Dominion – “The Flood” Retrospective. A World Worth Saving?

Alex and Bixby are best buddies forever.

Season 1, Episode 4

Airdate: Thursday, July 10, 2014, 10/9c on Syfy

Rating: ★★★★★

“They are his greatest creation.” –Archangel Uriel

Near death experiences, awkward family reunions, and prophetic messages are the center of the latest episode of Dominion, aptly titled, “The Flood.” If you think the fate of Archangel Michael (Tom Wisdom) is cause enough for concern, you haven’t seen anything yet.

What makes “The Flood” stand tall in comparison to previous episodes is the way the tone, suspense, and character development all work in harmony. Although there is a lot of action, it takes a backseat to the real problems at hand within the city of Vega, as well as among the killer angels who are hell-bent on destroying humanity. “The Flood” also expands the mythology with the introduction of another significant angel — Archangel Uriel (Katrine De Candole), the estranged badass sister to Michael and his nemesis brother, Archangel Gabriel (Carl Beukes). Uriel provides a much needed presence for mediating between her warring brothers even though her ulterior motives are shady at best.

The Tie that Binds

Uriel’s own personal brand of fun and games.

When we last saw Michael, he was in critical condition after going against Furiad (Anton David Jeftha), one of Gabriel’s men, in order to defend Sgt. Alex Lannen (Christopher Egan). Alex’s newfound destiny as the Chosen One makes him the target of both humans and angels interested in using him for their own political and social gain. Unfortunately, both Michael and Alex separate once they arrive at the hospital. It’s this proverbial fork in the road early on in “The Flood” where the main story lines diverge into two separate paths that Dominion gets really interesting.

At its core, “The Flood” revolves around the importance of family; particularly, the lengths people will go to in order to survive and endure life. When Uriel stages an intervention of sorts between Gabriel and Michael, the scene takes on a rather ironic human element. All the angels within the mythos of Dominion seem to want God’s presence back in their life; the way the Archangels go about it speaks to some of the universal themes and subjects like jealousy and love. It is as if Michael and Gabriel are the perfect prototypes for Cain and Abel with their bickering about whose methods are superior in their devotion to God. Yes, Michael’s God is never coming back so he protects humanity out of honor and duty for his father, whereas Gabriel’s approach to humans falls more along the lines of ‘vengeance is mine.’ It’s almost brilliant, in a way, because who better to act as a proxy for God’s wrath than Gabriel, whose name literally means strength of God? It is Gabriel’s vision of a vicious retribution against humanity that he believes will grab God’s attention.

Uriel, however, is a whole other story. She is the wild card in this trio of high level angels, and has one of the fiercest scenes in “The Flood.” When she fails to attack Senator Becca Thorn (Rosalind Halstead) who is lying in bed asleep with Michael, I’ll admit I cheered a little. It’s a bold move that speaks volumes about her opinions regarding both humans’ and Michael’s relationships—especially when she explains her behavior, “I was only trying to scare her.”

Uriel may love her brothers enough to get them in a room together and sort out all their baggage, but she sure as hell doesn’t seem to trust either of them as seen by her dubious behavior towards the end of the episode.

An Act of Faith

Alex takes his first steps as the Chosen One.

While Michael finds himself preoccupied with matters of life and death, Alex and the rest of Vega are literally enduring matters of life and death. When Alex separates from Michael in the opening scenes of “The Flood,” he is forced to return to Vega because of his AWOL status with his military unit. This reunites him not only with his forbidden love, Claire Reisen (Roxanne McKee), but the adorable Bixby (Betsy Wilke) and his friends in his unit—Sgt. Noma Walker (Kim Engelbrecht) and Ethan Mack (Jonathan Howard). Although Alex plays an important role in “The Flood,” he’s the catalyst for the tragic chain of events later in the episode. After a simple act of visiting Bixby at the hospital inadvertently reveals Alex’s identity to Senator Thomas Frost (Danny Keogh), one of the V6 council members, the rollercoaster of emotions hits its peak.

As a true believer in the Chosen One being humanity’s savior, Frost takes out all the stops for Alex to reveal his identity to the world. Frost even goes so far as to threaten the city’s food supply while holding Senator Edward Reisen (Alan Dale) and Senator David Whele (Anthony Steward Head) hostage.

There are moments in a series when the main protagonist reaches a point of no return, the point where he or she accepts their journey. When Alex participates in rescuing Reisen and Whele, Dominion finally moves forward with its goal. There is enough context, back story, and urgency to make Alex’s first good deed as the Chosen One significant, not just for the story but for the viewers as well. Using words from a vision in a dream, Alex reveals information only Frost would know. “She died for you.” These words are a sad reminder of what people lost during the war, and the peace people hope to gain with the Chosen One’s arrival.

Bottom Line

I really enjoyed watching “The Flood.” There is plenty of action and sharp dialogue, but it’s the parallel story lines between the inner struggles of angels and humans that sold it for me. I laughed, I cried, and even threw something at the TV, actions I rarely do unless I really love a show.

Uriel’s sarcastic and suspicious behavior kept me intrigued about her endgame, plus Noma’s sweet reaction to Alex’s return to Vega is confusing in comparison to her sexual chemistry with Whele’s current lover, Arika (Shivani Ghai). I love the way Dominion toes the line of sexuality, making it mostly a non-issue. But it’s Whele who earns my hatred in the very last few moments of “The Flood.” There is apparently no limit to the lengths he will go in order to maintain power, even at the expense of a young girl like Bixby. I like her character and seeing Whele hold her hand in the last moments breaks my heart. Wilke is a great addition to Dominion and a breath of fresh air. Her scenes with Egan in the hospital when Alex is eating Jell-O, or “the red stuff,” allow viewers to see his carefree side, a side he guards from many people. It’s a shame that by this time next week, he’ll have built up another wall around his heart soon after accepting his fate as the Chosen One.

What did you think of the “The Flood?” 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 Dominion’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DominionSyfy