Welcome back Caprica fans! 
This episode continued to push plot stories, but it also provided a lighter side; I hope we see more of that.
The episode starts on
e series’ month prior to current events. At the Vergis Corporation on Tauron, there has been a break-in at the Metacognitive Process Research Lab…and murder. Tomas Vergis (John Pyper-Ferguson, Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek: TNG) observes the chip is gone and 2 people are now dead. 
Back to current series’ time. Tom Vergis shows up at a corporate dinner party Daniel Graystone and Amanda are attending.
Tom wants a meeting. There is an interesting hawk-like sculpture in the background
Back at the house Daniel tells half-truths to Amanda, but Amanda knows he is holding back. For a couple who seem to know each other so well, they knew very little about their daughter, Zoe. Cyrus comes over to discuss Tom’s agenda with Daniel. Blackmail is the obvious conclusion. Cyrus is livid when he finds out that Daniel went to the Ha’la’tha, the Tauron mafia, to rob Vergis. Listening in the lab is U-87/Avatar Zoe who is in disbelief at what she is hearing.
Joseph Adama has purchased his first holoband from “Emptor Electronics” (as in “caveat emptor, let the buyer beware, which is so funny, an underlying warning about his holoband purchase) in an effort to find Tamara in the V-club. He is frustrated that he cannot get into the hacked sites immediately. Daniel walks into Joseph’s apartment, rips the holoband confronts him about the Vergis break-in. Joseph assures him that if Vergis knew about the theft and who did it, he would be dead. Joseph tries to tell him about Heracles and Tamara; Daniel insists they are gone and leaves.
We hear on Caprica television that there has been another bombing by the Soldiers of the One (STO). Clarice wants to know who is doing this. Nestor tells her it is likely Barnabus Greely (James Marsters, Smallwood, Torchwood).
Fun fact: Both James Marsters and John Pyper-Ferguson appeared in the same episode of Lie To Me, “Truth or Consequences.”
Olaf introduces new technology to Clarice called a swipe drive that will allow wireless download of data. Nestor believes with this data, they can crack the Zoe avatar or any dead person. Clarice corrects him and says, “It is the continuation of the soul into eternity.”
She says something at this time that sparked my interest, “…and I’m certain that is what Daniel was talking about.” Two possibilities exist here. She could simply be talking about the interview she saw with Daniel Graystone on the Sarno show. There is another Daniel that Battlestar fans are quite familiar with Daniel the 7th Cylon, created by the final 5 Cylons that took humanoid form, but Cavil was jealous of the relationship his mother (Ellen) had with him and sabotages his genetic code and the Daniel line could not be continued into the BSG storyline. Time will tell.
Clarice initiates a phone call to a vulnerable and grieving Amanda. After hearing the Global Defense Department (GDD) took everything from Zoe’s room, Clarice claims to have some of Zoe’s books and offers to bring them over. Among these books is “Markowitz’s Math.” I wondered if this was a nod to Harry Markowitz? Markowitz chose to apply mathematics to the analysis of the stock market as the topic for his dissertation. Why is this funny, you may ask? I love Easter eggs like this. There is a book just out called “The Quants” by Scott Patterson that describes the people on Wall Street who used mathematics in the stock market and ultimately caused its collapse. Ron Moore likes to make politicial statements.
Joseph and Sam have a talk about what happened at the Vergis Corporation. Joseph is worried that the Guatrau will find out they stole from another Tauron. Sam is confident it cannot be traced back to him.
Tom and Daniel have lunch. Graystone Industries is going to need money and Tom offers 300 million cubits for Daniel’s beloved pyramid team the C-Bucks. I love the different camera angles they use in filming this scene. Cyrus wants Daniel to accept the offer, but Daniel thinks it is a trap.
Philomon, the lab technician who is falling in love with U-87/Avatar Zoe, is trying to find a date on the virtual dating site called Caprica V-Match. I love the details that are given about the young man. He is 5 feet 9 inches tall, an average build, blue eyes. He desires dating females and is age 27, from Qualai, Caprica. In our own world, Qualai in Kurdish translates into the word “castle.” Qualai is also named in BSG, pilot episode Hero, as the town in which William Adama (Willie in Caprica) grows up on Caprica. Philomon is the chief lab technician at Graystone Industries. He has had an impressive education: A BS in applied mathematics from Qualai University; a PhD in electrical engineering and mechanical engineering, an master of science in computer sciences (MSCS), a master’s degree in applied physics. His hobbies include applied robotics, quantum mechanics on a nuclear level and astrology. His favorite TV shows are Sarno and reruns of Gemenon monster movies. His favorite website is the Grand Library of Libran.
Poor Philomon has no matches. Out of 12 planets, not one woman is interested in him. No wonder he has fallen in love with a robot! While he is hitting on U-87/Avatar Zoe, Daniel interrupts the intimate moment. Philomon is embarrassed.
Disclaimer: WHR supports each person’s right to believe in a faith of their own choosing or for those who do not believe and their right to choose not to believe and respect them as well. This is delineated by analogy within the single effect of Caprica’s episode “Know Thy Enemy.” WHR is neither comparing nor stating one is “better than the others.” Quite the contrary. Our only editorial purposes is to analyze the religious elements that are represented in the Caprica episode.
At the shipping yards, we meet Barnabus. He is performing what looks like to be some variation of some kind of religious self-flagellation, but instead of whips we associate with Opus Dei from the movie, “The Da Vinci Code”, this is with barbed wire wrapped around his right arm. Flagellation (not applied to self but others) associated with religion goes back to the days of Greece (Dionysus cult) and Egypt (Isis cult). There are sects of the Catholic church in the Philippines and Latin America where self-flagellation is quite common. Also some members of strict monastic orders and, according to Opus Dei’s website, some members practice mild self-flagellation with an instrument that is a cattail whip usually made of knotted cords and is flung over the shoulders repeatedly during private prayer. In Islam, flagellation of others is used in certain cases under Islamic Sharia law (see Rasheed Abou-Alsamh, “Ruling Jolts Even Saudis, from the New York Times article 11/16/2007). While self-harm is forbidden in Islam, some sects of Shi’a Muslims found only in Iran and the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia perform self-flagellation on the Day of Ashura. The practice is frowned upon by Sunnis and other Muslims. Self-flagellation is even used by mystics and religious ecstatics as part of rituals and ceremonies to achieve unusual states of mind.
Clarice visits Apotheosis in the virtual world. The Conclave is supporting Barnabus. Apotheosis tells Clarice that God calls on us to display humility and place our trust in his emissaries. Clarice says Barnabus is just muscle for the Conclave, not an emissary. She pleads for more time to give them something better.
Clarice meets Serge and is perplexed at how to respond to the machine. Clarice tells him that is an awful name (Serge means “servant.”) Funny note: There is someone that exists in this world named “Serge Ribot” according to a directory of names. Could that be Serge the Robot in disguise who managed to find his way to Earth after the destruction of the colonies? Using Amanda’s grief and pain to bond with her, Clarice suggests they share a drink. A drunk Amanda then brings her to Zoe’s room and says they took everything. However, the dragonflies are still on the wall (See my review on Caprica: Rebirth to understand the hidden meaning). Not understanding the implications of what she is doing, the drunk Amanda allows Clarice into the lab to see some pictures that Zoe drew that were not taken because the GDD was not allowed in there.
In the lab, Clarice calls U-87 a “scary thing.” Amanda thinks it a “frakkin ugly monster.” U-87/Avatar Zoe shakes her head, obviously hurt. The wirelesss information-gathering device is planted. Amanda inquires if Zoe shared how much she hated Daniel’s work, but Clarice says no but says that Zoe did say she loved the house, growing up there and planting a garden. U-87/Avatar Zoe is nodding her head as if she remembers doing that. Amanda says it was the other house. Clarice embraces Amanda and Zoe looks worried.
Joseph asks Evelyn to find Heracles, telling her he is a witness for one of his cases. She returns with the details of the young man. Again, the writers do a fabulous job at creating a life for a character in a picture moment: According to his driver’s license, his real name is Tad Thorean, date of birth 6/4/27YR. He attends North Ridge High School. Evelyn admires Joseph’s new tattoo. They share looks of attraction. Perhaps this is the beginning of a future entanglement?
Barnabus meets Lacy Rand via Keon. Although impressed by her intelligence, he declines to help. When Lacy tries to persist at convincing him, Barnabus’ temper erupts. Scary moment for me as a viewer as I was not expecting that. Barnabus tells Keon to stop thinking with his “tarse” and perhaps Keon was feeling guilty about building the bomb Ben used that ultimately killed Zoe, Lacy’s friend. Keon says he did not know Ben was going to use it for that purpose. Barnabus tells Keon to find out what the cargo is.
U-87/Avatar Zoe goes to the computer and creates a virtual character called Rachel who responds to Philomon’s date search. Philomon is thrilled to see there was an inquiry and goes on his virtual date. He notices immediately that Rachel/Zoe looks like Zoe Graystone. Rachel/Zoe covers quickly with a clever reason why she disguises herself to look like the most hated girl in the 12 colonies. Philomon says that for all the bad things they say, Zoe Graystone had principles. Rachel/Zoe is beaming. It was fantastic to see Allesandra get to show off her exuberant and quirky personality. Love is in the air. I hope we get to see a lot more of Rachel/Zoe in the episodes ahead.
Tom Vergis goes on the Sarno show and takes some quips about a friendly rivalry. After the interview, Daniel thinks he knows what Tom is up to.
Back at the Graystone’s house, the view out the window looks familiar (it is the view from Baltar’s house in Battlestar Galactica). It makes me wonder if Baltar at some point in the future winds up buying the Graystone property. Daniel is having nightmares, imagining how the 2 people at the Vergis Corporation died. Daniel decides to refuse to sell the pyramid team to Tom and calls him out on his scheme to get the military contract back. Tom’s scheme is more insidious. “My dream is to tear up your dream.” Vergis forgives him for the stolen property, but the deaths must be repaid according to the Tauron code “blood for blood.” The two people who died were his children and Vergis shows Daniel the tattoo on his arm that represents them.
Daniel’s flashes of his nightmare return. He toasts to Daniel, “Until the debt is paid.” Tom thanks Daniel for the drink and leaves. Amongst the civility, war has just been declared on Daniel Graystone.
Until next week Caprica fans…Looks like an action-packed episode where Joseph enlists Heracle/Tad’s help in finding Tamara. I cannot wait.
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PBMom
Howdy, I’m a long-time reader and have been too shy to submit a comment.
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Passa: You are so sweet. I feel the same of other bloggers, too, (on this site and others), that I wish my writing advances to their level. I had a mentor of sorts on my Fox 26 blogs and I said, “I want to write like them” and I had come a long way from the posts I originally did to the posts I did during the election year. You’ll do fine. Just keep writing, asking others for advice (like I’ll take all the comments above into consideration the next time I write. I believe if we did not try to strive to be better, especially at the things we love, nothing in life will ever change. Learning, growing, changing are wonderful things.
SGAKaz: Thanks for the clarification. I, too, consider people technically not in my family to be family, especially godchildren. After all, in my particular faith, I’m responsible to see they understand our shared faith and the other things that go along with that. Sometimes, people refer to godchildren as the people parents appoint to take custody of their children once they die, too. When we talk to our son, we refer to people as Aunt X or Uncle Y even though there is no ancestrial heritage. Thank you so much for the comments. I love them.
WR_System: I thank the person who helps insert these into the article. I’m not that computer literate (yet), but I do know which pictures I’d like captured.
Graham: Thanks for the post. Apotheosis is a shadowy being created by Clarice in her virtual world. Unless I’ve missted it, the viewer are not priviledged to know if this person has a name in the virtual world. Please read my other reviews about the concept of apotheosis. I’ve looked again at the credits in case I missed it, but they don’t even give a credit to who is doing the voice and what they “call” the character. If you find out, please let me know? It can only help me become a better writer. Thanks for responding.
Geez, everytime I see blogs this good I just want mine to be there already! 🙂 Great work.
Apotheosis means the elevation to divine status (in other words, a mortal becoming a god). It was my impression that Clarice doesn’t visit someone named ‘Apotheosis’, but an unnamed person and they are discussing their desire for apotheosis (probably of Zoe’s creation, though they don’t explicitly say that).
You would never call someone ‘Apotheosis’.
Of course I could be wrong… But Apotheosis as a name makes no sense to me.
Hey!
Wonderful report and great read. Selection of images excellent. Thank you!
The two people who died were his friends and he is godparent to their children so in that way their family other than that bitty mistake this was a great review. Strange how the Art seemed to be American Indian.