Stray observation: One of the E-Rep soldiers enforcing the quarantine appeared to be a Sikh.

@avclub-7f0d5ceefd00ad8303401bdcf213eb83:disqus Oh come on the only integral part of the Doctor's identity is that it's highly malleable. Granted Tom Baker's performance has had a great deal of influence over the modern day doctors but there couldn't be a greater contrast between, say, Hartnell's peevishness and…

There's a comments thread on The Stranger's website. I'm pretty sure that's what he meant.

That was so very good - particularly after weeks of people opting NOT to shoot. I was thinking, "Is he going to help his friend or is he going to help the town," and then the weapons reveal comes and he just opts for extrajudicial justice/"preemptive defense". So very satisfying.

Three-person incestuous marriage! Whoo!

And now I'm picturing Nolan (shirtless, of course) at the head of an army of about 7000 and fighting tenaciously to hold a narrow pass.

I'm thinking it's more of a case of the artifact having some kind of malevolent hold over its bearer - given that it really didn't want him to give it up - but who knows? At this stage I'm more interested in how Defiance is going to continue to hold out against the Earth Republic and how Datak's ties to the Votanis…

The relic and the people who left the cave markings are somehow connected to it. I don't know if there was any more to it; my eyes were glazing over at that point.

So Defiance is The Lord of the Rings now?

They definitely cheated with the confession but he did confess onscreen under the influence of the snake's venom.

Now confess, did you know Tom's name off the top of your head or did you have to look it up?

Anyone else a little concerned about how all the mythology pieces floating around are going to come together? On the negative side I can see it all climaxing in some ill-thought-out cavalcade of wand-waving: something like Irisa using her psychic powers and the shiny macguffin to save the town at great cost (but don't…

You're right about the plot being a little tired but it seems like the Earth Government Whatsits were always going to be gunning for Defiance; doing it this way means they can give that threat a familiar face and a personal relationship to the town.

Well it already has a second season order so, yes, that's true.

I'm ready to see one of the (relative) good guys kill their helpless prisoner. What's with all this doing the right thing?

@avclub-99b033a127285855b2eca6b5915391d5:disqus I wasn't trying to suggest that Datak was right to demand respect - just that it made sense that he, as a character, would do so.

@avclub-c92c6f38d2d1c9e379969ee3407d0ec2:disqus Or invest in weaving lessons for Jaime Murray.

It's going to get pretty tired if they do it every week too. It worked well for the more emotional endings of the last two episodes but it seemed out of place for the climax of a scheme and the reveal of a macguffin.

That might actually be a reasonable proposition in his culture though. The other Castithan councilor's reaction to his elevation and the respect the general Castithan population holds him in (he organised their efforts in the Volge battle and led the punishment of the coward) seems to suggest it is.

Now that Datak has a seat on the council I'm looking forward to him and Rafe plotting against one another. Datak's attempts to buy influence or take over the mines have not been without interest but it's all one-sided so far; every time Rafe has acted against Datak it's been heat-of-the-moment stuff.