Dominion– “Pilot” Review. Weclome to the War.

Season 1, Episode 1

Airdate: Thursday, June 19, 2014, 10/9c on Syfy

Rating: ★★★★★

Don't let Michael's soft voice fool you, he's still one hell of a warrior angel!

Michael remains humanity’s great protector

Some of the hottest and most talked about shows on television today revolve around supernatural entities like vampires, witches, or zombies. So, when Syfy announced last year it was going to turn the popular fantasy action movie Legion (a story about warrior angels and humans fighting in a world on the brink of an apocalypse) into a television series called Dominion, it was hardly a surprise. What is surprising is the amount of fanfare leading up to its debut. Don’t get me wrong, the movie version is a fantastic visual treat with plenty of action and eye candy. However, tackling the subject of angels doesn’t always translate too well onscreen without coming across as preachy or hitting some cliché plot device like the world needing a savior. In the case with Dominion, the first is a bit true whereas the latter is much more accurate.

Dominion’s premiere episode “Pilot” uses some of the same characters and plot points from Legion, which is a good thing. For those unfamiliar with the movie, a small-town, pregnant waitress discovers her child will be humanity’s last hope against an army of violent angels. Dominion is set 25 years into the future after the events from Legion. Cities where humans still thrive are heavily guarded citadels containing palaces. Former glamorous locations like Las Vegas, now known as Vega, is a shadow of its former self set against a dismal, post-apocalyptic landscape; it’s also the central location for all the major events occurring in the show.

May the odds be ever in your favor…or not.

The Problem with Angels

Although Dominion deviates slightly from the movie to introduce new characters, these diversions are necessary to illustrate how humans are just as twisted as the angels they seek to destroy. It’s not a requirement to watch the movie, but it does serve as good background material to understand the full weight of the events on the television series starring Tom Wisdom as the Archangel Michael, humanity’s guardian; Carl Beukes, as the Archangel Gabriel, humanity’s enemy; and Christopher Egan as Alex Lannon, the unassuming savior.

The premise for Dominion is rather simple. An average working man named Alex discovers his life is not as ordinary as it seems after discovering he is the legendary “Chosen One” to end the war against humanity. At Alex’s side is the archangel, Michael, who chooses to protect humans while the archangel Gabriel stands against them.

Although it’s always exciting to see such universal themes as good versus evil play out onscreen, one the of the hazards, story wise, is keeping the material fresh while avoiding formulaic plot points. Unfortunately, one of the problems I have with Dominion is the very distinct boundaries with how good and evil are defined through its characters. Sure, every hero needs its dragon to slay and damsel to save but that can get boring after a while. Gabriel is almost too classic of a villain with his maddening stares and devious smiles; he almost becomes a cartoonish caricature of the original movie character. The only gray moral area for Michael is his problem with sex and the use of “purging,” which is a form of punishment to those who break Vega’s laws by way of whipping. They’re good moments because they serve as a means to question Michael’s character.

Then there’s the romance, the forbidden kind, which is immediate and without much build-up between Alex and Claire. She’s the daughter of Vega’s most recognizable military leader and Lord of the City, General Edward Riesen (AIan Dale). Alex and Claire are as Romeo & Juliet as it can get. Their love story isn’t new or innovating, it’s generic and while the chemistry with the actors is good, it’s hard to care since we know so little of their characters’ history together. Is it love or infatuation?

You Again

The casting on Dominion is one of the show’s strengths. Fans of Joss Whedon will recognize Anthony Stewart Head, who plays the cruel David Whele, the chief administrator for the Secretary of Commerce in Vega. Apparently, the apocalypse devolves society into a caste system reminiscent of ancient Rome where the distinction between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ is huge. Whele is another clear cut villain but the difference is the way Head approaches his character, with certain acting choices like a subtle lingering stare or a stern word against his son, William Whele (Luke Allen-Gale.)

Daddy dearest and son, David and William Whele!

Bottom Line

Developing Legion into a television series like Dominion means balancing an already loaded topic of a world where God has forsaken humanity and translating it into something that surpasses the quick thrills of a feature movie. New shows usually struggle to find its their feet in understanding their brand of style, tone, and pace at the very beginning. Fortunately, Dominion has solid source material and established mythology to build upon weekly.

Even though I have some critiques about the way the first episode unravels, it does have a plethora of good stuff worth watching, such as the amazing design and use of the archangel’s wings. In one beautiful shot, Michael free falls from the top of a tower only to immediately spread out his vast wings within seconds into an amazing flight. There are plenty of little moments, from the acting to the production, which show the potential the series has to grow over time.

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