Apotheosis (episode)

For the belief held by various members of the Soldiers of the One, see apotheosis.

"Apotheosis" An episode of the Caprica Series
Episode No.	Season 1, Episode 18
Writer(s)	Jane Espenson Kevin Murphy
Story by
Director	Jonas Pate
Assistant Director
Special guest(s)
Production No.
Nielsen Rating
US airdate	4 January 2011
CAN airdate	November 30, 2010
UK airdate
DVD release
Population	{{{population}}} survivors
Additional Info	Series Finale
Episode Chronology
Previous		Next
Here Be Dragons	Apotheosis	Blood and Chrome TRS: "Razor Flashbacks"
Related Information
Official Summary
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Listing of props for this episode
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Overview

Daniel and Amanda Graystone and Zoe-A race to stop Clarice Willow's master plan and save thousands of lives before Caprica is changed forever (Caprica series finale).

Summary

Epilogue: The Shape of Things to Come

• Daniel talks with Baxter Sarno on Backtalk with Baxter Sarno about how quickly Cylons have been integrated into Caprican life since the Battle of Atlas Arena. Civilian Cylon models are shown performing various labor functions, including construction worker and dog walker; a monument is shown to the U-87s that saved Atlas Arena. Sarno says he's hearing talk of Cylon butlers and nurses, and asks if Cylon fiancés are coming in the future. Daniel says that it's folly to humanize the machine, while Amanda and Zoe watch the interview from the V-world version of their living room.
• On the anniversary of Willie's death, Joseph tells his young son with Evelyn, William "Bill" Adama, of the history of his name and has him complete the ritual of remembrance. Joseph, Evelyn, Sam, Larry and Ruth all applaud Bill.
• Clarice preaches to a congregation of Cylon workers of various models in a V-world church, saying that their ability to question whether they are alive means that they are alive, and that they are children of God as well as humanity. She plans to travel to Gemenon and ask the Holy Mother for recognition of Cylons in the monotheist faith. The Cylons, Clarice preaches, will become equals to humanity and may evolve past their current state, with brains encoded on computer chips. She prophecizes that there is one who will set them free and they will rise up to crush their creators. Some form of Zoe is seen in the congregation, smiling.
• Clarice does indeed go to Gemenon and is seen talking with Odin Sinclair. After conversing for some time, he tells her he has heard enough and hands her back a book. Clarice then meets with the current Holy Mother, who is Lacy Rand, with U-87s in the background. Rand tells Clarice to kneel.
• Amanda and Daniel complete Zoe's skin-job body with the help of the scientific team working under them, and she emerges from a tank similar, but not identical, to a resurrection tank. She now has a humanoid form and a convincing human visage, though she still has inorganic parts underneath.
• An image is shown of the planet Caprica.

Notes

• Apotheosis has been mentioned in conjunction with Zoe Graystone's avatar program and is one of Sister Clarice Willow's goals.
• The pentagon roundel on the wings of the Caprican marine aircraft carrying the Cylon squad is identical to the roundels on raiders in the original series. The roof of Graystone Industries' headquarters also features the design.
• According to Bear McCreary's Twitter, the Caprican national anthem heard in "Rebirth" will be featured.
• On the DVD commentary for this episode, executive producer Kevin Murphy says the ramifications of the coda sequence, set five years later, would be explored in Season Two. This commentary was recorded prior to the show's cancellation.

Analysis

• The Cylon marine commander's helmet or cranial armour appears to be the inspiration for the First War Centurians' heads. It features an eve protecting the 'ears' and back of the neck, as well as a center comb ridge from front to back. Additionally, as will be the case in the First Cylon War in which command Centurions are distinguished by their golden armour, the marine commander is 'dressed' uniquely from the other Cylon marines.
• Theoretically, the avatars of the dead STO members should have the same ability to control V-world as Zoe-A and Tamara-A have, unless the backup of Zoe's program used to create them was imperfect. It appears that Zoe-A was able to destroy them due to their relative lack of experience.
• It is possible that the Zoe listening to Clarice's sermon was Messenger Zoe. Given the events of Caprica, especially the previous episode and this one, it seems unlikely that Clarice would tolerate Zoe-A's presence under any circumstances or that that Zoe-A would allow Clarice to even suggest violence, much less preach it openly. Only a brief glimpse of Zoe is offered, so there are none of the usual indicators of a Messenger, such as others in the same space obviously ignoring the character, or a non-Messenger character having a conversation with what turns out to be air. However, it is unknown how relationships may change between the characters, and events may occur that would indeed drive Zoe-A to seek rebellion. Clarice's "prophecy" that there is one who will set the Cylons free seems to refer to Zoe.
• Alternatively, as the congregation is otherwise entirely Cylon, the Zoe may be Zoe-R (i.e, Zoe-A inhabbiting a Cylon body). The usual indicator of such an appearance - a CGI Cylon shown first in place of Zoe-R - is seen, albeit with several scene cuts in the interim. On the pew behind Zoe are a petite white Cylon and a Centurion. During the initial montage of Willow's congregation (prior to Willow's pilgrimage to Mother Lacy on Gemenon), a Centurion is seen with a petite white Cylon and a Centurion on the pew behind it, the three in the same relative positions; additionally, the two sequences are each preceded by identical shots of a Centurion genuflecting next to a column. Zoe-A's resurrection into her skinjob body does not occur until after Zoe's appearance in the congregation.
• Amanda's skills as a plastic surgeon appear to come into play in the creation of Zoe's skin-job body.
• Fidelia Fazekas' recognition of the need to support the rebellion on Tauron suggests that she will continue the flow of Cylons started by the Adamas, or even increase it.
• Odin appears to have taken on a role similar to that of Diego now that Lacy is the new Blessed Mother.
• Although Clarice preaches that the Cylons will rise and "crush the ones that first gave them life", she probably is not advocating total human extinction, given her intention to form an alliance between the Cylons and the church on Gemenon.
• Ruth maintains ties to the Adama family during Bill's childhood and may still live with them, despite not being related by blood to the surviving Adamas.
• The "Things to Come" epilogue naturally parallels the rise of the apes described in Escape from the Planet of the Apes and subsequently depicted in Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, much as "Sometimes a Great Notion" extensively parallels and pays homage to the first Planet of the Apes film. The harried Cylon dog walker passing a statue of the Cylon marines seems to possibly be an homage to the cat & dog statue which many ape slaves pass in Conquest.
• When awakening as a skin-job, Zoe-R displays signs of momentary shock and confusion similar to those of resurrecting humanoid Cylons.

Questions

• What happened to Xander after the Graystones escaped?
• What happened to Singh?
  • Were the charges against the Graystones dropped (as can be inferred from the epilogue) because he was outed as a member of the Soldiers of the One?
  • If Singh was outed, was Jordan Duram able to rejoin the GDD?
• What is Tamara-A doing during the events of this episode and the epilogue?
  • Would she have become a skin-job also eventually, or would she have had some other role to play?
• How old is Bill Adama when he is shown in the epilogue?
• Do the Adamas continue to associate with the Ha'la'tha throughout Bill's childhood?
• How much, if anything, is Bill told about Tamara-A and his family's involvement with the rise of the Cylons?
• When does Joseph's focus as a lawyer change from getting Ha'la'tha members off to civil liberties?
• How does the Ha'la'tha operate under Fidelia?
• How do the Monad Church and the STO operate under Lacy?
  • How popular is Lacy with the human monotheists?
• How does the meeting between Clarice and Lacy go?
  • Does Lacy decree that Cylons have souls and/or that their sentience is equal to human sentience?
• What makes Clarice become an advocate of Cylon rebellion?
  • Has her confrontation with Zoe affected Clarice's faith and her relationship with Zoe?
• How does Zoe-A discover and communicate with the Final Five 13-15 years (Colonial perspective) before their arrival? How can they effectively communicate, given the Five's relativistic speed?
• Although the Cylons do not spare Gemenon as a whole in the Second Cylon War, is the Monad territory (or at least the environs of Lacy's temple) treated as sacrosanct in either war, in light of both the Centurions' personal obedience to her and the temple being the seat of their religion?

Official Statements

• From the Caprica panel at the Paley Center:
  • Sasha Roiz: "Our finale is unbelievable. It's so powerful that I remember me and Esai calling each other after reading the script. We were both absolutely floored by how it ends."
  • Esai Morales: "The finale drove me to tears on various occasions. What happens is so profound and out of the blue. [It was] so unexpected it took my breath away."

Noteworthy Dialogue

• Clarice protests as Zoe-A destroys her virtual Heaven

Clarice: This is what God wants!

Zoe-A: I am God!

• Daniel doth protest too much

Baxter Sarno: 'Cause I’m hearing talk about Cylon butlers, Cylon nurses, how long before my niece Candace comes home with her Cylon fiancé to introduce to the family?

Daniel: “Well, I think people are smart enough to realize that, as useful as they are, Cylons are simply tools, nothing more. To forget that, to blur the distinction between man and machine, and attribute human qualities, is folly. There is no way to know what lies ahead, really, this technology, it has taken us the last few steps to the mountain pass but beyond it’s undiscovered country.

• The first words of Clarice's sermon

Clarice: "Are you alive?"

Guest Stars

• Patton Oswalt as Baxter Sarno
• Peter Wingfield as Gara Singh
• Jorge Montesi as The Guatrau
• Ryan Kennedy as Odin Sinclair
• Carmen Moore as Fidelia Fazekas
• Hiro Kanagawa as Cyrus Xander
• Karen Elizabeth Austin as Ruth
• James Pizzinato as Drew
• Panou as Olaf Willow
• Teryl Rothery as as Evelyn
• Julius Chapple as Larry
• Feguins Toussaint as Bodyguard Sean
• Renu Bakshi as Abasi Lowe
• Dale Wolfe as Steve Bahara
• Iris Paluly as Jax
• Hrothgar Mathews as Dave
• Markus Towfigh as Young Bill Adama
• Rodney Reid as Cab Driver
• Mike Dopud as Sal
• J.C. Williams as GDD Agent
• Michael Sangha as GDD Agent
• Mark Donnelly as Anthem Singer
• Kevin Lum as Caprica Police
• Philip Cabrita as STO Martyr #1
• Steve Thackray as STO Martyr #2
• Catherine Lough Haggquist as STO Martyr #3
• Tim Aas as Scruffy Dude
• John Stewart as Supervisor
• Mike Russell as Worker