Things are still pretty bad in Mallory, and that's apparent because Laurel is outside digging a grave while Michael asks her about why. Here's the thing about this town in Alabama, everyone has to tell Laurel their secrets but it's never really been clear why, until now. And the reason turns out to be: she's digging her own grave. She's going to sacrifice herself and take everyone's sins and secrets to heaven with her. Michael is pretty horrified.
Meanwhile, Alex and Noma are still in New Delphi and Julian has convinced them to go into the strange 8-Ball/human jail and get back a key. (Well, it's more of a weird brass disc? But he keeps calling it a key, so let's go with key.) Pete the ex- 8-Ball stands around still wanting to help out but being generally useless, and Alex says he'll go in provided Julian forms an alliance between New Delphi and Vega. Great. All set. But once Alex gets into the prison, whom does he stumble upon but General Riesen! Remember him? Claire's dad? Used to run things in Vega until he took off? Yep, turns out he's been hanging out in jail in New Delphi, fighting off 8-Balls.
Back in Vega, meanwhile, things aren't necessarily paradise, either. Claire learns that the V1s have started their rebellion, rescuing Zoe and killing several guards. She goes and seeks the help of one of her dad's buddies: Gates. This is a guy who tinkers with electricity, keeps Vega running, and generally knows a lot about the underground. She wants to find out if there's a rebellion brewing.
There's an interesting flashback thing that happens in this episode and gives a lot more background to Gabriel and Michael. See, years (and years!) ago, Michael and Gabriel were sent to destroy the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah. And while they were doing so, they got into this big fight about the amphori, which.. those are urns that contain things like darkness and confusion and.. general weapons of an otherworldly nature that angels use to win a war against humans. Gabriel used to be all about these way back when, and Michael wanted to just kill humans with his bare hands. That's.. changed in the last few millennia. And we still don't know why, but the amphori are important.
Back in the present, in Mallory, Alabama - Michael is having a really hard time with his feelings for Laurel. He wants her to not kill herself, and she's pretty set on doing so. Meanwhile, Claire and Gates discover the headquarters of the Vega rebellion, but the operation to find Zoe is botched by a guard. All while Alex and General Riesen find the key around the neck of an 8-Ball, digs it out of him after he swallows it, and climb out of the jail just in time for Noma to make out with Alex.
When Laurel starts her monologue about killing herself, and about sin, and about taking everyone's secrets to heaven, Michael shows up and says he'll go in her place. She's skeptical, but his saying this makes the fire grow bigger, so she agrees. Now, let's take a quick flashback to the Old Testament, where Michael is really furious with another angel named Lyrae. So angry, that he KILLS Lyrae. And angels aren't really supposed to kill each other. But back in the present, Michael has a lot of guilt about leaving Alex behind. So, he does it. Stabs himself RIGHT in the heart and dies.
But don't worry, he comes back to life several moments later and decides he's going to save the town in a new way. The important thing to know is that Michael definitely believes that his father, God, is still out there.
Back in Vega, Claire interrogates the soldier who botched the raid on the rebellion and becomes aware that even her own guards are in on it. In New Delphi, Julian agrees to the alliance, but don't get too comfortable. It turns out, Julian is an 8-Ball. And remember that angels possess all those guys. Want to guess who's taken over Julian's body? It's really Lyrae! And, want to guess what the key was for? Yep! The amphori! Serious archangel dramz are afoot, team.
