Greetings Kind Readers -
I know you're probably thinking 'What? Avery is actually here again in less than a week? Oh, well that probably means she's going to post another Hey, sorry I haven't written much here lately because I've been writing other things' post.'
And you're kind of right. I have been writing - and believe it or not, I've not just been writing 'my stuff' -- nope. I actually spent the past several hours drafting a plea to Netflix - you know them, right? A plea?
I know - I was sort of shocked when I found myself doing it, too. But what can I say other than... umm... The Spirit moved me. (And when you're done reading this entire post you'll be like 'oh, yeah, that was a pretty good one 'The Spirit moved me')
Yes, a plea - to save a television show I absolutely adore because I, along with several thousands of other folks, are trying to bend the ears of the Netflix Execs so hard they'll listen... really listen to our the reasons why we want them to be our knight in shining armor and save one of our favorite television shows that has very recently been axed by SyFy.
That show is called Dominion - based on the 2010 Science Fiction Thriller Legion. (I won't go into specifics about the movie - I'd hate to spoil it for you - but trust me, it's pretty good)
Dominion takes place 25 years after the movie Legion ends. I liked Legion... thought it was a pretty darn novel concept when compared to all the other movies being churned out at the time. And when Dominion came on the scene I went from liking the concept to absolutely LOVING the story with all its characters and a plot that expanded slowly enough that as a viewer I was sucked in before I even realized it.
(And I'm intentionally NOT going into details about the show's plot because I want YOU - if you've not seen it - to watch and form your own opinions ... but I will say I do explain a wee bit about it in the actual plea I made to Netflix at the end of this post)
| Gabriel (Carl Beukes) & Michael (Tom Wisdom) Archangels - Brothers - Enemies? Image from SyFy series Dominion |
Then the geniuses at SyFy decided 'Meh, the numbers aren't good enough. Let's nix Dominion."
And I was flabbergasted. As in 'What the...?!?! Really. I must have read that incorrectly.' sense of being flabbergasted. After all, from what I've read about the series - it's intended to be an Alpha/Omega series... you know - a show with a definite Beginning and Ending (that spans 6 seasons)
So I read it again. And yes - a bunch of suits decided Dominion - a so far 'out of the box' sort of Science Fiction/Action/Fantasy show it should qualify as a 'riding a Mobius strip' thrill ride - was going to be cut from their lineup.
I was miffed. And then I found a gaggle of other people via Twitter (@Dominion_Fans) who were also miffed. Then came an idea - let's appeal to Netflix - let's ask them to please, please, please get some of their new programming folks to take a look at Dominion and to check out just how connected the fan base is to the show and then, if they see what we see in it maybe they'll consider picking the show up for production and distribution with their quickly booming and award winning programming.
So a petition was created at Change.org aimed directly at Netflix asking them to pick up Dominion so a great show won't fall off the radar because a tiny group of people with little charts based on outdated polling methods decided it should be nixed. And, if Netflix, being the burgeoning entertainment powerhouse it is, gets its productive hands on the show Dominion can be what I, personally, think its writers have wanted it to be and have tried their best to get it be all while 'coloring inside the programming guidelines' over at SyFy.
And being the writing gal that I am, when I saw that there was a spot to put my thoughts as to why I thought the petition should be considered ... well, I decided to give it a good old fashioned ramble - after all, it's kinda my thing.
So - now that you've made your way to THIS point in my spiel ... here's my plea to Netflix to save Dominion via Change.org.
*********************************************************************************
I'm signing this petition to save Dominion because Dominion is NOT a cookie-cutter show. It is neither about zombies nor does it have anything to do with stopping a mutant virus nor is it some lost in deep space drama. There are plenty of those sorts of shows to be found throughout the myriad of channels. And quite frankly, standard network television and cable television stations have over saturated the market with those ‘oh, wait, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this on another channel’ shows.
But then, out of the science fiction/fantasy blue, along came Dominion which offers viewers like myself a drama that excites its viewers because we find ourselves actually considering what would happen if God finally got so fed up with his first ‘in His image’ creation, the Angels, and his second ‘in His image’ creation, Man, that He’d decided to take a vacation from all our collective nonsense. Or, we wonder, could He have gone silent – knowing the sort of chaos it would cause – with the intention of having Angels and Man eventually putting aside their differences to come together and fight a common enemy. That enemy being Lucifer – after all, Lucifer is supposed to have been the First among the first of God’s creations – only he let his pride get the better of him and was cast out from Heaven … only that didn’t mean Lucifer was ‘gone’ gone.
Dominion's freshman season showed us that just like Man, Angels can be deeply passionate. They can have strong emotions. Likewise, they can be insufferably stubborn. And it was… awesome. Then along came Dominion’s sophomore season which cast a much broader net with its characters.
We have Michael and Gabriel… Archangels, yes, but brothers first who both want the same thing, the return of their Father. Only they have vastly different ideas about how to go about getting their Father to come back – although – perhaps God never ‘went’ anywhere considering that the Angels (High and Low) simply say ‘they no longer hear their Father’. Maybe God is just sitting back – waiting. After all, He’s God, He can do that if He wants, can’t He? Eventually though, Michael and Gabriel realize something much larger than they ever expected – a foe greater than their differences plans to return… their big brother, Lucifer. (And we, the viewers, are like – Hell, yes!)
In season two we start to see the emergence of Alex as someone who might really be what the world needs since he’s been labeled ‘The Chosen One’. But chosen for what purpose? Is he to be the Savior or Man or will he be the one who makes choices that lead the ultimate destruction of not just the Human race but also the race of Angels? After all, he is just a Man who might be swayed when the right sweet nothings are whispered in his ears (Or is he just a man? There are many viewers who have posited the idea that Michael would literally die for him because Alex might be his son because Angels do have sex) But either way, whole human or a little bit of both – Alex is the only one who can interpret the cryptic messages that flash before him via Godly tattoos. Interestingly, in the last 30 or so seconds of the Season 2 finale, we see markings on the walls of the pit where Lucifer is building his strength to emerge – markings that look a lot like some on Alex’s arms. (And we, the viewers, were like ‘Oh, damn! No way!)
We learn how great the capacity for Angels to love – deep, intrinsic, soul-mate sort of love (which means loving outside their species) – can be as evidenced by Noma’s willingness to lose her wings to save Alex. But she’s an Angel who, like humans who lose a part of themselves, has a desperate desire to have that which was taken from her in the name of love… her wings. And when she feels so disconnected from everything she has ever known – she’s offered a deal she can’t refuse. A beautiful new set of magnificent white wings. A gift from Lucifer who has been slowly but surely gaining strength over the eons and is preparing to make his grand entrance. (And we, the viewers, were like ‘Oh, girl – No, you didn’t!’)
Those characters – the way the writers grew them all throughout the season 2 series – are just a scant few of the characters we saw during Season 2 of Dominion. I could go on about the fight for Vega. And Helena, too considering we saw the face of a little girl in the helicopter headed to Helena (whose face just happened to flash on the screen right after Lucifer’s servant in Mallory said they have agents everywhere) Then there’s Delphi and the introduction of an entirely new sort of Angel – the Dyad. Yes, I could go on. (And when we, the viewers, got a load of them we were like ‘I think my brain is about to ooze out of my ears)
Oh there are so many ‘what ifs’ that could be. But why even contemplate the what ifs – if there is no Season 3?
And that’s why I’ve written this ridiculously long treatise (though trust me, I’m one of those wordy people who could just keep going) to implore the ‘Powers that Be’ at Netflix to continue your nonconformist style of programming that goes hard against the traditional network/cable norm where execs who haven’t a clue what the public truly want (original, fast paced, plot twisting programming) so they just keep churning out the ‘same old – same old’ season after season until they’ve made people loathe to stop by their stations. So come on, take a chance with a show that already has a fan base with a passionately rabid love for the series.
Dominion is a novel show that keeps its viewers excited for the next show and angry when the credits pop up telling them they’ll have to wait another week before they can find out what happens. (Oh, and Netflix consider this - you could have some MAJOR binge watching Dominioneers falling head over heels in love with your service, just saying.) And with that, I think I’ve said enough. Well, I hope I’ve said enough.
Regards,
L. Avery Brown
********************************************************************************
And there you have it - a plea - from me, one of many fans of the show Dominion, to Netflix to save a show that is pretty darn good and deserves a shot to prove it from Alpha to Omega. But don't just take my word for it - watch the show, it's On Demand via SyFy - then, if you like it, join the cause to save it!
Thanks Kind Readers.
Now, I've got to get to work... A writer's mind doesn't take a break on the weekends.
