This Woman's Work

"This Woman's Work" is the sixth episode of the second season of the American science fiction series Defiance, and the series' eighteenth episode overall. It was aired on July 24, 2014. The episode was written by Brian Allen Alexander and directed by Allan Arkush. Plot Viceroy Mercado (William Atherton) returns to Defiance to inform Niles (James Murray) about the coming Arkfall and that he wants him to go with a team, Nolan (Grant Bowler) included, to retrieve an energy source from the Ark. Nolan and Niles get ready to go with the team when Tommy (Dewshane Williams) comes to join them with Berlin (Anna Hopkins). When Nolan asks Tommy where Irisa (Stephanie Leonidas) is, Tommy says that since Irisa and Berlin do not get along, Berlin will come with them while Irisa stays back. Nolan does not like the idea and tells Tommy that he is not going with them either, causing Tommy to quit his job. Berlin convinces Tommy to leave Defiance with her and sign up with the E-Rep in Texas. Nolan and Niles get to the fallen Ark along with Churchill (Rob Archer) and an E-Rep soldiers unit. The three of them go inside the Ark to search it and Nolan realizes that the Ark was never a refueling ship but a Gulanee transport vessel. One Gulanee has survived the crash, and the three of them rush out to return to the unit only to find all aboard dead. They return to the Ark, where they are trapped inside the ship while Nolan tries to create a weapon that will kill the Gulanee and save their lives. Nolan needs some extra time and asks Niles to distract the Gulanee. Niles sends Churchill outside on a suicide attack to give Nolan the extra time he needs. The Gulanee kills Churchill, but when it gets into the ship, Nolan's jury-rigged weapon kills it. Nolan and Niles return to Defiance, but Mercado is displeased with how the mission went and orders Niles to go to the Dakota Reach as a punishment, while the Viceroy will take over the town.