The first thing that came to mind with this episode was the effective direction and cinematography.  There were transitions in this episode that were just a wonder to behold.  The mythical quality of the script was matched with the visuals as well, from the staging of the cast members to the camera angles.  I almost didn’t care what was happening in the episode; I was enthralled by what I was simply seeing unfold.  Add the score on top of all that, and this was one of the best episodes of Defiance on that basis alone.

 

I mentioned the mythical overtones, and it may be a little on the nose, but that made this episode a personal favorite as well.  We finally got contextual background on what has been happening for the past two seasons, and that makes a big difference in my overall happiness with the series.  Things are finally making sense, and when those bigger concepts are matched by the personal politics of the Tarrs and Amanda, it all fits.

 

I have no idea if the “near death” experience really prompted Datak to appreciate Stahma’s contributions, but the idea of the Tarrs leading a new era for the Earth-bound Castithans is tantalizing, to say the least.  Stahma’s softer touch on strategy combined with Datak’s hard-edged methods?  They could be well-nigh unstoppable.  It doesn’t hurt that Jamie Murray and Tony Curran are at their best throughout.

 

 

Tommy was probably the most likely casualty this season, but it was nice to use that as one of the methods for flashbacks to his relationship with Irisa.  Paired with Irisa’s own Kaziri-laced flashbacks, it added to the dreamlike quality of the episode.  It also made her somewhat casual destruction of that city more chilling.  Kaziri wants to eliminate the human race on behalf of the Votan, and now it seems rather possible for that outcome to happen.

 

Everyone involved in this episode seemed to realize that it was a prelude to the actual finale, and did everything possible to make it that much better as a result.  Ironically, it could very well end up being more memorable than the finale in the end, because there will be so much plot to cover and situations to leave in a cliffhanger that the lyrical side of the equation could be lost.