Dominion - 'Heirs of Salvation'

Where did all the cow angels go?

In a small village, a group of human survivors watch in terror as the unmistakable silhouette of the Archangel Michael (sans wings) kills lots of people with swords.

Cutting back in time a short way, we see Michael wandering the desert in the aftermath of his massacre in the Vega labs. Meanwhile, Alex is in Gabriel's eyrie, having promised the Word of God in exchange for Vega's safety, but the tattoos aren't talking. Just as Gabe is losing his rag, the humans drop a massive dirty bomb on the eyrie, which fails to really kill anyone of note. Alex escapes with higher angel bestie Noma while Gabriel plots vengeance and determines that all he needs of Alex is his skin.

In Vega, Clare - now Lady of the City - celebrates the strike, but the emergence of living angels hints that retribution is coming. David Whele and his cronies, angered that Clare has given some of their living space to the workers, has those floors fired to whip up anger against her, while Clare and Helena (who may still be fronting as Pseudosapphic Diplomat, I wasn't clear on this one) plot a counterattack. Whele is also talking to his son, despite abandoning him in the desert, and it eventually transpires that this is a figment of his imagination.

Alex and Noma head for New Delphi (the former Philadelphia?) Alexa wants to persuade them to send their army to aid him in defending Vega, but Noma - apparently unaware of Michael's heel turn - is mindful of warnings he gave her about going to New Delphi and sends him a message by wing telegraph (apparently higher angels talk long distance by flapping.) They fall foul of a mob of eight balls. Alex evicts one and his tattoos go funny; this time, the host survives, with no memories of the war. Noma remarks that this makes Alex uniquely dangerous, but as they approach New Delphi they find a crucified higher angel and they are captured with electric nets.

Out in the desert, Michael finds a small town where a bonfire is kept burning. The people there hail from many faiths, but believe that the Father speaks to them and protects the village as long as the flames burn. Although unable to hear his Father, Michael is clearly effected, and when rain puts the fir out and the surrounding eight balls attack, he steps up to help defend the village, revealing the cold open to have been him killing eight balls. Then the sun comes out and the bonfire reignites, causing all of the nearby eight balls to catch fire and flee.

Season 1 of Dominion was a silly treat. Season 2 is just as mad, but with I fancy a touch of quality that the first lacked. Whether it will lose some of its charm from a more professional approach remains to be seen, but 'Heirs of Salvation' isn't a bad start.