Defiance: Where the Apples Fell

"Where the Apples Fell" is the sixth episode season three of the science fiction television series Defiance and the thirty-second episode of the series overall. It was directed by Felix Alcala with a script written by Paula Yoo. The episode first aired on Syfy on Friday, July 10th, 2015 at 9:00 pm.

Synopsis
Alak Tarr holds a knife to his mother's throat in a threatening manner, accusing her of murdering his wife, Christie McCawley. Datak Tarr enters the room and pounces on Alak. The two begin fighting and Datak pounds on Alak relentlessly. Andina runs out to find Lawkeeper Joshua Nolan. Stahma also takes part in beating on Alak, calling him an ungrateful coward. Nolan busts into the house and prevents Datak from stabbing his son. Alak tells Nolan that his parents are spies for the Votanis Collective and that they are responsible for blowing up the St. Louis Arch. Before Nolan has a chance to react, Datak and Stahma flee the scene.

Nolan goes to the Lawkeeper station and gathers all of his deputies. He tells them that Datak and Stahma are now wanted fugitives, but they must be taken alive. He needs to question them so they can get intelligence on Rahm Tak and Votanis Collective. After the deputies leave, he tells Irisa to stay behind to guard the Tarr residence in case they try to return. He still doesn't trust Irisa in the field quite yet. As the group goes out into the streets, Amanda Rosewater pulls Berlin to the side. She notes how Berlin reacted when Alak mentioned Rahm Tak purchasing weapons from a particular dealer. Berlin admits that the one who sold him the weapons was her former lover, Conrad Von Bach.

Datak and Stahma conceal themselves beneath robes and move about in secrecy in the market place. Datak assures Stahma that he will always keep his promise to protect her, and that the baby is better off with his father. He tells her that he is going to collect weapons from a secret cache he secured and will make arrangements to lower the stasis net by the Bissel Pass. He arranges to have Stahma meet him underneath the pedestrian bridge later. Meanwhile at the V.C. camp in the Bordeen Valley, Geeze informs Rahm Tak of rider traveling dangerously close to the camp. Rahm Tak's curiosity is aroused and he has his men bring the rider before him. The rider removes her helmet revealing it to be Rahm Tak's Irathient wife, Volubela. Rahm Tak gives a rousing speech and cheers are heard all around. That evening, Rahm Tak and Volubela have sex in his tent. Afterward, she warns him that the high council members of the Votanis Collective are aware of how he has gone rogue and order him to stand down. She tries to coax him into forgetting about his campaign against Defiance and return with her to Brasillia. Rahm Tak's ego and fractured sanity will not allow for such a possibility and he stabs his own wife to death. Back in Defiance, Joshua Nolan and Alak Tarr go to see T'evgin and Kindzi to enlist their aid against the Votanis Collective. T'evgin scoffs, remarking about how he has no interest in taking sides in their war. Nolan feels that T'evgin doesn't have any options as the V.C. will most assuredly come after the Omecs with equal vigor. He asks him to have his ship provide satellite imaging of the V.C.'s camp. When T'evgin again refuses to help, Nolan deduces that T'evgin no longer has access to his ship. As they speak, Alak sniffs around the place and determines that his mother had been here. They discover that T'evgin has been sleeping with Stahma, but the Omec insists that he has no knowledge of her whereabouts. Nolan and Alak leave and Kindzi decides to have a few choice words with her father. She is uptight and jealous that T'evgin would have relations with Stahma and T'evgin tells her that can copulate with whomever he feels like. Afterward, father and daughter begin kissing one another.

Datak goes to Doc Yewll for help. After a few sarcastic exchanges, she agrees and smuggles him through the city in the back of a roller. She stops when they take note of the cloaked Stahma in the market place. Suddenly, Joshua Nolan appears and Lawkeeper deputies surround the roller. Datak tries to escape, but is captured. Nolan and Alak put Datak in jail and interrogate him. When it appears that Datak isn't complying, Nolan begins threatening Alak. He slams his head onto the table and begins randomly firing his weapon. Several shots come close to Alak's head. Datak grows frantic and when it becomes obvious to him that he intends on killing Alak, Datak swears that he knows nothing and pleads with him to spare his son. Nolan lets Alak up and Datak finds that the who torture scene was staged between the two of them.

Alak goes home where he finds Irisa taking care of Luke, whom she calls "Bear". Alak asks where Andina is and Irisa tells him that she went to the market to procure more food. Alak thanks Irisa for saving his son from Pilar. Amanda goes to her office and finds Stahma waiting for her holding a gun. She orders Amanda to free her husband and drop the stasis net so Datak and she can escape. Amanda charges her and the two begin fighting. They slam each other against the wall and a mirror and even throw desk ornaments at one another. Stahma gains the upper hand, and tells Amanda that she is choosing not to kill her. However, a shard of broken mirror has pierced Stahma's side and she is losing blood quickly.

Back in Oklahoma, General Rahm Tak drags Volubela's body out into the dirt before the others. He tells his people that she was an assassin sent to kill him. He then instructs Lieutenant Bebe to "put on some coffee" because it is time to burn the city.

After sharing a drink with Alak Tarr at the NeedWant, Joshua Nolan goes to the jail to see Datak. They have a civil conversation with each other and Nolan asks him if he was there when Rafe died. Datak tells him that Rafe died on his feet and took down three members of the Votanis Collective, even injuring Rahm Tak in the process. "His heroism shames us all", he concludes. He then asks Nolan if Amanda is going to hang him for treason, to which Joshua casually replies, "Yeah, she's gonna hang ya".

Later, a bleeding Stahma Tarr goes to the home of T'evgin. He opens his door and she begs him for help. He brings her inside.

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 30th, 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.


 * The "Previously on Defiance opening voiceover is provided by Tony Curran.


 * This is the first and only appearance of Volubela, who is an Irathient and the wife of Rahm Tak. She is killed by Rahm in this episode.

Allusions

 * Beliaz is an Omec term which means "first father". T'evgin says this to Kindzi when describing himself.

Quotes

 * Alak Tarr: Why are you dragging me along?
 * Joshua Nolan: In case your parents try and kill you.
 * Alak Tarr: Oh...

....
 * Datak Tarr: I need your help getting out of town.
 * Meh Yewll: I hope you washed your hands. It's flu season.
 * Datak Tarr: Please.
 * Meh Yewll: You ever heard of the term "high maintenance"? You should get it tattooed on your forehead.
 * Datak Tarr: Are you going to insult me or help me?
 * Meh Yewll: First one, then the other.

....
 * Meh Yewll: I've had some time to think about it, and... Amanda doesn't make the same distinctions that you and I do. To her, all lives are equally valuable.
 * Datak Tarr: You know, she's such a sweet girl. Perhaps you should build a statue in her honor.
 * Meh Yewll: I can't help it, it's the damned braid.

....
 * Volubela: Hello, Rahm. Oh, if you smell as dirty as you look, you'll be sleeping alone tonight.

....
 * T'evgin: I am and always will be your Beliaz.
 * Kindzi: You should have told me that she had been here and that you laid with her.
 * T'evgin: You're right. Stahma means nothing. She's merely entertainment.
 * Kindzi: She better be.

....
 * Datak Tarr: She's here. Go get her.
 * Doc Yewll: I'm risking my life. Ask nicely!
 * Datak Tarr: Please.

....
 * Alak Tarr: What about Pilar?
 * Irisa Nyira: Nolan shot her.
 * Alak Tarr: Good.

....
 * Stahma Tarr: Don't laugh at me!
 * Amanda Rosewater: Oh, hey, I'm just taking a moment to enjoy what a great mother you are, Stahma. You love Alak so much, you had to kill his wife. Just like Kenya! You loved her so much, you had to kill her! Oh, you are so beautiful, Stahma!

....
 * Amanda Rosewater: You're not good. You're not loving. You're just a vicious, nasty thug.

....
 * Datak Tarr: Amanda's going to hang me for treason, isn't she?
 * Joshua Nolan: It's not fair to put it all on her shoulders, but yeah... she's gonna hang you.