Defiance Season 2 Episode 4 Recap: Mad Max Meets Defiance

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"Hey, You're Not Mel Gibson!" Said The Red Masked Bandit

In "Beasts of Burden" Pottinger and Berlin's convoy gets hijacked by marauders that could have stepped straight out of "Thunderdome". Bonus points for the dude who accessorized his hockey mask with shotgun shells. A battle ensues and and a number of erep soldiers are killed. It turns out the baddies are after the Votan mining equipment they are transporting. The masked man makes Pottinger strip and then pees on him (he says in retaliation for all the times he's pissed on the citizens of Defiance). Niles and Berlin's lives as spared. Pottinger (who's out for revenge) sends Nolan to investigate. Across town Rafe finds out his godson/nephew/whatever Josef pulled the heist. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Now he's put Rafe in jeopardy as well. Josef has valid beefs but his execution is all wrong.

Nolan solves the crime fairly quickly but Rafe convinces him to let Josef go. This however turns out to be a bad idea since Josef makes a beeline for Berlin. He wants to erase any surveillance tapes that show his identity. Meanwhile the mayor and the ex-mayor bond over drugs and war stories. He tells her that as a teenager he was trapped and abused by the Votans. Amanda says she was raped by an erep employee and became pregnant. She later had an abortion which destroyed her relationship with her boyfriend. Remember we met him in season 1. While I believe Amanda's story, I'm not sure about Pottinger's. He's probably just trying to gain her sympathies (especially since he's already obsessed and is spying on her).

Datak is up to his usual tricks. He didnt kill Stahm or Alak last week because he enjoys torturing them too much. Stahma says she wants to be partners. He ignores her. He then checks out Alak's record making enterprise. But Daddy Tarr is not there to learn about the record industry. He's there to show his son who's boss. He informs Alak he WILL go into the family business (wait till Rafe finds out) and then presses Alak's hand in a record press. Ohhh Stahma doesnt want anyone hurting her baby. There will be hell to pay. Well, I dont know if Castis believe in hell. You can bet she's planning something though. Next Datak gathers around his crew. The boss is back and someone must be killed for the group's disobedience. Who will Alak choose? He finally ends of volunteering himself but Datak fills someone else anyway.

Nolan again finds Josef but manages to get shot in the process. Berlin is safe. She and Tommy kiss. Irisa views them from the shadows. Nolan is patched up by Doc Yewll. We seem to have forgotten about her story line. Wasnt she supposed to be doing something top secret for the mayor and Datak was supposed to be guarding her? Cause he's too busy badgering her family to help her.

Josef makes a run for it again. Rafe shoots him the back and then begins weeping. Next we see the ereps at Rafe's house. He is being evicted because of his relationship with Josef. That poor man cant catch a break. Join the revolution man!

And in the final scene, the aforementioned Tarr crew catches Datak out and beats him to a bloody pulp. Stahma and Alak stand by and watch. She bends over Datak's body and whispers "You should have made me your partner" and walks away. I cant wait to see what they do to each other next week.

Favorite Quotes:

"Do not look away"- Stahma to Alak while Datak is being beaten.
"You should have made me your partner"- Stahma to an injured Datak. Dude, your wife is more of a man than you. Give it up.
When Yewll is asked how she got out of prison she dryly replies "raw sex appeal". I love that woman! More air time for Yewll.

Grade: 3 3/4 Monsters (out of 5). Not my most favorite episode but it has it's great moments (basically anything with the Tarr family).