In its series premiere, Caprica put a lot on the table. As a spin-off of Battlestar Galactica, the pilot not only showed the origins of the Cylons, but it also demonstrated a wealth of character development while handling several serious issues that left the episode somber and tense with a multitude of potential directions. This week’s episode, “Rebirth,” touches briefly on some of the same issues of theology and technological advancement. Character development is the focus here though, particularly those characters that were not as prominent in the pilot.

While I expected “Rebirth” to expound upon the characters of Lacy (Zoe’s best friend) and Sister Clarice (Zoe’s school teacher), I was surprised to find myself enthralled with the treatment of Zoe’s mother, Dr. Amanda Greystone. Despite knowing exactly what Amanda would discover about her daughter throughout the episode, it was hard not to empathize with her as she discovered that Lacy was a member of the Soldiers of the One (STO), the terrorist group allegedly responsible for the bombing. Amanda’s conversation with Lacy is particularly heartbreaking as Lacy recalls the last conversation she had with Zoe, in which Zoe said that they all had “another family” waiting for them off-planet. Likewise, Amanda’s conclusion and subsequent announcement during the finale that her daughter was a terrorist is a gripping end not only to the episode but also to the emotional arc that Amanda has been riding throughout.

As for Zoe herself, she is featured predominantly in “Rebirth,” though she shares much of her screen time with the Cylon version of herself. In one shot we’ll see Zoe in her true Cylon form, and in the next, she’ll appear in human form. The characters see her as she truly appears - a Cylon - but then she’ll be shown to the audience as human Zoe. This is done purely for the audience’s sake, and while I can understand the show not wanting to waste the physical appearance of their star, the jumps between the forms is jarring. There’s no rhyme or reason behind the changes; if the camera passes behind an object while showing Zoe in one form, for instance, she will be in the other form once the object no longer obstructs the view. Hopefully future episodes construct some sort of method behind the form changes, so there’s at least a reason we’re seeing Zoe in a particular form during a shot.

There were also quite a few ridiculous bits of dialogue where characters would seem to automatically guess that there’s something unique about this Cylon. For instance, one of the assistants in charge of transporting Cylon Zoe from Daniel Greystone’s corporation to his home laboratory constantly calls the robot a “she.” It’s quite a wild accusation to give a robot a sex, but to be right about it (in a sense) is absurd. Another assistant, also in reference to Cylon Zoe, says, “you can almost see it think” and comments that it acts “like a child.” You can almost hear the bells and whistles going off as these characters seem to instantly understand the true identity of this seemingly ordinary Cylon.

It is inevitable not only that more characters will learn of Cylon Zoe (including her father), but that Cylon Zoe will have to come to terms with what she is. Toward the end of “Rebirth” she calls herself a trinity, describing herself as being a mix of a Cylon, an avatar (a copied conscious), and a human being. But what I would like to see is more of a struggle between those three parts. Are they all working against or with each other? I’m also curious to see how the show handles the debate that began in the pilot, concerning whether or not an avatar constitutes a human being. In this episode Zoe’s avatar portion of her new self seemed to be portrayed as identical to the real, original Zoe, and her Cylon aspect was treated as a contrast. Zoe makes mention of being treated like cargo and also notes that when her mother sees her Cylon exterior (not knowing, of course, that her daughter is inside) she calls her a “monster.” It’s not apparent yet whether Zoe is having doubts about only her Cylon self or her avatar self as well.

One of the main themes of “Rebirth” is sexuality, represented here as Sister Clarice invites Lacy to her house and reveals herself to be a polygamist. Couple this with the last episode’s revelation that she’s also a monotheist (in a polytheistic society), and Clarice has the potential to develop into an interesting and important character. Yet, here there are too many loose ends with Clarice, so by the end of the episode we’re more confused with her character than eager to see her development. At one point, one of Clarice’s husbands ominously mentions her “track record,” but we don’t know enough about Clarice to know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. It’ll be something to watch out for, I suppose, but after being put off by the sexual tension between Lacy and one of Clarice’s husbands, Nestor, I’m not sure I care as much as I should have. There’s also a bizarre scene toward the end of the episode, in which Clarice goes into a bar to purchase drugs and proceeds to get high. It makes little sense and doesn’t go anywhere by the end of the episode.

I don’t know how we’re supposed to feel about Daniel’s character at this point. I realize it is early in the show, but his character has gone through such a change that I feel like we should have some opinion of him. At first he’s just a husband playing tennis with his wife, then he’s a grieving father, and now, what is he feeling? Is he angry that his experiment of putting Zoe’s avatar into the Cylon, as far as he knows, didn’t work (though it did), or is he afraid that people will discover that he stole the microprocessor chip from his rival and used it to create a Cylon so that his company would score a defense contract? So far, there's no telling.

I said last week that Caprica was off to a great start, and this week’s episode keeps the show on that same track. Though some characters came across as a bit lackluster this week (Clarice and Daniel), others, like Lacy and Amanda, were given the opportunity for growth. Cylon Zoe has a bit of a journey ahead of her before she gets the recognition she deserves as the show’s featured player, and her conflicting selves plotline is sure to result in something worth watching. Then of course there’s still Joseph’s son William, the future commander of the Galactica (and future-future admiral of the fleet), who in this episode received some potentially personality-shaping life lessons from Sam, his uncle (like how to bribe the police). I’m also curious to see how somber the show remains, as “Rebirth” had a lot of comedic bits (most of which came from Serge, the Greystone’s personal robot) that helped alleviate some of the more emotional moments. Considering this episode ends with the declaration that one of the main characters is a terrorist, I imagine the emotional tumult of Caprica is just beginning.