Dominion [Season 1, Episode 1]
Pilot (90 min)
Shown 19/Jun/14
This is not merely inspired by the biblical apocalypse film
Legion
, this is an official sequel to it.
With a completely different cast, of course.
The premise of the original film was simple enough.
Angels descended from heaven and slaughtered the human race.
A handful were protected by a friendly archangel.
Now, many years later, enough humans survived the apocalypse
to fill a heavily-defended citadel in the ruins of Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Military are led by an honourable General (rent-a-villain Alan Dale –
Once Upon A Time
) and a scheming politician (Anthony Stewart Head, the mentor figure in
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
). It is nice to see them playing against type.
The General’s daughter (
Roxanne McKee
) is a political pawn to be used in her father’s alliance with the Mayor.
She would rather elope with a heroic soldier.
Dominion [Season 1, Episode 2]
Godspeed
Shown 26/Jun/14
Gabriel knows the Chosen One has been found.
He sends an assassin angel into the city.
Can the Chosen One defeat a superhuman angel in a fist-fight?
The other city's Matriarch is still under lock and key,
after the events of the previous episode.
Her interaction with David the Mayor (Anthony Stewart Head -
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
) indicates she is not just a pretty face.
The General’s daughter (
Roxanne McKee
) is unhappy about being used as a political pawn to be used in her father’s alliance with the Mayor.
She manages to squeeze in a love scene, with some rear nudity.
Nothing as spectacular as her role in
Game of Thrones
, but it is the most interesting thing she has done in this show so far.
Dominion [Season 1, Episode 3]
Broken Places
Shown 03/Jul/14
The Arch-Angel Michael is interviewed by the Las Vegas council,
who are annoyed that he never mentioned a breed of super-angel who could pass as human beings.
He refuses to answer their questions directly,
even making veiled threats to David (Anthony Stewart Head -
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
).
Michael has indeed been holding back.
The angels who can pass for human have declared themselves neutral,
and secretly live in peace among the human survivors.
It seems at least one other major character already knows this,
but keeps it secret too.
Tony Head negotiates with the female ambassador who he had imprisoned (and then freed) last episode.
It seems that politics in her home city are more complicated than he had hoped,
and for her to make good on their bargain will require support
(possibly including a military intervention) from her male ally.
However, he does not have much choice in the matter.
The feminazi city is somehow the only one with a functioning air force,
so they could obliterate Las Vegas from the air with little trouble.
That said, a city which has withstood attack by flying angels
should have enough effective Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA) to withstand a few planes.
The Chosen One goes walkabout.
Michael goes after him in an attempt to talk some sense into him.
Dominion [Season 1, Episode 4]
The Flood
Shown 10/Jul/14
Michael goes off to visit Gabriel again.
There is now a third Archangel in the mix – a female, who has decided to be neutral for the time being.
One of the city councillors takes the General (Alan Dale –
Once Upon A Time
) and David the Mayor (Anthony Stewart Head -
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
) hostage.
He demands to see the Chosen One,
which would be an easy thing for the Top Brass to arrange
except that it would destroy any concept of security.
Dominion [Season 1, Episode 5]
Something Borrowed
Shown 17/Jul/14
The General's lady-friend goes shopping.
She tries to disguise herself as a human,
but ends up looking like Michael Jackson.
Naturally, it all ends badly.
Dominion [Season 1, Episode 6]
Black Eyes Blue
Shown 24/Jul/14
Our hero calls the Princess, Clare Reisen (
Roxanne McKee
), down to meet the possessed woman.
They try to give her an eviction (AKA an exorcism),
but nobody has ever managed to do it successfully before.
The scheming politician (Anthony Stewart Head -
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
) tries a scheme against the General (Alan Dale –
Once Upon A Time
), but despite being a great negotiator he lacks the General's prior knowledge.
Last episode, the Princess blackmailed David into staying out of her way
when it comes to political decisions in the city.
Now she has the leverage (and the inclination,
since she has lost faith in his decision-making) to do the same to her father.
Yes, it seems like the Princess could be an effective ruler in her own right.
Dominion [Season 1, Episode 7]
Ouroboros
Shown 31/Jul/14
Gabriel the evil arch-angel gets the list of neutral angels living in Vega.
He possesses one, then starts murdering the others in order to spread fear among the citizens.
The humans are scared because there are angels living among them.
The angels are scared because humans have a tendency to form lynch mobs.
The Chosen One is practising evictions, without any more success than he had last week.
He also spends a lot of time with his latina colleague, giving us some rear MALE nudity
(to counter what we got from the Princess a couple of weeks ago).
Gabriel is trying to split the Chosen One from his friend, the Archangel Michael.
All he has to do is insert a seed of doubt.
Michael covered for the neutral angels, so he cannot be trusted.
Also, what part did he play in the genocide 4000 years ago that the bible portrayed as a flood?
Dominion [Season 1, Episode 8]
Beware Those Closest to You (90 min)
Shown 07/Aug/14
The Chosen One goes to the Council and reveals everything he learned about the neutral angels.
As a result, Michael gets exiled from the City.
Michael's assistant tries to lure Gabriel out.
In Part II, the good guys go looking for Gabriel.
They do not have to go far, because he surrenders to the city.
The Council, influenced by the secret Angel-cultist conspiracy,
decide to keep him alive for interrogation rather than just kill him.
Of couse, just like Loki in
Avengers Assemble
or the Joker in
The Dark Knight
, getting captured is obviously all part of his plan.
David (Anthony Stewart Head -
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
) is still working for the traitor cult.
But how loyal will he be?
Michael is a judgemental git,
especially when he discovers what the Council have been doing to develop defences against the Angels.
Dominion [Season 2, Episode 1]
Heirs of Salvation
Shown 09/Jul/15
This takes place a few months after the end of the previous Season.
Roxanne McKee
has taken over her father’s job of running the military.
With assistance of the woman from the Feminist City
she bombs the enemy Angel base, the Eyrie ...
The Chosen One and his Latina bodyguard were in the Eyrie when it got hit.
They manage to get out, and start the long trek home on foot.
They bump into some feral angel-infested humans,
and the Chosen One discovers his magical tattoos
have given him a new super-power.
Saint Michael has abandoned the human city of Vega,
but in the wilderness he discovers an isolated human village.
To investigate its survival he poses as a human wanderer,
and tries to befriend the woman running the place.
Her head of Security does not trust the stranger,
but their Militia only has about ten men in it so they have no defences to speak of.
However, their God promised to protect them
as long as they keep their bonfire burning.
Apparently this has been the status for several years,
which means that they have never run out of wood (in the middle of a desert)
and that it has never had a heavy downpour of rain.
But now, as if on command, it starts to rain …
David (Anthony Stewart Head -
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
) is still in charge of the civilian operations in Vega.
He does not like Ms McKee interfering in his affairs
– she gives the poor people some floor-space in a top-class hotel.
Naturally, he orders his minions to do something nasty.
With his son’s sub –plot tied up in the previous Season,
will he have a proper story arc this time or is he just a Snidely Whiplash villain?
Dominion [Season 2, Episode 2]
Mouth of the Damned
Shown 16/Jul/15
A V1 tries to assassinate Claire the Lady Boss (
Roxanne McKee
). The V1s are the poorest citizens, the worker caste.
In the previous episode the Lady Boss tried to
give them free housing in one of the luxury hotels,
only to have her plans sabotaged by David (Anthony Stewart Head -
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
). Now it seems the V1s blame HER for the poverty, not him!
In order to prevent David from starting a civil war,
the Lady Boss conspires with the lady from the feminist city.
They have a tame Angel, who they can bribe
with possessions that belonged to the person that the Angel is possessing.
The result looks and acts like Gollum’s attractive younger sister.
The Chosen One and his companion are taken to a Free City run by Julian (Simon Merrels -
Spartacus: War of the Damned
). He is usually a rent-a-villain, so he seems untrustworthy and ambiguous at best.
However, his city has both Angels and Humans living together in peace.
They survive by trade, and will not simply hand him over to Gabriel.
However, there will be a price ...
Archangel Michael is still investigating the magical bonfire
that keeps lower Angels at bay.
The village may be set in Georgia, USA, but it certainly looks as if North America
has now been reduced to the barren state of the deserts of South Africa!
Dominion [Season 2, Episode 3]
The Narrow Gate
Shown 23/Jul/15
Gabriel plans to attack both cities simultaneously.
He has flashbacks to the last time they did it – Sodom and Gomorrah.
Michael commanded one attack, while Julian (Simon Merrels -
Spartacus: War of the Damned
) led the other one.
Of course, it did not end up as intended –
Gabriel made his bones, while Merrels lost his wings.
Merrels has sent the Chosen One into the prison maze.
Our hero must retrieve a magical key which has an unspecified purpose.
He discovers what happened to the General (Alan Dale –
Once Upon A Time
).
Michael discovers that the villagers intend a human sacrifice.
The combination of fire and blood may seem somewhat satanic to the casual viewer,
but everyone (including Michael) assumes that it is Jehovah’s doing.
Back in Vega, Claire (
Roxanne McKee
) orders her forces to round up the revolting peasants.
It is bad enough that they are besieged by supernatural monsters,
but now they have to worry about the enemy within.
At least David (Anthony Stewart Head -
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
) only used violence as a last resort,
but the peasants tried to kill Claire (a potential ally) on a whim.
Dominion [Season 2, Episode 4]
A Bitter Truth
Shown 30/Jul/15
The Chosen One and his associates realise that Julian (Simon Merrels –
Spartacus: War of the Damned
) is lying to them.
He has promised them an army,
but not bothered to contact Vega yet to form a proper alliance.
And what is so important about the magic disc and the ancient amphora?
Unfortunately, when they go snooping they incur their host’s wrath.
Clare Reisen (
Roxanne McKee
), Queen of the City, sneaks off alone to visit the tech guy.
This is why he was not a regular in Season One –
he stays off the books and under the radar.
However, now this backfires.
They are locked in his fortress of solitude when an angel attacks.
Since they cannot call in any backup,
Claire’s much-vaunted position as ruler of Vega counts for nothing.
She and the tech have to mcguyver up a weapon that can kill an angel!
Claire’s victim David (Anthony Stewart Head -
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
) is the third main character to be held prisoner this episode.
Ever since her clumsy frame-up he has been cast down among the V1s.
He is homeless and starving, like his victims.
Since he ruled by fear,
Without his power his former allies have no need of him.
He gets captured by the revolting insurgents, who plan to televise his murder.
But even without his wealth he is not entirely helpless.
His quick wits and lust for vengeance will keep him alive.
Elsewhere, Michael confronts Gabriel.
Rather than fight it out and end the show quickly, they make an alliance
that will prolong their storyline at least a few more episodes.
This episode raises the question, can a lower angel possess a higher one?
After all, the higher angels have bodies of their own,
complete with wings that are like a shield of steel ...
and that they can actually use to punch through a steel door with!
Dominion [Season 2, Episode 5]
Son of the Fallen
Shown 06/Aug/15
Michael and Gabriel team up and enter the city.
Not a quiet infiltration, more of a fast-and-dumb attack.
They deliver an impressive body-count to their victims.
To stop their murderous rampage,
Alex the Chosen One teams up with Julian the fallen Angel (Simon Merrels -
Spartacus: War of the Damned
).
Princess Claire (
Roxanne McKee
) puts a bounty on the rebel leader’s head.
David (Tony Head -
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
) tries to make himself useful to both sides.
The rebels have a truck-load of C4 explosives.
Dominion [Season 2, Episode 6]
Reap the Whirlwind
Shown 13/Aug/15
With Gabriel captured and Michael on the run,
it turns out that Julian the Fallen Angel (Simon Merrels -
Spartacus: War of the Damned
) might actually be the biggest villain of the bunch.
David (Tony Head -
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
) helps Zoe take advantage of the city's division
by making a rabble-rousing broadcast.
Princess Claire (
Roxanne McKee
) panics when her techie BF disobeys orders
and tries to take it down single-handed.
And David may have an ally he never expected.
Dominion [Season 2, Episode 7]
Lay Thee Before Kings
Shown 20/Aug/15
The show's redemption of Gabriel continues.
Despite his leading of the global genocide of the entire human species,
in a previous episode we learned he was reluctant to participate
when Jupiter/JHVH ordered the Demi-Gods/Archangels to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.
And now, in flashbacks, we learn that he was the loving father of David the shepherd boy.
The Chosen One and his Latina bodyguard are on the run.
They go shopping at a big superstore run by Eight-balls.
Just like the zombies in
Dawn of the Dead
, these creatures relive their former lives
by mimicking the actions they performed in their daily work.
In Vega, Princess Claire (
Roxanne McKee
) tries to negotiate peace with Zoe.
But David (Tony Head -
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
) has a plan of his own.
Dominion [Season 2, Episode 8]
The Longest Mile Home
Shown 27/Aug/15
Gabriel is still in the villainous hands of Julian the Fallen Angel (Simon Merrels -
Spartacus: War of the Damned
). He manages to escape due to lax security,
and then has a three-way with the three most beautiful women on the show.
It is difficult to state which of these events is the most unlikely.
General Riesen (Alan Dale –
Lost
) meets an old acquaintance.
The Angel who was possessed his wife (and became his lover for decades) is back.
She promises him that Julian will be able to help both of them.
Reisen has a flashback to the day of the Angel Apocalypse.
David (Tony Head –
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
) has an agent in Claire’s camp.
But the tech nerd has suspicions.
Dominion [Season 2, Episode 9]
The Seed Of Evil
Shown
The politician woman from Helena, the Feminist City, is in Claire’s dungeon.
Her one plan of escape is to bargain with the nerd,
who she poisoned in the previous episode.
If he gets her out of the dungeon,
she will take him to Helena where the cure is.
This will strengthen political ties between the cities,
and secure a backup location for a Government-in-exile if David (Tony Head -
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
) wins the civil war.
In other words, everyone wins.
Will it be this simple?
Elsewhere, David discovers the prophet who has returned from the wilderness.
Michael, the chosen one and the wingless wonder
manage to get to within sight of Vega.
However, the Eight-ball army has somehow beaten them there.
Can they get past thousands of angel-possessed humans?
Julian the Fallen Angel (Simon Merrels -
Spartacus: War of the Damned
) tries to possess Gabriel.
But is it possible for a lower angel to possess a higher one?
Dominion [Season 2, Episode 10]
House of Sacrifice
Shown 10 Sep 15
General Riesen (Alan Dale –
Lost
) has made his deal with Julian the Fallen Angel (Simon Merrels -
Spartacus: War of the Damned
). But Julian has been replaced by Gabriel.
Yes, all the build-up for this new arch-villain has been for nothing.
Gabriel is back on top, intent on destroying Vega.
And he knows how to turn the General to his side.
The people of Vega are about to destroy themselves,
without Gabriel’s interference.
Zoe’s rebellion may be over and David’s power gone,
but the nuclear power plant is in the hands of a rebel group.
Can Claire’s two lovers, the Chosen One and the Tech Guy,
stop bickering long enough to fight their way past the rebels
and stop the power plant from exploding?
Which one will she end up with?
Alex’s Latina bodyguard looks after Michael.
He is in a coma,
psychically abducted by the mysterious prophet who protected the town.
Now he must play poker with the stranger, instead of chess like in
The Seventh Seal
. Finally we get to know who is behind the magical bonfire.
David’s power may be gone, but at least he has his son William back. Again.
Not a ghost this time, but an insane murderous prophet.
And the problems that Zoe and David (Tony Head -
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
) posed for Princess Claire (
Roxanne McKee
) is nothing compared to what William can do.
Much like in the first Season, when he led an evil Cult.
Much of this episode is tying up loose ends,
returning the show to the state it was at in the first Season.
Dominion [Season 2, Episode 11]
Bewilderment of Heart
Shown 17 Sep 15
The magical amphora has been unleashed upon war-torn Vega.
Every living thing inside it falls victim to a deadly hallucination.
Everyone except the Chosen One, who is apparently immune to its effects.
The Angel girl who lost her wings hallucinates that she might get them back.
Princess Claire (
Roxanne McKee
) wants to live the perfect family life with the Chosen One and their baby
David (Tony Head -
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
) is about to be executed when he is given a second chance by an Eightball version of himself
William relives the months he spent in exile,
and an Eightball version of Claire expositions why he is a false prophet
For dramatic purposes,
all the hallucinations take exactly the same amount of time to take effect.
The victims, regardless of their personal strength of character,
are all on the brink of suicide at exactly the same cliff-hanger moment.
Dominion [Season 2, Episode 12]
Day of Wrath
Shown 24 Sep 15
Gabriel, still infected with Darkness, tries to kill Michael.
They have a flashback to the time that Gabriel first decided to open the seventh seal,
to dump the lower Angels on Earth and to destroy the human species.
General Riesen (Alan Dale –
Lost
) leads the Eightball army against Vega.
Dominion [Season 2, Episode 13]
Sine Deo Nihil
Shown 01 Oct 15
As the Season comes to a climax,
the relationships established throughout the Season
are now thrown into confusion.
Characters who were deadly enemies for the last dozen episodes
are now reluctant allies against a much greater threat.
A trusted ally now turns traitor in service of the next Season’s villain.
Yes, as a climax it is confused but it makes a good cliff-hanger for next year.
The heroes, armed with a few assault rifles, try to defeat an army of Eightballs.
Luckily the Chosen One still has his superpower,
so for the first time in two Seasons he can actually use it
to do something that makes a difference.
The climax makes the Archangels debate what sides they are on.
After all, the Morningstar must have an agenda ...
