Defiance: Dead Air

"Dead Air" is the fourth episode season three of the science fiction television series Defiance and the thirtieth episode of the series overall. It was directed by Larry Shaw with a script written by Gregory Weidman and Geoffrey Tock. The episode first aired on Syfy on Friday, June 26th, 2015 at 9:00 pm.

Synopsis
Datak and Stahma Tarr blow up the St. Louis Arch. A young Castithan DJ, taking Alak Tarr's place, is killed in the explosion. As witnesses scurry about trying to make sense of the chaos, a holographic image of General Rahm Tak appears in the town square, informing them how Amanda Rosewater knew of the destruction of the town's arsenal and kept the information to herself. Joshua Nolan finds the device transmitting the hologram and shoots it.

Nolan and Amanda research possible sites from which to restock their weapons supply. They learn about Station Arrowhead, some two-hundred miles north of Defiance, which has been sealed up since the 1920s, but may still contain a weapons cache, provided it hadn't already been looted. Nolan and Amanda prepare for the journey, leaving Irisa behind with Berlin to investigate the bombing incident. Nolan and Amanda make the journey to Station Arrowhead. The facade of the complex is that of a barn, but after gaining entrance, they encounter four BioMen. The BioMen bring them down to the lower levels of the complex, where they are shocked to discover that its sole occupant is Defiance's former Mayor, and former E-Rep officer, Niles Pottinger.

Meanwhile in the Bordeen Valley, General Rahm Tak receives word that the St. Louis Arch has been destroyed. He assures Alak Tarr that due to his parents' resourcefullness, he now gets to live another day. Lieutenant Bebe enters the tent and tells Rahm Tak that there are two Omecs living in Defiance. They determine that the male Omec is Eksu Tsuroz T'evgin. Knowing that T'evgin likely has a warship in orbit over Defiance, Rahm Tak sends new instructions to Datak and Stahma - they are to assassinate Eksu Tsuroz T'evgin.

At Station Arrowhead, Pottinger greets Amanda and Nolan with open arms. Nolan is less than impressed, but moreover, he appears to be suffering from unpredictable sudden migraines. Pottinger requests a personal audience with Amanda. After dimming the lights and putting on romantic music, Pottinger tells Amanda that he will give Nolan enough weapons to fill his entire roller if she agrees to stay with him permanently. Amanda plays along and asks Pottinger for some scotch. In the corridor outside, Nolan is ambushed by the Fab Four BioMen. After taking a serious beating, he awakens inside of a cell. There is another human in the cell named Samir Pandey. Samir is a veterinarian who fled New York after the Great Terraforming Disaster, but was captured by the E-Rep and brought to Arrowhead by Pottinger. He tells Nolan that Pottinger is insane and has implanted himself with a singularity bomb. If his heart stops beating, the bomb will create a black hole that will leave the entire region as nothing more than a crater.

Amanda and Pottinger continue to talk. As he tries to seduce her, he tells her that they were meant to be together and says, "You are mine". Amanda recoils in fright, as these were the exact same words spoken by the man who raped her in New York. She pulls Pottinger's gun from him and holds it to him. She forces him to show her his screening room where he has video chips of all the times that he spied on her back when he was mayor of Defiance. Amanda is now convinced that Niles was the man who raped her and commands him to admit it, but he refuses. She begins shooting at him, first in the shoulder, then in the hand, then in both legs. Meanwhile, Nolan and Samir escape from their cell. Nolan fights up against a BioMan, but suffers another migraine and is unable to put him down. Samir defeats the BioMan by ensnaring him with a length of chain about the legs, and then hoisting him up into the air.

They race to the room where Pottinger has Amanda, but it is too late. Amanda fires a fatal shot into Pottinger's chest, and the singularity bomb is activated. The three of them race back up the elevator shaft and barely make it out in time. The entire facility and everything within, including the BioMen, is destroyed.

Back in Defiance, Stahma goes to T'evgin's home under the pretense of partaking in some culture lessons. This inevitably leads to sex, wherein Stahma injects him with a needle filled with poison. Unfortunately for her, her lack of knowledge concerning Omec physiology brings her plot to a complete failure. T'evgin knows that she is trying to kill him and asks her why. She tells him the truth in that she had been ordered to kill him or else Rahm Tak would kill her son, Alak.

Elsewhere, Joshua Nolan suffers another immense headache, which results in a seizure. Amanda and Samir have no idea what is wrong with him. Meanwhile, Irisa suffers a similar attack and falls to the ground in convulsions. She begs Berlin to help her, who merely turns and walks away.

Notes & Trivia

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


 * This episode aired in the United Kingdom on Syfy on July 16th, 2015.


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


 * Writer Geoffrey Tock is credited as Geoff Tock in this episode.


 * Actor James Murray is given a "Special Guest Star" credit in this episode.


 * This is the first and only appearance of the Fab Four BioMen, John, Paul, George and Ringo, all of whom die by the end of this episode.


 * Final appearance of Niles Pottinger; dies in this episode.

Allusions

 * The four BioMen featured in this episode are named John, Paul, George and Ringo. They are named after the members of the legendary British rock and roll band, The Beatles. The members of the band include:
 * John Lennon
 * Paul McCartney
 * George Harrison
 * Ringo Starr


 * Berto Mercado is referenced in this episode. Berto Mercado was a member of the Earth Republic and appeared in episodes from season two. In this episode, Niles Pottinger tells Amanda Rosewater that Mercado was killed in a raid outside of Detroit.

Quotes

 * Joshua Nolan: Whatever happened to romance?
 * Amanda Rosewater: I killed it and ate it.

....
 * Niles Pottinger: How do you like it? My special place?