Previously on Dominion...
Our brother's learned a new trick.
He knows how to possess the lower angels.
Does the child know about your colorful past?
Is that a threat? I need your help, Louis.
I understand you not wanting to go against
your fellow angel. Stand with me or leave Vega.
These angel-worshiping traitors...
when I find them, I will end them.
My acolytes
need protecting at all costs.
As soon as this wedding is over,
you're gonna step down.
That isn't just any eight-ball in there.
That's Claire's mother.
I've read the texts. I know about evictions.
Shut your mouth!
Sanctify this vessel.
- Do something! - Michael!
I can't. No one can.
Give me the room.
Little pig, little pig...
This old V-5 lady, she gives me 100 chip
- for a half-dozen peaches? - Must be good peaches.
Well, she thought it was a 10.
- When I go to correct her... - Little pig...
let me in.
...to rip...
Louis?
Louis, you okay?
Never better.
I don't know what came over me.
- You work too hard. - Mmm.
You're right.
I think I have earned some "Me Time,"
haven't I?
Where are you?
Ha ha ha ha!
I win.
Those things will kill you.
Sanctify this vessel.
Don't you know who I am?
Your name is Jonathan Reese.
His name is Jonathan Reese.
- My name... - Dirge, we know.
Ha ha ha ha!
Sanctify this vessel.
Perhaps the Apocrypha.
I don't need to read the damn book anymore.
- Says who? - Says the markings.
You might have told me that. That signifies progress.
Yeah, and I'm trying to build on that progress.
Save human lives.
Sanctify this vessel.
I applaud your enthusiasm, but overconfidence is a trap.
I know how this works.
I burned the angel out of Claire's mom.
Clementine was a unique case. For want of a better word,
she was domesticated by the General.
It might have had an effect.
Yeah, well, what about this one?
Florida.
Wasn't anywhere near domesticated.
Brought him back to the surface for five minutes.
Five minutes, and then he went into convulsions and died.
And these are the only ones who carried I.D.s.
What about Nevada?
I believe I was out when you worked on her.
Yeah, you don't want to know about Nevada.
Yes, I do.
Snapped her own neck before I could finish.
Spiritual matters have never been an exact science.
He's a lost cause, isn't he? This poor son of a bitch.
Don't pity him.
Those who knew the body have long since mourned.
Sorry.
Oh, are you?
Wasn't talking to you, Dirge.
I agreed to let you hone your skills,
but this is becoming a fool's errand.
Better a fool who tries and fails
than a coward who sits around and does nothing.
We've been hanging out too much.
You can't keep doing this to yourself.
I can, and I will until I get it right.
- You have to eat. - You're insane.
You need your strength.
Worshiping Gabriel,
that despicable piece of shit.
I'm looking out for myself, okay?
Something you taught me from a very young age.
- And now I'm looking out for you. - Don't patronize me.
I'm trying to save you.
That's what I used to tell people on TV,
usually accompanied by a 1-800 number.
Yes, but I'm not you, am I, Father?
Because I'm telling the truth.
When the end comes...
there will be humans who are spared,
and the ones I care about
- will be among them. - I'm not of your acolytes,
and I never will be.
I teach one thing.
That the chosen one will save us.
Oh, please.
But my sheep from the savior church don't need to know
their time is near.
They're comforted by those words.
But we wise and fortunate followers of Gabriel
know that he will only bring about their end.
Will you listen to yourself? You're delusional.
Says the man who thought building a wall around a city...
- Ah! - Would keep him safe.
When all he actually ever needed was Gabriel.
You can go on as much as you like about Gabriel.
This is about how I mistreated you,
isn't it?
Gabriel teaches us where one breaks,
one becomes stronger.
And you, Father, have given me
more strength than I can measure.
I never thought you had the balls for revenge.
This isn't about revenge.
This is about love.
Claire.
I'm so sorry to keep you waiting.
Is everything okay? Your father?
Yes, he's fine.
Actually, I'm here with good news.
I was beginning to wonder if there ever was such a thing.
Mm-hmm, there is.
I want to move the wedding forward.
That's, uh...
That's great news.
Yes, it is.
- How soon did you have in mind? - Next week.
Claire, I'm thrilled, but... why the rush?
I'm gonna level with you, William.
I fought to keep my father in office when the Senate
went after him, and I'm just not sure it was a good idea.
I feel if we get married sooner, then I can take the burden
of running the city off his shoulders quicker.
How's your father?
He's taken a bit of a turn, actually, with his pneumonia.
Shouldn't he be in the infirmary?
Yeah, but you know him.
He can't have anyone see him weak,
even if it means he suffers.
Well, tell him his future daughter-in-law
- says "Get well soon." - I will.
Thank you.
We missed you at the bar tonight.
Otherwise occupied.
Yeah, uh-huh.
I made a toast in your honor.
If you were there, you would have killed me.
About Claire moving up the wedding.
Old news.
Then why do you look like someone killed your dog?
Since when are V-2s allowed dogs, hmm?
Oh, poor guy.
I'd offer you some Scotch, but someone drank it all.
It's been a rough few weeks.
It'll be a lot less rough if you loop me in.
Or Ethan. Or anyone.
There's nothing to be looped in about.
Look, if you don't cheer up,
you're gonna leave me no choice.
- Nomes... - Hmm?
I'm not playing this game. Ah!
- No, don't, okay? - Yeah. W...
Please... Ah!
Stop!
It's just your face every time...
I'm sorry, just it's sad that I have to hurt you
to make you laugh.
Ah!
Okay, okay.
I guess the chosen one can laugh, huh?
- Ah... - What?
I'm not blind.
Jeep passed them on to you, didn't he?
Maybe they mean you're something special.
Maybe they don't mean anything at all.
To me, you'll always be plain old Alex.
I've known you way too long to be impressed
by a couple of tattoos.
And I've known you too long to believe you.
Things are different now, Nomes.
Why?
Can the chosen one still have a good time?
- Brother Jeffrey. - Louis.
You can't be here.
For a million reasons, but mainly because I'm tired
of you asking me about this Michael thing.
I'm still neutral.
Becoming some operative for Michael isn't in the cards.
Then you should align with Gabriel.
That maniac?
I'm not stupid.
You know,
he's not such a bad guy, once you get to know him.
Take five.
You got it, Senator.
What the...
What is it?
- Get Riesen on the radio. - Yes, ma'am.
Control, we need General Riesen down here now.
Did you know, Michael,
that they were higher angels
that were living inside our walls?
A medic, a bank clerk, an engineer.
By all accounts these men and women
were ordinary citizens of Vega
seeking asylum at a dangerous time.
No different than you.
You didn't answer my question.
You stood in front of the Senate,
and you told them...
I told them what they wanted to hear
so they wouldn't go after innocent citizens.
Like General Riesen's maid?
How was I to know she'd side with my brother?
The people have faith in you, Michael.
And you lied to us...
all of us.
You're right to keep your distance from me.
Riesen's blowing the rest of the tunnels
and activating the guns.
If any more of your kind attempt to leave,
they'll be torn to shreds.
Then we'll all be that much safer, won't we?
Return to your homes.
Return... to your homes.
Did he know they were higher angels?
No. He's as surprised as we are.
Before you burn the remains,
I want time with them in the lab.
Find out everything you can about them.
And work on that poker face.
I can always tell when you're lying.
Careful, Becca.
- That's awful. - Awful?
The person who did this should get a big fat reward.
You think this is a good thing?
Angels dying?
Yeah, I do.
All this is gonna do is make people paranoid.
Everyone's gonna be looking at each other differently now.
Good. We all need to be on the lookout.
For what?
- These people never hurt anyone. - Angels are not people.
That medic stitched up your face
when you totaled the rover, Ethan.
Since when have you gone soft on the enemy?
I don't like anyone innocent getting killed.
Don't fall for it, Alex.
I told you. They're not people.
They just look like it. Trust me.
The first ones that came down...
they were animals.
- Shit I saw... - Sergeant Lannon.
A word.
This is your final warning.
You must vacate the premises. Anyone not...
Michael.
- Hey! - Did you do this?
Michael, I had to set Felicia on fire
and kick her out of a window
just to barely walk away from that fight.
These guys all look like they just let someone cut them up.
- You knew them. - They were neutrals.
I gave them the choice to stay in Vega or leave.
I shouldn't have left them an option.
There's more of 'em?
- Why didn't you tell me? - You didn't need to know.
The others need to be warned. They're in danger.
Well then what the hell are you talking to me for?
My presence will only draw attention to them.
I'll do it.
You've been catching eight-balls for me.
- I owe you a solid. - Yes, you do.
Go and see a higher named Louis.
This address. Tell him to warn the others.
Though their true nature can be discerned,
they must not attempt to flee or they'll be gunned down.
I thought higher angels couldn't be detected.
Not without help.
It's nice to see you on your feet, sir.
How much do you know?
More than the others.
Will you help me?
If you promise not to shiv me.
Well, don't give me a reason.
This way, sir.
Once I'm out, have the house secured
and have my son arrested
and brought down through the streets in handcuffs.
None of this back-alley limo stuff.
Yes, sir.
He may have drugged me,
but this sure as hell doesn't look like the garage.
- That's because it's not. - You ungrateful prick.
If it wasn't for me, you'd be down on the island
eating bread crusts with the other V-1s.
What's my name, Mr. Whele?
Lieutenant Halloran.
You've been in my employ for six years.
What's my first name?
William asked me on Day One.
Uhh!
Uriel?
Too late. You missed all the fun.
Is that Champagne?
Mm.
Special occasion. Getting my ass kicked.
It's a Juglar.
200 years at the bottom of the sea.
Thought I'd treat myself...
while my wounds healed.
Gabriel laid hands on you for the ledger.
Each and every higher angel's name and nest.
Which, unfortunately for me, only lives up here.
You said I was being too sentimental.
But somebody had to keep track of the family
after the diaspora.
Guess the joke's on me.
Brother threatened to cut off my ears
so I'd never hear Chopin again.
Bastard.
Uriel.
How many neutrals did you reveal to Gabriel?
Only the ones hidden in Vega.
That's all he wanted. For recruitment, I assume.
He's murdering them.
How?
Someone they knew got close enough to them
to be able to kill them without a fight.
Perhaps he recruited another higher to do his dirty work?
And what about possession?
With a lower?
Absolutely.
But a higher angel?
He's not that strong.
Did you try summoning him?
Words are no longer an option.
Not the best neighborhood to keep your door open,
especially after what happened in the marketplace this morning.
Tragic.
I'm Louis, by the way.
But I'm sure you already knew that.
And you're right.
I should be more careful.
You're Michael's boy, right?
Mankind's final savior.
Miracle made of flesh and all that.
When I saw those bodies, I had a feeling Michael
would send you to see me.
Beer?
No.
Tell the other angels they cannot flee, or they'll be shot down.
Did Michael send you on this errand
and not tell you that we already know about you?
Oh, well...
he's been keeping secrets for so long,
I'm sure even he has a hard time
remembering what's fact and fiction.
Listen, Michael told me to tell you to stay put
and to warn the others.
The General's armed the anti-air guns.
You try to go over the wall, you're gonna get shot down.
Well, I appreciate Michael's concern.
He truly has grown as a person.
What's that supposed to mean?
Ah, you know Michael.
Doesn't like to talk about himself much.
I sure wouldn't if I were him. But he and I go way back.
I knew him before he changed.
Changed from what?
How familiar are you with something called
The Book of Genesis?
Or any of the older creation myths?
Not much of a reader.
Most have a common thread.
There was a Great Flood that cleansed the Earth
of all the sinners and ingrates and hedonists and...
generally everything worth anything.
The Noah story. I've heard of it.
Exactly. Just like with Noah.
Except Noah, the real story... he wasn't saving animals.
What's this got to do with Michael?
You humans.
You can't wrap your minds around things,
so you make up metaphors like giant floods.
Then those metaphors stick, and you take them literally.
But trust me. It wasn't an ark Noah built.
It was a bunker to protect people.
Protect people from what?
The real question is...
from whom?
Ouroboros.
Gesundheit.
Ancient cultures worshiped the symbol Ouroboros.
It's an image of a snake eating its own tail.
Devouring itself.
Compelled by a hunger it can't control.
See, insights like that tempt me to say
the money used on your education was well spent.
But feed me to my own lion?
Really?
Use your imagination.
You're the snake, Father.
And the only way for you to survive now
is to end your hunger.
Check the box.
You need to remove that which you cannot help
but pursue and devour...
David Whele.
You might want to check the cylinder
before you pull that trigger.
A single bullet.
Quite the dilemma.
Come on, this is ludicrous!
Illumination will lead you to elevation, Father.
You're a man who lost everything.
Who had to prove to the world that he wasn't just a survivor,
but he could cage the king of the jungle.
But then he became your sigil, your brand.
Samson is David Whele's
ultimate act of self-deification.
You spent your entire life chasing this idea...
consuming and devouring yourself
like Ouroboros.
Come on, William. Get me out of here!
It's time to let go, Father.
Only then will your soul be open to salvation.
I don't need saving!
We all need saving.
You can break my ribs, starve me, feed me to the lions,
but I will not bow down before any man.
Not to any angel!
I'd rather be torn apart and eaten alive!
Your mother would be ashamed.
Yes. She would.
Hey.
Where you been?
Finch is on my ass about you.
I'm running out of cover stories.
Running errands for Michael.
- I'm on shift in 30. - Okay.
Wait.
The Bible?
Was I really that bad that I drove you to religion?
No.
Hey.
You know you can always trust me.
Yeah.
You know... It's just something
someone said. This guy earlier.
What?
Have you ever thought,
how well do we really know Michael?
I mean, really.
What do you mean?
This tattoo.
It reads, "Beware those closest to you."
And with everything this guy said...
- Noma, we have to go. - I...
- Uh... - Go, go.
Can we talk about this later?
- Yeah. - Sorry, Alex.
So, uh, you and Nomes.
Like a "Back How It Used to Be" serious thing,
or a "Much Needed Romp After Claire" kind of thing?
I don't know what you're talking about.
I'm talking about those noises
coming from the supply closet last night.
- Lannon. - It's Louis.
- How'd you get this channel? - Please.
I need you to meet me at the Stratosphere.
It's an emergency.
And please come alone.
Everything all right?
Louis?
What's the emergency?
I needed to see Michael, but he isn't here.
Well, he'll be back soon, but you shouldn't be here.
Oh, don't you get it?
This is the safest place for me to be.
Why?
Because I know who the killer is.
Louis?
Louis, you shouldn't be up here.
Noma?
What are you doing here?
Alex.
I called her.
Don't you see?
She's here to teach you a lesson.
Teach me a lesson about what?
Why none of you should trust Michael.
Louis. Louis, don't.
I suppose the proof is always in the pudding, isn't it?
Noma, no!
- Aah! - Noma!
You told me you'd never lie to me.
- I didn't lie to you. - Right.
You just neglected to tell me that one of my closest friends,
one of the last people I really cared about in this damn place,
the one person I really trusted...
the one person... is a higher angel.
You can still trust her.
Did your spy know who I was before I did?
She wasn't a spy. I simply needed you protected.
Protected from who?
Yourself!
You wouldn't need looking after
if you weren't such a reckless mess.
I may be a reckless mess, but at least I know who I am!
Who the hell are you?
I'm the one that's been watching over you
your entire life.
Waiting for you to step up to the promise
that's been woven into every ounce of your being
by divine will.
And here we are on the precipice,
on the brink of everything we've been working for...
struggling for...
and you question my motives?
You shut up!
It's hard not to.
This isn't about humans versus angels.
This is about what's right and what's wrong.
This is about guilt, isn't it?
Bravo.
You murdered them.
- I did. - They were neutral.
Neutrality is a myth propagated by those
of thin conviction...
And even weaker constitution.
Gabriel.
Hello, brother.
He can possess higher angels now?
Well, I've been practicing.
You'd be surprised at what you're capable of
if you set your mind to it.
You've sunk to a new low, brother.
It's the only way I could tell the chosen one
the truth about you.
Your path should not be led by a misguided archangel, Alex.
It should be led by me!
I'd kill you right now if you weren't using
an innocent body as a shield.
Innocence is in the eye of the beholder.
This body was happy to sell produce
while a war was waged in his behalf.
You slaughtered them because they were pacifists.
They were sacrificed for a greater cause...
to finally shake this city's blind faith in you.
Yeah, he's a deceitful bastard, Alex,
who's been hiding you from me.
Sanctify this vessel.
An eviction?
What year is it again?
Sanctify this vessel.
Oh, this is adorable.
It truly is.
Sanctify this vessel.
- Ha ha... - Sanctify this vessel.
Sanctify this vessel!
I love your ambition.
- Sanctify... - But...
- this vessel. - You do know who I am?
I believe he does.
Sanctify this vessel!
I...
Sanctify.
Back so soon?
It seems... Michael has taught the boy
how to perform an eviction.
So he truly is the chosen one, isn't he?
Yes.
And the dead?
Was killing three of our own worth it?
It certainly wound up Michael.
Won't be long until we have another flood on our hands.
They knew the guns were trained on them, yet they fled,
shot down before they could clear the walls.
Something tells me Gabriel didn't deliver your message.
Are these all of them?
With the exception of Noma, yes.
Michael.
Your brother told me things about you.
Things about your past.
About the Flood.
Is it true?
Michael. Is it true?
Don't listen to my brother.
Hey, I'm still talking to you!
We're not done here!
You hear me?
Let the boy go!
Father's Great Flood, sent to cleanse the Earth.
Let every nation tremble before his might.
They've begun to worship our kind over Father.
He'll never let that abide.
So you kill them?
Every man, woman, and child?
It's what he asked me to do.
Father always taught us never to leave our chores unfinished.
Stop.
Of all the pleasures this world
makes available to us, he chooses murder?
I'm just ensuring the natural order of things.
And what's more natural than death?