Tarr relations and archetypes (Defiance)

In the newest scyfy series, Defiance, one of the many prominent families is the Tarr’s. Datak, the father is married to Stahma, the mother and has one son, Alak. Each of these individuals is completely different from each other, especially how love and care for another. Each relationship is complicated and some more manipulated than others.

 

        Datak is a politician. He tries to bring his people what they need, as his family and the people of Defiance however, fear the leader of the Castithan. Datak dresses the part of the political leader but runs an underground gang with other Castithans who smuggle drugs, weapons, hold underground fights and other illegal activities. One can say he is Defiance’s gang leader and controls the ins and outs of the people.  He has contacts everywhere and seems to know things about everyone, whether they belong in the Cathithan species or not.

        Datak’s wife, Stahma who is regal and beautiful, she comes from a wealthy background. Although Stahma is used to the finer things in life, she makes do with living in Defiance and making her home a in the style of a palace. Datak, to others seem to have the power in the relationship. But, truly it is Stahma that pushes all the right buttons in the right places, as if she was playing a crafty game of chess with the inhabitants of Defiance. Stahma, although she is aware that Datak goes to NeedWant, the Defiance brothel; Stahma sticks by her husband and makes it her quest to keep him in power. She is quite manipulative and thoughtful, unlike Datak who is rigid and impulsive. Stahma looks at the bigger picture to ensure that their family stays on top. She continues to do so when her only child, Alak, who falls in love with Christie McCawley – a human who they have a family rival with – explains to Datak that by Alak marrying Christie, their families will bond and their grandchildren will own the mines that the McCawley, a rich human family own.

            Alak loves Christie, not because she comes from a wealthy family but because he truly cares for her.  These two are not bounded by species, but love one another and try to understand each other’s cultures. Alak, at his bachelor party, refuses Casthitan ritual of sleeping with an escort because he wants to be only with Christie. Alak even fights with his friends, fellow Casthitans who also make fun of the fact that he weds a human and that she may never please him like their own species. Christie’s family is upset and doesn’t want her to wed their rival family because of Datak’s sketchy ways and are aware that Datak has tried to rule the mines, where the humans work, for a long time (because of the value and the opportunity of getting precious stones and such). Despite adversities on both ends of Alak and Christie’s families, they wed. Christie even wears the head piece that Stahma brought from their planet, the one she wore on her own wedding. Stahma treats Christie like as if she gained a daughter but Stahma’s feelings aren’t true, since she is glad that Alak and Christie’s bond will make their family more powerful in Defiance.

            While Alak and Christie’s relationship is based on love, Datak and Stahma are based on a need for one another. Datak needs Stahma to stay in power, with her intelligent ways of manipulation. Stahma needs Datak because she wants to have a luxurious life, and overlooks the flaws in their relationship. Stahma, too, has been unfaithful to Datak and has an affair with Kenya, the owner of NeedWant and explains it’s her first ever-interspecies relationship. Stahma confides in Kenya that she doesn’t feel love the way humans do from Datak but cares about him because he killed her first marital prospect. Stahma says that Datak came from a poor family and her father did not accept their marriage and Stahma didn’t care because she thought that any man that would kill for her would be the best husband for her. Stahma takes pride in that her husband would kill for her but also is afraid of him because he has many men in his gang and can hurt her, which she also explains to Kenya to never talk about their affair in fear that Datak may hurt her severely.

 

             If you were to use Jung’s archetypes; Datak embodies “the shadow”, since he has a dark and gritty sense of self. Stahma although at first would seem as “the great mother”, exudes “the shapeshifter”, since she morphs herself to make people trust her in order for her to get what she wants. Alak would be considered a “hero”, since he cares about Christie and thinks that maybe their wedding will help their families’ feud. Christie would be more so of “the caregiver” since she loves Alak a lot and wants him and his family to accept her, trying to learn their customs and language.