S03.E08: My Name Is Datak Tarr and I Have Come to Kill You

[jhlipton]

I bet for the right p---y or pancakes, some people might betray their species. Especially if they don't think of there being consequences to that betrayal. Certainly, people have turned traitor for not much more.

 

Fair enough.  It just doesn't feel "right" to me for some reason.  I think perhaps because the daughter is acting like what we're told the Omec are like, and we only have these two examples, so we don't know how much range in their behavior there is.  YMMV

[raven]

 

It's easy to say with the benefit of knowing everything that Nolan should have been more suspicious of Tex. He knows that the Indogenes can pose as humans. He knows that, as of the bar hostage scene, that somehow VC people got into Defiance, etc. etc.

 

However, Tex did save his life, and did appear to be the one who discovered how the VC got into Defiance. So he seemed to do things to earn trust.

I just think in that situation, as a trained soldier and leader, Nolan should have at least questioned how convenient it was that this guy popped up.   For me, it was his quick acceptance that rang a little false. 

 

I do agree that Tex should have killed Nolan and Amanda when he had the chance (cut off the snake's head and all that).  WRT the tunnel plan, discovering the tunnel meant the VC lost the element of surprise; not so easy to tunnel in again.  In true Star Trek fashion, the two best fighters go out into the open; yes they posted Alak, but it didn't mean an ambush wasn't waiting.  IMO it was a bigger risk to take than sealing the tunnel and using that knowledge to try to identify other points of weakness.  We did see a quick debate about the plan, which I appreciated.

 

Rahm's acceptance of Datak was more understandable considering his (Rahm's) arrogance.  When he was told someone was approaching the camp, he told his man to shoot them in the head, until the guy said it was Datak.  So though I don't think Rahm was the brightest bulb, at least the show addressed it a bit by showing he would have shot anyone other than Datak.

 

 

As for people recognizing Tex as an Indogene, I was hoping that his reaction to Papa Omec would have given him away.

This, along with Alak almost recognizing him, I think ended up being a clever piece of misdirection from the show.  I'm expecting an episode or two of spying, sneaking, assassination and then a drawn out battle but instead got Rahm's team getting blown up thanks to Datak's arm.  With the bonus awesomeness of them all high fiving with it right before the big boom.  Nice job, show.

[Chicago Redshirt]

raven, I agree with just about everything that you said except for the part about the tunneling.

 

As far as I can tell, there's really no defense that can be employed against it, other than extend the stasis net so deep underground that tunneling underneath is impractical. Even if you have to start three miles out of town and go 4 miles down to get under an extended stasis net, it seems to me that you can pop up somewhere in town, whether it's in the mines or under a building or what not.

 

I guess one could get extra stasis net generators so that you could protect the entirety of the underneath of the town, but that seems like it would take a lot of power.

 

Also, am I correct and the stasis field is more of a fence and less a dome? In other words, someone could hypothetically get in an airplane or a balloon or whatever and drop whatever they want on Defiance? 

 

And on an unrelated note, I wish the show had given some reason why the Earth Republic had not intervened, or for that matter, the Votanis Collective proper (as opposed to the rogue part that Rahm represents). Surely the notion of a VC group threatening to slaughter a town should move them. And even if the notion of hundreds/thousands of innocents killed doesn't move them, there's still the gulanite that they would want to protect. And on the flipside, the VC sent Rahm's wife as an envoy so they showed some concern. But one would think that they'd intervene more strongly when it was clear he'd gone completely off the reservation.

Edited July 28, 2015 by Chicago Redshirt

[ottoDbusdriver]

Also, am I correct and the stasis field is more of a fence and less a dome? In other words, someone could hypothetically get in an airplane or a balloon or whatever and drop whatever they want on Defiance?

 

The Stasis Field is just one giant fence that closes off Bissel Pass, the only way through the canyons into Defiance.  The Defiance Wiki has a good shot of it.

 

http://en.defiance-wiki.com/wiki/File:Stasis_Net.jpg

 

As for the airplane or balloon idea, I think they've addressed this one or two times -- something due to the terraforming caused high levels of radiation above a certain height that would kill anyone (and also interferes with radio transmissions), that's why no one travels by plane (its all rollers and Land coaches, etc.).

 

If it was an unmanned drone or balloon it would likely need to be autonomous (due to the radiation interference), then again it might not work if the high radiation levels interfere with any control system.

[raven]

As far as the tunneling, I was thinking there weren't many places where the tunneling could work.  This is just my assumption since it's not been addressed on the show that I can remember, and would be a serious weak point that would have been discussed, unless it was only in a few places and the machinery needed to do it wasn't easily available.  But then, raven, why weren't those places being watched?  LOL.   For me, it just seemed reckless to move out into the open like Nolan and Irisa did, even as experienced as they are, rather than close the tunnel and attempt to identify any other points of entry.  They already knew Defiance had been infiltrated and the rest of the army was out there, why leave the door open, so to speak.  

 

It's really six of one, half a dozen, etc.  It's easy for me to say it was a bad plan since the show made the tunnel a deathtrap.  Obviously it could have gone the other way.

 

 

And on the flipside, the VC sent Rahm's wife as an envoy so they showed some concern. But one would think that they'd intervene more strongly when it was clear he'd gone completely off the reservation.

I wondered about that and thought maybe it was timing - the VC didn't know Rahm had killed his wife and might have reacted more strongly once they found out.

 

Thanks for the additional info, ottoDbusdriver, I don't look at the outside the show stuff.

Edited July 28, 2015 by raven

[laagamer]

 

And on an unrelated note, I wish the show had given some reason why the Earth Republic had not intervened, or for that matter, the Votanis Collective proper (as opposed to the rogue part that Rahm represents). Surely the notion of a VC group threatening to slaughter a town should move them. And even if the notion of hundreds/thousands of innocents killed doesn't move them, there's still the gulanite that they would want to protect. And on the flipside, the VC sent Rahm's wife as an envoy so they showed some concern. But one would think that they'd intervene more strongly when it was clear he'd gone completely off the reservation.

 

Why would the VC help anyone? They haven't ever helped before. And neither has the Earth Republic for that matter.

 

They chose to take over Defiance instead of help, and after being tossed out, I highly doubt they'd consider helping now. 

Edited July 29, 2015 by laagamer

[Clanstarling]

And on an unrelated note, I wish the show had given some reason why the Earth Republic had not intervened, or for that matter, the Votanis Collective proper (as opposed to the rogue part that Rahm represents).

I may be wrong, but my understanding is that the destruction of New York pretty much did away with the Earth Republic. That's why Berlin was still in town, and Pottinger created his little fiefdom at the base with all the goodies that were destroyed.

[formerlyfreedom]

Let's stick to episode talk folks; discussion of past episodes should take place in the All Seasons Talk.

[MDKNIGHT]

Is everybody sold that Daddy Purple was being sincere when he told Stahma he'd changed his mind about global domination?  I mean I think he MIGHT be , in which case I think Daughter Purple is going to kill him but it occurs to me that he might have just told Stahma what she wanted to hear.  I find it hard to believe that someone who has been raised in a military culture and fought and been endoctrinated to believe your race is so superior that eating other races would be acceptable , would be able to switch POV so easily in so little time.  I mean being able to eat a sentient being without qualms is way more hard core than say the Klan and yet I think it would be too optimistic to hope that a Klansman could start accepting blacks and other minorities after a 2 week holiday in NYC, by comparison, just because NYC is cool.  So do people think he's legit changed or what?

Edited July 30, 2015 by MDKNIGHT

[jhlipton]

Is everybody sold that Daddy Purple was being sincere when he told Stahma he'd changed his mind about global domination?

 

Alas, yes, I think that the power of p**y and pancakes (Band name?)  turned him.  We've seen him attack his daughter over it when there's no one else around.

[wayne67]

I think Daddy Purple upon hearing that the humans fought against all the other Votan races and knowing that there's only 300? or so of his species left that they may be outmatched and it might be a good idea to lay low for a decade or two and start repopulating their race. Daddy Purple is a military commander whose forces are outnumbered 1000 to one... Those aren't great odds.

 

Just because he doesn't want to start a genocidal war right now doesn't mean he thinks the other races are equal to his. Which probably means that most of his species is going to ignore logic and stick with their emotions about how the lesser races should be eaten and kill their commander.