fencing that protects the town. The fence is destroyed and the town of Defiance must prepare to fight an unstoppable army, the Volge.

Conclusion

I liked the show, it’s a little bit western, “Romeo and Juliet,” “Star Trek,” and “Firefly.” It has enough storylines going to keep it interesting.  And… if that wasn’t enough; it comes with an interactive game. I haven’t played it yet, but my older grandson, Jimmy, has the Xbox version and he’s going to show me what it’s all about, that’s if he lets me have the controls.

Defiance airs Monday nights at 10 on Showcase.

Since my all-time favorite show, “The Walking Dead” is now on hiatus, I’m keeping my eyes on Syfy’s newest show, Defiance. My review of last week’s pilot show was not only my way to introduce you and me to the premise and characters, but also for me to understand why my oldest grandson, Jimmy was so hyped over the X-Box Defiance game. I asked if I could play the game with him. He agreed, but I was sorry I asked. Why? Find out after the jump.

The Game

I need to explain something about myself. I’m a geek at heart and love everything Geek, like technology, science, genetics, space exploration,  Space X, robotics, Zombies, but I have one problem, I’m tech challenged and this revelation will help you to better understand why I had such a problem learning the game.

My  younger grandsons, Nathan and Josh love playing video games with me. Believe me, it’s not because I’m any good at the games. It’s more that I’m so bad at them, that the boys consider me their personal comedy sitcom. But the oldest grandson, Jimmy, usually shies away from playing games on his X-Box with me. I don’t know why? But after much pleading and bribing on my part, he finally agreed to play Defiance with me. For non-players like me, the first thing you need to know is that the game is slightly different than the show. On the show, the action takes place in St. Louis, but on the game, we’re in an active war in San Francesco. To be able to play, I needed to create my own avatar and I already knew who I wanted to be…but there wasn’t a Michonne avatar…rats!

Setting up the avatar

If you have teenagers in the house, I don’t even have to explain the attitude they can dish out… Jimmy has won Academy Awards for his attitude, especially when dealing with family. Jimmy and I begin to scan through the many avatar selections offered in the game. My avatar of choice was a female Irathient outlaw. The next step was to design your avatar by selecting bone structure, nose shape, skin color, and lip size. Really, lip size? Was my avatar planning on kissing someone during the game?

“Don’t give me big bones,” I told Jimmy, but when I started to complain about Tetria’s (my avatar’s name) hair style, lips and outfit, events slowly began to go downhill. When we did begin the actual game, our avatars are on a ship, and one of the commanders is shouting out orders. Then something goes wrong with the ship. Are we being attacked? Did I press the wrong button? All I know is that Tetria has to get inside  a pod and is soon jettisoned into a hostile area.

The Controls

After unwillingly handing over the controls to me, Jimmy’s instructions are, “This moves you forward, this allows you to turn in different directions, and these two help you to aim and shoot.”

Say what? I can’t walk and chew gum at the same time, but obedient, tech challenged, granny that I am, I start playing the game. I have no idea what the hell I’m doing. “Granny, you have to shoot back.” I’m constantly instructed by my grandson who is growing more and more frustrated.

“They’re moving too fast and how do I tell the good guys from the bad?” I ask, but sadly, even with his help, I end up shooting my own team. Nathan’s suggestion that the “look sensitivity” be slowed down did nothing to help. If my avatar went any slower, she would be moving in reverse. After less than thirty minutes of my disastrous playing of the game, the controls were taken from me and I was banished from his room. Teenagers have no patience! Below are my thoughts on Defiance the show.

Episode 2: Down in the Ground, Where the Dead Men Go

I swear if you put the characters in western outfits, its Deadwood all over again. You have good cop Nolan (Grant Bowler) and two honest deputies, Irisa (Stephanie Leonidas) Nolan’s adoptive Irathient daughter and Tommy (Dewshanne Williams) trying to keep peace in a powder keg, post apocalypse, St Louis. There are good and bad aliens, but with Castithans Datak and Stahma Tarr, the townsfolk of Defiance have a dictatorship in the making. The new mayor Amanda Rosewater (Julie Benz) is unaware that the former Mayor has treacherous plans to destroy the town of Defiance with the help of Mr. Birch (Steven McCarthy). Why, not sure yet? Because of an explosion in the mines owned by Rafe McCawley (Graham Greene), Nolan gets to see old St. Louis. The city was terraformed and is now below ground. I wished they would have spent more time in the old city. I had questions that weren’t answered.

Aliens and humans alike have to adjust to a new world with new rules. And that goes for the Tarr’s and McCawley’s, who represent a futuristic version of the Hatfield and McCoy Feud. But, for now they have to play nice, because their children Alak (Jesse Rath) and Christie (Nicole Munoz) are in love.

Conclusion

I like the show and enjoy watching it, but I really want to learn that game. After reminding Jimmy of the many times I talked his parents out of sending him away to Military School, he finally relented and promised to be more patient teaching me the game. I’ll let you know how that goes.

Defiance airs Monday nights at 10 on Showcase.

When Andy Burns asked me if I would like to interview Jaime Murray from Defiance, I said “Holy Shtako!” which translates into “Hell yeah!” I’ve been a fan of Jaime Murray since Dexter and have been following her on Warehouse 13 and on Showcase’s Defiance, shown on the Syfy Channel, where Jaime plays Castithan Stahma Tarr, wife of Datak Tarr (Tony Curran), and mother of Alak Tarr (Jesse Rath).  Join me and Jaime, after the jump.

Marie Gilbert asked, “I’m a big fan of yours, and my first question is what attracted you to star on Defiance?

Jaime Murray: “Oh, well thank you, thanks for being a fan. First of all that’s a very nice compliment. Really what always attracts me to a role is character and relationships and I certainly think that Stahma’s character and relationships are really complex, so I knew that as an actress I would find that challenging and it would kind of keep me busy and kind of keep me rooting around for new things to portray about this woman. And when you take on a new role you kind of, you know this is somebody that you’re going to be with for a while and is this an interesting person to spend your days thinking about.

As Stahma in Defiance

“And we’re talking in depth about how they feel about stuff. So it’s a funny situation when you’re on a TV show, and you know often you, hopefully, you’re going to be with these people for years and years. So…

“…you have to – you don’t necessarily have to like them and I certainly often play difficult, or troubled, or complex or you could, if you judged them, you might say that they were bad women – so you don’t necessarily have to like them, but they certainly have to be interesting. You have to understand them or be willing to.”

For my next question, I asked, “With the different characters you played, and I know you played H.G. Wells with…Warehouse 13, and you played Lila on Dexter, and now Stahma. Which one is your favorite?

Jaime Murray:   “You don’t ask an actress which is their favorite character, that’s like Sophie’s Choice. They’re like… They’re like your little children. I mean I kind of – I love them all for different reasons I mean- and you know you feel kind of quite protective of them. I certainly loved the journey I had on Warehouse 13 with H.G. Wells because first of all I really started out as antagonist and I suppose I was the villain of a piece in that first season, but it wasn’t – you kind of always had an understanding that there was a lot more going on with H.G.. And then I had two more seasons to rectify that and turn that around and kind of you know, I really went through a full spectrum of emotions with that character and her relationships with the Warehouse and with the people in the Warehouse really, really changed. And you know with this season that you’re just seeing now, it’s cathartic playing somebody who does wrong, but you understand maybe why she made those choices.

As H.G. Wells in Warehouse 13

“And… you understand that maybe she wasn’t in her – the right state of mind. And arguably anyone who does anything truly kind of immoral or bad isn’t in their right state of mind. And then she – I feel as though in this season maybe you’re going to see a chance of her now everything has been taken away from her. Who is she… and sometimes you’re defined by the strongest emotions. And I certainly think that she was driven by sadness and anger for such a long time and I kind of felt a real vulnerability about her when those two very powerful emotions are taken away.”

For my next question, I asked, “Well, she’s a good character and I was wondering if she, H. G. Wells, helped you fit into this Stahma role for Defiance?”

Jaime Murray:  “Well they’re certainly very different roles, but it was my first out and out sci-fi show I’d ever been on. And you know, I certainly from being on Warehouse 13, I understood the scope of sci-fi and I understood that the stakes are just so high on these shows – it’s good versus evil, it’s life and death, it’s courage, and hope, and bravery, and ambition, and all sorts of very powerful driving forces in sci-fi.

“The other thing that I particularly liked about Defiance is it’s you know you’re talking about a world 35 years in the future and you’re talking about a world with seven species competing for a space on this planet and it’s so skewed and it’s so fantastical that as a viewer you can watch it and, it’s not like you’re holding up a mirror and, obviously because it’s such a different world that you’re showing, but actually all the themes that you’re talking about are so relatable.

With Eddie McClintock in Warehouse 13

“But you – it – I feel as though as an artist I’m able to play with issues like for example with Stahma and you know whether it be in the marital home or whether it be because of how the repressed her gender is and her in the society that she comes from – back from her own planet or whether we’re talking about the caste structure from her own planet. They’re all interesting themes to be discussed but in a very new way.

“In fact through investigating and looking at what it is to be alien it forced me, it forced Jaime, to look at again with fresh eyes what it is to be human. And it’s just an interesting way of investigating old and important themes. And themes that hopefully the viewer, you repackage them in a way that the viewer isn’t saturated with and bored with them and kind of look at it – can look at them with fresh eyes and maybe kind of take them on board in a different way.”

Marie Gilbert said, “I have another question. Because you’re the mother of Alak and he’s getting married to Christie, I wanted to know because of your position and that you’re trying to move ahead on the show, evolve more on the show, does your character really like the future bride of her son?”

With Jesse Rath and Tony Curran on Defiance

Jaime Murray:     “I mean, I think that, I think it could be a lot worst. I mean I think that she feels a great curiosity and I think she does feel affection for Christie. The thing is about Stahma is that nothing is black and white. Obviously Christie would not be allowed anywhere near Alak if there wasn’t something in it for the Tarr family. And you know the McCawley minds and the power that the McCawley’s wield within the town of Defiance is certainly very attractive to Stahma, and now Datak. If you remember rightly in the pilot, he was completely against it until she gently reminded him how useful this could be to them as a family and their credibility in the town.

“However I think that Christie is a very sweet girl considering she’s a modern girl and I mean even more modern because she’s five years in the future. It’s probably reaffirming to Stahma where she comes from a world where women are very submissive and it would probably be much harder for her if she was dealing with you know your average flaky teenage girl.

“And also it’s something quite comforting, she probably feels as though she can really control Christie. There’s such an innocence and a sweetness to her that Stahma’s going to know which buttons to press and so really she’s – it’s probably a quite comfortable situation to be leading her son into yet another situation that Stahma can have full control over.”

Marie Gilbert said, “Right, and…”

Jaime Murray:  “You know it probably it would probably be very worrying if – well I doubt Stahma would allow it, for Alak to be marrying somebody who would be taking him away from Stahma.”

Marie will be back with Part Two of Jaime Murray’s interview on Monday.

Back again, with part two of Biff Bam Pop!’s Jaime Murray interview. Jaime plays Stahma Tarr, a Castithan, one of the Votan races now living on Earth in Syfy’s new show, Defiance.  In part one of the interview, we spoke about Jaime’s character and her place in the show. Join me now, after the jump, as we continue learning more about Jaime and Stahma.

Marie Gilbert asked, “What is it like to work with Tony Curran who plays Datak Tarr?

Jaime Murray:  “Tony’s become one of my really close good friends, I feel immense affection for him. And it’s just so great working with somebody that you genuinely have such good feelings for, because often as an actor you know there’s – I guess what’s good about Julie and I sitting there talking about these made up people for hours on end, there’s a certain child-like quality that you have to have to share these fantasies with people, share these stories that you’ve made up in your head with people and these ideas.

“We all did that as children freely and as you grow up you stop doing it because you feel a bit silly, and you have to be silly to an actor really. You have to be able to be prepared to come up with an idea that other people won’t particularly like or try something which is dreadful and then you present something else which is equally dreadful and then finally you come up with something which is brilliant and…”

With Tony Curran in Defiance

“…kind of weird that works for them and strange. But you can only really do that if you’re with somebody that you really trust. I’m lucky that on the cast of Defiance there’s a whole bunch of actors that I trust, but I’m particularly lucky that one of the ones I have a really special relationship is Tony Curran because obviously he plays my husband.”

Marie Gilbert said, “Right.”

Jaime Murray: “So yes, it’s good fun. And when the three of us all get on set you know and I’m with Alak and Datak, we just have a ball.”

Marie Gilbert said, “It looks like you’re real close.”

Jaime Murray: “In fact it’s funny because I don’t know whether it’s because we’re both from the UK but back home we have our own TV shows and sitcoms and funny little sayings and adverts that you grew up watching and you know the jingles from and when you go to another country you kind of lose a lot of those points of reference.”

Marie Gilbert said, “Right.”

Jaime Murray: “Whether it’s the biscuits that you had and you dipped in tea or whatever and I’d say that to an American and they’d look at me like I was potted. In fact it took me, I’ve been in the USA for six years now and now I’ve got really close friends, American friends here and often I’ll talk to them and I’ll use a turn of phrase like ‘Bob’s your uncle’ or I don’t know, ‘I’ll be out here’ and – silly little phrases that I say – and they’ll look at me like I’m mad and now they’ll tell me ‘I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.’

“Where as you know I’ll say those things to Tony and he instantly knows what I’m talking about and he’ll come back with another silly phrase or another silly jingle or a funny accent from the north of England or whatever, we can – we’ll sometimes banter backwards and forwards and Julie Benz will walk into the makeup truck and she’ll be like ‘I have no idea what you people are talking about. I don’t know what you’re talking about. In fact I can’t even understand you’. So we have a way of a tone.”

Marie Gilbert asked, “That’s great. That’s good when you have a close relationships on this show right, I believe that, but I wondered if the question I was always puzzled what does Stahma do during the day? They don’t really show us what your duties are because you’re someone important so what do you do?”

Jaime Murray:   “Well like I said I feel very much like I’m in a period piece. So I think that good housekeeping and keeping things running and running the books and kind of I think that the Castithan people have their own little rituals. I think that Stahma is like queen of the Castithans so I think that she kind of really – it’s like she has this kind of archaic role she’s playing.”

Marie Gilbert said, “Right.”

Jaime Murray:  “She’s doing her weaving and she’s doing the ceremonies; she’s at home kind of holding court I think.”

Marie Gilbert asked, “Okay. That was because I was confused on what she did so that answered my question. I have one more question. Do you play the game Defiance?”

Jaime Murray: “I have played the game Defiance, in fact I’m getting a XBox so when I come back up to Toronto, because I think I’m going to play it in my trailer. And obviously you know that us actors get a lot of down time and especially on this show I’m fully dressed up, completely painted in white from head to toe with the wig on and everything so it’s not like I can exactly lay down or pop to the shops when they’re not using me for hours, so I’ll be playing the game when I come back to work.

Sooo… why aren’t you watching Defiance?

“But I did play it when it launched and I was absolutely awful at it, I think the qualities that made me – drew me to acting: sensitivity or over emphasizing or whatever make me an awful gamer because I get far too excited, far too into it and before you know it I’m squealing and ducking as if something really is coming at me and I think that to play the game you have to have a certain amount of skill and be cool, calm and collected and they’re not really qualities that I possess. Maybe Stahma would be really good at playing the game.”

Marie Gilbert asked, “Well I don’t feel so bad then because I’m really bad at the game but I guess I’m trying to think of I know you’re in a movie coming up. I know this has nothing to do with Defiance. But you’re in a movie — one of my favorite movies – Fright Night.”

Jaime Murray:     “Yes. Really fun and…”

Marie Gilbert said, “Fright Night Two.”

Jaime Murray:     “Yes I went and shot Fright Night Two straight after I finished on Defiance and it was interesting actually. I started reading a lot about the vampire myth, and I was playing the vampire in Fright Night, and there’s a lot of kind of… and Freudian analysis of the vampire myth because it’s a, it’s been a very popular myth for the last couple of hundred years.

“And the more I read about it the more it reminded me of the Castithans you know they’re very narcissistic and they’re very self-serving and they really kind of use other people for their own ends. And even the way she is with her own child, Alak, there’s something very vampiric about her. So hopefully when I come back this year I’ll use that to flesh her out even more.”

Jaime Murray is such a pleasure to interview and I hope to speak with her again. I wanted to thank Meg Campbell and Natasha Dunkley of Shaw Media in Toronto for offering this interview opportunity to Biff Bam Pop!

Make sure to watch Defiance and Jaime Murray on the Syfy Channel, Mondays at 9 PM, followed by Warehouse 13 at 10 p.m. where Jaime Murray plays H.G. Wells.  

I called the shots on this show with my first review of Defiance when it first premiered. I said that it was damn good science fiction and I was right. With top notch actors and its part western/part Farscape scenes and stories, my whole family and I are hooked. The ending was a surprise and we were left with a few mysteries and a few farewells. Who’s gone? Find out, after the jump, in this spoiler alert filled review.

Dangerous Men

I’m still recovering from our own three ring circus of a Presidential Election, and here I was again on the edge of my seat as Datak Tarr (Tony Curran) and Amanda Rosewater (Julie Benz) battled for the position of town mayor. There were enough backroom deals going on to keep me guessing on who would finally win the election, especially with Datak dealing with the secretive Earth Republic’s Colonel Marsh (Barry Flatman). Amanda was hoping that her good work while in office would bring in votes. Poor baby, that’s not how it’s done in politics.

Datak’s distain for Alak’s (Jessie Rath) attempt to help with the election was a bit confusing. Why wouldn’t he appreciate the free radio plugs? Datak is a cold hearted manipulator, but there are people more conniving than him. Colonel Marsh showed his true colors; a snake in the grass and just as greedy as Datak. In the end, Datak won the coveted prize of power as the new mayor, and one unexpected result; his own downfall. Oh yes, my little aliens, Shtako happens in every election, and Datak wasn’t spared a confrontation with the real people in power.

A new member of the Earth Republic is after Irisa. Who is Black Jonah (Matthew Lemche) and what does he want with the town of Defiance and Irisa. It was very upsetting to see this man line up the citizens of the Irathient village for execution. Even when Irisa surrenders herself to save the village, this nasty man gives the word to kill them all. Luckily, for the Irathients, Nolan doesn’t like executions or the Earth Republic.

Dangerous Women

Stahma had her own problems on this episode. She was guilty of a few pleasurable indiscretions with Kenya (Mia Kirshner) which would have left Stahma at the mercy of Datak and his short fuse temper tantrums. But blood is stronger than lust and Kenya was angry with the Tarr family; Datak tried to have Amanda killed before the elections. Did these two women love each other? Maybe, and I think Kenya helped Stahma to finally experience a sexual satisfaction that Datak was unable or unwilling to allow. But Stahma is a chameleon and no one really knows her. She’s graceful, beautiful and charming, but she hides a stinger and like a black widow spider, traps her enemies in her web. Stahma is the real power in the Tarr family and where Datak stomps his feet and screams at his enemies; Stahma whispers as she lowers her fangs on the unsuspecting flies.

Amanda and Kenya console each other after Amanda loses her job. The sisters are close and have survived some bad stuff, but it’s the last chat that they will share. Kenya is planning on running away with Stahma.

Stahma, to save her own life not only betrays Kenya, but causes her death. I think Stahma had feelings for Kenya. The method she chose to eliminate her lover was swift and I hope painless, but it’s what Stahma did as Kenya lay dying that makes me think there was more than just sex shared between the two.

I think one of the reasons I like this show so much is because of the loving relationship between Nolan (Grant Bowler) and his alien daughter. Irisa’s (Stephanie Leonidas) life is in the hands of fate, as we try to figure out her connection to what’s buried below the town. There is something powerful inside her and enough bad people, who want what she has, to make season two worth waiting for. When Nolan and Tommy try to rescue Irisa, Nolan’s mortally wounded, but Irisa holds his life in her hands. What does she do? This is one secret that you’ll have to watch the show to find out.

Dr. Yewll (Trenna Keating) is a complete mystery. Is she good? Or, is she good at being bad. I don’t know if we can trust this tricky alien. She easily killed her comrade, Nicky (Fionnula Flanagan) and she was secretly doing experiments on Irisa. But, when Black Jonah wants to remove the artifacts from Irisa at any cost, Dr. Yewll gives advice to the captive girl; run! Dr. Yewll is a character to keep your eye on and one of the most interesting aliens on the show.

Conclusion

I like the show and the like the actors. The stories are interesting, but the special effects need to be pumped up a bit. I had the honor of interviewing the amazingly talented Jaime Murray on her character, Stahma. It’s a two part interview in which Jaime talks about the show, the game and the comraderie between the actors. She also hinted at what Stahma is really like. See you for the next season of Defiance and try not to step into any Shtako.

When our illustrious leader and Editor-In-Chief, Andy Burns, asked his admiring Biff Bam Pop! staff for our choice of the best of 2013, I was hesitant. I had five of my favorite TV shows already lined up and I only had to pick the best episode for each one.

It would be a piece of cake, right? Hell no! How could I pick the best episode of “The Walking Dead” when I love each and every episode, same with “American Horror Story,” “Defiance,” “Orphan Black,” and “Bates Motel“? Did I flip a coin? Nah! Did I choose wisely? You judge after the jump.

Defiance Episode 12: “Everything is Broken”

“Defiance” is one of the better science fiction shows on Syfy, and features humans and aliens living together on a radically changed earth after a long and brutal war. On Episode 12, all the pieces fall in place. Mayor Amanda Rosewater (Julie Benz) loses the election to Datak Tarr (Tony Curran). Stahma Tarr (Jaime Murray) kills Amanda’s sister Kenya (Mia Kirshner). Nolan (Grant Bowler), the local lawman, is shot and killed protecting his alien daughter, Irisa (Stephanie Leonidas) from Colonel Marsh.

Irisa escapes from Marsh and releases the power inside her, which heals Nolan. Colonel Marsh is killed by Datak Tarr, and the Earth Republic Army takes over the town of Defiance. Biff Bam Pop! did a two-part interview with the talented Jaime Murray and got the inside scoop on what makes Stahma tick. The show returns in June 2014 on Syfy.

Orphan Black Episode 6: “Variations”

This episode of “Orphan Black” was hilarious. Yeah, I know it’s supposed to be a serious science fiction series about clones, but, episode 6 was a ‘Keystone cops’ type of show. The marvelous Felix (Jordan Gavaris) and clone Sarah (Tatiana Maslany plays all the clones) help out one of many clones when Alison knocks out her husband Donnie (Kristian Brunn) with a golf club, before tossing him down a flight of stairs and torturing him with her scrapbooking hot glue gun. Alison thinks that Donnie is part of Dr. Leekie’s (Matt Frewer) gang. Problem is the neighbors are at the door for a potluck dinner and Alison is drunk as a skunk.

Street wise Sarah pretends to be Alison while Felix plays a butler leaving the neighbors confused as hell. Things go from bad to worse after Vic (Michael Mando) and Sarah’s boyfriend Paul (Dylan Bruce) show up at the party. Sarah has to keep the other clones safe while protecting her daughter Kira (Skyler Wexler). The science behind the series and its pros and cons of cloning are accurate, but the plots need more action. “Orphan Black” returns to BBC America on April 19, 2014.

Bates Motel Episode 8: “A Boy and His Dog”

In the first seven episodes of “Bates Motel,” you’re able to blank out the fact that this angelic faced teenager grows up to be a serial killer. Norman (Freddie Highmore) is the victim of his crazy mother, right? Norma (Vera Farmiga) is crazy alright, but Norman is no angel and his darker side comes out when he realizes that Bradley (Nicole Peltz) isn’t interested in him after she and him did the nasty thing. Angry at Bradley, he lures his dog into oncoming traffic.

The Bates family has problems: Norman’s school recommends a therapist; Sheriff Romero (Nester Carbonell) is on to Norma killing the former owner of the motel; Norman’s older brother, Dylan (Max Thieriot) works for the town’s drug cartel; Mr. Abernathy (Jere Burns), the man in room #9, is involved in human trafficking, and good old Norman practices taxidermy on his dog. Luckily for Norman he has a loyal friend in Emma (Olivia Cooke). “Bates Motel” returns with a new family member in 2014 on A&E.

American Horror Story: Coven Episode 8: Head

Out of the three seasons, I think season 3 of “American Horror Story: Coven” is by far the best. How could it fail with three top notch actresses on board? Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates and Angela Bassett make being devious and scary look freaking great. Surrounded by AHS’s recurring cast, our three divas keep their fans asking for more. Facebook and Twitter went wild after Fiona (Jessica Lang) killed Madison (Emma Roberts) and Cordelia (Sarah Paulson) was blinded by acid. When Marie Laveau (Angela Bassett) sent her zombies to attack Miss Robichaux’s School, and Fiona had Myrtle (Frances Conroy) burned at the stake, I was wondering if this show could get any crazier. It did!

While Fiona got down and dirty with the Axeman (Danny Huston), Marie Laveau gets her revenge on Delphine and leaves a package at Fiona’s door. Poor Delphine! She’s a bitch, but you can’t help loving her. Delphine is missing her body and she’s stuck with the Voodoo Queen. Hank (Joseph Hamilton) went postal at Laveau’s Beauty Salon, but now worries; nothing stays dead in New Orleans. The war is on between the witches and the witch hunters. “American Horror Story: Coven” returns on January 8th on FX at 10 PM with a possible appearance by the fabulous Stevie Nicks.

The Walking Dead Episode 8: “Too Far Gone”

Season 4 of “The Walking Dead” served up several shocking episodes. It was a season of bad choices made on both sides. On the mid-season finale, episode 8, we witnessed the long lasting effects of the choices made by both Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and The Governor (David Morrissey). Carol (Melissa McBride) made a choice to keep her friends safe by killing what she considered a threat to the group; Because of Carol’s actions, Rick made the choice to banish her from the group, and The Governor made a choice that caused the very person he promised to protect to fall victim to a walker.

We were tricked into thinking that The Governor had changed his ways, but we were fooled. As soon as he could, The Governor eliminated anyone in his group that challenged him, and then he went after the people living at the prison by holding Michonne and Hershel as pawns. His ruthless actions caused the death of several people on both his team and Rick’s. We thought that Rick was a goner, but Michonne (Danai Gurira) put an end to the Governor. A string of poor choices and now Hershel (Scott Wilson) is dead, Megan (Meyrick Murphy) is dead, The Governor is dead and maybe even baby Judith.  The series returns in February on AMC, but I’ll be mulling over episode 8 for quite a while; it was a heartbreaker.

Conclusion

So, my little zombie snacks, I gave you my best five episodes. Did I make the right choice? You tell me.

I love good science fiction shows and this year, I’ve been lucky enough to write about two of them and hopefully get you to check out a third one that I’ve discovered. One show in particular kept me interested because of its subject matter; genetics. Another show because of its plot centered on alien and human cohabitation, and a third because it handled zombies is such a different way. What are my February Faves of science fiction? Find out after the jump.

Orphan Black

“Orphan Black” premiered on BBC America and was created by Graeme Manson and John Fawcett. The premise of this intriguing show did not ask if cloning was possible; it is, but what happens after you’ve cloned a human? What are the pros and cons of cloning humans? Do clones have rights?  Everything on this show is based on scientific research, and the story allows the audience a peek into the shady side of cloning; think runaway science project.

The main star is the very talented Tatiana Maslany. Tatiana plays Sara Manning, an orphan who is street wise and always in trouble. She has a young daughter, Kira (Skyler Wexler), who is being raised by Sara’s foster mother Mrs. S. (Maria Doyle Kennedy). After witnessing a look-a-like commit suicide, Sarah takes over the dead woman’s identity, bank account and boyfriend and becomes Beth Childs a police detective. Over the next few episodes Sara/Beth learns that she is clone and that there are other look-a-likes living in the vicinity.

Tatiana Maslany played seven different clones on season one. Tatiana was so good at morphing into the different personalities of each clone that you actually believe the clones were separate entities. Jordan Garvis plays Felix Dawkins, Sarah’s adopted brother, sidekick, and thankfully for us, comic relief. Sarah meets her birth mother and learns about Rachael Duncan a self-aware Proclone. People are trying to kill the clones. If you want to know why then catch up on season one because the season two premieres on April 19th, 2014.

Defiance

I didn’t think I would find a science fiction show equal to “Firefly” and “Farscape,” but the Syfy channel along with Universal Cable Productions and Trion Worlds has produced a hit series with its very own video game that ties in with the show; “Defiance.”

The story is set in the future where several species of aliens known as the Votans come to Earth seeking a new home; their solar system was destroyed. The original occupants of Earth are not looking for new BFF’s and a war breaks out. Carried on these spaceships is the technology to terraform the planet Earth to make it more suitable for the new species. Unfortunately the technology is released when one of the ‘Arks’ falls to earth causing a drastic change to the landscape and fauna on Earth. Antarctica is now a tropical rainforest.

A fragile peace is made and aliens and humans work and live together. The story focuses on one town, Defiance AKA Old St. Lewis and the people and aliens; good and bad, who live there. Grant Bowler is Joshua Nolan, the local lawman who along with his adopted alien daughter, Irisa (Stephanie Leonidas); try to keep humans and aliens from doing each other in. Their task is not an easy one, but they find an ally in Mayor Amanda Rosewater (Julie Benz) and her sister Kenya (Mia Kirshner) the Madam of the local saloon.

Like I said, there are good and bad on both sides, but it is the Tarr family that you need to beware of. While Datak Tarr (Tony Curran) stops at nothing, including murder, to take control of the town, his wife Stahma (the fabulous Jaime Murray) slowly draws her unsuspecting enemies within her web of deceit and death. Biff Bam Pop! did a two part interview of Jaime Murray, here and here Neither Datak or Stahma can control their headstrong son Alak (Jesse Rath) from falling in love with Christie McCawley (Nicole Munoz) daughter of Rafe (Graham Greene) owner of the mines and arch enemy of Datak. The cliff hanger has Irisa discovering her powers as the soldiers of the Earth Republic march into the town. This awesome show returns in June 2014.

The Returned

I found this show on one of those sleepless nights where I sit in front of the TV and scan the cable guide looking for anything that will hold my attention. “The Returned” not only held my attention, but made me a big fan. Created by Fabrice Gobert and shown on Canal+ in France and the Sundance Channel, “The Returned” is based on the 2004 film They Came Back, or in French Les Revenants. The story takes place in a small mountain town where suddenly dead people return to their homes looking quite healthy and alive, but with no memory that they’ve been dead; some for many years.

Season one of the story centers around a young teen Camille (Yara Pilartz) her twin Lena (Jenna Thiam) who is now for years old and not so happy to have Camille return, Simon (Pierre Perrier) a young man who was dead for ten years and returns to learn he has a daughter, Victor (Swann Nambotin) a small boy who was killed thirty years ago and Serge (Guillaume Gouix) a serial killer who likes to eat the internal organs of the women he kills.

If this scenario wasn’t enough to get your attention, there is also the problem of the town’s reservoir mysteriously getting lower as strange power outages continue to increase. Season one ended with a horde of dead people, who once lived in the town that was buried beneath the reservoir, coming for the newly raised zombies. It’s not your typical zombie show and I can’t wait for season two which should return in late 2014.

Conclusion

Hope you liked my pick of February Faves because I’m looking forward to reviewing them for you this year. Stay tuned for more of Biff Bam Pop!’s February Faves.

In my last post I named a few contenders for the title of King of Bad. There were many deserving candidates, but in the end only one King, The Governor (David Morrissey). We have three ladies from three different series fighting for this next title and it may turn into a big catfight so you better head for cover. Which three ladies have I chosen to battle it out for the title of Queen B? Find out after the jump.

Meow #1

When “Bates Motel” premiered last year, no one was prepared for Norma Bates (Vera Farmiga). This little vixen came out scratching at the eyes and the audience was left, unprepared. Norma was used to getting what she wanted, when she wanted it, and heaven help you if you got in her way. Even her sons weren’t safe from her conniving ways. Even though her older son, Dylan (Max Thieriot) was on to her tricks, poor Norman (Freddie Highmore) the younger boy wasn’t; making him easily manipulated.

Like a black widow spider, Norma Bates weaved her web hoping to seduce and control Deputy Zack Shelby (Mike Vogel), Sheriff Alex Romero (Nestor Carbonell) and even Mr. Abernathy (Jere Burns), but the town of White Pine Bay has its own secrets; dangerous ones, and our little feline has to watch her back. Now don’t you fret my little horror fans, because Norma Bates has little Norman to rule over and she is turning her sweet son into a dangerous psycho. Will Norma Bates win the title of Queen B?

Hiss #2

With the premiere of “American Horror Story: Coven,” we were faced with three contenders to the title. It was a Witches’ Ball from hell. Fiona (Jessica Lange), Delphine LaLaurie (Kathy Bates) and Marie Laveau (Angela Bassett) were so wicked they made ‘BAD’ an Olympic Event. Delphine tortured every poor soul who crossed her path and she made bigotry her hobby. Losing her head did nothing to tame her wild and wily ways. Marie Laveau may have had the best Hair Salon in New Orleans, but it was her Voodoo magic that struck fear in her enemies as she called forth the dead from their graves.

But, in the end there was only one witch mean enough to make it to the finals and that was the Supreme herself, Fiona. I’ve seen plenty of evil witches in my time beginning with my introduction of Disney’s Snow White, but Fiona outdid them all with her tigress like stride; she bedazzled her admirers as she ripped out their hearts. Even her own daughter Cordelia (Sarah Paulson) wasn’t safe from dear old mom’s insane jealousy and cunning. But… as wicked as Fiona was, could she take the title of Queen B?

Purr #3

With the premier of Defiance, we were introduced to our next contender. “Defiance” is a new series on the SyFy channel about aliens and humans surviving on an apocalyptic Earth. Stahma Tarr (Jaime Murray) reminds you of a Siamese cat as she slinks her seductive body through the town of Defiance; doing anything she can to ensure her husband’s success. There is a whole lot of Shtako going on whenever Stahma’s in a scene. Stahma may play the obedient and proper wife of Datak, but don’t be fooled. This kitten is dangerous as she matches wits with the lawman, Nolan (Grant Bowler) and the town’s mayor, Amanda Rosewater (Julie Benz). Even Datak Tarr (Tony Curran), her husband is not safe from her sharp claws and woe to those who fall in love with Stahma; she has a poison for every occasion. Just ask Kenya Rosewater (Mia Kirshner).

Conclusion

Decisions, decisions, it was harder to choose a Queen B than it was for the King of Bad. Why? Well women are so much better at bad; they’re smarter. We have to be to survive as long as they have with all these bad men around. As much as I love Norma Bates and Fiona Goode, they’ve lost this catfight to a pro. So give a pat on the back to our new Queen B, the scrumptious Stahma Tarr, but do so at your own risk; this kitten has claws.

Jaime Murray did a two part interview for Biff Bam Pop! and in truth; she’s nothing like her character on “Defiance.” Jaime is a sweetheart and I enjoyed interviewing her. Check out Jaime Murray’s interview here and here.

Were you happy with my choice of Queen B, if not, who is your favorite wicked woman?

Holy shtako! “Defiance” is back and I can’t wait to get my Votans organized. This show is partnered with its own game, which stays true to the show. We were left with some questions that will hopefully be answered in season two. Join me on this fast moving recap and watch out for debris falling from the Ark Belt.

Earth 2047

The people of Earth have problems. Even though the war with seven different alien species known collectively as the Votans is over, peace is mostly a fleeting possibility. Due to a mysterious event which the humans lay blame on the aliens and they on us, Earth’s ecosystem has been changed through terraforming leaving we viewers with some interesting  hybrid bugs and plants to learn about; some very dangerous.

The humans and aliens who survived the Pale Wars must now live together is an uneasy truce. If you think the ongoing rants in today’s news regarding immigration laws is maddening, imagine if the alien we were speaking about was just that; alien, not from Earth. Makes you think look at the word a bit differently when you’re speaking about a fellow human, right?

St. Louis is now called Defiance and our main star Grant Bowler as Joshua Nolan, and his alien adopted Irathient daughter, Irisa (Stephanie Leonidas) come into town without a Lawkeeper. Nolan gets the job, and Irisa becomes a deputy along with Tommy LaSalle (Dewshane Williams).  Believe me, it’s not easy getting the humans and aliens to place nice together, especially when you deal with two power hungry factions.  Spoiler alert: There is something special about our little Irisa.

The Tarrs

Datak Tarr (Tony Curran) a Castithan is like the alien version of Tony Soprano. He wheels and deals with black market trading and criminal elements. His wife Stahma, played by the enchanting Jaime Murray, is by Castithan custom considered a second class citizen (think Middle East views on women) but she manipulates her husband and others around her with the ease of a black widow spider.

I did an interview of the lovely Jaime Murray and you can read it here and here. Their only child, Alak (Jesse Rath) breaks the segregation rule by falling in love with human Christie McCawley (Nicole Munoz).

The McCawleys

Rafe McCawley (Graham Greene) is a tough man and the owner of a Gulanite mine. He’s not a happy camper. His wife ran off and left him to care for the children. He’s not as understanding or accepting of the aliens like his daughter, plus there are secrets down in that mine.

The Sisters

Amanda Rosewater (Julie Benz) is the Mayor of Defiance having stepped in for the ailing Nicky (Fionnula Flanagan) who is the human counterpart to Datak Tarr in criminal activity. Amanda unlike her predecessor is a good mayor and is concerned for the people both alien and human, but she’s lost the election to Datak at the end of season one.

Kenya Rosewater (Mia Kirshner) is, or was, the owner of the bar/brothel called the NeedWant. As the younger sister of Amanda, she had the best clientele visit her and her ladies. Kenya made nice with lawmaker Nolan, Datak and Stahma. What can I tell you; business was good. When Kenya threatened Stahma that she would tell Datak about their little secret meetings, Stahma made sure she didn’t get the chance. She tricked Kenya into drinking poison.

The Earth Republic

Colonel Marsh (Darryl Flatman) is in charge of this human run government army. The Colonel wants something that is hidden in the mine; an alien ship full of weapons. McCawley won’t turn over his rights to the mine, so the Colonel helps Datak win the election. Datak allows the Earth Republic to take over the town. Dumb move! When Datak realizes that Marsh was only using him, he kills the Colonel.

Irisa

Irisa has weapons inside her, which Dr. Yewll (Trenna Keating) an Indogene tries to keep that secret from the Earth Republic. Nolan is killed trying to protect Irisa, but she escapes and heads to the mines, the alien ship and her destination. She makes a decision to take a fatal leap and Nolan comes back to life. We don’t know if Irisa lived.

Conclusion

This show is well written and the acting is top notch. The show is on Thursday night and hopefully more people will have a chance to see it. It reminds me of a science fiction western, but in a good way. I’ll be doing the recaps for each episode and I’m looking forward to learning more about the buried city of St. Louis. With my older grandson now part of the United States Marines, I haven’t played the Defiance game and I have no idea what happened to my avatar… sigh. Watch “Defiance” on Syfy this Thursday, June 19^th at 8 PM EST.  Do be careful not to step in any shtako.

We were left with many unanswered questions from last year’s season finale of “Defiance,” like: what happened to Irisa; what was Datak’s fate after killing Colonel Marsh; what happened to the citizens of Defiance after the Earth Republic had goose stepped their way into control? Tonight we find out, after you grab your cold fire weapon and follow me through the terraformed bad lands.

Occupied

Nine months have passed and the Earth Republic has total control of the town. The Provisional Mayor, Niles Pottinger (James Murray) is giving his weekly televised speech on how nice it is to live in the wonderful world of Oz where law and order reign and everybody is happy. Earth Republic has control of Rafe’s (Graham Greene) mines and although they pay their workers better than Rafe did, they’re kind of lax on the safety issues and one of the workers loses his arm and life.

Pottinger tries to get Amanda (Julie Benz), who is now in charge of the Need Want, to help him convince the people that he’s such a great guy. No Thanks! Amanda and Stahma (Jaime Murray) have some type of shady business deal going on. The envelope of money passing hands was my first guess. Amanda has high hopes that her sister Kenya will return to Defiance. Stahma knows that’s not likely.

Pottinger is second banana to the real boss, Viceroy Mercado (William Atherton). There is some kind of bad blood between the two and when the sons of the mine accident victim call the Earth Republicans no good Nazis, Pottinger is embarrassed big time. He has one of the alien Blue Men arrest the boys and take them to Camp Reverie. They never make it to the camp.

Family Business

Ah, yes, the family that bathes together, rules together or something like that, but Stahma has been bathing alone recently because Datak is at Camp Reverie for the murder of Colonel Marsh. What’s a lonely wife to do, except use something more sensual than bath salts. Unfortunately, her son Alak (Jesse Rath) walks in and finds mother enjoying her bath time a little too much. Season two is already looking a bit risqué. It’s going to be a great season.

Alak is a good boy, but he’s not ruthless enough to gain the respect of his father’s henchmen. They mock him when he gives an order; unfortunately it’s done while Stahma is there. Later, Stahma visits Camp Reverie, which is not a camp and there is definitely no contemplating going on. It is a prison camp and Datak Tarr (Tony Curran) wants out, but he also wants his wife to do her wifely duties. I love to see this man beg.

Nolan

In this episode, the game and show merge on locations and characters when our ex-lawmaker, Nolan (Grant Bowler) heads out to New Chicago and Los Angeles aka Angel Ark in search of his daughter. He gets a lead that she may be in Angel Ark and tracks down a member of the cult who placed the weapons inside Irisa when she was a child. The man’s no help and Nolan kills him. Nolan is ambushed by Varus Soleptor a Liberator Crime lord and one of the characters from the game. Luckily for Nolan, Irisa (Stephanie Leonidas) saves him. She’s alive! But, she’s changed. Somehow her leap into the void had straightened her hair? Something about radiation that made no sense.

Her story about being captured by the Earth Republic and escaping when the caravan was attacked by hell bugs doesn’t ring true. She’s hiding something, but Nolan saw her leap into the void while he was dead and he knows she’s not telling him everything. Nolan wants to head out to tropical Antarctica, but Irisa wants to go back to Defiance. I bet it has something to do with that ship deep in the mines.

Occupied Part 2

Hyatt and Joseph the young men who were being transferred to Camp Reverie were right about the Earth Republic acting like Nazis. The prison camp is a good example. There is a reason that Datak wants out. Living conditions are horrid and the food service sucks. Datak and the others must fight for the scraps that are thrown into the courtyard each day. Luckily for Datak Tarr, our mischievous Doctor Yewll (Trenna Keating) has a plan. They’re going to break out. How? That parts not clear, but the Horney Datak wants some loving, first. Yewll’s reply, “Do you want me to check for lumps?” the classic cold shower comeback. I love this show.

Conclusion

When Joseph returns to tell the townsfolk that Pottinger never meant for them to reach Camp Reverie alive, Amanda decides that the only way to control the sneaky Provisional Mayor is to become his Chief of Staff. What Amanda doesn’t know is that Pottinger has eyes everywhere and I mean everywhere.

Poor Alak is not given a chance to grow into the job of crime boss. Stahma was always the most powerful of the family. She played her cards right and waited for the right opportunity to present itself. Stahma is the new crime boss… at least until Datak escapes.

Irisa has changed and I’m not sure if it’s for the good.  Why did she chase after that woman and kill her. Why does she keep seeing the vision of a younger her and why did she have a vision that she kills Nolan? What are the weapons she carries inside her?

We will need to wait a bit longer for our answers, my little Votans. Meet me next week at the mines.

Possessed portraits, serial killers and dating 101 were the topics on last week’s episode of “Sleepy Hollow.” Poor Ichabod, he’ll need to put more fizz into his romancing techniques if he’s going to win Katrina away from the very passionate and dashing Abraham. We’ve learned the backstory of all the characters, except one. What’s Nick’s worst nightmare. Meet Nick’s childhood caretaker.

Colonial Karaoke

Ichabod, Abbie, Jenny and Nick are hanging out at a club where Abbie does one hell of a karaoke song. There’s no Katrina in sight, so maybe that first date didn’t work out after all. Abbie talks Ichabod into doing a karaoke song. I think our stud muffin should have gone with “All About the Bass” by Meghan Trainor because the song he went with was a downer. Jenny is into Nick, and I think he feels the same way about her, although earlier in the season he made a play for Abbie. And they say girls are fickle. When Nick gets a message that that he’s to pick up an artifact, he leaves the party.

There’s been a rift between Ichabod and Abbie. She’s been keeping secrets from him and doing cases without him. Has she lost faith in her demon fighting sidekick? I think it’s more than that and I know just who to blame. Katrina has Ichabod dangling on a string, and if last week’s date was any indication, then this has to be the most passionless marriage, ever!  I’ve never trusted Katrina and feel that her loyalties are to Abraham and Henry.

Carmella

Nick meets a woman from his past. It’s the woman who raised him after his parents were killed. She’s like a female version of Indiana Jones and she needs Nick to help her. Now, before I go any further with this review, I have to say how freaking happy I was to see one my favorite actresses on Sleepy Hollow. Jaime Murray who is in Syfy’s hit show, “Defiance,” is just the shot in the arm that Sleepy Hollow needs to bring up its ratings. I did an interview on Jaime and she was a joy to chat with. You can find the two part interview here and here. Jaime plays the mysterious Carmella, who is a servant to dark mother, Kali, and our monster of the week. We don’t want to piss off Carmella. She’s got a bad temper and venomous claws.

Nick is torn between helping his former caretaker and protecting his friends. When he breaks into the archives better known as Ichabod’s Cabinet of Curiosities, the alarm goes off bringing Abbie, Jenny and Ichabod in Nick’s red sports car. Does Ichabod have a driver’s license?

The chase through the underground tunnels brings Abbie and Ichabod face to face with Carmella. She escapes before they can capture her. While Abbie and Jenny try to locate Nick, Ichabod and Katrina are going through the archives to see what’s missing. I did have to chuckle at Katrina’s opinion on a book about Mary Poppins.

With the blueprints that Nick took from the archives, he and Carmella plan to break into the Knox vaults to get a statue. Nick is unaware that Carmella plans to use the statue of Kali to make slaves. Ichabod and Abbie’s entrapment inside the vault give them time to talk.

Captain Irving

I guess it’s good to have a lawyer in the family, because Frank needs all the help he can get. Cynthia Irving gets Frank out of trouble, but she isn’t sure if husband is alive or dead. She asks Katrina to help her. Frank gets a clean bill of health from Katrina, but I have my doubts.

Conclusion

There’s been talk that the Fox Network is worried about the low ratings for this show. Having a monster of the week is a sure way to bring up the ratings, but we need more than monsters to fix the lagging storyline. Adding Nick Hawley (Matt Barr) to the plot helped, but somehow the possibility of him and Ichabod doing more adventures together, fell through. It’s a shame because having two stud muffins on the show definitely raised the ratings. While Abbie and Ichabod battle the slaves of Kali, Jenny saves Nick from Carmella, and we get to see Nick without his shirt. In this episode we learn that Nick is leaving. After giving Jenny a kiss goodbye, he’s off to track down Carmella. Will he be back?

Ichabod was upset and maybe jealous of Abbie’s connection to the angel, Orion. He found something belonging to the angel at the archives. Abbie has feelings for Ichabod, but he is trying to fix Katrina and Henry. Abbie needs a partner she can trust. Ichabod needs to choose between Abbie and Katrina.

Jaime Murray is at her best when she plays bad girls. Her Stahma on “Defiance” is proof of that, and I enjoyed her bad girl Carmella, tonight. If you want the ratings to go up, keep bringing guest stars aboard like the lovely Ms. Murray.

I guess that little chat in the vault worked because Abbie and Ichabod are back at the karaoke bar and they are doing a duet, “Proud Mary,” and they were good. See you next week, my little sleepy heads.

In last week’s episode of “Sleepy Hollow” we had two special treats. Jaime Murray, who plays bad girl Stahma on Syfy’s “Defiance,” was a guest on the show and, our crime fighting duo Ichabod and Abbie did a duet. This week, Ichabod has to stop a warlock from finding a book of spells, while Abbie is forced to work with Frank. I wonder what Henry is up to?

House Shopping

So, Ichabod is looking for a home. He has a realtor showing him a fixer upper when Abbie reminds him that he needs a few things before signing on the dotted line, like a job and money. Poor Ichabod, he really tries to fit in, but it’s going to take a lot more work.

While Abby is explaining foreclosure to Ichabod, the staff of a local auction house is going through some early American artifacts when an angry pilgrim shows up. He’s looking for a special book of spells called the Grimoire. There really is a book of incantations called the Grimoire and there’s even a connection to the biblical Solomon and Michael the Archangel.

Solomon Kent (Jonathan Schaech) grabs the book and takes off, but not before boiling the blood of the three innocent workers. Unfortunately for Solomon Kent, there are missing pages and it’s up to our crime fighting duo to stop him from getting the missing incantations. We have our monster of the week, a pilgrim warlock.

After investigating the crime scene, Ichabod and Abbie realize they need Katrina’s help. Okay, maybe the writers of the show have been reading my posts, because this week Katrina claims that she’s such a wash out as a witch because she lost her powers while being held captive in Purgatory. But, she’s getting them back. Yeah, but that doesn’t explain why she’s such a wash out with Ichabod. Am I right?

Abbie and Ichabod search through the warehouse tapes and see the image of Solomon Kent and guess what? Katrina recognizes him. Kent is a warlock who started the Salem witch hunt of 1692 to hide the murder of a young girl who did not reciprocate Solomon’s romantic advances. Ichabod compares the Salem witch trials to the 1950’s witch hunt in this country. It was called McCarthyism after Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy, the man who began his own witch hunt against thousands of innocent people. McCarthy accused and condemned, without proof, people of being communists. To McCarthy, even child labor laws were considered a communist ploy. Sound familiar? The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Frank

Even though Katrina gave Frank a clean bill of health, I’m not trusting the man. He tells Abbie that he’s starting fresh, but where is his soul? Frank offers to help Abbie and Ichabod capture Solomon Kent after they learn that Solomon is planning on doing a bit of time travel to the past. Holy 12 Monkeys! There’s that paradox thing again. If Solomon goes back into time, he screws up the future.

Henry

Henry’s alive and he’s hiding at a sleep cheap motel. The owner and her son try to make Henry feel at home. Has Henry changed? Become good? When the owner is threatened by a few bullies, Henry comes to her rescue.

Conclusion

Last week, it was Stahma and this week we have time travel, is Fox channeling Syfy for better ratings? Your guess is as good as mine. The one thing that makes Sleepy Hollow interesting is all those tidbits of historical events, people and items that they drop into the script. I love when Ichabod mentions an historical event because I have fun looking this stuff up to see if it really happened. Another good ploy is the monster of the week. Keep them coming, but please give them some character, some depth.

Abbie and Ichabod are reassessing their partnership which is a good thing. Seeing Ichabod shopping for a home was funny, but first, he’ll need to reassess his relationship with Katrina. There is so much about this woman that he doesn’t know. Solomon Kent was able to bring out the dark side of Katrina, but how will she control it and should she? We need Katrina to be a bitchy witch.

Henry (John Noble) is back in all his nasty glory. He hasn’t changed my little sleepy heads. He’s just as bad as ever and I wouldn’t want him any other way. John Noble is just the perfect actor to bring out the badness this show so desperately needs. Henry has a comrade in the fight of good and against evil and, Frank has the Grimoire that he stole from Solomon Kent. I guess we know who still owns Frank’s soul, don’t we. See you next week, my little sleepy heads

Holy monkeys in a red forest! I don’t know about you, but I’m still recovering from last week’s episode of “12 Monkeys.” Time travel may not be an exact science, but it can sure as hell mess up a good friendship. Ramse has joined the bad guys and Cole is dying from one too many hops on the time train. Will Cassie be able to save him? Is there a doctor in the house?

2043

What exactly do you do when your time machine goes on the blitz? Jones tells Dr. Adler that Cole is stuck in 2015 and that they have to start all over again. Poor Dr. Adler and the rest of Jones’ employees think she is nuts, but she gets them to review all the information. This part is pretty neat because Jones has the staff going through all the stuff on the wall. This wall is real and, if you go onto the “12 Monkeys” site, you can click on this wall and find some clues. Oh, and if you’re wondering about Jones, she’s just as bossy in the past.

Standoff

While my favorite fruit cake, Jennifer Goines, takes over the Markridge Corporation, Cassie goes looking for the only person who can save Cole. It was fun watching Barbara Sukowa playing both old and young Jones. Young Jones likes her cigarettes and she ain’t going back home to Berlin with daddy. She’s on a mission, but young Jones is not a happy camper. She is going through a divorce. Her husband left her after only six days and she’s pregnant.

How would you convince someone that you had information about the future? That a man from the future was at your house? You could wave a gun at them. When the gun doesn’t work, Cassie shows young Dr. Jones her future research papers. Now, this is where it gets confusing and, Cole isn’t the only one surprised that Jones already knew him. Why didn’t future Jones reveal this little fact to Cole earlier in the season? What else is she keeping secret? Jones tells Cassie that they need to get a sample of Cole’s blood before he was splintered.

Matthew

Future Jones has a keepsake box in the year 2043 and, mixed in with her daughter’s baby blanket, is a business card for a garage. There is only one way that she could have gotten this card. Jump back to 2015 and we find Cassie and young Jones visiting a garage where we meet Cole’s dad, Matthew (Patrick Garrow) and five year old Cole (Jack Fulton). Matthew knows something about the Army of the 12 Monkeys from Cole’s mysterious and absent mother, Marion.

Conclusion

Damn! Just when I thought Aaron was one of the good guys, he switches teams. He tells Striking Woman where all the Coles are staying. He brings Pallid man with him and that earns him a punch in the nose from Cassie.

What if your adult child came back from the future to tell you that the world as you knew it, no longer existed; that everyone would die; that you would die because of a pandemic and, while he is telling you this, his younger self is in the kitchen drinking milk. What information would he bring back to stop this pandemic? Would you listen, maybe change things if you could save the millions of people slated to die?

Matthew never had that father and son talk. He was killed by Pallid Man while protecting young Cole. Adult Cole was saved because of his younger self’s blood donation, but he’s stuck in the year 2015. Little Cole is placed in an orphanage. I’m surprised they didn’t change this part of Cole’s past. When Cole tries to update young Dr. Jones on everything he knows about the future, she stops him. Why? She doesn’t want to mess up the future any more than it is? Jones, baby, the future is more messed up than you realize.

2043

Red English Ivy is growing on the time machine. Dr. Adler tells future Jones that it’s from a different time. Outside the facility is a new enemy. Deacon is with them. They look a lot like the Castithans from that other Syfy series, “Defiance.” Now what?

The writing on this show is phenomenal, but paradoxes are not easy to understand. You’re left with questions that can’t be explained. Since Cole is stuck in the past with the young Dr. Jones, I’m wondering if the writers will have them solve the mystery of Cole’s mother, her identity and how she knew about the Army of the 12 Monkeys. They didn’t in tonight’s episode. Maybe we should forget the past and the future and deal with the present.

See you next week, my fine splintered friends. I’ll be the same old me.

Holy Shtako! “Defiance” is back! When we last visited the town of Defiance at the end of season two, Nolan and Irisa were inside the mine and inside a protective bubble, but there is a ship approaching with some unwelcomed guests. Meet me after the jump.

Purple People Eaters

I’m sorry I’m late with the season three recap of “Defiance,” my little Votans, but I was busy communing with nature. Horseshoe crabs would probably fit in nicely with this show. They look kind of alien and, they are older than dinosaurs.

To start the new season, we are introduced to the Omec; a cannibalistic Votan race. T’evgin (Conrad Coates) and his fanged daughter, Kindzi (Nichole Galicia) need the precious gulanite to restore power to their ship, Tsuroz. They view Earth as their very own smorgasbord and, humans are the main dish. The Omecs have a really bad reputation amongst their fellow Votans and, Berlin and Amanda have a hard time keeping the town from lynching the newcomers.

If you think it is easy making up alien names for the alien characters on “Defiance,” think again. I’m writing an apocalyptic series that features aliens, and giving names to aliens, alien planets, and alien objects, is freaking hard. I admire the people, who over the years were able to do this with shows like “Star Trek,” Star Wars, and “Defiance.”

After entering Rafe McCawley’s mine, T’evgin releases Nolan and Irisa from their seven month hiatus inside a globe. I don’t know about you, but having an umbilical cord stuck to my head is downright disgusting.  Things go wrong when Kindzi tries to eat Nolan. T’evgin saves Nolan and Irisa, but they soon find themselves teleported to a snowbank outside the town. How they got there is never explained, which is unfortunate because it made the whole scene seem rushed.

In fact, most of episode one and two seemed rushed. Irisa is afraid to fight, afraid to hurt people, but we don’t get enough time to delve into this fear and we aren’t told how that globe kept them alive, or why it was hooked up to their brains. Did they dream? Weren’t they hungry? Irisa and Nolan spent seven months inside that bubble and their muscles showed no signs of atrophy?

This was a great time to explain some alien technology, but it was skipped over. We learn that there is a book about Irisa called The Amazon Goddess of the Badlands. It’s mentioned a few times, but we are at a loss as to why she’s seen as a hero to some and a traitor to others.

The Town

The E-Rep is gone and Amanda’s in charge again, but the town is falling apart and the stasis net is down; the town is open to attack. With the gulanite mines out of service, Defiance townsfolk are leaving in droves. Berlin is now the Lawkeeper and she’s hunting for Irisa’s head. In case you forgot, Irisa was under the control of the Arkbrain and was blamed for the destruction of New York and possibly Tommy’s death. Even Dr. Yewll wants to abandon ship. Although Amanda convinced Yewll to stay, the good doctor is going to regret this decision.

Defiance has a new enemy in the form of a Votan Collective Castithan ‘Mad Max‘ type of guy, General Rahm Tak (Lee Tergesen). This alien likes to eat human ears and stick human heads on poles. Just the type of enemy that season three needs to add some spice to the show. Tak has taken my favorite alien couple, Stahma and Datak, the Boris and Natasha of the alien world, prisoner.  He wants them to spy on the humans. He wants to take over Defiance one head or ear at a time.

Granny from Hell

Pilar is back and contrary to her claims that she is a loving mom, she is everything but. She and Quentin hold Christie, Alak and half-breed baby Luke prisoner. We are left wondering what had happened since we last saw Pilar and why she felt the need to chain her daughter and Alak to the cabin floor.

Linda Hamilton plays her Pilar like a mad hatter helicopter parent. She hogs the infant Luke to herself, and from the few times we did see Christie with her child, it wasn’t long enough. Pilar is a self-centered woman and she is dangerous to everyone around her. Pilar and Alak are away from the cabin when General Tak shows up.

The Votans

While the Omec, Kindzi, doesn’t hide her hatred of humans and other Votans, T’evgin keeps his cards close to the chest. When Kindzi is attacked by an angry Votan mob after she kills a young boy, Amanda and Nolan surprise me by eagerly slicing some Indogene skin from Dr. Yewll to heal Kindzi. Yewll is upset and I don’t blame her.

Conclusion

I had always enjoyed the Romeo and Juliet theme surrounding Christie’s and Alak. Stahma and Datak tolerated the human girl only because she made their son happy. Rafe tolerated Alak because it made Christie happy. But then, Christie got pregnant. Everybody loves babies, so I expected the Tarrs and McCawleys to be one big happy family, but it was Rafe who put his life on the line for Christie and the baby.

General Rahm Tak might prove to be a worthy opponent for the town of Defiance. Lee Tergesen’s character is not only a scary madman, but he is also funny. General Tak was more impressive than the Omec characters. Tak quickly and unexpectedly, for a season premier, kills Rafe and Quentin. It was left to Stahma to kill Christie.

Jaime Murray has always played her Stahma like an alley cat. We’ve learned to expect how easy it is for her to kill. We’ve seen her in action before and that’s why we love her. General Tak gives Stahma a choice: kill the human or Datak dies. In a moment that seemed to stretch on forever, we can almost hear the gears turning in her head. Life would be much easier if she got rid of hubby. But, from the corner of her eye, she sees the baby hidden in the closet. Goodbye Christie. Poor Alak and baby Luke are now stuck with Pilar.

Quentin’s, Rafe’s and Christie’s death were shocking in that we never expected important characters to die so quickly and so soon into the new season. We were left to question Pilar’s decision to steal baby Luke from his father. Why would Pilar do this? Why not stay together? That scene made it feel like I’d walked into a room at the end of a conversation; unfinished.

Amanda has made a deal with T’evgin. He can mine for gulanite, but he has to share it. The Tarrs have made a deal with General Tak. The stasis net is repaired, but the wolf might already be inside the hen house. I’m hoping that the writers for “Defiance” won’t rush us through the other episodes. A good plot is like a fully loaded cold fire weapon; deadly.

“Defiance” is back and the Tarrs are already in trouble. On the last episode, they were forced to spy for General Tak and if they don’t, Alak’s head will be stuck on a stick. Will the Votan Collective succeed in talking over Defiance?

Amazon Goddess

The show begins with Nolan teasing Irisa about the book that’s been written about her, even though they’ve been missing for seven months, Irisa’s become a paperback hero. She’s the ‘Amazon Goddess of the Badlands.’ I think that book reminds us that this show is all about Nolan and Irisa and how they survive in a sci-fi western. It’s The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly with aliens. I’m really enjoying Grant Bowler’s Nolan and how he plays the befuddled father figure.

Bad Choices

Stahma and Datak return home. They’ve lost everything and they no longer have the power they once had. Datak tells a different story than what really happened, and Amanda is sending Stahma daggers with her eyes. Amanda hasn’t forgotten about her sister’s murder. They have unfinished business. You got to love Stahma’s alligator tears. Nolan decides to do his own spying and maybe kill a few VC along with the horrid General Tak, but can he count on Iris? She may be a hero in the paperback novel, but she’s been having a problem with killing people

I want to know what kind of crystals Andina was using in the communal bath. Although hubby is throwing his weight around once again, Stahma just sits back in the tub and sprinkles a little crystal into the water, leaving Datak clutching what’s left of his dignity. Stahma may be regretting her choice from the last episode. She should have let Tak kill Datak. The Tarrs contact General Tak’s headquarters to warn about Nolan’s arrival. Alak Tarr is more honorable than his parents and gets a beating for it.

Nolan and Irisa happen upon Pilar and notice the baby. There is no mistaking that this baby belongs to Alak and Christie. Nolan and Irisa play along, but they don’t trust Pilar and she doesn’t disappoint. Linda Hamilton makes her character unlikable. She caused Christie’s death. She kidnapped her daughter and placed her in General Tak’s path, now Christie is dead and if that wasn’t bad enough, she stole the baby from his father. What else can she mess up?

Irisa

Irisa may be suffering from post traumatic stress disease and that might be why it’s so hard for her to take a life. She’s not the killer that we grew to love, but a traumatized little girl. After they tie up the pesky Pilar, Irisa, showing her maternal instincts, takes the baby with her. Irisa is showing a different side to her personality this season and I’m curious to see where it will lead her.

Sabotage

Berlin stopped Datak from taking weapons from the arsenal, but Datak wasn’t taking. He was leaving a little something behind. Oh yeah, the Tarrs are back to their tricky little selves and don’t we just love when they are. While Datak promises Amanda that he’ll enlist the help of his criminal friends and join forces with the humans against the approaching VC, Stahma is hitting on T’evgin. What are Boris and Natasha up to now?

Conclusion

I didn’t expect Irisa and Nolan to infiltrate the Votanis Collective so easily, but they did. They probably would have wiped out the enemy if Irisa didn’t hesitate to kill Tak and, if that pain in the butt, Pilar didn’t get out of her restraints and attack Nolan as he was about to take his shot. I was actually happy to see Pilar die. At least I think she’s dead. You never know with Pilar.

Thanks to Stahma flirting with our purple people eater, we find out that the Omec ships were sabotaged. I’m guessing it was the Castithan race that did this. T’evgin claims that he’s not out for revenge, but everyone lies on this show. Everyone has their own agenda.

Nolan should have taken Berlin with him. Irisa has become too soft, too unreliable. The Collective is equipped with a net cutter and Volge automatons and after that failed assassination, General Tak is out for blood, heads, and ears.

Their grandchild was returned to them, but the damage is already done. Datak’s implanting the shrill within the arsenal has left the town defenseless. Stahma and Datak receive another message from Tak… blow up the St. Louis Arch. Yep! Season three is going to be good. Let the best team win.

On the last episode of “Defiance,” Shrills ate Defiance’s weapons; Irisa lost her mojo; Nolan shot Pilar; Stahma hit on T’evgin, and Baby Luke is finally with family. That ear-eating-rascal, General Tak, wants Stahma and Datak to blow up the Arch. Will they? Will Stahma tell us where to purchase the special bath crystals?

The Arch

While Amanda is playing politician and telling the townsfolk that everything is okey dokey, someone is listening in on the hidden recorder. Nolan finds some old files that mention an E-Rep cache of guns hidden on a farm. We wondered if Stahma and Datak would go through with blowing up the St. Louis Arch. Hoped that they wouldn’t, but they are what they are and the Arch is destroyed along with the unfortunate disc jockey. There will be no more music; dead air.

What do you know about the Gateway Arch to the West? The 630 foot Gateway Arch was completed on October 28, 1965 as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States and typifies “the pioneer spirit of men and woman who won the Western frontier. We won’t go into detail that there were already people living on those lands. We’ll save that story for another day.

While General Tak’s hologram is inciting the Votans to rise up against their human neighbors, Alak is shocked that his parents blew up something he loved so much. Alak loved music, loved being a disc jockey and, correctly identified Buddy Rich as the best drummer, ever! Tak might consider humans nothing more than pink meat, but he loves our rhythm. Boris and Natasha are given another assignment from General Tak, kill the Olmec. Seems, the General hates T’evgin more than humans.

While our favorite female fatale mixes up her own special blend of fast acting poisons, Nolan and Amanda go looking for the E-Rep’s arsenal. Nolan and Amanda are greeted by the Fab Four: George, Ringo, Paul and John. No! Not the Beatles, but for bio-men. The arsenal looking very much like Area 51 is under the control of Niles Pottinger played deviously by James Murray. Amanda realizes that Niles is the ultimate stalker and we meet a new character.

Stahma had the shock of her life, well maybe two shocks. Stahma’s poison didn’t work on T’evgin and, he was an excellent sex partner. Jaime Murray has, over the last three seasons, made the Stahma character, hers! She is the only actress that can do this character justice.

Conclusion

I really enjoyed this episode. The bio-men were hilarious, think of a blue Herman Munster. They’re mostly brawn and no brain, but funny except when they’re beating the crap out of Nolan. What is causing Nolan and Irisa to suffer disabling headaches? Does it have to do with those wounds on their foreheads?

Julie Benz was at her best this episode. Niles claims he loves her, but he’s been following her ever since he raped her in New York. He not only keeps the souvenirs from that attack, but he plans on keeping Amanda with him. When she finally gets to visit the screening room, she understands why bio-George recognized her. There is nothing funny about a stalker. There are so many newspaper accounts of women being harassed and then killed by their stalkers and a lot of times, the law can’t do anything to protect these women. Stalkers should be dealt with as seriously as we deal with terrorists because they are just as dangerous.

Niles has been secretly taping Amanda’s private moments. Even though Niles has a Singularity bomb programed to go off if someone tries to kill him, Amanda shoots to kill and gets rid of her stalker for good. Unfortunately, by killing Niles, Amanda also lost the needed weapons. Samir, a Veterinarian, escapes with Amanda and Nolan.

Irisa finds Tommy’s badge and even though Irisa tries to explain that she wasn’t responsible for what happened to Tommy, Berlin won’t hear her out. I hope we find out what’s going on with Irisa and Nolan because they’re both having seizures. While Samir and Amanda take care of Nolan, Berlin leaves Irisa to die.

The only person with a happy ending in this episode is Stahma. She’s found herself a worthy opponent and one hell of a great lover. We learned a bit more about T’evgin. He is centuries old, is a war hero, is feared by General Tak and, he makes great after-sex breakfast. I’m starting to like the purple people eater.

On the last episode of “Defiance,” Amanda learned that she was the bio-men’s favorite porn star and, Stahma found a new playmate. Nolan and Irisa are in trouble and Dr. Yewll will need the help of the Omecs to save them. Who will keep the ear-eating, General Tak from taking over the town?

Remember

The show starts off with a trip down memory lane. Irisa is witness to an event in Nolan’s childhood. We learn that Nolan’s sister’s name was Rebecca and that the aliens arrived when he was a child. They are both trapped inside a dream, a shared dream. How this is possible we don’t know as of yet. We also witness along with Irisa how Nolan’s sister was murdered during the Pale Wars by one of the Votans. Elder and younger Nolan grieves the loss of Rebecca as Irisa looks on.

Datak and Stahma argue over the very virile Omec, T’evgin. I guess we can’t blame him. The sex scenes between Stahma and T’evgin are very steamy. Even though they need the Omec’s help, Datak wants him dead. I’m pretty sure Stahma is wishing that she hadn’t saved Datak from General Tak. I don’t particularly like the Datak character, but I do love the actor who so deviously plays him. Tony Curran portrays his Datak as a male chauvinist who belittles Stahma when he doesn’t get his way. He even stoops so far as to bad mouth Stahma to their infant grandchild. I’m thinking that Datak’s going to regret this later on.

The flashbacks continue with Nolan witnessing Irisa’s memories and they are so different than his. Nolan was in the Pale Wars and before finding Irisa, he was fighting the Votan Collective and killing any alien he came across. Why didn’t he kill Irisa? Was it her young age or was it because she was born on Earth? Irisa’s memories are mostly of her being forced to kill other Votans. They are not happy memories and Nolan is startled that he did not pick up on this. It’s about time that we see a more honest story about Nolan and Irisa’s relationship.

If we are wondering why we are sharing this flashback, it’s because Nolan is dying. Dr. Yewll realizes that the arktech inside Nolan’s and Irisa’s foreheads will not allow father and daughter to be separated. They need to find Irisa, but only Berlin knows where she is.

Afternoon Delights

I think Stahma is enjoying her little romps with that fine specimen of an Omec more than she would like to admit, but she also wants to rescue her son. Stahma tells T’evgin about a picnic that she took her son on when he was a very young child. She had promised Alak that she would always keep him safe. She has failed, but there’s still hope. T’evgin has a ship, but this alien is no dummy. Why risk his ship when he has a more grandiose plan in mind. While T’evgin is busy with Stahma, his daughter has agreed to share technology with Dr. Yewll that might save Nolan and Irisa.

Alak overhears General Tak making plans to buy some weapons from Pottinger. I’m surprised that Tak doesn’t know about Pottinger. Alak, looking every bit a prisoner of war, injures General Tak and makes his escape. He is heading home.

Conclusion

I enjoyed catching up with my shows today especially since I wasn’t able to watch them while on vacation. You can check on my recap of the season finale of “Penny Dreadful,” here. I like “Defiance.” It’s a great science fiction show, but sometimes the plot can seem a bit unconnected. That wasn’t the case with this episode. We got to see more of the fragile relationship that Nolan and Irisa have. I thought that nothing would ever come between father and daughter, but secrets can hurt. I’ve often wondered if it was easy for Irisa to kill one of her own. She isn’t human, even if a human raised her; she is and will always be an alien, a Votan.

While Dr. Yewll, using Kindzi’s Omec technology, operated on Nolan and Irisa, they continued to share memories and Nolan got the shock of his life when he sees that pre-teen Irisa tried to kill him one night. She was a child. Did he not realize how hard it was for her to kill another Votan? Nolan has to take a good look at his treatment of Irisa. In her eyes, he has failed her. He is a killer. She is not. They plan to separate after the surgery.

T’evgin has his moments with his own daughter, Kindzi. He is upset with her trickery. She has shared her technology with Yewll, but she has secretly copied our little Indogene’s cerebral source print. Papa Omec tells daughter to destroy the specimen. I doubt Kindzi will do as she’s told.

I love listening to Dr. Yewll’s rants and wisecracks. She is hilarious and I’m so happy that actress Trenna Keating is getting more air time. Dr. Yewll has to break the bad news to Nolan and Irisa that they won’t be able to part ways because she was only able to repair the arktech.

Stahma played her revenge against hubby’s putdowns with finesse and she did it by interfering with Datak’s plan of shooting T’evgin. Got to love Stahma, but she may not be able to talk herself out of Alak’s plans to cut her throat. He knows that she killed Christie.  It’s not a great time in the town of Defiance for parents or their offspring. See you next week, my little Votans.

On last week’s episode of “Defiance,” we saw some very steamy alien sex and a whole bunch of teenage angst. Stahma and Nolan are in the dog house with their kids. Can Stahma talk her way out of this mess?

Sired Angst

Parents, in their teenage children’s eyes at least, can do nothing right. Last week’s theme carries over to this episode. Alak would have probably killed his own mother if Datak did not come to the rescue. Alak loved Christie. Towards the end of last season, I had doubts especially with Andina flirting with him, but his time in captivity under Pilar and, the birth of his son only sealed his loyalty to his wife.

If Stahma and Datak thought that Alak would not reveal their working for General Tak and the collective, they were in for a surprise and so were we. Maybe it was Stahma and Datak’s attempt to keep baby Luke with them; to keep Alak a prisoner in their home? When Andina arrives with Nolan, Alak tells him everything about his parents and, General Tak. Did we ever expect Alak to betray the sly and foxy Tarr family? Was he right to do so? I like this new Alak and I can’t wait to learn more on Berlin’s old boyfriend, Conrad Von Bach.

Family

Even Attila the Hun had family. Just because you’re a conqueror doesn’t mean that there isn’t a wife or children waiting home for you. General Tak gets a surprise visit from his wife, Volubela, and she has a message from Vice Chandler Voske. Will the head-spiking-ear-eating, Tak, like this message? It was cool to hear Tak bring up David Bowie and his music. I’ve always felt that pop music is, and has always been, the gateway between cultures.

Speaking of families and their customs, we learn some interesting and disturbing information about Omec families when Nolan and Alak go visit T’evgin. While Nolan is asking T’evgin to use his ship’s satellites to locate the fleeing Tarrs, Alak gets a good whiff of a familiar scent. If we wondered if Kindzi was okay with the sexual romps between dad and Stahma; she wasn’t.

Alak is upset to learn that mommy dearest was cheating on dad with the Omec. That is understandable, although he should be accustomed to his parents’ infidelity by now. What wasn’t expected was Kindzi’s jealousy. Omec men bed family and friends alike… big gross out… but it appears that incest is normal in the Omec families.  Nolan and Alak leave when they realize that T’evgin is unable or unwilling to help.

While on the run, we see a new side of Datak. He’s a bastard, we can all agree on this, but he loves Stahma. What we’re reminded of in this episode is that Stahma loves herself. She has her own agenda. She kills a peacekeeper while getting some of her hidden treasures.

Conclusion

I like where the writers of this show are going in this season. The biggest enemy we sometimes need to face is not the invader that threatens to take over our town, but the people we call family. Alak’s love of Christie and his son, Luke, has opened the boy’s eyes. He sees his parents for what they are. He even played along with Nolan to trick his father into giving up more information on General Tak.

Alak, who up to this season, was introduced to us as the spoiled son of powerful people, has grown up. Maybe it was the love he had for the human, Christie, or maybe, it was fatherhood. Children, because of their vulnerability, force us to think and act like adults. Their helplessness and their cuteness make us look outside of ourselves. They become more important than our very lives. We are willing to die for them; pushing the inbred act of self-survival into a closet and forever locking the door.

Irisa has finally faced the truth about Nolan’s bad parenting. She’s still raw from the shared visions she had while under the influence of the arktech, but little Luke is helping her to heal. Alak is surprised, but happy that it was Irisa and Nolan who saved his child from the Mad Hatter, Pilar. I am hoping these two wounded children will develop a friendship and help each other heal.

Datak went to Dr. Yewll for help, and once again, we were treated to wonderful dialogue. The creators of the show are allowing Yewll to show off her wit and I love it. When Datak tries to keep her from shouting out and alerting the peacekeepers, Yewll says, “I hope you washed your hands. It’s the flu season.” I hope to see more Yewll humor on this show.

General Tak may love David Bowie music and, he might have loved his wife, but he loves conquering, more. This is a sick man who gets off looking at human heads on a spike during coitus. Volubela’s pleas for Tak to come home to his family and the Vice Chandler’s order to not attack Defiance fall on deaf ears.

Tak kills his wife and tells his soldiers that she was a spy for the humans. He may have the support of some of the Votans who live in Defiance. Not every alien is happy living under human rule. Volubela and Tak did bring up an interesting theory. Did the collective know that earth was already inhabited? Tak thinks so.

After Datak is captured and jailed, Stahma tries to force Amanda into helping her. Amanda reminds Stahma why she wouldn’t. Stahma is severely injured in a fight with Amanda and goes to T’evgin for help. I am dying to see what Kindzi has to say about that.

Sired Angst Part 2

Nolan, through his shared visions with Irisa knows that he sucked big time as a father. He’s hoping that this failure hasn’t permanently damaged the relationship with his daughter. He really does love Irisa and he wants to be a good father. Alak is wondering if he can do right by his son. He wants to be different than his parents. Isn’t that what we all say? We want to be better than the people who raised us. Sometimes we succeed, but… most times… the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

See you next week, my little Votans. Give your parents a hug. They’re only human.

The gloves are off! On last week’s episode of “Defiance,” Alak went against his parents and joined forces with Nolan. Datak is in jail and a badly injured Stahma has asked for sanctuary from the Omecs. The good news is that Berlin’s old boyfriend is an arms dealer, but will Nolan be able to recruit enough aliens to fight General Tak.

Rough Justice

This may be one time that Datak won’t be able to talk himself out of trouble. Although Amanda is bruised from her fight with Stahma, Datak is still judged for his crime of treason and the verdict; death by hanging. This episode was a somber one on many levels. Tony Curran has always played his Datak as a calculating opportunist, but there were many times that he surprised us with his chivalry and his comedic conversations with Dr. Yewll. Sure, he always had an ulterior motive for doing the right thing when least expected, and sure, no good deed was done unless it benefited the Tarr family, but Datak kept us on our toes. We never knew what to expect from him.

As General Tak’s men drill a tunnel under the town of Defiance, Datak finds that he is totally alone. Stahma is hiding out at T’evgin’s home with a very unhappy Kindzi. And, his son Alak has practically disowned him as a traitor. Alak even goes as far as to refuse Datak seeing baby Luke one more time. Datak asks Amanda to grant him a Castithan death on the Shaming Rack. If you remember, in the first season, Datak had ordered a fellow Votan to die this painful and slow death where stones are added to weights until the limbs are torn from the body.

While Datak awaits his death, Stahma is having her own problems. Even though T’evgin has the hots for her, his daughter does not. On the last episode we learned that incest is alive and healthy among the Omecs and, although Kindzi swears she isn’t jealous, the first thing she does as soon as dad leaves is try to snack on Stahma. This is the first time we’ve seen Stahma pitted against a female more dangerous than herself. Stahma is afraid and I wasn’t sure how to handle this side of Defiance’s sexiest alien. I can’t imagine “Defiance” without Stahma; without Jaime Murray.

Conrad Von Bach

We finally get to meet the futuristic Indiana Jones and he turns out to be a good guy. Yeah, we know that Conrad Von Bach (Ian Ziering) is an arms dealer who sells to both sides of the war, but he doesn’t act like the scumbag we expected. He is witty, good looking and, he and Berlin have a history. Our first hint is when she knocks him to the ground. We later learn that Conrad and Berlin were in love until the wealthy and despicable Von Bach family broke up their little love nest. Conrad gives the town of Defiance the needed weapons, but Berlin will have to make a choice between Conrad and her friends.

Recruits

There are more alien recruits than humans. Most of the humans have left town after hearing what a nutcase General Tak is. Nolan has to whip this ragtag militia into shape, but he’s working with farmers and shop keepers who are wondering why the Amazon Goddess of the Badlands isn’t out there with them. This has been a great season for Stephanie Leonidas to show more of her character’s inner turmoil and she didn’t fail us tonight. Irisa had to fight against her natural reluctance to kill. The people of Defiance would not fight without their goddess, but could she kill even if it meant saving the town?

Conclusion

Nolan has his hands full. Berlin has decided to follow her heart and go with Conrad. Is she a traitor? I don’t think so. Berlin has lost enough in the war between earth and the Votan Collective. Conrad proclaims his love to her as a movie, All That Heaven Allows, featuring Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman plays in the background. Let’s hope that Berlin doesn’t meet any sharks while she’s with Conrad. Ian Ziering will be returning to his role as Fin Shepard in Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!.

Irisa was unable to play the part of the Amazon Goddess. The death of Tommy was too fresh in her mind, but Nolan was able to keep his militia together in the end. Stahma has been forced to swallow one of Kindzi’s devices and finds herself aboard the Omec ship. Alak changes his mind and brings baby Luke to say goodbye to Datak as the heavy stones are placed inside the basket. Alak tells his son that Datak was a man with flaws, but he was still a man of honor.

We don’t actually see Datak die, so I am hoping that something interferes with his death…like the enemy breaking through under the stasis net. Lt. Bebe, who has been taking injections to look human, is the first one through the tunnel.

I hope Datak isn’t dead. Nolan is going to need all the help he can get.

Holy Shaming Rack! On last week’s episode of “Defiance,” our favorite aliens were in deep Shtako. Datak is on the rack, Stahma might wish she were, Irisa flunked Amazon Goddess 101 and, Berlin has flown the coop with the king of bad shark movies. General Tak’s men have dug under the stasis net, but can Lieutenant Bebe masquerade as a human? Choose your friends wisely.

Datak

Our favorite rascally rabbit is still alive, but not for long. Strapped to the rack Datak has time to reminisce. What was little Datak like? Charge Blade in hand, little Datak practices his spiel and gives us insight into his mindset at a very young age.

He and his father argue constantly and they seem no different than their human counterparts. I liked that Tony Curran got to play the character of Datak’s father in this episode. I also liked that we got a peek of the world that Datak and Stahma lived on. Showing their background and their home planet made this episode extra enjoyable.

Stahma

While hubby is hallucinating, Stahma is dealing with the dangerous daughter of T’evgin. Why did Kindzi reveal her father’s plans? The past two episodes we see Stahma in a new light. She is frightened and outmatched by Kindzi, but don’t let Stahma’s fear mislead you into thinking that she is down and out. Stahma is at her most cunning when the cards are stacked against her.

Bebe

Our double agent, Bebe has infiltrated the town along with his comrades, and those injections did make him pass as human. Everyone is fooled into thinking Bebe AKA Chris Beckman is a good guy. I thought for a brief moment that Alak had sensed his real identity.

I was surprised that Datak was left on the rack even when the town was attacked. They could have used him in the battle, and yet, there he hangs. While Bebe befriends Nolan and the townsfolk of Defiance, his friends go through the town executing at will.

Nolan has to get his ragtag militia together. Irisa is now on board to fight beside her father, but how can the few stand up to the many. Nolan’s plea for T’evgin to join forces is turned down, but I think the time spent bedding Stahma and his respect for Nolan has done something to T’evgin. He is starting to like the people of Defiance and even saves a human family from execution by one of Tak’s men.

Bebe has been leading Nolan and his militia into a trap from the moment he arrived. After shooting Alak and almost killing Irisa and Nolan, Bebe blows up the mine where the militia waited for Nolan’s call to arms. There is a plan B, but Dr. Yewll reminds Nolan that it is a one way trip for the volunteer. Now I wonder who that volunteer will be.

Conclusion

Some series take time to build a large fan base, while others hit the ground running. It’s the risk a network and its sponsors take when presenting a new show. I always feel that a strong script and a great cast will help most fledgling series survive until the news gets out and, the fan base grows. “Defiance” is a great series: the cast is talented; the writing is superb and, the special effects are kick ass. But, I think this past season finally brought “Defiance” into its own. We had General Tak as the bad guy. Sure, he’s a mad man, but he’s a mad man with a warped sense of humor.

This year we saw our favorite characters grow in depth. While Datak values greed and ambition, his father treasured honor. With the passing of the charge blade, Datak’s father stayed behind on a dying planet. He was a man of honor. Datak is given a chance to prove that he too is an honorable man. All Datak has to do is walk into General Tak’s camp. The implant in his arm will get the stasis net to wipe out Tak’s army.

The Tarr family and the Votans of Defiance have been center stage this season and I love it. We watched Alak grow into his role as father and warrior. I like this new Alak and so does Irisa, who finally got the hang of being the Amazon Goddess that she is. Stahma stood her ground with Kindzi and T’evgin and, like I said in the beginning, Stahma is at her best when the cards are stacked against her. T’evgin has changed his mind about conquering the world. The bad news; Kindzi has not.

Dr. Yewll’s plan worked and the implant in Datak’s arm caused the stasis net to blow General Tak’s army to smithereens as The Doors‘ song, “When the Music is Over,” plays in the background. Oh, and don’t worry about our favorite rascally Castithan. Datak had no intention of dying. It cost him an arm, but damn! What a comeback!

See you next week, my little Votans.