Dominion - General Discussion

[bluebonnet]

It seems it might be true.  There are nine episodes listed but the finale is to be next week, August 7th as per the comic con panels.  So I guess the two episodes will air next week.  Apparently Gabriel is also coming to Vega in person. 

[kwerkee]

Gabriel has always wanted daddy to come back. He wants Alex to help him but if the latter opposes him, he wants him dead of course.

In showing the role reversal in the past, the angels' basic mentality hadn't change at all, if I think about it. Michael has always followed orders and Gabriel rebels. Gabriel explaining that the Bible isn't literal was entertaining. So am I to assume Gabriel was Noah? He built a bunker to protect the humans from Michael?

This show pulls off twists just to test my TV deductive skills. I didn't see Angel!Noma too. When Alex told her about the tattoo warning him about the people close to him, I thought "O shit, it's her".

[kwerkee]

Thank you. I haven't gone through their panels and Comic Con interviews yet so this was a surprise.

[bluebonnet]

For some reason, I didn't even think about them being at comic con so I never looked before now.  Some of the interviews are fairly interesting.  The creator, Vaun Wilmott, made a good point about historical movements in history that makes the caste system in Vega within 25 years seem a lot more reasonable, though it doesn't address the issue with the children being left to starve when Vega is short on children.  Here's a link to the panel.  I'm scoping out some more interviews to see if any other interesting tidbits are to be found and I'll link here if I find anything good.  

[GaT]

Why are Michael's teeth so bad?  I find them really distracting.

[shrewd.buddha]

So, another undercover Angel? This is starting to become a trend. 

 

The William and David stuff seems to be going on forever.. They are both high ranking members of their city's dictatorship. Wouldn't someone be looking for them? 

 

The "everything you know is wrong" stuff with Gabriel and Alex just fell flat for me - probably because it's been done so many times by so many shows. 

[Bruinsfan]

Interesting that Gabriel was able to force information out of Raphael. From her introductory episode, I had the impression that she might actually be the more powerful of the two.

[bluebonnet]

You mean Uriel?  Nah, Uriel straight up gave the names to Gabe and then faked the torture stuff for Michael's benefit.  Gabriel and Uriel are definitely the two in it together.  

[wayne67]

Uriel's deception surprised me. Not because I was surprised about her having dubious morality because that was telegraphed early. It just seemed so random for her to sacrifice all her stuff just to sell a lie to Michael. It was basically her most defining trait, she liked collecting stuff and now it's all broken.

 

As for the villagers being dubious about Michael. Um he's basically a traitor to his species helping you humans survive against his homicidal brethren. How about you stop doubting him all the time to his face unless you have a better option than trusting him.

 

I'm still curious about whether dead angels/8 balls go back to the ethereal empty heaven when they die or do they just cease existing now ?

 

*sigh* @ Soldier woman being a secret angel.

[Mak1908]

i find myself wishing that they would just tell this story from the angel's point of view. I find their stories more interesting than the humans in Vega. I think finding  out the "real" story behind all the angel happenings in the Bible would be cool. The chosen one stuff just gets more and more painful to watch. 

[Greta]

I agree Mak1908. You know what would be an awesome game changer in the season finale? Alex dies via random, non-affiliated 8-ball.  Due to various choices, it's partially everyone's fault (Michael's, Alex's, Gabriel's, Vegans') and partially just dumb luck. It would be interesting to see the angels' reaction to the last shred of divine intervention being stripped away from them.  Plus, I'm about 99.9% certain that Gabriel is Alex's father now; it actually sounded like that's what he was about to tell Alex ("Do you know who I am?  I'm....") just before being evicted. I just watched Legion for the first time and it's already heavily hinted at in the movie, particularly in the entire final scene with Charlie, Gabriel and the baby. At the end, Gabriel apparently learned killing the baby was not really what God wanted after all and promptly left; he never seemed gleeful at the prospect anyway, just dutiful about it.

 

I like Angel Noma and want to learn more about her.  I'm not clear on whether everyone knows she's an angel now or not?  At the end, it looked like Michael was checking the bodies to see if she was one of them, whereas our Sensitive Chosen One didn't bother.

 

I love this show; I'm not even going to qualify it this time. I just do and I'm so hoping for a second season.The only quibble I'll add is that the anti-(higher)angel sentiment in Vega could have been spelled out and drawn out better.  We never really get scenes with the random people of Vega to establish their mindset; one or two quick pieces, even as a quick introduction to another scene with the main characters would have gone a long way. Likewise, Becca's thing with Michael being a dirty little secret could have been established better.  Her not being in his hospital room (either because she couldn't get in or wasn't willing to take the risk of exposure) would have established that nicely, particularly in combination with a scene of hospital workers being ambivalent about treating him to begin with.

Edited August 2, 2014 by Greta

[AngelKitty]

So now Giles is catatonic because he had to kill his pet lion?  I don't know if I buy that.  I hope he's faking.

[Luckylyn]

I totally think Daddy Giles is playing possum.  He'll play along while quietly cataloging all the indignities his son is putting him through and then Daddy Giles will annihilate him.   He's the type who you kill if you're smart because he'll come after you if you don't.  I'm betting he'll undermine his son from the inside and erode his power base.

[Greta]

And maybe set himself as Gabriel's new chief acolyte in the process? I like it.

[TimetoShine]

Don't judge me but I decided to re-watch Legion and Michael says "The last time God lost faith in man, he sent a flood." There must be a connection.

[frenchtoast]

From TVGuide:

 

In the Season 1 finale, the revelation of a higher angel's identity puts Alex and Michael at odds and Alex goes before the Senate to plead his case. Meanwhile, the marriage of Claire and William is followed by General Riesen's departure from Vega; Arika meets a delegation from Helena who bring with them shocking cargo; and Gabriel raises some suspicions with his so-called surrender.

 

[Tippi Blevins]

I was waiting to see if Alex would perform eviction after eviction on that angel dude until finally only the human Stephen Colbert remained.

Edited August 4, 2014 by Tippi Blevins

[Bruinsfan]

Are the higher angels also possessing human hosts, just without causing the veins and creepy eyes? My impression was that they had bodies of their own.

[MsChipper]

I know he's a smarmy douche in this show but I love Anthony Stewart Head so much I kept screaming at the tv "No! Don't kill Giles!"

Apparently I have an unhealthy obsession with anyone connected to Buffy The Vampire Slayer :D

I am waiting for James Marsters to make a guest appearance on this show.

Oh Spike, I've missed you!

[maczero]

Are the higher angels also possessing human hosts, just without causing the veins and creepy eyes?

Not that we've seen.  What makes you ask?

[maczero]

So if you had to live in a post apocalyptic Las Vegas, which casino hotel would you choose?

 

On a related note, is Vega just downtown Vegas or does it include the city outskirts and the 'burbs?

[MDKNIGHT]

I've stayed in several of the casinos.  I think I'd stay at the Ventian although establishing the eternal RenFest at the Excaliber might be fun.  I don't know where they are getting food from though.  I think the LAST place you want to be in an apocalypse is the desert.  It is an interesting twist on the - Where would you go in the zombie apocalypse? since the angels can scale walls and some fly which would not be problems with zombies.  Honestly I don't think that the civilization we see on this show would have held out.  The angels should have beaten them already.  Maybe under neath it all the mythos is that God really DOES want humanity to survive.

[frenchtoast]

Just a heads up that I changed the title a little to match the rest of the forum, I hope.. I can change it to something more clever with some suggestions? Otherwise, continue on with the casinos and the world of Dominion.

[xaxat]

So if you had to live in a post apocalyptic Las Vegas, which casino hotel would you choose?

 

On a related note, is Vega just downtown Vegas or does it include the city outskirts and the 'burbs?

 

It looks like Vega is primarily the Las Vegas Strip, where most of the casinos are. The southern wall starts somewhere between Mandalay Bay and the MGM. Michael lives in the Stratosphere to the north, which I think is the most distant place we have seen inside the gates. (Downtown Las Vegas is actually north of The Strip.)

 

I think I'd stay somewhere around the Bellagio or one of the CityCenter hotels. They're a fair distance inside the perimeter, so the automated gun system would have a tiny bit more time to nail any angels before they got to me.  And it's not so far north as to put me right next to the nuclear plant that appears to be located to the north, closer to the Stratosphere.

 

I've got a lot of problems with the show, but I think the visual effects people did a really good job creating a CGI post-apocalyptic Las Vegas. 

[Greta]

Scene from tonight's show (Spoiler obviously).

 

What I love about this show?  There's still about a 45 percent chance that Michael is just throwing out another Great Big Lie to tell Alex what he wants to hear.

 

Edited many hours later to correct a horrifying spelling error and to note that "Damn!!!!" was my overall reaction. That and a frantic google search for "dominion renewed."  

 

Now I have to go to bed for an early morning meeting, in which I will sit quietly composing my longer reaction.

Edited August 8, 2014 by Greta

[kwerkee]

So many theories I had were thrown out of the window. And I loved it. The only one that I got right was Alex going to Gabriel to find God. Didn't see the twists with Evelyn, Uriel (I thought she was Evelyn), the Wheles(I thought dad was going to kill his son), Michael and the baby.

I was about to blow a gasket watching Alex at first, after doing so well in my books in the last episode. Glad he's not losing his sense again. Going to Gabriel was a mistake, yes. But given the fact that he has accepted being the Chosen One and believes he can end the war, at least his intentions are more altruistic and transparent than the others. Claire, Michael and even Uriel are dodgy.

I must say, though, if it comes down to the three archangels, I would be team Uriel. She's playing everyone and no one has even gotten a whiff of it. I don't think she has Evelyn's back. Uriel is on Uriel's side.

Unintentional hilarious awkward moment when it's revealed Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are triplets. Sorry but Michael and Gabriel look ages apart (yes, Tom Wisdom is 42 but he doesn't look like it. It's the Keanu curse)

Edited August 8, 2014 by kwerkee

[7-Zark-7]

The cold never bothered Alex anyway.

[GaT]

Well, I'm done. I just watched through the end of the season, but nothing about this show is interesting enough to me to make me come back for season 2. And why couldn't they have cast an actress who is capable of enunciating her words as Uriel? I don't think I understood a single thing she said, but I guess it doesn't matter at this point, I won't be back.

[tv echo]

The cold never bothered Alex anyway.

LOL... that Frozen reference is hilarious and so spot on.

 

I confess I watched this last episode with a kind of horrified fascination.  I'm glad Alex left Vega - yes, just get away from that whole horrible bunch of self-centered, power-hungry people masking themselves as do-gooders - even if it's to go to Gabriel's lair.  I don't like either MIchael or Gabriel - or Evelyn or Uriel for that matter.  I don't like William or his father Whele, Riesen or Clare - she's deluding herself if she really doesn't think she wants the power.  Her intention to keep the baby secret from Alex was unforgiveable as well.  I kept waiting for someone to kill William.  At the end, I was surprised to find that the only people I liked were Alex and Doma.

Edited August 8, 2014 by tv echo

[AzureOwl]

Unintentional hilarious awkward moment when it's revealed Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are triplets. Sorry but Michael and Gabriel look ages apart (yes, Tom Wisdom is 42 but he doesn't look like it. It's the Keanu curse)

That's not what Michael said. Michael and Gabriel were created together, as twin pair. Uriel and Rafael were created as another set. And "the Son of Morning" was created alone. Which confirms for the first time that a Lucifer exists in the show's universe.

[kwerkee]

Michael and Gabriel were created together, as twin pair. Uriel and Rafael were created as another set. And "the Son of Morning" was created alone. Which confirms for the first time that a Lucifer exists in the show's universe.

Oops, Imisheard. I misheard so badly that I didn't catch 'Son of the Morning' at all. That means Lucifer may be in play for the future? I jokingly said elsewhere that Lucifer probably kidnapped God and all the fighting had been for nothing. Come to think of it, no one questioned the ousted one during a crisis like this?

[Bruinsfan]

Tippi's remark above. I'd assumed the guy Gabriel was possessing was himself a higher angel, with a body of his own.

[Bruinsfan]

I might choose the Luxor, since it would presumably be harder to get tossed out a window or have an angel come flying in through one if it's at a 51° slant and mirrored on the outside.

[sjohnson]

Writing up the finale so that most of the actors can be written out of the show may be good contract negotiations. But for me it really highlighted how few of the characters care about whose Dominion the Earth shall be. Gabriel and Michael (and Noma) really want God, albeit by diametrically opposed ways. Alex and William want their favored archangels to win  But whatever Uriel wants has nothing to do with "Father's" return. The Riesens, Thorn, the senior Whele, "Arika" just want to win a safer status quo. If none of the character care about the ostensible premise of the show, how can any of their shenanigans really matter. Even worse, the baby raises the question of whether Alex is really the Chosen One or just another Jeep! 

 

We finish with Alex in fake physical jeopardy but we know that Gabriel is hopeful of converting him, so that's just a little fake drama. William is literally nowhere, so his character doesn't matter. It's not even necessary that Michael ever reappears. Pretty much any new plot developments can be driven by the appearance of newly translated tattoos! They could drop the entire city of Vega next year if it wasn't too much of a waste of sets. (Technically Ethan could still have a surprise on the old theme of beware the closes but he's not really close to Alex.) 

 

I suppose this is an example of a show wanting to complicate the plot and put in big surprises but they've pretty much eviscerated the premise and I don't know what the new one is supposed to be. Can't be a choice between good and evil because they've made sure practically no one is very consistently trying to do what they think is right. There's only Alex. (In his own way, William has tried to do right but, again, he's nowhere in this story.)

 

What a mess!

[Greta]

I take the opposite view- if everyone was droning on about and justifying their actions with achieving "dominion," it would be eye-rollingly pretentious and not at all believable in terms of how people (for lack of a better word for characters) think most of the time. 

 

I have my nitpicks (and a flourishing need to see Alex die), but I overall enjoyed this finale and this season.  It was flawed but there were some elements that were very well done.  

 

Becca's Angel-topsy Rooms of Death weren't, in retrospect, a shocking character twist considering every. single. thing. she'd said about angels all season long.  Although it did add retrospective creepiness to those scenes of her looking at and stroking Michael's back, not to mention hanging over him while he bled to death, which now seems like it might have been calling dibs on the body. I also really liked that she never showed any empathy whatsoever for Louis (great actor! wish we'd seen more of him) and really appeared to think that reassuring Michael she like-liked him would fix it. I hope Michael regrets killing the guards but maintains a firm "Bitch had it coming" attitude towards Becca. 

 

Were we supposed to be taking Idiot Alex's side in his shock! and horror! and immediate attack mode! over Michael's (relatively brief) raginess?  Alex (well, Chris Egan) was acting like Michael snapped because someone put cinnamon in his latte instead of nutmeg.

 

I didn't care over much either way for General Riesen for most of the season, but I hope the old coot makes it to New Delphi (and that we get to see it next year).

 

Loved William and David. I really believed that Willy would love and raise that child as his own. Ironically, given time, it might have been enough to turn him against Gabriel. And ASH's face when Claire insisted that William not get a hero's story as a cover-up?

 

Was only matched by Shavani ???'s Evelyn's slight face flinch when Uriel was all about Father's will instead of the Divine Feminine.  

 

Speaking of Evelyn, did all the handmaidens who originally came with "Arika" not know that she was really Evelyn because there was an Evelyn decoy?  And what about the little angel boy?  He wasn't a dropped plot point because he was sitting in Gabriel's throne room.

 

Also in Gabriel's throne room, Felicia from the pilot, whose motivations interest me all out of proportion to the screen time she's had.  And also, my new favorite, Furiad.  He's the hapless, unlucky in love Smithers of Gabriel's army.  

 

And finally Michael and Gabriel.  I'm a sucker for brothers at war and Tom Wisdom and Carl Beukes really delivered. Plus, name-checking of Raphael and Lucifer.

 

I'm going back to googling "Dominion Season 2" now

Edited August 9, 2014 by Greta

[thuganomics85]

Well, that was... something.  Certainly the season finale.  You've got Michael flipping his lid, killing Becca (after finding out she experiments on higher angels), and going back to his old school form.  Riesen just flat out bails from New Vega.  Claire finally figures out William is a Gabriel follower, has him arrested, and basically seems to be preparing to be Queen Bee of Vega.  Oh, and she's totally caring Alex's baby!  David spares William, but torches the Acolytes.  Uriel is actually on Team Helena and wants to take out both Michael and Gabriel.  Arika was actually Evelyn all this time?!  And, now it looks like Alex is waltzing in to House Gabriel.  Has he fully converted, or is this just all part of another plan.  Is Noma still alive?  I hope so.

 

If SyFy decides to renew it (knowing them, it could go either way), I'll be back.  Not exactly a great show, but it at least keeps my interest in the lazy summer days.  And, I do wonder if everyone splintering off means we'll be getting new locations.  I wouldn't mind seeing Helena somehow.  Or New Delphi.  I would actually be cool if William ends up heading over there, and bumps into Riesen. Plus, there is all those gratuitous ass shots.  This show sure does love them.

[tmelange]

I so much wanted to love this show, but the writing is kind of awful. After 8 episodes, I haven't found one character that I really love (or even really like). I don' think this show is as good as Caprica, which Syfy canceled, so I don't know what to expect. The main problem may be that I don't like Alex. I like Michael and Gabriel well enough, but their actions and motivations seem very pedestrian. I mean, who cares that Michael was God's executioner EONS ago? Doesn't the bible say somewhere that this was his role? This is supposed to elucidate Michael's character and support that he has rage issues today? Alex wants to know why he didn't object to God's instructions, as if Alex has any understanding what that entailed or meant for an archangel standing at the right hand of GOD? Huh? And the whole "training" thing was just...the worst portrayal of a training session that I've ever seen.

 

The central conflict of the show as it has been presented is simply not compelling to me.

 

And I can barely understand what Uriel is saying most of the time.

[Amelie06]

 This was bizarre and poorly acted show. The best I can say is that even though I thought the show sucked, I kept watching. That's something, I guess.

 

Clare was the worst to the bitter end.  It's not ok to be secretly pregnant and plotting to pass your lover's baby off as your husband's baby. This episode made her seem very manipulative.  She tried to sound altruistic, but she is clearly power hungry. She really didn't have to marry William! She only did it to consolidate her power.  She also knew that William was actually in love with her and she kept displaying her indifference. Even at their wedding, where she knew she was secretly pregnant with another man's baby, she gives him a relieved "thank goodness I don't have to bang you tonight" kiss. I also thought that nonsense about Clare's favorite flower was an annoying way to out William.

 

We have all been saying that Michael was a total dick and this episode really highlighted his dickishness. I understood Alex's reaction to Michael's insane rage blackout. Michael has been lurking around him his whole life helping and preserving human life. Michael was acting like a beserker, killing everyone he could get his bloodthirsty hands on.  Alex would have been a fool if he wasn't prepared to fight.  Alex knew that the senator and Michael had a thing and then he just choked her out! I get that he was justifiably angry, but it's never ok to choke a bitch out like that. That is domestic violence. She had spent most of the season trying to get Michael to commit! Even though he was playing hard to get, Michael was about it! Until he found out she was vivisecting his brethren. (#angelproblems)

 

I'm happy William is still alive. I was able to work up a bit of an interest in him as a character. The Whele's were crazy, but at least they were entertaining.

 

I'm not surprised that the chick from the womyn's enclave was lying about her identity the whole time. What I find strange is that the woman in her entourage kept threatening her with herself! "Helena will be disgusted when she finds out blah blah." Why don't her own people know who the hell she is? Or was I just misunderstanding what was going on?

 

At the end, Alex should have figured out a way to just contact Gabriel. Climbing a snowy mountain at night seems like an awful lot of trouble to go through when he could have just hitched a ride.

[tricksterson]

MDKnight.  They showed in one episode, "Flood" where they get their food.  Where they get the water to grow it is another question.

[MDKNIGHT]

I hadn't seen that episode at the time but thanks.  I still think the desert is a bad place to live out the Angelpocalypse.  And like you said they have water but it doesn't make sense that they have it.  It is a desert after the infrastructure has broken down.  Vegas only works because the infrastructure exists.

 

I think that the fact Michael lives in the Stratosphere and Jeep (IIRC) makes a comment about him living high up is funny.  Gabriel's hang out is called an airy isn't it? Well they do have wings so I guess they have bird tendencies.

[Ottis]

I don't think this show is as good as Caprica, which Syfy canceled, so I don't know what to expect.

 

 

True. Dominion may be more accessible than Caprica, though. You had to have an appreciation for BSG to get fully get Caprica. Dominion is about angels and God and the Bible and stuff that more people have a connection to. That said, I agree, Caprica was a better show.

 

I don't really know what the angel siblings are fighting over. The humans seem screwed just about any way you look at it, unless the angels leave (and go ... where?). I'd like to know more about why the angels are on Earth at all. A few hate humans, I get it. But so many? What are their other options?

[Bruinsfan]

The lower angels seemed covetous of being able to feel in human bodies if Claire's mother is anything to go by. Which raises the question of just how much of a paradise Heaven actually is, if its residents are eager to pointlessly scamper around in post-apocalyptic Nevada wearing stolen meat-suits rather than staying home in their natural state.

[MDKNIGHT]

 

The lower angels seemed covetous of being able to feel in human bodies if Claire's mother is anything to go by. Which raises the question of just how much of a paradise Heaven actually is, if its residents are eager to pointlessly scamper around in post-apocalyptic Nevada wearing stolen meat-suits rather than staying home in their natural state.

I got the impression from what the angel possessing Claire's mom said that since God left the lower angels were wandering around a misty nothingness so getting into a meat suit with which you can eat drink and have sex seemed like the only option to her. 

 

I liked it over all but the one thing I couldn't gloss over that made no sense was -How the heck can you be Evelyn the ruler of a city state and not have anybody know who you are or what you look like?  Especially since you still have to have the power to have bodies and body parts sent to you.  Seriously how can you possibly pull that off?  It would have made more sense if Uriel were Evelyn.  She could have taken the opportunity of the chaos to set up her girls only club to take a break from the testosterone war her brothers have going on.  And as mentioned above how can Evelyn be cool with Uriel who is obviously a Daddy's Girl? BTW I found out on the official website that Helena is in what used to be La Jolla California so what's with the Middle Eastern get ups? 

 

All that aside I was intrigued by the episode.  Giles letting William live but killing the Black Acolytes I liked.  I'm in the camp that sees Michael as crossing the line into evil.   He is a speciest (like a racist but about humans vs angels instead of races) .  He has killed thousands of humans and if you noticed int he flashback he severed limbs before outright killing men women and children.  Becca as far as we could see vivisected one angel under orders during a war.  All the others were autopsies.  In any case killing one not evil angel is worse than slaughtering thousands of innocent humans?  He's a hypocrite.  I hate it that Gabriel will use Michaels hypocricsy as justification for his own actions.  Notice he glossed over his killing of the first three hidden Archangels but yammered on about what the humans were doing to poor Louis.  BTW any reason why melting a feather on him wouldn't have helped?:  Why did he need to be mercy killed? 

 

Hope it gets renewed because I'm curious as to what happens now. 

 

Interesting that the father exiles the son but the daughter exiles the father. 

 

I can at least say this show provided 3 twists I didn't see coming so there is something positive to say about it. 

[Jordan27]

This is the darkest, most humorless show on TV.  What a drag of a season.  Not one person has any sense of humor, no one ever laughs, and no one is happy. 

 

Sure, Gabriel is a bad guy, but most of the citizens of Vega are not really much better.  They are bunch of selfish, conniving, meanspirited, cruel lying murderers.

 

I can't find one character worth rooting for. 

 

And the premise is just ridiculous. I can take fantasy, but come on, evil angels out to kill mankind to please God.  Gabriel is like a little child pitching a fit because his daddy won't give him his own way.

 

And the reason reeks of one of the centuries long ago when people sacrificed a cow or even a person to get good weather from the Gods.

 

Kill all the humans and God "might" come back.  Really, really?!??  All this trouble for something that might happen?!?!?

 

I'm done.  Don't care about the characters.  Don't care what happens.

[walnutqueen]

I'm out, too.  There is just nothing about this show I enjoy, not even for background noise.

[Hanahope]

I might choose the Luxor, since it would presumably be harder to get tossed out a window or have an angel come flying in through one if it's at a 51° slant and mirrored on the outside.

 

I thought there was a line that the 8-ball in Claire's Mom was living in the Luxor and was "outside" the walls.

[Irishmaple]

This show just debuted in my market and I'm not exactly sure what I think of it yet.  I remember being kind of embarrassed for Paul Bettany in the movie but I never imagined someone would turn Legion into a TV series.

 

I had a couple of issues with the setting, both of which I guess can be waved away by genre shorthand.  Walled cities are a staple of the genre and make sense when the enemy is human or zombie, but I don't see the rationale here.  The enemy has wings and cleared those walls with miles to spare.  And why Las Vegas, which is visually cool, but lacks arable land for even subsistence farming?  Aside from that, the show wasn't the worst I've ever watched.  Granted, the bar is low as I watched entire seasons of The Event, The Cape and other shows best left unmentioned.

 

The characters weren't the worst I've ever seen either though I'm concerned that the Chosen One seems to be played by an actor completely devoid of charisma and lacking any kind of spark with the female lead.  On the other hand, Michael was excellent in the fight scenes and I thought the actor moved very well, so I found him more interesting.  Some of his quirks were irritating though.  If he's so against having a child, why is he having orgies of self-loathing with women of child-bearing age?  Aren't there any hot older women in Vega?  I also got the impression that women of child-bearing age were a valuable commodity (the veiled woman offered a batch in trade for the nuclear technology) so why does Michael get to have an entire harem of them?  I didn't care for his particular brand of neglectful and abusive foster parenting.  His life made Alex stronger, but it has also made him mistrustful and resentful, which has already backfired on Michael.  I'm also on board with Anthony Head's dislike of Chosen Ones.

 

Does nobody on these shows ever stop to think that being gathered together in a room is never a good idea?  If I'm ever in fictional dystopia, I'm not going into lockdown with a group, I'm not going to watch the zombies fight, I'm going to quietly leave when the bad angel comes out of the box.  Nothing good ever happens when everyone gathers in one spot. 

[Greta]

 

 

I had a couple of issues with the setting, both of which I guess can be waved away by genre shorthand.  Walled cities are a staple of the genre and make sense when the enemy is human or zombie, but I don't see the rationale here.  The enemy has wings and cleared those walls with miles to spare.  And why Las Vegas, which is visually cool, but lacks arable land for even subsistence farming?  

 The walled city does have sort of a rationale. The show makes a distinction between higher angels, who have their own bodies and wings, and lower angels, disembodied spirits who possess human bodies without wings, and so can be kept out with walls The lower angels are called Eight Balls and they were the only ones fighting with Gabriel in the original war. Besides Michael and Gabriel, the higher angels (including my adorkably hapless favorite Furiad- the red-winged one who fought Michael) all stayed neutral until now.  There was also some mumbo-jumbo about the Colorado River being diverted after some final battle at the Hoover Dam that makes Las Vegas more water-friendly, but yeah, that one just needs a genre wave.

 

I agree with all of your points on the weaknesses because there are many frustrating flaws in execution, but I stuck with Dominion and am hoping for a renewal to see what happens next (the finale upends A LOT in awesome ways).  Michael remains compelling, particularly when he gets to interact with other angels and people not named Alex.  He does appear to have spent 25 years making decisions on the care and feeding of the Chosen One based on the young adult fantasy section in a Vegas bookstore and a well-worn Blu-Ray of Star Wars: The Original Trilogy, but I actually found that to be perfectly in character with Legion Michael. He's a soldier, so saving a baby while blowing up shit real good? No problem. Actually raising said baby and communicating effectively with it?  Really more Gabriel's territory, Biblically speaking.

 

Also, if you keep watching, watch the Wheles!  I've grown to actually love ASH's David's flat, try-hard enunciation because it's so in character. And William is awesome.

Edited September 6, 2014 by Greta

[Irishmaple]

Thanks, Greta.  I was wary of posting because the show aired in the US months ago so I appreciate your encouragement.  Honestly, I did enjoy the episode, qualms aside, and I think it'll be just the thing to get me through the next few weeks with the coming insanity of moving to a new place and a new job.  I want something that doesn't require too much thinking because I've got enough of that going on!

[Irishmaple]

That one wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  Alex and Claire are unbearable together, and I don't see any genuine spark between them.  Haven't shows learned to test their romantic leads for chemistry yet?  I know it's in the eye of the beholder, but I'm generally easy to please and I'm seeing nothing here.  Even their sex scene was paint-by-numbers.  The only moment I liked was Alex's drunken truth-telling: Claire's all about the good of the people while living an insulated life perched well above them.  I liked that she acknowledged the truth of it too.  I'm glad they've kind of broken up, because they might be better characters without the romantic baggage.  I'll give Roxanne McKee credit for doing her best but the guy is completely charisma-free.  I was hoping Michael would drop him off the tower and see if the tattoo would relocate to the next Chosen One.

 

The institutionalized social system seems like a really bad idea.  When in the history of ever has the growth of a massive underclass not lead to social unrest and revolution?  I'm surprised Michael didn't roll his eyes and leave for Boulder as he watched that development.  I'm also disappointed that he tolerates it, though it seems the angels have a hierarchy of their own so maybe he sees nothing wrong.  No wonder Whele tried that stunt with the bad angel; have to keep the masses distracted.  I did like that a couple of people tried to call him on it, but I thought his defenders were standing on weak ground.  Restoring the power is certainly a priority but I would make time to deal with the man who endangered the settlement as well.  As 'mistakes' go, that one was practically off the charts.

 

I smirked a bit at Gabriel's assertion that his angels will treat the Earth better, yet back in their stronghold they appear to be enthusiastically working their way through the Seven Deadly Sins in their new bodies.  Gluttony and Lust were certainly well-represented there.