Rebirth- Season 1 Episode 2

Caprica- Rebirth
Air Date- January 29, 2010


The show finally begins. It was great to finally see a new episode of Caprica. Still reeling from the events of the Pilot both families Adama and Graystone are in deep mourning.

The show starts with flashes from what I assume to be Zoe’s mind still trapped in the Cylon body last seen in the previous episode. What are shown are Zoe’s memories of how she joined the Soldiers of the One and their creation of the Zoe Avatar. We are shown that chip only works with the original Cylon body Zoe’s Avatar inhabited. Dr. Graystone doesn’t know that his daughter is inside. Daniel Graystone assumes that her information was lost when the Cylon collapsed in the last episode.

We have many great insights in the episode about the characters. We see Lacy going to visit the Headmistress house. We learn that she is part of a group marriage. Sister Clarice has many husbands and there are many wives and children in the house. Apparently in the Caprica universe these types of group relationships are uncommon but not unheard of.

Zoe’s Avatar, still trapped in the Cylon is loaded and brought to her parent’s house. Hating being confined like a lifeless machine, which is what everyone thinks she is, she tries to escape from the van she is loaded in. This comes as a great surprise to both the technicians transporting her and her father.
While this is going on Daniel and Amanda Graystone are both at the Pyramid game for a big match putting on a show for the crowd. Amanda is still in deep grief and decides to go home. When she does she sees a few videos which show her daughter wearing the infinity symbol of the Soldiers of the One. This is the first hint to Amanda that Zoe may not have been an innocent but one of the terrorists. Amanda is disturbed by information that Zoe had a boyfriend that she hid from her mother. It was Ben who was the actual bomber on the train. This will show up again later in the episode.

Meanwhile we see Joseph desperately trying to get a hold of Daniel Graystone hoping to hear about what happened to her Avatar.

The next day Willie Adama skips school and gets in trouble with the law with his Uncle. We see that his uncle, the hit man wants to provide Willie with some street smarts and to learn of his Tauronian heritage. Daniel is furious about this. He wants Willie to grow up on Caprica with a refined sense of decorum, not to be bound by his possibly questionable roots. This sentiment is echoed at the dinner table where Willie does not like the Tauronian meal his grandmother prepared but has no problem going out for burgers. The Adama family is still rebuilding after the tragedy.

We next see Sister Clarice using some kind of drug to go into a trance and meditate on the recent happenings with her involvement with the Soldiers of the One. She too may be feeling some responsibility for Zoe’s loss, but more about what Zoe meant as a programmer and a daughter to one of the richest men on Caprica.
Lacy finally meets Zoe the robot and it is difficult for her to accept. We see Zoe as herself while Lacy sees her as the Cylon. Eventually after the scare wears off Lacy accepts Zoe and gives her a nice embrace. Zoe does mention something very interesting. She states that she is Zoe, Zoe the avatar and Zoe the robot. Three things in one. Very much like the Trinity of Christianity here on Earth. It should be interesting to see if this plays out as the series goes on.

The climax of the episode starts with a memorial service for all the families of those who were on the train. We see both Daniel and Amanda walking around. Originally Joseph Adama was not going to attend but since he was unable to get Daniel Graystone to answer the phone, or even the door to the Graystone house, he decided to track Daniel down at the memorial service.
Daniel and Joseph head off to talk. Daniel tells Joseph that Daniel’s daughter’s Avatar was lost when Zoe’s was destroyed. While this is going on Amanda heads off on her own. She is met by Ben Stark’s mother who gives her some items Zoe’s that she had left at Ben’s house. So Ben’s mother knew about the relationship but Amanda did not. This is what pushes Amanda over the edge. She opens the envelope given to her by Ben’s mother. Inside she sees the brooch, in the form of the infinity symbol, which was in the video Amanda was watching earlier. Amanda recognizes it as the symbols of the Soldiers of the One. This prompts Amanda to get up at the podium and announce to the crowd that she is sorry but it was her daughter that destroyed the train. The large crowd at first just stares in disbelief before getting ready to riot. Daniel rushes quickly to the stage to remove his wife and get her to safety before the crowd rips her apart.

Joseph already greatly upset by the fact that Tamara’s Avatar was destroyed is seen fuming at the revelation by Amanda. The fire in his eyes is palpable. Who knows what he is planning for the Graystones at this point? Perhaps he will give into the Tauron mob ties he has and want to kill the Graystones. We will see.

Review- Not as great as Battlestar’s first episode “33” but a good continuation of the story. When the producers created the show they said that Caprica would follow the soap opera models of Dallas and Dynasty and that can clearly be seen here with the bombshell revelation at the end by Amanda. We know that Zoe was against the bombing, tried to stop it, but will the people of Caprica ever learn of that fact? What will be the impact on Graystone Industries and the Graystone family? Will Adama want to kill the Graystones? Will others? Events have firmly been set in motion here. What will Zoe’s fate be? Will Daniel soon figure out that it’s his daughter’s psyche in the robot?

The next episode deals with Patton Oswalt guest starring as a talk show host. Presumably to deal with the fallout of this episode of Caprica. I can’t wait for tonight to see what happens.

I’ll check back in after that show to share my thoughts. Thanks for reading.