Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Dominion: Season Two Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 18, 2016

Review content, season synopsis, and episode summaries may contain spoilers for either of the series' two seasons.

Stories of Biblically-based warfare and end-times prophecy are nothing new, and they play central in SyFy's short-lived Dominion, a two-season, 21-episode story of God's absence and the chaos that results when factions of angels do battle on Earth. Loosely based on the flop feature film Legion, SyFy's show never really caught on despite massive potential for something special, an end-of-times tale beyond the standard world infested with zombies or ruined by radiation for a more densely complex sort of narrative straight out of, or at least evolving from, Biblical archetypes and/or the book of Revelation. Unfortunately, the series faltered by favoring crude TV drama over more deeply developed Biblical lore and literal fire and brimstone. The show is instead awash in style over substance, second-rate characters and dialogue, and crude visual effects that altogether pack enough of a punch that makes the show worthy of a sick week binge but hardly of any value as substantive end times storytelling.

He has the power!

Official synopsis: The remnants of humanity continue their struggle against the Archangel Gabriel (Carl Beukes) and his army. Alex Lannan (Christopher Egan) journeys to the legendary city of New Delphi, a human enclave with a dark secret, hoping to secure a military alliance with its mercurial leader. Claire Riesen (Roxanne McKee) faces an uprising against the city's rigid class system, pitting her against the disgraced David Whele (Anthony Head) and his newfound rebel allies. While war rages in the few cities left on Earth, Michael (Tom Wisdom) stumbles upon a mystery in the form of Mallory, a town seemingly untouched by mankind's celestial war.

More than anything, Dominion seems to suffer from the much broader problem of television over-saturation. It's not that it exists that's the problem, it's that the show feels dumbed down to compete in a more densely populated marketplace that's defined by manufactured drama over organic developments. Add in overcompensation for its shortcomings with bad special effects and crammed-in action and suddenly the show transitions from cool premise to dull end product. And considering that SyFy cannot push the same boundaries as an outfit like AMC, a show like Dominion, which is ripe for an exploration of seriously dark themes, deviance, and deeply rooted end-of-times story lines with Biblical backing, feels more like daytime drama darkened and bloodied, a bit, for a primetime audience. The show feels pigeonholed into a mold rather than able to spread its wings -- metaphorically, not literally as there's plenty of that in the show -- and find not its niche but instead its voice. Season two toys with big boy ideas and hints at the series' untapped potential but always seems to fall back to contrived story details, repetitive action, cringe-worthy dialogue, and oversimplification of complex themes. It's a shame, but the series does play well enough as filler. The problem is that filler has become the new norm and ambitious, creative, and smart -- shows like Mr. Robot -- have become the exception.

Season two is comprised of the following episodes. Summaries are courtesy of the Blu-ray packaging.

Disc One:

• Heirs of Salvation: Alex and Noma hit the road to New Delphi, a dangerous and mysterious city. Claire makes a costly decision as Lady of the City. Michael stumbles upon a quaint southern town untouched by The Extermination War.
• Mouth of the Damned: Alex and Noma are puzzled by an ally in New Delphi. Claire befriends and assassin, only to discover a seething truth regarding the V1's. Michael hides his identity as the town prepares for a sacred ritual.
• The Narrow Gate: Alex reunites with a startling face from the past. Claire enlists the help of an old friend to halt a brewing revolt. Michael makes a sacrifice that will spare the town from destruction.
• A Bitter Truth: Alex, Noma, and Riesen uncover the truth behind Julian's origin. David attempts an alliance with the revolting V1's. Michael and Gabriel strike a deal to extract Alex from New Delphi.

Disc Two:

• Son of the Fallen: Alex spearheads a plan to intercept Michael and Gabriel, who have breached the walls of New Delphi. Claire begins the negotiation process as David attempts to restore his legacy. A familiar face returns to Vega.
• Reap the Whirlwind: Alex attempts a dangerous eviction as Michael plots their escape from New Delphi. Claire navigates the fallout of Civil War as Gates Foley travels behind enemy lines. David puts a plan in motion to secure his legacy.
• Lay Thee Before Kings: Alex finds shelter in which to nurse a wounded Noma. Michael & Gabriel attempt to escape captivity while revisiting a haunting past. Claire calls for a dangerous parlay as David puts a plan in motion to secure his legacy.
• The Lognest Mile Home: Alex, Noma, and Michael close in on Vega. Julian presses Riesen for the location of the Amphora by digging up his past. A military standoff ends in disaster. An unexpected face wanders Vega, claiming to be The Chosen One.
• The Seed of Evil: Alex, Noma, and Michael hit an unexpected roadblock in their trek home. Claire makes a bold judgment call. Julian attempts to break Gabriel while Arika & Gates wrestle with the cost of survival.

Disc Three:

• House of Sacrifice: Michael faces the repercussions of his time in Mallory. Alex & Gates spearhead a mission to save Vega. David makes amends with his past as Gabriel unleashes an unspeakable evil.
• Bewilderment of the Heart: Darkness overtakes Vega. William relives his time in the desert as David discovers what it is to be King. Arika becomes the victim of her own manipulations as Claire imagines the family that could have been. Michael grows concerned with Noma. Alex searches for the Amphora.
• Day of Wrath: Michael squares off with Gabriel as Noma's mysterious past is explored. Arika contemplates her escape while Claire joins the front lines. William makes a costly decision. Alex makes an irreversible attempt to save them all.
• Sine Deo Nihil: David makes a sacrifice to secure his survival. Gabriel forces Michael back to Mallory. Noma faces a harsh truth. Claire yearns for closure as Alex fights for control of his home.

Dominion: Season Two Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Dominion: Season Two yields a perfectly fine 1080p transfer, its proneness to banding and softer, artifact-y low end visual effects shots aside. For the most part, Universal's 1.78:1-framed presentation offers a healthy, faithful reproduction of SyFY's work, presenting a clean and detailed image across all 13 episodes. Textures are excellent, never undermined by the inherent flatness of the source digital photography. Indeed, facial features are complex, clothing is rugged and intricate, and battle-worn buildings and other rough environmental details reveal plenty of complex edges and surfaces. Otherwise untouched natural elements like tree trunks, leaves, and grasses are sharply defined even at some distance. Dominion is a show that filters its palette to the dark end of the spectrum. Robust colors aren't impossible to come by, but they're the exception to the rule. For every splash of red blood, bright vegetation, or cheerful attire, there are numerous scenes of lower light interiors and more hushed colors that give the show a predominantly bleak appearance. Black levels are serviceably deep and flesh tones adhere to any scene's lighting influences. Considering what the show has on tap, this is a quality watch from Universal.

Dominion: Season Two Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Dominion: Season Two's rugged DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack never quite excels to feature film or top-tier TV show levels of excellence, but Universal's presentation offers a healthy and robust listen across the board. Music is able-bodied throughout the season, offering satisfying clarity and definition, effortless and wide spacing across the front and rears, and a healthy, deep, and balanced supportive low end. Action scenes provide plenty of oomph and immersion, and the crazier the better. The final episode produces plenty of gunfire that lacks that absolutely lifelike authoritative edge but that does pop with some weight and zip. More generalized and chaotic battles sounds engulf the listener, and the din of battle is realistically littered all over the stage. Lighter ambient effects are sprinkled throughout, whether distant battles or more immediately clear and detailed environmental elements, like buzzing insects and breezes. Dialogue enjoys fine prioritization, natural center placement (and some natural reverberation in places), and faultless vocal detailing.

Dominion: Season Two Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Dominion: Season Two contains deleted scenes (1080p) scattered over three discs: Disc One: Scenes from Heirs of Salvation (2:44), Mouth of the Damned (1:56), The Narrow Gate (4:41), and A Bitter Truth (3:12). Disc Two: Scenes from Son of the Fallen (3:15), Reap the Whirlwind (2:37), Lay Thee Before Kings (0:53), The Longest Mile Home (0:29), and The Seed of Evil (4:56). Disc Three: Scenes from House of Sacrifice (5:31). Also included is a "director's extended cut" of Bewilderment of the Heart (1080p, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, 51:38) on disc three.

A UV digital copy code is included with purchase.

Dominion: Season Two Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Dominion, like Defiance, wasn't late to the cancellation party, but all signs point to both shows closing up shop at the right time. There's obviously still a taste for "hell on Earth" shows as Fox, at time of writing, prepares to debut Lucifer, and it's a shame that Dominion couldn't tap into that demand with a more thematically challenging, smartly written, and engaging program. Dominion has its moments -- season two is particularly fun in a mindless sort of way -- but it's hardly the complexly interwoven Biblically sourced end-times program it probably should have been, at least at its core. Dominion: Season Two does offer solid technical specs and a decent array of deleted scenes. Fans will obviously want to nab this to round out the 21-episode set while preparing a 21-gun salute to another fallen show.