After a dreadfully long wait, Caprica is back... and I hardly remember what happened. I didn't rewatch any episodes during the hiatus, but I did skim through my review of the midseason finale, and got the gist of what's up.
Like many premieres after cliffhanger finales, "Unvanquished" begins weeks later instead of directly after. And in many ways, "Unvanquished" resets the show, shuffling the characters around, giving them a purpose, and providing the groundwork for the remainder of the season. Following suit with the first half of the season, there isn't much drama to push things forward to a point that has me eagerly clamoring for more.
The majority of the episode explores religion with greater depth than before and brings to focus all the religious stuff that's been going on. Clarice's idea of apotheosis is for everyone to live in the holoband world and her plan is set into motion when she meets the Mother.
There is, however, a central problem which lies at the root of everything virtual. Clarice's plan involves harnessing man's instrument to obtain apotheosis, but where is God's role in that? Is a virtual heaven equivalent to God's heaven? Is there a difference, or are they one in the same?
The other plot developments are more mundane. With Vergis pumping out Cylons, albeit not the awesome sentient ones, Daniel turns to the Guatrau for help and they eventually come to an agreement to work together on resurrecting people in the virtual world. Lacy does this ceremony with Barnabas and continues going deeper into the terrorist world.
The last couple scenes are what we could call twists, although I can't say they really startled me. Amanda is still alive and with Clarice while Zoe is kicking ass in New Cap City and looking for Tamara.
Whether Caprica drops significantly in quality or stays the same, I'm in this for the long run (assuming Syfy renews the show). We know the inevitable ending--Cylons going to war with humans--so I have to see how it happens.
Score: 8.9/10
