Dominion – “Ouroburos” Retrospective. Whom Can You Trust?

Michael’s past isn’t entirely clean.

Season 1, Episode 7

Airdate: Thursday, July 31, 2014, 9/8c on Syfy

Rating: ★★★★★

Sex, death, and exorcisms—it’s all in a day’s work when you step into the world of Syfy’s Dominion. Once again, the supernatural series about humanity’s war against angels takes viewers through a number of twists and turns in “Ouroburos.” The Chosen One, Sgt. Alex Lannon (Christopher Egan), learns the extent of his abilities while training with Archangel Michael (Tom Wisdom). Meanwhile, Senator Whele (Anthony Stewart Head) experiences the dark side of his son Principate William’s (Luke Allen-Gale) devotion to the nefarious Archangel Gabriel (Carl Beukes). But the best part of “Ouroburos” is how well the topics of perception and deception are incorporated throughout the story lines and visual aesthetics, proving Dominion is quickly developing a habit of being completely unpredictable, in the best possible way.

The Secret Lives of Angels

In the aftermath of Alex’s failed exorcism—an attempt to save Claire’s (Roxanne McKee) mother, an 8-ball—he continues training with Michael, determined to succeed. This time, however, Alex experiments with the limits of

Gabriel and Uriel try to keep the peace for once.

his abilities on random 8-balls. I don’t expect to feel unnerved by how easily Alex can kill, even if 8-balls are hardly human but I am. What I like is how Dominion blurs the line of morality, and the definition of humanity through not only violence, but the attitude towards the occurrence of death. Not only does “Ouroburos” explore Alex’s journey, it also examines the backstories of Uriel (Katrine De Candole), Gabriel, and Michael in ways that take me by surprise. A small plot point about Michael’s past reveals a bloody massacre in the desert where a group of people lie dead on the sand; the sole survivor of the attack is a young boy. When Michael arrives on the scene, he persuades the boy to come to him. Suddenly, Gabriel intervenes, and the words they exchange turn the series on its heel. My shock is not so much about the actual revelation as it is the convincing performances of Beukes and Wisdom.

From the beginning, the dividing lines between good and evil appear clear—angels bad, humans good. In Vega, the introduction of neutral angels, who blend in with humans to escape becoming a casualty of the war, is a great addition to the series’ mythology. With angels hiding among humans, it makes those surrounding Alex more suspicious, which I love.

Whom Do You Love?

Apart from Alex’s predicament with his powers, his relationships with his co-workers, specifically Sgt. Noma

Alex and Noma reconnect

Walker (Kim Engelbrecht), take the spotlight. Again, Dominion surprises me;rather than take Noma and Alex’s story slowly, the show dives right into the nitty gritty. When Alex feels he has no one left to trust, leaning solely on Noma as his confidante, their relationship takes a predictable turn; friends become lovers again. I have to admit the co-ed showers don’t faze me anymore so the last thing I imagined between them was a very heated moment when Noma attempts to cheer Alex up. First, she laughs and playfully slaps Alex, which is kinky enough considering they are both wet and naked. Then, she proceeds to touch his tattoos. Needless to say, it’s no surprise things turn hot and heavy real quick in what is easily the most sexually charged scene of the series thus far.

On the opposite spectrum, William and his father go tête-à-tête in a spiritual war that causes old wounds and unresolved grievances to resurface. Head does an amazing job transforming Senator Whele’s anger and bitterness into a shell of his former self by the end of “Ouroburos.” William’s serene expression and disturbing devotion to Gabriel is a perfect contrast to the senator’s desperation to survive. The mind games and the way William breaks his father’s willpower are a testament to how deeply he has fallen down the proverbial rabbit hole with Gabriel’s schemes.

Bottom Line

Senator Whele, oh how the mighty have fallen!

“Ouroburos” is my favorite episode, hands down, of the season so far for its strong performances, consistency of tone, and the way the arc of the overall story lines have a solid continuity. The only issue, which is slowly improving, is the context. A lot of action passes by quickly and sometimes, there isn’t an occasion for clarification. For example, the references to lower and higher angels are general terms. However, there isn’t much exploration into their history or what makes them significant other than acting as a means to cause friction between Michael and Gabriel.

That said, there is a large focus on redemption in “Ouroburos” between Senator Whele’s relationship with his son to Michael’s tarnished past. Even Claire is shaping up to be one hell of a woman to cross, changing her goody-goody image into femme fatale! No one is purely good or evil and for once, I actually don’t know whom to root for at this juncture. “Ouroburos” is a turning point and with Alex’s current trust issues, it’s really going to be anyone’s game!

What did you think of “Ouroburos?” Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter @conallen.

Tune in to Dominion on Thursdays at 9/8c, only on Syfy.

Follow the series on its official site at www.syfy.com/dominion, where you can also watch videos and clips of the episodes. Also, like the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DominionSyfy.