Caprica Recap: “Rebirth”

S1E2: Looming over everyone is the upcoming one-month memorial ceremony for the victims of the train bombing. No one wants to attend. By trying so hard to avoid the one thing we can’t stop thinking about, we miss the obvious: There’s release in letting go and facing what we’ve lost.

Amanda Graystone, Zoe’s mother, slowly realizes how little she knew her late daughter. A detective tells her of Zoe’s boyfriend, a member of the Soldiers of the One terrorist group, and suggests Zoe may have been responsible for the bombing. The information strikes Amanda as so incredible that she keeps it to herself, but begins watching old home movies of Zoe to search for any type of clue or hint.

Meanwhile, Zoe’s avatar reaches out to Lacy to let her know she’s been implanted inside the Cylon robotic body. She complains of identity crisis, being that she is Zoe, the avatar and now the machine, too. When Lacy wants to seek help, Zoe demands secrecy so she can remain safe and in control for as long as possible.

Similar references are made later by Sam Adama, Joseph’s brother, as he takes his nephew on a jaunt through the Little Tauron section of Caprica City. Sam is a gangster covered in signifying tattoos and he tells his nephew, William, that life is “all about control and power.” William is curious but intimidated–a similar judgment his father, Joseph, seemed to feel when Daniel insisted they could see their dead loved ones again.

Daniel is under stress to complete the technology needed for the government combat contract. The one Cylon he has is now working perfectly, but he is unable to recreate the same magic. Unbeknownst to him, the Cylon works perfectly solely because Zoe’s avatar is controlling it. She remains undetectable, even as lab technicians prod and experiment on her. It’s only when her robotic self seems to take on its own life and attack one of the technicians that she realizes she’s not in control, but trapped.

Release can also be found when we admit what we may have missed. At the memorial, when Amanda meets the mother of Zoe’s boyfriend, she’s given an envelope containing some of Zoe’s possessions. Inside, Amanda discovers the infinity symbol–the symbol of both monotheistic belief and the Soldiers of the One terrorist group.

Often the answer to a question asked too late doesn’t have to be the right answer at all. It can just be what makes us feel in control of an incomprehensible situation. When Amanda finally realizes the extreme beliefs Zoe held, she makes her way to the podium and confesses her daughter may have been responsible for the bombing. Cameras flash. The crowd begins shouting. She declares her daughter a terrorist. It’s an answer, but not the right one.

Spaceman says, “I felt some G-Force!”

Spaceman Exclamation Ratings

Great: “Bitchin!”

Pretty good: “I felt some G-Force!”

Not so hot: “Not sure this puppy can fly!”

Not recommended: “Let’s get outta here!”

Caprica airs Friday, 9pm Eastern on Syfy.

Cast: Eric Stoltz (Daniel Graystone); Paula Malcomson (Amanda Graystone); Alessandra Torresani (Zoe Graystone); Esai Morales (Joseph Adama); Sasha Roiz (Sam Adama); Magda Apanowicz (Lacy Rand); Polly Walker (Clarice Willow)

Photo by Joe Pugliese via Ligado em Serie