"Painted From Memory" is the 9th episode of Season Two of Defiance and the 21st episode overall. It aired on August 14th, 2014 on Syfy.
Synopsis[]
Kenya's back! Wait... Kenya's back? Wait until you see what Stahma does.[2]
Syfy's Fun Facts[]
- The little girl playing hopscotch is an eight year old Kenya (as seen in the flashbacks from episode #4). The Rosewater sisters found themselves trapped in Manhattan when Votan armies surrounded the island during the Pale Wars. When the invasion finally came, their mother fled, forcing Amanda to take on the mantle of surrogate mother to her little sister.
- During the Pale Wars, Votans unleashed weapons of mass destruction across the globe. Much of Kenya (the country, not the person) was destroyed when an enterprising Indogene scientist unleashed a cluster of terraspheres upon the unsuspecting citizens. This was the first use of a device which would come to be known as a "Burkus Rig" (similar to the device Doc Yewll built in the first episode, but on a much grander scale).
- Leni Riefenshtahl was a German filmmaker best known for the Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will released in 1934. The Earth Republic appreciates the value of propaganda, and employs filmmakers like Berlin to spread its message across the new frontier. Despite their efforts, many small towns who are not yet affiliated with the E-Rep fear their meteoric rise to power.
- It's ironic that Kenya would be so eager to find a husband in Defiance. Shortly after their arrival, Kenya took a job as a waitress at the NeedWant, which was founded by a man named Hunter Bell. Shortly after they were married, Hunter began to abuse Kenya. Kenya was grateful when Hunter disappeared under mysterious circumstances. She never realized that it was former mayor Nicolette Riordon who killed Hunter for discovering Nicky's most closely guarded secret.
- Welcome back, Quentin! Quentin left Defiance over a year ago after discovering that his mother Pilar was still alive. Pilar suffered from bipolar disorder, which is untreatable in 2047 due to the lack of medication. Rafe sent her away to a Votan monastery after he discovered her attempting to poison the children one morning. Rafe almost killed her right there, but it was Nicky Riordon who suggested that the Votan monks in Mendocino might be able to treat her. Though if what Quentin is saying is true, it didn't work.
- Look closely as Kenya peels back her false skin and you'll notice a distinct hexagonal pattern, just like the skin of other other Indogenes such as Doc Yewll, Lev, and Ben Daris. Indogenes have incorporated this pattern into their technology, such as the hexagonal design of the stasis nets outside town.
- The truth is out. Kenya is an Indo-Sapien, like former mayor Nicolette Riordon, and astronaut Gordon McClintock from episode #8. Indo-Sapiens were created in secret by the Indogenes to spy on humans. Gordon and Nicky didn't share Kenya's problem of a shortened life-span, but that's probably due to the fact that Kenya was removed from her tank before she was "fully baked."
- Back when Yewll was a prisoner in Camp Reverie, Pottinger blackmailed her into building a "new Kenya" in exchange for her freedom (THAT was the reason he let her out). Thankfully, Yewll never trusted Pottinger to make good on his end of the bargain. That's why she employed Datak to work as her "assistant," so that he could protect her if something went wrong. It looks like this is finally the fulfillment of that promise.
- Old St. Louis is the portion of the city that was "folded over" when the terraformers transformed Missouri. This is where Ben Daris fled back in episode #2 when he tried to overload the dormant nuclear reactors in an effort to destroy Defiance. Over the years, Old St. Louis has been picked clean by scavengers. Yewll is going to have one hell of a time trying to survive down here.
- That's the Saint Finnegan medal, which we first saw back in episode #4. Amanda found the medal on a dead soldier in Manhattan during the war. She made up a story about a saint named Finnegan who watched over children in an effort to calm her little sister Kenya following their mother's departure. Even after the adult Kenya realized Amanda's story was a lie, she kept the medal as a token of her sister's love.
- That's the mask worn by Kenya's kidnapper. So it was Quentin all along! If what he told Amanda is true, Quentin is working for the Votanis Collective. What would cause him to take their side? What really happened to Quentin on his trip to Mendocino?
- The colleague Yewll is referring to is a brilliant Indogene scientist named Eren NiDen, who once served as Yewll's assistant. Unfortunately, Eren currently has her hands full with a crisis of her own. A virus known as "the Grid" has spread throughout the Bay Area, wreaking havoc among the people of San Francisco.
- Stahma's main contact in Marin (which she discusses with Amanda) is Varus Soleptor, the infamous crime lord. We met Varus back in the first episode of this season, when he tried to carry out his revenge against Nolan and Irisa. But we had heard about him all the way in the first episode. Between seasons, Stahma paid Varus a visit in the Defiance video game and brokered a deal to supply her with Adreno.
- "The memorial for Kenya was one of my favorite scenes. After everything that happened to Amanda all season, it was great to finally have a bit of closure and some hope! I loved all the flashbacks between Kenya and Amanda. We had a blast filming those scenes and it was nice to have something lighter to play after a very intense episode." - Julie Benz (Amanda)
Votan Translation[]
David J. Peterson, the creator of the Votan languages, has made translations available on his Archive of Our Own page.
Translations for the Votan spoken in this episode can be found at Conlang Dialogue: Defiance, Episode 209.
Highlighted Quote[]
STAHMA (CASTITHAN)
Goddamn c**tlapping c**ksnapping motherf****ing triple hell!
TRANSLATION
Yelanda schiv' hangolu huch' yazulu yenkiche gada bezuráspa ksa!
Deleted Scenes[]
- Promotional photos for the episode show an alternative version of the scene where Stahma meets the Indogene version of Kenya. In these photos, they kiss.
Trailer[]
Exclusive Preview[]
Full Episode[]
Free Host[]
Paid Host[]
Season 2 | |
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Episodes | "The Opposite of Hallelujah" • "In My Secret Life" • "The Cord and the Ax" • "Beasts of Burden" • "Putting the Damage On" • "This Woman's Work" • "If You Could See Her Through My Eyes" • "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" • "Painted From Memory" • "Bottom of the World" • "Doll Parts" • "All Things Must Pass" • "I Almost Prayed" |
Stars | Grant Bowler as Joshua Nolan • Julie Benz as Amanda Rosewater • Tony Curran as Datak Tarr • Jaime Murray as Stahma Tarr • Graham Greene as Rafe McCawley • Jim Murray as Niles Pottinger |
Guests | Rob Archer as Churchill • Linda Hamilton as Pilar McCawley • Michael Dyson as Skevur • Kevin Shand as Raiga • Katie Douglas as Young Irisa/Irzu • Monica Parker as Bailey |
Recurring | Dewshane Williams as Tommy Lasalle • Jesse Rath as Alak Tarr • Nicole Muñoz as Christie McCawley |