Caprica 1x10

The Cricket is unsure why we should be watching frakkin’ Caprica, but suddenly it’s back on SyFy unexpectedly early. (To get you up to speed, you can check out the recap of the first half of the season, or you can go here to read all the episodes’ chirps.) Thus far, the story has hardly been compelling, the acting poor -- if not outright atrocious. Admittedly, this second half of the season started out dramatically: we witness how various “Soldiers of The One” carry bombs inside the Buccaneer stadium and blow it to smithereens. Alas, it was only Clarice’s indulgence in wish-fulfillment as she was demonstrating to the Conclave of Gemenon the apotheotic blessing of eternal life in virtual reality. That is, by using Graystone’s avatar-software Clarice is sure the religious leaders can unite the Twelve Worlds in the worship of the One True God with a promise of artificial heaven. Obviously, if that wasn’t clear, her “Apotheosis” delusion is utter blasphemy theologically – and terrorizing souls into converting to the One True God may not be the most charming form of proselytization either. Monk Obal, the head of the Conclave, informs the Blessed Mother Superior that Clarice suffers from a definite Messiah complex. But this latter-day Mother Teresa believes Clarice may prove useful in the fight against polytheism and allows an Ides of March inside the church as Clarice charms a foot-soldier into assassinating Obal while all other members of the Conclave stab their knives in turn. (The reference to Caesar is blatant, but the significance escapes me.)

Back on Caprica, Daniel Graystone has lost everything – his daughter, his wife, his company, his pyramid team. He turns to Joseph Adama’s Guatrau, the head of the Tauran mafia, hoping to sell his avatar-program as a cure for grief: give your loved ones artificial eternity and you can always be with them if you put on your holoband. Adama tests Daniel who backs out of the deal when he’s required to detonate a bomb inside his own mother’s car. Then his former assistant Cyrus informs him that Vergis is able to produce robots for the military, yet they still have been unable to reproduce the artificial intelligence of Graystone’s U-87 prototype. Somehow this prompts Daniel to return to the Guatrau, who somehow suddenly accepts his partnership. I thought that we had at least lost that wining Amanda Greystone to suicide, but after jumping to her death she is unfortunately still alive, hiding out in Clarice’s log cabin. Somehow Sister Willow has rescued her from her near-death experience. (Clearly, the Cricket wasn’t paying much attention.)

For her part, Zoe Graystone is now trapped inside New Cap City – without the U-87 to give her access to the real world. It is perhaps unsurprising that as a Deathwalker (an avatar that cannot die in v-world) she should try and find the other, Tamara Adama. Although Tamara didn’t want to see her father grieve over her death, she clearly wants to be found by someone, as she is leaving marks all over town. Even some Clockwork Orange droogs are bearing her mark. (Once more the significance of the reference escapes me.) Zoe, a babe in high heels and tight pants, gives them a nice display of martial arts. But with all of them flashing out of v-world and the last one standing pleading ignorance, she’s none the wiser about Tamara’s whereabouts.