Dominion

Because nothing says pseudo-Renaissance art like
really awkward posing.

Who would want to make a TV series based on Legion, a failed post-apocalyptic action movie starring Paul 'Jarvis' Bettany as the archangel Michael? Syfy; that's who.

Dominion is set in the aftermath of the Angel Wars, with humanity occupying isolated fortress-cities and Gabriel and his legion of 'lower angels' forced into the wilderness. In the city of Vega (formerly Las Vegas), the ambitious senator Whele (Tony Head channeling the same vein of affable, folksy serial killer that James Spader is so successfully tapping in The Blacklist, and oddly with the same accent) is intent on seizing power from the city's military ruler, Lord Riesen (Alan Dale, the other half of the series' stunt casting.) His only other rival is the sexy lady senator who is doing the Archangel Michael.

The city's defence is led by Michael and his Archangel Corps. Riesen's daughter Claire is a ludicrously saintly teacher and philanthropist engaged in an illegal affair - because surrounded by killer possessing angels, humanity has apparently opted for a ruthlessly enforced caste system and strict moral legislation - with Alex; soldier, kneejerk rebel asshat and secretly the chosen one who will save all of humanity (the baby from Legion, 25 years on.) She also becomes plain engaged to Whele's son William (who is doing his damndest to look like Sam Clafin in Snow White and the Huntsman), much to her surprise.

Other characters of note - if either character or note are appropriate; even with the lead characters I had to look up half of their names on Wikipedia (so now I know which of them are secretly angels in disguise) - include a visiting diplomat from the city of Matriarchal Informed Lesbians But Actually Only Having Sex With Men, an orphan waif who is probably going to die or be possessed for pathos around episode five, and a couple of other soldiers who reek of late-season sacrifice. Alex's adopted father turns up briefly to kickstart the plot; like the other returning characters, Michael and Gabriel, he is not played by the same actor as in the movie.

Flying: Arechangel Michael; standing: Pseudosapphic Diplomat, Evil Giles, Sexy Lady Senator, Alan Dale, Rebellious Arsehole Saviour and Archangel Gabriel (I think); seated: Weak Hypotenuse of the Love Triangle and Generically Virtuous Love Interest.

Much like the source film, Dominion manages to be both insultingly simplistic and somewhat confusing, mostly because almost all of the female characters are some variation of tanned white women with long, dark, slightly curled hair and generic soap opera faces, and all appear to be between 25 and 35, despite being of allegedly varied age. By the end of the pilot I had figured out that the lady senator is a redhead in a good light (which, this being a post-apocalyptic setting, is a resource in short supply) and the pseudosapphic diplomat a relatively fair-skinned Anglo-Indian rather than a tanned Caucasian. More generally the pilot throws a lot of plot into the mix, as well as trying to build a world. It's in the latter regard that it does best, and the rather dismal setting of Vega and special effects of flying angels are its main triumphs.

The storm of terrible accents - the main cast are pretty much all Australian or English actors doing American accents, while the supporting roles are locally cast from the available pool of South African talent - is pretty distracting. Even ignoring that, the bulk of the cast - ex-soap hacks to a one - are pretty unexceptional, with the standouts being Head and Dale, who are still ex-soap hacks, but really good ex-soap hacks. The soap pedigree continues with the interpersonal dynamics, which are a typically soap opera melange of sex, love and jealousy. Even Michael gets in on the act, insisting to sexy lady senator that he must not risk having a child... in the wake of what appears to have been a seven girl on one angel cuddle pile. Nice restraint there, Mickey.

Dominion is absolutely not a good show, but if you like angels and swordfights and gunfights and post-apocalyptic clashes against a backdrop of gorgeous (and cheap to film) South African scenery, then it has a certain car-crash magnetism to it.