Defiance Ep. 4 "A Well Respected Man"

In my first post on the new SyFy show, Defiance, I stated that I thought the pilot was okay, but that I would "give it two more episodes before rendering a verdict." So, after watching three additional episodes, I am here to render my verdict....I'm going to continue to watch for the rest of the season.

It's not that I love the show or that I can even remember all the character's names or species, but there is enough there to keep me interested. In this week's episode, "A Well Respected Man," we learn that women are the real power brokers in the Castithan race. At least in the family of Datak Tarr, they are.

When law enforcement captures a cache of illegal weapons, it is revealed that Tarr and the town council arranged the shipment without the knowledge of the Mayor and the law keeper. That reveals how powerless the Mayor is, and what level of respect they have for her. When the Mayor looks for her lawman to deal with the issue, she finds him in the bedroom of her sister, Kenya, the prostitute. She is not pleased.

Since the first episode, I assumed that Kenya and the law keeper, Nolan, had a relationship that was beyond a mere financial transaction. She seemed to like him, for real, and not in that fake way a prostitute would deal with a client. Not so. At the end of their session, Kenya says she won't accept payment from Nolan any more. This obviously shows it was a client relationship until that moment. Not sure if that is significant or not, but I was surprised by it.

Kenya is later kidnapped by some enormous alien that works for Datak Tarr. As much as the Mayor dislikes him, she pleads for his help in rescuing her. Datak says no because he is tried of being disrespected in the town. Datak's wife convinces the Mayor and law keeper of ways they could show proper respect. Nolan takes him out on rounds with him and allows him to dispense his unique brand of wisdom about the town's residents. Datak's wife, Stahma, next convinces the Mayor to appoint her husband to the town council as her sign of respect. Obviously, she is far more effective in advancing her cause than her husband.

Jaime Murray as Stahma Tarr

Watching actress Jaime Murray play this albino type of alien has been interesting. I have seen her previously in two shows that I like - Dexter and Warehouse 13 - and thought she was a decent actress, but that was pretty much it. Now, however, I am finding her extremely attractive as this pale as a sheet, scantily clad alien chick who is secretly advancing her husband's status in the community. She has found her defining role!

So, the questions from this point on have to do with the relationship between Nolan, Kenya and the Mayor. That Mayor seemed awfully upset when she saw Nolan in her sister's room. The power struggle between Datak and his nemesis, Rafe will be a bigger issue now that one is on the town council. Nolan's "daughter" Irisa was barely in this episode, but she and her "ability" are bound to be a major plot point. If she can see the past, maybe the circumstances of how she and Nolan met were not exactly how she believes it to be. And I'm keeping my eye on Stahma Tarr, as she is the master manipulator.