Dominion - 'The Narrow Gate'

Symbolism!

In the town of Mallory, Michael learns that Serious Leader Lady - I don't know if it's just that I'm not good at remembering these characters' names or if the show just doesn't mention them much - is not just the confessor of the town; she's their scapegoat. Having heard all of their confessions - apart from Harper, who was murdered for keeping Michael's wings a secret - she is to sacrifice herself and so take the sins of Mallory to the grave and keeping the protective fire burning. After a bit of soul-searching - some very sexy soul-searching, apparently - Michael volunteers to take her place, having recovered his faith thanks to Serious Leader Lady's grace and goodness.

This is contrasted with a flashback to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, depicted as an angelic military campaign in which Michael and higher angel Axe-Crazy McPsychoael set out to bring fire and the sword against Gabriel's recommendation of using the amphorae, a weapon of mass destruction which unleashes darkness and insanity. Michael chides Gabriel for never getting his hands dirty; Gabriel chides Michael for never getting his hands clean. During the battle, Gabriel is forced to kill a fleeing Sodomite or Gomorran with his own sword, but Michael casts Axe-Crazy McPsychoael out of his body for being way too into the slaughter, and asks Gabriel to do the same to him having recognised his own fall from grace. Gabriel refuses, and Michael swears off slaughter.

Alex descends into the underworld, or at least the asylum-pit of crazy eight balls under New Delphi to retrieve the copper disc key that was stolen from Julian. He retrieves the key and also finds General Alan Dale (retired) who was condemned for shooting a Delphian eight ball. During the fight he evicts another lower angel, but the host is killed before they can escape. Alex demands the promised alliance between New Delphi and Alan Dale's release as part of that, so that's all good, except that it turns out Julian is Axe-Crazy McPsychoael's new host and he's keeping one of the amphorae in the basement.

Meanwhile, Gabriel prepares for war by sending one of his higher angels to assassinate Claire, and in Vega Claire tries to crack down on the nascent rebellion with the aid of new character Grumpy McTech Bear, but only uncovers sympathisers in her own guard.

So much symbolism.

In Mallory, Michael takes on the burden of the town's sins - which pass to him from Serious Leader Lady as an oddly pretty ball of light - then stabs himself. Being an archangel, he basically just naps through his touching funeral then busts out of the grave, tells Manly Suspicious Pants that he's swearing off murder again but will make an exception if he finds him being anything but lovely, and flies away.

'The Narrow Gate' gets seriously in on the flashback game and does a lot to build up the relationship between the archangels, as well as providing background for Axe-Crazy McPsychoael, former Michael groupie and dark mirror of his mentor's flaws. It's another strong episode, but without Alan Dale, Evil Giles or even Evelyn in evidence this week, Claire can't carry Vega alone; she's just not interesting enough, and her switch from virtuous schoolmistress to ruthless political kneecap shooter means she isn't even very sympathetic. I guess Grumpy McTech Bear is intended to help out there, and looks promising if he can hold up in his own right.