Rebirth

"Rebirth" An episode of the Caprica Series
Episode No.	Season 1, Episode 2
Writer(s)	Mark Verheiden
Story by
Director	Jonas Pate
Assistant Director
Special guest(s)
Production No.	102
Nielsen Rating
US airdate	January 29, 2010
CAN airdate
UK airdate	February 10, 2010
DVD release
Population	{{{population}}} survivors
Additional Info
Episode Chronology
Previous		Next
Caprica pilot	Rebirth	The Reins of a Waterfall
Related Information
Official Summary
R&D Skit – View
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Listing of props for this episode
Related Media
			@ BW Media
Promotional Materials
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Overview

Zoe's attachment to the Cylon Prototype makes it difficult for Daniel and his company to duplicate success with other bodies. Amanda looks into her daughter's life and finds that she barely knew the real Zoe. Sister Clarice invites Lacy for dinner, as Sam begins to have a bad influence on his nephew.

Summary

Notes

• The musical piece Daniel Graystone is playing on the piano in his lab is the second movement of Nomion's 3rd Sonata.
• In this episode, Bear McCreary introduces a specific theme for Sister Clarice Willow entitled "Clarice Theme."
• Joseph Adama's car is a Citroën DS, a well-known French car produced between 1955 and 1975.
• The sign over the window smashed by Sam says "ποιοτητα εκτύπωσης σε λογικές τιμές", which means "quality printing at a reasonable price" in modern Greek

Analysis

• Homosexuality is totally accepted by Caprican society. William Adama's uncle Sam Adama had no reluctance in telling how his brother Joseph, William's father, would chase girls and he himself would chase boys when they were close to William's age with the result of while Joseph was a hit with the girls, Sam failed in his attempts at love with the boys. In today's culture in the West (generally understood to be United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Western Europe), the culture Caprica most resembles, homosexuality has been gaining greater acceptance; to the point even that in some limited jurisdictions gay marriage is legal. However, there is still a strong social pressure against it and most of the time, even in the most liberal settings, adults would be reluctant to discuss it with such nonchalance with children. In general on Earth acceptance is from a comparatively high tolerance in many Western and Eastern cultures (but with gays still subjected to various levels of social and legal discrimination and physical harassment) down to the death penalty as the legal penalty if practiced in most Middle Eastern societies and other places. In any event most still don't have it or regard it on an equal pedestal as heterosexuality. In contrast in ancient Greece and Rome on Earth, and in a few other cultures, homosexuality was much more widely accepted as part of life, but even in that time and place the union of man and woman was the ideal with homosexuality seen as a pleasurable dalliance at most.
• Polygamous or Plural marriages are legal in Caprican society, though unusual. Sister Clarice Willow, so far the only person revealed in the series to have one, has three wives - Mabeth, Helena, and Desiree Willow (they use Desiree's last name as the family name) and at least four husbands - Olaf, Nestor, Tanner, and Reshawn - including a few that she didn't know the whereabouts of. They range across the board in both race (using real life Earth's everyday understanding of the term-at least as understood in the West) and age, including a husband that could had been young enough to be her son (Nestor). This is different than the Polygamous arrangements that would be seen in most if not all Earth societies that had the practice. The large majority of Polygamous marriages on Earth are patriarchal (i.e. polygyny) in which the male has numerous wives but the wives are not allowed to have other husbands. The religions of Islam and some forms of Christian Mormonism are probably the most famous instances of socially allowed polygamy (in the United States mainstream Mormons have renounced the practice and polygamy is not allowed legally by anyone regardless of religion, even between Muslims). There are some forms of matriarchal polygamy (i.e. polyandry) such as Nepal and Polynesian cultures. In either case they are heterosexual as opposed to the bisexual arrangements that Sister Willow has. Judging from Lacy's reaction, the practice is a little unusual but not against general social mores and has the force of legality. The closest analogy to present day Earth-at least in parts of the United States and Europe-is gay marriage; but Caprican Polygamy is most likely more accepted than Gay marriage generally is in the United States. It only exists in a couple of states and perhaps a couple of Western European nations and is not accepted by the vast majority of Earth's population.
• The lyric "so say we all" in the Caprican anthem, "Caprica Abides," may signal strong ties between religion and state, perhaps even official endorsement.
• The Soldiers of the One is viewed by many (including the Caprican security forces) as a terrorist group, but that may be a simplistic and overly monolithic view. The original Zoe Graystone had been a member of the group. Nevertheless, she never appeared to advocate violent action, and was horrified when Stark revealed his bomb seconds before it was detonated. Stark's unwillingness to inform her ahead of time suggests that those in the STO who advocate terrorism must operate separately from those who do not.

Questions

• Is Zoe developing feelings for Philomon? If he finds out about her being in the U-87, will he become an ally?
• Why does Sam throw the trashcan through the store window?
• Why does Sam not want William to say the name "Guatrau"?
• Where is Tamara's avatar now?
• What is the previous incident that Clarice's spouses refer to?
• Is Clarice beginning a downward slide when she visits the Dive Bar?
• How much did Natalie know about her son's activities?
• Are Nestor and Clarice trying to get information out of Lacy about Zoe-A?

Guest Stars

• Scott Porter as Nestor Willow
• Genevieve Buechner as Tamara Adama
• Karen Austin as Ruth
• Avan Jogia as Ben Stark
• Philip Granger as Tanner Willow