While Arkhunters in the Bay Area searched for Von Bach, the denizens of Defiance were busy reliving their high school dramas! Come join Ben and special guest Jules (a.k.a @HellbugsinLove) as they spill every sordid detail of the latest gossip found on Put the Damage On and all the latest news on the gaming front!
Audio Only:
DRAMA IN DEFIANCE
EPISODE 5 “Put the Damage On”
Rafe moves in to the Tarr home, takes a lovely bath with Stahma and decides to stick around for a while. Datak figures out that he can use an old world edict to remain in contact with his lineage. Christie Tarr isn’t happy about the return of Big Baddie Daddy Datak and finds some respite in the arms of a former porter and current DJ. Meanwhile, Datak’s trying to convince the Votanis Collective to help fund the revolution in Defiance against the E-Reps. He brings this idea to Rafe at supper, where he says he’s got 1,000 letter openers.
Amanda hallucinates that her attacker has returned, Nolan vows to find him and catch him. After hallucinating again, this time of Nolan (who is wearing season 1’s outfit), Amanda goes into a protective custody at Rafe’s former home and begins hallucinating again. This results in her shooting Tommy and attempting to hit Irisa as well. She runs, predictably. Nolan runs into the scene and tries to find a Doctor that’s preoccupied. Nolan eventually finds Amanda at the Need/Want having a seizure and aspirating. Upon further inspection, we find out that Amanda has an EGO implant. Nolan and Irisa attempt some DIY surgery. Amanda recovers and admits that she was hallucinating to Nolan.
Pottinger initially is doing just fine after a brief run in with Nolan over searching for Amanda. Later he sees Connor Lang in the city and has a very character developing conversation with, what is technically, himself. After Amanda’s device is removed, Pottinger returns to Yewell to have his own EGO removed as they appear to be defective.
Doc Yewll is distracted when her former lover and colleague, Lev, shows up after a housecall. She makes it back to the lab but not without trying to find a cure for her friend that claims to be dying from a disease they engineered specifically targeted at humans. The good doctor wanders off with her friend and has some very depressing and, apparently, hot conversations about poetry, killing, and experimentation. After bringing a former memory to the surface of her mind, Lev killing herself, Doc Yewll returns to save the day and Amanda. She also lies to Pottinger and lets him think she’s taken out her EGO as well. At the end of the episode she tells Lev she’s not ready to let her go yet and wanders out into the streets.
Thoughts and Observations
- The NERVE of Defiance opening an episode with Julie Benz in a bathtub. Have they no shame?
- This is totally the kissing episode. This whole season has turned into a High School Drama. Love triangles, sneaking around, sleeping around, drug abuse and roofies, stalking, obsession, and suicide? All we need now is a town dance scene under the stars.. I feel like I’m watching Veronica Mars of 2048. Go Defiance Liberatas!
- Rafe in the bath… King of his castle, master of his children, leader of burly miner men (at least in his head), BLUSHED! His cocky demeanor quickly vanished when he found a true snake in his bath. I bet he was afraid to drop the soap…
- Was not shocked at all by the scene with Datak making out with Mahsuvus, but I did have two observations.. Tony was TOTALLY making out with his nose, and I bet kissing that Irathient tasted like kissing a kitty, sandpaper tongue, stale breath and all.
- Nolan is REALLY FAILING his Han Solo ruffian/macho cowboy role this season. He was about to kill Amanda! I mean he was seconds away from watching her die on the table!
- Anyone else think that swaggering Alter-Nolan, still wearing last season’s clothes, should have an evil goatee? I practically expected him to kidnap Amanda and tie her down on to the maglev tracks! I almost want to see the return of Alter-Nolan and his cartoony shenanigans.
Favorite Scenes and Dislikes
Jules:
- Liked all of Datak’s interactions with others in this episode. Doc Yewll, Raiga, Rafe
- Disliked Amanda trippin’. It’s an excuse to play lots of trance music.
Ben:
- Agreed on the Datak point. Everybody loved Datak this episode. He’s finally putting those skills he only brags about to use, and now we can see why Stahma loved him, once. Although my favorite scene was when Raiga floored him with one furry punch. Felt good to see and I wish I had seen it again after the shtako he pulled to “protect his lineage.” I felt Christie’s anger and could not stop grinding my teeth that scene.
- To add to that, the best Datak scene was when he was giving Rafe that liiiiiiittle push he’s needed to finally lead the people of Defiance into taking back their town.
- And I now have a new interest in this show.. Niles and Connor? That whole hallucinated scene in the rain was intriguing to say the least, and will have me chomping at the bit these next few weeks.
- Dislike? Stahma’s giggle.
Speculations and unanswered questions
- Tangbark – is it the new blue drink? Contains opiate derived from leaves of a rare Irathient plant; Blood lilies can also have leaves dried and brewed into lethal tea. Perhaps something about these drinks? Stahma brewed a special blend or something for Amanda back in episode 203.
- AlterEGO. Are the defective EGO units actively showing its host the things they love or the things they fear? Do they show truth to their hosts or plays on their fear? How much access does the EGO actually have to ones thoughts?
- And I now have a new interest in this show.. Niles and Connor? Is Pottinger really in love with Amanda? What information does he want from Amanda’s brain? How far does Niles obsession with Connor go? And how dangerous can it become? What other secrets is Niles keeping close to his chestplate?
Predictions
Jules: Something might happen to that lovely new Castithan handmaiden (Jalina) played by Kelly McCormack. From the Syfy Sync notes, it says that handmaidens are personally selected from the lower liro and warned that there is zero chance of upward mobility. I found this part most telling: “In fact, there’s an old Castithan fairy tale in which a lowly handmaid aspires to marrying the head of the household. The ‘happy ending’ comes when she’s discovered by the man’s wife and placed on a shaming rack.”
Ben: The Votanis Collective is done sitting around. Its time for some major change. Seems to me that there are going to have to be some “political” changes among their rank and a drive towards rebellion and a rekindling of hate. I predict that maybe not the next episode, but very soon, we will hear the drums of war beating.
MVP of the Episode
Jules: Rafe for just making himself at home at the Tarrs. Wearing Datak’s slippers, completely dethroning the Castithan man of the house and you know that is just another factor to really hurt Datak. Bless Rayteso for Graham getting into a bath with Jaime. That was a clip shown at NYCC, we knew it was coming, but it was great to finally see it in its context.
Ben: I was torn on this one. Baddy Daddy Datak makes a good case for MVP, but I think I have to give it to Doc Yewll – Never had I expected this much emotion from our favorite snark. Humbled and penitent of her past self, she seeks change in a world she helped nearly destroy. It makes one wonder how much poetry she once had in her heart and how far she has fallen into self loathing.
OFF THE SET
Favorite Tweets
So the moral of this week’s #Defiance is to do all the drugs you want, just don’t get implanted with a defective EGO. Okay! #teachablemoment
— Women of Defiance (@womenofdefiance) July 18, 2014
Figure head… More like peckerhead
— Graham Greene (@Rafeolla) July 18, 2014
Apparently this bath scene took three days to shoot… The big guy wouldn’t get out!! @Rafeolla @MsJaimeMurray #Defiance
— Grant Bowler (@GrantBowler) July 18, 2014
If Doc wasn’t out feeling lady lumps, she could help Amanda through this seizure. Sloppy. #Defiance
— Women of Defiance (@womenofdefiance) July 18, 2014
Oh Potty. You make me do wicked things…I think I like you @TheJimMurray #Defiance
— Trenna keating (@TrennaKeating) July 18, 2014
today i learned that “Normal Love” doesn’t exist in #Defiance. If you love someone, you hurt them. #Romantic
— Julie Benz Fans (@JulieBenzFanS) July 18, 2014
Inside Defiance
http://www.defiance.com/en/series/video/2797615
- Julie Benz thought she was doing the bath fight scene naked..
- Amanda things she’s a superhero and is really broken and fragile.
- Murphy talks the Niles and Connor scene and about how everything in that scene was not put there accidentally. It drops a number of clues and ties in to more back story that won’t be revealed until Season 3.
- “Deep down, what Nolan says to her in the hallucination is what she fears he is.” Kevin Murphy
- Datak becomes a changed and pious man who wants to fix his family, but has he really changed? “Can a leopard change his spots?”
Reviews Across the Web
io9’s Rob Bricken
http://io9.com/a-very-special-defiance-reveals-the-dangers-of-space-h-1607217239
- I think “Putting the Damage On” has been the highlight of Defiance’s second season so far, and let me tell you why: It felt like everybody’s storylines were being told organically, and that they were actually building off what had come before rather than just “Here’s what so-and-so does this week.” Most of all, I like how everybody’s storylines kind of bounced off each other, even if it was just tangentially. It was the most Buffy-like episode of Defiance I’ve seen, at least in terms of structure, and that’s a Very Good Thing Indeed.
- Doc Yewell reaffirms her status as the best character in the series, as this episode reconfirms her dual identity as the sarcastic, sardonic town doctor with a sharp tongue and a heart of gold… who is also somehow a terrifying scientist who seems to have no moral scruples whatsoever. It’s a contradiction that somehow actress Trenna Keating makes work — that Doc can recognize the horrible experiments she performed on humans and Votans as part of the war, and wants to atone for them… but somehow still has no moral qualms about sticking crazy alien artifacts in Irisa or implanting something into a drugged Amanda for whatever she and Pottinger have planned.
Den of Geek’s Billy Grifter
http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/defiance/31361/defiance-season-2-episode-5-review-put-the-damage-on
- This [episode] served well to develop both the characters of Yewll and Niles, presenting them as much more delicate creatures than they like to present publically. I enjoyed this, particularly in respect of Niles, who just can’t be the bad person 100% of the time if he’s to be believable.
- More interesting was how having solved his immediate problems, Datak immediately set about generating some new ones, by trying to convince Rafe that they should work together for an e-Rep free Defiance. As allies go, they don’t get any more unlikely than those two, I’d suggest. Mix the Votanis Collective into this mix, and there could be fireworks.
- What Christie is doing hanging out with the sex-crazed DJ I’ve no idea, but I’ll assert now it won’t end well, for either of them. This whole sequence undermined her outburst in the Star household, swinging her from being streetwise to naïve in a matter of moments.
How well do you know Grant Bowler?
http://www.defiance.com/en/series/video/2798279
- Its a cute video to help fans connect with their favorite actor by asking questions like what’s their Favorite Food, Video Game, or TV Show
- Best part was the Shag/Marry/Kill when he chose to Shag Bertie, Marry Doc Yewll, and Kill Stahma
Coming up next week on Defiance… “This Woman’s Work”
Sneak peek for Episode 6: http://www.defiance.com/en/series/video/2798728
Episode 6 trailer: http://www.defiance.com/en/series/video/2799291
Quick observations:
- We are introduced to the Gulanee race for the first time in the show!
- Looks like the Gulanee don’t believe in peace time.
NEWS FROM THE BAY AREA
The Search for Von Bach
http://www.trionworlds.com/defiance/en/2014/07/14/new-crossover-missions-finding-karl-von-bach/
Attention ark hunters: Karl Von Bach, missing scientist-CEO of Von Bach Industries, has turned up alive at Twin Peaks station. He appears to have conquered death itself and is offering to share his secrets in the form of a new, free EGO for all takers.
VBI is anxious to confirm Von Bach’s identity and investigate his offer in a series of new missions now available in-game. Log in today to help Azumi Yoshida in a developing storyline with implications for both the game and show, and tune in to Syfy Thursdays at 8/7c to watch as new crossover events unfold!
Impressions
- Short, but a good start to a longer story.
- The best gem of this update so far is the Intel you get out of it.. We learn who actually created the EGO devices AND who EGO is modeled after! I don’t want to spoil this little tidbit until a few episodes later.
- We also learn that someone was hired to kill Eren Niden.
New Arkfalls bringing Gulanee Warriors to Earth
http://www.trionworlds.com/defiance/en/2014/07/21/new-arkfalls-bringing-gulanee-warriors-to-earth/
Radio activity has erupted in the husks of the ark belt’s long-dead ships. Something is alive up there, something that has ark hunters racing to call down these chatty relics and discover the secrets inside.
Starting today, players with the Arkbreaker DLC Pack can deploy ark spikes with a chance to pull new modules out of orbit. Inside, you’ll face new Grid enemies and a Gulanee warrior in massive battles at the center of the arkfall.
Playing on PC? Get the Arkbreaker DLC Pack 50% off now through July 29 to join ark hunters calling down special new Gulanee arkfalls across the Bay Area!
Defiance Fashion Sale
For a limited time, prices of cosmetic items on the in-game Bit Store have dropped between 20% to 50% off their normal prices, including the new Season 2 outfits! Patrons also take another 10% off these sale prices due to their Bit Store discount
For PC Hunters – Glyph is coming to Defiance
http://www.trionworlds.com/defiance/en/2014/07/15/glyph-is-coming-to-defiance/
On July 16, Defiance will be upgrading to Glyph! When you log in on or after July 16, 2014, your Defiance patcher will automatically upgrade itself to Glyph.
- Is the change to Glyph mandatory?
Yes. You may not know this, but under the hood, the Glyph client is an upgraded version of the exact patcher you use today. As with any patcher rollout, all users upgrade at the same time. - I log in to Defiance through Steam, will this change impact me?
You’ll notice that your patcher gets a new look as it upgrades to the latest version. Enjoy! - Do I need to keep the Glyph launcher running after I’ve launched Defiance?
No, you can launch Defiance and then close Glyph if you choose. - I like to run multiple instances of Defiance on my computer. Can I still do this with Glyph?
Yes. Launch Defiance from Glyph, then log in the additional account you wish to launch Defiance with, and launch Defiance again. You’ll remain logged in with each account you had active at the time you launched Defiance until you close that instance of the game. - What are the operating system requirements for Glyph?
Glyph runs on Windows XP with Service Pack 2 installed and later versions of Windows.
Impressions of Glyph
Now most gamers are wary, of not outright despise front end programs by game companies like those of Ubisoft’s UPlay, EA’s Origin, and so on, but having used it for a month, I find it acts exactly like Blizzard’s Battle.net launcher. One patcher, with access to all your games, no intrusive ads, and game related news on its specific page. It only replaces the patcher, does not add DRM, and takes up no more space than the patcher did itself. These programs can, and have been much worse. I don’t believe there’s anything to fear from Glyph just yet.
For Console Hunters – F2P on XBOX 360 and PS3 has been delayed
- The development team has decided to postpone the launch of Defiance Free-to-Play on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, which was originally targeted for July 15. This delay is due to a desire for a stable launch, which for anyone who’s tried to play the new Season 2 content has noticed, won’t happen in it’s current state.
- There isn’t a new ETA for the transition to free-to-play on console yet, but the dev team promises that this is a priority fix for them.
- Updates on the progress toward the Free-to-Play launch on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 can be found on the forums or by following @DEFIANCEGame on twitter.
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
We at Defiance Reporter feel it is the community that makes the transmedia experience great, so we are constantly on the lookout to find fans and gamers who go above and beyond to create a more immersive experience for the Defiance Community.
This week we want to shine our spotlight on a Defiance Superfan:
Known to most on Twitter as @Lonely_nerdette, and by others as Risinyira on Tumblr, this Defiance fan provides a lot of fandom to both social platforms. She contributes to the art community and to the lore community alike! She loves Irisa and sails the SS Torisa.. just dont mention Berlin around her. So check out her work on Twitter or Tumblr at Risinyira.tumblr.com
Remember, if you want us to feature your clan or community site on Defiance Reporter, tweet us, leave a voicemail, or send us an email at defiance@mmoreporter.com.
LAST MINUTE ANNOUNCEMENTS
- THIS WEEKS ARKHUNTER CODE IS: VBI
Make sure to enter it at Defiance.com/Ego to get this weeks reward of another 15-Day patron pass. Remember to redeem this code by Saturday, July 26th! - Join Defiance Reporter’s PC clan IGNI FERROQUE! No registration is required, just look for me Corso Vanlocke in-game.
CONTACT US!
Email: defiance@mmoreporter.com
Website:defiancereporter.com
Voicemail: 616-666-6778 (and our new widget on the ride hand side of the page)
Facebook:facebook.com/defiancereporter
Youtube:youtube.com/user/mmoreporternetwork
Twitter: twitter.com/defiancepodcast or @defiancepodcast
Michelle: twitter.com/womenofdefiance
Jules: twitter.com/hellbugsinlove
