Caprica Season 1, Episode 2 “Reins of a Waterfall” (Review)

Next time, pick up the phone big shot

[Some episode spoilers]

Reins of a Waterfall is an episode about the Graystone fallout from Amanda’s previous public revelation of Zoe being a terrorist. As could be expected, the public cried foul, Amanda had to resign from Caprica General Hospital, Graystone stocks plunged and the late night comedians (specifically Baxter Sarno, played by funnyman Patton Oswalt) are having a field day with the material.  Graystone’s assistant Cyrus implores him to get P.R. help, but Daniel refuses to deal with the issue. Meanwhile, Avatar Zoe plays around with her programming and Sister Clarice meets with a shady Soldiers of the One disembodied voice. We get to meet more Global Defense Department detectives of Caprica City, some of them inept and corrupt. Yet these are the “better” Capricans, not Taurons.

Speaking of Taurons, I find it amusing how they are every ethnic stereotype rolled into one. In this episode for example we learn that Taurons are bad drivers. Stereotypes aside, we see more of the tough guys of the Tauron mafia hanging out at a place called Goldie’s, eating burritos, and teasing school-skipping Will Adama.

Will’s father, Joseph Adama, has been hit hard by the news that Zoe could have been the Maglev 23 terrorist. He gets sloppy with his quasi legal work and becomes increasingly violent.  Esai Morales as usual was great, but in Reins of a Waterfall he got to expand his performance. His final words in this episode came as quite a shocker!

I really enjoy the Adama brothers’ interactions- the actors have great chemistry. Oh and in this episode we see the softer side of Sam Adama, as the man in love with his husband. So nice to see a gay relationship in science fiction seen as something normal.

Again, and I can’t say this enough, loving the details! Fun ones were a financial TV show called “Cubits and Pieces” or “Dollars and Cents” in Earth English. Also, the Monotheists call their prophesized culmination Apotheosis (deification) and there are several interpretations of what that might mean. And futuristic Roomba Serge can detect if you’re hurt!

No new episode next week. The next installment will be on February 19^th.