Defiance: Put the Damage On

July 21, 2014 7:43 AM - Season 2, Episode 5

Potentially drug-induced hallucinations haunt several of Defiance's residents, including former mayor Amanda, while the more entertaining arc of a naked Graham Green Rafe McCawley, recently evicted by the Earth Republic and now living with his daughter's in-laws, is uncomfortably confronted by a welcoming half-naked Stahma while bathing. Datak, in light of the painful realization that he must adopt a new strategy to right the upside down world of his, begins a plot to run the Earth Republic out of Defiance.
posted by Atreides (11 comments total)

I thought this was a great episode. I think this show's been pretty solid, and this season is avoiding a lot of the first season awkwardness. Having Datak accepted back into the family unit the way he has is a great twist. And showing some of that votan science doctor lady's horrific backstory was awesome. (I haven't been able to keep everyone's names straight.)
posted by Catblack at 4:29 PM on July 24, 2014 [1 favorite]

Was Stahma insinuating something sexual with Rafe or simply that they could be allies of a sort? (I loved her in Hustle. Now thatt was a damn good show.)
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 4:36 PM on July 24, 2014

It was my interpretation that she was using her hand to um, motivate Rafe, to accept the current situation.
posted by Atreides at 6:42 PM on July 24, 2014

Atreides, I was going say that seems really of character for Stahma but she did sleep with Amanda's sister. But she killed the sister to preserve that secret, right?
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 12:00 PM on July 25, 2014

Right. I was somewhat astonished, but Stahma definitely knows the power of her feminine "wiles" against the male species of multiple races. Often times, she uses it as a shield against allegations that she's up to something, "Who little ol' me?" but she has definitely taken a much more powerful approach to her manipulation. It kind of reminds me of a scene in Season 1 where Datak was ranting and getting ready to say/do something that would have been a big liability and Stahma initiates a deep kiss (or foreplay) to get him distracted and shut up. In this instance, she was manipulating Rafe to accept the fact that his son-in-law wasn't really up to the family business, based on his previous threats to him. Rafe later kind of exhibited a falsely assumed machismo in the household (hah! I got sexual with the wife!) when he greeted Datak in Datak's own robe. Likewise, sex in the Castian society was originally only a one way street in turns of choosing partners - Datak was given free reign to pursue it outside of the marriage, but Stahma was literally threatened with death for an affair with a woman. My thought is that Stahma is expressing her own sexuality as part of her rebellion against the expectations of Castian Society.
posted by Atreides at 1:34 PM on July 25, 2014

Who is putting up ep 6?
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 5:55 PM on July 25, 2014

I haven't had a chance to watch yet, but I plan to do so tonight. Someone else is definitely welcome to throw one up today, or I can submit a post for it tomorrow.
posted by Atreides at 8:58 AM on July 26, 2014

I've submitted the post for approval, so keep thine eyes out for it.
posted by Atreides at 2:21 PM on July 27, 2014

Thanks, Atreides.
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 8:56 PM on July 27, 2014

I'm just catching up after putting the show off for a few weeks because I wasn't in the mood for its particular brand of crazy, but I really, really liked this episode, even though I called the hallucinations for all three characters immediately. It was complex and interesting and a great character reveal. And even better: now we no longer have to suffer through those awful after school special scenes of Amanda getting high.
posted by rhiannonstone at 11:12 PM on July 27, 2014 [2 favorites]

I thought Stahma's scene in this episode with Rafe was in part one of intimidation. She knows she's sexually tempting and she's letting him know that she knows that about him as well. And she's aware that humans prefer to bathe alone, but decides to throw him off balance by violating that preference--a show of force in a way; this is her home and she will do whatever she likes. He is a guest even if he is family.
posted by purple_bird at 10:05 AM on March 16, 2016