Let’s jump right in. The writers sure did this time:

Right into the ER, in fact, ’cause Michael has an angelsword in his gut. But before anything’s resolved, the security folk show up to arrest Lannen for desertion (remember when he escaped from the city? The army apparently frowns on such things.). They drag him off to jail, but he doesn’t dare let anybody see his magical tats so he does the only logical thing: he picks a fight with the meanest cop in the room, so they beat him up and throw him into solitary. I’ve got ’em right where I want him, he must be thinking, as he grips his aching kidney and bleeds from his ears.

Back at the ER, Michael’s in a coma and his luvvah Senator Becca Thorn is dozing at his side, when an unseen person come in, drips what looks like angel-pee into his wound, and lo, he doth awaken. Not much later, he’s healed up real good, and pretty concerned. He wants to see the angel-blade that should have killed him, as well as Alex. Becca says she has no idea where the blade-fragment sent. So after a little back-and-forth and hide-the-celestial-sausage with Rebecca – stinkin’ angel lover! – they both pass out…only to be visited by a brand new character, a beautiful blonde angel-lady who pulls out a wicked blade and readies herself ti kill Becca – until, of course Michael wakes and stops her at the last instant, and they rocket out of the high-rise bedroom together for some very cool battle on the rooftops. (If last week was a little short on action, this one’s already making up for it. First wing-fun, and we’re barely six minutes in.) It doesn’t last nearly long enough. They stop to talk, like that matters. Michael knows her. Her name is Uriel, and he should recognize her after all: it’s his sister. She’s a High Angel, just like him, and she’s pissed: he’s been keeping the news about the arrival of the Chosen One from his brethren and sistren. “We need to talk,” she tells him. She gives him a rendezvous point and literally swoops away.

Okay, too much action, let’s get some cloying sentimentally in. Claire visits HiggledeyPiggley, the peasant girl – yes, we know her name is Bixby, but it’s such a stupid name — in hospital. She says Alex and Michael came to visit the night before – Alex is back, news to Claire! And unfortunately the kid’s loose talk about the Chosen One i’s overheard by a vaguely familiar face: one of the members of the City Council, a fist-faced guy by the name of Thomas Frost, who’s in an adjacent bed..

Oof. More Council Meetings, with new pressure put on Whele – From Eavesdropping Thomas, no less – to have the Chosen One step forward. Whele tries to deflect him, but he’ll have none of it. So Whele just ridicules him till he shuts the hell up.

That’s not the only uncomfortable meeting this week. The Angels Michael, Gabriel, and Uriel ar having a meeting of their own. Ariel’s been missing for 25 years – a former mankind lover who could clearly tip the balance between Mike and Gabe. But she wont’ choose sides – never has. And Gabriel takes a moment to repeat himself: he believe the “true nature” of the Chosen One will emerge soon, and he will come to Gabriel’s side quite willingly.

We, however, know this may be a bit problematic. Alex, in solitary, is having nasty nightmares (or visions, perhaps?) about torrents of water actually washing the tattoos away and spelling “SHE DIED FOR YOU” in the residue – whatever the hell that means. Doesn’t matter: his dream is interrupted by a much nicer dream: Clair comes to visit. She coos over his bruises, says she’ll gt him out, but he thinks it’s better if he stays inside, so nobody else gets hurt. Claire gets huffy about it and plays the “Bisby needs you, you insensitive jerk!” card. It works. She gets him released, whether he likes it or not.

AREEKa the sex-nun has a provocative talk with Noma, the equally beautiful soldier-woman. Haven’t seen a tight pony tail look this cool since Trinity in The Marix. Arika senses she has a secret, but Noma won’t break. Still, the sex-nun plants the seed of possibility: you wanna join up? She asks before Nomas goes back to the barracks.

Alex, released in spite of himself, goes to visit Bixby in the hospital. The little girl tells him it isn’t his fault that she’s hurt, but he doesn’t buy it. Admirably, Alex shows his vulnerable side: he can barely keep from crying. There’s actually some nice chemistry between these – Stop it. Don’t make me actually like his guy. Or worse yet: Stibbledy-boo.

Whele, Senator Frost, and Reisen meet in a very cool greenhouse. The Senator is an actual believer, a true Michaelist, and he knows the Chosen One has been found. Turns out this guy is the real deal: he’s the minister of Agriculture, and he’ll flood the entire Agri-Tower and all of Vega’s crops (so that’s how they keep eating!)…unless Whele & Reisen let him meet the Chosen One.

After the commercial, Noma’s talking to her solider-buddy Mack about the sex-nun and her offer of turncoatery when Alex returns. He tries to pretend his escape and return ain’t no big thang, but Noma already knows his secret from last week. Alex lets it out: he’s been seeing Claire Reisen. Great, now everybody knows.

Before things can get any more embarrassing: Alert! Alert! The Agri-Tower’s being flooded! (Oh my God, we made up the name “agri-tower” ’cause it sounded stupid and cheesy, and guess what? It really is called the Agri-Tower. Risesen and Whele are still imprisoned there, hostages now; Claire and William Whele are both made a Councilors pro tem, and look at ’em! They will act devisively about this hostage crisis! They…will meet!

Whele’s come up against a real enemy in Thomas Frost: an actual believer, not a minion of a televangelist. But Whele won’t give in – he keeps trying to convince Thomas the Faithful that there is no Chosen One, while back in the Council Room, Those Who Know debate about revealing the truth: that there Is a Chosen One, and he amongst us. Claire gives her vote to William Whele, who’s taken his Dad’s place for the moment, and walks out, (Walks out?)

Meanwhile, Micheal’s still far far away, talking with Uriel (kind of nice, the idea that the angels aren’t omniscient, and that they can be hurt – emotionally as well as physically. Uriel misses her Dad –you know, God – and has no idea why he deserted them. Kind’a sad.) While Whele, trapped in the Agri-Tower, is still trying to wok Thomas the Faithful. He goes at him one more time, and Tom makes his position clear: he shoos Whele in the knee. “I’m tired of being reasonable,” he says. Yeah, no shit!

The soldiers mass for an assault at the Agri-Tower, and ironically Alex himself is among them. He’s only just found out that all Senator Frost’s one and only demand is to meet him. Inside, Riesen tries to patch up Whele, but Riesen himself isn’t doing much better: his heart’s literally skipping a beat.

Lannen, knowing what’s at stake, volunteers to negotiate. They’re just about ready to throw his butt back in jail when Claire shows up, all steel and glaring eyes, and backs Lannen up: They blow a door and Lannen – Lannen, for some reason! – will go in to talk to Thomas the Faithful. “I’m the Chosen One,” he says. He even strips off his shirt and shows his tats to prove it. And it’s great: Thomas doesn’t believe him. You’re a V-2,” he says. “What did they do, paint those things on you? How stupid do you think I am?”

He demands proof while the lethal waters rise. Michael pulls the only rabbit he’s got out of his hat: “She Died For You,” he blurts out – all he remembers from his dream-vision at the top of the hour. And Thomas gets it: it’s his daughter, she did die for him, on the first night of the war. This is the Chosen one, and Thomas believes. Now, he says, they’re going to go outside. They’re gong to tell everyone. SO he turns off the damn water before it kills them all. (Damn, this is actually exciting.) Thomas drops his gun long enough for Riesen to pick it up…and shoot Thomas the Faithful in the head.

The End.

Crisis averted, the Dads return home and reassert their dominance. Whele wastes no time in putting his son in his place; then ArEEKa come back to taunt Whele a bit – and Head’s doing a great job of really looking in pain – while Claire and Alex sit at Senator Thomas Frosts’s memorial. Alex hated coming forward, but he realizes: he really does have power; he did make Frost believe in him. And he really doesn’t have a good grasp of what the hell he –

Ahhh, the Angel Michael finally shows up. “Where have you been?” Alex asks, his usual indignant self. “I could have used your help.” “Family emergency,” Michael says, but he knows now what Alex needs: instruction. And this time Alex agrees. “I want to learn,” he says, “about everything.” (And what’s this? Becca Thorn knows exactly where the fragment of the angel-sword is. She’s got it, and she’s analyzing it herself.)

And finally we see that all is not well back at the angelic aerie. Uriel’s still playing both sides. She tells Gabriel that if he can truly convince The Chosen one to join him, then “you will not stand alone. I will be at your side.” He give her a big ol’ hug … and misses the wicked smile she gives the camera. She’s clearly got an agenda of her own.

And as we wind up, good ol’ Whele, evil as ever, limps into the hospital and messes with Biggledebop’s IV drip…and kills her.

He is just not a nice man.

Wow. A tense, smart, action-packed episode of Dominion, with only one new plot thread. Tight as an angel’s ass in a power-dive. More, please!