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Caprica – Can the robot close its eye?

As much as Syfy doesn't want to limit itself to science fiction, Caprica is science fiction ... and they need to keep sci-fi fans excited, pleased, and, therefore, coming back for more.

This is what I was afraid of. Three episodes in, and the momentum of the series has already petered out a little. It’s quite possible that this is just a small road bump on the way to better and more exciting things, but for me this doesn’t bode well for the series. Too many people are plodding along with Caprica, hoping it’ll widen their eyes and give them a reason to tell others, “THIS is why I watch Caprica!” Three episodes in … this isn’t how you do it. Not with sci-fi.

This isn’t to say that Caprica sucks. I’m merely speaking of the show’s success in snagging other viewers. If they follow this episode with another snoozer, I’ll bet dollars to donuts that the people who were on the fence from the start will drop out like mad. Then it would only be a matter of time before the series got scrapped (has Syfy ever scrapped a show mid-season before, though?)

So, let’s get on with the episode at hand. I’m awfully glad that Daniel quickly addressed the issue of why in the hell Amanda would choose to tell the public about what she believed her daughter did. First of all, it was downright stupid; what did she hope to accomplish from it? Did she hope to cleanse some of the guilt she felt for, apparently, not knowing her daughter was a terrorist? Sure, people do stupid things in the shadow of personal tragedy, but this was monumentally dumb.

Secondly, Amanda’s public confession sets things up for Zoe to hate her. How could she not give her daughter the benefit of doubt for more than a minute? Is this what he really thought her daughter was capable of? This makes me wonder if things are setting up such that Zoe will first reveal herself to Amanda, either accidentally or purposely, and things spiral out of control to where Zoe kills Amanda. The interesting thing to see is whether it will be accidental or if she shows a sign of uncontrolled rage from how she feels toward her untrusting mother. In any case, Zoe could stand to be just a little angry with mama Graystone.

While I’m on the subject of the Graystones, let me ask again what I did in the title of this post: could Zoe have chosen to look away from her parents having sex right in front of her? Maybe turn off the visual and auditory sensors? Maybe, because she’s technically … “technical,” she can actually unsee it? Frak, I know I’d want to fry that bit of silicon right quick.

Regarding what Zoe’s part in the train accident was — which, as we know, was nothing — will it ever be revealed that Zoe is in the Cylon body and that not only does she know the truth of what happened on the train (or, at least, that she wasn’t involved), but that what she says would ever be believed by the public to exonerate her? I don’t believe so. In fact, if (big if) the public learned that Zoe’s “essence” was inside that robotic form, they’d scream out that it had terrorist tendencies and call for its immediate destruction.

It was a bit weird to hear Zoe call her Cylon self a “robot.” Cue nitpick Keith here: I’m not sure I like how the holoband is able to interface with the “robot,” because I figured it was something that more interfaced with a brain, not into wires. Anyone else think that was a little cop-outey? Then again, we didn’t see the holoband on the robot’s actual head, so it’s possible the way she “interfaced” with the system was in an entirely different way than with humans.

Lastly, does Clarice really know something about Zoe, something that is yet to be revealed about her higher purpose? Or is it just that her being the first sentient Cylon is that higher purpose, and this is what Clarice has to discover. And who is she talking to in holoband land?

Here’s to hoping for a more exciting episode next week.

Photo Credit: Syfy

Categories: | Episode Reviews | General | TV Shows |

9 Responses to “Caprica – Can the robot close its eye?”

February 6, 2010 at 1:12 AM

I thought Zoe did look away. The red light moved to the side. Look again.

Kat! Was that Duck at the mafia table?

February 6, 2010 at 11:05 AM

Still happy with the show, but I must confess wanting to see Zoe stomp someone. Watching an early cylon is the most fascinating part for me. I’d like to see more. I’m sure they are getting there.

I know Little Bill is a long way from the Bill Adama we know and love. I’d also like to see the formation of the integrity we come to associate with Bill Adama. I’m sure that’s on it’s way as well. Perhaps we need to see him at this crossroad, and he could go the unsavory way until his natural inclination towards honor kicks in. Remember that question during his polygraph about stealing? (I think it was stealing) Perhaps he did not want to answer that for more than one reason.

Still chewing on the episode. I’m sure I’ll have more thoughts!

February 6, 2010 at 6:22 PM

Quoting…

“Regarding what Zoe’s part in the train accident was…”

Excuse me, accident?

As to the rest of the criticisms, I just don’t see it. IMHO this was far from a “slow” episodes. There was an amazing amount of things going on. Maybe we can arrange for one or two explosions or spaceship battles in each episode for those who need things like that to stay interested.

February 6, 2010 at 6:41 PM

When I read “accident”, I automatically assumed Keith meant “incident”.

February 6, 2010 at 8:26 PM

Yeah, I didn’t quite mean “accident” there. I know what happened. I guess I’m just used to train incidents being accidents is all.

I totally get how the show isn’t bad or disappointing to many people. I’m just saying I think it could draw people who were on the fence to fall on the side of changing the channel.

February 7, 2010 at 6:38 PM

I have to disagree about the series losing momentum. I thought this episode progressed much faster than I expected, as I’m used to some of these storylines taking entire seasons to make any headway on in other shows. I was completely riveted, but I agree with the criticism about the series not being able to draw in new viewers. For me, though, this series is only about the human relationships, and making it more accessible would ruin the richness and depth of the narrative. We’re years away from a CyLoN revolt, so I don’t know what they could add organically besides Pyramid matches or stunt casting.

Between the family fights, Zoe’s secret religion, avatar work and boyfriend, the “suicide note,” and everything else, I can’t blame either of the Graystones for believing that Zoe knew about the bombing. My first thought was that Amanda blurted out what she did to subconsciously punish herself and her husband for failing to protect their daughter, from Ben Stark(e), from STO, or from herself. The logical part of her brain must have known how the fallout would affect her job at the hospital and Daniel’s company.

Zoe had uploaded many of her memories into the avatar, and was working on a realtime biofeedback connection, but we don’t know if the avatar knows exactly what happened on the train. She knows that Zoe had a grand plan for her on Geminon, but not exactly what it was, and is only trusting in what Zoe told her. There could have been other secrets not included in the memory sync.

I was watching Zoe during the sex scene. Her eye sweeps from one side of the other normally, and you can definitely tell that she restricts her range of vision to the side away from her parents.

For me, Zoe is the protagonist to whom my sympathies most tend. She thinks she has a good purpose and destiny, and it wouldn’t be right for her to go dark or murderous this soon.

Zoe said that she figured how to interface the robot with the holoband via a wireless connection. She’s smart enough to have figured out how to cobble together a new interface on the robot end to send her mind through the same way the holoband reads a human’s thoughts. And I figure her avatar is a brain, for all intents and purposes.

I think Clarice is hungry and ambitious for spiritual achievement and glory, but completely deluded. I doubt she had Head angels talking to her. The man in the virtual confession booth is most likely her STO cell’s only contact to the rest of the organization. I doubt it’s someone we’ve seen already, unless it’s Special Agent Duram.

Willy Adama basically has no upstanding moral role models. He thinks his uncle’s enforcer work is cool, and hasn’t seen the dark side of assault and murder yet. I’m still wondering if he knows how corrupt and complicit his father is in all this business yet, or if that’s the cause of the later break. It’s strange to think of Lee idolizing Joseph in later days.

Did everyone catch Luciana Carro (Kat) playing Greystone’s new PR flack, Pryah? As well as Teryl Rothery, whom I didn’t even see in the credits.

February 8, 2010 at 11:21 AM

If that’s true about Adama, and they handle it correctly. It could be a “Blowing the Hatch Moment”.

February 12, 2010 at 9:05 PM

to much teen agnst for one dont care bout some snobby lil girl that went loco were are the cylons at and not these nabby pabby caprica one. were is the original ones hopefuly they show up soon and save the tv show.cause i see the emo robot one more complaining about how real the fake thing is im gonna flip. V comes back in march cant wait

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