Defiance: History Rhymes

"History Rhymes" is the fifth episode season three of the science fiction television series Defiance and the thirty-third episode of the series overall. It was directed by Felix Alcala with a script written by Anupam Nigam. The episode first aired on Syfy on Friday, July 3rd, 2015 at 9:00 pm. In addition to the main cast members, this episode also features guest appearances by Trenna Keating as Doc Yewll, Lee Tergesen as Rahm Tak, Conrad Coates as T'evgin, Katie Douglas as young Irisa Nyira, Billy MacLellan as Lieutenant Bebe and Jane McLean as Olfin Tennety.

In this episode, Joshua Nolan and Irisa find themselves in a bad situation when they discover that ark-tech implants in their brains have been causing their seizures and a pneumatic symbiotic link is formed between them. Meanwhile, Stahma continues to coax T'evgin, much to the dismay of her jealous husband, Datak, and Alak makes a desperate move.

Synopsis
Joshua Nolan is found going through an intense seizure. Meh Yewll is brought in to help out. While convulsing, Nolan has a shared dream with Irisa, in which they get to experience segments of Nolan's memories. He recalls being a boy when the Votans first arrived on Earth and how his older sister, Rebecca, often cared for him. As they got older, they both enlisted in the military after their parents were killed. In the memory, they are trapped in a bunker where a teenage Josh Nolan encounters a young Irathient soldier who feigns surrendering. When Nolan lowers his weapon, the Irathient shoots Rebecca. Nolan snaps and beats the shooter to death with his gun butt.

Meanwhile over at the Tarr residence, Datak Tarr admonishes Stahma for failing to kill T'evgin. In truth, he is equally concerned over the methods his wife used to put T'evgin in a vulnerable position. Datak cradles baby Luke while mocking his wife's infedelity. Meh Yewll hastily examines Nolan with Amanda Rosewater and Samir Pandey by her side. Samir is only a veterinarian, but Yewll accepts his assistance anyway. She discovers a piece of Ark-tech inside of Nolan's brain, which was left behind from the stasis pod connection that he shared with Irisa. The ark-tech is effectively rendering him brain dead. The only way to save him is to find Irisa.

Amanda goes out to find Irisa and inquires with Jessica Rainer. Rainer doesn't speak about leaving Irisa convulsing on the ground to die, but they track a trail of blood through the snow and find her underneath the crawl space of a house. They bring her back to Doc Yewll's place and lay her next to Nolan.

The next shared memory that Joshua and Irisa experience takes place in a bar on the one-year anniversary of arkfall. As Nolan states, every human on the planet was wasted on this night. A bunch of revelers celebrate their victory over the Votans and Nolan is particularly ugly in his attitude towards aliens. An Irathient prisoner is tied up in the bar and is used as a dart board. A drunken Nolan stabs the Irathient with a dart and then cheers, "Earth is for humans!" Irisa is horrified to see this. At Doc's place, Irisa and Nolan are positioned side by side. Yewll determines that their brains are tethered, but they are at least stabilizing. To save them however, she must surgically remove the ark-tech from each of them.

At Rahm Tak's camp in the Bordeen Valley, Alak Tarr is tasked with the unspeakable chore of dismembering the bodies of human victims. He finds a knife inside the clothing of one of the cadavers and pockets it. When the Irathient overseer, Sagyan, approaches, Alak stabs him to death and takes his keys. He hides underneath a roller and listens to General Rahm Tak talking about all of the guns they had just purchased from a weapons dealer. The element of surprise is a key component in his plan to attack Defiance.

Doc Yewll continues to work on Nolan and Irisa. However, every time she removes a piece of ark-tech from one of their brains, the other compensates for it by growing more ark-tech. The only way to get rid of the tech from both of them is is to perform both surgeries simultaneously. Samir Pandey is not skilled enough to aide Yewll in this endeavor. In order to pull this off, she requires an Omec drone. Amanda and Doc Yewll go to see Kindzi. Amanda pleads with her to let them use their tech in order to save Nolan. She calls to mind the fact that Nolan had saved Kindzi's life and uses this as a bargaining chip. Hatred between the Omec and Indogenes runs deep, but Kindzi reluctantly agrees to help them. Doc Yewll takes a piece of textured fabric from Kindzi's place and implants it into her neck. This allows her to interface with the drone. The drone creates a laser scalpel and Yewll and the drone perform the operation on both patients simultaneously.

Nolan and Irisa have another flashback. Nolan is an adult at this point, while Irisa is still a very young girl. They are working as bounty hunters and capture a Castithan. By trying to teach her the rules of the trade, Nolan has her shoot the Castithan. Though she says nothing, her first kill weighs heavily upon her. Meanwhile, Datak Tarr takes it upon himself to assassinate T'evgin. Taking up position atop a building, he waits for the Omec to exit his living quarters so he can get a clear shot at him with a sniper rifle. Stahma is with T'evgin. She knows that Datak is watching them and deliberately puts herself between the two, spoiling Datak's chances at getting a clean shot.

Back in Oklahoma, General Rahm Tak finds Alak. He asks him where Sagyan is and Alak makes an excuse from the dead Irathient's absence. Rahm Tak makes some offensive remarks about Alak's dead wife, Christie McCawley, and Alak slashes at him with his knife. Afterward, he steals Rahm Tak's roller and speeds away. Rahm Tak's guards try shooting at him, but Alak escapes. Flashback: Shortly after the incident with the Castithan, Nolan and Irisa are inside their camp and Nolan is sleeping. Irisa is traumatized by what Nolan had her do and plans on killing him. She takes a knife and looms overtop of him while he sleeps, but she steps on an aluminum can, which awakens Nolan. Irisa quickly hides the knife, and Nolan reaches out to cradle her, unaware of how close he came to being killed. The modern Nolan is shocked watching this memory from Irisa's point of view.

Doc Yewll completes the surgery and it is a success. Nolan and Irisa awaken. Yewll removes the fabric from her neck and Kindzi surreptitiously takes it.

Later, T'evgin comes to see Kindzi and admonishes her for allowing an Indogene access to their network. Kindzi tells him that while Doc Yewll was distracted with the operation, she made a copy of her cerebral source print. She thinks Yewll's expertise will become invaluable once the Maret Adziim begins. T'evgin orders Kindzi to destroy it. She feigns obedience, but does not destroy the source print. On a rooftop, Nolan and Irisa have a heart to heart. These shared memories awaken old feelings in each other, but also reveal new ones, which forces them to put their relationship into a whole new perspective. Irisa decides that she must leave Defiance. Nolan must stay behind, but he respects her need for space.

Doc Yewll conducts some post-op tests. She reveals that she wasn't able to remove the ark-tech, so instead she repaired it. It strengthened the connection between Nolan and Irisa. They will remain stable so long as they don't separate from one another for too great a distance. This really puts a damper on their ability to give each other some space as they planned.

Alak Tarr finally returns home. Stahma is overjoyed to see him, but this is not quite the family reunion she was hoping for. Alak recalls how his mother had murdered his wife, and holds a knife to Stahma's throat.

Notes & Trivia

 * Defiance was created by Rockne S. O'Bannon, Kevin Murphy and Michael Taylor.


 * This episode is rated TV-MA.


 * This episode aired in the United Kingdom on Syfy on July 23rd, 2015.


 * Co-executive producer Paul M. Leonard is credited as Paul Leonard in this episode.


 * Director Félix Enríquez Alcalá is credited as Felix Alcala in this episode.


 * Actress Nichole Galicia is credited among the main cast members of the series beginning with this episode.


 * Actor Raymond Ablack is credited as Ray Ablack in this episode.


 * This is the first episode of Defiance directed by Felix Alcala.


 * This is the fourth episode of Defiance written by Anupam Nigam. It is his first episode from season three. He previously wrote the script for "Bottom of the World" in season two.


 * This is the first episode to show the broken St. Louis Arch as part of the series intro.


 * This is the third appearance of Kindzi. She appeared last in "The Last Unicorns".


 * This is the first appearance of Geeze, who is a Liberata employed by Rahm Tak. This is the third such character seen on the series as portrayed by actress Jessica Nichols. She also played the Liberata characters Bertie and Jered Kikema in previous seasons.


 * This is the second and final appearance of Sagyan, who dies in this episode. He is an Irathient member of the Votanis Collective who is stabbed to death by Alak Tarr. He appeared last in "Dead Air".


 * This is the second appearance of Samir Pandey, who is the veterinarian who assists Meh Yewll in her surgery on Joshua Nolan and Irisa Nyira. Samir first encountered Joshua and Irisa at Station Arrowhead in "Dead Air".


 * Amanda Rosewater states in "Pilot (Part 1)" that the Armistice that brought the Pale Wars to a close was signed in 2031. This would place the Arkfall Anniversary flashback seen in this episode in the year 2032.

Allusions

 * Joshua Nolan makes reference to Johnny Cash in this episode. Johnny Cash was a country-western singer who gained notable popularity in the 1960s. The Johnny Cash song, "Jackson", was played in the very opening scene of the entire series, with some vocal accompaniment by Grant Bowler and Stephanie Leonidas. General Rahm Tak previously voiced his appreciation for "The Man in Black" in "The Last Unicorns".


 * Joshua Nolan states that his sister, Rebecca Nolan, was more into Johnny Cash, while all of the other teenage girls were listening to Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift is a country-pop singer who gained prominence in the late 2000s with a self-titled debut album and the chart-topping single, "Our Song". She eventually became a media sensation and one of the most talked about entertainers of her generation.


 * Rahm Tak complains about the weapons dealer making him watch old Earth musicals, one of which happens to be the 1960 film Little Shop of Horrors by Roger Corman. After being distracted with some business, Rahm Tak says, "I'm gonna find out if the carnivorous plant eats Audrey". Audrey is a clerk in the film and the carnivorous plant he speaks of is a Venus Flytrap.


 * Meh Yewll sarcastically refers to Samir Pandey as "Doctor Dolittle" due to his vocation as a veterinarian. This is a reference to both a series of books, and the eponymous protagonist of the series by author Hugh Lofting, which were written between 1920 and 1952. Yewll was likely referencing the 1967 film adaptation of Lofting's books, which was produced by 20th Century Fox and starred Rex Harrison, though she could have also been referencing the 1998 comedy remake starring Eddie Murphy.


 * In the first flashback scene, young Joshua Nolan makes reference to Jon Stewart. Jon Stewart is an American comedian, writer, producer, director, actor, media critic, and television host. He is best known as the host of The Daily Show, which is a satirical news program that airs on Comedy Central.


 * Doc Yewll tells Samir Pandey that Joshua Nolan skinned her alive. This took place in "The Last Unicorns", because Nolan and Amanda needed a swatch of Indogene proto form in order to save the life of the Omec, Kindzi.


 * Joshua Nolan and Irisa Nyira abide by a singular code, which is referenced often throughout the series, "We have one rule: We live together. We die together". This episode reveals that the code originated with Joshua's sister, Rebecca Nolan.


 * Varus Soleptor is referenced in this episode. Varus is a Liberata crime lord whom Nolan and Irisa once owed money to. He was referenced as far back as the series' pilot episode. He made his first appearance in the season two premiere, "The Opposite of Hallelujah", where he was played by actor Eric Woolfe.

Races
All of the Votan races are represented in this episode in one form or another except for the Volge.
 * BioMen - There is 1 BioMan, who is Benedict, who is only briefly seen in this episode.
 * Castithans: There are five Castithans of note in this episode. Named characters include Datak Tarr, Stahma Tarr, Alak Tarr, Rahm Tak and Andina. There is also an unnamed Castithan bounty hunter seen in flashback and various background people who make up Rahm Tak's army.
 * Indogenes - There are 2 Indogenes in this episode; Meh Yewll, who plays a major role, and Bebe, who is one of Rahm Tak's lietuenants.
 * Irathients - There are four Irathients presented in this episode, including Irisa Nyira. There is an Irathient soldier who kills Rebecca Nolan. Another Irathient soldier who is being tortured at the bar and Sagyan, who is one of Rahm Tak's men.
 * Liberata - There is 1 Liberata seen in this episode; Geeze, who is one of Rahm Tak's men.
 * Omec - There are 2 Omec in this episode, both of whom are supporting characters; T'evgin and Kindzi.
 * Sensoths - There is 1 Sensoth, presumably male, who is seen in the background at Rahm Tak's camp.

Glossary
The following is a list of alien words, phrases and terms used in Defiance. These words pertain specifically to this episode.


 * Bell Beast: A Bell Beast is an alien animal. It is unknown whether it originates from Votan space, or if it was one of the strange life forms that developed on Earth following the Votan's terraforming experiment. It is known to members of the Castithan race and is presumably a creature of great size. Stahma Tarr told Datak Tarr that she had injected T'evgin with zwimbo poison to kill a Bell Beast.


 * Chivo: Chivo is a Castithan phrase which refers to a woman's vagina (as opposed to a man's vagina). It is likely intended as an informal term, perhaps even intended as a vulgarity. Datak Tarr once referenced Stahma Tarr's chivo when she posited the notion of convincing T'evgin to help them. He said, "Contrary to what you think, darling, your chivo is not magic."


 * Gwavayo: Gwavayo is a Castithan term used to describe the male penis (as opposed to the female one; duh). General Rahm Tak once belittled Alak Tarr's marriage to the human, Christie McCawley by saying, "Did you have to scrub really hard to get the smell off your gwavayo?"


 * Rayetso: Rayetso is a Castithan deity, honored within the religious tradition of Shirivanawo. Castithans often invoke Rayetso's name in prayer, or during ritual service. In a flashback sequence, the Castithan bounty invoked Rayetso's name shortly before Joshua had Irisa shoot him.


 * Scrip: Scrip is a general informal term that refers to currency in the environment of the year 2046. In flashback scenes, Joshua Nolan refers to earning a lot of scrip through bounty hunting and arkfall scavenging.


 * Zwimbo: Zwimbo is a powerful poison and one of several such toxins that Stahma Tarr utilizes to do away with any who displease her. She selected a needle filled with zwimbo, which she kept concealed in her bracelet, and used it in an effort to assassinate the Omec, T'evgin. Stahma's lack of knowledge concerning Omec physiology however resulted in a failure in this venture and T'evgin lived. When Datak Tarr admonished her for failing to kill the Omec, she told that she had poisoned him with enough Zwimbo to kill a Bell Beast.

Quotes

 * Rebecca Nolan: Get away from the window!
 * Joshua Nolan: It's okay. Jon Stewart says they're friendly.

....
 * Meh Yewll: You've got some moves, kid? You a doctor?
 * Samir Pandey: Veterinarian.
 * Meh Yewll: I'll take it. There's a crash cart behind you, grab it in case we need to defibrillate.

....
 * Rebecca Nolan: Hey! Those were empty coffins at mom and dad's funerals. Why?
 * Joshua Nolan: You have to bring this up?
 * Rebecca Nolan: They were vaporized! And we lost our parents. I want payback, don't you?

....
 * Rebecca Nolan: We have one rule. We live together. We die together.

....
 * Datak Tarr: One simple task: Kill the Omec.
 * Stahma Tarr: I poisoned him with enough zwimbo to kill a Bell Beast.
 * Datak Tarr: But is the Omec dead? No. He's at home smelling my wife on his fingers and chuckling about how he cuckolded Datak Tarr.
 * Stahma Tarr: I doubt he even knows your name.
 * Datak Tarr: Incompetence is not a word I normally associate with you.

....
 * Datak Tarr: Grandma Stahma loves purple-enchanter penis so much she's forgotten all about your daddy, Alak.

....
 * Meh Yewll: Welcome to the suck, Jarhead.

....
 * Joshua Nolan: I thought the war would help me prove something. Make me a man or something romantic like that. Then I got there, the reality was anything but romantic... or noble... or even good.

....
 * Joshua Nolan: Earth is for humans!

....
 * Rahm Tak: I'm gonna find out if the carnivorous plant eats Audrey.

....
 * Meh Yewll: Now the ark-tech adapted itself, keeping the connection going through a spread-spectrum signal.
 * Amanda Rosewater: Like Bluetooth?
 * Meh Yewll: You're adorable. But sure, why not, let's call it "Bluetooth for the brain".

....
 * Amanda Rosewater: What can we do to save their lives?
 * Meh Yewll: Well, I need to open them up and cut the ark-tech out.
 * Amanda Rosewater: Well, you've done this surgery before, right?
 * Meh Yewll: Best not to dwell on that.

....
 * Rahm Tak: It's odd though, the smell bothers you. You were married to a human. I'm curious... did you have to scrub really hard to get the smell off your gwavayo?

....
 * Joshua Nolan: I'm sorry.
 * Irisa Nyira: What?
 * Joshua Nolan: About the bounty hunter. I didn't know it affected you so much. I'm not sorry for the lesson though. You would've been dead years ago if I hadn't taught you how to survive.

....
 * Kindzi: Remember this, Indogene, I am a skilled bio-technologist. You try anything tricky when you're connected to my system, I will see it, and I will kill you quickly.
 * Meh Yewll: Now, see, I was gonna kill you slowly. I like a little bit of foreplay.

....
 * Meh Yewll: "Geez, thanks, Doc Yewll for saving us from certain death." Hey, no problem, kids, any time. Grab a lollipop on your way out.