Pilot

Pilot
Episode	Season {{#pad:1|2|0|left}}, Number 01
Title	"Pilot"
Airdate	January 22, 2010
Written by	Remi Aubuchon and Ronald D. Moore
Directed by	Jeffrey Reiner
Next	"Rebirth"
Episode guide
Additional Images

About

Pilot is the first episode of the first season of Caprica and the first and second produced hours of the series.

It was originally released on DVD and selected digital download on April 21, 2009. It had its television premiere on January 22, 2010 on the SyFy Channel.

Synopsis

The Twelve Colonies are at peace. An act of religious terrorism begins a change in the lives of many, particularly the Adama and Graystone families. Students and staff at a high school dedicated to the goddess Athena attract the attention of security officials. A lawyer with a dark family background turns toward that heritage. A brilliant computer industrialist makes a quantum leap in robotics.

Summary

Prologue

Entering the access code

Zoe Graystone stands on a balcony looking down at a near riotous crowd in the V-Club. There is a stage at the opposite side of the room below. Standing next to the stage is, apparently, Zoe, who turns and looks up at Zoe. Zoe on the balcony is joined by her friends, Ben Stark and Lacy Rand. As a performance on stage terminates in what appears to be the murder of a young woman, Zoe by the stage crackles, displays a wire-frame image of herself and displays as a person again. Zoe on the balcony displays her frustration that the person below, who is actually a computer generated copy of herself, had "de-rezzed." The door of a bathroom stall flies open and Zoe is revealed sitting while engaged in virtual reality as Prefect Caston gloats over having caught her in a rule violation. Shortly thereafter, Zoe, Ben and Lacy meet outside their school and discuss what went wrong with the virtual Zoe. The real Zoe says she can fix the problem at home because the three are not leaving for the planet Gemenon until the next day.

Act One

Zoe and Amanda argue

Amanda and Daniel Graystone enjoy a game of tennis, and playfully accuse each other of cheating. They ask their domestic robot, Serge, to activate the court's sensors. They receive a call from the Athena Academy regarding their daughter's illicit use of a Holoband in school. Later, when Zoe is at home, the family engages in a heated argument, with most of the venom between mother and daughter. Daniel reminds Zoe that she is to attend a building-naming ceremony at Apollo University the next day, so she is exempt from grounding for that event. Zoe accuses her mother of marrying into money and Amanda slaps her. Zoe tells her mother that she will regret her action for the rest of her life.

Zoe retires to her bedroom and uses an e-sheet to access the Virtual World. She enters a room through a door bearing an infinity symbol as a door handle. The Zoe who had been by the stage (the "Twin") is waiting for her in the room and apologizes for not being able to go through with the plan. The Twin asks that Zoe not require her to go back out on the floor of the virtual nightclub. Zoe agrees and tells her Twin that the conditions that create environments such as the virtual nightclub are going to change and that the Twin is going to help change them.

Train 23 arrives

The next day, Zoe rides with her mother to school, but leaves the campus rather than attending classes, and meets up with Lacy and Ben, who have backpacks. They go to the MAGLEV train station. The three ride an escalator to get to their train along with Shannon Adama and her daughter Tamara Adama, whom they do not know. Growing more and more anxious as they approach the train platform, Lacy changes her mind at the last minute and decides to stay. Zoe is disappointed, but she and Ben push onwards. Zoe takes a seat and begins composing an email. In the background Shannon and Tamara discuss an encounter Tamara had with a boy who insulted Taurons. Annoyed at Ben's mood, Zoe remarks on it before noticing that he is wearing explosives around his body. Before she can stop him, Ben declares his action to be the will of the One True God and detonates the bomb, completely destroying Train 23 and damaging others. Five-hundred people are killed in the explosion.

Act Two

Joseph and Daniel meet.

Later, Agent Jordan Duram of the Global Defense Department reveals to the public during a press conference that the bombing was the responsibility of a monotheistic terrorist group known as "Soldiers of the One" (STO). Leaving the conference, a begloved Joseph Adams meets Daniel Graystone. They commiserate over coffee and cigarettes. Daniel offers courtside seats to a pyramid game.

Meanwhile, Sister Clarice Willow counsels Lacy Rand over her grief. The Sister wonders if Zoe left anything behind to connect with. This prompts Lacy to later visit Zoe's room. Once there, she uses Zoe's equipment to log into the Virtual World, and locates Zoe's Twin. Bloody, the twin realizes that Zoe has died. Zoe had programmed her avatar to feel the same sensations as her, so she felt her death.

Lacy and the twin discuss what to do next. Lacy is nervous about the twin, but the twin reassures her that she has all the same memories as Zoe. As Lacy is comforting the twin, Daniel walks into the room. Lacy leaves in a hurry, leaving a confused Daniel. Daniel notices Zoe's e-sheet, used by Lacy to log into V-World.

Act Three

Joseph in court

Joseph is in the courtroom, defending his client of an undisclosed crime. The judge sets bail over the objection of the prosecutor, who claims the defendant is a flight risk to Tauron because of his connections to the Ha'la'tha, a Tauron crime syndicate. Outside the courtroom, Joseph's brother, Sam Adama, hands him bail money and a bribe for the judge: twenty thousand cubits, suggesting it came from the Guatrau, who is also offering revenge for the train attack. Joseph takes the money, but declines the revenge offer.

At Graystone Industries, Daniel and Cyrus Xander are conducting a test of their U-87 combat robot. It performs horribly, with Cyrus mentioning that they are over budget and behind schedule, and that the government is entertaining the idea of going off-world to the Vergis Corporation. Disgusted, Daniel calls it a day.

At home, Cyrus calls Daniel, and informs him that Tomas Vergis has designed a functional meta-cognitive processor (MCP). This is the one piece of technology that Graystone's robot lacks. Daniel is incredulous. Daniel resumes cracking Zoe's computer sheet, and accesses the V-Club. He sees Zoe's twin, and gives virtual chase. The twin accesses a room, but Daniel is unable to follow.

Act Four

Agent Duram questions Amanda about Zoe

The next day, Agent Duram visits Amanda at her office. He asks about Zoe's behavior and Amanda tells him that she was like any other teenager - rude, defiant, etcetera. Duram shows Amanda a reconstruction of her "farewell" email and reveals his belief that Zoe was one of the terrorists, which upsets Amanda.

Lacy revisits the Graystone's home and attempts to log in when Daniel walks in. Lacy agrees to show Daniel around the V-Club, and bring him to Zoe's twin. Daniel is amazed at Zoe's creation, but does not treat the twin as anything but an avatar. Later, the twin and Daniel catch up on old memories, when Daniel captures the program that created the avatar, removing it from the V-World. Leaving the V-World, Daniel escorts Lacy to the front door, and revokes her access.

Act Five

Joseph visits with the Guatrau, who asks Joseph to "negotiate" with Caprica's Minister of Defense, Val Chambers. Joseph asks for time to think about it. Later, Sam advises Joseph to consider doing the Guatrau's favor, reminding him of the cubits the Guatrau paid for his law school education and the harsh penalties the Ha'la'tha imposes for insubordination.

Agent Duram interrogates Lacy Rand and Sister Clarice in her office. Duram reveals his belief that Ben Stark was part of the attack, and that both he and Zoe Graystone were part of STO. Clarice reveals nothing about her students' religious beliefs, saying the Academy is open to all forms of worship, including Monotheism.

Joseph tells his son, William, that Daniel has invited them to a pyramid game.

At the stadium, Daniel introduces Joseph's son, William, to Rod Jenkins, a star pyramid player. In private, Daniel and Joseph discuss the opportunity to speak with Joseph's loved ones again. Joseph reveals a bit of his family's history. Back at the Graystone's, Daniel and Joseph enter Virtual Reality. Zoe's twin is there, which disturbs Joseph who then quickly leaves the virtual space. Daniel and Joseph discuss the difference between an avatar and real life. Daniel shifts the conversation to the need for the MCP, owned by the Vergis Corporation. Daniel reveals that he knows of Joseph's association with the Ha'la'tha.

Act Six

Lacy tells Clarice how Ben and Zoe introduced her to monotheism. Clarice reveals she is with the STO as well.

Joseph later meets with Sam and asks him to steal the MCP in exchange for Joseph "negotiating" with Minister Chambers. Joseph then meets with Chambers, who does not take the implied threat lightly. That night, Sam assassinates Chambers by cutting his throat.

Sam delivers the Guatrau's retribution to Minister Chambers.

Joseph delivers the MCP to Daniel. Daniel reveals he was able to create an avatar of Tamara Adama. Joseph visits the avatar in Virtual Reality. Tamara's twin is horrified that she cannot feel her heartbeat. Joseph is disgusted with the "abomination," but Daniel says it is no more unnatural than an artificial limb.

In virtual reality, Daniel and Zoe's twin discuss the download to the U-87, and Zoe's intentions. In real life, Daniel installs the MCP and Zoe's twin uploads. The robot collapses. Daniel revisits V-World. Zoe's twin has disappeared.

Epilogue

After becoming disillusioned by his encounters with Daniel, Joseph realizes he must grieve his loss and move on. That is the Tauron way. He changes his last name back to Adama. Joseph tells William, "I want you to know who you are." He tells his son their true name and their true heritage as proud Taurons.

At Graystone Industries, Daniel demonstrates his combat robot to Secretary of Defense, Joan Leyte. An impressed Leyte advises Daniel that he has won the contract, and while the Vergis Corporation has made certain accusations, it was never the government's intention to award the contract off-world. She asks Daniel what the machine is called. He says it is a Cylon - "Cybernetic Lifeform Node."

Later, the Cylon calls Lacy's cell phone, revealing that Zoe's memories are still intact.

Prerelease Footage and Trailers

A number of scenes 1 and trailers (one released in 2008 2, and another in 2009 3) were made available to the public online in the months prior to the DVD release on April 21, 2009.

Reception

Home Media Magazine's John Latchem states that Caprica has "all the same dark overtones and richness of character that fans have come to expect from Galactica." He notes that Caprica, "[evokes] a feeling similar to Galactica in its depiction of a potential near-future, while infusing elements of the Matrix and Terminator movies to set up a bridge to the events viewers know will unfold." (1)

The Futon Critic's Brian Ford Sullivan finds the first fifteen minutes "a weird mix of teen angst, hedonism and virtual reality", however, "once established, the world of Caprica has the potential to be just as compelling, interesting and multi-faceted as its "sequel." In just ninety-two minutes, Caprica manages to dish out a surprisingly dense, but not too overwhelming, array of plot threads." (2)

Trivia

General

• Within the episode, Caprica is represented as having both a Minister of Defense (Val Chambers) and a Secretary of Defense (Joan Leyte). 
• William, Tamara and Shannon Adama are credited as Adams for their surnames.

Production Notes

• The pilot episode aired on the SyFy Channel as one uninterrupted two-hour program; however, when it is available on SyFy.com, it is listed as two episodes, Part One and Part Two. 

Bloopers and Continuity Errors

• It is established in the pilot that William Adama is eleven years old (the scene when Daniel invites Joseph to a pyramid game). In Gravedancing and There is Another Sky, it is established that he is thirteen. Thirteen is the age of manhood on Tauron and both of those episodes refer to Willie as a man. The events of those two episodes happen only one month after the the events of the pilot. Since the pilot episode, all references to his age are thirteen, so eleven must be considered a continuity error.

External Links

• News, Updates & Forums About Caprica, BSG & Sci-Fi in General

• "New Video Clips from Caprica" from The Caprica Times

• "Caprica Trailer" from YouTube

• "Caprica SciFi Trailer" from YouTube

• "Caprica" from Wikipedia

References

1. Latchem, John. "Caprica DVD Review." Home Media Magazine, 17 March 2009, (Retrieved on March 18, 2009).

2. Sullivan, Brian Ford. "The Futon's First Look: 'Caprica' (Sci-Fi)." The Futon Critic, 6 March 2009, (Retrieved on March 18, 2009).