Dominion: Michael & Gabriel: The Song Remains the Same

They're the yin to each other's yang

            There's something about the struggle of brothers that's story worthy and the Archangels Michael and Gabriel are no different. In the season 1 finale it was revealed that Michael and Gabriel are twins! Well they were created at the same time unlike Uriel, Raphael, and Lucifer (whom Michael referred to as the Son of Morning as Lucifer is often called the Morning Star). This explains a lot really.

Don't stick your sword in my face, bro

      When we first started this season Gabriel was the villain and Michael the hero but as we progressed we saw there was more to the story. Michael wasn't always a calm Jedi warrior that protected humans. It used to be that he was a blood thirsty monster that gladly went out to show off his Father's wrath and slaughter mankind like animals. Huge twist? Gabriel used to be a "good guy". He used to protect humans because he liked them. Was it years of cynicism that drove him to hate humans so much or does Gabriel have such deep seeded daddy issues that God's leaving pushed him over the edge to commit genocide? Whatever happened to Gabriel we know that Michael began to change after Uriel and Gabriel beat him nearly to death. Then the same boy he was about to kill came to his rescue by giving him water. Michael murdered his father but the boy saved the Archangel because it was the right thing to do. Not many humans would have done that. Humans have their bright moments after all. Though apparently Raphael has been MIA for a long time because he doesn't drop his two cents in during any of these family quarrels. Just an observation. 

We'd believe you, Gabe, if you weren't being such an ass

         Yet despite Michael and Gabriel's quarreling you see that there's still this special bond between them that only brothers (twins especially) share. Michael would still meet with Gabriel in secret even though Gabriel was the enemy and if humans found out they would turn against Michael immediately. Truthfully anyone in Michael's shoes would have done the same. Gabriel and Michael have known each other before that slimy creature that started evolution climbed out of the sea and that bond goes deeper than anyone knows. When Furiad went after Michael and nearly killed him, Gabriel was furious. He exacted his revenge by killing Furiad's girlfriend and threatened the red angel with death if he tried to kill Michael again. Of course Gabriel didn't mention this at the family meeting Uriel called. He just denied any involvement, which was true but no one believed him (probably because Gabriel was just being an ass about the whole thing). Then in "Beware Those Closest To You" the Archangel brothers shared a special moment by reminiscing about the day they were created. Gabriel's voice was the first sound Michael ever heard and it melted away his fears in the darkness. The look on Gabriel's face when he told Michael about poor Louis? So sad! Even though he calculated Michael's angry reaction would work in his favor Gabriel wasn't happy ripping the wool placed over Michael's eyes. 

No one hurts my brother but me, bitch

Just another family meeting gone wrong

          Although Michael kept talking about killing Gabriel I don't think he would have ever gone through with it or if he did he would be very upset about it. For twins, losing one or the other is like losing a piece of yourself. Michael and Gabriel are the yin to each other's yang; the other's best and worst half of the other. They came into being together and they could very well leave in the same way. I found it incredible that these two have switched personalities over the centuries and hope to see these brothers more if SyFy decides to announce a renewal for season 2. Here's hoping the struggle between these two Archangel twins isn't over.

Wait... Gabriel was one of the good guys? Head spin!

Dominion: The Finale But Hopefully Not Final

Leave a bruise so it looks good.

               All I can say is WOW! The Dominion season 1 finale had so many twists and turns that I had to download the episode from Amazon Video then watch it again just to keep track. Story wise the episode was a bit choppy and felt rushed but given the amount of episodes Dominion was given the writers did pretty well. It's the characters that mostly had me hooked. Some people are saying that the episode kind of deviated from Alex to focus more on Gabriel and Michael. But of course. Alex already accepted his destiny now it's his teacher that needs some guidance. I'm going to point out the strong points of the episode "Beware Those Closest To You".

There's more to Michael than meets the eye

        1. I had a feeling that Michael and Alex would have a plan to try and outwit Gabriel. I didn't really believe they turned against each other although Tom and Chris made it very convincing. 

You know Riesen is gonna run New Delphi

        2. So Riesen just ups and leaves? I did like how he left though. It was kind of like a "screw you I can do whatever the hell I want I'm the general" attitude. Alan just has that tough exterior that he brings to his character. He may fall but he'll get right back up.

Birds of a feather and I mean birds of prey

        2. Arika & Uriel are working together and are lovers! I don't know if anyone remembers but I blogged about Dominion's two most dangerous females Arika (or I guess Evelyn) and Uriel might be working together. It wasn't a serious thought so knock it up to a wild guess come true. They want to get Alex on their side by kidnapping Claire who is pregnant with Alex's baby. How would they pull that off with Alex with Gabriel at the moment? But it just proves that the women on Dominion are so much smarter than the men. Girl power!

White is so dull, Claire adds flair with magenta

       3. Claire & Arika rocking their outfits like the queens that they are. I swear ever since Claire has been participating in politics she's been working her wardrobe and Roxanne helps to sell the outfit with her catwalk. And as always Shivani is smoldering in Arika's exotic fashion.

Poor Furiad. He's every Archangel's bitch

It's if Hugh Hefner ran an underground S&M sex club

        4. Noma just disappears in Gabriel's lair. I'm happy Kim wasn't killed off because I feel we were just getting to know the real Noma (and she had a thing with Furiad?). Also, Gabriel necking some eight ball. Angels love a love fest. How Carl stays cool in black leather in such heat I have no idea but his S&M look really sells his sexy villain persona as well as his laugh which I now want as my ringtone. 

Did the sexual tension just turn up a notch? Oh it's just me

        5. Gabriel & Claire recreate Hannibal Lector. I didn't notice until someone pointed it out but the gleeful serial killer talking with the determined feisty investigator looking for answers really took me back to that Jodie Foster movie. And anyone want to ship Claire and Gabriel? When I saw Alex and Michael arguing who should go into the cage with Gabriel I pictured fangirls having the exact same argument. 

Alex, come over to the dark side you get to wear
cool black leather pants

       6. William seems to have David on a leash. Heel David! But David's not broken enough to murder his own son. I was happy to see David for once treat William like a son that he loves. Luke is a wonderful actor in that he made me love and hate William at the same time and Anthony going from a proud controlling parent to a loving humble one really touched me. I could really see the change in David. 

"Does anyone object to this union?"
Umm YES

       7. Claire kicks William to the curb. That was the shortest marriage Vegas has ever seen but still longer than Britney Spears's Vegas Wedding. Poor William screwed himself though with those flowers and trusting Gabriel of course. I could tell that William really loved Claire I mean he was willing to raise Alex's baby and he didn't pressure Claire about consummating their marriage. I bet if William didn't give Claire those flowers he would have sealed the deal but poor thoughtful Will. Luke and Roxanne looked so cute standing together on that altar though. 

Time to blow their minds in every sense of that phrase

      8. I love Gabriel and Michael with their family chats. Carl and Tom have great chemistry, their dialogues and scenes are full of intensity. So Michael & Gabriel are twins? Somehow that explains so much. I loved that Gabriel just had this mournful look on his face when he told Michael about Louis being under Becca's "protection". The truth hurts and it hurt Gabriel to dash Michael's hopes like that.

Poor Louis! Put him out of his misery!

I didn't like her, I liked her then I didn't like her... I'm confused

     9. Michael goes all berserk after finding poor Louis cut up like a lab rat. I hated Becca at that moment although I believe she loved Michael, just not enough to be honest with him. Tom was just so fierce I was holding my breath the whole scene where Michael flies off the handle (justifiably) but a cut from Alex wakes him up (and allowed me to take a breath) and he sees with horror what bloodshed he had done. I love how Michael has gone from a black and white character to a very complex, very human creature. Truthfully I figured Becca would be killed off. I wish Rosalind had more screen time so we could have gotten deeper into her character but 9 episodes (8 really) is not enough to expand on every character. 

It just got all Fringe up in here

      10. I know I shouldn't but every time I watch Gabriel just step over Becca's corpse with that look on his face I let loose a chuckle. I can't help it! Carl just plays the sadistic angel so well. Gabriel keeps saying Alex should let him guide him but there's still that "kill all humanity" thing. That's a deal breaker. Personally I would love to see Chris and Carl's characters interact more. With Michael it's all Jedi Luke Skywalker with Obi Wan but with Gabriel I would imagine Darth Vader. Come over to the dark side, Alex.

I think Alex would be an awesome dad!

       11. Alex's letter to his unborn child really tugged at my heartstrings. I felt myself tearing up. Seeing Alex at the entrance of Gabriel's lair is NOT where I wanted it to end especially if SyFy doesn't renew Dominion, which I hope they do! Michael's off somewhere flying to nowhere in particular, lost and hopeless again so who else will teach Alex to read the markings? I know Alex is just going to use Gabriel (until he gets word of Uriel kidnapping Claire I suppose). But it was an ending that left me wanting more and that's important.

Things are just getting more intense

        Dominion had a rocky start and it was a bit slow at the beginning I'll admit that but the characters are what have me on the hook and it takes a while for a show to find it's voice anyway so by season 2 the writers would have found a rhythm. The show's main trait are the surprising twists that keep knocking me off my chair! Dominion and Defiance both trended Thursday night, which I feel SyFy will not ignore when deciding whether or not to renew for a season 2. I really hope they do renew because I'm sick of vampires to tell you the truth. Supernatural is on it's way out the door and after that there will just be zombies, werewolves, and vampires. Break the ordinary, SyFy, Dominion has such potential to be great. It's worth every penny spent on it and I don't care if you have another season with another 8 episodes I want to see this series continue.

Witches of East End: Will Freya & Killian Be Together?

Meant to be but forever apart

              Freya's love life is quite a mess. She left Dash at the altar then ran to Killian but it was too late and now he's married to some mystery woman named Eva. Now she's alone and doing the honorable thing of just being Killian's friend. Seriously? We know these two have met for hundreds of years in past lives. They're soul mates but does that mean it'll be a happy ending?

There's that surge again. It's like an orgasm every time

        Killian married Eva because he thought she was the only other one like him that he found and so figured he wasn't in a right place when he was asking Freya to run away with him. However, Killian found out that Freya has been hiding her witch side from him and now I guess he's questioning his feelings from before again. You can say that the connection he felt with Freya ("I loved you before I met you" feeling) was perhaps a magical connection that he kind of "felt" with Eva. So we will see Killian stealing moments with Freya and expect Eva to get nasty. 

Freya stop teasing the man with you
looking fine in your wedding dress!

      In the next episode, which is a week away so we'll have to go another Sunday night without our favorite witches (*groan*), Freya encounters a fellow witch who tells Freya that she and Killian have gone through this star-crossed lovers thing before but they never ended up together. It could be that Freya's curse kept them apart because she kept dying at a young age. But I also see that Freya is sometimes already in a relationship and Killian shows up to stir the pot. Now they have more obstacles in their way because this is the longest Freya has gone without dying.

This Romeo/Juliet tango has to end happily

          Obstacles for Freya and Killian are Eva (mostly) and perhaps Dash. For Eva it's obvious that she's pretending. She just seems so fake in her sincerity about being "friends" with Freya. We know that she's the malevolent owl that was shielding Killian from Freya. Then she said that she felt that she and Killian were meant to be. I don't know if in a past life Eva was Freya's rival for Killian or she's just possessive and placed some enchantment on him to make him feel the same as her but something doesn't seem right about their connection. Then there's Dash. It's plain to see that Dash is still holding a grudge although he's becoming very close to Ingrid. Dash could be Freya's destroyer mentioned in the Tarot cards. I know that if I were writing the show I wouldn't have Dash just sit on his hands about Freya. Eventually something is going to push him over the edge like Ingrid's rejection or something where Freya would need saving and Dash will let his hatred of her win, putting her in severe danger. 

Destiny can be a bitch but so damn hot!

        Does that mean that Killian and Freya are doomed and will never be together? True love isn't true unless it's tested. We see that Killian and Freya are connected on a spiritual level, a level that many don't understand. They're parts of a whole and together they feel absolutely complete and happy so I would say that these two are meant to be but it'll be a while before they can finally be in each other's arms in bliss. 

Dominion: It Should Be Renewed

A hot new show that takes the world by storm

                Dominion has gained quite a following over these past few weeks and the ratings have remained steady slightly rising and falling then rising again. I can't see a reason this show shouldn't be renewed. But with SyFy it's hard to tell what they're feeling or thinking unlike NBC that still relies on Nielsen ratings (a dead rating system). So here are reasons why they should renew Dominion: 

Come on that was hilarious.
You don't want more scenes like this???

Move over Dracula there's a new supernatural immortal
stud in town and he's got wings

            1. First off I'm sick of all the vampires, werewolves, and witches. I love The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Witches of East End but I'm getting tired of the genre it's been done to death. Let's give angels a chance to stir things up.

Not many fun antagonists like Gabriel around anymore

           2. The only other angel focused show is Supernatural and fans of that show have been flocking to Dominion. The CW's hit show is on its way out the door as rumors circulate confirming that season 10 will be Supernatural's last season and although the Bloodlines spin-off didn't work out The CW is hoping to try again in season 10 but who knows if that will pay off (unless the executives do a Men of Letters spin-off which they should have done in the first place). Face it once Supernatural is over that fan base will be hungry for another show to fill the void. While Dominion isn't much like Supernatural (unless you count the disgruntled angels being jerks and bent on mankind's destruction along with the usual daddy issues) the fans can't get enough of angels. SyFy would be wise to catch the opportunity of grabbing the loyal and passionate fan base of Supernatural. 

Let's get ready to rumble

          3. I feel like the show is just getting started. Episode 7 "Ouroboros" was a real eye opener into not only what Alex is capable of but also of Michael's bloody past and the burden of guilt he's been carrying all this time. You can't just end this on a cliffhanger, stories like this need an ending and no open ended crap like you can do with ER or CSI. Boring procedurals can have open endings because crime and health are constant struggles so all you need to do is tie up characters and give them closure. Not so much for shows like Dominion, where there's a deeper meaning to the story as well as mysteries that need solving. 

Fans pray like this everyday for renewal.
Don't disappoint them!

Fun, dynamic characters with amazing chemistry is hard to find.

         4. Since the producers and actors have been communicating with the fans via Twitter even a few weeks before the Pilot aired, the constant interaction has really boosted morale and has fans fighting even harder to get SyFy's attention on why they should renew Dominion. SyFy can see their viewership go up in the future if they renew for a season 2. In summer the numbers are never as high as one would expect because people go on vacation and spend less time inside watching TV but the numbers look good enough deserving of a renewal.

I think I deserve a treat, SyFy

         I understand that Dominion is expensive to film but I can tell you that it's worth every penny. The vampire fad is coming to an end and as actor Anthony Head (plays David Whele) puts it: "Angels are the new Vampires" and I agree. Dominion has attracted quite the attention and is getting more exciting each episode. The characters are multi-layered and becoming more intriguing, the story lines are captivating, and the setting ties it all together to make for a viable series. Too many shows have been cancelled this year, too many great science fiction shows so it would be a real shame to cancel Dominion. I want a season 2 to look forward to again. 

Defiance: Season 2 is Darker & I'm Loving It!

Shtako really hits the fan in Defiance Season 2

       Wasn't a huge fan of SyFy's Defiance before although it was something to watch on a week night but season 2 has really stepped it up a notch and I'm loving every minute of it. 

Meet the new mayor; provisional that is

       1. We killed off Kenya (or did we? Dramatic music here) and added a new character Niles Pottinger (played by James Murray) provisional mayor from the Earth Republic. We should hate this guy right? Here are reasons we shouldn't like him:

             A. He killed off half of Josef's family.
             
             B. He put a camera in Amanda's room for his own personal fetish.

             C. He indulged Amanda's drug habit.

             D. He put an implant into Amanda's head for whatever reason and it almost killed her!

             E. He cut off Yewll's finger!

Niles isn't afraid to cut off fingers

   

"What can I say I was 17 I thought it was funny."
Awwwwww poor Niles

   
    But despite all that I can't hate the guy. In fact he's one of my favorite characters. Reasons to love this guy:

              A. Turns out he was physically abused by Votan soldiers when he was 15 which traumatized him for life. So I can't help but say: "Awwww poor guy."

Just a lovely nature walk between rivals 

              B. He saved his bio man companion Churchill even though he was ordered to let him die. And when he had to sacrifice him he was very broken up about it. 

              C. He out smarted that egotistical Datak Tarr (I don't know about you but that earns Pottinger points with me).

              D. Come on how can you NOT resist that eloquence or charming smile? 

Charming...

"Generally when someone tries to play me
it ends up very poorly for them."

          Niles fixates on Amanda because he had a school boy crush on her ex Connor Lang (Gale Harold). Hey every guy has that man crush and in "Put the Damage On" when Niles hallucinated Connor I just wanted to give him a hug. And when Mecardo berated him for "messing up" the recovery mission I wanted to kick that Viceroy's wrinkly ass! 

Love...

...and other drugs

Amanda really lets loose this season

     2. Maybe it was the wardrobe change for Julie Benz or taking over the NeedWant but Amanda has gotten better as a character. She's smart, tough and beautiful of course but this season we can add hot and sexy to the list. Amanda has become a much more dynamic character. She's been chasing that Blue Devil, brawling in the brothel and we find out that the real reason she aborted her baby was because it was her rapist's baby. She's become a deeper character who is finally letting loose after being voted out of office. No wonder Amanda gets all the guys: Connor, Nolan, and Niles. I kinda wish Kenya (Mia Krishner) would stay away longer so Amanda can keep her job as manager of the NeedWant but Kenya will be appearing this season. So let's see how Kenya's unexpected arrival will rock Defiance and Amanda.

"We live or die together"

        3. I never get tired of Nolan (Grant Bowler) and Irisa's (Stephanie Leonidas) father/daughter act or the look on everyone's face every time they explain their parent/child relationship. Nor do I ever get tired of their father/daughter teamwork and this season it's gotten more intense with Irisa keeping secrets about her serial killer activities. I think the reason Nolan and Irisa are so close is because they're both kind of children of tragic circumstance. We know Irisa has been through a trauma and God knows what Nolan's been through. I love their motto: "We live or die together." They should put that on t-shirts. And this season Nolan gives his usual "ain't no mountain high enough" attitude to protect his foster daughter from invisible powers set on Earth's destruction and who knows what sort of battle that'll put them both through the three hells.

Meet the new leader of the pack and she's a bitch

       4. In season 1 Stahma (Jaime Murray) was set in the back ground even though we know she's smarter and much more clever than her husband or any of the men on the show. So I'm happy to see Stahma rise to power and kick Datak to the curb. She's taking matters into her own hands and if anyone stands in her way they end up dead. Don't take any blend Stahma gives you.

It's like a bell goes off in your head right?

       5. Irisa's crazy murderous blackouts, the mythology behind those artifacts inside her body have gotten more interesting and have made Irisa's character take a very dark turn. The girl blew her own brains out but that was just a huge pain. Suicide is about as dark as you can get! Now we see that maybe she had a past life where aliens visited Earth 1,000s of years ago. Someone has been watching Ancient Aliens on the History Channel.

She could have told him but better be seen to be believed

This would be the alien equivalent of "Black Face"

       6. I've heard of cross dressing but cross dressing as another species? We get into a whole other level of sexual strange on the show and Christie (Nicole Muñoz) is in front along with Viceroy Mecardo (are all E-Rep people perverted?). I'm glad that we get to take a closer more expanded look into Christie and Alak (Jesse Rath) and their marriage. The honey moon is over and these two love birds are seeing just how hard marriage really is especially when you marry young and are still trying to find yourself. Christie and Alak are in a period of growth where they want to find out who they really are and it may split them or bring them closer (or Alak can just shove that DJ blonde off the Arch as she's the rift in his marriage).

Alak gives the old "it was an accident" excuse

        7. We know that the Castithan culture is a patriarchal society but we didn't go too deep where we got a glimpse of the domestic violence that came with it. We see that women are basically treated no better than slaves and that child abuse was a constant practice. We discover that Datak was abused by his father but knew enough that it was wrong not to harm his own son. Well... until Datak found religion in prison and crushed Alak's hand. 

Strange Bedfellows indeed

        8. Rafe McCawly (Graham Greene) and Datak Tarr (Tony Curran) were rivals in season 1 but in season 2 they've both hit a low point because of the Earth Republic occupation. Now they find themselves to be partners in order to over throw the E-Rep's hold over Defiance. They may not be friends but they're family and the more time Rafe and Datak spend together I think the more they'll begin to see that they were never that much different. But who knows. Maybe once they have their power back again they'll become rivals once more. What family doesn't hit a rough patch now and then. 

Once again Tommy screwed up

       9. Is it me or does Tommy (Dewshane Williams) love emotionally closed off, tough women? Just a side note there. Although Tommy and Nolan weren't the best of buds in season 1 they still didn't experience this much friction. Maybe it was because Tommy was in charge for a while and liked not answering to anybody or because he was dating an E-Rep chick everyone called Berlin (Anna Hopkins) (I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing). Tommy's been stabbing Nolan in the back lately and fails to understand that there's a difference between upholding the law and getting justice. At least Tommy's loyal to Irisa; he even risked his relationship with Berlin to do so which lead to her having revenge sex with her ex's now ex boss Nolan (Nolan always wanted to see Berlin right?). 

Who knew Yewll had this much baggage

       10. We finally got to see more into Doc Yewll's (Trenna Keating) mysterious sinful past when she used to play Angel of Death. Only this time it wasn't a sin come back to haunt her it was her ex Lev but she turned out to be an hallucination. So Yewll was in love but her lover killed herself because of the guilt she felt over killing innocent people, which could have been the reason why Yewll quit her job as evil mad scientist altogether and became a healer. Also she and Datak are friends now? Well that's one more than he had last season (and if you count Rafe that's two more).

"Defiance" deserves a pat on the back

       Defiance had a good start but it's really finding its rhythm in season 2 and I hope to see more seasons in the future.